Challenge and Opportunity

Quite often, the wonders of the lives we lead present us with challenges. On initial reflection those challenges seem burdensome and inconvenient to our daily lives. However, more often than not, those challenges, seemingly a blockage in the road, end up developing in to the opportunity we didn't know was available. I don't believe it is for us to see this opportunity coming, like a train with it's headlamps blaring towards us. It is more like the plunge down a kamikaze slide blindfolded. You have a feeling of what awaits you, but you just can't see it yet.

Take for example my recent trip to Florida. Presented with a continuing and enduring challenge from a government agency that is so full of bureaucracy that I personally believe that hidden in their charter somewhere is a statement that "we shall be as bureaucratic as possible so as to infuriate anyone who deals with us", I was presented with this week's challenge of travelling to Florida to have a nice English gentlemen invigilate that I do indeed speak excellent English.To have two entire days consumed by 20 minutes of testing seems like a pretty unwelcome challenge to me. I began the challenge grumbling away, with snow falling around me. I grumbled all 3 hours of flight down to Florida. And then I stepped off the plane! It had gone from 1F to 70F in 3 hours and all of a sudden, as I shed the wool coat of 1F and embraced the shirt sleeves of 70F. All of a sudden this challenge was paying a more positive note. An opportunity was knocking. Enter stage left a Mustang Convertible.

I had never driven or ridden in the classic automobile. All of a sudden an opportunity to rent the powerful machine was on offer. I hesitated only momentarily, with my hand on the handle of a nondescript rental vehicle, I was pulled away and crossed the rental area and climbed into the Mustang. Top down, wind in the worryingly greying hair line and the sun beaming down, I was on the road. All of a sudden this annoying challenge was taking on a new set of spots.

A trip to Florida in December can only be embraced with an outdoor run. My hotel was positioned in such a location that to run to the Atlantic shoreline would be a 9 mile round trip. A new challenge, but one that was immediately converted to an opportunity. I love a good run in the sun. 9 miles later, via the town of Indiatlantic, all of a sudden, the burden of the trip was long gone and opportunities were being searched for, like a dog hunting for a rabbit. As is typical when I am in a strange town, I hunted for the local hippie hangout. Duly found, a coffee and veggie sandwich were in order for some recovery.

The next morning, the opportunities kept coming. A new meeting with an intriguing Englishman and a very nice drive down, really confirmed this trip as a great opportunity, albeit an unexpected and unwelcome costly one.

The run was simply fantastic, minus an unwelcome "porta-jon" stop. The perfect temperature. Slightly windy. However, more importantly, it was confirmed that all the strength training has paid off and continues to. The legs never felt like giving up and the next morning did not provide any concern. 9 miles for the first time in two months. A good result.

Good luck to us all!

Swimming with the tide

Inspired by my brother's increasing swim activity and his entry in to a masters program, I felt it was my turn. The trouble with always being the fastest swimmer out of your training group is that you fall under a grossly misrepresented impression that you are a great swimmer. Don't worry, a quick trip to a masters swim session will cure that quickly.

The past two weeks have been spent having a couple of morning swim sessions with a masters group in my local area. As we become increasingly winter like, as the snow is meant to begin to fall and the frigid wind sending you hurrying back inside for another layer, swimming becomes an appealing endeavor. Biking limited appeal on the inside of the house. Running continues strong, even with those chilly temps. However, it is swimming that can achieve the greatest leaps forward. Traditionally, we would gather at the local pool, chat long enough to put off getting in the frigid water, jump in and swim back and forth for an hour, often interrupting each length for a good catchup on what has happened to Justin Bieber this week! However, this year I was steered in the direction a local swim group. The immediate upgrade came when I entered their water for the first time and discovered music under the water. Winner! However, reality came crashing down when the coach pulled me aside to point out that I was indeed, wait for it, crossing over! Perhaps, the worst words a "swimmer" wants to hear. Once I had composed my fragile demeanor, I proceeded to attempt my new instructed technique. Who knew, it worked! I wasn't exactly flying down the pool at new speeds, but fatigue was longer to set in and my neck did was not as sore the next day. Break through!

The next session proved even more impacting. If you ever have a misbehaving child, this training method in the pool should do the trick in correcting any behavioral problems. Step 1, tether swimmer to one end of pool. Step 2, tell swimmer to attempt to swim to the other end of the pool. Step 3, swimmer will discover that the elastic cord is not in fact fully long enough and requires stretching. Step 4, induce stretching by swimming as hard as you can without adding vomit to the pool. Step 5, reach other end of pool and don't let go! Step 6, swim the other way, without the initial expectation that it will feel like you are superhuman, or being dragged by a speed boat. Entirely a new experience.

Next up, some more winter training.

Good luck to us all!

Glutes, Hamstrings and Posture

As I sit in yet another of the world's airports, preparing to sit in a posture destroying seat, I reflect on the last week's work. Since the cold end to the racing season, I have wondered what has caused all the aches and pains and lopsided form.

More time, without pressure to complete a specific workout, has permitted my time to be spent on cross training and working out for the sake of it. During these workouts, I have taken notice of the subtle lopsided-ness of my form, whether biking, running or in the gym. Research began. Not the rigid type of research you might find in a university library, but the modern type. The online type.

I Googled around and found a reference to those of us who sit for the majority of the day and the way this contributes to a gradual weakening of the hammstrings and glutes, further leading to poorer and poorer posture. This peaked my attention, as I too have found this developing in my body. A gradual hunching over, as if you are shrugging your shoulders at a question. I decided this needed to be worked on over the off season. More strength training was needed. I was to focus on the adbuctors, hamstrings and glutes. Two strength training sessions a week, combined with a focus on running and working with a Virtual Power meter to expose my imperfect and distinctly one sided biking technique, provided a much needed focus on improving my form and subsequent efficiency over the winter. This will continue throughout the off season (aka The Dreaming Season) in order to arrive in February very much ready for my third and hopefully last (at least for a little while) Ironman training season.

