Woody Allen says

"80% of success is showing up."

I woke up way too early for a Sunday morning run, but with activities planned, it was the only time I could get it in. It was a bit cold, a given at 7am on an almost-December morning, but nice to watch the sun come up. I've been trying to change my running stride for the last couple of weeks, and things aren't really going well. It's requiring more effort to go slower, which doesn't seem like a great result, but I think it's part learning, part muscle recruitment. I'll keep working on it until the new year, and if things aren't better by then, I may have to abandon the changes. Hopefully by that point I won't have forgotten how I used to run, and end up bogged down in some form-netherworld.

But why would anyone wake up and do a run that early? Well, I had a brunch to attend, and it was going to be about an hour's drive to get there. But, oh, it was worth it. This wasn't just any brunch, this was the Trisport Canada Awards brunch. As we entered, our tickets got checked for door prizes. My wife was shut out, but I scored a new set of goggles. Considering I'm constantly trying to find goggles that work consistently, score!

Then, brunch. And lots of it for hungry triathletes. Eggs, bacon, toast, sausages, hash browns and fruit aplenty. Not the fanciest I've ever had, but it filled the belly pretty good. After everyone was sated, there were a couple of speeches from Barrie Shepley and Kevin Mackinnon. And then it was time to give out awards, and the reason I was there.

I'm not the fastest guy in my age group. Not even close. There are at least a half-dozen folks in my AG who will beat me every time they show up. But I showed up more often, and that's why I picked up an award: second in OSS, M35-39. So let this be a lesson to everyone, doing 7 out 9 races increases your chances of picking up some season-ending hardware.

Along with a personalized plaque, we got a long-sleeve shirt and a little goody-bag including a key chain, and a choice of some Powerbar products, so I scored a case of gels as well. Now that's a great way to spend a Sunday morning: eat breakfast, get a bunch of goodies, and a little recognition. Now next time I'll get a 1st on my award.

Oh, and on Friday night I met this guy.

He was second recently too (you can see the silver). That's pretty much equivalent, isn't it? OSS=Olympics?

I guess I better get in some more miles.

Well, that could have gone better

But it could have been worse too.

1. I didn't drown. (Obvious from the fact that I'm writing this.) This will be considered a major victory on the day.
2. I started off really well, leading the lane, feeling pretty good and moving at a halfway decent clip.
3. Then, after 30-40 minutes (of a 90 minute swim), the swimming muscles kind of "quit". The had gone unused for 8 weeks, and were apparently upset by the early wake-up call. It wasn't even a revolt, it was a strike. After a brief rest, I could muster 15 good metres from my triceps. That didn't do a lot of good during a 12x50m set.
4. Ow.

So there's work to be done. But lots of time to do it.

Dreams

I had my first dream about the first day of swim club last night. I hopped in, and was instantly gliding effortlessly through the water, faster than I've ever gone before. Perfect body position, excellent roll, catching massive amounts of water with every stroke.

I have a sneaking suspicion that reality will be the exact opposite of that in ten days. :-O

Blogging update

You may have noticed a distinct lack of posts in the last couple of weeks. Part of that is due to vacation, but there's other reasons as well. It's not that I've stopped doing things, I have just stopped writing about it.

I've decided to no longer use the blog as a daily training journal. I have to imagine any readers left are as bored reading about it as I am writing it. How many different ways can I say, "Felt good/felt bad, hope to be faster next week"? I'll continue keeping my workout log offline, so that I have the resource, I just won't be filling bandwidth with my three mile recovery runs.

Now, the blog won't disappear. Not at all. Instead, I hope to have less frequent, but higher quality posts. I'll still be writing race reports. If I have a breakthrough workout, I'll make a note. I'll outline my training plans and racing schedule for next year, and if things change, I'll share that and why. I'll comment on happenings in the sport. If I get new toys, you'll hear about it. I'll detail some of my self-coaching philosophy, and the generalities of the ongoing lab experiment that is my training plan.

So hopefully when you see a new entry is posted, you'll be interested in what I have to say next, instead of thinking, "It's Wednesday, another 4 miles."

Midnight Run - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13k Race Report

Author's note: Sorry about the delay in posting this. Racing in the middle of vacation can be an issue, what with the lack of access, and then real-life piling on once you get back. But finally, here it is.

I've done a night race once before. Actually, that's not exactly true, since it was an untimed run, but it was Central Park at midnight. Needless to say, these don't pop up too often on the schedule, so pre-race preparations are a bit different. I spent the morning with my wife at Epcot, then had lunch at the Italian pavillion, before relaxing for the afternoon back at our resort. I caught the bus to the start area around 8, and was in the holding pen by 8:15, leaving over two hours to cool my heels. And so, I relaxed and took in the atmosphere.

One thing I enjoy about the Disney races is the easy-going attitude. There aren't a lot of people there to truly "race" (although I guess I fall in that category), most are happy to finish and enjoy the experience. To make it a bit more fun for those people, they've added a few interesting elements to the night. In the start area there was a big "hotel registry" where all the racers could "sign in". So somewhere there's a big piece of cardboard with a few thousand signatures. Over the course of the race, there was a mystery to solve, as well. Since I knew I wasn't going to be taking part in that, I didn't pay much attention, but there was an apparent kidnapping of a Hollywood star, and a list of suspects on our bibs. Clues along the course would eliminate various suspects, and the culprit revealed at the finish. That would be fun for the less-competitive crowd. I, on the other hand, would be so short of breath that trying to solve a crime would potentially cause an aneurysm.

Since it was Halloween week, there were some costumes out and about, including a guy dressed as a girl scout (who I narrowly beat), various superheroes, lots of skeletons, and a guy dressed up as the Tower of Terror.

I set out for a warm-up jog with some openers, and to get a feel for the weather. Even though the sun had set hours earlier, it was still about 75F when the gun went off. There was a slight breeze that helped to cool a little, and the humidity wasn't as bad as it was in the mornings, so I liked that. Once the 5k race was sent off, I lined up right near the front to get a reasonably clear start. Lots of singlets from the local running clubs, so you could see who was here to race. And when the fireworks went off, it was time to race.

I had a few rough goals for the race, some within my control, some not so much:
1. Not go out like an idiot and burn all my matches in the first mile.
2. Finish in ~51:30, about 3:57/km.
3. Finish top 25 overall (on the first page of results), and top 3 in my age group.

It's hard not to get swept up in the initial rush off the line, but I did my best to manage. I kept an eye on my Garmin so I wouldn't end up at 3:30/km. A lot of people blew past me to start, but I was reeling them back before we hit the first mile marker. My first kilometre went in 3:58, so everything was right on pace. Much of the first part of the run is on closed highway, which might be a little depressing if you could see into the distance, but in the dark it was kind of nice to have nothing else to worry about. I kept slowly moving up the ranks, knocking out kilometres in 3:54-3:58. All of this bodes very well for a good finish. I'm working, but not having to push yet. Although I have been soaked with sweat since 3km.

As we approach the Wide World of Sports complex, the race turns onto a gravel road for a while (an interesting change of pace, hard to get the rhythm here), then to the 400m track to do a lap (tracks are springy and fast and so much fun to run on). By this point we were around halfway through, and my effort has getting a bit harder. I was still in 3:58-4:02/km range, but I could feel things slipping. Then we were back on the highways returning to Hollywood Studios.

With most of the last 3km inside the park, I had mentally divided the course at that point. Just get to 3km, then it was twelve minutes of Go Time left. The trick here was that once inside the park, there are a lot of corners and mild elevation changes that seem to hit the legs. As we passed a volunteer, I swear he called out "You're in the top fifteen", although it must have been top 50. Buoyed by my imaginary news, I kept the pressure on during the twelfth kilometre. I felt slow during 11, so I went that little bit harder. Unfortunately, the jets only had about 1.5km of juice in them, and the last kilometre was a struggle. It was there that we hit the only real rises of the day, and it felt like I had run into a wall. Just as the finish line came into sight, I was caught and passed, and a voice said, "He did the work to catch up, let him have it", then another voice said, "Screw that noise, sprint it home", so I did, beating him to the line.

Official results:
Gun time: 52:35, Chip time: 52:33
32/3247 overall, 5/249 AG (really 6/250 if you include the Open winners)

I'm a little torn about how I feel about this race. I didn't quite make my goals, but it's hard to be too disappointed. On the good side, I didn't bolt out of the gate costing me the day. I also stayed close to even pacing all the way through. I didn't have the one or two horrible splits that plagued so many of my races. And hey, top 1% is hardly a bad day. Sure, you have click to page 2 to find me, and I won't be getting a trophy. I know I lost some time due to the climate, but probably not the minute I missed my goal by, so there's fitness left to build.

The Garmin was great, although I'll need to compensate for not running the tangent in the future. It claims I ran 13.1km, so assuming about 0.5-1% margin of error, I'll need to adjust my target paces in the future (1-2 sec/km). I also need to work on developing more power in my stride. My cadence was 98-102 spm through the race, which is at least a little too high, so it looks like a diet of striders and hill sprints for much of the winter/spring.

Now I'll take a few weeks of semi-recovery before swim club starts back up (and pre-season mentality along with it). Next year won't have nearly as much on the calendar, giving me a chance to build some serious base then speed, which I can unleash in a big way in coming seasons.

