My improvements in the pool have been following an interesting path. I've made some serious gains this year, already being faster than I ever would have expected, so I find it intriguing how I've gotten better. It's been through a series of form and fitness gains, rarely at the same time. When I first started, I needed to gain enough fitness to survive 200m, no matter how much splashing and flailing was required. Once I got some coaching, my body position improved dramatically, and I was faster. I worked harder in the pool, and added more speed. I learned the proper way to "catch", and got quicker. Another round of chasing my faster lanemates, and the times kept coming down. Now, we're back to more form correction.
The coach had noticed that I wasn't pulling all the way through, not extending my arm completely and robbing myself of potential output from my triceps. (That was last week.) So, today I put a real focus on long pulls, and subsequently found that I tended to reach longer at the same time. (This should be a good thing.) But during a pull set, the coach pointed out that I was now reaching across my body, so he had me focus on taking a much wider hand position upon entry. And like magic, there was a bit easier effort. My over-reach was causing me to wiggle my way up the pool, but the wider (and now straighter) pull had me taking the best line. I found that if I focused on that, I had a tendency to revert to short-arming the pull, so it will take some practice to get everything to fire the way it's supposed to. But this time next year, the folks at the Olympic trials won't be twice as fast as me. (Probably just 1.5-1.7 times as fast.)
Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
500 ez pull, 30"
2x400, 30" (1- pull w/paddles, 2- ez pull)
3x300, 30" (odd- mod-hard free, even- ez pull)
4x200, 30" (odd- ez pull, even- HIM pace free)
100 sprint (1:44)
Total: 3700m
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
New longest run
This will be a recurring theme for the next few weeks. Since the marathon in January, I haven't been doing many long runs at all. (Or more specifically, my regular occurring "long" run just isn't very long.) I had been doing two laps of 5.25 mile loop, but with Muskoka 70.3 on the horizon, it's time to start going longer.
Today was adding an extra two miles to the effort. I did the first lap, ran my 2.15 mile loop at an easy pace, then back to the hilly route for the last five. This went well, I was tired at the start and couldn't get a comfortable rhythm for a mile or two, but then settled in, and was able to pick up the pace and still remain relaxed throughout the rest of the run. My plan is to add a couple of miles every few weeks until I get to 16, then hold it there as the max. If my race only requires 13.1 miles, no point in doing too much overdistance work.
Run: 12.65 miles, loop times of 43:28/41:15
Today was adding an extra two miles to the effort. I did the first lap, ran my 2.15 mile loop at an easy pace, then back to the hilly route for the last five. This went well, I was tired at the start and couldn't get a comfortable rhythm for a mile or two, but then settled in, and was able to pick up the pace and still remain relaxed throughout the rest of the run. My plan is to add a couple of miles every few weeks until I get to 16, then hold it there as the max. If my race only requires 13.1 miles, no point in doing too much overdistance work.
Run: 12.65 miles, loop times of 43:28/41:15
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Hiding Inside
The predictions were for rain, and lots of it. So when I woke up, and the rain was coming down so hard that I wouldn't want to drive in it, never mind cycling, the decision was made. It was going to be a day for the trainer.
I was scheduled for 80-100km, so let's call it 3 hours on the nowhere bike. After a ten minute warm-up, I rode the Roth Ergovideo, then added an extra 10km (~19 minutes) onto the end. After I finished up and went back upstairs, I found out the rain had stopped before 8, and everything had dried out. I missed a decent chance for a ride outdoors, but I'll survive. The work I did get was plenty. I'll hit a big weekend next time.
Bike: ~3 hours, w/ Roth Ergovideo (-15%)
I was scheduled for 80-100km, so let's call it 3 hours on the nowhere bike. After a ten minute warm-up, I rode the Roth Ergovideo, then added an extra 10km (~19 minutes) onto the end. After I finished up and went back upstairs, I found out the rain had stopped before 8, and everything had dried out. I missed a decent chance for a ride outdoors, but I'll survive. The work I did get was plenty. I'll hit a big weekend next time.
Bike: ~3 hours, w/ Roth Ergovideo (-15%)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Swim and run, no comment
Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
200 as 25 scull/25 pull
200 as 25 quick/25 ez
3x(500 drafting, sprint tri effort (free/pull/pull)
100 ez non-free)
500 ez pull
2x50 drafting sprint
c/d - 100 ez non-free
Total: 3500m
Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph + 4 strides
200 as 25 scull/25 pull
200 as 25 quick/25 ez
3x(500 drafting, sprint tri effort (free/pull/pull)
100 ez non-free)
500 ez pull
2x50 drafting sprint
c/d - 100 ez non-free
Total: 3500m
Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph + 4 strides
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Feeling a bit more awake
I guess I really needed this extra week of rest. This morning, I didn't fly out of bed, but I was able to get myself moving, which is a minor victory. Off to the pool for a quick swim, then a short ride after work.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
400 ez free, as 75 free/25 head-up
4x25 sprint on 30"
100 ez non-free
400 pull w/paddles
4x25 sprint on 45"
100 ez non-free
400 ez free, HIM pace
4x25 sprint on 1'
100 ez non-free
Total: 2400yds
Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
400 ez free, as 75 free/25 head-up
4x25 sprint on 30"
100 ez non-free
400 pull w/paddles
4x25 sprint on 45"
100 ez non-free
400 ez free, HIM pace
4x25 sprint on 1'
100 ez non-free
Total: 2400yds
Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Not what you'd expect
If you've been following this blog for a while, you might have a pretty good feel for the pattern of my workouts. I follow a 16/5 day schedule, and had the rest week last week. So this was supposed to be the start of a new block, which was to be the last cycling VO2max block. But that's not what I did tonight.
After the weekend, even this morning, my legs just feel wooden. It required a lot more effort even on the commute to work, so during the afternoon, I pulled out a calendar and saw what would happen if I made some changes. I've been going hard on my planned schedule for a long time now, and maybe things have caught up to me a little. And before it gets to be too big a hole to climb out of, I rewrote this week as an extra recovery week. This still leaves me time for three 3-week blocks, with a peak and race week before Muskoka. As an added bonus, this new schedule gives me mini-taper weeks leading up to the Niagara Sprint and the Oakville half-mary. So, this may work out.
The other change is that I'm not doing the last block of bike focus. If I look at my race splits, my bike is by far my best leg, so I don't need to build it up too much. Any increase in VO2max makes it easier to build my FTP, but this is the type of thing I need to build in the off-season. I feel like I can still tickle my FTP up a little more in the next 2+ months, but more importantly, extend my endurance and ability to hold sub-threshold efforts. This is the specificity of training. Instead of bike focus, the next nine weeks will be about rebuilding my run. It's not recommended that a runner tries to build both speed and endurance at the same time, but that's what I'll be doing. Again, not so much the high-end, but longer mod-hard efforts, and extending long runs. I'll also be picking up the pace a little, and running a bit further, on my easy days. Nothing too taxing, but every little bit helps. This will hopefully give me the edge I need to run down a bunch of people in Muskoka. If I'm going to give away the better part of ten minutes in the swim, and run close to even on the bike, I need to be able to gobble up the competition out of T2. The Oakville half will be a great test to see where I am (which should be "near the front").
Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph + 4 strides
After the weekend, even this morning, my legs just feel wooden. It required a lot more effort even on the commute to work, so during the afternoon, I pulled out a calendar and saw what would happen if I made some changes. I've been going hard on my planned schedule for a long time now, and maybe things have caught up to me a little. And before it gets to be too big a hole to climb out of, I rewrote this week as an extra recovery week. This still leaves me time for three 3-week blocks, with a peak and race week before Muskoka. As an added bonus, this new schedule gives me mini-taper weeks leading up to the Niagara Sprint and the Oakville half-mary. So, this may work out.
The other change is that I'm not doing the last block of bike focus. If I look at my race splits, my bike is by far my best leg, so I don't need to build it up too much. Any increase in VO2max makes it easier to build my FTP, but this is the type of thing I need to build in the off-season. I feel like I can still tickle my FTP up a little more in the next 2+ months, but more importantly, extend my endurance and ability to hold sub-threshold efforts. This is the specificity of training. Instead of bike focus, the next nine weeks will be about rebuilding my run. It's not recommended that a runner tries to build both speed and endurance at the same time, but that's what I'll be doing. Again, not so much the high-end, but longer mod-hard efforts, and extending long runs. I'll also be picking up the pace a little, and running a bit further, on my easy days. Nothing too taxing, but every little bit helps. This will hopefully give me the edge I need to run down a bunch of people in Muskoka. If I'm going to give away the better part of ten minutes in the swim, and run close to even on the bike, I need to be able to gobble up the competition out of T2. The Oakville half will be a great test to see where I am (which should be "near the front").
Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph + 4 strides
Monday, June 23, 2008
Need more sleep
I'm old. I must be, because I went to bed shortly after 9 last night, and was still dragging ass this morning. I could barely function well enough to get breakfast and gather my stuff to head to the pool. I was sure I was going to forget something, but it seems that everything made it.
The swim itself went well, although I was again pretty tired. We were given two options: 1) 3800 IM swim, or 2) regular workout. Since I'm not doing IM this year, I went with the normal workout, and got moved up another lane, with even faster people than I usually have to chase. We did solid workout, lots of descending sets, which I'm getting better at pacing, and didn't fall nearly as much of the pace as I expected. I was still last, but I didn't get lapped. So we'll call that a win.
Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
2x(3x300 descending, 30"
1) free (6:20/6:00/5:40), 2) pull (6:00/5:50/5:35)
200 ez non-free)
2x200 paddles (I forgot to use pull buoy)
Total: 3200m
The swim itself went well, although I was again pretty tired. We were given two options: 1) 3800 IM swim, or 2) regular workout. Since I'm not doing IM this year, I went with the normal workout, and got moved up another lane, with even faster people than I usually have to chase. We did solid workout, lots of descending sets, which I'm getting better at pacing, and didn't fall nearly as much of the pace as I expected. I was still last, but I didn't get lapped. So we'll call that a win.
Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
2x(3x300 descending, 30"
1) free (6:20/6:00/5:40), 2) pull (6:00/5:50/5:35)
200 ez non-free)
2x200 paddles (I forgot to use pull buoy)
Total: 3200m
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Ride to Conquer Cancer - Day Two
I'm not a camper. For a person who spends a lot of time outdoors cycling and running and such, you'd think I might be, but I'm not. So last night was one of the drawbacks to this trip, a night in a tent. All in all, it wasn't too bad. Volunteers had already set up Tent City, so the ride participants just had to grab their bags and find their assigned tent. I chatted with my tentmate briefly in the evening. He's a survivor, who does a lot of charity rides, including one that went over 800km in four days last year. The biggest issue of the night was that my tent was in reasonable proximity to the port-a-potties. It's nearly impossible to close those doors quietly, and with almost 3000 people, someone was going in or out pretty much all night. I think I got about 4 hours sleep, which was going to have to do. We were served a full hot breakfast, with eggs, bacon, sausage, and waffles. (I'm trying to focus on the good stuff of the weekend, but one complaint: I think the waffles (pretty much Eggo's) were boiled, which isn't the right way to do it. They were soggy and unpleasant.) Everything was washed down with some OJ, and two strong cups of coffee, and at 7 o'clock, the roads were opened and we were escorted out of Hamilton.
The route today took us along the ridge of the escarpment, heading east. The prevailing winds through here are from the west, so it was a tailwind most of the day. I kept a nice hard pace for the first half of the ride, stopping at the pitstops (did I mention two cups of coffee?) and then cruising the section after "lunch" (the 50km marker, which I arrived at 8:45). Once we got to the Grimsby area, I was riding on all my old roads, and remembering a lot of the sections I did on the St.CCC group rides. We cut through the Short Hills north of Welland, which was the only significant climb of the day. This was also the 70km pitstop, so some last refueling, and then I decided with 34km to go, I'd burn the rest of my matches. Once back on the road, I opened the throttle and passed a ton of folks. I may be a bit of a jerk, but it sure was fun passing pacelines of riders. I did that last section in about 55 minutes, then was at Niagara Falls. The road followed the river, so we could see some of the upper rapids, then finished in a park just across the road from Horseshoe Falls. There was a good sized crowd already gathered to cheer on the participants, and it was a pretty moving experience to get to follow the path to the finish line.
There, I caught up with my wife who made the trip down to see me, ate even more at the BBQ, got cleaned up, watched a few more finishers, then hopped on a bus back to Toronto. And so ends the riding.
Bike: ~104km
I'll just briefly here add my thanks. To all my friends and family who donated to this cause, thank you for your support of all the research being done and PMH. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to take part in this wonderful weekend. My life has been touched in a good way, and I relish what I was able to participate in. Thank you to the organizers for all their excellent planning of a great weekend, and most thanks to a team of wonderful volunteers who made it easy for all of us to just ride our bikes. We may have been the ones on stage, but you were the real stars of the weekend.
The route today took us along the ridge of the escarpment, heading east. The prevailing winds through here are from the west, so it was a tailwind most of the day. I kept a nice hard pace for the first half of the ride, stopping at the pitstops (did I mention two cups of coffee?) and then cruising the section after "lunch" (the 50km marker, which I arrived at 8:45). Once we got to the Grimsby area, I was riding on all my old roads, and remembering a lot of the sections I did on the St.CCC group rides. We cut through the Short Hills north of Welland, which was the only significant climb of the day. This was also the 70km pitstop, so some last refueling, and then I decided with 34km to go, I'd burn the rest of my matches. Once back on the road, I opened the throttle and passed a ton of folks. I may be a bit of a jerk, but it sure was fun passing pacelines of riders. I did that last section in about 55 minutes, then was at Niagara Falls. The road followed the river, so we could see some of the upper rapids, then finished in a park just across the road from Horseshoe Falls. There was a good sized crowd already gathered to cheer on the participants, and it was a pretty moving experience to get to follow the path to the finish line.
There, I caught up with my wife who made the trip down to see me, ate even more at the BBQ, got cleaned up, watched a few more finishers, then hopped on a bus back to Toronto. And so ends the riding.
Bike: ~104km
I'll just briefly here add my thanks. To all my friends and family who donated to this cause, thank you for your support of all the research being done and PMH. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to take part in this wonderful weekend. My life has been touched in a good way, and I relish what I was able to participate in. Thank you to the organizers for all their excellent planning of a great weekend, and most thanks to a team of wonderful volunteers who made it easy for all of us to just ride our bikes. We may have been the ones on stage, but you were the real stars of the weekend.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Ride to Conquer Cancer - Day One
OK, I don't even know where to begin. I lack the words to describe an event like this. There's a huge part of me that just wants to note, "Bike: 160km", and call it an entry, and save myself the embarrassment of trying and failing to capture this weekend in words. But that would be a disservice, to myself, to the people who put this together, to all those who supported me, and to everyone who this weekend is dedicated to. So let me start at the beginning, Saturday, 7:00am.
No, let's start before that. Let's go back a few months and tell the whole story.
Last fall, I got a notice about this event in the mail, probably as part of a mailing list with OCA. At first, it got tossed to the side, as these things usually do, but then I started thinking about, and checked out the website, and suddenly, I was signed up to ride 200km over a weekend, as well as raise a minimum collection for Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. I knew the riding wouldn't be a problem, getting money from friends and family was much more of a concern. I won't go into all the details here, but like most people, my life has been touched in numerous ways by cancer, so my support will always go to these charities, and I knew that I would do what I needed to raise the money. Luckily, I'm friends with some of the nicest, most giving people in the world, and it was easy for me to raise not only the minimum, not even my goal, but over $1000 beyond my original goal. Thinking about their generousity is yet another time this weekend will make my eyes water.
Today began bright and early, meeting at the CNE grounds at 6am. We had gone through check-in and bike drop-off the day before, so all I had to do was drop off my luggage, grab my bag and a small bite to eat, then get ready to ride. There was a small opening ceremony that began at 7. We were welcomed by the heads of PMH, told the stories of survivors, given the fundraising numbers (2850 rides, over $14 million), and a bike was walked to the front of the stage, representing all the riders who couldn't be with us, that we were riding for. It got a little dusty in that parking lot. Then we were sent off to begin our journey.
The path began heading north-west out of the city centre, with police controlling all the intersections out through Mississauga, allowing an uninterrupted cruise until we got to the Halton Hills region. The organization of this weekend was fantastic, with pitstops every 20-30km, and lunch being served at 50km. By the end of the weekend, I may ride 250+ km, but I think I took in more calories than I'll burn. The spreads had everything you could want: water, three flavours of Gatorade, fruit, granola bars, nuts, bagels (cut into small chunks), cookies.
I kept a solid pace through most of the day, easing off the throttle right after lunch, then finishing the ride strong. The route was well-planned, mostly on backroads once we were out of Toronto, with a few nice climbing sections (others may disagree), and only traffic snarls once we got into Hamilton. The climb up Hamilton Mountain was a blast, as I passed about 30 people while stretching out my legs. Then we followed the top of the escarpment to Mohawk College, where we'd be camping for the night.
My day wasn't quite over yet. I may have done the 107km that were part of the Ride to Conquer Cancer route, but if you've been paying attention, you know if there's a way for me to make things more difficult, then I'll take it. And I had taken that chance, signing up for the Afternoon Afterburn, an additional 50km ride, led by Steve Bauer, starting at 2pm. The weather had been glorious, although there were predictions of rain, and as I was sitting over lunch (or second lunch at that point), that rain showed up. This could have put a damper on the afternoon, but the rain ended within 30 minutes, and the Afterburn went off under gorgeous blue skies. It couldn't have been nicer. We had a nice ride through rolling terrain, about 150 or so cyclists, which included another trip up the escarpment. I think a lot of people's legs were shot by that point, since I made my way from near the back of the group to the top 20 or so, with the intentions of pulling groups together, but no one followed my wheel.
After all that, it was time to get cleaned up and fed (again). A buffet of pasta with chicken or sausage (my request for chicken AND sausage was turned down, I'd have to go back in line), with monster cookies for dessert. Beer and wine was available, a cover band was playing, and at 7pm, there was another round of speeches. The top fundraising team was announced, as well as the top individual (who raised over $287,000). As the speeches were going on, the last rider on course arrived at the finish line. (Remember, we started 12 hours earlier.) As she made her way to the dinner tent, the audience exploded in applause, and through the crowd, I noticed that she was on crutches. Then I saw why: she only had one leg. Given a microphone, she explained that was a 20 year survivour, who had lost her leg, and thanked all of us for what we were doing.
I do a lot of hard events. I like to push myself. People think that what I do is difficult and challenging. What I do is nothing compared to what she did. She rode over 100km, over rolling to climbing terrain, on a regular bike, with one leg. I am in awe of the toughness and perseverance she possesses. I'm not embarrassed to say that I had tears in my eyes at that point.
After dinner, I sat in the Reflection Tent for a few minutes, a quiet place where we could get away from the noise and think. I was out here for a lot of people, some who are very important to me, some who I've never met, and some who will be supported by this cause in the future. It was a lot to take in and process, and I enjoyed having a few moments to gather myself. And after a physically and emotionally exhausting day, I called it a night around 9pm.
Bike: ~157km
No, let's start before that. Let's go back a few months and tell the whole story.
Last fall, I got a notice about this event in the mail, probably as part of a mailing list with OCA. At first, it got tossed to the side, as these things usually do, but then I started thinking about, and checked out the website, and suddenly, I was signed up to ride 200km over a weekend, as well as raise a minimum collection for Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. I knew the riding wouldn't be a problem, getting money from friends and family was much more of a concern. I won't go into all the details here, but like most people, my life has been touched in numerous ways by cancer, so my support will always go to these charities, and I knew that I would do what I needed to raise the money. Luckily, I'm friends with some of the nicest, most giving people in the world, and it was easy for me to raise not only the minimum, not even my goal, but over $1000 beyond my original goal. Thinking about their generousity is yet another time this weekend will make my eyes water.