The side effects? Sore, worked out glutes and lower back, followed by 10 hours of sitting on an aircraft. Yet, my form and posture will benefit exponentially. What a combo!

Good luck to us all!

Blinnk and you missed it.

There's is always a joke in Minnesota that we have one of the shortest Autumn's. Lulled in to a false sense of security, the temperature drops slowly, like the slow rickety climg to the top of the roller-coaster, only to creep of the top and suddenly shock you in to winter. During our one week of leaves changing and temperatures at the autumn range - the range where you are no longer prefusely sweating, but instead, just right. What I call "Grandma Joan" temperature. 75 degrees fahrenheit, plus or minus zero degree - I managed to enjoy some very enjoyable runs. 

I had a fantastic morning run around Canada's capital city. The day was genarlly wet and miserable. The type of weather the Americans call a "movie day". The type that the English call "standard April day". However, the morning was fantastic autumn running weather, as you can see from the pictures. I was fortunate enough to take in all the sights of the city, matched with the fantastic colours of the season.    

Then the weekend arrived and autumn was complete. Arriving back in to Minneapolis, I found myself completely inapproriately dressed. Fortunately, my wamrly clad wife was on hand to scrape me up at the airport. I quickly descended to the basement to dig out my long running leggings and vest. Morning runs were going to be a frosty affair, with your breath the first sign that you were awake. 

The second sign it was truly changing, was the first sweaty and humid basement ride. Back to the monotony of staring at a movie, trying to forget that you sre inside riding a bike, literally on the road to nowhere. However, the season shall be improved by the accompaniment of other in my tiny basement living room, along with good ole Trainerroad. My saving software, that guides me through this sweaty indoor season, with new workouts and the ability to ride with others now. My wife will be thrilled at the prospect of multiple sweaty riders in the basement, grunting away as they attempt to reach the targets. What more can a girl wish for??

The final nail in Summer's coffin was the first indoor swim. Back to the pool I went. Meeting Napoleon and then unceremoniously getting the boot from the pool by the old peoples aqua class. However, not before I got to experiment with my gadgets. The TomTom watch was excellent, with the accompanying  music in my underwater MP3 player doing just the trick. It drowns out the ranting strike talk from frenchie. jk.

This evening, hopefully Traverse City will provide an apprioate late autumn run. The type where you find yourself just that little bit underdressed and shiver through your first few miles, trying to run faster to warm up before the end of the run. Traverse is a great city to run through, the biting wind off the lake reminding you that you are indeed in northern Michigan!

Good luck to us all! 

Swings and roundabouts

Swings and roundabouts

It's been a busy few weeks. Not busy like a bee trying to pollenate as many sprouting flowers as possible. Busy like a jumbled children's play pen, full of plastic balls with no end in sight. Every time one thing is completed, another is behind the next door to replace it.

That said, this is typically the time of year that I try to complete everything I missed last summer. My wife has taken over the busy schedule with school and work, whilst training has backed off considerably. A backing off on the energy output similar to a tree's leaves turning a shade of yellow, bowing out for the winter. A part of the beautiful and colourful Minnesota autumn that I enjoy the most. Short, picturesque runs through the parkways and around the calm, cooling water of the lakes. In particular, one of my favourite events of the year, Twin Cities Marathon weekend. Sunday comprises of the marathon and 10 mile races. This year was the turn of the 10 mile, having completed the colour filled marathon last year. As is the norm, a gentle run was unlikely to be the result, with Napoleon also competing. As is also the norm, he snuck ahead of me to finish an agressive 1hr 15min 10 mile, with me closing in a mere 3 minutes behind the Frenchman. Although, thanks to our never ending competitive spirit, my pace was upped considerably and my PR was matched at the end of the day. My proudest moment of the weekend, however, came with my wife finishing off the 10miles, with very little training, in a mere 1hr40mins. Not stopping once along the way, A great achievement!

The coming winter months will bring the passing of the leaves to the street gutter and the first snow of winter. Better fuel up the snow blower! What shall also begin will be the sweaty basement rides and chilly runs through and around the snow filled lakes. Something that should help with distracting me from the frost developing on my eye brows will be my new gadgets. I do like a good gagdet! The first addition of the autumn was my new TomTom Multisport watch. So far it's still in it's infancy, but the first impressions are really positive. My poor old Garmin 405 was showing the signs of age, clocking my HR at 252 at speeds of 200mph. A sign that my Hammer nutrition as working really well or a change was needed, and Tomtom stepped in with the best and most intriguing deal. Next up, are the Jabra bluetooth sport headset, currently awaiting me when I land in MSP in 3 hours. Looking forward to taking them out for a test run tonight. Hopefully I can persuade Mrs P to come along for the casual trot under the falling leaves.

In addition to all this fun and relaxing, we hope to add cross country skies and snow shoes to our list of goodies. Minnesota has a fantastic culture of winter sports and it would be a fantastic cross training experience if could get everything together before the first big storm of the year. Looking forward to changing the landscape a little with skiing and my other cross training in Rowsculpt. Same class I had taken part in during last year's off season, hoping to strengthen up the old body before next year's iron season begins and I start staring down the barrel at Boulder.

Good luck to us all

First run back: Stiff!

It was a perfect morning to head out of the hotel and experience one of my favourite morning runs along the Arkansas river. What better place to see how the legs are recovering from the beating they took two weeks ago.

