From blogging.
I know. I know. You deserved better, just thought I'd make it official. No big drawn out good-byes, no words of wisdom, I'm exiting the blogosphere and entering the ..
twittersphere.
http://twitter.com/tridork
To everyone who's every posted (all 3 of you!).. Thanks and..
Cheers!
Darren
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A wise person once told me 'if you don't have anything intelligent to say, don't say anything.' So, knowing my own limitations, it's been rather quiet around here.
I do have a few tidbits of news, probably the most important of which is my occasional training partner, Gary, competed in the Miamiman half Ironman and pulled off a rather studly 4:22 - good enough for 2nd overall! I'm super happy for the guy, as he ended his season on a high note and I'm also super happy that he's not in my age group!
So, it's been 21 years since I last competed in a swim meet. Last Sunday I had a chance to rectify that. I was rusty and am obviously no where remotely close (or ever will be) of setting a PB, but I was very happy I went and had a chance to mix it up with other masters. (of which there were numberous tri-nerds). I competed in the 100FR (:59), 100IM (1:12), 400FR (4:50), 50FR (27.2) and 100BK (1:15), I was also signed up for the 100 FLY and 200 FR, but time was running short and Sally and I had to leave early. Well, I was a tad tired too, so I didn't put up too much of fight about having to leave early.
The competition was pretty good, they seed you according to your expected finishing time. So you are swimming with guys who are at or near level. You may have a 24 year old one one side and a 55 year old on the other side of you. It's all according to time. However, your actual placement is according to your age category. I was fortunate enough to get first in the events I competed in, which is primarily attributed of remembering how to swim fast. (now I just have to learn how to swim fast for long periods!) Always learning.
Run update! The 100 runs in 91 days is progressing well. I'm on track, but it's been tougher than I thought it would. Not physicaly.. more of a mental battle. It's day 48 and I've got 53 runs done, not much room for error, but still plenty doable.
Bike? What bike? It's still a distant memory, but hopefully in Decemeber I'll crank it up another notch and start logging the miles. The more I get into training, the more the blog will updated. I promise. :)
Cheers!
I do have a few tidbits of news, probably the most important of which is my occasional training partner, Gary, competed in the Miamiman half Ironman and pulled off a rather studly 4:22 - good enough for 2nd overall! I'm super happy for the guy, as he ended his season on a high note and I'm also super happy that he's not in my age group!
So, it's been 21 years since I last competed in a swim meet. Last Sunday I had a chance to rectify that. I was rusty and am obviously no where remotely close (or ever will be) of setting a PB, but I was very happy I went and had a chance to mix it up with other masters. (of which there were numberous tri-nerds). I competed in the 100FR (:59), 100IM (1:12), 400FR (4:50), 50FR (27.2) and 100BK (1:15), I was also signed up for the 100 FLY and 200 FR, but time was running short and Sally and I had to leave early. Well, I was a tad tired too, so I didn't put up too much of fight about having to leave early.
The competition was pretty good, they seed you according to your expected finishing time. So you are swimming with guys who are at or near level. You may have a 24 year old one one side and a 55 year old on the other side of you. It's all according to time. However, your actual placement is according to your age category. I was fortunate enough to get first in the events I competed in, which is primarily attributed of remembering how to swim fast. (now I just have to learn how to swim fast for long periods!) Always learning.
Run update! The 100 runs in 91 days is progressing well. I'm on track, but it's been tougher than I thought it would. Not physicaly.. more of a mental battle. It's day 48 and I've got 53 runs done, not much room for error, but still plenty doable.
Bike? What bike? It's still a distant memory, but hopefully in Decemeber I'll crank it up another notch and start logging the miles. The more I get into training, the more the blog will updated. I promise. :)
Cheers!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
22/100, making a habit.
22/100 runs done. Target of 100 runs in 91 days still very achievable. Swimming 5 days a week. Whoa, the former 'swimmer', sure is swimming alot these days! Well, not really. I still dread going to the pool, but I'm trying to form a habit. I figure if I can keep up the swimming frequency for another 2 weeks, I'm golden.
By the sounds of it, you'd think I'm training alot. All untrue. My swims are quick in/out affairs lasting 30 to 40 min - just enough time for a quick 2k and I'm outta there. And my runs, well they are all short, averaging 40 minutes each, which in all total is a mere 8 to 9 aerobic hours a week. Two goals are being accomplished here: consistency and frequency.
So I finally got off my duff and registered as an unattched swimmer for Masters Swimming. My first swim meet in 21 years is November 16. Should be interesting. I really hope I've been able to talk some other tri-nerds into going, it'll be a hoot.
A quick congrats to two of my sometimes training partners who ran the Toronto marathon last weekend. Cliff, who not only PB'd, he also beat his goal time (by 6min) AND negative split that sucker. Impressive. Aaron, who missed a PB by a mere 1min and 7 sec, but also somehow managed to raise (how many thousands of dollars for the Princess Margaret Hospital?) By hanging out with people who raise the bar and push their limits encourages me to do the same.
Gotta run.. #23 is next.
Cheers!
By the sounds of it, you'd think I'm training alot. All untrue. My swims are quick in/out affairs lasting 30 to 40 min - just enough time for a quick 2k and I'm outta there. And my runs, well they are all short, averaging 40 minutes each, which in all total is a mere 8 to 9 aerobic hours a week. Two goals are being accomplished here: consistency and frequency.
So I finally got off my duff and registered as an unattched swimmer for Masters Swimming. My first swim meet in 21 years is November 16. Should be interesting. I really hope I've been able to talk some other tri-nerds into going, it'll be a hoot.
A quick congrats to two of my sometimes training partners who ran the Toronto marathon last weekend. Cliff, who not only PB'd, he also beat his goal time (by 6min) AND negative split that sucker. Impressive. Aaron, who missed a PB by a mere 1min and 7 sec, but also somehow managed to raise (how many thousands of dollars for the Princess Margaret Hospital?) By hanging out with people who raise the bar and push their limits encourages me to do the same.
Gotta run.. #23 is next.
Cheers!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Turned "On"
I need triathlon more than triathlon needs me. Since Muskoka, I've managed to gain a very quick and alarming 10 pounds. Not bad, 2 to 3 pounds a week! My metabolism just hasn't caught up with my current activity level and I apparently lack the self control to EAT LESS!
So clearly something had to be done. So, on October 2nd, after my shortest 'off season' ever, I started training. VERY light training, but training none-the-less. It's unbelievable how much fitness one can lose in a very short time when reverting to being a sloth. I needed a goal. Including Oct 2, there are 91 days left in the year, the goal is to run 100 times between now and then. A quick nod to ST's Paul Devashish for doing this last year as it's the catalyst for me this year. (a 'run' must be at least 30 minutes in duration)
I'm currently on run 13 and today marks my first day EVER of doing two runs in a day. Hey, if I'm going to address my limiter, I gotta pay the piper.
A brief outline of my training plan:
Oct, Nov, Dec: run and swim, focus on running. Currently running with a HR cap of 140, which reduces me to walking hills. Ug. Planning on doing a swim meet once a month from Nov-Mar.
Jan, Feb: early season "A" race. Chilly Half marathon. Focus on running speedwork and laying the base down on the bike trainer.
Mar, April: back to base building, and hillwork.
May - Sept: Threshold and Vo2 work. Muskoka Chase will a B+ race, Peterborough Half Ironman will be a "A" race and it looks like I'm going to do Muskoka 70.3, though I'm lolly gagging on registering. Race wise, it's almost a carbon copy of last year.
Cheers!
So clearly something had to be done. So, on October 2nd, after my shortest 'off season' ever, I started training. VERY light training, but training none-the-less. It's unbelievable how much fitness one can lose in a very short time when reverting to being a sloth. I needed a goal. Including Oct 2, there are 91 days left in the year, the goal is to run 100 times between now and then. A quick nod to ST's Paul Devashish for doing this last year as it's the catalyst for me this year. (a 'run' must be at least 30 minutes in duration)
I'm currently on run 13 and today marks my first day EVER of doing two runs in a day. Hey, if I'm going to address my limiter, I gotta pay the piper.
A brief outline of my training plan:
Oct, Nov, Dec: run and swim, focus on running. Currently running with a HR cap of 140, which reduces me to walking hills. Ug. Planning on doing a swim meet once a month from Nov-Mar.
Jan, Feb: early season "A" race. Chilly Half marathon. Focus on running speedwork and laying the base down on the bike trainer.
Mar, April: back to base building, and hillwork.
May - Sept: Threshold and Vo2 work. Muskoka Chase will a B+ race, Peterborough Half Ironman will be a "A" race and it looks like I'm going to do Muskoka 70.3, though I'm lolly gagging on registering. Race wise, it's almost a carbon copy of last year.
Cheers!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Turned 'off'.
Workouts since Muskoka: 0
Pounds gained: ~2
I guess it's officially the off season. Catching up on lots of stuff around the house, all the things I put off while training throughout the summer. Guess I have to pay the piper sometime.
Other more tri specific things that are on horizon that may or may not happen. I guess you could classify this as mere ponderances at this point.
-starting a Tri-nerd swim club, the goal being to improve our swims and also do a couple of Masters swim meets for fun. Drop me an email if you wish to be updated on this.
-talked with Rich Pady today about the idea of getting a not for profit Triathlon Club/Team off the ground. This could quickly go from a back burner project to a front burner project soon. Hopefully details to follow in the coming months.
Stuff that's going to happen in the near term:
-Octoberfest 100k ride 'for the hell of it'. No HR or power meter allowed! Aaron and I did this last year, it was 5C and rainy - good times. Open to riders of all calibre.
- 3rd Annual Hockley Hike-n-Run. A 22.5k/3.5 hour hike-n-run through some challenging terrain. Probably in the first half of November, traditional pancake lunch at my place afterwards.
Farther down the horizon..
-2nd annual Alton Half Ironman end of January. Upping the entrant cap to 5 this year. With only 5 spots available, you may just want to reserve your spot ASAP, expecting interest to be exceedinly high in '09!!
