Days like these

... build stamina. Which is something I'm sorely lacking in my swimming muscles right now. I can keep as good pace as at any point last year for up to about 400m, but once we get deep enough into a workout, I'm struggling to get any real speed going. The batteries just run dry so quickly. Today highlighted that (and hopefully was a first step to correcting it) with a lot of long sets. It was planned as 3x1K, but the last set only got 800m, so including warm-up we were looking at 3600m. That's a bunch of metres, and my body just wasn't prepared to hold any real pace for the entire stretch. Luckily, I don't think anyone is flying in my lane right now, since I was still able to hold my place as leader. But leading slowly.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
400 as 50 scull/50 pull
300 ez free
200 as 50 fist/50 free
100 ez free, 2'
100 free as 25 sprint/25 ez
200 ez pull
300 free as 25 head-up/75 ez
400 free as 100 each ez/moderate/hard/ez, 2'
400 as 100 each free/back/breast/pull
300 descending (2:10,2:05,1:58) (way too hard for that slow!)
100 ez non-free
Total: 3400m

Legs not quite right

I'm starting back with this running thing. Turns out, I'm in worse shape than I thought. Two months off has made for quite the drop in fitness. My five mile effort tonight, at what should have been a ridiculously easy pace, was more of a challenge than I'd like to admit. I'm happy that my form stayed good the whole way, and my cadence was a crisp 90-92 spm for the entire run, but when my heart rate was 161 bpm at the end, instead of the ~150 it should be, I know there's a lot of work to do. I guess I should be less anxious but starting to race again, since right now I would be bringing the proverbial knife to a gunfight.

Run: 5 miles @ 7.5 mph

Sloppy morning

It's been a week out of the pool, and that week was spent mostly on the couch, so I wasn't expecting a great swim this morning. I was also kind of hoping we'd take it kind of easy, but that was eliminated pretty quick. I guess when the season's going to start in 5 months, you've got to begin putting in the work.

It took quite a while to find anything resembling good form this morning. I just felt like I was "off" from the moment I got in until the end. Still, I had a decent day, hitting all my pace times, and definitely got a good workout. Since we only miss Friday this week, we're back on the regular schedule and should be making things right pretty soon.

Swim: w/u - 3x(100 free, 15", 50 drill, 15", 25 kick/25 free, 15")
4x50 as 25 ez/25 build, on 1:10
11x100 free, on 2:10
4x100 ez pull, on 2:20
12x50 on 1:25, as 1) non-free, 2) 25 kick/25 free, 3) fingertip drag, 4) flick
Total: 2900m

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x8,8,10/105
Jackknifes - 3x15
Bent row - 3x12,12,12/85
Pushup - 3x10,10,12/60
Barbell curl - 2x10,9/43
French press - 2x12,12/30

Blustery day

We've had a nice stretch of warm weather around here, temperatures over 10 degrees, positively balmy for December. So, this morning I got to head out for what could have been a nice mild run, except Mother Nature decided that if it was to be warm, it was also going to be windy. And I don't just mean "windy", I mean "windy". (See how the letters are blown over? It was like that.) Winds at 60 km/h, gusting over 70 when I went out the door. I was either going to get in my five miles, or land somewhere in Oz.

The wind actually helped restrain the effort a bit, although the pace picked up quite a bit during the tailwind sections. Otherwise, it was a pretty decent morning, and the five miles flew by. I'll slowly keep adding to these Sunday runs as race season gets closer, just logging some quality miles.

Run: 5 miles, easy

Rolling out

Today was the start of the cycling training. Not a particularly tough ride, just 90 minutes easy pace on the trainer. It's going to take a bit of time to get used to the aero position again, as I could really feel it in my shoulders and forearms from supporting my weight. I also had a bit of an issue with some knee pain over the course of the ride. I'll try playing with some changes over the next week in hopes of finding a position I can use. It should be easy enough to correct, but a minor annoyance today.

Bike: 90 minutes, zone 1-2

Boxing day

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x10,10,12/165
Janda Situp - 3x12
Chins - 3x8,8,7
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x12,12,11/10
Reverse curl - 2x12,12/38
Diamond pushup - 2x15,14

I suck at days off

Being that it's a holiday, and one of the big ones at that, I should take the day off. But that's not going to happen. If I'm going to eat a big waffle breakfast, and a big turkey dinner, somewhere in there I need to earn all those eats. This afternoon I hopped on the treadmill for a quick four mile spin, got my legs loose and can now enjoy the rest of the day. I guess if I enjoy doing the work, making it a part of a holiday makes sense too.

Hope the holidays finds everyone well, and best of wishes for the coming year.

Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph

The Eve

We got a short day at work today, so I was able to get home, watch an episode of The Wire, and get my workout in, before heading off for an evening with friends. And I got the early gift of a good workout, as numbers continue to go up.

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x12,12,14/95
Jackknifes - 3x12
Bent row - 3x12,12,11/85
Pushup - 3x10,10,11/60
Barbell curl - 2x8,10/43
French press - 2x12,12/40

Keep moving

More snow, more miles on the treadmill. After this weekend's poor showing, I was happy to get a decent run in this afternoon. The legs were a bit tired from yesterday's deadlift session, but everything was in a pretty good groove. I think things will be in good stead over the next few months.

Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph

Holiday swim

Friday is a holiday, and who really wants to swim on Christmas Eve? So, the only swim this week was today. It was an interesting workout, starting off with a bunch of vertical kicking (only the worst thing ever), then a number of pace sets. Our lane probably could have been on a slightly faster pace time, but things were still a good moderate effort. Then we finished with some fun 'n' games, like a relay race with a ball, another relay going underwater across the widths, then a modified game of water polo. Less swimming, more just splashing around. It was a good time, and a nice way to head into the break.

Swim: w/u - 100 free, 20"
50 one-arm
4x40 sec vertical kicking, 20"
50 one-arm
200 pull
2x100 free, 30"
400 free on 8:30
2x200 free on 4:40
4x100 free on 2:10
Splashing around
Total: 1800m

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x10,10,12/160
Janda situp - 3x12
Chins - 3x8,7,7
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x12,12,10/10
Reverse curl - 2x12,12/38
Diamond pushup - 2x15,14

A step back to move forward

I've been trying to avoid using the treadmill, and getting outside as much as possible, but there was no way I'd get a decent run in today without it. There was snow off and on all day, after a few inches last night that was never fully cleared out. So I went nowhere, but I did it for a while, so there's that.

I did four miles, at 7.5 mph, which felt OK, although I'm now fat and slow. There has been some deconditioning over the last couple of months. I'm not disappointed by that at all, it's what was supposed to happen. Now, over the next couple of months by getting back to regular workouts, I'll bounce back to where I was, and even a bit further. It's all part of the flux of fitness. I have over 4 months until any racing is done, 5 months to the first triathlon. Plenty of time to get myself back to tip-top.

Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph

Lifting

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x12,12,12/95
Jackknife - 3x12,12,12
Bent row - 3x12,12,10/85
Pushup - 3x10,10,10/60
Barbell curl - 2x12,13/38
French press - 2x10,12/30

Wet before the storm

There's a snowstorm brewing, but before it got to us, I was able to get to and from the pool for a good swim. A nice, form-focused workout, not too much worry about speed, but lots of moderate freestyle to get things moving. I like days like these, even if they can seem a bit boring, with few changes of pace or distance. Now I just need to figure out how I'll get home from work in the blizzard.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
3x(300 ez free, 30", focus on form
3x100 descending, on 2:15 (1:55-1:57, 1:50-1:53, 1:48, 1:50)
100 ez non-free, 30"
4x25 sprint, 30")
c/d - 100 pull, 100 non-free
Total: 3200m

I like the getting better part

Things continue on an upward trend. Even better, I had the minor breakthrough I've been shooting for over the last few weeks. I finally got to eight reps on my last set of chins. I was prepared to do whatever it takes, struggle with whatever form I had to, to make the reps, but it worked out much better. My form through all sets was very tight. From dead hang to chest-to-bar. Simply, I crushed. On that last set, I banged out the last rep, and after the descent, I was done. I shot my wad getting eight, and wasn't getting another inch. I can live with that. I'll get it next time.

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x8,8,10/165
Janda situps - 3x12,12,12
Chins - 3x6,6,8
Reverse flye/Lateral Raise - 3x10,10,12/10
Reverse curl - 2x12,12/38
Diamond pushup - 2x12,15

The 500th post

I've been boring the few people who bother to read this thing with my daily struggles for 500 posts now. I guess now would be a decent point to recap where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going.

Where I've been:
It all started here. It was at that point that I was beginning the journey to this triathlon thing. My focus was on a marathon, but I knew that I had to begin swimming, since by that point I had already signed up for this season's A race. And so, I went to the pool. I didn't drown. Then I got a fancy new bike, meaning that I'd need to do the work to justify it.

Once the new year rolled around, the racing began. First it was off to Florida. And then the real season began. I started off poorly, and screwed up some races. But I also had some successes, and 'finished' on a high note. Which actually meant that I wasn't quite finished. And that's when I took on the best in the world and learned I was among them, but not of them.