My FO and I headed out the door early-ish, enjoying the peace and quiet of a Saturday morning run. I completed a 15minute dynamic stretching routine in my room beforehand. The back of my legs feeling particularly tight. The first fews miles were a gradual loosening of the tired fibers. They loosened up well. At about mile 3 (I had only planned on a 40 minute run, but got carried away. It was such a nice day!) the familiar discomfort I had felt during the race returned to the left leg. The "pain" I felt during the ironman, I suspect, was overuse from the day and it's uneven running surface and it subsequently showed up around mile 3 today. Uncomfortable would be a good word for how it felt. Not prohibitive. However, we ran just under an hour, holding about 9.5min/mile and that was probably all my legs would have wanted. Possibly less!

Definitely still very much recovering the legs. Biking doesn't appear too arduous and I haven't been back in the pool yet. The 10 mile run in 2 weeks should be interesting to say the least!

Now for some more recovery and social excessing for a few weeks. So much more fun when you don't HAVE to do it.

Good luck to us all!

Growing

Blog 09/17/2013

It's been a little over a week since the end of this season's Challenge Henley. The legs are up and working and the body appears to be well in to recovery. Occasionally, I will wake up stiffer than the day before, or the body will throw me a phantom pain as I walk the streets.

The temptation is to bounce right out the door and go for a run or a bike, even a swim at the local pool. To resist that urge is taking a lot of self restraint. These two weeks off are important to let the body get over what we did to it. I have one of my favourite races coming up in a few weeks - Twin Cities Marathon and 10 mile. Such a great autumn/fall race! Really well supported and a fantastic course. Hopefully, I should be able to get out for a run starting next week and loosen up the old bones.

Come fall, come autumn trail running series. This is a series of events I would have liked to have done a few years ago. However, this will be the first shot I have at partaking as I am finally off! Having said that, having missed the first two already, it will be a short series!  It's a great way to diversify and have a bit of fun in the process. Really looking forward to some winter sports. No real purpose but to head outdoors and embrace the season. Hopefully, Constitution can sort out the bike I'm trying to wrestle away from him and put some larger tires on it and winter riding can take shape.

As the weeks float by, I come to realize how much more my second iron distance race has taught me. Possibly, I grew a little internally. Progressed if you like. More professional take on work and my responsibilities around the house. Less lounging. More practical application. It's easy to be lazy. It's easy to DNF, which I considered multiple times last week. What's hard is to push on. And push on I did. When crossing that line, in a sense, you turn around to shake the hand of your imagined self who has been pushing you around that day. The side of you that did not allow you to pull off the course and succumb to the desire to stop. This side of you is the part that allows you to grow as a person and realize that you are capable of so much more (not just in triathlon!).

Good luck to us all!

Reflection

A few days have now passed since Challenge Henley, my second Iron Distance Race. As I reflect on this race, I learn more and more from this entirely unique event. 

To be frank (you can still be you), this week, looking back on the race, it seems to be sticking in my memory much more so than Nice last summer. Yes, as I may have mentioned occasionally, the race hurt. However, it was the manner of the pain that profoundly stuck with me. I may well be lamenting a little, but, as I have said before, the biggest part of iron distance racing is what you learn about yourself. How far you can truly go. How much suffering you can take. Where you mind wonders during these times of duress etc.. I can safely say that I pushed that barrier a little bit further during this particular race. 

The more I think about how dynamic this race was and yet how long I took to adapt to my ever changing environment that day, the more I realize how poor my nutrition has been up until now. Simply put, until now, luck has been with me. Just the right temperature and just the right distance and the combination of many other factors have allowed me to believe I had just the right plan. It was applied last Sunday and missed the mark by some ways. Not that half of a bottle of nutrition was missed, but why it was missed and how it unravelled the bike portion. This realization has pushed me, in these last few days, to begin to really have a good look at how to more accurately formulate what my actual needs are during the long distance event.

 This off season I plan on joining forces with a nutritionist who specializes in this type of fueling and really narrow down what it is that I, me as a unique individual athlete, entirely separate from anyone else's body, need during 14hrs of endurance. Why? Because I never wish to feel how I felt during the last 37 miles of that bike portion! I want to develop a plan A, B & C for my third race in Boulder next year and ensure that altitude and heat do not derail the effort that will be given to next August.  

Now, time for a month off and a lot of sleeping and eating. Where's that double chocolate, New York cheesecake ice cream!?

Good luck to us all!

Iron Distance Race #2

Challenge Henley September 8th 2013

I can safely say that hurt more than the last one. It takes time to reflect on how a race went and get an idea of what went right and wrong, but here is my initial reaction. 

The morning was cold and very foggy. The day before the temperature had dropped by 20f. A combination of this drop and the warmer river water presented us with a very challenging swim. Not to mention that the outside air temp. was only 45f. A combination of these two factors lead to quite a disorientating swim. You couldn't see where you were or where you were going, all the while trying to keep the extremities from numbing. Compared to last years Mediterranean swim quite the turn around. 

However, that said, considering it as a river swim, I felt it went well. 

The minute we exited the swim it dawned on me quite how cold the first hour on the bike was going to be. There was no sunshine for at least 3hours in to the bike. During the first lap I combatted my hands and feet numbing, which made changing gears interesting, and a painful stomach. Turns out I was hungry and by the start of lap two, I was feeling better. However, that first lap would come to bite me at the beginning of the 3rd lap. I had spent so much time warming myself that I had failed to consume a lot of my nutrition. A monumental bonk ensued and the emergency reserves were quickly enacted. I will seriously have to examine how I fuel on the bike for future races. An new approach is needed. 

Somehow though, probably a combination of my fantastic support and little nutrition, I made it to the run. Now this is where the course gets really cheaky. Despite the subtly hilly bike course, you are then presented with a run portion that has a large amount of off road running, across grass fields and gravel paths. This would have a major impact of my run. I was running in my normal running shoes which really weren't up to the task. Should have studied more! I started off well enough, but shortly in to the 3rd lap the legs began to complain. Nutrition had improved but the hurt had begun. Luckily, my support came to the rescue again and I had my brother along side me for the final portion of the run. Saved me. Literally! 