The day before

Just to work out the kinks from the flight, and to try to get used to the heat/humidity, I knocked out an easy little run around the resort. There's a path around the lake that's just shy of 2km, so I did four laps, with a few sixty second pickups thrown into the second half. I felt pretty good, although I was doused with sweat by kilometer three. Hopefully it won't be too bad tomorrow night. I'll have to make sure I keep up the fluids and energy, or things could turn south pretty quick.

Run: ~7.5 km, ez, w/4x60s @ 4:00/km

Before I fly away

It's on the brink of vacation time, and tomorrow I get to head south to sunny Florida. While it's not the point of the vacation, I will be doing my last race of the year, and depending on how I react to the heat and humidity, I hope to do fairly well. I won't have computer access while I'm away, so the lead-up and race report will be written and back-dated upon my return.

And to keep things loose, I knocked out an easy 3 miler tonight. Nothing special, just moving the legs.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

I'll see everyone in about a week.

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #1

This is it, the end of the line. All that remains is a couple of easy runs, a couple of openers to wake up the legs after travelling, then it's time to toe the line for the last time this year. Seven weeks without a race has been a bit strange after a packed summer, but there's been enough other business to keep me occupied. But I'm ready for one more kick at the can.

Tonight was pretty easy in comparison to the hard runs of the last six weeks. Just some T-pace work, with longer rests than usual. After seeing my running cadences over the weekend, I know better than trying to change that in the last few days before a race. Only an idiot would muck about with something like that at this point, instead of waiting for long months of the off/pre-season.

OK, I'm an idiot.

I played around with my stride and such, just to see if I could lower my stride rate, and to a point I did. I was able to get down to 91 spm (down from 94-95 spm at this speed), but that felt a little strange. My footfall would get a little clunky if I didn't focus on the smoothness. I think I'll be able to do some work over November and December and find ways to maintain a fluid stride while gaining speed through stride length. This Saturday, I wouldn't be surprised if I hit the 98-100 range again. It's what I've been doing, so it's what I'll keep doing. "Run whatcha brung", as they say. Or "dance with what brung ya".

Run: 48 minutes, w/4x5 minutes @ 9.3 mph + 2 minutes @ 7.5 mph

Well, that settles that

Today was the last day with a race-pace effort. Similar to those previous, it was five hilly miles, at a relatively easy pace, then all-out for three miles, shooting for my projected race speed. I was able to shave off a few more seconds from last time, and I had to dig pretty deep to get that.

First thing settled: the 310xt does not accurately measure speed/distance with the footpod indoors. My outdoor running speed was about 4:00/km (approximately T-pace), which produced heart rates about where I am during T-pace workouts. So the 9.3 mph on the treadmill is pretty much 9.3 mph outside. It's definitely not the 10.0 mph the footpod thinks it is. I'll try recalibrating it again tomorrow and see if things improve, but if not, at least I know where I stand.

Second thing settled: The rest of the winter and next spring will involve a lot of time trying to lengthen my stride at speed. I spent a lot of time working on a quick turnover, but now I seem to have a near-constant stride length, and can only speed up by increasing cadence. Long-term, that won't work, I'll hit a wall I just can't get through. So now I need to change my plan slightly to increase flexibility and build explosive power in my stride. I'll do intervals at speed and try to force my cadence down. I'll attack the hills more on my long runs to develop bounding power, rather than manage hills as in race strategy as I do now. I won't try to change things before my race next weekend (it's a little late for that), but I think this will be a good plan of attack for the pre-season.

Run: 13.5 km, 40:22/20:05

Upping the power

Another two hour ride, again spiced up with a couple of half-hour efforts. I felt pretty good, and didn't feel like I was that close to any threshold. It was just a good piece of work, followed by an afternoon of yardwork. Lots of raking and mowing. If you own a maple tree, chop it down before it's too late.

I've added the Garmin speed/cadence sensor to my bike, so I can keep recording all of my workouts. My only problem is, the Garmin heart rate strap isn't picked up by the i-Magic. A bit of an annoyance that I don't have it onscreen, but I'll have to live with it for now. Anybody get this to work?

Bike: 120 minutes, zone 1-2, w/2x30 minutes @ 225w

Another easy run

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #2

We're at the point now where there's some hard work in each day, but with extra rest. So today had some T-pace intervals, but with three minutes of rest instead of the usual one. This kept a fair bit of energy in my legs, considering by the end of it I had twenty minutes of harder running completed. That's when the fun began, with a 12 minute acceleration run. For this, I started at a moderate effort, then increased the pace every minute, until I was finishing with a minute at I-pace. In my case, I started at 8.0 mph, then upped the pace by 0.2 mph at every minute, finishing at 10.2 mph. I learned pretty fast that there was some fatigue present, since my effort was laboured earlier than I would have expected. The last two minutes were some of the hardest work I've done outside of a race.

Once again I had the footpod going, and as usual, the pace was estimated to be faster than what the treadmill claims. Similar to the i-Magic power readings, it's not necessarily about accuracy as it is about consistency. In my records I differentiate between treadmill runs and outside, so the differences are taken into account to figure out my workload.

A nice thing about the footpod is measuring cadence. Because of this, I may be adjusting some of my training focus for part of next year. At E-pace intensities, I'm holding a steady 90-91 spm. This is right where I should be. However, as the speed goes up, my cadence picks up more than I think is appropriate, at ~95 spm for T-pace, and 98 spm for I-pace. I think I need to work on my leg strength and increasing my stride length, so I can run these speeds at lower cadences. I'm relying too much on turnover at higher speeds. Without a longer stride, my maximum potential speed is capped by how fast I can get my legs around, and that has to be approaching the limit. I think I'm one of the few people who actually have to put in a concerted effort to bringing turnover down.

Run: 64 minutes, w/4x5 minutes @ 9.3 mph + 3 minutes @ 7.5 mph, 12 minute acceleration run (start @ 8.0 mph, increase 0.2 mph every minute)

Some more recovery

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #3 - Attack of the Pod People

Along with the 310xt, I picked up the footpod. What this allows me to do is get speed/distance readings even when I'm running inside, based on calibration to my stride.

(It is also useful outdoors, as it can track cadence, or be used as a surrogate any time you lose the satellites.)

Now, I don't believe that the readings will be perfectly correlated to outdoor speed, just as I didn't believe that the treadmill was exact, either. But I am surprised by the differences in the readings. If anything, I would have guessed that the treadmill was overestimating, saying it was running faster than it was. But based on today, it was underestimating, by a considerable margin. My warm-up E-pace run is at 7.5 mph (4:58/km). The Garmin measured this as 4:35-4:40/km. The adjusted T-pace for today was 9.1 mph (4:05/km). According to the 310xt, I was knocking out a kilometre every 3:49.

Either way, I got in a solid 30 minute effort, so the day is a success. I guess we'll find out during my next hard run outside (race or otherwise) which is a closer measure of reality.

Joining the 21st Century

So first, the run. It was cool, almost cold, although it was starting to warm up in the sun by the end of the day. The wind, however, was pretty sharp. Any time I was exposed it seemed to drop a few degrees, and progress was slowed. (It turns out the wind was over 25 km/h, gusting over 35.) But even with that, I had a really good day. The first lap went at the usual pace, followed by a relaxed two-miler, then I turned the second-fastest lap I've done, and wasn't really leaving it out there. The effort was easier than two weeks ago, for sure. Things are progressing.

And I got to play with a new toy. As an end-of-season perk, I picked up a Garmin 310xt, a GPS-enabled watch and HR monitor. I'm still working out how to maximize using it, but so far it's interesting. I was able to not stare at my pace all the way, instead just glancing on occasion. I don't know if it acted as a carrot in any way, but the feedback was good. I think this will be useful in my upcoming race to keep from ripping up the first mile, and dying from there.

More to come as I figure out all the secrets.

Run: ~20km, 40:07/16:20/37:02

Turkey Day ride

Tonight I'm off for Thanksgiving dinner, so it was a must that I get in a good ride beforehand. An hour and a half, two by twenty minutes at a decent effort, and all was right with the world. I feel good, pleasantly taxed, but ready for a good run tomorrow, that will include a bit of a surprise.

Bike: 90 minutes, zone 1-2, w/2x20 minutes @ 250w

Early bath

Due to the Thanksgiving weekend, we got sent home early from work, so I took advantage and got a bit longer run in. Still nice and easy, just a couple of extra miles.

Run: 5 miles @ 7.5 mph

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #4

We're now at the point that the high-end should be built, so less work is needed up there. Instead I got a little more of T-pace, with just a couple of really fast intervals. The run went really well, I was surprised by how well I handled the first I-pace interval since it followed short rest, but I guess some days I have better legs than others. I hope this keeps up for another two weeks or so.

Run: 54 minutes, w/4x4 minutes @ 9.3 mph +1 minute @ 7.5 mph, 2x4 minutes @ 10.2 mph + 3 minutes @ 7.5 mph

Sorry

Anyone else bored of me going for short recovery runs?

Run: 3miles @ 7.5 mph

I did take a look at tomorrow's run. Now I have to admit to a little bit of nerves. It shouldn't be that bad, but it could be. I guess I'll find out about 40 minutes in how bad it will be.