Today began bright and early, meeting at the CNE grounds at 6am. We had gone through check-in and bike drop-off the day before, so all I had to do was drop off my luggage, grab my bag and a small bite to eat, then get ready to ride. There was a small opening ceremony that began at 7. We were welcomed by the heads of PMH, told the stories of survivors, given the fundraising numbers (2850 rides, over $14 million), and a bike was walked to the front of the stage, representing all the riders who couldn't be with us, that we were riding for. It got a little dusty in that parking lot. Then we were sent off to begin our journey.
The path began heading north-west out of the city centre, with police controlling all the intersections out through Mississauga, allowing an uninterrupted cruise until we got to the Halton Hills region. The organization of this weekend was fantastic, with pitstops every 20-30km, and lunch being served at 50km. By the end of the weekend, I may ride 250+ km, but I think I took in more calories than I'll burn. The spreads had everything you could want: water, three flavours of Gatorade, fruit, granola bars, nuts, bagels (cut into small chunks), cookies.
I kept a solid pace through most of the day, easing off the throttle right after lunch, then finishing the ride strong. The route was well-planned, mostly on backroads once we were out of Toronto, with a few nice climbing sections (others may disagree), and only traffic snarls once we got into Hamilton. The climb up Hamilton Mountain was a blast, as I passed about 30 people while stretching out my legs. Then we followed the top of the escarpment to Mohawk College, where we'd be camping for the night.
My day wasn't quite over yet. I may have done the 107km that were part of the Ride to Conquer Cancer route, but if you've been paying attention, you know if there's a way for me to make things more difficult, then I'll take it. And I had taken that chance, signing up for the Afternoon Afterburn, an additional 50km ride, led by Steve Bauer, starting at 2pm. The weather had been glorious, although there were predictions of rain, and as I was sitting over lunch (or second lunch at that point), that rain showed up. This could have put a damper on the afternoon, but the rain ended within 30 minutes, and the Afterburn went off under gorgeous blue skies. It couldn't have been nicer. We had a nice ride through rolling terrain, about 150 or so cyclists, which included another trip up the escarpment. I think a lot of people's legs were shot by that point, since I made my way from near the back of the group to the top 20 or so, with the intentions of pulling groups together, but no one followed my wheel.
After all that, it was time to get cleaned up and fed (again). A buffet of pasta with chicken or sausage (my request for chicken AND sausage was turned down, I'd have to go back in line), with monster cookies for dessert. Beer and wine was available, a cover band was playing, and at 7pm, there was another round of speeches. The top fundraising team was announced, as well as the top individual (who raised over $287,000). As the speeches were going on, the last rider on course arrived at the finish line. (Remember, we started 12 hours earlier.) As she made her way to the dinner tent, the audience exploded in applause, and through the crowd, I noticed that she was on crutches. Then I saw why: she only had one leg. Given a microphone, she explained that was a 20 year survivour, who had lost her leg, and thanked all of us for what we were doing.
I do a lot of hard events. I like to push myself. People think that what I do is difficult and challenging. What I do is nothing compared to what she did. She rode over 100km, over rolling to climbing terrain, on a regular bike, with one leg. I am in awe of the toughness and perseverance she possesses. I'm not embarrassed to say that I had tears in my eyes at that point.
After dinner, I sat in the Reflection Tent for a few minutes, a quiet place where we could get away from the noise and think. I was out here for a lot of people, some who are very important to me, some who I've never met, and some who will be supported by this cause in the future. It was a lot to take in and process, and I enjoyed having a few moments to gather myself. And after a physically and emotionally exhausting day, I called it a night around 9pm.
Bike: ~157km
Friday, June 20, 2008
Just reporting the workout
I'll have more to say on the other side of the weekend after all that saddle time. It should be fun. Tiring, but fun.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
300 free, practice sighting
4x25 quick, 10"
3x(200 descending HIM pace
100 ez non-free)
2x(100 descending sprint tri pace
100 ez non-free)
Total: 2300 yds
Run: 3 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
300 free, practice sighting
4x25 quick, 10"
3x(200 descending HIM pace
100 ez non-free)
2x(100 descending sprint tri pace
100 ez non-free)
Total: 2300 yds
Run: 3 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
What's your excuse?
Another easy day in the pool, letting those of us who raced recover from the effort. There were a few people who did Muskoka on the weekend there, so we talked about the race (as much as you can in the 20 seconds before the next set). It's funny, almost everybody's race went "pretty well", but we're all sure the swim was long/lots of current. Maybe next time I do the race I'll be 5 minutes faster out of the water, I could live with that.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
4x(200 as 50 drill/50 free or pull
200 ez pull, w/ last 25 hard
100 ez non-free)
Drills: scull, one-arm, finger drag, one-arm
(Didn't get to pull/non-free in last set)
Total: 2300yds
Saw this on another blog (Living the Dream). It puts it in perspective a little.
After work, I ...
Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
4x(200 as 50 drill/50 free or pull
200 ez pull, w/ last 25 hard
100 ez non-free)
Drills: scull, one-arm, finger drag, one-arm
(Didn't get to pull/non-free in last set)
Total: 2300yds
Saw this on another blog (Living the Dream). It puts it in perspective a little.
After work, I ...
Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Fixed
I just noticed that a large chunk of my race report was stolen by the formatting in Blogger. I've tried to rewrite it as best I can, so if you've read it since yesterday, you may want to go back and see what happened during the missing hour of the race.
Run: 3 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Run: 3 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Monday, June 16, 2008
The next build begins
I've never been good about sleeping late the day after a race. Two days later, yeah. By then the exhaustion has set in and I can crash properly, but that first night is a mix of soreness and residual adrenaline. So if my body is going to be awake at 3:45am, then I may as well go to swim club.
I was one of two people who made it who had raced on Sunday, and the only one from my lane. Luckily, we had a very easy workout to do, same as one from last week, with lots of drills and pulling. I started out feeling pretty good, but by the end I could feel yesterday's effort in my shoulders. Now I know I'll get some rest tonight.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free/non-free/pull
6x(100 drill, 10"
200 pull, 20")
Drills: scull, finger drag, 10&2, straight back pull, backstroke, one-arm
Total: 2400yds
Run: 3 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
I was one of two people who made it who had raced on Sunday, and the only one from my lane. Luckily, we had a very easy workout to do, same as one from last week, with lots of drills and pulling. I started out feeling pretty good, but by the end I could feel yesterday's effort in my shoulders. Now I know I'll get some rest tonight.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free/non-free/pull
6x(100 drill, 10"
200 pull, 20")
Drills: scull, finger drag, 10&2, straight back pull, backstroke, one-arm
Total: 2400yds
Run: 3 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Sunday, June 15, 2008
If I Had a Boat - The Muskoka Chase Long Course Tri Race Report
The alarm sounded to start the day at 5:20am. Well, truth be told, the day started when the baby in the next room started screaming at 5am, kind of a pre-alarm. I felt strangely relaxed as I ate a little breakfast and packed the car. It was time for business, I've logged the miles, let's go show it off. The transition was just starting to fill as I racked my bike and set up my gear. I enjoy the energy that goes along with triathlons. Everybody's friendly, but still you can sense the buzz of a race. At big marathons or other road races, there are two camps: the hard-core racers, who are generally quiet before the gun, and the less serious runners who spend all the time joking around. At the tri's, everyone seems a mix of these two groups.
I went to check-in, and the registration desk didn't have my number (#206), so I had to get a replacement number (#1439). I hoped whoever claimed my number by mistake was faster than me, so I can claim their time. Through body-marking, and my new four-digit race number filled my entire arm. After that, I just hung around with my wife and super-sherpa, and ran into a few people from swim club who were also doing the race. With about twenty minutes before the gun went off, I grabbed my wetsuit and started the walk to the start.
The swim start was about 500m down the beach from transition. Some people had chosen to swim down as warm-up, but if I was going to do this properly and not blow up, I needed the first few hundred meters of the swim to be the warm-up. Just as the elite wave was sent-off, I started wading in the water, moving slowly towards the line. I wanted to make sure that there were a lot more people in front of me than behind me, so that I couldn't go off too fast. Twelve minutes and three waves after the first gun went off, men aged 35 to 39 (that's me!) were sent on our merry way.
Slow. That's how I wanted to swim. It sounds like a pretty crappy goal when you want to do well in a race, but allow me to explain. Last time, I killed myself 200m into the race. At 2000m, that couldn't be an option today. Along with that is a phrase I've seen, attributed to Rich Stern: slow is smooth, smooth is fast. So I just found my Monday morning warm-up rhythm. I was passed by some people, and I passed a few. I kept my head down and my arms moving. When I could, I tried to draft a little, but the water was very murky. You'd look for a swimmer to follow, but with the black wetsuits, all you could see was a flash of white skin that was either feet or hands, and only if you were right on top of them. I sighted regularly, and never let myself get too far off course. I kept myself entertained by singing a Lyle Lovett tune to myself (the above referenced "If I Had a Boat"). That was better than last time, when my self-talk was a mix of berating, doubt and panic. As we turned for the last stretch, I noticed that I was making up some ground on other yellow-capped swimmers. I'd guess I may have passed 5 to 10 swimmers in this ~800m, moving myself slightly up the rankings. I kept my steady pace, my shoulders slightly fatiguing against the wetsuit, and stood up two strokes after I saw other people doing it. Unfortunately, I also stood up two seconds before my legs realized it was time for them to join the party, and stumbled my way out of the water. Then we got to run up a hill to transition, starting the next part of the day (so subtract about a minute from my swim time for my actual "swimming time").