As usual, I was emotional at the finish. The crowds were amazing. Very local feel   Huge!!!

Would I do this race again? Not sure. Wasn't happy about the run course, but it was very worthwhile. Another one in the books. Time for some much needed time off!

Good luck to us all!

Registration!

Registered and ready to go!!!

The End is in Sight

New Orleans. The city that represents any number of things to any number of people, has represented the last four Mondays of training for me. I have spent the last month here, every Monday, slogging on the Courtyard Marriott's treadmill, finishing off the last parts of training for the second of three Iron Distance races I plan on completing in this three year time span.

There is only 10 days until the next race presents itself to me. As I sit here writing about it all, I try to recall my feelings from last year's approach to Nice. I'm sure that those around me will attest that I was less than relaxed. This year is proving a little different. With no one traveling with me on this journey this year, it feels more of a lonesome endeavor, although many have helped me train throughout the year. As a result, there seems to be less tension. Perhaps, knowing what awaits me? Less foreign an event? Confidence in knowing what awaits?

I feel a little pressure knowing that this year I will be racing in front of my close family and friends. A little different dynamic. My parents were there last year in France, yet this year I will have some of the friends I grew up with watching on. Those who have not seen this part of my present personality yet. I'm excited to have their support.

Race weather is looking very nice for the day. Planning on idyllic British September. 70's and sunny. That's the reliability of British weather. When the cricket season is ending, the weather always improves to what you would have liked all season!

The tapering is in to it's second week. I always find this the hardest to keep up with. The training is winding down and the eagerness to get to the start line tends to lead me in to a lethargic approach and a desire to get it over with. That said, I am certainly less willing to get in to a hotel pool right now and tether myself to the steps for an hour of monotony. Perhaps tonight when I get to Kansas.

Napoleon will laugh, but the pack list is taking shape. There is a long list of things that will get packed this weekend. Amongst others, the bike. I remember last year, when the bike was packed up in the basement of Urban Tri, as it will be this year, the realization that the race was indeed happening. I have a suspicion the same will occur this year. Chris at Urban Tri, as reliable as ever, the man who painted my bike box last year for me, will be packing the bike up again. I could do it myself, but there is something about have the reassurance of a professional do it for you. Knowing that you have done all you can to ensure the bike will arrive in as good as shape as ever. Let's hope United treat it with the same kind of respect!!

We take flight this Monday, enroute to Challenge Henley. May the seats be comfy and the food plentiful. (I suspect not organic!) May the Thames be forgiving! I look forward to it all.

Good luck to us all!

3 weeks and the taper begins

The taper begins!

I find myself at a familiar place. The heavy volume begins to subside. The freshness begins to return. The irony of relief that the hard training is ending and the feeling of closeness to race day. Along with that feeling of closeness comes the slow building of excited butterflies for the race. 

Iron distance tapering really doesn't look like much of a taper, with the exception of the bike volume. That discipline tends to back off, but most other areas keep up the pace until about 10 days out. The hard part is reducing the training and the food intake (my favourite part!) to ensure I can minimize the slight loss of fitness that happens with a taper.  

This passed week went well. Some really good sessions, along with a hard long bike. Came in straight from work and headed out for a four hour ride. That was hard to do and very tiring, especially with the 4am wake up at the start of the day. 

Went out on a trail ride, totally free of the roads, which was a liberating experience. Yet, also a lonely one, which was one of the goals, to gain the experience of being out there by yourself for long periods of time, exactly like race day. 

Running seems to be really coming along. The calf problems from before appear to be concluded. Had a great long run up in Northern Wisconsin on the south shore of Lake Superior. First half was completed with my lovely wife and the went on a long straight 45 minute stretch by my lonesome. Good practice. Slow and steady. Slow and steady. 

Now comes the first week of taper. Going to be tough to juggle the training. Busy work week, coupled with family visits. Lots of sneaking out early before everyone wakes up! 

Leave for the UK in two weeks with my support crew of Neal. I suspect he may well be coming for just the pub experience, but having anyone along for support will be invaluable! Can't wait to get over there and settle in. 

Good luck to us all!

Positive improvement

First stretch of the home leg is complete. Calf stood up well with a few runs and good 2 hour run without too much complaining. 

Credit for the resurgence and repair of my calf has to be given to the rest and dynamic stretching routine provided to me by The Fix studio during my fantastic bike fit I received a few weeks ago. I feel that was key to getting back to running so close to race day. 

One more week remains of heavy training and then the taper begins. Planning is already taking shape for packing and race day prep. The bike again will be packed with the help of Urban Tri, ensuring secure arrival in the UK. 

Sunday also proved not only a successful long run, but also nutritionally. There was a concern about providing the nutrition needed for the run portion. Previously, my nutrition bottle had not survived well on the bike with me. Therefore, I needed to come up with a new strategy. As usual, it was the simplest that proved the best. Four fuel belt bottles full of one hour's nutrition each, to remain dry until the run begins and them mixed with water from the first aid station. Worked well Sunday and hopefully the same result will be realized come September 8th. 

Also on Saturday, managed to complete a race day simulation. Felt good, once I had shaken the negativity of being road raged on the way to the lake. Fantastic weather for it. Couldn't have asked for more in that department. Great bike following the swim, with a relaxed transition run after. Lets hope it's a good sign for September. 

As the day gets closer, beginning to build on the excitement of the big race and having the family and friends out there for added motivation. The pain is guaranteed. The support is what dulls the pain and keeps you plodding. It's that feeling that provides me the energy to finish such a long race. 

Good luck to us all!

Longest ride 2013

Last year saw a much higher volume and less frequency in bike training, which led to a resentful feeling towards getting in the saddle. 