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #5

Tuesday is T-pace day. It seems to fit doesn't it. Tonight was as much work as the 3x12(2) workout of a few weeks ago, but shorter reps (and subsequent shorter rest). Six times through, 6 minutes on, one off. I'm not sure about my reaction to this. My breathing seemed more laboured than I would expect, but deep into the workout it remained the same, and my legs always felt good. So, some good some bad. I'll take that for now.

I am really starting to be convinced that the problem has been my lack of medium to long, slow/steady runs this year. That's a lesson I'll take into next year and the future. I can probably get away with a bit less speed work, and more long aerobic work. It's all one long experiment.

Run: 62 minutes, w/6x6 minutes @ 9.3 mph + 1 minute @ 7.5 mph

Finding a bit more speed

My long runs are alternating between overdistance for my upcoming race, and essentially the race distance with a fast (race effort) finish. Today was another fast finish. I opened with about five miles at a reasonable but not taxing clip, through the hills to get some good work into my legs, then set out for three miles at a hard effort. As long as I could keep my focus on what I was doing, I felt fast but under control. When my concentration started to waver, it felt like I was losing something and needed to pull it back. Muscularly, I felt good, and was held back by my aerobic system. This may be indicative that all my speedwork this year, though it's helped build the high end, may not have enough to keep up my aerobic strength. I'll test this theory again next year, with more running based on the long steady distance plan. Even with that, I came in faster than I did when I first did this test two weeks ago. I gained about 12 seconds, which may not seem like much, but four seconds per mile is a pretty good improvement. I have some plans that may help parcel out my energies at the race so I can avoid my mistake of going out too fast. We'll have to see if I can get it together in time.

Run: 8.5 miles, 40:23/20:10

Do work, not much

I really enjoy rides like this, even if stuck on the trainer. This is something like my usual modus operandi when riding outside, and I find it to be a real benefit. I'm never killing myself, and I don't feel shattered at the end, but I know I've done a solid bit of work. Long intervals, in the no-zone (Z3). Some say this is useless training, but I really get something out of it. At the very least, it's a good way to make it through the off-season.

Bike: 120 minutes, w/2x30 minutes @ 210w

Need more rest

I went out for a nice little run this morning. I hoped to get in about 5 miles, but called it a day at three, since my hip was still a bit off and I could feel my stride compensating. Tomorrow is one the bike, so I should be healed for the long run on Sunday.

Run: 3.19 miles, ez

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #6

Tonight was the same workout as two weeks ago, with the short I-pace efforts on short rest, but with an extra time through. Like last time, it's the two minute efforts that kill. By rep four or five, it's a state of oxygen deprivation during the last few seconds. But I survived, and I'm getting stronger. I can feel a little stiffness in my hip, so I probably ended up overstriding to keep up with the pace during the workout. It should be fine tomorrow.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 50 minutes, w/5x(2 minutes @ 10.2 mph + 1 minute @ 7.5 mph, 1 minute @ 10.2 mph + 30 seconds @ 7.5 mph, 30 seconds @ 10.2 mph + 1 minute @ 7.5 mph)

A bit of something, at least

Turns out, I actually had work to do at work today, so no lunch time run. But I was able to get my after-work miles. I considered going a bit longer to make up for missing earlier, but with house guests figured I shouldn't push it.

Run: 3miles @ 7.5 mph

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #7

And tonight I learned how to just hang on. Although the pace was a bit down from previous workouts, the length of the effort was the highest thus far. One set, forty minutes. Luckily, even Dr. Daniels knows this can be tough, so there is an adjustment to T-pace for the workout. I got an extra 13 seconds per mile, or from 9.3 mph to 9.0. After warm-up, I moved the pace up, and just tried to find a groove.

I was never in real trouble, so that's a very good sign. The last ten minutes or so, I knew I was doing some work, but I could have handled bumping up the pace, if that were part of the program. Noticing the progression of my breathing was interesting, as I went from 4-4, to 3-3, to 3-2 as I was finishing up. It wasn't the 2-2 race effort, so I had some left in the tank. Things continue to progress, and are looking good for Disney.

Due to really crappy weather, no work run today.

Run: 60 minutes, w/40 minutes @ 9.0 mph

Surprising myself

And this morning it was time to run. There was a fair bit of rain overnight, but just overcast and drying through the morning. Fine weather to run in. This was going to be my longest run of the year (I think), at 12 miles or so. I held a nice effort through the first five mile loop, and finished a bit under 40 minutes (like 0.2 seconds under 40), then kept the pace easy for a nice two-miler. Then I set out for another five mile loop. I had the right speed for much of the lap, a few times I found myself pushing a bit too much, but backed off and regathered myself. It wasn't the hills I was gunning, but some sections of the flats. Just overexcited, I guess. I felt pretty strong, although around nine miles in my ankle started to bug me, making descents and turns a bit of a chore, but you just have to nut up sometimes, so that's what I did. I brought it home in 36:57, which is somehow a new record. Things are falling into place, although I admit this was helped by the few "too hard" sections. I'll try this again in a couple of weeks to see if the improvements are for real.

Run: 12.58 miles, 40:00/16:35/36:57 (paces - 7:35/7:34/7:00)

Watching myself race

Or watching a race where I was a participant.

I'm not fast enough to make the actual coverage. (Or look haggard enough, since that's the other way to make the broadcast.) To keep myself entertained during today's ride, I dialed up my tape of the 2008 70.3 Worlds. It IS pretty fun watching a race, thinking "I remember that part" or "Oh yeah, that hill sucked." It makes the time fly by, even when I'm doing a little bit of work, just enough to keep things sharp.

It's a bit frustrating how my power zones change every time I move a bike onto the trainer. My efforts at 240w today felt vaguely similar to about 280-300w on the road bike. I guess I'll need to redo an FTP test and calibrate a new set of training zones for the spring.

Bike: 90 minutes z1-2, w/2x30 minutes @ 240w

Less than expected

I guess since it's a recovery day, it's not really a big deal, but because of work circumstances, I only got one of my runs in. Not surprisingly, I feel pretty rested about now.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #8

This was another time through the I-pace work. I really suck at this high-end work. It just kills me every time. Even though this wasn't as hard as some workouts I've done, I could really feel this one, even as I was doing it. Usually it takes until later that night or the next morning to know exactly how roughed up I am. Tonight, I knew at about minute two of the last interval.

But I should be faster now.

I hope.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 50 minutes, w/5x3 minutes @ 10.2 mph + 3 minutes @ 7.5 mph

Ticking over

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 3 miles, @ 7.5 mph

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #9

I like tonight's workout. It's very simple and straightforward. Warm-up, run 20 minutes fast, cooldown. Simplicity. The joys of the T-pace run.

And that's what I did. Honestly, the effort was harder than last week. Even at the 12 minute mark, I was working harder than I was 12 minutes in last time. Could be fatigue, not likely to be losing fitness if I'm running ~40 miles/week. It may just be mental. No matter which, I still plugged through the run and finished up with a well-deserved sense of accomplishment. I feel pretty god, so I should be ready to go for the next I-pace run Thursday.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 40 minutes, w/20 minutes @ 9.3 mph

Storm the Gates

Today was a pseudo-race rehearsal. With a relatively hard ride yesterday, and a bunch of fatigue in my legs, I wanted to see what I could do over a similar distance to the race. The first five miles would be over hilly terrain, but not at any real effort, then the last three would be guns blazing on the flats. At least, that was the plan.

The first loop went well. I purposely held back as much as I could stand, and turned a decent pace (40:20 for 5.29 miles=7:37/mile). And then I took it out as quick as I thought I could manage. It's been a long time since I pushed to that line, even in my last 10k, frustrated with my inability to get the proper speed out, I didn't go hard enough. I tried to keep my form together, similar to swimming where running well as opposed to running fast was actually faster. I couldn't get splits so I don't know if I lost much/any speed over the loop, but my effort was significantly increasing over time.

My rough goal for the ToT 13k is 51:30. That works out as 6:22/mile. Today I got 3.2 miles in 20:22 (6:22/mile). So I can at least go race speed for a while. I think it's a pretty good sign that with this level of fatigue I can run half-decently. I sure hope I can unearth a little more speed in the next 5 weeks.

But first, it's nap time.

Run: 8.5 miles, 40:20/20:22

I thought he'd be bigger

Since tomorrow is a shorter run, today is a longer bike ride. Nothing too significant, since this isn't a time to focus on cycling, but a bit of length and a couple of pick-ups. I watched Roadhouse, which made the time pass quickly. What a great piece of 80s cinema.

Bike: 120 hours, zone 1-2, w/2x30 minutes @ 210w

Once more around the block

I'm still not convinced this is rest.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

Long-range planning - Post #777

Wow, I've put a whole bunch of stuff out on the interwebs, eh? And to think that of that, there's maybe one or two posts of any real usefulness.

Since this seems like an odd little milestone, I'd add a little comment post, rather than a boring recovery run post (THAT will follow). I guess I've been doing triathlons for two years now, and perhaps I'm still just in the newlywed phase, but I can see keeping this up for quite a long time. Even when I was running or cycling exclusively, I could never really see past the present season. But with triathlon, I can see way into the future. It's even gone so far that not only have I pretty much planned my racing schedule for next season, but I sat down with my wife a while ago to plan my 'A+' races for the next few years. We got to 2017. That's right, I know my major racing goals for the next 9 years.