Where I am:
Anxiously making my way through a desperately-needed off-season, looking forward to starting some real workouts soon. (Maybe sneaking on the treadmill next week, a week ahead of schedule.)

Where I'm going:
This season, I'm hoping to go to a variety of races around the province. Nothing that I have to stay overnight for, nothing longer than a sprint. I'll be working on my short-course speed, so that in 3 to 5 years time, I'll make another run at 70.3 Worlds, or a full Ironman, and have more than enough kick to get it done (go fast then go far). With real-life looming, I'm happily changing my workout schedule to accomodate any major changes in my world. But there will always be a place for training and racing, and there will always be a place for me to write about it. (And bore the readers.)

See you in another 500 posts.

Morning after the snowfall

Everything was nice and clear when I went to bed last night. This morning, after I got out from under my blanket, I found everything outdoors was still under a blanket of its own. Very quickly, any bike ride to the pool was cancelled. I was going to have to drive, but first, I was going to have to shovel my way out. That completed, I made my way to the pool, albeit much slower than I would in any other circumstance.

It was a good morning in the pool. The weather conditions had scared off most people, so crowding was not an issue. A lot more drill and kick work, which is good since that's where I need the most development. If I can get faster just by fixing some flaws, then imagine what will happen once I actually start working at getting faster later in the spring.

The most amazing part of the morning is that my car actually made it up the hill from the pool afterwards. I was more than a little concerned. Luckily, enough traffic had gone through to groove in a bit of path, and I got just enough traction to get over the ridge. It was close for a while. I would get winter tires, but I'm not driving to Quebec to get some.

Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
300 as 25 scull/75 pull, 30"
2x100 kick, 30"
400 ez free, 30", w/flip turns, breathe to North wall
4x25 sprint, 30"
100 ez non-free
300 as 25 scull/75 pull, 30"
2x100 kick, 30"
Total: 2200 yds

Up

A little bit better day today. Made some weights that I should have hit a while ago, and am getting ready to move up, either in weight or reps. That's always a good sign. I'm noticing my lower back fatiguing a lot during the squats. I'm holding pretty tight form, so I need to strengthen that to be able to put more weight on my legs. It'll come soon enough.

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x10,10,12/95
Jackknifes - 3x12
Bent row - 3x10,10,12/85
Pushup - 3x10,10,9/+60
Barbell curl - 2x12,12/38
French press - 2x8,10/30

Set the bar

I've only been back in the pool for a few weeks, but this morning it was time for the first real test of the swimming year. Instead of having a couple of 750m test sets, or the occassional 8x100 workout, our calendar now includes a monthly 400m TT. I like this, because I'm big on regular feedback, and it's short enough that it doesn't become its own A level race. After a solid warm-up, we were split into two heats, with about three people per lane, leaving 30 seconds apart. Those not swimming were timing. I had a rough idea of how fast I'd like to go, and set out to make that goal.

Have you ever accomplished a goal, and you should be happy, but you're a little disappointed because you could have done better if you hadn't screwed something up? That's where I am right now. I figured I'd be happy with anything better than 7:20 (averaging 1:50/100), and as long as I beat 7:30, all was well. And I pulled that off, hitting 7:13, but the effort was brutal. I went way too fast early, and was barely staying afloat in the last stretch. My 200m splits were 3:30/3:43. Not even pacing at all. Even worse, my first 100m was in 1:35, so my splits broke down as 1:35/1:55/(1:51.5 average x2). If I paced the first stretch better, went 1:45/1:45, I would have been at the halfway mark at the same time, but I probably could have been 1:48-1:50x2 coming home.

But this is why we do the tests: to learn. I've learned two things. First, my pacing sucks. I need to start slower on an effort like this. The fatigue catches up with you quick and what felt fine for a while suddenly becomes very hard. Second, I need to work on my stamina. But we kind of knew that going in. It's still the off-season, I haven't done any hard work since Clearwater, so things aren't in form yet. I'll be much better when we do the test again in January.

Swim: w/u - 200m free, 4x50 drill, 4x25 kick, 100 non-free
8x50 on 1:10, as 1) 25 hard/25 ez, 2) 25 ez/25 build, 3) non-free, 4) moderate
400m TT (100-1:35, 200-3:30, 400-7:13)
100 ez free
300 ez pull, 20"
4x50 non-free, kick or drill, 20"
200 pull, 20"
4x25 non-free, 20"
Total: 2300m

Oh, and one other thing I learned: fast people are fast. They're not like normal people. I had the pleasure of sharing the lane with Wolfgang who was training with us this morning. I spotted him 30 seconds, and he lapped me at the 200m mark (300 for him). I thought about catching his draft for a second, but in that second he pulled so far away that there wasn't a draft anymore. I think he finished in 5:20. He must've been taking it easy.

Not sticking to the plan

During this break from real training, I was only supposed to run once per week, for just three miles, on flat terrain. Well, I haven't stuck to that exactly. It's only been once per week, and it's been flat, but when I finished my 3 mile loop today, I had to turn and head out for another two. Things felt really good, I have no idea how fast I was, but who cares? I did feel some fatigue in my glutes and lower back, so the deadlifts yesterday must have been working. That's a good sign to strengthen the support muscles now to carry me through race efforts in a few months.

Run: 5.25 miles, EZ

Small gains

I keep saying it, and it's still true. I'm making gains in the weight room, however slowly. Some things are really picking up, but others are coming much slower. What's frustrating is that one of the main lifts I'd like to improve is proving the slowest. Chins. It's the best test of upper body strength, and I used to be pretty good, but things are stuck right now. I don't know if it's from the swimming, or the rows on the other lifting days, but I'm not getting much right now. I'll keep sticking to it, and with luck, I'll get back to where I was once the new year hits and the weight sessions are a bit more spaced out. Only two more weeks until the pre-season starts.

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x12,12,14/155
Janda Situp - 3x12,12,12
Chins - 3x6,6,7
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x10,10,10/10
Reverse curl - 2x12,12/38
Diamond pushup - 2x12,14

Drills and skills

A tough mix of sets this morning in the pool. After the warm-up, we did the now usual kick and sculling sets. I was kicking better than I have been (and getting less water in the snorkel), and my sculling has improved greatly. Two reasons: 1) the quick tips from Mark (Thanks!) about slowing down, greater range of motion, and really feeling the water, 2) finding this video on the back scull. The back scull is not like the others, no side-to-side, but instead it's all triceps (which cost us later in the workout). Then we got into some long endurance sets, which went pretty well, with some form focus in each one. After that, we picked up the effort quite a bit with some faster work to finish the day. I was pretty spent by this point, still getting back my swimming endurance, but was pretty happy to knock out sub-1:45 on each of the final sprints. Now I'm a bit wiped out. I'll sleep pretty good tonight, provided I can stay awake until then.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
3x100, 30" as 25 kick/25 hard kick/50 free
3x100, 15" as 25 scull/25 pull/25 scull/25 fast pull
400 ez free, breathe to west wall, 30"
2x300 ez free drill focus, 1) body roll, high elbow recovery, 2) wide flat foot, 30"
3x200, 30", 1&2) negative split (2:05/1:50), 3) ez non-free
4x100, 30", 1&3) hard (1:42, 1:43), 2&4) ez non-free
Total: 3200m

Lift

Another night of somewhat muted gains. Maybe three workouts per week is too much. I'll found out soon enough, since I'm going to two per week in the new year anyway. I feel like I should be doing more, I feel very rested, but the numbers just aren't rising as expected right now. But, at least everything is going in the right direction.

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x10,10,11/95
Jackknife - 3x12
Bent row - 3x10,10,11/85
Pushup - 3x8,8,10/+60
Barbell curl - 2x12,12/38
French press - 2x12,14/25

Add a little speed

Either I was nicely rested from missing Monday's swim, or I was a bit worked over from last night's weights session and snow shovelling. Either way, it was going to be a good day in the pool. I was able to ride this morning, although it was pretty slick, to the point that I walked down the hill to the pool. It's not worth killing myself to save those few seconds.

In the water, I felt good. I didn't drown using the snorkel during the kick set, my sculling was marginally better (thanks for the tips Mark!), and my pace during the extended easy sets was closer to EZ-plus. The day really hit a high note when we finished with a 200yd TT, and I went under 3 minutes (2:57). That was about as good as I could expect to do. It's not the blazing pace most folks can pull off, but next week we have a 400m TT, and I'd love to get 7:00-7:15. This was a nice confidence-booster that I might be on my way.

Swim: w/u - 200yd each free, kick, non-free
8x50 as 25 scull/25 pull
500 ez free, breathe to east wall
400 ez free, w/flip turns
300 free as 25 fast/75 ez
200 TT (2:57)
c/d - 50 non-free
Total: 2550yds

Not as expected

I was hoping for a bit better day in the weight room, but it just wasn't the case. I'm not sure why I've stalled out a little, but I'll keep at it and I'm sure that Saturday I'll be back to crushing.