This year has seen a different approach,  with more frequency and a few less miles, with my longest ride measuring 85miles so far. That all changed yesterday with a key long bike ride. The longest on the calendar. 100 miles plus 3 miles transition run. 6.5hours of training (swiftly followed by an ice bath)

It was the perfect weather for it. Overcast for the majority of the ride, even too chilly for the first few hours. Like most riders, at the halfway point of a century ride, I felt great. However, as usual miles 60-80 were a slog. Just kept turning the pedals over whilst distracting myself with the beautiful farm country you find in Minnesota. 

I like to describe the mile 80 and on feeling as your legs giving up feeling tired. You don't have a burst of energy, just a "numbness". They don't hurt anymore, but they don't feel either. The discomfort subsides and the spinning plods on to the triple digits you are striving for. 

The last ten miles always seem to drag by. When you are alone out on a bike, there is no one to distract you. Not a sole to cheer you on. A cheer squad is one of the big advantages of a race day.  Therefore, those last ten miles are brutal, in my humble opinion. A Chris Froome or a Richie Porte to draft behind wouldn't be a bad thing. 

Waiting for Napoleon to catch up at mile 50!

Almost there!

I find great relief when I make it back and  get to go for a run. The relief is found in the difference in muscles used and the joy at not pedaling anymore. As long as the nutrition was followed, this is, and was yesterday, the most fun part of the workout. It normally is on race day too, seeing people again, cheering for you, tends to reawaken you for a short while in to the initial parts of the run. My cheer team yesterday consisted of Maggy our black lab/brittnay mix. She is always very excited to go for a short midday run. Tongue flapping to the side by the end, with a flicker in her eye from the fun she is having - mostly from the rabbits as opposed to the running!

The recovery is the next best thing of the day. Time to chow down. Admittedly, I'm a little unorthodox in this area. See picture. Don't worry, there was a bountiful fruit recovery smoothie as a side!

 Don't knock it until you've tried it!

These are the last two "big" weeks before the joyous tapering begins. Which means only 4 weeks to race day. I can already feel the butterflies building. 

Good luck to us all!

Calf and learn

It started off as a hotly anticipated long run, spanning two states, North Dakota and Minnesota. I was due in to Fargo in the mid afternoon and was looking forward to following a half marathon course I had found online, which snaked its way along the Red River, either side of a line marking the Minnesota and North Dakota border. It couldn't have been better conditions for a long run. 2 hours in 70F beautiful summer weather. Certainly a welcome change from the 90's I had been training in of late.

However, an hour in to the run, not long after my trusty biking colleague had left my side, that my left calf popped up to ensure I knew it was there. It was immediately obvious what the origins of the pain was. A strain? Cramp? It wasn't uncommon to experience muscle fatigue after a day of flying and then heading out for a long run. However, this pain became progressive and there came a lot of stop-starting, stretching and walking. I was still 3 miles from the hotel I was faced with 40mins of awkward running and walking back. Certainly not ideal for 6 weeks from race day.

With every setback there is an opportunity. The focus, after I had finished sulking, immediately began to focus on what I could do. Fortunately, the discovery that biking provided no discomfort at all set out a week of biking and swimming. Not a bad thing really, based on the premise that I am not your strongest cyclist and I had been neglecting the swimming side of things. Yes, there was and is a continue subconscious pull calling me to go for a run. Just a short one. However, a week off of running will allow the injury to repair and also help my biking a lot, if not my posterior pain! 

This week has also encouraged some good recovery work, loosening many of my tight abductors and hips, a source, no doubt, linked to the possible calf injury. A lot of rolling in the basement and reflection of how my body is doing. Again, a positive, if not painful, step along this training route.

It also gave me time for experimenting with Training Peaks - a new toy, which has proven, so far, a usual tool in logging all this training malarkey.

Hopefully, the forthcoming week will prove successful, following the week of resting the calf. 

Good luck to us all!

My long bike route this week:

It's a sprint!

The first clap of thunder woke me up at about 3:30am with a loud introduction that rattled the windows. As I rolled over to check the radar to be sure the thunder wasn't a precursor to a rare tornado in the area, I saw lots of red, in a continuous line, stretching from north to south, indicating the severity of the storm that was passing over head. "Ah good", I thought, "this should be by soon and leave race day clear". Not quite. 

The 2013 edition of the Lifetime Triathlon Minneapolis was less that straight forward. The storms began to self sustain, rolling back on itself and not moving from the area. By the time I had called Napoleon to get a ride, it had rained about 2 inches and would rain 2 more by the time it stopped later that morning. As we past thought the bike route on the way to transition setup, the water was half way up the tires. The creek,  having broken it's banks, was now covering much of the International bike route. Not a positive for time trial biking. A sinking and oddly somewhat of a relieving feeling began to pass over me. Perhaps there would be no race today. Fatigue had been hanging around a little since the beginning of the main Ironman training earlier in the week and although the Olympic distance would be a good indicator of my fitness, I wasn't overly enthralled with actually competiting.

At 7am the course was closed and contingencies would begin to play out. By 8 we were all racing the sprint distance course. Half the amount expected. Double the effort. Adapting was needed, which again added to the experience bag that I was slowly collecting throughout all this triathlon malarkey.  It was definitely a good one, as I now had to apply some of what I had read to the diverse situation developing ahead. Longer warmup. Bike bottles removed. Nutrition adapted. Transition was ready.

A sprint really is exactly that. All out mayhem right from the gun. Don't look back until the finish. This distance is not what I would expect to do leading in to an ironman race, but that was what was on the menu and onwards I thrashed. I very crowded and chaotic 5min swim later and I was on the bike. Much to my own surprise, I went out harder that I had done before and maintained it the length of the bike course. Certainly not setting any records, but certainly putting out a good showing for my lowly bike skills. The YouTube video by Joe Friel on biking technique, which was watched the night before, appeared to having a desirable effect. With the fastest bike split of my racing career behind me, I thrashed out a respectable 5k at a much higher pace that I would have expected from a slow poke, long distance guy, like yours truly.