In regards to training..
-I'm starting to chomp at the bit and I'm looking forward to get back at it, however I've got vacation coming up and lots of non tri stuff to do (possible canoe trip!), so probably won't start any consistant type training for another 2 - 3 weeks. I figure by then, I'll be fat, unfit but raring to go.
Cheers!
Pounds gained: ~2
I guess it's officially the off season. Catching up on lots of stuff around the house, all the things I put off while training throughout the summer. Guess I have to pay the piper sometime.
Other more tri specific things that are on horizon that may or may not happen. I guess you could classify this as mere ponderances at this point.
-starting a Tri-nerd swim club, the goal being to improve our swims and also do a couple of Masters swim meets for fun. Drop me an email if you wish to be updated on this.
-talked with Rich Pady today about the idea of getting a not for profit Triathlon Club/Team off the ground. This could quickly go from a back burner project to a front burner project soon. Hopefully details to follow in the coming months.
Stuff that's going to happen in the near term:
-Octoberfest 100k ride 'for the hell of it'. No HR or power meter allowed! Aaron and I did this last year, it was 5C and rainy - good times. Open to riders of all calibre.
- 3rd Annual Hockley Hike-n-Run. A 22.5k/3.5 hour hike-n-run through some challenging terrain. Probably in the first half of November, traditional pancake lunch at my place afterwards.
Farther down the horizon..
-2nd annual Alton Half Ironman end of January. Upping the entrant cap to 5 this year. With only 5 spots available, you may just want to reserve your spot ASAP, expecting interest to be exceedinly high in '09!!
In regards to training..
-I'm starting to chomp at the bit and I'm looking forward to get back at it, however I've got vacation coming up and lots of non tri stuff to do (possible canoe trip!), so probably won't start any consistant type training for another 2 - 3 weeks. I figure by then, I'll be fat, unfit but raring to go.
Cheers!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Doing the old farts proud.. Muskoka RR.
+1 for the over 40 crowd, but it was oh so close. Six seconds to be exact, which in a Half Ironman, isn't that much!
Rewind...
Putting ones doubts 'out there' for all see, exposes one's vulnerable side, yet I also think it puts a distinctly human perspective on things as it's something we all experience and can relate to. That being said, I'm going to expose myself... (get your mind out of the gutter!), as I was saying, the last 3 weeks before my last and biggest race of year, I was having trouble just keeping it together. Physically, I did OK at keeping some sort training schedule (mostly due to my new found training partner.. Gary - to which I owe a debt of thanks), but mentally I needed break. I was at the point where I didn't know what I wanted more, to race, or to be done racing for the year. It's been a fantastic year, but I really just wanted to chill out for a bit, pack on a few pounds and relax! Yet I had to race, I paid my fee, I said I was going to Muskoka and by golly I sure the hell wasn't going to let some self pity and nagging doubts stop me!
Cool things about Muskoka 70.3:
The volunteers were simply outstanding. A+++++
For an inaugural event, organization, parking, busing of people to the site etc.. again, outstanding.
The course itself, in the words of the Joanna Zeiger (top woman overall): "Brutal".
On the other side of the equation:
The course is.. ahem.. brutal. Ok, the soggy conditions and the intermittent high winds didn't help, the course may not be 'brutal' but make no mistake about it, it's a tough course.
Questionable pavement. Some crappy 'paved' areas and rough sections of road were leaving people covered in specks of tar by the time they got their bikes. You need to be confident on your bike if you plan to do this race next year.
The run course is punishing, and I'm not just talking about the hills. Sometimes you're on pavement, a dirt path, crumbling walkway or just plain gravel.
Being spackled with tar bits, running in the rain on a dirt path I thought I was doing an Xterra race!
Damn, this report is getting long winded. Sorry about that. On to the meat and potatoes:
The Crystal Ball.
After a VERY quick registration procedure (sub 5 minutes has to be some sort of a record), I run into Lisa Bentley manning the Power Bar booth, she's an incredible athlete, but did you know she also can predict the future?? She says, and I quote: " just don't pass me on the bike." I replied: " even if I did, you'll smoke me on the run." Foreshadowing?
The Swim: My age group is wave 4. (did I mention I hate wave starts??) We started 6 minutes after wave 3, which at the time, I thought was plenty. However, after about 1k we ran into wave 3 and had to play a little dodge swimmer. Other than that, uneventful.
Swim 1.9k: AG 3. OA: 35 Time: 29:03.
T1: Uneventful. Ha! Not really. It's long, it's uphill, it's on pavement and by the time I got to the bike I was hoping my feet weren't bleeding! Time 3:40. (no, I didn't stop for a sandwich)
The Bike: Challenging under dry conditions. Very wet roads, intermittent rain and the occasional wind gust made this bike the toughest I've done so far. Rough patches, freshly tarred stretches of pavement and slick cornering compounded the challenge. I took advantage of my new found bike fitness and rode comfortably hard. At one point, I got into a little back and forth action with a young'un who really didn't like getting passed by a 40 year old. He'd hammer up a hill, pass me, and then on the downhill and even stretches, I'd pass him. We went back and forth a bit and I think he realized that he was just smashing himself and eventually let me go. I was pretty sure I had my age group lead at this point, but with the wave starts it can be hard to tell. I started passing some pro women and by the time I hit the 70k mark, the ride was VERY lonely, I was starting to think I took wrong a turn! I think I went for 20 minutes without seeing another rider. In the late stages of the ride, guess what? I passed Lisa Bentley...
Bike: 94k AG: 1 OA: 13 Time: 2:36:58
T2: Mr. Announcer says 'and here we have our first age grouper coming off the bike!' I'm like.. huh? He can't be talking about me, there must be some mistake. Nevertheless, the crowd went crazy and I, for about 2 minutes, felt like a star! Naturally I started out too fast! (but at the time, I didn't care) :)
The Run: Oh, how I envy the people that can run well. They flow, it's effortless and they are fast. I held that flow, for about 8.. maybe 9k and then I could feel wheels starting to fall off. Suck it up, hold it together and don't stop. I get passed once and only once, by guess who?
Lisa Bentley. The prophecy is complete. She's in the zone. So focused. So intense. I borrow some of that strength, buck up and soldier on. The 16k mark is where the real fun begins, in a sadistic sort of way. The brochure says 'run through the gentle rolling terrain of a beautiful Muskoka golf course', the reality is: 'oh my God is this ever going to end, the ups, the downs, the twisty turny... is going on and on. Oh yea, must give honourable mention to the ... rain.
One more twist, one more turn, one more little jaunt up a hill and back down and finally.. finished!
Run 21.1k AG: 5 OA: 41 Time: 1:34:41. (owie!)
Finally the end of this report is almost in sight! Cheers for getting this far. The bottom line:
Time: 4:45:37 AG:1 OA: 17. The kicker: scored top age grouper by a mere 6 seconds. So this race is dedicated to all the 40+ old farts! Yea Babay!
Quick sidestory: Sorry for the name dropping, but this is cool. Briefly, ran into Joanna Zeiger post race and congratulated her on her win. You know what her first words were?? " Thanks!, how did YOU do?" No ego, real humbleness and what appeared to be a genuine interest in a fellow athlete's race. Yea, that's what I'm talking about, man I dig this sport.
Cheers!
Rewind...
Putting ones doubts 'out there' for all see, exposes one's vulnerable side, yet I also think it puts a distinctly human perspective on things as it's something we all experience and can relate to. That being said, I'm going to expose myself... (get your mind out of the gutter!), as I was saying, the last 3 weeks before my last and biggest race of year, I was having trouble just keeping it together. Physically, I did OK at keeping some sort training schedule (mostly due to my new found training partner.. Gary - to which I owe a debt of thanks), but mentally I needed break. I was at the point where I didn't know what I wanted more, to race, or to be done racing for the year. It's been a fantastic year, but I really just wanted to chill out for a bit, pack on a few pounds and relax! Yet I had to race, I paid my fee, I said I was going to Muskoka and by golly I sure the hell wasn't going to let some self pity and nagging doubts stop me!
Cool things about Muskoka 70.3:
The volunteers were simply outstanding. A+++++
For an inaugural event, organization, parking, busing of people to the site etc.. again, outstanding.
The course itself, in the words of the Joanna Zeiger (top woman overall): "Brutal".
On the other side of the equation:
The course is.. ahem.. brutal. Ok, the soggy conditions and the intermittent high winds didn't help, the course may not be 'brutal' but make no mistake about it, it's a tough course.
Questionable pavement. Some crappy 'paved' areas and rough sections of road were leaving people covered in specks of tar by the time they got their bikes. You need to be confident on your bike if you plan to do this race next year.
The run course is punishing, and I'm not just talking about the hills. Sometimes you're on pavement, a dirt path, crumbling walkway or just plain gravel.
Being spackled with tar bits, running in the rain on a dirt path I thought I was doing an Xterra race!
Damn, this report is getting long winded. Sorry about that. On to the meat and potatoes:
The Crystal Ball.
After a VERY quick registration procedure (sub 5 minutes has to be some sort of a record), I run into Lisa Bentley manning the Power Bar booth, she's an incredible athlete, but did you know she also can predict the future?? She says, and I quote: " just don't pass me on the bike." I replied: " even if I did, you'll smoke me on the run." Foreshadowing?
The Swim: My age group is wave 4. (did I mention I hate wave starts??) We started 6 minutes after wave 3, which at the time, I thought was plenty. However, after about 1k we ran into wave 3 and had to play a little dodge swimmer. Other than that, uneventful.
Swim 1.9k: AG 3. OA: 35 Time: 29:03.