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x10,10,12/155
Janda Situp - 3x12,12,12
Chins - 3x6,6,7
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x10,10,10/10
Reverse curl - 2x10,11/38
Diamond pushup - 2x12,12

Anxious

I'm really starting to get antsy to start training for real again. Maybe it's because I missed swimming yesterday (logistic issues caused by my own stupidity), maybe it's because I haven't ridden to work in the last two days (too much snow on the ground; I wouldn't mind riding, but I don't trust everyone else). But I'm really jonesing to get back to doing some work. According to my plan, though, I have another 18 days until the pre-season starts. I'm improving in some general fitness areas, and being rested should let my swimming improve (if I can get to the pool), so this is the right thing to be doing right now, but man, it would be fun to throw Lightning McQueen on the trainer tonight and knock out a few intervals.

Patience is the key. By the time we get to real training, I'll be so fired up you won't be able to rein in the first few days.

Arctic winds

Winter is here. After a bit of snowfall overnight, it was time this morning to head out for a little run. Only four miles, so why was I not looking forward to it? Probably because it was -9, with 40-60 km/h winds. That translates to a "feels like" temperature of -19. Less than fun. But I suited up anyways, and headed out the door.

Turns out, I was a little overdressed. It wasn't until I got a decent sweat going that I started to feel cold at all, due to the sweat freezing. Running into the wind wasn't pleasant, mainly because it was cold, and also strong enough to almost stop you in your tracks, thus making you be in the cold that much longer. Otherwise, the run itself was actually pretty enjoyable. Lots of folks were out shovelling their drives, or heading for church, so I got quite a few puzzled looks. That's always fun.

Run: 4.2 miles, zone 1-2

A little of this, a little of that

I ran a few errands this morning (Xmas shopping almost complete). Then, after lunch, I hit the weights for a quick session. Nothing fantastic to report there. Everything's going in the right direction, but not as fast as I may like. Just have to keep the nose to the grindstone and things will get better. You never know when that breakthrough day will happen.

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x10,10,10/95
Jackknife - 3x12
Bent Row - 3x10,10,10/85
Pushup - 3x8,8,9/+60
Barbell Curl - 2x12,11/38
French Press - 2x10,13/25

Then, in the afternoon, I watched the TSN coverage of the Ironman 70.3 Muskoka race. Unfortunately, I was not one of the featured athletes, although I am in the coverage. (They show the swim start of my wave, so it's kind of a 'Where's Waldo?' scenario, with 200 late-30's guys wearing black wetsuits and purple swim caps. Good luck on picking me out.) It was fun watching a race that I was actually involved in. I taped the show, with the plan of watching it while on the trainer, or just for motivation in the future. I don't know if I'll be able to do that, though, since a portion of the coverage is on my assistant swim coach, and her collapse on the day (second out of the water, falling apart on the bike, quitting at the side of the road in tears). It killed me watching her go through that, but I guess it's all part of racing. She'll be back, better than ever, and I know that I had my best race ever that fateful September morning.

Barely faster than stationary

Good swim this morning. I'm getting better at this "wide flat foot" thing, at least the coach thinks so. It hasn't translated to much speed, but that will come. I've been trying the snorkel on the kick sets, but I'm getting water in it, which I'm having difficulty dealing with. Not a lot mind you, but having to clear it out every 50 is annoying. Using it isn't making me any faster, too. I'm still slow. Even more so, I'm slow on sculling. I did OK the first set, but lost a ton of ground in the next two sets. I'm not entirely sure that the other people are actually sculling (or what think of as sculling), and not doing a modified breaststroke. Should it be the same general movement (kind of a side-side sweep) in all three positions (hands in front, shoulder/chest level, at the hips)? They seem to use a lot of triceps in the last position, so I'm a bit confused. Help me out people.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
3x(100 kick, 20"
100 free, 20" focus on kick)
3x200 as 50 scull/150 pull, 30"
100 non-free
3x300 free, descending (5:57, 5:55, 5:50), 30"
100 non-free
6x25 sprint, 30"
c/d - 50 breast
Total: 3100m

Keep going up

Very slowly, I keep getting my strength back. I'm not bending the bars or anything quite yet, but improvements are being made. If I can get back a decent base of strength before I really get into the next season's training, I'll be well ahead of the game.

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x8,8,10/155
Janda Situp - 3x10,10,12
Chins - 3x6,6,7
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x10,10,10/10
Reverse curl - 2x10,10/38
Diamond pushup - 2x12,12

Oxygen

There are days when some of the flaws in the game come shining through. Similar to my sculling issue, today I learned that I need more of a kick. I don't need to start going all motorboat in the pool, but I could easily increase my propulsion by having a better kick. (I also learned that I'm not a big fan of the snorkel for kicking drills. I need to get better at keeping water out, and not choking on it.)

All of today's work was on pace times, so it was get the work done, and rest as much as you can before the clock hits the magic mark. In general, I was more than comfortable with this, and well within the paces for each set, but a few times I did find myself more focused on swimming fast rather than swimming well. My form would suffer a bit in effort to go quick enough to get some rest. When I caught myself doing this, I tried to force myself into better form, which not surprisingly kept my speed up, or even increased it.

I was surprised I got through the breathing sets at the end as well as I did. Sure, it's only a 25 yard pool, but I suck at hypoxic sets. Somehow, I was able to get across the pool with no intermediate breaths. It seems OK for the first few strokes, then you're working a balance of going slow enough that you don't demand more oxygen, but going fast enough that your stores will be enough. Once you see the T, there's an oxygen-deprived sprint to get to the wall. Not a pleasant experience, but I made it.

Swim: w/u - 300yds free, 200 pull, 100 kick
4x25 drill (6 beat kick, doggy paddle), on 30"
4x50 free, on 1'
4x75 as 25 overkick/50 free, on 1:40
4x100 free, on 1:50
4x75 as 25 back/25 breast/25 free, on 2:00
4x50 as 25 kick/25 free, on 1:30
4x25 free, on 1' (3 breaths, 2 breaths, 1 breaths, 0 breaths)
Total: 2200yds

Better

Weights:
Bear: 2x4/48
Front Squat: 3x8,8,10/95
Jackknife: 3x12
Bent Row: 3x10/85
Pushup: 3x8/+60
Barbell Curl: 2x10,12/38
French Press: 2x10,11/25

Swim

That's what I did. Lots of different drills and other stuff. I may have gone a bit quick for the 400, because the pace work got tough. It was only 4 repeats, but I wouldn't have been able to handle too many more at that interval. Looks like there's lots left to do.

Swim: w/u - 2x(100m free, 50 kick/50 free, 50 drill/50 free)
2x50 one-arm/50 free, 20"
4x25 3-3/75 free, 30"
400 free, moderate pace, 30"
8x50 drill, 20"
4x100 on 2:05
100 ez non-free
4x50 swim golf (best: 54 strokes, 50")
c/d - 100 ez non-free
Total: 2800m

Fine Fall Morning

We finally got a morning that doesn't have rain/snow, so I've been out to do a bunch of raking in the front yard. Depending on motivation, I may touch up the backyard as well, but don't hold your breath. To break up all the work, I hopped out for a quick three-mile run. Nothing too strenuous, flat terrain, a good turnover, form held the whole way. I'll keep it here for a few weeks, just nice and easy while I let my body recover from a long year.

Run: 3 miles, EZ

Picking things up

... And setting them down again. It's the essence of weight training. That's as simple a description as you'll get. Pick it up, set it down. Repeat.

So that's what I did. And things went a little better than Tuesday. I'm still weak, but less weak than I was. And next time I'll be even less weak. That's all I can hope for.

Weights:
Chaosbringer: 2x4/48
Deadlift: 3x12,12,14/145
Janda sit-up: 3x10
Chins: 3x6,6,6
Reverse flye/Lateral raise: 3x10,10,10/10
Reverse curl: 2x8,11/38
Diamond pushup: 2x10,12

Work, drill, flip

Although Mondays are supposed to be the day with assistant coach, this week things got switched around and she was our leader this morning. She comes from a pretty high-level pure swimming background, and the workouts reflect that. More drills, more kicking, and so many different sets that I'm not sure I remember it all. But it makes for a good workout.

After a solid warm-up, we were assigned into three groups, each with a different sub-workout to do. After 20-25 minutes, we changed to the next sub-workout, until all three were completed. One of the sets was a free/pull set, the next was drills, the last (for me) was flip turns. I was happy to get the "work" set done early, so I could cruise through the remainder. It's going to take a few weeks to get used to the early mornings and longer workouts, methinks.

PS- Thirty seconds of vertical kicking (not eggbeater) is tough. They might as well call that "almost drowning".

Swim: w/u - 150m free
4x30" vertical kicking, 30" rest
150 as breast/back/free
2x50 free, breathing every 3/5
400 free, 45"
4x100 pull, 20"
200 free, 45"
2x50, 30" as 1) 1-arm, 2) catch-up
100 free, 30"
4x75, 30" as 25 3-3/25 catch-up/25 free
2x50, 30" as 1) 1-arm, 2) catch-up
100 free, 30" 100 free, 30" as 25, 3-3/25 catch-up/50 free
Flip turn practice
200 free, 30" with flip turns
c/d - 200 as 50 free w/3 somersaults/50 breast
Total: 2600m

Weak sauce

OK, now this is getting embarassing. If I'm fit enough to qualify for 70.3 Worlds, you'd think I might have even a modicum of strength. But I don't. I'm a big pile of suck, smothered in weak sauce. Here are the details, I have no comments.