Crossing the finish line, I knew I had to be close. Very close to Napoleon. A quick check an the most depressing 20seconds of my triathlon life came in to view. 20seconds!!! That was the margin of "victory" he put on me. How depressing. Yet how encouraging, to have discovered that my body was capable of putting out that kind of speed.

Now on to the next 6 weeks of much higher volume and much slower activity.

Good luck to us all!

IM Base and July 4th

I must admit, planning my training, I could never had imagined coordinating a recovery week with a holiday week. However, that's indeed how it worked out this year. Doubt I could stumble in to that again. AND I didn't have to work.

So, here I sit, July 5th, feet up with a cup of warm "Joe" watching the last 30KM of Stage 7 of the Tour de France. Woke up a little worse for wear, but with a recovery week on the schedule, not too much to worry about. However, the next couple of days will be spent doing some serious recovery work and fueling for the beginning of the IM specific base period ahead.

What does this mean? A lot more volume combined with some very long rides. These are the weeks where the biking begins to reach for 6 hours with 30min runs after. This year, however, planning will be improved, with some early morning starts, which will lead to finishing at more reasonable finish times. The routes will be different with meeting points with different riders around the city, making the longer rides a little less monotonous. The goal is to not allow the bike to be a point of resentment by race day. Hopefully, I will be able to meet Napoleon and a few others around the rides and make these long training efforts an enjoyable time on the bike.

Perhaps a little inconvenient, Lifetime Fitness Triathlon takes place in 8 days. It's a yearly event that I do as part of a team. Good speed training, as it is an Olympic distance event. However, I'm sure I will have to play it smart as I will be tired from the long week of training that will proceed it. Looking forward to it though, as it is such a good cause we race for in Fraser. Our final year. Time to go out in style.

The final thought of the day lies with my current contemplation of Ironman Boulder 2014. A good friend of mine has stepped in and offered to sponsor my entry in return for me wearing his logos on my race day kit. A lot of thoughts are running through my head currently. What if I get injured? What if I fail to finish? How will I cope with the altitude? It's a daunting prospect, but one that brings quite a temptation to compete in this fantastic spot for an Ironman. Sign up is in 10days, so this all could be irrelevant if I don't click the mouse at just the right time.

Good luck to us all!

Tour de France and a long run.

Today was the first day of Le Tour de France and what a first stage it was. It perfectly fit the chaotic history of the island of Corsica with a chaotic last 20mins of racing. 

The day began with a lot more calm, heading out of the hotel in Syracuse to perfect running weather. Cloudy and 70F. Doesn't get much better than that. A lot more prepared for this run. Fuel belt securely attached and fuel on board. This all combined to result in a really good feeling throughout the 9 miles I put on the clock today. My hip and ankle are still a little irritable. Laid off running all week and although I was aware of the two irritants, like a person staring out you in a crowd, I ran on without too much restriction, maintaining my Maffetone inspired heart rate.  Yet again I was rewarded for heading out before most. The roads were quiet and I was fortunate to stumble across a deer venturing out in to the solitude of the early morning neighborhoods. Finished it all off with a warm cup of joe from Starbucks (other coffee establishments are available :)) and an unparalleled finish to the first stage of the Tour. A good morning all in all. 

Now the recovery week awaits which is always welcoming sight. Should give the hip and ankle ample opportunity for recovery. The roller will be my best friend!

Good luck to us all!

My new pint glasses from Hammer. For the beer type of recovery!

First week over

The first week of Iron distance training is over and I am left with a very sore hip.

The majority of the week went well. Managed to get a good swim in and a good, if not hot, bike with my roadie friends. Then came my long run yesterday in Indianapolis. It was very hot and I failed to have the fuel available and was left with only water for my 9mile run. That was a mistake on my part and I was left suffering for the last 30mins of the run.

My hip did not hurt at the time, but post run, I began to really feel it. Being a self professed "follower" of the Maffetone method (made famous by Dr Philip Maffetone) I knew full well that this injury had not occurred during the run. In fact, had probably happened earlier in the week, if not before, and had only surfaced during the long run. Just enough fatigue to let me know it had a problem. 

Now, I am faced with a psychological battle. A battle that many endurance athletes face and fail at. The battle not to run or bike and lay off those two disciplines for at least a few days and see if it recovers. The emphasis this week, at least in the beginning will have to be on recovery and strength. Time for a visit to the gym or the hotel room workout. Lots of rolling and some good yoga, should facilitate some good recovery and, hopefully, allow my hip to right itself. The truly hard part comes when the hip begins to feel better, to suppress the temptation to head straight back out the door.

A positive to take away, is knowing that this has happened early enough that it shouldn't have an impact on Challenge Henley in September and as long as I win the battle not to train, I will be ok.

I'm off to a good roll!

Good luck to us all!

Challenge Henley begins!

 It's been a busy June so far. Completed Kansas Ironman 70.3 (bloody branding. Simply out, half ironman) in early June. Overall, it was a good performance race for me. Had one of my better bike performances, although there remains a lot of room for improvement! The most enjoyable part of the race, began when my tire exploded. Fortunately, I was going uphill at the time, at slow speed, so aside from the 'bang', it was quite a subdued event. It was quite calming in fact. I was quite tight at the time and in one loud bang, all the tension released with the realization that I was no longer racing, simply hoping just to finish.