I had a nice quick transition, stripping the suit and grabbing my bike to get on my way quickly. I was able to navigate the mess that is the Bike On line without incident, and set off up the road. (Allow me a moment to comment on T1 strategy. I understand that it is faster to leave your shoes on the bike, do a flying a mount, pedal up to speed, then put your feet in the shoes. Maybe next year, with some more practice, I'd do that too. But it is not faster if you can't do a flying mount, and it is especially dangerous if you don't "pedal up to speed". Five km/h is not "up to speed". At that speed, you'll weave all over the road as you try to put on shoes, forcing me dodge numerous riders as I'm already up to 30 km/h, since I put on my shoes in T1.) Then it was time to go hunting. I fell into a nice speed, and roped back a number of riders, only some of who were in my AG. The course in Muskoka is tough. It's all up and down. I would describe it as "not an inch of flat terrain", but as a mathematician, I know that asymptotically there had to be a flat at the peak of every climb and dip. (So ends today's math lesson.) For me, the more a road tilts up, the better I'm going to perform.
What happens with a race like this is bunches of riders start to form. A person who climbs better will move up, then be overtaken on the descent. In my case, when this happened, with each climb I'd separate myself a little more from the group, until the elastic snapped. Then I would move my way up the next block of riders, and repeat the process. (I should note here that I'm not accusing anyone of drafting when I mention these groups. It's just a jumble of riders, and as abilities cross, these things happen. I only saw one rider blatantly drafting, and another who tried to hold my wheel (he cracked on the next climb).)
The only real scouting report I had about the course was that the corner onto Brittania, a left turn, goes straight up the steepest hill of the day. If you aren't ready (and most aren't), you'll struggle to get the gearing, and maybe end up walking. I saw the corner coming, and went from 38 km/h to about 25, dropped to the small-ring, and got ready to shift as I rounded the corner. The report was right. It would be easy to cook it into that corner, then snap a chain trying to get geared properly. Instead, I passed about a dozen people who struggled up the road. This also started a section of about 10km then was an absolute roller coaster. Unlike the start of the course, with false flats and mild (less than 4%) grades, this was straight up and down. I tried to keep a handle on my effort, didn't get swallowed up by any of the frost heaves, and got to the false flat run into town. This was a very quick section, and lots of people kept a hot pace all the way to transition. I got in, changed my shoes, grabbed a hat, and was off on the run course.
I left transition with another runner in my AG who seemed about my speed, so I just marked him for the first while. He slowed to a walk at an aid station, so I had to continue on solo, although I was really among a large mass of people. I could just hopscotch my way up the group. I had a rough goal for my running pace (4:20-4:30/km), and I was about on target. I had a few where I'd lose concentration, and then lose form, and run a bit slower than I wanted. It wasn't an energy issue, because I'd bounce right back with another fast split, just losing focus. I was moving well through the crowd, gaining a lot of overall places, but I never seemed to catch anyone in my AG. I kept things together through 12km, then lost some time as the majority of that kilometer is uphill on the way back into town (5:00). But again I picked things up and ran a 4:19 to the penultimate marker. It was here that I got a "you're doing great" from 11-time Ironman champion Lisa Bentley, who was out for a recovery jog after her top 4 placing in the Chase. All was good until I hit the 14.5km mark, when I felt like I was being ripped in half by a cramp. It was the worst I've felt in a race, and a strange place to cramp. It was in my lower chest/ribcage like my tri-top or HRM was too tight, but I was forced to walk for a few seconds, then shuffled, then was walking again (passed by two runners), then fought through to the top of the climb (about 10m), then down the homestretch to the finish line, grimacing every step of the way. I missed out on having the race announcer call out my name as I crossed the line, because of the number change from that morning. I was done, spent but happy.
Official results:
Swim: 42:23 (2:08/100m), 62/110 AG
T1: 1:19
Bike: 1:36:51 (34.1 km/h), 21/110 AG
T2: 1:09
Run: 1:07:22 (4:30/km), 25/110 AG
Total: 3:29:01, 125/777 overall, 26/110 AG
Needless to say, I can't complain. I'm even pretty happy with how things turned out. I realize my post on Friday seemed very "doom and gloom", but I think my concerns were valid, and I went about getting the answers I needed from this experience. Let's review:
The competition: OK, I didn't get any OTS points from this weekend, and was 8 minutes out of that spot, but I was top 25%, which isn't too bad for my first year in the game. I'll be back, and I'll have bigger guns and more matches (I love mixing metaphors).
The swim: Huge success today. I didn't hit my goal of 40 minutes, but talking to people after the race, it seems everyone was two minutes slower than previous years because the current in the river. So that puts me in the mid-39s. I also know I could have swam faster. I had a good swim without breast-stroking, doggy paddling, holding the kayak, or any other issue, so next time I know I can turn up the pace, however mildly, and perhaps run a 36 minute swim in September.
The bike: Again, I felt good. I could have gone a bit faster, but at what cost. The terrain up there suits me, so I can expect another good showing.
The run: This wasn't quite where I wanted it to be, but still within my goal window. I was hoping to pull about 1:05-1:07, and if we give me back the thirty seconds of concentration lapse, and the 45-60 of cramps, I'm pretty close. With another run focus over the summer, I think I'll be in good form. I did form some blisters, so I'll need to test-run the shoes a few more times to see what changes I can/need to make.
Preparation: I survived. It would have been better to get some more long runs in, but that's what the next three months are for. To perform as I did on these legs, I think I can feel pretty good for the future.
September: Without going into too much detail, I have some ideas of the paces I'd like to do at Muskoka 70.3. I want about 2:00/100m on the swim (got pretty close), 33-34km/h on the bike (went 34.1, on an apparently more difficult course), and 4:15-4:30/km on the run (4:30 exactly, 4:24 adjusted for cramps). So the speed I need is there (or not far off), I just need to bring up the endurance.
All in all, a great weekend and a fun race. I can see why this is such a highly regarded event every year. Now I need to get about the important business of eating and sleeping, to recover enough for next weekend.
I went to check-in, and the registration desk didn't have my number (#206), so I had to get a replacement number (#1439). I hoped whoever claimed my number by mistake was faster than me, so I can claim their time. Through body-marking, and my new four-digit race number filled my entire arm. After that, I just hung around with my wife and super-sherpa, and ran into a few people from swim club who were also doing the race. With about twenty minutes before the gun went off, I grabbed my wetsuit and started the walk to the start.
The swim start was about 500m down the beach from transition. Some people had chosen to swim down as warm-up, but if I was going to do this properly and not blow up, I needed the first few hundred meters of the swim to be the warm-up. Just as the elite wave was sent-off, I started wading in the water, moving slowly towards the line. I wanted to make sure that there were a lot more people in front of me than behind me, so that I couldn't go off too fast. Twelve minutes and three waves after the first gun went off, men aged 35 to 39 (that's me!) were sent on our merry way.
Slow. That's how I wanted to swim. It sounds like a pretty crappy goal when you want to do well in a race, but allow me to explain. Last time, I killed myself 200m into the race. At 2000m, that couldn't be an option today. Along with that is a phrase I've seen, attributed to Rich Stern: slow is smooth, smooth is fast. So I just found my Monday morning warm-up rhythm. I was passed by some people, and I passed a few. I kept my head down and my arms moving. When I could, I tried to draft a little, but the water was very murky. You'd look for a swimmer to follow, but with the black wetsuits, all you could see was a flash of white skin that was either feet or hands, and only if you were right on top of them. I sighted regularly, and never let myself get too far off course. I kept myself entertained by singing a Lyle Lovett tune to myself (the above referenced "If I Had a Boat"). That was better than last time, when my self-talk was a mix of berating, doubt and panic. As we turned for the last stretch, I noticed that I was making up some ground on other yellow-capped swimmers. I'd guess I may have passed 5 to 10 swimmers in this ~800m, moving myself slightly up the rankings. I kept my steady pace, my shoulders slightly fatiguing against the wetsuit, and stood up two strokes after I saw other people doing it. Unfortunately, I also stood up two seconds before my legs realized it was time for them to join the party, and stumbled my way out of the water. Then we got to run up a hill to transition, starting the next part of the day (so subtract about a minute from my swim time for my actual "swimming time").
I had a nice quick transition, stripping the suit and grabbing my bike to get on my way quickly. I was able to navigate the mess that is the Bike On line without incident, and set off up the road. (Allow me a moment to comment on T1 strategy. I understand that it is faster to leave your shoes on the bike, do a flying a mount, pedal up to speed, then put your feet in the shoes. Maybe next year, with some more practice, I'd do that too. But it is not faster if you can't do a flying mount, and it is especially dangerous if you don't "pedal up to speed". Five km/h is not "up to speed". At that speed, you'll weave all over the road as you try to put on shoes, forcing me dodge numerous riders as I'm already up to 30 km/h, since I put on my shoes in T1.) Then it was time to go hunting. I fell into a nice speed, and roped back a number of riders, only some of who were in my AG. The course in Muskoka is tough. It's all up and down. I would describe it as "not an inch of flat terrain", but as a mathematician, I know that asymptotically there had to be a flat at the peak of every climb and dip. (So ends today's math lesson.) For me, the more a road tilts up, the better I'm going to perform.
What happens with a race like this is bunches of riders start to form. A person who climbs better will move up, then be overtaken on the descent. In my case, when this happened, with each climb I'd separate myself a little more from the group, until the elastic snapped. Then I would move my way up the next block of riders, and repeat the process. (I should note here that I'm not accusing anyone of drafting when I mention these groups. It's just a jumble of riders, and as abilities cross, these things happen. I only saw one rider blatantly drafting, and another who tried to hold my wheel (he cracked on the next climb).)
The only real scouting report I had about the course was that the corner onto Brittania, a left turn, goes straight up the steepest hill of the day. If you aren't ready (and most aren't), you'll struggle to get the gearing, and maybe end up walking. I saw the corner coming, and went from 38 km/h to about 25, dropped to the small-ring, and got ready to shift as I rounded the corner. The report was right. It would be easy to cook it into that corner, then snap a chain trying to get geared properly. Instead, I passed about a dozen people who struggled up the road. This also started a section of about 10km then was an absolute roller coaster. Unlike the start of the course, with false flats and mild (less than 4%) grades, this was straight up and down. I tried to keep a handle on my effort, didn't get swallowed up by any of the frost heaves, and got to the false flat run into town. This was a very quick section, and lots of people kept a hot pace all the way to transition. I got in, changed my shoes, grabbed a hat, and was off on the run course.