Bear: 2x4/48
Front squat: 3x6,6,8/95
Jackknife: 3x10
Bent row: 3x10,10,8/85
Pushup: 3x10,8,6/+60
Barbell curl: 2x8,11/38
French press: 2x10,14/20

Form

Another early morning for swimming, and we're back to where we were last year. After warm-up and an explanation of the main set, the coach asked me to get him before starting the freestyle set because he wanted "to talk to (me) about (my) form". That's never a good thing, especially after two months of non-coached swimming. There weren't any earth-shattering revelations, it's more of the same that we were trying to correct near the end of last season: my entry is too narrow and too shallow, so I need to focus on keeping my hands wide and taking a steeper trajectory for the entry. I also need to get more fluid and less mechanical. I think that stems in part from my present efforts to make sure I always finish my stroke, so I have a kind of hitch in there. As well, I should be rolling a bit more in the stroke, instead of the flatter form I have at present. He asked if I had a video camera at home (which I do not), which convinces me a bit more that I should look into the assistant coach's stroke improvement seminars (which include video-taping). I'll have to see how the schedule and budget look in the next while.

Swim: w/u - 200yds each: free, non-free, pull
3x(100 kick, 30", as 50 front/25 right/25 left
100 wide/flat/foot drill, 10"
200 ez free, breathe to windows, 30"
50 free, hard, 30"
50 ez non-free, 30")
c/d - 100 free, 100 non-free
Total: 2300 yds

Belly up to the bar

With a break in the running and cycling aspects of my training, I'm going to spend more time in the upcoming weeks on work in the weight room. The first time was tonight. I'm not going to go through all the details of my weakitude, but suffice it to say, there was lots. A break of over a year has left me pretty deconditioned. But that just means there's more room to improve.

OK, I guess I will put everything down, since this has transformed into an online training diary anyways.

Chaosbringer: 2x4/48lbs
Deadlift: 3x10,10,12/145lbs
Janda Situp: 3x10
Chin-ups: 3x6
Reverse flye/Lateral raise: 3x10,10,8/10lbs
Reverse curl: 2x8,9/38lbs
Diamond pushups: 2x10

A year ago I was knocking out repeats of 10-12 reps on chins, and deadlifting over 200 for reps, so right now I suck.

Getting my feet wet, again

It was finally time to rejoin the ranks in the pool. a year ago, you never would have predicted that I'd be so excited to go swimming I would be waking up before 4:50 alarm. I was pretty ready to get back to the swim club and start making the improvements for next season.

Since it's early in the season, this is the time to work on the parts of swimming that make you faster, but aren't just swimming fast. Those things are kicking and sculling, and lots of it. I jumped into my old lane, noticed that there had been some serious shuffling of lanes (one of my lanemates was now lane 2, a couple were lane 4, one of the lane 2 gents was back in lane 3 ... lots of movement), and started into the workout. I performed OK, but I know I need to work on my kicking, and I volunteered to be the end of the train for the sculling sets. I need some instruction on how to scull better, since I shouldn't be so slow when I can actually swim at a decent pace. I got in a good workout, not bad for the first time out a couple of months, and first swim in two weeks.

Here's to as much improvement this year as last. Two lanes to to go (assuming I don't get shuffled back to 4).

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
3x200, 30" as 50 kick/25 left kick/25 right kick/100 ez free
100 ez non-free
12x50, 10" as 25 scull/25 pull (4 each high scull, mid scull, low scull)
10 ez non-free
8x100 ez non-free, on 2:20
Total: 2800m

Don't call it a comeback

That was a pretty long two weeks. All that time since Clearwater with no training, and barely any activity. Over the ten days I was in Bermuda, I barely did enough to not be considered dead. But it was worthwhile, and the itch to go to work has returned. Actually, it had returned by Monday, but I had purposely left any equipment for training back home so I couldn't do anything even if I wanted. Kind of.

Getting really antsy on Friday, I did one of the few things that I could do with any tools, and just a little bit of floorspace: squats. And lots of them. About 210 to be exact. Now, it wasn't anything I would label a workout, so that's why it isn't logged, but after a year of no resistance training, high-rep squatting has left an impression in my legs. I've basically been reduced to shuffling like a cast-off from a George Romero classic for the last couple of days. But all that wasn't enough to stop me from heading out for a run tonight.

The plan was to do an untimed, flat three miles. That's all the running I plan on doing each Sunday for the next few weeks, just enough to keep form together while putting my focus elsewhere and allowing a slow build towards the season. I knew I was very sore, so I was just going to go as far as I could. My the time I was halfway down the street, I planned on heading back when I hit the corner, the soreness was so intense. But instead, I rounded the corner and followed my route. I was tempted quite often to slow down, or walk, or head home, but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and made my way through the run. It was a bit cool, and I didn't put on the right gloves for that, but otherwise it was great. Even as bad as my legs felt, I just enjoyed being able to get out under my own power. I'm pretty detrained right now, so no watches are needed for a while. I'll just get a bit of mileage while resting and be ready to hit it hard in the new year.

Run: 3.15 miles, zone 1-2

A long answer to a short question

Mark asks regarding Clearwater: When are you going back to implement the changes you discuss? ;)

That's a bit of a tricky question to answer. Of course, part of the trick is needing to qualify. I had a pretty good race and was able to wrangle a spot,so at least I've shown that I have what it takes to get into position for a rolldown slot. As I continue to grow in this sport, I would hope to be able to finish even higher, increasing my chances, but it's still a bit of a crapshoot.

It won't even be a consideration for a few years. With family commitments, my wife and I have agreed on a plan of unquestioned training time every five years. (Thinking about it now, maybe I should have bargained for every 4 like the Olympics?) Since this year had a lot of volume just getting my feet wet, I'll be scaling back for the next few years. My plan is to focus on my short-course speed, doing sprint races for the next two years, build to Olympic or an under-prepared local HIM in year three, be slightly more serious with a HIM in year four building volume, so that year 5 would be either Ironman, or something similar. That means, at best, I wouldn't be looking at Clearwater for four years at least.

There's also the issue of scheduling. The two month period between Muskoka and Clearwater didn't work out well for me this time. Perhaps I can figure out a better plan, but it's such a weird stretch to deal with. If I could qualify at an earlier race, that would be optimal, like Calgary in late July, or Disney in May. Enough time to properly rest and allow for a good build. So what races I can get to, and get into, become part of the equation.

But then there's also the very short answer to the question: As long as the race remains in Clearwater, I'm 90% certain I wouldn't go back. I'm glad I went, and I would recommend to any first-time qualifier to go and have fun, but once you've been there and seen how the race plays out, I can understand why so many people won't return until a venue change is made.

It seems to be the cool thing to complain about the drafting after IMFL and Clearwater, and I don't want to fall into that trap (but I'm about to). Rather than just stamping my feet and proclaiming, "It's loaded with cheaters. I was never passed a single solo rider, but tons of groups wheel to wheel" (which is true) I decided I'd do a little analysis, being the analytical sort. I took a look at the top 50 times to T2 in the men's 35-39 and 40-44 age groups. Why these two? Well, M35-39 is my group, and M40-44 is the first men's wave that followed us, and most of the people who passed me were from this wave. Both of these age groups were divided into two waves, separated by five minutes, based on last name (A-L, M-Z for M35-39; A-K, L-Z for M40-44). My table below has the time to T2, total bike leg, and time for the last section of the bike, color coded by wave (Wave 1=blue, wave 2=green). All times were taken from the Ironman results pages, which list the top 100 finishers in each AG. Any missing values are due to the athlete not being listed in the top 100, or in the case of third bike leg time, no intermediate timing.



I should start by pointing out that none of this is proof of any drafting. An athlete is legal at 7m behind, which is about 0.8 seconds at 38 km/h. It should also be noted that the last leg of the bike ride has the causeway (which is one of the few places to break up a group), as well as the finishing stretch (people dismounting and running at different speeds).

Here are a few things I see: Obviously, there's some clustering. Either speed is dependent on your last name, or groups are forming on the road. Inside some of the clusters, you can find up to 3 minutes difference over the entire bike course, but only a few seconds over the last leg, and that the difference to T2 is very close to the difference in the last leg times. Probably the most interesting observation comes from a few riders down the list. If you look at M35-39, around positions 41-45, these guys do the last leg much faster than the riders immediately above them (by 90-120 seconds). These are all wave 1 athletes. If you look up, arriving exactly five minutes earlier (by race time) is a cluster of wave 2 athletes (positions 9-12), who ride the last leg at an almost identical speed. They all get to T2 within seconds by clock time. (There's a similar thing happening in M40-44, see 48-50 vs. 20-26.) There are probably a few other minor observations that can be made, but that should be enough.

None of this includes the riders even further back, or the women's field caught between these two groups, or the upcoming M45-49 and M18-29 waves that started later. If I had the time and the data, I'd love to do this for everyone on the course, and see what patterns arise.