T1: Uneventful. Ha! Not really. It's long, it's uphill, it's on pavement and by the time I got to the bike I was hoping my feet weren't bleeding! Time 3:40. (no, I didn't stop for a sandwich)
The Bike: Challenging under dry conditions. Very wet roads, intermittent rain and the occasional wind gust made this bike the toughest I've done so far. Rough patches, freshly tarred stretches of pavement and slick cornering compounded the challenge. I took advantage of my new found bike fitness and rode comfortably hard. At one point, I got into a little back and forth action with a young'un who really didn't like getting passed by a 40 year old. He'd hammer up a hill, pass me, and then on the downhill and even stretches, I'd pass him. We went back and forth a bit and I think he realized that he was just smashing himself and eventually let me go. I was pretty sure I had my age group lead at this point, but with the wave starts it can be hard to tell. I started passing some pro women and by the time I hit the 70k mark, the ride was VERY lonely, I was starting to think I took wrong a turn! I think I went for 20 minutes without seeing another rider. In the late stages of the ride, guess what? I passed Lisa Bentley...
Bike: 94k AG: 1 OA: 13 Time: 2:36:58
T2: Mr. Announcer says 'and here we have our first age grouper coming off the bike!' I'm like.. huh? He can't be talking about me, there must be some mistake. Nevertheless, the crowd went crazy and I, for about 2 minutes, felt like a star! Naturally I started out too fast! (but at the time, I didn't care) :)
The Run: Oh, how I envy the people that can run well. They flow, it's effortless and they are fast. I held that flow, for about 8.. maybe 9k and then I could feel wheels starting to fall off. Suck it up, hold it together and don't stop. I get passed once and only once, by guess who?
Lisa Bentley. The prophecy is complete. She's in the zone. So focused. So intense. I borrow some of that strength, buck up and soldier on. The 16k mark is where the real fun begins, in a sadistic sort of way. The brochure says 'run through the gentle rolling terrain of a beautiful Muskoka golf course', the reality is: 'oh my God is this ever going to end, the ups, the downs, the twisty turny... is going on and on. Oh yea, must give honourable mention to the ... rain.
One more twist, one more turn, one more little jaunt up a hill and back down and finally.. finished!
Run 21.1k AG: 5 OA: 41 Time: 1:34:41. (owie!)
Finally the end of this report is almost in sight! Cheers for getting this far. The bottom line:
Time: 4:45:37 AG:1 OA: 17. The kicker: scored top age grouper by a mere 6 seconds. So this race is dedicated to all the 40+ old farts! Yea Babay!
Quick sidestory: Sorry for the name dropping, but this is cool. Briefly, ran into Joanna Zeiger post race and congratulated her on her win. You know what her first words were?? " Thanks!, how did YOU do?" No ego, real humbleness and what appeared to be a genuine interest in a fellow athlete's race. Yea, that's what I'm talking about, man I dig this sport.
Cheers!
Monday, September 08, 2008
Psssst! Wanna tip?
It's been 5 years since I got off the couch and ran a marathon for the 'hell of it'. In hindsight, that definitely falls in the 'what the hell was I thinking department!'. Running a marathon with 3 months of 'training'.. Is. Not. A. Smart move. I took the lessons learned from that mistake and jumped into triathlon the following year. Made some more mistakes, learned some more lessons and of course, repeated some mistakes. Eventually, (ok, so I'm not the fastest learner) I started making fewer mistakes and as a result, this year has been an excellent year. Why is that? Well, hold on to your chair, because I'm going to spill the beans...
Stuff I learned this year:
1) Protein is your friend. Don't short change yourself in this department, your body needs protein to help rebuild from all the damage we do to ourselves from training. Having a serving of protein with every meal has made a noticeable difference in my recovery and general well being. Less/no sickness, giving the body the fuel in needs for repairs = better recovery, which in turn = more training = more fitness = faster times!
2) Intervals. Holy crap, my cycling has improved HUGE this year. Why? Intervals. Riding fast to get fast. Now keep in mind I have a massive 3+ years of base building, so when I started to incorporate speed work into the plan, the effect was huge. Why? The engine was built, it just needed tuning. Once or twice a week, I'd hit the hills or do interval work. I never really got around to do doing V02 workouts (that's for next year!), but I did get alot of time spent at just below FTP - usually 30 to 40 minute sessions. The result? FTP went through the roof and I'm currently able to sustain much higher speeds on the bike for a longer duration. I had the base, I just now had to teach myself to go fast.
I'm trying to come up with a 3rd thing I learned this year, but I'm drawing a blank. They say you should learn something everyday.. hmmm, I think I'm behind the curve on that one. Anyway, if those 2 things make a difference in your future training - then I'll be a happy guy.
Cheers!
Stuff I learned this year:
1) Protein is your friend. Don't short change yourself in this department, your body needs protein to help rebuild from all the damage we do to ourselves from training. Having a serving of protein with every meal has made a noticeable difference in my recovery and general well being. Less/no sickness, giving the body the fuel in needs for repairs = better recovery, which in turn = more training = more fitness = faster times!
2) Intervals. Holy crap, my cycling has improved HUGE this year. Why? Intervals. Riding fast to get fast. Now keep in mind I have a massive 3+ years of base building, so when I started to incorporate speed work into the plan, the effect was huge. Why? The engine was built, it just needed tuning. Once or twice a week, I'd hit the hills or do interval work. I never really got around to do doing V02 workouts (that's for next year!), but I did get alot of time spent at just below FTP - usually 30 to 40 minute sessions. The result? FTP went through the roof and I'm currently able to sustain much higher speeds on the bike for a longer duration. I had the base, I just now had to teach myself to go fast.
I'm trying to come up with a 3rd thing I learned this year, but I'm drawing a blank. They say you should learn something everyday.. hmmm, I think I'm behind the curve on that one. Anyway, if those 2 things make a difference in your future training - then I'll be a happy guy.
Cheers!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
The 3 least important words, Guelph Lake II RR.
It's that time of the year, blogging obviously is starting to take a back seat. I can't say I'm a particularly good or passionate blogger, but I do try to update semi regularly.
Soooo, what's new?
Not much. Training has been going well, been incorporating interval sessions into both bike and running and it's paying dividends. I've been going pretty hard since January and I'm looking forward to the 'off season'!
Moving on.. to the Guelph Lake II Race Report!
I'm throwing out the standard race report template. I secretly harbour ill feelings towards it, because it's so redundant and narcissistic. I think I should probably entitle this one: "Things I thought were cool at GL II. "
Number 1: my wife accompanies me to every race I do. After 5 years, she's still batting 100%.
Number 2: Mark, Lori, Fred, Joanne and Joanne's nephew Jake from Prince George, B.C. actually took time out of their days to come down and watch the race. (cheers guys!)
Number 3: Trisport. From a race director's standpoint, I think this was probably a very stressful day. As usual, Trisport did exceptionally well. Think about this and ALL the headaches, pressure and stress it would entail: short notice venue change. ie: swim location is now at a different beach, race course, transition zone, parking etc.. etc.. now all must be changed. With the change, people are now arriving late. Start time is now moved up. This obviously has a trickle down effect that affects everything down the line. A man collapses and nearly dies at the finish line. Paramedics and fire are called in and apparently revive him, he's currently hospitalized and is going to be OK.
Number 4: In the women 50-54 category, Sheri Fraser smokes the course in 1:31, placing 22nd overall!
Number 5: The prancing and preening of my fellow tri nerds- gives me a chuckle everytime.
So. Even though this is my blog, sometimes it's not about me, myself or I. Which, coincidentally, are the 3 least important words in the English language.
Soooo, what's new?
Not much. Training has been going well, been incorporating interval sessions into both bike and running and it's paying dividends. I've been going pretty hard since January and I'm looking forward to the 'off season'!
Moving on.. to the Guelph Lake II Race Report!
I'm throwing out the standard race report template. I secretly harbour ill feelings towards it, because it's so redundant and narcissistic. I think I should probably entitle this one: "Things I thought were cool at GL II. "
Number 1: my wife accompanies me to every race I do. After 5 years, she's still batting 100%.
Number 2: Mark, Lori, Fred, Joanne and Joanne's nephew Jake from Prince George, B.C. actually took time out of their days to come down and watch the race. (cheers guys!)
Number 3: Trisport. From a race director's standpoint, I think this was probably a very stressful day. As usual, Trisport did exceptionally well. Think about this and ALL the headaches, pressure and stress it would entail: short notice venue change. ie: swim location is now at a different beach, race course, transition zone, parking etc.. etc.. now all must be changed. With the change, people are now arriving late. Start time is now moved up. This obviously has a trickle down effect that affects everything down the line. A man collapses and nearly dies at the finish line. Paramedics and fire are called in and apparently revive him, he's currently hospitalized and is going to be OK.
Number 4: In the women 50-54 category, Sheri Fraser smokes the course in 1:31, placing 22nd overall!
Number 5: The prancing and preening of my fellow tri nerds- gives me a chuckle everytime.
So. Even though this is my blog, sometimes it's not about me, myself or I. Which, coincidentally, are the 3 least important words in the English language.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Race Pace
Boy have I learned alot this year, umm.. well I've read alot, how much of that actually sinks is another story! As we start to near the end of the season (only 2 races left!), I've already got an eye on next year and what sort of training protocols I'm going to adapt. I'm on the right track, but there will be some serious tweaking.
One of my major weaknesses (and/or strength, depending how you look at it), is that I have a tendency to focus to a little too hard. This can definitely yield results, but I'd rather open my eyes and mind to the possibility that are even better ways to maximize my training time. One of the strategies I'll be implementing next year is more time at 'race pace'. Training faster to race faster, pretty simple. I'll be coming back to the 'plan' at a future date, but I'm really jazzed about next year and this year isn't even done yet!
To give credit where credit is due. I've been picking one of my new training partners brains on exercise physiology, periodization etc.. Gary, recently came back to the sport of triathlon after a 2 year layoff, is very knowledgeable and freely shares his knowledge (it's no wonder I like hanging with him). He's not a coach (yet), but if I were to ever get one, he'd be on the short list.