I left transition with another runner in my AG who seemed about my speed, so I just marked him for the first while. He slowed to a walk at an aid station, so I had to continue on solo, although I was really among a large mass of people. I could just hopscotch my way up the group. I had a rough goal for my running pace (4:20-4:30/km), and I was about on target. I had a few where I'd lose concentration, and then lose form, and run a bit slower than I wanted. It wasn't an energy issue, because I'd bounce right back with another fast split, just losing focus. I was moving well through the crowd, gaining a lot of overall places, but I never seemed to catch anyone in my AG. I kept things together through 12km, then lost some time as the majority of that kilometer is uphill on the way back into town (5:00). But again I picked things up and ran a 4:19 to the penultimate marker. It was here that I got a "you're doing great" from 11-time Ironman champion Lisa Bentley, who was out for a recovery jog after her top 4 placing in the Chase. All was good until I hit the 14.5km mark, when I felt like I was being ripped in half by a cramp. It was the worst I've felt in a race, and a strange place to cramp. It was in my lower chest/ribcage like my tri-top or HRM was too tight, but I was forced to walk for a few seconds, then shuffled, then was walking again (passed by two runners), then fought through to the top of the climb (about 10m), then down the homestretch to the finish line, grimacing every step of the way. I missed out on having the race announcer call out my name as I crossed the line, because of the number change from that morning. I was done, spent but happy.
Official results:
Swim: 42:23 (2:08/100m), 62/110 AG
T1: 1:19
Bike: 1:36:51 (34.1 km/h), 21/110 AG
T2: 1:09
Run: 1:07:22 (4:30/km), 25/110 AG
Total: 3:29:01, 125/777 overall, 26/110 AG
Needless to say, I can't complain. I'm even pretty happy with how things turned out. I realize my post on Friday seemed very "doom and gloom", but I think my concerns were valid, and I went about getting the answers I needed from this experience. Let's review:
The competition: OK, I didn't get any OTS points from this weekend, and was 8 minutes out of that spot, but I was top 25%, which isn't too bad for my first year in the game. I'll be back, and I'll have bigger guns and more matches (I love mixing metaphors).
The swim: Huge success today. I didn't hit my goal of 40 minutes, but talking to people after the race, it seems everyone was two minutes slower than previous years because the current in the river. So that puts me in the mid-39s. I also know I could have swam faster. I had a good swim without breast-stroking, doggy paddling, holding the kayak, or any other issue, so next time I know I can turn up the pace, however mildly, and perhaps run a 36 minute swim in September.
The bike: Again, I felt good. I could have gone a bit faster, but at what cost. The terrain up there suits me, so I can expect another good showing.
The run: This wasn't quite where I wanted it to be, but still within my goal window. I was hoping to pull about 1:05-1:07, and if we give me back the thirty seconds of concentration lapse, and the 45-60 of cramps, I'm pretty close. With another run focus over the summer, I think I'll be in good form. I did form some blisters, so I'll need to test-run the shoes a few more times to see what changes I can/need to make.
Preparation: I survived. It would have been better to get some more long runs in, but that's what the next three months are for. To perform as I did on these legs, I think I can feel pretty good for the future.
September: Without going into too much detail, I have some ideas of the paces I'd like to do at Muskoka 70.3. I want about 2:00/100m on the swim (got pretty close), 33-34km/h on the bike (went 34.1, on an apparently more difficult course), and 4:15-4:30/km on the run (4:30 exactly, 4:24 adjusted for cramps). So the speed I need is there (or not far off), I just need to bring up the endurance.
All in all, a great weekend and a fun race. I can see why this is such a highly regarded event every year. Now I need to get about the important business of eating and sleeping, to recover enough for next weekend.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Set-Up
Last day. I wanted to do something this morning to keep my legs awake, but not tax them too much. With rain threatening, and all the routes I know being fairly up and down, I decided to just spin on the trainer for about 90 minutes. I knocked out 45 "kilometers", at anywhere from easy to moderate pace. Things feel good, and hopefully will click tomorrow.
My wife and I drove up to Huntsville this afternoon, are checked into the hotel, and will head out for dinner pretty soon. It's beautiful country up here, with lots of ups and downs, which I hope will play to my advantage tomorrow. There's a stiff wind right now, and I've been told that the current in the river (which makes up the last ~500m of the swim, slowing things down) is pretty strong.
See you tomorrow when we know how it all played out.
Bike: 90 minutes, zone 1-2
My wife and I drove up to Huntsville this afternoon, are checked into the hotel, and will head out for dinner pretty soon. It's beautiful country up here, with lots of ups and downs, which I hope will play to my advantage tomorrow. There's a stiff wind right now, and I've been told that the current in the river (which makes up the last ~500m of the swim, slowing things down) is pretty strong.
See you tomorrow when we know how it all played out.
Bike: 90 minutes, zone 1-2
Friday, June 13, 2008
Nerves of Jello
Being nervous before a race is never an easy thing to admit to. Usually, I'm not too nervous at all. Usually, I have a very good sense of what I'm capable of on the day, and whether my training has been enough. The last time I really didn't know was the NYC marathon. Right now, I don't feel like I "usually" do.
In most circumstances, I'm a pretty relaxed guy. Most people never really see the competitive fire that I have burning, because I'm not outwardly expressive in that way. But make no mistake, when I toe a line, I'm there to win. If winning isn't realistic, I'm there to beat as many people as I can, including my own expectations. When I can take the start knowing that I'll beat my previous times, that I'll finish in the top 20% (or 10% or top 10 AG), there are no nerves. I don't have that confidence right now.
I'm worried about the level of competition. Muskoka is, historically, the biggest race in the province. It's Ontario's only Ironman qualifier, giving out a total of 80 spots to three different IMs. This is the weekend when all the fast kids come out to play. Will I be able to hold my own, keeping my position on the cusp of the front of the field, or will I be proven a poseur, still years away from actually being competitive?
I'm worried about the swim. I shouldn't be, but I am. After the failure in Milton, the idea of now doing well in an event almost three times as long is a bit daunting. I know what changes need to be made, but will I be able to keep my head in the middle of a large lake, a few hundred meters from any shore?
I'm worried about my bike and run. These are the legs that play to my strength, but I'm worried about going too hard on the bike, and destroying the run. In Milton, I could hammer the entire ride. It was short enough that it couldn't damage my running legs. This week, it's almost twice as far, with a much longer run. So I need to hold something in reserve. But what if hold back too much, leaving speed and time on the course? I haven't felt great running in a few weeks. Never bad, but not great. What if I can't find any kick?
I'm worried about my preparation. It just dawned on me this week that I'll be out there for about 3 1/2 hours. That's as long as a marathon. I've had a few rides go longer than that, but not many. My longest run has been 10 miles as a stand-alone, with the run section now 15km (about 9.5 miles). What kind of legs will I have? On the flip side, unlike a marathon with 2-3 weeks of taper, I'm coming into this with 2-3 days of easy-ish work. I might be among the first athletes to show up at a race under-cooked and over-cooked at the same time.
I'm worried about what this means for September. It's still three months away, but this weekend is the dress rehearsal. My whole year is built around one day, and this is my best chance to see what I'll be able to do on that day. I have big plans and dreams in that race, so what if I blow things on Sunday? What if I can't hold the paces I plan to on September 14th during a race that's 2/3 the distance? What if it's all for naught?
Welcome to my head over the last couple of days. It hasn't been the happiest place to be. I know all the platitudes and reassurances that can be expressed, but those won't hold off the gnawing that I feel. I think putting these down helps me see them, and to a certain degree, confront them. They're right in front of them, so I have to accept their presence and keep going forward. I can answer none of these questions until Sunday morning. It's not even worth trying. So the nerves will be there when the gun goes off. As the race progresses, I'll be able to answer the doubts as I go. Some may be positive, some may not. I'm going to learn a lot about myself in 4 hours.
This is my mid-term exam. In the immortal words of Diamond Dave, "I brought my pencil. Give me something to write on." (I think his metaphor had a different intent, but I'm borrowing it anyway.)
In most circumstances, I'm a pretty relaxed guy. Most people never really see the competitive fire that I have burning, because I'm not outwardly expressive in that way. But make no mistake, when I toe a line, I'm there to win. If winning isn't realistic, I'm there to beat as many people as I can, including my own expectations. When I can take the start knowing that I'll beat my previous times, that I'll finish in the top 20% (or 10% or top 10 AG), there are no nerves. I don't have that confidence right now.
I'm worried about the level of competition. Muskoka is, historically, the biggest race in the province. It's Ontario's only Ironman qualifier, giving out a total of 80 spots to three different IMs. This is the weekend when all the fast kids come out to play. Will I be able to hold my own, keeping my position on the cusp of the front of the field, or will I be proven a poseur, still years away from actually being competitive?
I'm worried about the swim. I shouldn't be, but I am. After the failure in Milton, the idea of now doing well in an event almost three times as long is a bit daunting. I know what changes need to be made, but will I be able to keep my head in the middle of a large lake, a few hundred meters from any shore?
I'm worried about my bike and run. These are the legs that play to my strength, but I'm worried about going too hard on the bike, and destroying the run. In Milton, I could hammer the entire ride. It was short enough that it couldn't damage my running legs. This week, it's almost twice as far, with a much longer run. So I need to hold something in reserve. But what if hold back too much, leaving speed and time on the course? I haven't felt great running in a few weeks. Never bad, but not great. What if I can't find any kick?
I'm worried about my preparation. It just dawned on me this week that I'll be out there for about 3 1/2 hours. That's as long as a marathon. I've had a few rides go longer than that, but not many. My longest run has been 10 miles as a stand-alone, with the run section now 15km (about 9.5 miles). What kind of legs will I have? On the flip side, unlike a marathon with 2-3 weeks of taper, I'm coming into this with 2-3 days of easy-ish work. I might be among the first athletes to show up at a race under-cooked and over-cooked at the same time.