And because my neurons are constantly firing, and I have too many spare moments at work, I've already mapped 95% of my training for 2010. I'm trying some new ideas, dictated by lifestyle and experimentation. By the end of the year I'll know if it works. What's the worst that can happen? So here we are, with three months left in 2009, and I have my day-to-day set up for next year, and big goals for another eight. Obsess much?

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #10

Tuesday was long sets of running pretty fast. I'm still a bit sore and tight. Tonight was shorter sets of running really fast. The total time at effort wasn't that much, and none of the sets were particularly long, but the short rest made it pretty tough. The plan, after warm-up, was four times through the following: 2 minutes hard, 1 minute easy, 1 minute hard, 30 seconds easy, 30 seconds hard, 1 minute easy. Then it's back to two minutes hard, and so on.

Unlike Tuesday, where it almost feels easy for the first stretch, tonight was work right from the gun. I could almost recover after each rep, but the accumulation of fatigue catches up pretty quick. By the third time through, I was dreading the two minutes intervals. The only reason the others were manageable is that mentally I could accept up to sixty seconds of suffering. By the time the pain really kicks in, it's only another 20 seconds or so.

An interesting workout, lots of pace changes. My legs feel a little wooden at this point, so I hope that means they're recovering even stronger. It's surprising how a run with only 14 minutes of hard effort can hurt as much as one with 36 minutes.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 44 minutes, w/4x(2 minutes @ 10.2 mph + 1 minute @ 7.5 mph, 1 minute @ 10.2 mph + 30 seconds @ 7.5 mph, 30 seconds @ 10.2 mph + 1 minute @ 7.5 mph)

Question

When did two runs totalling over five miles become "rest"?

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

ToT 13k Hard Workout Countdown - #11

We're less than six weeks away from the last race of the year (for me), and so preparations begin in earnest. With swimming off the books and cycling drastically reduced, I'm pretty much a runner now. And so, my schedule now has two "hard" run workouts every week (Tuesday and Thursday, except the last week with only one. Hence, the countdown starting at eleven). There will still be some work done on the bike, and Sundays will always include the long run, but these are the days that will leave me feeling like I got mugged. And will make me faster (I hope).

So we start with T-pace. I've been doing some T-pace workouts for a number of months, but after tonight, I don't think I was doing the right ones. Sure, a bunch of six minute reps on short rest is a good workout, but there isn't nearly as much digging to the bottom to survive the workout as there was this time. I've done 20 minutes straight, I've done 2x12 minutes, but tonight was 3x12, with 2 minute recoveries. Now that racing is over, I can say that this was just like a race in terms of sensation. Next year this will be a core workout. It's exactly what I should have been doing.

Here's where it gets interesting: that first interval is a cruise. You're clipping along, you feel strong, breathing is only a touch laboured. It's a nice rep. Then number two comes along, and everything is good until you get to the 6-8 minute mark, and you notice that you're still clipping along, and the breathing is pretty good, but you're working for sure now. That's when two minutes gets really short. The third rep ... well, the less said about that, the better. Again, you got to rest, so you get two or three minutes of strong running, and then you're in the same place you were at minute 11 last time. And the hole starts getting deeper. You need to fight to maintain form, because if that slips, everything gets exponentially harder. Shoulders down and back, proud chest, light feet, why isn't the clock moving faster? Keep digging, just a minute and half, deep breath, finish strong, sixty more seconds, quick steps, that seemed longer than fifteen seconds, focus, there's the finish line, twenty, relax, ten, almost home, don't slow down early, OK you're done.

Thank goodness for thrash metal or I'd never make it through one of these workouts.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 62 minutes, w/3x12 minutes @ 9.3 mph, 2 minutes @ 7.5 mph

A bit too quick means a bit too slow

With big races all over the globe, I was contributing to the effort by knocking out my ten-miler this morning. Rather than two hilly loops, though, I started with a 2 and 3 mile loop of relative flat before a hilly five. The upcoming race is essentially flat, so although it's always good to do hills for strength work, I need to spend more time on level terrain.

My pace to begin was way too fast. I should be starting really easy, but for whatever reason, I was running with effort right from the gun. This caught up with me on the last loop, when I was working much too hard, but wasn't breaking any records. I still came in with a respectable time, but it was almost a minute slower than my best, and with the effort I was expending, not up to par.

I think part of the problem was a bit of time lost to the wind, which was pretty stiff, along with the bad pacing. I'm also really tight through the lower legs right now. With all the races last weekend, I didn't do any trigger point therapy, and I think that caught up with me. I'll be sure to work things out tonight, and probably be hobbling tomorrow.

Run: ~10.6 miles, 16:15/24:04/38:07

Road to nowhere

Since the season is over, it's time to move the tri-bike back to the trainer, and spend the next few months staring at the wall. I'll actually only be doing one session a week on the bike, Saturday mornings for 90-120 minutes (length in inverse proportion to length of Sunday run). Just to keep my mind in the game and try to keep a little bit of cycling strength, I'll be tossing in a couple of longer, mid-intensity intervals. Today was 2x20 minutes at 80% of estimated FTP. I was guessing my FTP was around 300w, although that may be a slight overestimate based on calibration and everything with the i-Magic. (Any time I move bikes back and forth, all of the previous work is meaningless. It's like hitting refresh every few months.) So, I got in a nice 90 minutes, a couple of pick-ups, and felt nicely spent by the end. This should be enough to keep my legs under me while I try to build my run in a big way.

Bike: 90 minutes, zone 1-2, w/2x20 minutes @ 240w (zone 3-4), 10 minute recovery

The end of an era

Due to the holiday and some pool closures, this, our last week of swimming, was reduced to one day. This weekend marks pretty much the end of the local racing season, with Muskoka 70.3, and a few people off at IM Wisconsin. This also marks the end of the work with my present swim coach, who's leaving for other opportunities. I'll admit that it makes me a little sad to have it all come to end. I've progressed a bunch in the last two years, and no small part of that has been the coaching I've gotten. I'll still have training chances next year, and perhaps a new coach will bring me even further along, but that doesn't mean I can't look at the last two seasons and be sad it's ending.

Since everybody left is racing, the workout was pretty short, with a few uptempo chances. Since he's racing this weekend, even the coach decided to break protocol and join the workout. And in doing so, he joined my lane. I was leading, by virtue of being the only one not toeing the line, so the pressure was on to keep the workout quick. At one point, I almost lapped the coach, but that was probably because I was using paddles and pull buoy, and he was just doing freestyle, but hey, every victory counts, right?

The workout ended earlier than I would have liked, so I said my thanks to the coach and goodbyes to the other swimmers, and now I get about six weeks of rest. I wonder how I'll swim when I get back in the pool inn November.

Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
2x(100 free, HIM pace, 30"
100 free, ez, 30")
3x200 pull w/paddles, 30"
5x100 as 25 back/25 breast/50 free, 15"
4x25 sprint on 1'
c/d - 2x(50 non-free/50 pull/50 free)
Total: 2500yds

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph, w/1 mile @ 8.5 mph

Looks the same

Second verse, same as the first.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph, w/1 mile @ 8.5 mph

Getting some recovery

With the triathlon season pretty much over, I'm taking this week as rest. I really feel like I need it, with my last race in shambles. This will allow my body to rest and get right before a solid six week run-training block to be ready for the Tower of Terror. So I've been getting to sleep in a bit, and very little work outside of the commute to work.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph, w/1 mile @ 8.5 mph

No Alibi - Prince Bay 10k Race Report

U-G-L-Y. That is the only description of the race. There are days when you have it, and days when you don't, and today was a day that not only didn't I have it, I owed it to someone who would break legs if I didn't pay up. I would love to just put down the time and call it that, but in case I ever want to revisit this, I'll provide all the gory details.

With a 7:30 gun time, it was an early morning. So early, in fact, that I didn't get any coffee, just a quick breakfast before heading out the door. Maybe that was the problem right there. The drive was much better than the day before, and we were in Oakville a bit before 7. After a quick trip to the port-a-potties, I set out for a nice little warm-up, about ten minutes with a couple of 30 seconds pick-ups. I felt pretty good, and got a nice sweat going. I found a spot in the second or third row, and was ready to move once the horn sounded.

There was a little jockeying for position early, but I got through the crowd, and was moving at a nice clip, maybe a bit fast, but I knew I'd be able to rein things on at the first marker. My goal today was roughly 38:30, so around 3:50/km. Based on the hilly sub-40 in April, and a summer of running, I thought this was more than reasonable. I hit the first sign at 3:32, which was obviously too fast, but I wasn't killing myself, so I just had to pull things back. I did that, found what I thought was about the right rhythm, and hit kilometre two in 4:09. OK, I came back way too far. After that, I tried to get the speed back, but I was never close. 4:04, 4:01, 4:10 all came by, and I was trying to make deals with myself. I was pushing as hard as I could, there was just no pop in my legs. Not only wasn't I flying compared to the spring, I was well behind the pace I could mange then. Somehow I had gotten slower. And the second half got worse: 4:16, 4:11, 4:10, 4:15. I completely sold out in the last kilometre for a 3:58.

I saw my wife as I was approaching the line, and I put the gun to my head to show my disappointment with my race. Maybe they caught it in the race photos. Somehow my result was still 12th overall, second in M35-39, winning me a $10 gift card. I think that says more about the field than about any speed I could purportedly have.