Random swimming tips for the week:
- flexibility! Yes, I'm a big fan of proper stretching, as I truly believe it's one of things that helps keep me injury free. Swimmers are a flexible bunch and one of the main benefits is that it gives you range of motion to do proper technique. I'm not saying being flexible will give you proper technique, but if you have the range of motion, it's certainly a good starting point. This link has some good shoulder stretches:
http://www.nismat.org/traintip/swimmershld
- masters swimming. Ok that's half the battle, you signed up and are going to practice, the other half of the battle: use the coach. Everyday, ask the coach, "what's the ONE thing I need to concentrate on today?" Use the coach to master the technique, then and only then are you allowed to train fast.
- lastly. Always, always and I mean always... be concentrating on form. Once your form breaks down - you need a rest, otherwise you're only reinforcing bad form. It's easy to swim 'well' fast (although your form will break down very quick), it's much harder to swim 'well' slow. Once you can swim well at a slow pace (a pace you can continually maintain with no rest and no form breakdown) - you'll have the hardest part nailed. Going fast will be easy because now you'll have good form.
Points to ponder..
The week in review:
Mon: swim 2k easy
Tues: bike 75k. 5X10min at Olympic pace. Run 8k easy.
Wed: run 10k, spin 1 hour. (zone 2)
Thu: run 17k. 4X8min @ Oly pace. Swim 2.8k (400's)
Fri: easy 10k run. Spin 30min.
Sat: 3.6k OW swim. Bike 5 min easy, 10 min hard, quick transition run 2k hard (Oly pace) repeat 5 times. (good workout!)
Sun: run long. 22k.
This race pace stuff is fun. Must be the endorphins. :)
Cheers!
One of my major weaknesses (and/or strength, depending how you look at it), is that I have a tendency to focus to a little too hard. This can definitely yield results, but I'd rather open my eyes and mind to the possibility that are even better ways to maximize my training time. One of the strategies I'll be implementing next year is more time at 'race pace'. Training faster to race faster, pretty simple. I'll be coming back to the 'plan' at a future date, but I'm really jazzed about next year and this year isn't even done yet!
To give credit where credit is due. I've been picking one of my new training partners brains on exercise physiology, periodization etc.. Gary, recently came back to the sport of triathlon after a 2 year layoff, is very knowledgeable and freely shares his knowledge (it's no wonder I like hanging with him). He's not a coach (yet), but if I were to ever get one, he'd be on the short list.
Random swimming tips for the week:
- flexibility! Yes, I'm a big fan of proper stretching, as I truly believe it's one of things that helps keep me injury free. Swimmers are a flexible bunch and one of the main benefits is that it gives you range of motion to do proper technique. I'm not saying being flexible will give you proper technique, but if you have the range of motion, it's certainly a good starting point. This link has some good shoulder stretches:
http://www.nismat.org/traintip/swimmershld
- masters swimming. Ok that's half the battle, you signed up and are going to practice, the other half of the battle: use the coach. Everyday, ask the coach, "what's the ONE thing I need to concentrate on today?" Use the coach to master the technique, then and only then are you allowed to train fast.
- lastly. Always, always and I mean always... be concentrating on form. Once your form breaks down - you need a rest, otherwise you're only reinforcing bad form. It's easy to swim 'well' fast (although your form will break down very quick), it's much harder to swim 'well' slow. Once you can swim well at a slow pace (a pace you can continually maintain with no rest and no form breakdown) - you'll have the hardest part nailed. Going fast will be easy because now you'll have good form.
Points to ponder..
The week in review:
Mon: swim 2k easy
Tues: bike 75k. 5X10min at Olympic pace. Run 8k easy.
Wed: run 10k, spin 1 hour. (zone 2)
Thu: run 17k. 4X8min @ Oly pace. Swim 2.8k (400's)
Fri: easy 10k run. Spin 30min.
Sat: 3.6k OW swim. Bike 5 min easy, 10 min hard, quick transition run 2k hard (Oly pace) repeat 5 times. (good workout!)
Sun: run long. 22k.
This race pace stuff is fun. Must be the endorphins. :)
Cheers!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The fitter you are..
The faster you bounce back. The caveat being.. you probably aren't as fit as you think you are. So smart money says err on the side of caution and rest up! OR.. you could risk injury, over training, burn out... all in an effort of trying to squeeze one more workout that in all likelihood will result in a negative net gain. Hardly seems worth it. Yet we do it. (guilty!) Well at least I try to find the balance - it's a work in progress.
So with an opener like that.. here's what I did this week:
Mon: race (Oly distance)
Tues: swim 2.4k
Wed: bike 72k run5k
Thur: bike 37k, run 11k, swim2.8k
Fri: run 8k
Sat: swim 2.8k open water, bike 70k (rainy, cold and miserable), run 10k
Sun: bike 104k run 10k (to do..)
Signs of over training and /or over-extending myself include: being grumpy, and not sleeping well. The good news is the grump factor is at an all time low and I'm sleeping like a baby - good news indeed.
So I get an email from Aaron entitled: "F the rain- I'm riding on Sunday!!! " Well, after much fence sitting, I buck up and we went for a nice spin. I'm a total froo froo boy when it comes to riding in the rain - oh sure I can suck it up, but I don't have to like it! Training for me is all about maximizing my enjoyment of a given activity and riding in the rain, for me, is generally not fun. BUT.. when you training partner throws down an invite.. you kinda, sorta, haveta rise up to the challenge. It's just the way it is.
By the way, it didn't rain, traffic was nil and the ride rocked. Sometimes the sun shines - even when it's cloudy.
Cheers!
P.S. Phelps's 4:03 in the 400IM = UNfrickinbelievable.
So with an opener like that.. here's what I did this week:
Mon: race (Oly distance)
Tues: swim 2.4k
Wed: bike 72k run5k
Thur: bike 37k, run 11k, swim2.8k
Fri: run 8k
Sat: swim 2.8k open water, bike 70k (rainy, cold and miserable), run 10k
Sun: bike 104k run 10k (to do..)
Signs of over training and /or over-extending myself include: being grumpy, and not sleeping well. The good news is the grump factor is at an all time low and I'm sleeping like a baby - good news indeed.
So I get an email from Aaron entitled: "F the rain- I'm riding on Sunday!!! " Well, after much fence sitting, I buck up and we went for a nice spin. I'm a total froo froo boy when it comes to riding in the rain - oh sure I can suck it up, but I don't have to like it! Training for me is all about maximizing my enjoyment of a given activity and riding in the rain, for me, is generally not fun. BUT.. when you training partner throws down an invite.. you kinda, sorta, haveta rise up to the challenge. It's just the way it is.
By the way, it didn't rain, traffic was nil and the ride rocked. Sometimes the sun shines - even when it's cloudy.
Cheers!
P.S. Phelps's 4:03 in the 400IM = UNfrickinbelievable.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Provincial Champs Race Report!
Owen Sound hosted the Ontario Provincial Champs today for the Olympic distance triathlon. Doing well here means you get to go to the World Championships being hosted in Australia next year, which would be nice, but prohibitively expensive! So here is how the day went down..
Time: 2:05:35
AG placing: 2
Overall: 10
Swim 1.5k: Time: 21:12 AG placing: 3 Overall:17
My age group was in the second wave, which started 4min after the first wave. I immediately fell in line with the top 2 swimmers and the 3 of us basically made a line around the course. I was content on following their feet and we all exited the water very close together.
T1
Uneventful. Wetsuit off. Helmet on. Unrack bike. Go.
Bike 40k: Time: 1:02:17 AG placing:4 Overall: 8
Was looking to to come in about 2 minutes faster but without knowing the course I'm happy with my bike time. Not a particularly difficult course, best defined as a rolling type course with some longer easy ascents - I did have to drop to the small chain ring once. Going out was pretty zippy, nice tail wind and was holding 50kph for some good stretches. Coming back was obviously a tad slower as we had to contend with a headwind. But overall it's a pretty good course.
T2
Tried to rack bike at the wrong rack. Doh. Quickly realized the mistake as I didn't see my shoes there! I was one aisle off - no biggie. Probably only cost 10 sec. Rack bike. Helmet off. Shoes on. Go!
Run 10: 40:34 AG placing: 5 Overall:27
I'm stuck. Seems like no matter what race I do, I can't break the 4min/kph barrier. Becoming a runner has been a long arduous journey and it would appear I still need work! The run is a two looped affair that goes by fairly quickly. Psychologically it's not a far distance, so no matter how hard I'm sucking air, I just tell myself 1 more km! And before I know it, it's done!
Overall I'd give this race a solid 8. Good venue, lots of parking, plenty of facilities, very well organized (as usual Trisport), and great volunteers! This is only the 2nd year Owen Sound has had this particular race, but I can quickly see it becoming a fan favorite, plus it also received Sally's seal of approval - which always bodes well!
Cheers!
Time: 2:05:35
AG placing: 2
Overall: 10
Swim 1.5k: Time: 21:12 AG placing: 3 Overall:17
My age group was in the second wave, which started 4min after the first wave. I immediately fell in line with the top 2 swimmers and the 3 of us basically made a line around the course. I was content on following their feet and we all exited the water very close together.
T1
Uneventful. Wetsuit off. Helmet on. Unrack bike. Go.
Bike 40k: Time: 1:02:17 AG placing:4 Overall: 8
Was looking to to come in about 2 minutes faster but without knowing the course I'm happy with my bike time. Not a particularly difficult course, best defined as a rolling type course with some longer easy ascents - I did have to drop to the small chain ring once. Going out was pretty zippy, nice tail wind and was holding 50kph for some good stretches. Coming back was obviously a tad slower as we had to contend with a headwind. But overall it's a pretty good course.
T2
Tried to rack bike at the wrong rack. Doh. Quickly realized the mistake as I didn't see my shoes there! I was one aisle off - no biggie. Probably only cost 10 sec. Rack bike. Helmet off. Shoes on. Go!
Run 10: 40:34 AG placing: 5 Overall:27
I'm stuck. Seems like no matter what race I do, I can't break the 4min/kph barrier. Becoming a runner has been a long arduous journey and it would appear I still need work! The run is a two looped affair that goes by fairly quickly. Psychologically it's not a far distance, so no matter how hard I'm sucking air, I just tell myself 1 more km! And before I know it, it's done!