I want to make a point that there doesn't seem to be any real drafting at the very front of the race. These folks are absolute hammers, who may benefit from the slingshot draft of passing everyone, but they seem to be that much stronger than everyone else. It's the MOP and behind where the issues are the greatest. During my ride, I didn't see a single marshall or any riders in the penalty tents. Everything seemed to go unchecked. I just wish I could redo this for a larger sample.

As I said before, this may seem like sour grapes, and maybe it is. I was 154 out of the water, and moved up to 153 by the end of the bike. I admit that I'm not the fastest biker on the block, but I've never been in the second half of bike splits, nevermind almost the last, so to only get one spot is surprising. I know I rode legally, and I know what I saw other riders do (less riding legally). And this exercise is, at least, some vague evidence that the complaints about Clearwater might not be that far off.

So that's why I wouldn't be going back. Unless you're at the absolute front, there's little chance of getting a decent placing without resorting to drafting (in my view). If they change the venue to some place for fairer competition, I'd love to attend another Worlds, but I don't see myself returning to Florida.

Still here

I'm not doing anything (and loving it), but I thought I'd make a brief post. Recovery is going nicely. I'm starting to feel normal again, and I'm quite well-fed. I'm sure there will be a fair bit of walking and maybe some swimming in the next week on vacation, so that should be enough to get me by.

I do have a post about Clearwater I'd like to write, but I'm having some issues getting my tables that support my position into bloggable form. So it might be a couple of weeks if I don't figure it out today.

I was there, it happened - Ironman 70.3 World Championships Race Report

As usually happens on the mornings of big races, it was an early wake-up call. I had a surprisingly good night's sleep, so I was ready to go. After a little breakfast, I grabbed my morning bag and joined the parade of athletes on their way to the race site. The music was blaring, and the transition area was well-lit and busy with people. I hopped into the body-marking line, then made a quick stop over at my bike. Everything was still in working order, so I pumped the tires, filled the drink bottles, and set the watch. Then I cleared out to join my wife for a few quiet moments on the beach before everything got underway. I started putting on the sunscreen and Body Glide and slipped halfway into my wetsuit. When I looked up, right across from us, was once again Dick Hoyt, this time with his son. They were in their final preparations for the race, and after a few minutes, they left to take their place on the beach. Soon after, I bid my wife goodbye and joined the other athletes starting to congregate on the beach.

My swim wave wasn't going off until 7:30, so at about 6:30 I jumped in the water to warm-up a bit and get things flowing. I was out early enough to watch the male and female pro waves take off, then I moved into the corrals. Every five minutes we would move a little closer to the front, and conversations seemed to get a little quieter. The M35-39 age group was divided into two waves by last name. I was in the second, so it was a bit disconcerting to know that you aren't racing all of the people you're actually racing (if that makes any sense). Finally we were in the last corral, and with 2 1/2 minutes to go, we were called to the start line. I seeded myself at the back of the group, knowing my swim isn't going to win me any races. Shortly after the "ten seconds to go" announcement (probably about ten seconds), the smallest loudest cannon on the East Coast went off.

Swim:
It begins with a sprint from the beach. I followed along, and when everyone else stopped running and started swimming, I did the same. I wanted to find a decent set of feet and just follow along. Amazingly, I felt good enough to go past the group I was with, and started working my way up to the next, even faster, bunch. Knowing I wanted to catch up, I put my head down, and knocked out thirty hard strokes. It was around this point that the guy in the kayak told me I was swimming off to sea. Not a great start, but I got myself back on course, found another draft and made the first turn a half-mile from shore. (For a non-swimmer, that's disconcertingly far from dry land.) Just a couple hundred meters later, we made another right turn for home. Home, at this point, was due east, directly into the sun. If you weren't blinded by the glare of the sun, you were blinded by the glare off the water of the sun. I was able to vaguely make out a buoy, and started swimming for it. A short while later, the guy on the paddleboard informed me I was cutting across the course, apparently trying to start again. Now I could see the buoy to my left (no longer looking east), and got back on course. I pulled in behind what I assume was the group I left in the first few hundred meters (what a worthwhile exercise that turned out to be). Now I just hung in and tried to get to T1. No more heroics in the swim. I was out and up the beach in 36 minutes and change, not too bad considering I lost probably a minute or two swimming all over the place. I noticed some green caps over my shoulder as I exited the water, meaning my number one goal was accomplished. Not last.

T1:
The run from the beach took us through a fresh water shower, then to the wetsuit strippers. I grabbed my T1 gear bag and was in the change tent as quick as possible. A helper came over as I sat down, and once I dumped the contents of my bag, he grabbed the bag and started filling it with my discarded material (wetsuit, goggles, swim cap), then took it to the pile of bags to be replaced. Once I was fully suited (glasses, helmet, shoes, race belt), I grabbed my bike, hit the mount line, and was moving.

Bike:
I passed a few people on the first roads out of town, up and over the Memorial Causeway. I tried to find my rhythm and let my heart rate fall back down to where it belonged. I passed the Hoyts about 20 minutes into the ride, and felt more than a little inspired. Then it was just a matter of pedalling, and keeping up with fluids and energy.

There really isn't much to report on the Clearwater course. It's a series of relatively long stretches of flat roads, not much scenery. I had my heart rate a bit higher than I probably should have (145-150 bpm), but I was trying to stay in the game. This may have cooked my legs going into the last discipline. There was a bit of a westerly wind, which was in our faces on the homestretch, but nothing too significant. Two hours, thirty one minutes after I left transition, I was back where I started, with a half-marathon to go.

** Note: I may or may not do a post about the drafting situation in the next couple of days. (I definitely have some things to say.) Unfortunately, I'm afraid it would just come off as sour grapes as an under-performer. I will make only two points:
1. I didn't see a single person in a penalty tent on course, and I didn't see a single official during my entire ride. And they wonder why there might be a problem.
2. I can look myself in the mirror and know I rode 100% clean, and that's enough for me.

T2:
A bike-catcher took my bike from me to rack it, and I was left to go get my T2 gear bag, and get back to the change tent. This time it was a bit more crowded in the tent, so I didn't have any assistance, which slowed me down a bit, but I felt like I made pretty good time. Once I had running shoes and a hat, I left for my foot-powered tour of Clearwater.

Run:
The run course is essentially an out-and-back 6.5 mile course, done twice. Each lap goes over the causeway twice, but is otherwise flat. I didn't feel too hot right from the start, but just tried to keep one foot in front of the other. I was running again without a watch, so I had no idea of my splits. It worked at Muskoka, so I was hoping it would work here. I did some passing on the first loop, and was caught by a few, but seemed to still be moving forward. Without "age on the calf" as part of body-marking, it was tough to tell if I was making any ground in my AG though. During the second lap, I was really feeling the effort, and that, combined with the beating from the sun, and a general sense of discouragement (I felt SOOOOO slow), slowed me down even more. By the last 3 miles, I was taking a little walk break every mile. It's hard to believe, but I was still smiling though that. My attitude was pretty much "OK, I'm out of the race, but I'm at the World Championships, and that's pretty cool, so I'm not going to kill myself. Enjoy the moment." I thanked the volunteers, got a little chuckle when the electronic message board read: "#847 - D. Wilton - Your Awesome!" and I thought, "My awesome what?" I had my last walk at 12.5 miles, then did the run for home. I didn't pass anybody in the last stretch, since they fought and earned their placing. I had some clear roads, and gave a double Guns Up all the way through the line. I hope it comes out in the pictures this time.

By the numbers -
Swim: 36:23 (1:54/100m, 154/169 AG placing after swim)
T1: 3:14
Bike: 2:31:07 (22.23 mph, 153/169 AG placing after bike)
T2: 3:05
Run: 1:40:44 (7:41/mile, 132/169 AG placing after run)
Finish: 4:54:33, 132/169 AG, 768/1254 overall

So a quick glance at my feelings about the race: Even though it's easy to argue that I could have done more (by my admission I gave up on the run), I had the best day I was capable of today. There honestly isn't any more I could have done. I'm disappointed with the time and placing, but I went sub-5, and I was here. That's still the big thing.

I was sick coming into the race, and I think that's indicative of begin generally overtrained. It's been a very long season, almost non-stop since marathon prep last August. I pretty much shot my wad for Muskoka, and tried to do too much in the build for this race. Two 'A' races two months apart is tough. It's too long to just recover and go again with the trained fitness, but too short to fully rest and build back up. Looking at the last month of training, I think those bad days on the bike weren't just computer issues, but more likely real issues with fatigue that I was trying to ignore. I bet if I timed my weekly long runs, I would have seen the same thing there.

Speaking of timing, the watch-free plan didn't work. I think Muskoka was just kind of magical in that way for me. If I was conscious of the time, I would have seen that I actually was ahead of pace for the first 3.5 miles (my 1:35 half plan is 7:15/mile), and pretty much bang on at the halfway mark. That would have been a great motivator to keep things up for the second half, rather than suffer that letdown. Live and learn. I'm not going to beat myself up too much about it. I may have been able to run my way up to perhaps 120th by leaving it all out there? That doesn't change much.

Now I get to relax for a few weeks. I didn't pick up any hardware, and it takes a long time to get to my name in the results, but I have a hat and a medal that say I got to the starting line, then got to the finish line, of the 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Championship race.