 Once the outstanding support crew fixed me up with a nice new tire (not just an inner tube fix) I was on my way. It was enjoyable to be cruising along, in somewhat a sadistic way, and actually passing people. Normally, this is a rare occurrence for me. I will swim well and then proceed to bike for the next 3 hours with everyone insisting on passing me. Now the tables were turned, admittedly because I was at the back of the pack with all the new triathletes. However, I was actually beginning to enjoy the event, instead of just thrashing through it. This may be obvious to others who experience this every time they race on a bike, but it was a rare find for my bike leg. A feeling not to be forgotten.

 Once the race took us back to the park from which we began, the crowds became thicker and louder and the rest of the run was a blast. Despite the distinctly slow finishing time, I was really pleased with the experience I gained from the race.

 With a week off, I began Challenge Henley (a full Iron Distance race) training today. Hopped in the hotel pool early this morning, tethered myself to the steps and swam for an hour. A great way to turn the tiny hotel pool in to a reasonable workout. Downside is the tendency for nausea, swimming in e same spot with waves crashing back against you from the wall. The plus results from the same experience, giving you a small look in to the open water element of chop.

 It was a nice feeling to begin the training leading to the next major race. However, there was definitely some suffering experienced in Kansas at the half iron distance and it is difficult to escape the foreboding feeling of the suffer fest that the full distance will bring. "Welcome pain, I've been expecting you!"

 Good luck to us all!

Suburbia: Where Sidewalks End

Yesterday was windscreen repair day. The process taking a little less than two hours and conducted by a reputable establishment, yet one that insists on planting itself in the middle of industrial suburbia nowhere.

 So, with two hours to kill, I set out in search of my local Caribou coffee. It was only a about 1 mile north of my current location and considering I had two hours to kill, I thought I would stretch my legs. However, I did take my city attitude with me, failing to fully embrace my suburban surroundings.

 By this point, having visited many a suburban hotel around the country (on one occasion actually falling down a drainage ditch in the pitch black due to this very issue) one would think that full awareness should have already been gained about the pitfalls of walking around US suburbia. For some reason, I clearly had higher hopes for Minnesota.

 It simply amazes me how planners chose or not chose to build a sidewalk. Walking along and suddenly finding a sidewalk leading to an intersection suddenly and miraculously stop 100 ft short. Perhaps they ran of concrete. It is expensive, you know. However, as I dodged traffic and received looks of astonishment from commuters passing me in the enormous SUV as I walked the grass embankments (generous description) I began to wonder why on earth once you leave the city, sidewalks gradually disappear or are only built in short spurts. Having a little over a mile to contemplate this and the dominating sounds of honking horns and exhaust fumes to ensure I wasn't distracted, I came to a conclusion. There appears to be a fear of walking from A to B in the suburbs. Admittedly, things are much more spread out and take longer to get to. However, it's as if the world outside the city wouldn't dream of even trying to walk/run/bike such an endeavor. Why else would we simply stop a sidewalk 100ft short of the intersection? Or even better, provide a crosswalk for pedestrians at a traffic light, yet no sidewalk on either side to continue said walking?

 It truly baffles me. We complain of gas prices, yet wouldn't consider walking, or so it appears. We complain of the state of the roads, yet can simply avoid it, or even mitigate it, but simply choosing to walk/bike once in a while. I encourage all to kick their "fear of walking" and demand sidewalks in suburbia! It would add an all round benefit.

 Good luck to us all!

New discoveries

Today was one of experiments and pleasant discoveries. Below is a picture of the best (and cheapest) pool idea I have been offered. I often complain at the lack of swimming opportunities when I am on the road in hotels with tiny pools. Using this simple resistance band, I was able to turn the typical small hotel pool in to a good 30minutes of swimming.

Simply secure the band to the top of the pool steps in the deep end. Securing it any lower will result in your feet dropping low in the water. Then, tuck your feet in to the loops and swim against the resistance. Distance is tough to measure, of course, so bring a wrist watch with you to measure intervals with time. 30 minutes should be good, because the water gets quite rough around you and nausea could be common.

Love this new discovery and I encourage all to try it. Just be smart about not becoming too tired, because when you stop your feet are still attached and require some contortion to get out of them and you don't want to be knackered doing it.

Good luck to us all!

Burn out is real!

I wish I had acknowledged it earlier. First the lack of energy and motivation to go and get the workouts done. Then, the extra time needed to recover. Lastly, the chest cold that didn't seem to completely resolve itself. All of these culminated this week in me finally admitting defeat and accepting it for exactly what is was, a classic burnout.

In some respects, I'm glad this happened. I find it the most brilliant part of our human bodies. The inbuilt CPU giving the signal to stop and recuperate. I find when we reach our unknown limitations, it allows us to learn, to improve the next time around. Now that I understand and know, not only my ability to ignore certain symptoms, but also what the first signs of those symptoms are, will only benefit me later in the season, the next year and years after.

What is ironically amusing, is the total lacking in the "practice what you preach mentality". I had a good year under my belt and felt that pushing it a little harder and plodding on my body could handle it, as it had before, and there would only be benefits even though I continued to preach Maffetone's methods and tell people how important it was for an injury and illness free season. Yet, there I was, tricking myself in to believing that I could tweak this, apply it differently to myself, and it would all be fine. Not so!

The chest cold never went away, just subsided for a while. Probably has manifested now in to something worse and am hoping that a good few days stepping away from training and exercise altogether will allow my body to take care of itself and repair as necessary. Add in some good fuels and I hope to be up and running again in about a week.

It is a time to celebrate, I think. A time to be happy. Be happy in the fact that I was able to restrict myself and not simply push on like a madman and prove that triathlon is an addiction that can be managed and not be all consuming - although I let it try for a few weeks. Let's just hope the body will recover and do what I hope it can do.

Good luck to us all!

Diet and Northern California

Been quite the self reflecting week.  Was able to see my own preaching in practice. I began to feel tired at the beginning of the week and kept on pushing. Ignoring my body's request for rest. Sleeping a lot in the day. Initially, I thought I was over training, but a quick chat with a mate of mine and it became clearer that perhaps my diet was to blame.