Overall I'd give this race a solid 8. Good venue, lots of parking, plenty of facilities, very well organized (as usual Trisport), and great volunteers! This is only the 2nd year Owen Sound has had this particular race, but I can quickly see it becoming a fan favorite, plus it also received Sally's seal of approval - which always bodes well!
Cheers!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Tabata!
On Tuesday I did my very first set of Tabata intervals. Ummm... to say these are challenging is an understatement. Here's the quick and dirty: 20 sec MAX intensity, followed by 10 seconds rest. Repeat 8 times. Yup, that's it. Sounds easy, I mean that's a whopping 4 minutes of work, it should be cake.... right?
Wrong.
Wrong.
WRONG!
I did a measly 3 and was utterly and completely fried. I think for the first one I hit ~750 watts, the second one I'm not sure, I'd guess maybe 550, the 3rd one I may have peaked around 420 and I was done. I did take a rest and banged off a couple of more, just because I was so humbled by the initial 3 and that I couldn't live with myself by scheduling to do 8 and walking away only doing 3!
Ahh well, now I have something to shoot for, next time I'm going to shoot for 5 in a row - probably a little more realistic.
Training for last week was OK. Bike time suffered a bit, but got some good running mileage in. Sally and I threw a party last night, so today I'm suffering from lack of quality sleep and partaking in a tad too many beverages. I paid my penance though.. by running 22k... it was challenging. The numbers: swim 9.6k, spin: 3 hrs, bike: 50k and run: 75.5k.
This is a scheduled rest week, but I'm mixing it up a bit. Looking to log a bit of bike time Mon-Thurs, then do a 72hour mini taper/rest and then race Owen Sound on Aug 4. Did someone say race? Yes!
Off to sleep now.. I'm thinking 10 hours should suffice.
Cheers!
Wrong.
Wrong.
WRONG!
I did a measly 3 and was utterly and completely fried. I think for the first one I hit ~750 watts, the second one I'm not sure, I'd guess maybe 550, the 3rd one I may have peaked around 420 and I was done. I did take a rest and banged off a couple of more, just because I was so humbled by the initial 3 and that I couldn't live with myself by scheduling to do 8 and walking away only doing 3!
Ahh well, now I have something to shoot for, next time I'm going to shoot for 5 in a row - probably a little more realistic.
Training for last week was OK. Bike time suffered a bit, but got some good running mileage in. Sally and I threw a party last night, so today I'm suffering from lack of quality sleep and partaking in a tad too many beverages. I paid my penance though.. by running 22k... it was challenging. The numbers: swim 9.6k, spin: 3 hrs, bike: 50k and run: 75.5k.
This is a scheduled rest week, but I'm mixing it up a bit. Looking to log a bit of bike time Mon-Thurs, then do a 72hour mini taper/rest and then race Owen Sound on Aug 4. Did someone say race? Yes!
Off to sleep now.. I'm thinking 10 hours should suffice.
Cheers!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Genetic Excuse
What's easier?
Saying that you do not have the mental fortitude, desire, time, physical ability, willingness to sacrifice, focus etc...
OR..
"I'm limited by my genes."
It's human nature to take the easy road. It's unfortunate that many of us define our ability before we even get to the start line. Somehow I doubt a true champion does this. I read that the great Peter Reid, didn't think he was genetically gifted and that he only did as well as he did through years of hard, consistent work. (imagine!)
I'm sure you could probably map out the genetic component on some sort of bell curve, BUT and this is a big but, you wouldn't be able to map the mental aspects of what makes a champion. These are the intangibles that will transcend any genetic bell curve and make truly great athletes. So if you want to use the 'genetic excuse' by all means do so, but all you are really doing is self imposing your own limit.
~~
Cycling story of the week.
Was out riding the other day when I saw some sort of black, very stealth looking helicopter skimming the trees. It was buzzing around, disappear, pop back up - it seemed to be flying pretty aggressive. Not something I see everyday and was pretty cool. Something was going on, though I had no idea what. Fast forward....
Same road, about 15k down. A woman wearing pink leathers driving a large Fat Boy Harley passes me. Yea that's cool too. Men on Harley's = obnoxious. Women on Harley's = cool. Anyway, about 10 minutes later, the road comes to a "T" and she's pulled over to the side. Ahhh a damsel in distress... and we're both on two wheels.. even if I'm completely dorked out in cycling spandex. (what have I become...?)
It turns out she's looking for some TV shoot that's suppose to be happening on this very road. It slowly dawns on me that maybe.. just maybe that helicopter I saw way back was involved. She said 'that's it!'. But before she goes, I ask if she'll trade rides - just for a spin. She says, and I quote:
"Well I would, but this one is my Mom's - mines in shop!"
Gee, didn't see that one coming.
Being a TV-o-phobe, I have no idea who it was - but we wished each other a great ride and went our separate ways.
~~
Training.
A solid week. Monday: easy 2.7k swim. Tues:15.5k run featuring hill repeats, 1 hour hard ride. Wed: 3k swim, 12k of interval work on the treadmill. Thurs: run 17, spin 1 hour (4X9min at threshold). Fri: run 8k (treadmill, 7% incline at 7mph, held it to 140 HR), 45min spin (5X3min at 115% of threshold). Sat: O/W swim 2.4k, bike 100k, run 10k. Today: 2.5hr spin (did the Ergvideo of Lake Placid while watching IronmanLive of the Lake Placid race-at the same time, cool.) To do: run 10k before dinner.
But first..
a nap!
Cheers!
Saying that you do not have the mental fortitude, desire, time, physical ability, willingness to sacrifice, focus etc...
OR..
"I'm limited by my genes."
It's human nature to take the easy road. It's unfortunate that many of us define our ability before we even get to the start line. Somehow I doubt a true champion does this. I read that the great Peter Reid, didn't think he was genetically gifted and that he only did as well as he did through years of hard, consistent work. (imagine!)
I'm sure you could probably map out the genetic component on some sort of bell curve, BUT and this is a big but, you wouldn't be able to map the mental aspects of what makes a champion. These are the intangibles that will transcend any genetic bell curve and make truly great athletes. So if you want to use the 'genetic excuse' by all means do so, but all you are really doing is self imposing your own limit.
~~
Cycling story of the week.
Was out riding the other day when I saw some sort of black, very stealth looking helicopter skimming the trees. It was buzzing around, disappear, pop back up - it seemed to be flying pretty aggressive. Not something I see everyday and was pretty cool. Something was going on, though I had no idea what. Fast forward....
Same road, about 15k down. A woman wearing pink leathers driving a large Fat Boy Harley passes me. Yea that's cool too. Men on Harley's = obnoxious. Women on Harley's = cool. Anyway, about 10 minutes later, the road comes to a "T" and she's pulled over to the side. Ahhh a damsel in distress... and we're both on two wheels.. even if I'm completely dorked out in cycling spandex. (what have I become...?)
It turns out she's looking for some TV shoot that's suppose to be happening on this very road. It slowly dawns on me that maybe.. just maybe that helicopter I saw way back was involved. She said 'that's it!'. But before she goes, I ask if she'll trade rides - just for a spin. She says, and I quote:
"Well I would, but this one is my Mom's - mines in shop!"
Gee, didn't see that one coming.
Being a TV-o-phobe, I have no idea who it was - but we wished each other a great ride and went our separate ways.
~~
Training.
A solid week. Monday: easy 2.7k swim. Tues:15.5k run featuring hill repeats, 1 hour hard ride. Wed: 3k swim, 12k of interval work on the treadmill. Thurs: run 17, spin 1 hour (4X9min at threshold). Fri: run 8k (treadmill, 7% incline at 7mph, held it to 140 HR), 45min spin (5X3min at 115% of threshold). Sat: O/W swim 2.4k, bike 100k, run 10k. Today: 2.5hr spin (did the Ergvideo of Lake Placid while watching IronmanLive of the Lake Placid race-at the same time, cool.) To do: run 10k before dinner.
But first..
a nap!
Cheers!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Focus
There was interesting thread on the board I hang out on but hardly ever post - Slowtwitch. If you didn't read the link, it has to do with "fast guys" and over 40. I thought about this alot during training this week and was trying to come up with some sort of underlying principles.
First, I'm not even going to define fast. It's relative term, what's fast to me might not be fast to you. It's also completely elusive as the definition changes as goals are met and you start entertain new possibilities.
I think one of the primary attributes ANY "fast" athlete has is Focus. Focus trumps all - it encompasses stuff like dedication, consistency etc. When one is 'focused' things naturally start to fall in place; it could be diet, rest, a tough training week etc... I look back on my training log for the last 7 months and I can count on two fingers the number of workouts I've bailed on - solely because I've been in a focused state. (don't worry, I'll go very UN-focused in the fall). The point being, at age 25 I was more concerned about having a good time. Now at age 40, I don't care if I crash at 9pm on a Friday night, I have early Sat morning ride to look forward to!
A willingness to learn and/or try something 'new'. At the beginning of every year for the last four years, I ask myself "how can I train smarter this year?" Most of us have jobs and responsibilities and a result we have limited time to train - using that time as wisely/smartly as possible is a must. Personal experience: for that last 3 years, I tried to 'race' an Ironman and each time I was schooled.. hard. Each year, I'd train 'more', go longer and think I was ready by the time the next one rolled around. I wasn't. I finally got it through my skull, that starting at an Ironman level maybe wasn't the best thing to do. Totally changed my approach this year and have been lucky enough to score a PB in each race I've done. (5/5) Fortunately, I'm *usually* not that slow of a learner! EVERY year, I've changed or tweaked the program. EVERYday, I peruse Slowtwitch and host of elite athlete and coaches blogs and glean very helpful tidbits of information - some I use, some I don't. Ultimately, only you can figure out what's best for you. (though a good coach can help/speed the process up).
Look down the road. Two years down the road. Long term is not 2 months from now.It takes a long time to get good. Most coaches/athletes say 10 years - only then you've made it the first rung. Patience. Re-adjust your focus to the long term, then start taking the necessary steps to get there. One step, one building block at a time.