One more sleep

Now it's time to shake things out. I had run into one of the fellow swim club members last dinner, so we made a plan to meet for an OW swim this morning. I started off by attending a brief clinic put on by Lifesport coaching about OW tactics, then was off to get wet.

The first thing you notice swimming in the ocean is the extra buoyancy of the salt water. The next thing is the taste of salt water, which is not anything like pool or lake water. It's also the last thing you notice, since it's not going to leave you for a while. I just wanted a reasonably brief effort, so I went about halfway out on the course, cut across to the homestretch, then back in. It was around 8:45 am at this point, and coming back the beach was directly into the sun. It made navigation pretty tough. I'm not sure how that will play out tomorrow. I hope the sun is low enough at 7:30 to 8 (my expected swim window) that I can see all the way through.

After a quick bite to eat and the athlete's meeting (brief course description and pleads from the head referee not to draft) I went for a short bike ride to make sure everything was in working order. I didn't go to the actual course, but followed some other roads south of the hotel. My position felt fine and the effort was good. Of course, there were a ton of other bikes out on the road. Big race weekends always have a neat feel when you can see so many of your fellow competitors out and about. There's a real feeling of camaraderie there, even if it's just a nod as you pass on the bike.

Then I went for a short run along the beachwalk to shake out the running legs. It was almost noon, and getting pretty warm. I felt loose, but the sun seemed to be draining my energy pretty quick. I'll need to stay up on my nutrition and hydration tomorrow if the weather is going to be the same.

A couple of "celebrity" sightings: I put on my wetsuit this morning fifteen feet away from Sister Madonna Buder. She was the oldest female competitor in the race, as she is in almost every race. It's hard to believe she's 78 when you see her. I almost felt like I should apologize for listening to Children of Bodom on the iPod while she was right there. Then, on the walk back to my hotel, I passed Dick Hoyt out for a walk with his wife. Another of the IM inspirational stories, and I'm right there in the same race. How cool is that?

Now this afternoon I'll pick up my wife from the airport, drop off my bike and T1 and T2 gear bags, and try to find someplace for the customary pre-race meal (spaghetti and meatballs). Can you feel the excitement?

Swim: 20 minutes
Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2, 2x90-120 seconds zone 3-4
Run: 15 minutes, EZ

Two days

Yesterday was a day of travel. Today was a day of (mostly) rest. No workouts, but enough walking with the various errands of the day to keep blood moving. I'll be out for some real loosening up tomorrow morning.

I started off my picking up my bike. It was shipped down a couple of weeks ago with a service that runs down for IMFL and Clearwater. It was a short walk from my hotel, so I got that out of the way early, so I could do any last-second tuning and turn my attention to other matters. Then I was off to the athlete village, for registration and souvenir shopping. The registration went exceptionally fast, I sat down with a volunteer who dumped out the package and we went through every item before putting it back into the envelope. There's a fair bit to keep track of with all of the gear bags and stickers and bibs, but it will be managed. Next stop was to go to the official Clearwater store and pick up some goodies. I ended up scoring a couple of shirts, coffee mug, and a toque to remind me of sunny Florida on the cold days.

In another expo tent I got wrangled into giving Powercranks a demo. They definitely feel different than regular cranks. Maybe it's because I learned to pedal circles years ago, but I got the hang of them pretty quick. They use the hip flexors more than normal, whether that's a good thing or a worthwhile training adaptation is open for debate. The demonstrator did mention that I probably wouldn't get much benefit to my cycling (since I already have the form it's trying to teach) but it might be able to help my running. That was actually refreshing honesty, since usually you'll hear that they will raise your FTP 40%, take 10 minutes off your marathon time, whiten your teeth and give you longer-lasting erections.

After a nap in the afternoon, it was time for the welcome banquet. A great buffet spread on the beach of Clearwater, just as the sun was setting. Not by the beach, but on it. Great set up. They went through the usual speeches, and the a local Boy Scout troop acted as Color Guard, and brought out the flags of all the nations with participants. This was probably the first huge "OK, this IS the World Championships" moment. Very cool.

Now I need to get me some sleep and finally beat this cold that's been hanging around too long.

Last legs

Well, this is it. Last workout here on the homefront. I hit the road in about 90 minutes, setting up a long day of travel. I'll get to Clearwater around 10:30 or 11 tonight. But it'll be worth all the miles. This morning was a cancelled swim, and a quick run with a couple of pick-ups to get things loose. All feels good, except for the breathing. Not that I'm struggling, but I can feel a difference from when I'm 100%. Not much I can do about it now. I'll drink lots of OJ on the plane, rest as much as possible, and hope the tropicalness of the Gulf Coast has some magical healing properties.

I don't know what my internet access will be like for the next few days, so even if you don't hear from me, assume all is well, and check me out on Saturday.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph, w/2x90 seconds @ 8.5 mph, 3 minute recovery

Final preparations

I'm feeling slightly better, which is a nice way to say I feel good enough to get in a little bike ride tonight. There wasn't much going on, but it's better than another zero. An hour of mostly easy pedaling, with 4 short efforts at approximately race intensity. It was nice to see that my HR didn't spike too badly, only 3-5 bpm higher than I would expect at those efforts. Granted, 90 seconds isn't long enough to really see a raise in the heart rate, but at least I have some idea as to where I'll be on Saturday.

Bike: 60 minutes, w/4x90s @ 220w, 3 min recovery

#847

Race numbers are posted. That's me up above. Feel free to keep an eye on my progress over the course of the day. I'm in the second wave of M35-39, leaving at 7:30 am. With any luck, I'll be finishing before 12:30.

I'm having a lot of trouble keeping the motivation up right now. There are a few contributing factors. First, I don't think I had myself ready for the logistical challenges of racing on the other side of the country. I'm spending so much time thinking about what all I need to take, and how I'll get it there, and making sure it arrives, and contingency plans, and everything else that I'm burnt out with the idea. There's a ton of stuff to keep track of, and I hope that once I'm in Clearwater and settled, I'll be able to take a deep breath and get ready to race. Second, this sickness is killing me. If I weren't racing, I wouldn't put any mind into it, since it's a fairly minor cold at this point. But I am racing, and I'm racing a kind of big race, so that makes the cold a big deal. I'm constantly wavering on whether to do a workout or not, whether to add any intensity, how much this all will cost me Saturday morning, if I'll be able to use heart rate to manage the bike leg, and Lord knows how many other things I've built up in my own head. I knew going in that I wasn't going to be winning anything, but with even my modest goals being pushed further out of reach, it's getting a little depressing. Again, if this can clear in the next day or two, I think I'll be able to get my mind right.

One nice little serendipitous boon is my actual race number. It's a good combination, since #84 was my number at Muskoka, and 7 is a regularly recurring positive number in my life. In the words of Carl Spackler, "So I have that going for me, which is nice."

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

I just couldn't handle any more zeros in the workout log. I had to do something today, so although I skipped swimming this morning, I hit the treadmill for a brief workout this afternoon. The pace was relatively easy, of course my heart rate was extraordinarily high, but that's how things are going to be it seems. I haven't been able to shake this cold in 5 days so far, and I although I'm improving slightly every day, it's unlikely I'll be 100% by Saturday morning. Unless just arriving in Florida has some wonderful healing properties, any expectation I had for this weekend are right out the window. "Not last" will be a lot harder goal to accomplish than I had originally planned.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.9 mph

Where did you go?

I often title posts after songs that I was listening to during the workout, but there wasn't any Mighty Mighty Bosstones this morning. Instead, I have to answer for why there haven't been any posts for the last two days. Well, as it turns out, I'm the worst taperer of all time. Before Disney, I caught the flu. Before Muskoka, I wrecked my foot. This time, I've caught a bad cold that's kept me from work for two days, and I was just able to drag myself onto the trainer for an easy spin this morning. I guess if I can get back to normal, at least I'll be fully rested next weekend.

It was only a sixty minute ride, all zone 1 by level of effort, although my heart rate was all zone 3-4. That's what illness will do to you. Maybe I won't be able to pace myself off HR during Worlds.

Right now, I'm just trying to get myself right. Not much else I can do at this point. This isn't quite how I wanted to end my season, but it is what I have to deal with.

Bike: 60 minutes, zone 1 (effort), zone 3-4 (HR)

One week

With only seven days until travel begins, I just did an easy ride on the trainer tonight. Thirty minutes, nothing difficult. Let the legs fill with energy for next week.

Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1

A day late

It's getting much cooler around here. It makes the commute to work a little chilly in the mornings, especially with the 40+ km/h winds. Luckily, after a couple of years of doing this, I have the right gear for most situations, so I can survive. Still, it's hard to get excited about a half-hour of riding directly into a headwind creating -5 degree wind chills.