Official results: 40:49.2 clock/40:47.5 chip, 12th overall, 2nd AG

So on Saturday I said that today would answer some of the questions about my running. Well, that didn't happen. It just added more. Sure, racing on Saturday blunted my legs, but two minutes slower than projected? I don't know what else could have slowed me down, but nothing was working. My pace was slower than I've run off the bike on more difficult courses. I guess it should be obvious I'm not a sub-39 runner yet, so I should move back my training paces. Do I need more mileage? Less? More intensity? Longer sets? I feel like I'm at the start of an experiment and have no idea which protocol to follow, but I only get one real chance to make these improvements, so I can't get it wrong.

I think I'll be back next year. It really is a lovely, fast course, and next time I won't race the same weekend. Last year in the half-marathon I almost ruined my foot, this year in the 10k I just ran poorly. Maybe next year I should do the 2k. That might be more my style.

Clear the jets

I just knocked out a really easy hour on the trainer this morning to stretch things out and get the system primed for tomorrow. Stretching afterwards showed some tightness, but I should be good in the morning. Now it's a day for relaxing.

Bike: 60 minutes, z1-2

Make It Happy - The Guelph Lake II Sprint Triathlon Race Report

This was the end of the road, the last triathlon of the year. I wanted to end the season on a good note, so I set out planning on turning in my best possible race. I was a little nervous on the beach because I really wanted to do well, and a little sad that the year was coming to a close. Once things got going, it seems like the summer flew by. I got a good warm-up in the water, slightly delayed because I had misplaced my timing chip. With that sorted, I could get a feel for the water (warm and calm). Once we were called to the start, I looked for my usual competition, and focused on how I wanted to start.

Swim:
I started in the second row, to try to follow some faster swimmers. There was a little bit of bumping in the early going, I took a shot to the head, but that's all part of the sport. I felt really relaxed, with nice long strokes. I was able to maneuver around to a variety of feet, whoever was moving pretty well. At no point, though, was I doing much work. Once we made the turn to home, I pulled out from behind the swimmer, and moved up even faster. This took a bit more effort, but not much. I was moving well and saving energy. I stood up a bit too early at the beach and had to slog out of the water. I need to remember not to stand up until I can touch the bottom. Waist-deep water is too soon. Again, Guelph Lake had the long run to transition, up the hill and behind the whole transition area. This makes my swim time look long, but I was actually out of the water around 13:30, which is really good for me (given that I wasn't working).

T1:
Shoes on race belt on sunglasses on helmet on ... and go!

Bike:
Today was just kind of a "head down, thumbs up, give 'er" day. I pushed really well, but I had some shifting issues. There was some hesitation, so I had to fiddle to find the gear, which cost me some speed, some energy, and some inefficient pedaling. In part because of this, I never really found my groove. My heart rate was in the right zone, but I just never felt like I was on top of the gears like I usually am. I was passed once by a M25-29, but beyond that was just cruising through the field. There are some really fast sections on this course, which makes for a fun day of riding. I made of point of getting my hydration, with the sunny day I knew I'd need it. As I was coming back to the park, there was some traffic at the entrance, and the police officer controlling the turn was standing with arms crossed. Since he wasn't signalling, I missed the turn and only got back when he yelled as I passed him. There were a few seconds gone, but that's part of racing. I did better than usual popping my feet out of shoes, setting up a fast T2.

T2:
Three or four bikes in the rack, so I have some work to do. Shoes and hat and on the road.

Run:
I really wanted to finish the year with a good run, somewhere around 28:00. I was moving pretty well for most of run, knocking out kilometres between 3:55 and 4:05, maybe a bit over desired pace, but still strong. I had two kilometres where things went a little south, the first being kilometre 4, when focus started to fade and after I saw the leaders fly by in the other direction. I was able to gather myself and run two more km's at the right speed, defending my position, before struggling a bit to the end. I dug out everything I could to make the line, but since no one was close to me, no sprint was required. Exhausted I hit the line, then wandered aimlessly before collapsing on a bench to recover.

Official results:
Swim: 14:34 (1:57/100m), 8/60 AG
T1: 1:16
Bike: 49:38 (36.3 km/h), 6/60 AG
T2: 1:00
Run: 28:43 (4:07/km), 5/60 AG
Total: 1:35:09, 23/588 overall, 4/60 AG

OTS Points: 60, Series points: 287.5
OSS Points: 60, Series points: 472.5

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the day. I think this might have been my best swim of the year, at least it felt like it. My bike was off, I don't think I've been out of the top 5 AG on the bike yet this year. I don't know exactly what happened there. My run still isn't where I'd like it, and I need to spend some time figuring out the problem. I'm racing a 10k on Monday, so I'll find out then if I actually have the speed I seem to think I do. It could be that I'm overestimating what I'm capable of. It could be that I'm overcooking the bike and not leaving enough for the run. Or it could be that I'm not doing enough long tempo sets to really feel that suffering that comes at the end of these short fast races. I think those are the only three possibilities, and I hope to have at least some answers soon. At the very least, the next run block in the fall can only help in the long-term.

Today was a lesson on levels. By any conventional standard, I'm pretty fast. Humility dictates an "aw shucks" reaction from me, but I have to admit 5 AG podiums in seven races, top 10 every time, and regularly in the top 5% overall translates into being pretty good. But the gap to the real competition is still big (even if it is shrinking). I was fourth, but second and third were five minutes ahead. So there's a tier above me. Amazingly, first in the age-group was another five minutes up on second, so that's another tier up. And somehow, the overall winner was a further four minutes up the road. So in a race lasting about an hour and half, the top of the pyramid was fourteen minutes clear. There's work left do, and about nine months to do it. Will I pick up those fourteen minutes, or the ten, or even the five? There's only one way to find out: do the work then roll the dice.

Short and sweet

That would describe today's pair of workouts. With most of the club prepping for Muskoka, I was the only person getting the boot early today (minus the recovering Kona-qualifying IM racer), so I put in a good effort, felt really good in the water, then popped out feeling ready to go. During the few quicker efforts, I was doing a hard, but sustainable, 1:30-:135/100m pulling. That's doing all right.

I just got back from my lunch time run, knocked out an easy 2.5 miles in a little under 19 minutes, about 7:30/mile pace. And that required almost nothing, so the legs should be fresh in the morning. Now, we get to leave work early for the long weekend, or for me, two races in three days.

What has two thumbs and wants two podiums?

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
4x100 pull as 25 scull/25 pull/25 fist/25 pull, 10"
3x200 pull as 100 hard/100 ez, 30"
c/d - 2x200 as 100 non-free/100 free, 15"
Total: 2000m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

A small taste

Last chance for some speed before the weekend. It was the usual, just a couple of short pick-ups to open things up. I think I should be ready on Saturday.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph, w/2x90s @ 9.3/9.5 mph + 3 minutes recovery

A little of everything

A good mix of activities today. A little swim, a little run, a little bike. The swim wasn't as astounding as Monday with dramatic improvements, but I'll keep trying to groove any gains I can make. The run was pleasant with beautiful weather, and the bike was a good session to clear my legs.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
2x(100 back, 30"
200 free as 25 head-up/75 ez, 30"
300 pull w/paddles, 30"
2x200 free, race pace, 30")
c/d - 100 ez pull, non-free, free, pull, non-free
Total: 3100m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2

If it's Tuesday, I must be jogging

Tuesday of race week = a couple of very easy runs. I like this day, it gives me a chance to get my legs under me again, and I can feel the energy coming back.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

Perfect timing

Here we are, less than two weeks from the end of the triathlon/swim program season, and now is when I decide to have a bit of a breakthrough in the pool. Right before I take at least six weeks away from the pool. I'm a genius, eh?

The first half of today's workout was a lot of scull/pull sets. I really tried to get a good feel for the water and make the most of it. As I was finishing the last one, the coach remarked that my stroke looked really good. I've had a tendency to be a bit mechanical and not very smooth, but as a new swimmer, this might have been expected. But today, apparently, I was flowing much smoother. I carried this better rhythm into the rest of the workout, and it's not that I was suddenly doing 1:30/100m, but I was probably a few seconds per 100 faster at a similar effort level. The last set was a hard 300m, and I didn't break any records, but that was the fastest I've swam at 95% effort at the tail-end of a workout. So things are looking good. Now I just need to ingrain this before I take the break, and hope it comes back when I start up again.

Swim: 200m each free, non-free, pull
12x100 as 25 scull/75 pull, 10" (rotate "front, mid, hip, full" sculls)
300 ez free, 30"
300 pull w/paddles, 30"
300 as 100 back/100 breast/100 free, 30"
300 free, race pace, 30" (5:02)
c/d: 100 non-free, 100 pull
Total: 3200m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

What happens when you stay up too late

It wasn't supposed to be such a late night. I mean, it was going to be late, but not that late. When I finally got to bed around 3am, I didn't expect much of myself this morning. And while I was dragging around after waking up at 7:30, I really didn't have high hopes. But I laced up and pushed out the door anyway.