Lastly, go outside the box. Even at the elite level, athletic formulas and training protocols are always changing. Why? Because someone, dared to go outside a prescribed mode of thinking. Dabble outside the box every so often, who knows what you'll find. My personal 'outside the box' thing is take 4, 6 .. 8 weeks off, completely off. No training, no triathlon, no blogging. Just time to rest, pursue other interests, gain some weight, do whatever. Sure, I'll lose a ton fitness (don't care), but once I start to get that itch to start back up again, the slate is clean, the system is purged and I'm ready to go.
~~
Training for the week:
I'm totally amazed at how fast I bounced back after Peterborough. An obvious function of improved fitness! Monday was an easy 2.1k swim. Tuesday was a short 6k treadmill run and a 1hr spin. Wednesday was 3.3k swim and 9k run. Thursday was back in the groove with a quick 90k ride followed by a 7.5k run. Friday: 10k run, spin 1 hour. Sat: Run 22k, spin 1 hour. Sun: Bike 130k, run 7k.
Totals:
Swim: 5.4k
Spin: 3 hrs
Bike: 220k
Run: 62k
This week the 'plan' (always subject to change) will be tougher than normal. Some mid week 10mile runs and some back to back long rides on tap for the weekend. Have a frikin awesome week!
Cheers!
First, I'm not even going to define fast. It's relative term, what's fast to me might not be fast to you. It's also completely elusive as the definition changes as goals are met and you start entertain new possibilities.
I think one of the primary attributes ANY "fast" athlete has is Focus. Focus trumps all - it encompasses stuff like dedication, consistency etc. When one is 'focused' things naturally start to fall in place; it could be diet, rest, a tough training week etc... I look back on my training log for the last 7 months and I can count on two fingers the number of workouts I've bailed on - solely because I've been in a focused state. (don't worry, I'll go very UN-focused in the fall). The point being, at age 25 I was more concerned about having a good time. Now at age 40, I don't care if I crash at 9pm on a Friday night, I have early Sat morning ride to look forward to!
A willingness to learn and/or try something 'new'. At the beginning of every year for the last four years, I ask myself "how can I train smarter this year?" Most of us have jobs and responsibilities and a result we have limited time to train - using that time as wisely/smartly as possible is a must. Personal experience: for that last 3 years, I tried to 'race' an Ironman and each time I was schooled.. hard. Each year, I'd train 'more', go longer and think I was ready by the time the next one rolled around. I wasn't. I finally got it through my skull, that starting at an Ironman level maybe wasn't the best thing to do. Totally changed my approach this year and have been lucky enough to score a PB in each race I've done. (5/5) Fortunately, I'm *usually* not that slow of a learner! EVERY year, I've changed or tweaked the program. EVERYday, I peruse Slowtwitch and host of elite athlete and coaches blogs and glean very helpful tidbits of information - some I use, some I don't. Ultimately, only you can figure out what's best for you. (though a good coach can help/speed the process up).
Look down the road. Two years down the road. Long term is not 2 months from now.It takes a long time to get good. Most coaches/athletes say 10 years - only then you've made it the first rung. Patience. Re-adjust your focus to the long term, then start taking the necessary steps to get there. One step, one building block at a time.
Lastly, go outside the box. Even at the elite level, athletic formulas and training protocols are always changing. Why? Because someone, dared to go outside a prescribed mode of thinking. Dabble outside the box every so often, who knows what you'll find. My personal 'outside the box' thing is take 4, 6 .. 8 weeks off, completely off. No training, no triathlon, no blogging. Just time to rest, pursue other interests, gain some weight, do whatever. Sure, I'll lose a ton fitness (don't care), but once I start to get that itch to start back up again, the slate is clean, the system is purged and I'm ready to go.
~~
Training for the week:
I'm totally amazed at how fast I bounced back after Peterborough. An obvious function of improved fitness! Monday was an easy 2.1k swim. Tuesday was a short 6k treadmill run and a 1hr spin. Wednesday was 3.3k swim and 9k run. Thursday was back in the groove with a quick 90k ride followed by a 7.5k run. Friday: 10k run, spin 1 hour. Sat: Run 22k, spin 1 hour. Sun: Bike 130k, run 7k.
Totals:
Swim: 5.4k
Spin: 3 hrs
Bike: 220k
Run: 62k
This week the 'plan' (always subject to change) will be tougher than normal. Some mid week 10mile runs and some back to back long rides on tap for the weekend. Have a frikin awesome week!
Cheers!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
Kickin it ... old school.
Peterborough Half Iron Race Report
So I admit, I haven't been around this sport long enough to know what 'old school' is, but I'm certainly 'old enough' to theorize! No heart rate monitor, no power meter, 2 bottles for the bike, no patch kit, spare tire or CO2 -something I don't necessarily recommend - arrive, setup and get to the swim start with 6 minutes to spare - again, something I don't recommend! Instead, I used perceived effort (sometimes known as deceived effort), listened to breathing (I can pretty much tell what HR zone I'm in by how hard I'm breathing) and lastly.. the ol stomach trick (any hint of nausea means back off bucko).
So..
did it work? Read on..
The Swim (2k)
Time: 29:46 AG placing: 2 OA placing: 12.
Actually the guy who placed ahead me only did 1 loop on the swim and DQ'd... so technically the places are bumped up by 1.
My swim was OK. The time includes a fairly long run to the TZ, but in my head I'm wondering why I'm not faster. In the pool, my 'swim all day' pace is 1:27-1:29/100m, so I'm barely just meeting that in a race. I'm seriously contemplating ditching my wetsuit and only using it for cold water swims - but that's a topic for another day.
It was fairly uneventful, there was a long line of about 7 swimmers and we all seemed to be content with following each others feet. Which was basically the way it went for 2 loops.
The Bike (90k)
Time: 2:22 A/G placing: 1 Overall: 7
After a reasonably quick transition, I was on the bike and wasn't exactly sure what position I was in. My strategy was simple: controlled chaos. The first 10 to 20k I wanted to take it easy, get the HR down from the swim, breath deeply and relax. I passed couple of young'uns and was passed by a pro and that was all the traffic I saw for a very. long. time. I never looked back, just buried my head, tried to be as aero and slippery as possible and pedalled away.
I enjoyed the course, it's not super hard, probably best described as rolling type course. A few hills, but I didn't even need to use the small chainring and the weather /wind was damn near perfect.
After the turn around, I was mildly surprised to see about half a dozen guys only a 2 or 3 minutes behind me. It's deceiving, I had no one in front of me the longest time, so it was a kick in the head to see the guys that were chasing me down and they weren't far behind! I counted the guys ahead and was riding in 5th place and was moving at a good clip. I got surprised in the last 8k when a guy passed me, he wasn't hammering, so I just stayed about 50 feet behind him, dialed the effort down a notch and cruised in T2.
In the end, it was zippy bike split and I blew away my own expectations. I was expecting to average to ~37kph and ended up at 38kph on the nose. Was quite happy to see that!
The Run
Time: 1:32 A/G placing: 4 Overall: 20
Ahhh the run. Now comes the point in every race where you start to pay the piper. Did I bike too hard? Are my legs pooched? I leave T2 and immediately start banging off 4min/k - whoa, too fast. I know I'm going to fast, but do I slow down? No, no I don't. I held 4min/k for the first 7k THEN started to pay. Not the smartest move. But I'm running scared. After each turn around I see guys that are breathing down my neck and some of them look STRONG. I'm scared I'm going to blow-up and they are just going to pass me and put me out of my misery. But I held on.
Aaron spots me yells out: "Go Walton, you're in 6th!" Despite being an unhappy camper, I chuckle to myself, he brought me out of the I-feel-sorry-myself-funk I was in and I tried to step it up a notch.
In the end I get passed by a pro and 2 fast young'uns - real runners. I have no chance in keeping up with them. But I can feel the guys in my AG breathing down my neck.. 'just hold it together'.. I say to myself.
4k to go... I think I saw Cliff at this point, but I wasn't in my happy place and couldn't give the props he was due.
3k to go..
they are gaining...
2k to go..
don't look back, just run..
1k to go..
man this going to feel so good to stop..
500m...
ok, look back..
what the hell? I'm safe? SWEET!
Cruise the last 500m.
Time: 4:26:27. A/G placing: 1. O/A: 8.
What the hell? Better than my wildest expectations. My A+ goal was to go sub 4:30, I thought realistically I'd come in the 4:32-33 range. So yea, I'm a happy guy. :)
Mike Woodford scored 2nd place and was a mere 1 minute behind me. Honestly, he just ran out of real estate, he was going to run me down, no question about it. His run was about 4 min faster than mine, but I had enough of a cushion from the swim and bike to hold him off. So, like I said, I was running scared.
Devashish Paul came 3rd in our age group a mere 2 minutes behind Mike! A tough, close race, with 30% of the top 10 overall being of the 40+ crowd! And I thought the 35-39 age group was competitive - these guys are animals!
Cheers!
So I admit, I haven't been around this sport long enough to know what 'old school' is, but I'm certainly 'old enough' to theorize! No heart rate monitor, no power meter, 2 bottles for the bike, no patch kit, spare tire or CO2 -something I don't necessarily recommend - arrive, setup and get to the swim start with 6 minutes to spare - again, something I don't recommend! Instead, I used perceived effort (sometimes known as deceived effort), listened to breathing (I can pretty much tell what HR zone I'm in by how hard I'm breathing) and lastly.. the ol stomach trick (any hint of nausea means back off bucko).
So..
did it work? Read on..
The Swim (2k)
Time: 29:46 AG placing: 2 OA placing: 12.
Actually the guy who placed ahead me only did 1 loop on the swim and DQ'd... so technically the places are bumped up by 1.
My swim was OK. The time includes a fairly long run to the TZ, but in my head I'm wondering why I'm not faster. In the pool, my 'swim all day' pace is 1:27-1:29/100m, so I'm barely just meeting that in a race. I'm seriously contemplating ditching my wetsuit and only using it for cold water swims - but that's a topic for another day.