But I got myself home and knocked out my run, another easy 3 miler. Then I got to relax for a few hours before heading to the pool to make up for the swim I missed last night. It's a different crowd on Tuesdays for the most part, although I did recognize a few people. The numbers, however, were as high as any other night. I don't know how some of these people can do this on a nightly basis for months or years on end. At least I have a light at the end of the tunnel, with my morning swims returning next week. The workout itself went pretty well, I got in a few solid long efforts, so I can feel pretty good leading up to the race. No expectations, just trying to have some fun.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.6 mph + 4 strides

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free
2x400 free, HIM effort, 1' (7:35, 7:30)
200 non-free, 1'
2x400 pull, HIM effort, 1' (7:20, 7:10)
c/d - 200 non-free
Total: 2400m

Start resting

I needed a break, and luckily one was on the horizon. All I had to do today was a short run (the swim was postponed to tomorrow due to social obligations). A relaxing three miles later, I had done my duty for the day.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.6 mph + 4 strides

Little sleep + long run = Extra tired

Huge victory by the Red Raiders yesterday. I'll need to carry some of that energy into Clearwater.

I'm looking forward to the end of the season, when I can stay out late, and not pay for it the next day. Last night was particularly late, not hitting the pillow until 2 am. Because I can't sleep in, I was up by 8 and on the road for the last long run by 9. Fifteen miles later, I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Actually, that's not really true. The run itself went really well, felt great the whole way. I'm not too sore or anything which is surprising considering I ran fifteen miles. I just feel one step removed from a coma. Luckily, we're now looking at about 5 days of "rest" leading into the peak for Worlds. Hopefully I'll get fully recovered sleepwise, and be flying by next weekend.

Run: 15 miles, hilly, no watch

When Holland is like Florida

At about 8 am this morning, roughly two weeks to the minute that I'll be getting out of the water, I got on the bike for one more good trainer session. I used the Green Heart Classic RLV to go through about 85km in about two and a half hours. Continuing with the theme of odd i_magic power readings, I hit my targets this morning, beating my last similar workout by 10 watts on average, at a heart rate about 8 bpm lower. So, everything is all over the place. All I know is that I got in a good solid workout, didn't kill myself, but wasn't cruising either. Now it's time to drop off my bike for shipping and watch Tech take on Kansas. Guns up!

Bike: 135 minutes, z2-4, w/4x20 minutes @ 240w, 10minutes @ 210w

Fifteen days

After a minor collision with a suicidal squirrel on the bike commute this morning, the day was completed with a quick little run tonight. Nothing exciting to note about it, a little stiff from yesterday, but that's expected. I feel pretty good leading into the last real weekend of training.

Run: 4 miles @ 7.9 mph + 4 strides

Race prep almost complete

I like fast running. Really. I do. But I realized something during my strides/cooldown tonight that makes me quite happy. Outside of some short race speed efforts, and the race itself, I won't do any speedwork on the run for almost 4 months. Four months. I'm really going to enjoy that. Like I said, it's not that I don't like running fast, but it beats the tar out of me. I am never more wiped out than after my hard running nights. I could ride myself into the ground, and still be somewhat cognizant for the remainder of the evening, but tonight my wife was worried I was depressed, when I was just zoned out from tiredness. It will be very nice to spend a few months just building that steady volume base that will make more speedwork possible next spring.

The run itself was simple: 2 mile warm-up, 5 miles hard, 1 mile cooldown. Hard was an accurate adjective, or at least it described the last 1.5 miles. Not that I was ever in danger of not finishing, I probably had another mile or two in my legs/lungs, but it was well into the "discomfort zone". Now there's a day of recovery, then the last tough bike ride, and long run over the weekend. Then it's two weeks of rest/taper/peak, and off to finish my season in fine form.

Run: 8 miles, as 2 miles @ 7.5 mph, 5 mile @ 9.0 mph, 1 mile @ 7.5 mph + 4 strides

Two weeks until take-off

With travel set for November 5, I'm only 14 days away from heading south. It continues to get a little more real. It'll be a nice vacation, with five hours of heavy sweating in the middle of it.

Just a quick little run this afternoon to keep the legs loose, and a nice swim. No particularly hard work in the swim, but lots of time to work on form without killing myself. The pool continues to be crowded. I think the turn in the weather is driving people inside, and they all want to be in the 'fast' lane.

But I have to ask: what kind of ass do you have to be to do butterfly in a crowded lane swim? I almost appreciate getting to practice dealing with the big swells, but come on! Are people that hard up for attention that this is how they choose to get it?

Run: 4 miles @ 7.8 mph + 4 strides

Swim: w/u - 200m each, free, non-free
2x(200 free, 30", HIM pace
100 ez non-free, 30")
6x200 free, 30" (1: HIM opener, 2: 25 sight/75 free, 3: 25 quick/75 free, 4: 25 sight/75 free, 5: 25 quick/75 free, 6: HIM closer)
c/d - 200 non-free
Total: 2400m

More questions than answers

This was supposed to be the last true high-intensity bike ride in the build period. If you go by how I felt, I'd agree with that assessment, but if you go by the numbers, it's just not there. I don't know what's going on, and it's getting harder to not be concerned. For the second week in a row, an effort that should be tough but doable has pretty much wrecked me, and I don't know why. I feel fine on the commuter, and move at my usual speed, but on the trainer, I'm not turning out the power I should be able to do. I know the wheel isn't rubbing, the brake isn't applied, and I'm calibrating every ride, but I continue to lose power. There isn't any time to worry about it, though, so I'll get through the week, then rest my ass off during the taper and hope that the problem is with the i-Magic and not with my legs. Fingers crossed.

Bike: 65 minutes, w/2x20 minutes @ 240-280w, 5 minutes recovery
Run: 2 miles @ 7.8 mph + 4 strides

Ethics in racing

Last week, the Athlete's Guide for Clearwater was posted. As I've mentioned, I've gone over quite a few times now. I think it's helping to make things more real for me, like I'm actually involved in this race. (On the flip side, riding to work when it's a shade over freezing makes the idea of racing in Florida seem a little far-fetched.) Most the details of the race are pretty standard, but there are a few that have caught my eye.

This will be the first time I'll be using "transition bags". The athletes are not allowed to have anything on the ground by their bikes in transition, so all your bike gear is in one bag, and all your run gear is in another. I can imagine I'll be taking a fair bit of time on Thursday night to lay out all my stuff and figure out what goes where, then try to rehearse how each transition will play out.

I'll be in the 7:30am wave, 45 minutes after the pros start, and part of the second wave of men 35-39. I find it amazing that two of the age-groups have been split like this. It makes racing your AG that much tougher, when who never know if the person who just passed you is now seconds ahead, or still five minutes behind, or essentially five minutes up the road. I guess that's why they'll be waiting until the awards banquet at night to hand out trophies.

I can't say I'm happy about starting so far back, as well. Clearwater is essentially a flat course, and you'll have 1500 of the best athletes in the world on the course at the same time. With this many evenly-matched people, drafting is inevitable. At Muskoka, I didn't have to worry about crowds or drafting, since I was well out in front. That won't be the case this time.

Clearwater's reputation for drafting is well-known. And that puts me in a very difficult position. Although I mostly have a "happy to be there" attitude to Worlds, I would still like to perform well. I'm not in the running for a podium spot, but maybe the top 100. I know I'll be one of the last in my AG out of the water, so I won't be involved in any draft packs that form there (putting me at a disadvantage). However, shortly after exiting the water, hot on my heels will be the superstars of the M40-44 age group. Any draft pack of theirs will be moving faster than the mid-pack M35-39 groups, so if I latched on, I could get pulled right back into the race. If you go through any of the forums, there doesn't seem to be any way to avoid the drafting, especially further back, short of pulling over and waiting for the race to go by.

So I'm left with three choices: 1) Actively seek out the drafts, disregarding the rules and using whoever I can to move up, knowing that a number of my competitors are doing the same; 2) Actively avoid any drafting, even if this means slowing down to unreasonable speeds, having the worst bike split on the day, but safe in the knowledge I raced clean; 3) Be passive and if I get sucked into one of the groups, then that's what happens. I may get some benefit, but there wasn't anything I could do.

Option 1 will get me my highest placing, and fits into the "everyone is doing it" paradigm. Option 2 gets me my worst pacing, but I'll be able to say "I raced clean" although that will hardly be a great explanation why I'm 200th in the race. And honestly, Option 3 is pretty much Option 1 but trying to pass off some of the guilt.

So I don't know what's going to happen. I'd like to think I'll stick with Option 2, and be secure about it, but once the competitive juices get flowing, it's tough to say. If I keep getting passed by groups, the frustration could drive me to saying, "Screw it, I'm doing it too." I think this whole dilemma is part of what's tempering my enthusiasm for the race. But I'm worrying about things that haven't even happened yet, and that's not worth the effort.

I guess this whole post is a way of admitting I see the issue, and putting pressure on myself to face up to situation, and setting in myself my plan beforehand. Everyone who reads this (admittedly not a large number) will have reason to question my ethics after the race if I turn in some otherworldly bike split. So now it's on me to do the right thing, whatever that is.

Only three more of these to go

It's hard to believe anyone would say this, but I'm looking forward to waking up at 4:50 am again soon. Trying to get a decent workout in at the public swims is too frustrating. Tonight was the most crowded it has been so far. There must have been 15-20 people in the "fast" lane, and they were all in the way.