At the end of last year, I became much more vegetarian orientated, although not 100%. Now, as I hear the cries of my wife, being vegetarian is the not directly responsible for my fatigue. More so, it's the fact that I have not accounted for the change in diet and adapted it to suit the increase in training that my schedule is now experiencing. There are many a professional athlete who is a vegetarian or vegan. However, they adjust and are far more strict with what they eat. Not so with my diet. My diet leans heavily toward sweets and lots of breads. It needs variance and balance. Imbalance was easily glossed over in previous years by my non-vegetarian diet. Something I plan on addressing in the coming weeks.

The monotony of being on the road tends to create a very singular diet that can stay fresh on the road. However, with singularity we always find a lack of balance. I need to talk to some people and listen to their ideas on how to add that much needed balance to my lunch bag whilst on the road. This, I feel, will begin to address extended recovery time. Admittedly, I find it fascinating to look at a human body in such a way and see how we can easily influence ourselves by the quality of the fuel that we put inside.

To end on a more positive note, thanks to celebrating 5 years of marriage with my beloved wife, we found ourselves in Northern California visiting friends. A very enjoyable 90 min run followed by a fantastic drive through the country is a beautiful way to combine long workouts with the weekend. Lets hope I can keep up that trend in coming weeks! During that drive I also got to see how easy it is to be Organic in California. How appealing!

Good luck to us all!

Spring

Spring is approaching. The weather is showing some serious signs of inviting people out of basement hibernation and out on to the grit-ridden roads. There really is nothing quite like the satisfaction of getting out the door for the first time in a year. The first time you don't feel the dreaded first half mile of chills. The first time you can enjoy the warmth of the sun on your exposed skin. Be it running, biking, walking or skipping, there is something truly special about getting out that door the first warm(ish) day when you live in a cold climate.

That day is expected tomorrow. The jacket may be needed for a bike, but the sun will be out and the sky will be blue. Better check the ole tires and make sure there are a couple of spares in the bag.

It's the familiar territory  of the re-finding all the roads from last year, remembering the great joy of being out of the basement and back on the roads. Something the people of California know very little about!

Soon we shall all be complaining about how it's too hot to go out and nursing all our sunburns. Yin and yang.

Feeling a little fatigue today. Sleepy and lacking motivation (hence the blogging and little riding). Reading a good book which should pass the time. "Waterlogged" by Dr Noakes. Worth a look and goes a long way to dispelling the illusion of the sports drink industry. Recommended!

Another good recommend is Trainerroad.com Self explanatory. Take look and learn how to save a ton of money on a power meter by using a virtual power read out. Good for the basement rides. Doesn't work on the open road, unless of course you have already spent $1000's on a power meter. Good luck to you if you have!

Good luck to us all!

Hot, Snow fall and back pain

Today is a day for recovery. It's been quite a week so far.

First I began with a new foray in to the world of Bikram yoga. Without doubt, one of the hardest classes I have every taken. For all those nay sayers, try it and let us see if you could ever last 30mins, let alone 90. Truly challenging.

Next up was some early bike riding and some swimming. Tough morning after the challenging Bikram session. The sick part is that I can't wait to do it again. However, then came 10inches of snow and I sign that I sometimes need a more intelligent approach to exercise.

After a good session in the basement on the trainer in the early morning, my wife called from the drive asking for help because the lovely city had plowed us in yet again. She was now late and I did not show good snow shoveling form. Needless to say, 1.5 hrs of biking followed by vigorous, lacking-of-good-posture shoveling led to a very painful lower back and glutes. No a good combination when flying for the next 8hours.

Really struggled yesterday and quickly realized that today would bring about a need for active recovery and smart choices. Pushed the run to later in the week and spent an hour making love to my foam roller and stretching. Hopefully, the back will mend enough for a good run in the morning in chilly old Fargo.

The training is beginning to really pickup and organization has to be the key. This has the added significance of a slight addition to the end of the season. That addition would be Challenge Henley Iron distance race in September. With this little end of season extra, a strong sense of organization and time management will be essential.  

I'm excited for the snow to melt and to get out of the basement and in to some warmer weather. First, the back must be rehabbed. No more snow please.

Good luck to us all!

Notre Dame and The Weeds!

Finished off our first recovery week today. Just a short ride tomorrow and all of a sudden we find ourselves in week 4. Can't believe how quickly we have arrived. Seems to be flying by. The snow is showing subtle signs of abating and the temperatures are sneaking up. Soon we will be outside again and out of the somewhat dull basement. Can't wait for some sun on the back and warm tides to come rolling in.

However, when that happens and lake water warms, I shall yet again be faced with the all-to-present mental challenges of the open water. Been thinking about it recently. Thought of the impending weed season in the lakes and the inevitability of swimming through them for the first half of the season. I'd be more than happy to start up their equipment and go and harvest all the weeds in the chain of lakes, just not to deal with them. 

I can not deny that the weeds presenting themselves in my consciousness  continuously is the perfect training for the harder times of racing. Practicing to calm the mind during the times of mental scatter brains towards the end of a race is a fine art. One that I need to master. Removing the fear of what could be presented to me in the open water would no doubt take my swimming up a notch. I need to borrow the mental talents of Napoleon. (Wouldn't mind stealing his biking talents too.) I will have to come up with a masterful and cunning plan. We shall see what presents itself. 

Finishing up with a run through the University of Notre Dame today was a great way to conclude the week. Very nice run with some cracking scenery to boot. Will have to remember this place for future runs.

Going to try out some Bikram Yoga this week. It may just be the end of me, but I can not deny that the benefits will surely out way the drawbacks and will be great practice for the heat and humidity of the Kansas race. We shall see if I don't simply sweat away in there. 

Good luck to us all!