It was a perfect morning to run, just a bit of a breeze and just a bit cool. I didn't think it was worth stressing about time given my condition, and just popped along my route. The effort was nicely moderate, and I finished the first lap in a good time. Then I picked up the pace, felt surprisingly strong, and grooved a second lap of five-plus miles. I knew I was moving, but wasn't expecting much of a blazing time, so I was a bit surprised when I stopped my watch and saw 37:08. That would be a new record for the course, and I wasn't even working that hard. I could have kept that effort going for quite a while longer.

Of course, now I need a nap like it's nobody's business.

Run: 10.6 miles, 39:59/37:08

Walk (or Ride) Through The Clouds

Things were a bit messy this morning. There were some predictions of showers, but the biggest issue was a low-lying fog in the area. Since this was really my last real chance for a long ride outside this season (excluding next week's race), I wasn't going to miss it due to rain/fog, so I loaded my pockets with a rain cape and set out from Lake Wilcox. Amazingly, I was the only car in the parking lot when I left. I guess everybody was racing, since there's no excuse to not be out otherwise.

The fog was pretty thick through the whole ride. At times I couldn't see more than 100m in front of me, other times maybe 200-300m. But I was riding into the unknown for much of the day. There was one fairly brief shower that required the cape, but for the most part it was actually nice riding weather (except for the knowledge that this would require some serious bike-cleaning when I got home). I changed my route a bit to avoid the busier roads in the thickest fog, since I didn't want any trucks coming up behind me with almost no visuals. I was even a bit concerned about crossing the road in one part since I could barely make out the traffic until it was right on top of me.

I wasn't out for a real hammerfest, and was a bit hesitant about hanging it out with the fog, so I added a few intervals to an otherwise nicely mellow ride. One thing about not being able to see up the road, you focus more on what's closer, so looking to the sides of the road I noticed and got a better appreciation for a lot of the nice houses and park areas I ride by. For a morning that looks so ugly, it was a delight to get out and be in the middle of it.

Bike: ~120 minutes, ~ 70km

Healed

My elbow is finally better. It made it all the way through today's swim without issue, although we didn't do much high speed work today, so I think that helped.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
400 free as 25 head-up/75 ez free, 30"
100 non-free, 30"
400 free as 200 race opener/200 ez, 30"
100 ez non-free, 30"
400 pull w/paddles, 30"
100 non-free, 30"
400 free as 100 hard/100 ez, 30"
100 ez non-free, 30"
400 pull race pace, 30"
100 non-free, 30"
c/d: 200 ez free
Total: 3300m

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

Ground and Pound

So this is it, the last run speed session of triathlon season. (We won't mention that I have a bunch of them to do in my run-block starting in 2.5 weeks. Let me enjoy this a little.) And as usual, I was looking forward to/dreading it all day. I like the feeling of running fast, and the sense of accomplishment from completing a tough workout, but man, does the middle of this workout suck.

I did this two weeks ago, and felt much better getting through it tonight. It starts with three reps at T-pace, then follows with three more at I-pace. It's good to work on finishing really hard, since that's something I need to carry into my racing. I tried to focus on good running form, when I wasn't focused on not falling off the treadmill.

Now I'm all fed and stretched, and I'm ready to relax for the night.

Run: 50 minutes, w/3x4 minutes @ 9.3 mph +1 minute @ 7.5 mph, 3x3 minutes @ 10.1 mph + 2 minutes @ 7.5 mph

Cut short

I had expected a good day in the pool, as my muscles felt rested from the weekend, and I wouldn't have the same issues I did on Monday. I got through the warm-up pretty well, and my form felt nice, but as the set progressed, I could feel my elbow getting inflamed. I wasn't painful, but whatever I did on Sunday/Monday was coming back. So I pulled the plug early, calling it a day at 1600m. It's better than nothing, and hopefully I'll be 100% for Friday.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
2x100 pull as 25 full scull/25 pull/25 full scull/25 pull, 10"
2x100 free as 25 fists/25 free/25 fists/25 free, 10"
4x25 sprint, on 45"
500 ez pull
Total: 1600m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph

Until we meet again, Coach Troy

Tonight was my last meeting with Coach Troy for a couple of months. Once triathlon season ends in a week, I'll be doing a run-focus block through October, which will only include one session on the bike each week, and easy stuff at that. So I had to make this one count. I was following up with a repeat of the workout from two weeks ago, Time Trialapalooza, but with greater intensity.

Last time I started at 260w for the first interval, then raised it 20w each time. That was a solid, if not killer, session. Today I started at 280w, and planned the same progression. I was definitely working a fair bit harder than last time, but managed fine through the first three intervals. With only the five minute block left, I just couldn't get the intensity up to 340w as planned. I held 325-335w through the rep, which was an increase over the last rep, as well as an increase over two weeks ago, but that was far more uncomfortable then I would have liked.

I think this set of wattages is pretty much the magic spot for me right now, or for the next time I take this on (might not be until January). I highly recommend the DVD if you're a triathlete, to develop a good sense of what manageable efforts really are. Fifteen minutes at 300w wasn't too bad, but I could tell how much it had taken out of my legs during the next reps, so that's a bit higher than I would want to tackle a 40k ride if I needed to run after.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Bike: Spinervals 22.0 - Time Trialapalooza, 90 minutes

Maybe I was too tired

I've gotten up and gone to swimming after almost all of my races. I like splashing around, it helps work out any kinks, promotes good recovery, and it's not like I can't use the practice. I felt pretty good this morning, and the workout didn't look too tough, so I followed the plan. But I guess my muscles were more tired than I thought. I was never able to feel really good about my stroke, felt kind of sloppy, and now a few hours later I think I tweaked my elbow. That's just it works sometimes, eh? It's a bit inflamed, so I'll take an NSAID tonight and rest it up, and should be good again on Wednesday.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
4x300, 30" (1: IM opener pace, 2: ez pull, 3: IM pace, 4: ez pull)
3x400, 1' (1: free as 100 hard/100 ez, 2: free as 75 ez/25 sprint, 3: 200 ez pull/200 ez non-free)
Total: 3000m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Explosivo - The Orillia Sprint Triathlon Race Report

Who schedules a race for 8am? Especially when I have to drive 90 minutes to get to the race site? This required an unnecessary 4:50 wake-up call, followed by the fastest "make coffee, pack car" I've done in a while. I wanted to be in Orillia by 6:30-7, so I needed to be on the road way too early. Luckily, traffic was light, so I made excellent time.

I should note that I switched up my pre-race breakfast today. My two best races of the year so far, in terms of execution, were Guelph Lake I and Belwood. One thing they both had in common was the last meal before the start (because of the afternoon start in Guelph, and camping in Belwood) was a bagel with PB and honey. I figured maybe that's something worth sticking to, and did the same again. Would it work? We'll find out soon enough.

I got a stranger's help to zip up my wetsuit, got a quick warm-up, and prepared to take on the day. I had seen a few of the faster guys from my AG were around, so it would tough to get a top placing this morning, but at 8:06, it was time to chase that spot.

Swim:
I got a pretty good position to start, and was following the feet of one of my main competitors. The problem was, my right goggle was starting to fill with water. I didn't want to stop and lose position, so I kept going through to about 200m. It was right around here that I took a shot to the head (maybe a hand, maybe an elbow) dislodging my goggles. Well, that settles it then, I need to stop and adjust. And I didn't need to fix it again for the rest of the leg, so that was good. I had lost the faster feet, but was in a pretty good crowd which helped with the waves. By open-water swimming standards they weren't much, but if you're used to the pool or very calm lakes, it was enough to toss you around and get a mouthful of water every so often. On the return trip it was easier, and I tucked in behind another swimmer from my wave. The effort was nice and moderate, perhaps a bit too easy. I didn't like the line he was taking to the beach, so I followed my own course and moved well past him without too much effort. When I exited the water at 14:XX I knew I had lost about 60 seconds on the swim. I'll say 20 to 30 was the rough swim going out, but the rest was not pushing hard enough through the remainder of the swim.

T1:
Lose the wetsuit, strap up, and a long run with the bike to the mount line. No issues, and I was away.

Bike:
It was pretty much a perfect morning for racing. No wind, cool with cloud cover. The bike course is pretty interesting, with a few nice stretches where you can just hammer, but a lot of it was significantly rolling. I wanted to keep things in check, which may have cost me a bit of speed overall, since keeping a 155-165 bpm heart rate up the hill means the HR will drop below 155 on the downhills. I made a pointed effort to get fluids every ten minutes and not repeat the mistake of last race. I think I put in a solid race, passing any number of folks, but never getting passed. That's always an encouraging sign.

I was amazed, however, at the drafting being done. It hadn't really been a significant issue so far this season, but just in my ride I saw a pair and a trio as mini-pelotons, and twice had guys try to grab my wheel for a few kilometres. I have no problems yelling at them, but they persisted for a while. I dropped the first on a false-flat downhill when I spun up over 50km/h, and the second I used a slower rider as a pick to get a few metres gap and he was gone. I just don't get it, I mean, I get caught in inadvertent drafting every so often, but to hop on a wheel and get a ride is just weak.

T2:
I had a little problem, as the dismount line came faster than I expected, and I only had one shoe off, so I had to jog my bike in with one bare foot and the other still clod. It looked like 5, maybe 6, bikes already racked, so I had work to do. With that, I slipped on the Zoots, grabbed a hat and joined the parade of runners for the next 7km.