It was fairly uneventful, there was a long line of about 7 swimmers and we all seemed to be content with following each others feet. Which was basically the way it went for 2 loops.
The Bike (90k)
Time: 2:22 A/G placing: 1 Overall: 7
After a reasonably quick transition, I was on the bike and wasn't exactly sure what position I was in. My strategy was simple: controlled chaos. The first 10 to 20k I wanted to take it easy, get the HR down from the swim, breath deeply and relax. I passed couple of young'uns and was passed by a pro and that was all the traffic I saw for a very. long. time. I never looked back, just buried my head, tried to be as aero and slippery as possible and pedalled away.
I enjoyed the course, it's not super hard, probably best described as rolling type course. A few hills, but I didn't even need to use the small chainring and the weather /wind was damn near perfect.
After the turn around, I was mildly surprised to see about half a dozen guys only a 2 or 3 minutes behind me. It's deceiving, I had no one in front of me the longest time, so it was a kick in the head to see the guys that were chasing me down and they weren't far behind! I counted the guys ahead and was riding in 5th place and was moving at a good clip. I got surprised in the last 8k when a guy passed me, he wasn't hammering, so I just stayed about 50 feet behind him, dialed the effort down a notch and cruised in T2.
In the end, it was zippy bike split and I blew away my own expectations. I was expecting to average to ~37kph and ended up at 38kph on the nose. Was quite happy to see that!
The Run
Time: 1:32 A/G placing: 4 Overall: 20
Ahhh the run. Now comes the point in every race where you start to pay the piper. Did I bike too hard? Are my legs pooched? I leave T2 and immediately start banging off 4min/k - whoa, too fast. I know I'm going to fast, but do I slow down? No, no I don't. I held 4min/k for the first 7k THEN started to pay. Not the smartest move. But I'm running scared. After each turn around I see guys that are breathing down my neck and some of them look STRONG. I'm scared I'm going to blow-up and they are just going to pass me and put me out of my misery. But I held on.
Aaron spots me yells out: "Go Walton, you're in 6th!" Despite being an unhappy camper, I chuckle to myself, he brought me out of the I-feel-sorry-myself-funk I was in and I tried to step it up a notch.
In the end I get passed by a pro and 2 fast young'uns - real runners. I have no chance in keeping up with them. But I can feel the guys in my AG breathing down my neck.. 'just hold it together'.. I say to myself.
4k to go... I think I saw Cliff at this point, but I wasn't in my happy place and couldn't give the props he was due.
3k to go..
they are gaining...
2k to go..
don't look back, just run..
1k to go..
man this going to feel so good to stop..
500m...
ok, look back..
what the hell? I'm safe? SWEET!
Cruise the last 500m.
Time: 4:26:27. A/G placing: 1. O/A: 8.
What the hell? Better than my wildest expectations. My A+ goal was to go sub 4:30, I thought realistically I'd come in the 4:32-33 range. So yea, I'm a happy guy. :)
Mike Woodford scored 2nd place and was a mere 1 minute behind me. Honestly, he just ran out of real estate, he was going to run me down, no question about it. His run was about 4 min faster than mine, but I had enough of a cushion from the swim and bike to hold him off. So, like I said, I was running scared.
Devashish Paul came 3rd in our age group a mere 2 minutes behind Mike! A tough, close race, with 30% of the top 10 overall being of the 40+ crowd! And I thought the 35-39 age group was competitive - these guys are animals!
Cheers!
Monday, June 30, 2008
No Title
Ahhh.. just ate homemade pancakes, a couple eggs and 3 pieces of ham for lunch. I'm sated and feeling fine.
In the news..
-scored a treadmill. It's cool. Nothing beats running outside, but I can feel the benefit that a treadmill will provide. I seem to run 'lighter', cadence seems higher and there is noticeably lesser impact on the ol joints. The 'boy cave', (the one room of the house that's actually mine) is getting a little full though.
-Canucks rocked IMCDA. For a relatively small population, we have some bad ass triathletes. First place men AND first place women were both Canadian.
-watched the US Olympic trials for the Men's 400 IM last night. One of the best races I've seen. Phelps leads after the butterfly and backstroke, Lochte catches him on the breaststroke and they duke it in the freestyle head to head. Both under the world record with Phelps winning. Incredible.
"Other" stuff..
-this year I had the 'revelation' that there will be no 'training races'. Every race I'll be rested the only question is how much rest I get. For lower priority races I'll take 3 or 4 easy days, for a high priority (half IM) I'll do a full 14 day taper. Generally, triathletes have a tendency to get addicted training (guilty!) and always want to squeak just one hard day of training before I race. Resist! We train so much and race so little, make every race count! This small change philosophy has yielded a PB in 4/4 races so far this year.
-is going 'hard' tougher than going 'long'? The last couple of years I went 'long' - well long for me. Keep in mind, this is relative. I think this period was very valuable as it laid down some good groundwork for the future.
This year I've added considerably more 'hard' sessions - especially on the bike and I have to say there are times I believe that a short 1 hour interval session on the bike is harder than a 100k mid week Z1/2 ride. When I went long, I'd zone out and just ride. When I go hard - I suffer. Mental toughness is required - that little imp on my shoulder is always telling me to stop.
-Peterborough Half Ironman is this Sunday and I still have not got my wetsuit back from being repaired. If I don't get it back in time, I'm seriously thinking of going old school and doing the swim in a bathing suit.
By the numbers..
For the week of June 23- 29
Swim: 8.1k
Spin: 4.25 hrs
Bike: 100k
Run: 50k
The key sessions for the week was: Tues: brick- bike 100k moderate effort followed by 7.5k run. Thurs: swim 3.1k, spin 1 hour (27min @ threshold 310watts -upped it by 5W :), run 6.5k. Sat: Ergvideo loop of Lake Placid.
This week is taper week. Rest. Rest. REST.
Tomorrow is..
Canada Day!
Have a great one.
In the news..
-scored a treadmill. It's cool. Nothing beats running outside, but I can feel the benefit that a treadmill will provide. I seem to run 'lighter', cadence seems higher and there is noticeably lesser impact on the ol joints. The 'boy cave', (the one room of the house that's actually mine) is getting a little full though.
-Canucks rocked IMCDA. For a relatively small population, we have some bad ass triathletes. First place men AND first place women were both Canadian.
-watched the US Olympic trials for the Men's 400 IM last night. One of the best races I've seen. Phelps leads after the butterfly and backstroke, Lochte catches him on the breaststroke and they duke it in the freestyle head to head. Both under the world record with Phelps winning. Incredible.
"Other" stuff..
-this year I had the 'revelation' that there will be no 'training races'. Every race I'll be rested the only question is how much rest I get. For lower priority races I'll take 3 or 4 easy days, for a high priority (half IM) I'll do a full 14 day taper. Generally, triathletes have a tendency to get addicted training (guilty!) and always want to squeak just one hard day of training before I race. Resist! We train so much and race so little, make every race count! This small change philosophy has yielded a PB in 4/4 races so far this year.
-is going 'hard' tougher than going 'long'? The last couple of years I went 'long' - well long for me. Keep in mind, this is relative. I think this period was very valuable as it laid down some good groundwork for the future.
This year I've added considerably more 'hard' sessions - especially on the bike and I have to say there are times I believe that a short 1 hour interval session on the bike is harder than a 100k mid week Z1/2 ride. When I went long, I'd zone out and just ride. When I go hard - I suffer. Mental toughness is required - that little imp on my shoulder is always telling me to stop.
-Peterborough Half Ironman is this Sunday and I still have not got my wetsuit back from being repaired. If I don't get it back in time, I'm seriously thinking of going old school and doing the swim in a bathing suit.
By the numbers..
For the week of June 23- 29
Swim: 8.1k
Spin: 4.25 hrs
Bike: 100k
Run: 50k
The key sessions for the week was: Tues: brick- bike 100k moderate effort followed by 7.5k run. Thurs: swim 3.1k, spin 1 hour (27min @ threshold 310watts -upped it by 5W :), run 6.5k. Sat: Ergvideo loop of Lake Placid.
This week is taper week. Rest. Rest. REST.
Tomorrow is..
Canada Day!
Have a great one.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Slid right back into training after last week's race. Mostly zone 1 and 2 work from Monday to Friday and then picked it up on the weekend. The stats:
Swim: 8.8k
Spin: 4 hrs
Bike: 240k
Run: 53.5k
The weekend rocked. On Saturday, I did a 120k ride that featured Hockley Valley hill repeats. I'm not sure what the grade is, but the climb is about 1 mile long and takes me about 8min at 'steady' pace. Not hammering, just grinding. I was finished up repeat number 6 when the skies opened up - quel suprise - with all the sporadic rain/thunder showers we've had lately. Last hour was soggy but mission was accomplished. Later on Sat I ran 11k. Sunday was similar, minas the hill repeats. 10 hours of training in two days. Rar!
This got me thinking.. har har, yea it happens. I may slightly change the structure of my basic week to something like this: Monday: recovery swim, 30m spin. Tues: run ~80min/ ride 1 hr. Wed: swim 1hr/ride or run 1 hr. Thurs: same as Tues. Fri: same as Wed. Sat & Sun: longish ride max 4 hrs / 1 hr run. That's a pretty solid week. The only thing I'm missing is the dedicated long run, but instead make up for it by doing 2 medium long runs. The main benefits would be:
1) 2 longish run = ~34k whereas 1 long run is 22-25k
2) back to back longish rides on the weekend = quality saddle time. Doing 8 hours split over 2 days is much easier than doing one 6 hour stint. Four hours is about my max in terms having fun while riding, anything after that and riding becomes a chore and this I don't want. Plus I can still get an hour run in later in the day.
Other news..
I'm this >< close to getting a treadmill.
Small change in the diet. Fewer carbs, more protein. Been training on much less carbs in an effort to become a more efficient fat burner and more protein in an effort to make sure the old bod has enough for repairs. So the tip of the week is make sure you have some protein with every meal. If you wish read more on becoming a more efficient fat burner browse through Alan Couzens blog - some good stuff there.