I'm worried about what this means for September. It's still three months away, but this weekend is the dress rehearsal. My whole year is built around one day, and this is my best chance to see what I'll be able to do on that day. I have big plans and dreams in that race, so what if I blow things on Sunday? What if I can't hold the paces I plan to on September 14th during a race that's 2/3 the distance? What if it's all for naught?
Welcome to my head over the last couple of days. It hasn't been the happiest place to be. I know all the platitudes and reassurances that can be expressed, but those won't hold off the gnawing that I feel. I think putting these down helps me see them, and to a certain degree, confront them. They're right in front of them, so I have to accept their presence and keep going forward. I can answer none of these questions until Sunday morning. It's not even worth trying. So the nerves will be there when the gun goes off. As the race progresses, I'll be able to answer the doubts as I go. Some may be positive, some may not. I'm going to learn a lot about myself in 4 hours.
This is my mid-term exam. In the immortal words of Diamond Dave, "I brought my pencil. Give me something to write on." (I think his metaphor had a different intent, but I'm borrowing it anyway.)
Last swim before The Chase
Lots of people in the club are racing this weekend. Most of us are headed to Muskoka, but are few are doing the sprint event in Binbrook. Because of this, today was a reasonably easy effort, enough to get things loose and a little work, but leave lots of energy for the weekend. The main set was repeats of race pace, which for me was just about warm-up speed. I was leading the set, and so, acting as the conscience of everyone else. The pace was right about where I'd expect to be on Sunday, taking the wetsuit into account. As long as I don't get myself all riled up again, I'll be in good shape.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
4x50 free, 15", descending
5x200 free, HIM race pace, 2' (3:30-3:40/200yds = 1:57-2:02/100m)
c/d - 200 non-free
Total: 2000yds
Just an easy run after work, keep the legs fresh and loose.
Run: 5 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
4x50 free, 15", descending
5x200 free, HIM race pace, 2' (3:30-3:40/200yds = 1:57-2:02/100m)
c/d - 200 non-free
Total: 2000yds
Just an easy run after work, keep the legs fresh and loose.
Run: 5 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Take it easy (or easier, at least)
Thursdays are supposed to be VO2 max days on the bike, but with the Chase in three days, I figured I should take it a little bit easier and burn all my matches before the race. Instead, I just did a few 10 minute blocks at 80% FTP, or about where I'll be for most of the race day. This felt like a good session, without being too taxing. Unlike most Thursdays, I don't feel like death an hour after getting off the bike. I'll let the fuel tanks fill for another couple of days, then open the floodgates. (How many analogies can I mix together? Apparently, lots.)
Bike: 65 minutes, w/3x10 minutes @ 240w
Run: 2 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Bike: 65 minutes, w/3x10 minutes @ 240w
Run: 2 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Time to get race ready
Four days until race morning. I guess if I'm not ready by now, I won't be. So let's assume I am. Today's workout wasn't so much about getting faster (although for me, any work should be getting me faster), as about practicing pace. The sets involved a portion at long race pace, which I took as "pretty much warm-up" speed. I'm going to work really hard at reining myself in on Sunday. I'd like to put together a decent bike (less hate fuel), and really put on a good run, and all that will depend on me having a better, more comfortable swim. Put all this together, and hope for a better than average result.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
2x(300 free, 30", Muskoka race pace
500 pull, as 100 ez/100 hard/100 ez/100 hard/100 ez
200 as 25 head-up/25 ez free
200 non-free) (only got 50 second time through, ran out of time)
Total: 2850yds
Run: 8 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
2x(300 free, 30", Muskoka race pace
500 pull, as 100 ez/100 hard/100 ez/100 hard/100 ez
200 as 25 head-up/25 ez free
200 non-free) (only got 50 second time through, ran out of time)
Total: 2850yds
Run: 8 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Another hour, more power
This is such a solid workout. None of it is at lung-busting intensities, but there's enough work that at the end, you know you did something. And not just a little something, but a lot of something.
The riding part went well, although it continues to amaze me how the slightest blink in concentration can drop the wattage so quickly. Just a tiny lapse, and watts are down 10-15w. I was able to keep it up where I was supposed to, which was 15w higher than last time. I continue to build strength on the bike this year. I was fully expecting my run to be my big weapon this year, and maybe it will in the future as I bring it back up, but my riding is pretty strong right now. I can't complain about that.
The run was shaky to start. This was the first higher tempo run I've done with the new running form, and I think I may have changed too much, too quickly. The POSE running technique, while it has some real benefits, requires a lot more from the hamstrings than my old form, so I've backed off the changes a bit. I'll work on a bigger change over the winter, but for now, I'll keep my strides in to work on form, and just focus on a couple of minor cues. The main one is one I had years ago, but forgot about. As you're running, imagine a rope is hooked into the bottom of your ribcage, and being winched up from the top of a two-story building a couple of blocks away. This opens my chest up, and gets a nice forward lean, without "sitting in the bucket". I was running too vertical, and my feet were too much in front. I'm hoping this will balance the change, so I can keep running well over the next few months. Once I got that grooved last night, the run went well. I was taxed, but probably could have kept it up for another couple of miles.
Bike: 70 minutes, w/2x20 minutes @ 95% FTP (285w), 5 minutes recovery
Run: 3 miles @ 8.5 mph + 4 strides
The riding part went well, although it continues to amaze me how the slightest blink in concentration can drop the wattage so quickly. Just a tiny lapse, and watts are down 10-15w. I was able to keep it up where I was supposed to, which was 15w higher than last time. I continue to build strength on the bike this year. I was fully expecting my run to be my big weapon this year, and maybe it will in the future as I bring it back up, but my riding is pretty strong right now. I can't complain about that.
The run was shaky to start. This was the first higher tempo run I've done with the new running form, and I think I may have changed too much, too quickly. The POSE running technique, while it has some real benefits, requires a lot more from the hamstrings than my old form, so I've backed off the changes a bit. I'll work on a bigger change over the winter, but for now, I'll keep my strides in to work on form, and just focus on a couple of minor cues. The main one is one I had years ago, but forgot about. As you're running, imagine a rope is hooked into the bottom of your ribcage, and being winched up from the top of a two-story building a couple of blocks away. This opens my chest up, and gets a nice forward lean, without "sitting in the bucket". I was running too vertical, and my feet were too much in front. I'm hoping this will balance the change, so I can keep running well over the next few months. Once I got that grooved last night, the run went well. I was taxed, but probably could have kept it up for another couple of miles.
Bike: 70 minutes, w/2x20 minutes @ 95% FTP (285w), 5 minutes recovery
Run: 3 miles @ 8.5 mph + 4 strides
Monday, June 9, 2008
New location, same story
With the temporary closure of our usual Monday/Friday pool, this morning we convened at the Wednesday pool. I was a bit concerned about getting our M/F numbers in the 25 yard pool, but I guess a bunch of people didn't want to come to Glendon, as we only had four folks in our lane, with no noticeable increases in the others.
I think a lot of people are doing the Muskoka Chase this weekend, so the training reflected that. Nice and easy, with lots of drills and pulling. I'm continuing to force myself into an easy pace, to mentally get ready for Sunday. Six days to the next big test.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free/non-free/pull
6x(100 drill, 15"
200 pull, 20")
Drills: scull, finger drag, 10&2, straight back pull, backstroke, one-arm
2x25 sprint/50 ez, 15"
Total: 2550yds
I think a lot of people are doing the Muskoka Chase this weekend, so the training reflected that. Nice and easy, with lots of drills and pulling. I'm continuing to force myself into an easy pace, to mentally get ready for Sunday. Six days to the next big test.
Swim: w/u - 200yds each free/non-free/pull
6x(100 drill, 15"
200 pull, 20")
Drills: scull, finger drag, 10&2, straight back pull, backstroke, one-arm
2x25 sprint/50 ez, 15"
Total: 2550yds
Sunday, June 8, 2008
It's not the heat
Or maybe it is. Plus, the humidity. Add in 120km from yesterday, and just a pinch of adjusting the running form. Stir it up, and what you have is a tough run this morning. I did my usual 10 mile loop, and was pretty shelled. The first lap went a bit quicker than it usually does, but I was definitely working harder than any other week. The second lap was at a better pace than the first, but not as good as usual, and I could feel the effort. It felt like I was breathing through a straw. The legs felt pretty good, but the aerobic system was taxed. Hopefully this was just a bad reaction to the abnormal heat, and not an effect from changing my form. The adjustments I'm making should make me faster and more efficient, but even a temporary setback would affect my next few races. I guess it's a wait and see for the next little while.
Run: 10.5 miles, 42:59/41:51
Run: 10.5 miles, 42:59/41:51
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Starting to go long
At just over three months to the big day, it's time to start getting in some long rides. I already do swims at over twice the expected distance, so I need to build up my runs and rides. Going overdistance on the run can be very taxing on the body, so my big focus will be lots of miles on the bike, while slowly increasing my run. Today was the first time I went well over the expected 90km distance.
TTC ride times moved up to 8am, so we pushed off about 8:20 (it was the first day so lots of people were late). There were new maps, including routes of up to 120km. Since my goal was 100-120km, I was ready for the big loop, and so were three others, which made for a nice ride. The other riders were Bruce, an older gent getting ready for IM Canada; Vince, who had already done Oceanside 70.3 and IM China so far this spring; and Ian, getting ready for his first IM in Lake Placid, who was shooting for 180km on the day. I was the self-appointed ride leader, because I can read a map.
We kept a strong pace, changing the pace leader every few miles so no one burned themselves out. The return stretch, the wind picked up into our faces (no, really, it was stronger as a headwind than the tailwind we got on the way out. I'm not just saying that since I got tired). I did most of the pulling into the wind, since I'm always willing to do the work. There are few things in the world harder than rollers dead into a headwind, because each uphill seems twice as steep, and you can only manage 35-38km/h on the descents. The last 3-4km was a tail/crosswind, and I was still able to run it up to 38-40km/h, so there was still gas in the tank. Long day, tough day. We did about 124km at last count, then I came home and slept. I'll need to do more work to be able to knock out a faster 90km, and then run 13.1 miles. But this was a good starting point.