Run:
It was cool, I was well-hydrated, so there was no excuse for me not to run well. There were a few people just leaving transition before me, so I tried to find a good rhythm and start moving up the group. I knew one of the guys was from my AG, maybe 15 seconds in front. I tried to nudge my pace up a bit to close the gap, but while I was passing other bodies, he was pulling away from me, maybe 5-10 seconds per km. I may ride better angry, but I run better happy, so I forced myself to smile and think about how well I was running. The splits were encouraging, and feedback loop was working. I'm not even really sure what I was thinking about during the last few kilometres, but I kept the effort high. I had passed one or two from my AG, and a bunch of others, was passed by three from other age-groups, and passed back by two others in the last km (I caught them early, they finished strong). As far as my group was concerned, I was only moving up, so that was key. I had my best run of the season, by far, with the following splits:
Km 1: 4:04
2: 4:02
3: 3:46
4: 3:52
5: 4:08
6: 4:05
7: 3:50

Official results:
Swim: 14:31 (1:57/100m), 16/66 AG
T1: 1:08
Bike: 54:44 (36.2 km/h), 5/66 AG
T2: 0:51
Run: 27:49 (3:59/km), 11/66 AG
Total: 1:39:01, 36/642 overall, 5/66 AG

OTS Points: 55, Series Points: 227.5
OSS Points: 82.5, Series Points: 412.5

Back on the podium, with a sub-4 average run, and another good bike split. I still have work to do to cover the gap between me and the group of guys in front, I'm not in the mix yet, but I'll get there. I was amazed to find out that I had the 11th fastest run, when it was my best run of the year. I'd believe that all four guys in front of me ran better (they always do), and maybe one or two others, but six? Looking at the results, there were a bunch of guys who are 34-38 minute 10k, or 1:17 half runners, who just didn't have the swim or bike to be up front. I'll put a couple of focus blocks into my run over the winter and see if I can claw back these seconds I'm losing. But for now, I need to train up then rest for the last race of the year.

Pre-race relaxation

Just hit the trainer for an easy one this morning. One hour, a couple of pick-ups comprising 5 minutes at ~280w, and a lot of easy pedaling. That should wake me up enough to give it full gas tomorrow. It will be an early morning, with 8am start, preceded by a 90 minute drive. Almost everything is packed, so now I'll eat a bit, and relax for the night. See you on the flipside.

Bike: 60 minutes, z1-2

A good ache?

A solid swim this morning, with a wide variety of efforts. For the most part, I felt pretty good, but sitting here now a few hours later I can really feel it in my shoulders and back. I felt like I was swimming pretty well, except for the first time through the 300 race pace set. I'm not sure why things fell apart, but they did. When I made the second attempt, I was able to keep my form together much better, and the times reflect it. Now I take it relatively easy and crush dreams Sunday morning.

Swim: w/u -200m each free, non-free, pull
4x50 free, descending, 10"
4x50 as 25 free sprint/25 ez breast, 1'
500 ez pull, 1'
4x50 as 25 free sprint/25 ez breast, 1'
100 ez non-free, 30"
400 pull w/paddles, 1'
100 ez non-free, 30"
300 free, goal race pace, 1' (5:30)
100 ez non-free, 30"
300 free, goal race pace, 1' (5:12)
100 ez non-free, 30"
c/d - 100 each ez pull, ez non-free
Total: 3300m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

You know the drill

Thursday of race week, it's a short run with a couple of pick-ups, just to feel race pace. Anyone surprised? Nope, didn't think so.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph w/2x90s @ 9.3 mph, 3 min recovery

That's it

It feels like a little cliche now, my describing my taper week workouts. There's truly nothing interesting to them, just a little bit of work to keep things humming along, while getting as much rest as I can. And since I have nothing interesting to say, here's a recap of the day.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
15x100 free, 10", as 25 drill/75 ez free
(1-3: scull, 4-6: catch-up, 7-9: fists, 10-12: 10&2, 13-15: thigh scrape)
2x300, 30", as 200 pull w/paddles/100 ez non-free
4x200 pull, descending, 30" (3:42, 3:35, 3:25, 3:20)
c/d - 100 ez non-free
Total: 3600m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2

Just a smidge

There's nothing to exciting about the pseudo-taper week. I know it seems odd to take a rest-like week after only one hard week, but I have better races when I come in a bit antsy. So I have to stick with the plan. And as such, all of today was a couple of very short, very slow, runs.

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

Nothing there

Some mornings it is just not there. I think I may be drinking a bit too much caffeine recently, and it's affecting my sleep quality. No matter how tired I am, it's taking me a while to drift off, and I'm not getting the most restful sleep. Because of that, this morning was a bit rough in the pool. I didn't have necessarily a bad swim, but the speed wasn't there, and I was working too hard for what little I was getting. But I plowed through, got some mileage, and can now rest the remainder of the day.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
200 ez free, 10"
200 ez pull, 10"
200 free as 25 head-up/25 ez free, 10"
200 ez pull, 10"
200 ez non-free, 1'
200 free, sprint race pace (3:25), 10"
200 ez non-free, 10"
200 free, sprint race pace (3:25), 10"
100 ez non-free, 10" (nature break)
200 free, sprint race pace, (3:30), 1'
200 free as 25 head-up/75 ez free, 10"
200 pull, hard, 10"
200 ez non-free, 10"
200 free as 4x50 stroke count, 10"
c/d - 100 ez non-free
Total: 3400m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

More heat experiments

If yesterday was testing fluids on the bike, today was the test on the run. And today I was left a little dry. When I set out for about 10 miles, I only took a 24oz bottle of Gatorade with me. On a cool day, this would be plenty, but today, if I hadn't been rationing, it would have been empty by 45 minutes. I still had a good run (39:57/37:28, second fastest big loop I've done, and fastest after a five mile warm-up), but the effort was a bit higher than it should have been. Around the 7.5 mile mark, I could feel the body start shutting systems down, my focus was fading, and my stride was getting choppy. So again, lesson learned. If it's going to be that warm, better to take two smaller bottles and switch at halfway than slog through without enough. I'm not a camel, I need to quit thinking I am and optimizing my training.

Run: 10.58 miles, 39:57/37:28

Getting fluids

Last weekend I learned that I don't respond well in the heat if I don't get fluids, so when I set out this morning, I took more than I usually would. And good thing too, since I easily took down 3 full bottles in just over two hours. I was soaked by 40 minutes, and just kept replacing. This is a very important lesson for the future. If I power through that much at 85-90% effort, then I definitely need to get my whole bottle in that hour I'm on the bike during a race. No wonder I cracked.

The ride itself went well, about 75km with 3x8-10 minutes at high effort. A good set-up for the next race.

Bike: 140 minutes, ~75km

Options

This was another option morning at swimming. With three out of six in my lane having IM events coming up, we could do an IM workout (3x1K), or the shorter, faster workout of the rest of the group. I chose shorter, faster. And it was. Good efforts all the way through, although my times in the last effort wasn't what I expected, but I guess after all that work, including a paddle set just previous, it's how it was going to be. I'll get 'em next time.

Swim: w/u - 200m free, non-free
5x(300 free, 30"
200 as 100 ez back/100 ez pull, 30")
1) 100 hard free/200 ez pull
2) 25 head-up/75 ez free
3) sprint race pace (4:55)
4) pull w/paddles
5) sprint race pace (5:10)
Total: 2900m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Death by Treadmill

Jack Daniels is a sick individual. He might have forgotten more about running than I'll ever know, and there's no doubt his programs work, but man! are some workouts tough. If you read the book, he seems to advocate doing just enough to improve fitness, but not so much you can't get back at it the next day. But then the workouts try to kill you.

The reason I use a treadmill for all my faster sessions is so I can't cheat. Every rep is as fast as it's supposed to be, and the last one will be as fast as the first. It will be harder, natch, but the speed will still be there, or I'll end up in a heap against the wall. And tonight that made it miserable. This is the first time I've done a workout that used both I- and T-paces, and it was a wake-up call. You start with 3x4/1 @ T, by the last one a nice hard effort. Then you fall right into 3x3/2 @ I. That first interval which comes after short rest is nasty. The rest of them, at high speed with already fatigued legs, just get mean. I was digging to stay on top of the pace without completely exploding. By the end, I was drenched with sweat, and the ten minute cooldown jog seemed to take 30 minutes. I was wracked.

I look forward to doing this again in two weeks. :)

Run: 50 minutes, w/3x4 minutes @ 9.3 mph, 1 minute @ 7.5 mph + 3x3 minutes @ 10.1 mph, 2 minutes @ 7.5 mph

Up front

Another good morning in the pool. With the crowd either recovering from IMUSA or tapering for IMC-IMLou-IMMoo, it fell to folks like me to lead the charge. And so I somehow ended up leading the lane. I guess if I'm the only one under orders to push the efforts, I have to drag everyone else along. But it was another fun morning, with a mix of efforts. I chose the pull option during the 1K set since my legs were still a little off from last night, but other than that, things were good. Here's hoping for a few more seconds in Orillia.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
3x100 drills, 15" (thigh scrape, 10&2, thigh scrape)
300 free as 25 hard/75 ez, 30"
1000 pull as 200 hard/200 ez, 30"
2x100 ez non-free, 15"
3x200 pull w/paddles, 30"
c/d - 100 ez non-free, 100 ez free
Total: 3200m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Run: 4 miles @ 7.5 mph

Watching others learn to pace

I'm feeling pretty good after Sunday, and I'm now into the last block of the triathlon season, and so, I need one last bike workout for the last weeks. This is now the time for the last of the new Spinervals DVDs from last Christmas, Time Trialapalooza. It's a simple workout after the warm-up. Four intervals, twenty - fifteen - ten - five minutes each, with five minutes rest between. The objective is to hit each one a little harder than the previous, so you need to temper your effort correctly.