Off to play Bubble Bobble with Sally - she's such an addict! :)
Cheers!
Swim: 8.8k
Spin: 4 hrs
Bike: 240k
Run: 53.5k
The weekend rocked. On Saturday, I did a 120k ride that featured Hockley Valley hill repeats. I'm not sure what the grade is, but the climb is about 1 mile long and takes me about 8min at 'steady' pace. Not hammering, just grinding. I was finished up repeat number 6 when the skies opened up - quel suprise - with all the sporadic rain/thunder showers we've had lately. Last hour was soggy but mission was accomplished. Later on Sat I ran 11k. Sunday was similar, minas the hill repeats. 10 hours of training in two days. Rar!
This got me thinking.. har har, yea it happens. I may slightly change the structure of my basic week to something like this: Monday: recovery swim, 30m spin. Tues: run ~80min/ ride 1 hr. Wed: swim 1hr/ride or run 1 hr. Thurs: same as Tues. Fri: same as Wed. Sat & Sun: longish ride max 4 hrs / 1 hr run. That's a pretty solid week. The only thing I'm missing is the dedicated long run, but instead make up for it by doing 2 medium long runs. The main benefits would be:
1) 2 longish run = ~34k whereas 1 long run is 22-25k
2) back to back longish rides on the weekend = quality saddle time. Doing 8 hours split over 2 days is much easier than doing one 6 hour stint. Four hours is about my max in terms having fun while riding, anything after that and riding becomes a chore and this I don't want. Plus I can still get an hour run in later in the day.
Other news..
I'm this >< close to getting a treadmill.
Small change in the diet. Fewer carbs, more protein. Been training on much less carbs in an effort to become a more efficient fat burner and more protein in an effort to make sure the old bod has enough for repairs. So the tip of the week is make sure you have some protein with every meal. If you wish read more on becoming a more efficient fat burner browse through Alan Couzens blog - some good stuff there.
Off to play Bubble Bobble with Sally - she's such an addict! :)
Cheers!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Muskoka Race Report
What a great day for racing! Who am I kidding, anyday is a good day for racing! Here's the breakdown for the day:
Swim: doh. Terrible! Somehow, while putting on my wetsuit I managed to pop the zipper! A very difficult thing to do and will require a professional to repair it. So now I have no wetsuit and wave starts in 15 minutes... Time to panic? NO! Be calm.... be calm.. think soothing thoughts.
I run all the way back to the transition zone and LUCKILY, D'Ornella's Tri shop had a spare suit they'll rent me. PHEW! The guy, I'm guessing it was the owner, was super cool and totally saved my ass. So a don of proverbial chapeau goes to D'Onella's!
I run back, don the wetsuit and have a quick 5 minute warmup before my swim wave start. Hey, at least I made it.
My navigation was terrible as I forgot set landmark navigation points, having direct sun in the eyes really didn't help so I really was all over the place. All things considered I was about 2-3 minutes off 'my regular' pace.
Swim stats: Distance: 2k Age group placing 4/93th. Overall placing: 39/777. Time: 31:24 Pace: 1:35/100m.
Glad that part is over with... on to the bike..
Bike: For me, the bike was zippy. I'm still learning on how hard to push the bike without blowing up for the run. Now that being said, I decided to push the bike a little harder than usual. Since I started in the 5th wave, there was many people already on the bike course and had I had to pass alot of them! Actually, I was fortunate enough to not get passed once - this made me happy as the work I put in on the bike was starting to show results. I wasn't sure, but I thought I was leading my age group at the end of the bike. (As it turned out I was actually in 2nd)
The stats:
Distance 55k. Age group placing: 2 (!) Overall placing: 18. Time: 1:30:58 . Speed: 36.3
I'm happy with that result as the course is a toughie and it's an improvement over last year.
Run: So, now the question is did I ride too hard? The answer is I did not! Two real highpoints on the run: 1) I was complimented by my fellow athletes 3(!) times on how well I was running! Not only is this a total ego stroke - yet humbling at the same time - it proves to me that even I, a complete non-runner 4 years ago, can transmogrify into an actual runner! Anything IS possible!
The 2nd highlight was when I was passed by Mike Keene, who I noticed was in my age group. Time for battle. It was apparent that Mike can run, so I just wanted to try to keep him in my sights for the last 6k. Soon, he had a 200m lead and no matter what I did, I couldn't bridge the gap. I was running out of steam. The good news is he didn't really extend the gap, so I did have him striking distance - just couldn't close the deal. -This time.
Run stats:
Distance: 15k Age group placing 6/93. Overall 35/777. Time: 1:00:20 (argh, missed goal by 21 seconds!) Pace: 4:02/km.
Final: Time: 3:04:36 Age group placing 3rd. Overall: 21. You know what's funny?? If, me, the swimmer, hadn't screwed up his swim, it would have a 3-way battle royale for the top age group spot! Either way, it was great day and big congrats goes to Eric Fernando who won our age group and Mike Keene who came in 2nd. A big thanks to my wife Sally (my fan!), Canada Post for their continued support, Trisport Canada for putting on a first class event and of course to D'Ornella's bike shop for totally saving my butt today!
Cheers!
Swim: doh. Terrible! Somehow, while putting on my wetsuit I managed to pop the zipper! A very difficult thing to do and will require a professional to repair it. So now I have no wetsuit and wave starts in 15 minutes... Time to panic? NO! Be calm.... be calm.. think soothing thoughts.
I run all the way back to the transition zone and LUCKILY, D'Ornella's Tri shop had a spare suit they'll rent me. PHEW! The guy, I'm guessing it was the owner, was super cool and totally saved my ass. So a don of proverbial chapeau goes to D'Onella's!
I run back, don the wetsuit and have a quick 5 minute warmup before my swim wave start. Hey, at least I made it.
My navigation was terrible as I forgot set landmark navigation points, having direct sun in the eyes really didn't help so I really was all over the place. All things considered I was about 2-3 minutes off 'my regular' pace.
Swim stats: Distance: 2k Age group placing 4/93th. Overall placing: 39/777. Time: 31:24 Pace: 1:35/100m.
Glad that part is over with... on to the bike..
Bike: For me, the bike was zippy. I'm still learning on how hard to push the bike without blowing up for the run. Now that being said, I decided to push the bike a little harder than usual. Since I started in the 5th wave, there was many people already on the bike course and had I had to pass alot of them! Actually, I was fortunate enough to not get passed once - this made me happy as the work I put in on the bike was starting to show results. I wasn't sure, but I thought I was leading my age group at the end of the bike. (As it turned out I was actually in 2nd)
The stats:
Distance 55k. Age group placing: 2 (!) Overall placing: 18. Time: 1:30:58 . Speed: 36.3
I'm happy with that result as the course is a toughie and it's an improvement over last year.
Run: So, now the question is did I ride too hard? The answer is I did not! Two real highpoints on the run: 1) I was complimented by my fellow athletes 3(!) times on how well I was running! Not only is this a total ego stroke - yet humbling at the same time - it proves to me that even I, a complete non-runner 4 years ago, can transmogrify into an actual runner! Anything IS possible!
The 2nd highlight was when I was passed by Mike Keene, who I noticed was in my age group. Time for battle. It was apparent that Mike can run, so I just wanted to try to keep him in my sights for the last 6k. Soon, he had a 200m lead and no matter what I did, I couldn't bridge the gap. I was running out of steam. The good news is he didn't really extend the gap, so I did have him striking distance - just couldn't close the deal. -This time.
Run stats:
Distance: 15k Age group placing 6/93. Overall 35/777. Time: 1:00:20 (argh, missed goal by 21 seconds!) Pace: 4:02/km.
Final: Time: 3:04:36 Age group placing 3rd. Overall: 21. You know what's funny?? If, me, the swimmer, hadn't screwed up his swim, it would have a 3-way battle royale for the top age group spot! Either way, it was great day and big congrats goes to Eric Fernando who won our age group and Mike Keene who came in 2nd. A big thanks to my wife Sally (my fan!), Canada Post for their continued support, Trisport Canada for putting on a first class event and of course to D'Ornella's bike shop for totally saving my butt today!
Cheers!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
We have a contender..
for idiot of month. Incidentally, I just bypassed the idiot-of-the-day and idiot-of-the-week award and went straight to idiot-of-the-month. This guy is just begging for a Darwin Award.
The award goes to a cyclist who:
-was riding on the wrong side of the road.
-was not wearing a helmet.
-was talking on a cellphone.
Now fortuneately (or not, depending how you look at it), he didn't hurt himself during the brief time I saw him. However, it would have been supremely funny if he ran into a telephone pole. Congrats on the award.. you idiot.
Yet another pseudo funny story happened today. I was out for a quick ride and was grinding up a hill when I saw these two mountain bikers pushing their bikes up the hill. So being the smart ass that I am, I casually said: "ummm.. you do know your suppose to ride them.. not push them". I was obviously joking and he got the gist of it right away.. she, however, didn't seem to like my smarty pants comment and said: "Give us a break, we rode all the way from Elora!!" (a town about 40k away). I was dutifully impressed, her ego was assuaged and we both went our merry ways.
Cheers!
The award goes to a cyclist who:
-was riding on the wrong side of the road.
-was not wearing a helmet.
-was talking on a cellphone.
Now fortuneately (or not, depending how you look at it), he didn't hurt himself during the brief time I saw him. However, it would have been supremely funny if he ran into a telephone pole. Congrats on the award.. you idiot.
Yet another pseudo funny story happened today. I was out for a quick ride and was grinding up a hill when I saw these two mountain bikers pushing their bikes up the hill. So being the smart ass that I am, I casually said: "ummm.. you do know your suppose to ride them.. not push them". I was obviously joking and he got the gist of it right away.. she, however, didn't seem to like my smarty pants comment and said: "Give us a break, we rode all the way from Elora!!" (a town about 40k away). I was dutifully impressed, her ego was assuaged and we both went our merry ways.
Cheers!
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