Bike: 124km, ~4 hours
TTC ride times moved up to 8am, so we pushed off about 8:20 (it was the first day so lots of people were late). There were new maps, including routes of up to 120km. Since my goal was 100-120km, I was ready for the big loop, and so were three others, which made for a nice ride. The other riders were Bruce, an older gent getting ready for IM Canada; Vince, who had already done Oceanside 70.3 and IM China so far this spring; and Ian, getting ready for his first IM in Lake Placid, who was shooting for 180km on the day. I was the self-appointed ride leader, because I can read a map.
We kept a strong pace, changing the pace leader every few miles so no one burned themselves out. The return stretch, the wind picked up into our faces (no, really, it was stronger as a headwind than the tailwind we got on the way out. I'm not just saying that since I got tired). I did most of the pulling into the wind, since I'm always willing to do the work. There are few things in the world harder than rollers dead into a headwind, because each uphill seems twice as steep, and you can only manage 35-38km/h on the descents. The last 3-4km was a tail/crosswind, and I was still able to run it up to 38-40km/h, so there was still gas in the tank. Long day, tough day. We did about 124km at last count, then I came home and slept. I'll need to do more work to be able to knock out a faster 90km, and then run 13.1 miles. But this was a good starting point.
Bike: 124km, ~4 hours
Friday, June 6, 2008
It can add up pretty quick
The head coach was back this morning. More long sets, fewer drills and sprints. At the end of the workout, I looked at the board, and was amazed by how much ground we'd covered. A whole lotta volume. The grand total: 3800m. We did an Ironman swim this morning, not continuous, mind you, but considering we hadn't cracked 3k for over a week, this was quite a jump. The intensity was mostly low, so I'm not too sore, but I imagine I'll sleep pretty good tonight.
All in all, I felt pretty good. I was able to keep everything at a manageable pace. The good points were that I worked hard without killing myself during the descending sets, and our last 600 was alternating sprints and easy work, so I could focus on really gathering myself back to a comfortable pace after a hard effort. This will come in handy at Muskoka. If I follow my plan to start at the back, I'll be passing people, so it's good that I can pick it up for a bit then get myself back on track.
Swim: w/u - 200m each, free, non-free, pull
4x300 descending free (6:20, 6:10, 6:05, 5:45)
200 non-free
600 as 12.5 no-breathing/87.5 ez pull
600 as 12.5 head-up/87.5 ez free
600 as 12.5 sprint/87.5 ez free
Total: 3800m
After work is a brief run...
Run: 5 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
All in all, I felt pretty good. I was able to keep everything at a manageable pace. The good points were that I worked hard without killing myself during the descending sets, and our last 600 was alternating sprints and easy work, so I could focus on really gathering myself back to a comfortable pace after a hard effort. This will come in handy at Muskoka. If I follow my plan to start at the back, I'll be passing people, so it's good that I can pick it up for a bit then get myself back on track.
Swim: w/u - 200m each, free, non-free, pull
4x300 descending free (6:20, 6:10, 6:05, 5:45)
200 non-free
600 as 12.5 no-breathing/87.5 ez pull
600 as 12.5 head-up/87.5 ez free
600 as 12.5 sprint/87.5 ez free
Total: 3800m
After work is a brief run...
Run: 5 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Thursday, June 5, 2008
On the rivet
As I demonstrated over the weekend, my threshold power must be pretty good right now. I'm riding even better than I expected I would. Obviously, my plan is to build it even higher. (Is there such a thing as "too strong?") But if I want to raise my FTP, I need to build up my shorter term power first. This is the old "raise the left, fill the right", or "raise the attic before you lift the ceiling" style of training. So that means short, hard intervals. Which suck. Lots. By the time I got to the last two intervals, the sounds I was making in the last 15 seconds and first 30 of the recovery interval were apparently concerning my wife. But I'm still alive, barely.
I cranked out pretty good power during the intervals, about 10-15 better than two weeks ago. I did notice that my mean power over the whole workout was lower, because I was really cruising the rest. If I wasn't going all-out, I could barely turn the cranks. I guess I'm still a little fatigued from the weekend. Luckily I'll get an easy 100-120km on Saturday to help with the rest.
Bike: 65 minutes, w/6x3 min @ 345w, 5 min recovery
Run: 2 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
I cranked out pretty good power during the intervals, about 10-15 better than two weeks ago. I did notice that my mean power over the whole workout was lower, because I was really cruising the rest. If I wasn't going all-out, I could barely turn the cranks. I guess I'm still a little fatigued from the weekend. Luckily I'll get an easy 100-120km on Saturday to help with the rest.
Bike: 65 minutes, w/6x3 min @ 345w, 5 min recovery
Run: 2 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
First longish run with better form
Changing running form takes some practice. Even after last week, holding onto the form during tonight's long run was tough. It required a fair bit of concentration to keep things together, but I think I managed fairly well. More time is necessary.
Run: 8 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Run: 8 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
What fresh hell is this?
I like my swim coaches, I really do. They're good people, but sometimes they're downright cruel. Today was one of those days.
Our assistant coach was running the show again, and she comes from a competitive swimming background, and the workouts reflect that. She has stuff in her arsenal that I hear about from swimmers, but triathletes don't normally do these types of workouts. Hopefully, this will make us faster than those triathletes who miss out on the "fun".
After some warm-up and drills, we did a couple of 50 yard sprints. Although I'm trying not to work too hard, I gave a solid effort on the sprints, but immediately regretted that decision. The main set of workout was sets of 100, using the combined time from the two sprints (let's call it A). The first four 100s were leaving on A+25 seconds, the next four A+20, the last four A+15. Let me say that this was not a good chance for me to work on my easy pacing. This was hard work, with only about 5 seconds rest after each 100 (but 60 seconds after each 4x100). By the last time through, I was struggling, so at least I'm practicing the "don't let it get this bad" feeling.
Swim: w/u - 200yd free, 4x25 drills (2xhead-up, finger drag)
4x50, 20" as sprint/moderate/sprint/moderate (sum sprint times as A=~85 seconds)
4x100 free on A+25
4x100 free on A+20
4x100 free on A+15
100 ez non-free
7x50 pull, 15" alternate 3 strokes/breath, 5 strokes/breath
2x50 ez free, reduce stroke count (45, 40 strokes)
Total: 2250yd
Oddly, I'm getting kind of excited about the Muskoka Chase now. Three days ago I was considering pulling out of the race and doing the duathlon instead. Now, I want to go in and dominate the swim. Not against other people, they'll beat me. But I want to swim the best I can, and prove that I can do this. I want to prove to myself I can control what happens to me in the water. I will own my race, and that will get me further to being a part of the actual race.
Our assistant coach was running the show again, and she comes from a competitive swimming background, and the workouts reflect that. She has stuff in her arsenal that I hear about from swimmers, but triathletes don't normally do these types of workouts. Hopefully, this will make us faster than those triathletes who miss out on the "fun".
After some warm-up and drills, we did a couple of 50 yard sprints. Although I'm trying not to work too hard, I gave a solid effort on the sprints, but immediately regretted that decision. The main set of workout was sets of 100, using the combined time from the two sprints (let's call it A). The first four 100s were leaving on A+25 seconds, the next four A+20, the last four A+15. Let me say that this was not a good chance for me to work on my easy pacing. This was hard work, with only about 5 seconds rest after each 100 (but 60 seconds after each 4x100). By the last time through, I was struggling, so at least I'm practicing the "don't let it get this bad" feeling.
Swim: w/u - 200yd free, 4x25 drills (2xhead-up, finger drag)
4x50, 20" as sprint/moderate/sprint/moderate (sum sprint times as A=~85 seconds)
4x100 free on A+25
4x100 free on A+20
4x100 free on A+15
100 ez non-free
7x50 pull, 15" alternate 3 strokes/breath, 5 strokes/breath
2x50 ez free, reduce stroke count (45, 40 strokes)
Total: 2250yd
Oddly, I'm getting kind of excited about the Muskoka Chase now. Three days ago I was considering pulling out of the race and doing the duathlon instead. Now, I want to go in and dominate the swim. Not against other people, they'll beat me. But I want to swim the best I can, and prove that I can do this. I want to prove to myself I can control what happens to me in the water. I will own my race, and that will get me further to being a part of the actual race.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Still tired and sore, but pushed through
The race on Sunday wasn't particularly long. In terms of time, it was about what I'd normally do on a Sunday, but obviously the intensity was much higher. Because of that, I'm a bit tired right now, with some residual soreness. Tonight, I really didn't want to do the scheduled ride, but I got on the trainer and started. It's a simple enough workout: 1x50 min at 90% FTP (270w). I warmed up, and felt like crap. I warmed up some more, and still felt bad, but started the set anyway. I found my pace, and every five minutes I'd convince myself to do another five. At no point was I truly suffering, but at no point was I having much fun either. But I finished. I had a goal for the day, and I did it. Just get the work done, and everything else will work itself out. It's an important lesson to be reminded of sometimes.
Bike: 65 minutes, w/1x50 min @ 90% FTP (270w)
Run: 3 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Bike: 65 minutes, w/1x50 min @ 90% FTP (270w)
Run: 3 miles @ 7.2 mph + 4 strides
Monday, June 2, 2008
Slow down
After blowing up spectacularly this weekend, I need to swim under control, so I'm dedicating two weeks of swimming as slowly as I can. No sprints, not even really hard efforts. I need to make all this manageable, or 2000m in two weeks will be the end of me. So that was my goal today. If the coach was paying attention, I would have been corrected for my slow turnover, and extra-long glide, but I got away with it. I tried to seed myself at the end of the lane, where my slowitude wouldn't affect everyone else. Things went well, considering I could tell I was tired from yesterday. I talked with some people about the race, and got some small pieces of advice for in the future. These are the types of things I enjoy about the group. The support is great, from the coaches and other swimmers. I got very lucky in finding this club.