Coach Troy suggested threshold pace to start, but I figured that might be setting the bar a bit high to begin, so I went with about 260w. Each interval I went up by ~20w. Listening to the coach read off the riders wattage during the workout, and his admonitions about going out too hard, lots of folks were cracking. Not only weren't they picking it up, lots were losing watts over time. I, on the other hand, was right in where I wanted to be: working hard, but not overly taxed.

I'll get to this again in a couple of weeks, and probably start 10-20w higher and follow the same progression. It's a good simple workout, and will prove very effective in the long-term.

Run: 3.2 miles, ez

Bike: Spinervals 22.0 - Time Trialapalooza, 90 minutes

Letting it come back

Yesterday took a fair bit out of me, more than I would have expected for a short race. But I guess I suffered a bit of a bonk, so last night was spent in the "atheticoma". (I love that expression.) When I got to pool this morning I didn't expect too much, and once the coach saw the fading number tattoo on my arm, he asked, "You're taking it easy today?" And I replied, "I don't know how easy it will be, but at least it will be slow." And with that, my day got shortened ass I was excused from the speedwork at the end of the session.

I actually felt good for the first 75% of the workout, holding nice steady paces, and working well through the paddle sets. But on the second longer set I could feel the fatigue catching up and form started to falter, so it was a good idea to call it a day. I still got 2600m worth of work, so no complaints.

Then I went for a quick easy run at work. Legs felt pretty good, no stiffness, but another hot humid afternoon was an ugly reminder of yesterday.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
5x100 drills, 15" (scull, finger drag, 10&2, scull, thigh scrape)
500 ez pull, 30"
5x100 pull w/paddles, 15"
500 as 100 ez non-free/400 ez pull
Total: 2600m

Run: 2.5 miles, ez

Two out of Three Ain't Bad - The Niagara Sprint Triathlon Race Report

I may usually use song or album titles for my race reports, but I never would have expected to pull out a Meatloaf track. But it applies better than any other for today, so there we go.

There had been many predictions of some awful weather for the day, and some good thunder blew through overnight, but race morning wasn't too bad. It was definitely humid, and the sun was playing hide-and-seek, but for the most part it seemed like it was going to be a nice day. I had lots of time to set up my transition, and got a solid swim warm-up. Lake Ontario felt cooler than the advertised 70 degrees, but it wasn't that bad once I was moving. Being in the third wave, I watched the first two groups head off, found a spot in the second row inside for the deep-water start, and waited for the gun at 9:06.

Swim:
I actually had a plan for the start: go pretty hard to the first or second buoy, and whoever I was around at that point, draft off them the rest of the way. And it worked, kind of. I was able to slot in and get a good ride for awhile, but once we caught the slower swimmers from the previous waves, I lost him. Picking through the slower folks was a bit tricky, I tried not to throw them off too much (I know what it's like to be barely hanging on), but I ended up bumping a few breaststrokers. One gave me a good ankle pull in retaliation, but I tried to shrug that off and carry on. On the backstretch I was swimming solo, and focused again on good form. It was along here that I had the realization that I wasn't finishing my stroke in the earlier part of the race. With the wetsuit on, I short-arm the pull. That's something to work on next time, being good right from the start. My goggles stayed clear all the way through and sighting was easy, so I was able to pop right up at the finish, and saw 13:2X on my watch as I hit land. Then it's up a quick hill to transition.

T1:
I had a bit of a problem finding my zipper cord on my wetsuit, as it flipped over my shoulder to the front at some point in the exit. Then I got glasses, race number and shoes, but once again my helmet had shrunk I hadn't checked pre-race. There goes 10-15 seconds. But adjustments are made, and it was time to hit the road.

Bike:
The ride starts on the flats of Lake Street, before turning away from the lake up the escarpment. I wanted to start quick, but at the same time it would be nice to get my heart rate down before the big climb. Starting quick won out, I passed a bunch of folks, then the road went up. Way up. The climb was really in three steep parts, with a couple of false flats between. I was surprised that it was so organized going up, with a long chain of riders all pinned on the right hand side. A few people were walking the bikes up, so you knew it was tough. I guess they didn't realize there was a moving walkway closer to the middle of the road. (At least, that's how it seemed for me considering how quickly I was passing everyone.) Being a flyweight with about a decade's experience in the saddle helps on rides like this. Also having enough humility to pack a dinner plate for a rear cog (25T FTW!) makes ascents much more pleasant. Once over the crest, it was rolling flats for about 15km. I continued to crush dreams along here, steadily making my way through the group. I was sipping at my Gatorade every few minutes, feeling really good as I wasn't even pushing that hard. The way down Park Road wasn't great, as I'm a nervous descender, especially on wet roads. I probably could have saved 5 seconds or so letting it all out, but at what cost? Then it was time to turn back for Nelles Beach, undo the shoes and get ready to move.

T2:
Nothing special happened here. I made the change, grabbed a hat, almost forgot to pull my shoes tight, and set my sights up the road.

Run:
Last year on this course I had a good run, sub-29, averaging 4:09/km. I figured with my legs better than last year, 4:00-:05/km was a more than reasonable goal. I felt pretty good to start, and hit the first marker at 3:58. Right on schedule. The next two were 4:12 and 4:12. That's a bit behind pace, but maybe I can come back from that. And when I asked the body to come back, it said No. It was right around here that the wheels pretty much came off. My breathing had turned ragged, mentally I couldn't focus on form or anything positive, just on how much it hurt and when it was going to be over. The next two kilometres were 4:21 and 4:21, and I was slowing down. I wanted to re-gather my energy and attack the last 2km, but a 4:41 shows that that didn't happen. And I basically walked it in at 4:49, just not able to respond when I was finally passed by an AG competitor. It was a pretty sad state of affairs.

Final results:
Swim: 13:46 (1:58/100m), 11/44 AG
T1: 1:34
Bike: 43:52 (34.2 km/h), 3/44 AG
T2: 0:55
Run: 30:30 (4:22/km), 6/44 AG
Total: 1:30:34, 37/400 overall, 6/44 AG

OTS Points: 50, Series Points: 172.5
OSS Points: 75, Series Points: 3330

And so, to recap, swim good, bike good, run not so good. On the same course, my swim time was almost two minutes faster than last year. That's a very encouraging sign. And it wasn't just that the course was faster this year, since the guy in the equivalent place was almost the same time. It should also be noted that the swim pace above is off. Sports Stats seems to think the swim was 700m, but it was actually 750m, giving me a 1:50/100m average. Much better. The bike continues to be a strength. I may not have fast wheels or a fancy carbon frame, but the engine is more important, and I that I have.

But what happened on the run? Looking at the result, I was still sixth in my age-group, so I didn't suck that much, or more specifically, everyone sucked as much as me. Let's look at some factors. The weather hit me pretty good. I never seem to run well in heat and humidity. I love rain and ugly weather, but hot and humid kills me. I'm sure that got a number of folks, but those guys in the top five didn't seem bothered by it.

Because of a nagging injury, I hadn't done any fast running in almost three weeks. Not that my legs would have fully deconditioned by that point, but I wasn't as sharp as I could have been. The injury wasn't bugging me at all. My legs didn't have any points of soreness, I just couldn't get anything out of them. They were like dead wood. And on a related note, I hadn't slept really well for about three nights before. I didn't feel overtired, but something may have been there.

One of the bigger factors, as I learned after the race, was nutrition. I thought I was on top of it on the bike, but when I was packing I noticed that my aerodrink was still almost half-full. The sipping I was doing during the bike leg wasn't enough. I needed the fluids and calories. I needed to gulp instead of sip. That was much of the damage right there.

And the biggest issue of all was getting into my own head. With the successes I've had so far, I need to fight harder when things get ugly. Too much defeatist talk in my cranium when it's not going my way. If I had marshaled my energy and fought through the last couple of kilometres, I would have at least held 5th. (To be honest, even if I ran my goal pace, 5th was the best I could have gotten today. I'm second-tier right now.)

So that was my day. Lessons learned, and as disappointed as I am on one hand, I still have to be pretty happy. I moved up seven places from last year, and knocked out another big bike ride. I can't say I'm happy that humidity slows me down so much, when my last big race for the year is in Florida, but I'll work on that. Now I can rest up for a bit, and work an adjusted schedule into the last two triathlons of the year.

Loading the chambers

I didn't want to do too much today, just enough to keep things loose and warm, so instead of heading out on actual roads (would be too tempting), I stuck to the trainer. Knocked out an hour really easy, but tossed in a couple of 5 minute blocks at about 325w to get some energy flowing and feel what work feels like. Then I cleaned Lightning McQueen to be ready for tomorrow. I should be all set for the morning.

Bike: 60 minutes, zone 1-2, w/2x5 minutes @ 325w