My times weren't stellar. I definitely didn't have the massive improvements like last week. I don't know if that's some level of fatigue (unlikely) or I just wasn't concentrating due to the frustration of dealing with the crowds (much more likely). But, whatever. It's done, I'll try to put a better effort in on Wednesday, and that's all I can do right now.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free
400 pull, HIM pace, 1' (7:15)
2x300 free, 45", as 25 quick/75 ez
3x200 pull, descending (3:50, 3:37, 3:30), 30"
4x100, 15", odd: sprint (1:40, 1:40), even: ez non-free
Total: 2400m

Just getting the miles in

Still a bit tired, so I'll be brief. Today was a nice cool morning, sunny with no wind, pretty glorious running weather. I knocked out ~10 miles, never going too hard, and felt very comfortable the whole way. Next week is the last big run, then the taper will begin.

Run: 10.7 miles, ~1:21

Three weeks

It's getting a lot closer. Every week seems the race is seven days sooner. Funny how that works, eh?

Today was the last long ride, over 3 hours. I played around with the pace a little, but essentially I was zone 2-3 the whole ride, with three fifteen minute blocks of Z4. That should be enough to be ready for about 2.5 hours of flats in Florida. If Clearwater goes to form, I guess I can always draft my way in if I get tired. ;)

Bike: 180 minutes, zone 2-3, w/3x15 minutes @ Z4

Getting closer

Just another easy day to recover before a big weekend. I felt a little stiffness through the day at work, but no worries during the run.

Run: 4 miles @ 7.7 mph + 4 strides

Again We Rise

I am continuing with the theme of "how will this workout go?" Tuesday: bike=bad, run=good; Wednesday: run=good, swim=very good. What would that mean for today's run? It's not like this was going to be just a pleasure cruise, so if things went south, I'd be shot off the treadmill into the wall.

I didn't hit the wall (figuratively or literally). The crux of tonight's session was 4 miles at 9.0 mph, the longest and fastest I've done any sustained run. I'm actually quite surprised with how the effort went, since I wasn't completely on the rivet the whole time. In fact, I was able to go to a 4-4 breathing pattern for a while, even in the last mile. When I finished, I was tired, but not completely strung out. That's a good day as far as I'm concerned.

Run: 7 miles, as 2 miles @ 7.4 mph, 4 miles @ 9.0 mph, 1 mile @ 7.4 mph + 4 strides

And then this happens

I'm still tired. That didn't change overnight, especially after grinding through a workout like I did yesterday. But a little bit of the motivation is back. Here's why.

Even though my bike session last night kinda sucked, the transition run that followed felt really good, and I was light on my feet doing strides. Today was just an easy four miler, but again things felt really smooth the entire run, not taxing at all, and again I was quick through my strides. The running legs feel really good right now, so that's a boost of confidence.

Then I went to the pool. Since Monday was a holiday, this was the first time I got out in a week. Continuing from the night before, I wasn't expecting a whole lot. I repeated a workout from a few weeks ago, and right from the start I felt strong in the water. I didn't check my old times so I didn't know what to compare to, but when I got home to take a look, I was significantly ahead on every rep. The only one that was even close was the last one, where I tried too hard to go fast, and ended up in the "work harder, go slower" box. I'm sure if I focused harder I would have scraped another 5+ seconds off.

So the bike sucks right now, but that could be for any number of reasons. The run is good, and the swim is good. Now if can get a really good night's sleep, I'll be in great shape.

Run: 4 miles @ 7.6 mph + 4 strides

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
3x300 free, 30", descending (5:48, 5:40, 5:30)
100 non-free, 30"
3x200 pull, 30", descending (3:40, 3:30, 3:27)
c/d - 200 non-free
Total: 2400m

Burning up or out

Tonight I have no good excuse. For previous workouts, there was brake rub or coming off a vicious weekend, or some other reason why I would crap out on a workout. Tonight I have no answers, just a bunch of questions.

The plan was to hit the bike and knock out a 3x12 minute session on 300w. That lasted until 6 minutes into the first interval, before I had to back out to 280w. That's where I stayed for the rest of the night, except for the last 6 minutes of the last interval, where I forced myself back up to 300w. It shouldn't have been as hard as it was to get through this. Three weeks I did this workout on 280w the whole way. My heart rate tonight was a minimum of 8 bpm higher than at any given point in the workout compared to that session. I don't think I'm getting sick, but I have to wonder where this loss of power and subsequent raise in heart rate is coming from. Before I started I felt really good, nicely rested, since I wasn't able to hit the pool last night. But everything just went south by the time I got to the good stuff.

It's been a long year. I really feel that on some days, and sometimes I'm looking forward to the break even more than I'm looking forward to Worlds. It'll be nice to switch things up for a few weeks as an off-season, and I'm really anticipating the training for next year, with lower volume, and bit more high intensity, less specific threshold work. I'm hoping what I'm dealing with now is a mental issue, and I can push through it. I'll keep an eye on things and if my body starts rebelling in these last 3.5 weeks, I'll go to a rest/maintenance schedule and go race a bit undercooked, but at least I'll be relatively fresh.

Bike: 65 minutes, w/3x12 minutes @ 280w, 3 min recovery
Run: 2 miles @ 7.6 mph + 4 strides

Thanksgiving morning

Inspired by yesterday's Hawaii Ironman, won on the run, and by the beautiful weather on this holiday weekend morning, I cranked out a good 13 miles. I followed the usual pattern, 5 hilly miles easy, 3 miles flat, then an uptempo finish for 5 hilly miles. I still don't have a watch, so it was just by feel, but it felt really good. Days like this will make the next few weeks pass pretty quickly.

Run: 13.7 miles, hilly

Four weeks to go

We're getting into the home stretch. One last little build block, with some taper/peak thrown in, and then I'll be racing. Because of this, there's still work to do, and that makes me very tired. So posts will probably be pretty short for a while.

Bike: 135 minutes, w/4x20 minutes @ 240w, 10 minutes @ 175w recovery

And a little bit more

With the long weekend, we were sent home from work early, so I got to relax for a bit before knocking out my last easy run of this recovery week. Nothing of note to talk about, but I'm feeling rested and ready to go for the last few weeks of training.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.3 mph + 4 strides

Just a little bit

Run: 3 miles @ 7.3 mph + 4 strides

Monsters of the Deep

I got in a nice easy ride right after work, which helped keep the legs loose. My position is pretty comfortable, so it's easy to cruise along in the aero tuck for a while. The pedal stroke was consistently smooth, and I'm engaging the whole leg as I'm riding. I feel like I should be pretty strong on the day.

Then in the evening, back to the pool for a quick workout. This was the first of two 2k pull time trials I'll do in preparation of the race. I felt like I got in a decent groove right from the start. I had a minor issue with some new goggles and a bit of leaking, but I tried not to let it throw me off too much. With the other denizens of the pool, it got a little annoying trying to get the workout in, but there's nothing I can do about them. My time was 36:20, which means I've either lost some speed since the last time I did this in a 50m pool, or I was, in fact, short the last time (35:10). My times from the 25m pool don't really translate, since you can push off twice as much and just hammer along. Assuming I only did 1900m last time out, that would be 37:01 for 2k, which means I've picked up 40 seconds. Or I lost 70. Who knows? We'll find out in about four weeks.

Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free
1x2000m pull (36:20)
Total: 2400m

How long?

One month.

Quick, over and done

Run: 3 miles @ 7.3 mph + 4 strides

I got a little surprise in the mail today. Although I'm not much of a "picture" guy, and don't own a camera, I ordered some of the race pics from ASI Photo from Muskoka 70.3. One is a finish line shot, that I'll probably put on my desk at work, the other is a finisher's certificate that I'll put up on my "look at me" wall. (I'm really not trying to brag about all this. Whenever I talk about the result, I feel like I'm talking about someone else that I'm proud of, because it couldn't be me that did it.) The picture that's part of the finisher's certificate is me cresting a hill on the run course, running straight into the camera. You can't really see my face because I'm looking down and it's shaded by the cap, but you can see the rain pelting down. It's a pretty hardcore shot, if I do say so myself. The other photo ... not so much. When I hit the tape, I had my arms raised in victory, a big smile, and was giving a big Texas Tech "Guns up!" This photo was taken right after that. I'm staring blankly into space, and my arms have fallen into a pose that resembles a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It's definitely not my best look.

Feels like Monday

I'm still a little tired from the weekend. I got a good night's sleep, but still woke up feeling like I could use another hour or two. Unfortunately, that's not a luxury I have. But this is an easy week, so that's almost as good as a nap, isn't it?

The run went well. Just three miles, easy pace, a few strides. My cadence fell right into the groove, so things felt smooth. The evening swim was survived. I felt fantastic during the free sets, but not quite as sharp during the pull sets. It wasn't as crowded as two weeks ago, so hopefully this will continue for a few more weeks. I'm really looking forward to the start of swim club. The 4:50 wake-up call might not be the most fun, but at least I can be assured I'll be getting good, uninterrupted work in.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.3 mph + 4 strides

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free
2x400 free, 1', HIM effort (7:32, 7:30)
200 ez non-free, 1'
2x400 pull, 1', HIM effort (7:20, 7:15)
c/d - 200 ez non-free
Total: 2400m