Swim: w/u - 300m free
4x25 drill/25 free, 15"
100 kick
2x(200 pull, 20"
100 free", 20"
100 ankle pull, 20"
2x25 free/25 overkick, 20")
2x300 drafting free, 30"
50 back kick, 15"
50 one-arm back, 15"
50 back, 15"
50 breast kick, 15"
50 breast 2 kick/1 pull, 15"
50 breast, 15"
100 free
Total: 2500m
Swim: w/u - 300m free
4x25 drill/25 free, 15"
100 kick
2x(200 pull, 20"
100 free", 20"
100 ankle pull, 20"
2x25 free/25 overkick, 20")
2x300 drafting free, 30"
50 back kick, 15"
50 one-arm back, 15"
50 back, 15"
50 breast kick, 15"
50 breast 2 kick/1 pull, 15"
50 breast, 15"
100 free
Total: 2500m
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Ghost Rider - Milton Sprint Triathlon Race Report
It's over. I've finished a race. I am now officially a triathlete. And for 2/3rds of the race, I have lots to be happy about. As for the other third, I learned some serious lessons.
We got to the race site just after 8, and quickly passed through packet pick-up. With about 30 minutes until the gun, I put on my wetsuit and went for a warm-up swim. I was surprised at the temperature of the water. With the suit on, it really wasn't that bad. I was in the third wave, so I got to wait for six minutes after the elites left, then we were sent off.
This is when things started to go poorly. Unlike running races where I'm good about controlling my pace from the start, I went out way too hard to start. I had an adrenaline dump at the gun, then tried to swim at the pace that corresponded to my heart rate. I got caught up in the rush, and ended up suffering quickly. By about 200m, I was out of breath. With the tight wetsuit and cold water, I just couldn't catch my breath. I would do a breaststroke for a while, then try to swim, and within another 50 strokes, I'd be gassed. More breaststroke, a lot of cursing myself, some freestyle, a little convincing: "just keep moving, you're in a wetsuit, you won't drown", breaststroke, 30 strokes free, "catch and pass the old guy doing backstroke", rinse and repeat until I got to the end. I didn't want to look at my watch at this point, because I knew it was horrible. I'm embarrassed for my coach that this is the performance I put on. I tried to re-gather myself in transition and make the rest of the day successful.
Never let it said that hate isn't a powerful emotion to fuel a bike ride. I was angry with myself, and I directed it at everyone on that bike course. Right from the Bike On line, I was in chase mode. Every person I saw in front of me was a target, and was passing from the start. On Sixth Line Hill, I probably passed 50-100 people, then put the hammer down and dropped another bunch who were recovering. I was out to crush souls. If the number on someone's calf was between 35 and 39, I wanted to pass them so fast they would consider dropping out of the race. I wanted them to wonder, "Was that guy's head on fire?" But mostly I wanted to make myself suffer. With that horrible swim, I earned it. If I wanted back in the race, I had to kill myself to get it. And right to the Bike Off line, I pushed the pace.
A better transition this time, and I was off on the run. I tried to keep the good form I was working on this week, and a good pace. On a flat course, I was shooting for 4:10-4:15/km, but this was anything but a flat course. 80% was off-road, with a lot of steep climbing and descending. I would have a 5:00/km, followed by a 3:53. So pace was out the window, and it became a matter of PE and chasing. I kept moving up the field, including 4 or 5 places in my age group. This held until the final kilometer. All of my marathon training has taught me how to evenly pace a run. Give me a distance, and I can hit and hold my optimum pace. But I have no finishing kick. Two guys from my AG passed me with 500-800m to go, and I couldn't find the extra gear to chase and re-pass them. I was completely gassed at the line, but I couldn't dig out that little bit extra to hold my spot.
After cooldown, I got a chance to check out the results, and I couldn't help but chuckle. This is a year for learning experiences, and "so close" results. The official results:
1:44:30, 105/583 overall, 16/95 35-39 AG
Swim: 16:45, 72/95
Bike: 50:31, 7/95
Run: 33:47, 13/95
Race points: 0 (no cigar), Season points: 5
Can you tell which sports I've been doing for years?
I could be angry about the result, but I'm not. I learned a lot. The first thing I learned, I need to start right at the back for the swim. Rather than be waist-deep and off like a shot to start, I would be better served to take a deep breath, walk in from the beach, and just swim. I need to relax, not worry about anything. Assume I'll be in the back half of the group, accept it, and do what I know I can. I should treat the swim like I would the first miles of a marathon, and make it "painfully slow". If I had done that, and got out of the water at 15:00, with everything else equal, I'd be 11th.
The second lesson, and less important than the first, is to work on finishing runs. I have a run block scheduled for the summer, which will give me a chance to build that speed. It might cost me in the mean time, but it's not like I could fix it next week anyway. It was originally scheduled as a tempo run block, but I may change that to VO2max work to get that speed and pain threshold up. I gave away two places, costing me points, and I can't continue to do that if I want to be competitive.
Now I get two weeks off, then it's up to Muskoka for the long course Chase. Unfortunately, this doesn't play to my strengths, since it's really a swimmers race. The swim is 2km (almost three times today's distance), and the bike and run are 55km and 15km (less than double and exactly double). I have to admit to a real sense of nervousness, if I had that much trouble over 750m this morning, 2000m is not good at all. I'll try to process this over the next few days, gather my energy, and see how my nerves hold up.
All in all, a good day. Mild disappointment, but some real successes as well. I'm still learning, still gaining experience. I'll be back, and I'll be better. Then I'll really be "riding through your town with [my] head on fire."
We got to the race site just after 8, and quickly passed through packet pick-up. With about 30 minutes until the gun, I put on my wetsuit and went for a warm-up swim. I was surprised at the temperature of the water. With the suit on, it really wasn't that bad. I was in the third wave, so I got to wait for six minutes after the elites left, then we were sent off.
This is when things started to go poorly. Unlike running races where I'm good about controlling my pace from the start, I went out way too hard to start. I had an adrenaline dump at the gun, then tried to swim at the pace that corresponded to my heart rate. I got caught up in the rush, and ended up suffering quickly. By about 200m, I was out of breath. With the tight wetsuit and cold water, I just couldn't catch my breath. I would do a breaststroke for a while, then try to swim, and within another 50 strokes, I'd be gassed. More breaststroke, a lot of cursing myself, some freestyle, a little convincing: "just keep moving, you're in a wetsuit, you won't drown", breaststroke, 30 strokes free, "catch and pass the old guy doing backstroke", rinse and repeat until I got to the end. I didn't want to look at my watch at this point, because I knew it was horrible. I'm embarrassed for my coach that this is the performance I put on. I tried to re-gather myself in transition and make the rest of the day successful.
Never let it said that hate isn't a powerful emotion to fuel a bike ride. I was angry with myself, and I directed it at everyone on that bike course. Right from the Bike On line, I was in chase mode. Every person I saw in front of me was a target, and was passing from the start. On Sixth Line Hill, I probably passed 50-100 people, then put the hammer down and dropped another bunch who were recovering. I was out to crush souls. If the number on someone's calf was between 35 and 39, I wanted to pass them so fast they would consider dropping out of the race. I wanted them to wonder, "Was that guy's head on fire?" But mostly I wanted to make myself suffer. With that horrible swim, I earned it. If I wanted back in the race, I had to kill myself to get it. And right to the Bike Off line, I pushed the pace.
A better transition this time, and I was off on the run. I tried to keep the good form I was working on this week, and a good pace. On a flat course, I was shooting for 4:10-4:15/km, but this was anything but a flat course. 80% was off-road, with a lot of steep climbing and descending. I would have a 5:00/km, followed by a 3:53. So pace was out the window, and it became a matter of PE and chasing. I kept moving up the field, including 4 or 5 places in my age group. This held until the final kilometer. All of my marathon training has taught me how to evenly pace a run. Give me a distance, and I can hit and hold my optimum pace. But I have no finishing kick. Two guys from my AG passed me with 500-800m to go, and I couldn't find the extra gear to chase and re-pass them. I was completely gassed at the line, but I couldn't dig out that little bit extra to hold my spot.
After cooldown, I got a chance to check out the results, and I couldn't help but chuckle. This is a year for learning experiences, and "so close" results. The official results:
1:44:30, 105/583 overall, 16/95 35-39 AG
Swim: 16:45, 72/95
Bike: 50:31, 7/95
Run: 33:47, 13/95
Race points: 0 (no cigar), Season points: 5
Can you tell which sports I've been doing for years?
I could be angry about the result, but I'm not. I learned a lot. The first thing I learned, I need to start right at the back for the swim. Rather than be waist-deep and off like a shot to start, I would be better served to take a deep breath, walk in from the beach, and just swim. I need to relax, not worry about anything. Assume I'll be in the back half of the group, accept it, and do what I know I can. I should treat the swim like I would the first miles of a marathon, and make it "painfully slow". If I had done that, and got out of the water at 15:00, with everything else equal, I'd be 11th.
The second lesson, and less important than the first, is to work on finishing runs. I have a run block scheduled for the summer, which will give me a chance to build that speed. It might cost me in the mean time, but it's not like I could fix it next week anyway. It was originally scheduled as a tempo run block, but I may change that to VO2max work to get that speed and pain threshold up. I gave away two places, costing me points, and I can't continue to do that if I want to be competitive.
Now I get two weeks off, then it's up to Muskoka for the long course Chase. Unfortunately, this doesn't play to my strengths, since it's really a swimmers race. The swim is 2km (almost three times today's distance), and the bike and run are 55km and 15km (less than double and exactly double). I have to admit to a real sense of nervousness, if I had that much trouble over 750m this morning, 2000m is not good at all. I'll try to process this over the next few days, gather my energy, and see how my nerves hold up.
All in all, a good day. Mild disappointment, but some real successes as well. I'm still learning, still gaining experience. I'll be back, and I'll be better. Then I'll really be "riding through your town with [my] head on fire."
Race morning
0645 hours. Three hours until the gun goes off, my wave at 9:51. The car is packed, I'm just eating breakfast, then it's off to the race site.
See you on the other side.
See you on the other side.
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