back into the cold...or not.

Not long ago I was suffering through a brutal winter while training for Ironman. I recall a ride sometime in February when I got to the lake around 16 miles into a ride and stopped to pull my gloves off to eat and drink. I opened a package of shot blocks and put them in my mouth, they were near frozen solid and it felt like chewing on a chunk of rubber. I got them chewed up and reached down for a swig of water, turned the bottle up and....nothing. The bottle was frozen solid! It had to have been under 30 degrees and blowing wind terribly.

Today I took off for a short ride in calm winds and 45 degrees. A few layers and some gloves- I was fairly comfortable. I know there will be days when I will be taken out of my comfort zone, but I also know that after last winter I can handle just about anything. Today was just the beginning of even starting to approach what I consider unsavory temperatures for outdoor training, but with any luck I won't have to endure as many brutal days as I did last year.

This year though, I have a secret weapon. I have the option to hit up a session at The Sport Factory called "The Grind". It's essentially an indoor torture fest on bikes that leads to well, nowhere. It strangely parallels my time with the UGA Rowing team where I spent countless hours on the erg (rowing machine). At "The Grind" a large number of semi-psychotic triathletes such as myself subject themselves to up to 2 hours of pedal mashing on a trainer. I attended my first Grind this past Tuesday night and I was not disappointed....there's nothing quite like doing body squats after working up a decent amount of lactate in your legs. Based on the video below though from a previous grind, I suspect it get's much tougher than what I experienced this week. So here's to a warmer winter and The Grind to get me through those days when frozen water bottles just don't seem like something I want to deal with.

get off the couch.....

And start training again. That's what I did this week, after a month long hiatus from any real physical activity. In the past 10 days I've gotten together with my coach, Jen Henry of The Sport Factory, and planned out one heck of an exciting tri season.

Monday was my first day and coming off a cold and a month off, I'm definitely feeling a little lethargic out there. At the same time I feel better than I did towards the end of my off season. So what's on tap for this year? No full Ironman, that's for sure! I'll be focusing on a combination of the olympic distance and the half iron distance.

What excites me most about this year is having a coach from start to finish. Last year I blindly threw myself into Ironman training for nearly 5 months before I started working with Jen, and I paid for it dearly in the end. Looking back I did way to much to early, which may have helped me have a great day for Ironman - but left me with nothing left as far as training mojo after that. I felt lucky to have the results I did the last few months of the season. With that being said I'm looking forward to a more metered approach this year.

Here is my planned schedule for this year, the light gray races are the ones I'm still not sure about and depending on how I'm feeling I may or may not do them.

Dec 11^th Jingle Jog 5k Dunwoody, GA

Dec 18^th Virginia Highliands X-mas 5k Atlanta, GA

Jan 9^th Lakeview 10k Gainesville, GA

Feb 5^th Tybee Island Half Marathon Tybee Island, GA

Feb 19^th Tundra Time Trial Hiram, GA

March 27^th Powerman Alabama Duathlon (long course Duathlon Nationals) Birmingham, AL

April 17^th PT Solutions Cartersville Duathlon Cartersville, GA

April 30^th TryCharleston Half Charleston, SC

May 14^th Peachtree International Tri PTC, GA

June 12^th West Point Lake Lagrange, GA

July 10^th Chattanooga Waterfront Chattanooga, TN

July 24^th Tri the Mountains (Sprint) Blue Ridge, GA

August 13^th Mountain Lakes Tri (Sprint) Guntersville, AL

September 11^th 5150 Series race Gainesville, GA

September 25^th, 2011 Augusta 70.3 Augusta, GA

October 2^nd Lake Lanier Islands Triathlon (sprint) Buford, GA

October 16^th Hickery Knob Olympic Hickery Knob SP, SC

November 12^th, 2011 Beach2Battleship Half Wilmington, NC

Why I Train (the real reason)

I often ask myself when I'm exhausted from a hard workout, or in the middle of a hard workout, why I'm doing what I'm doing. During hard training and during hard workouts, the answer is usually something macho like "so I can kick everyone's ass at that race in a few weeks" or "I can get closer to my ultimate goal of a pro license".

It is in the off season though, that I realize the true reason for all the madness- I just feel better when I'm training. I feel better mentally, physically, and most importantly I'm more emotionally stable.

Training for a sport like triathlon has a list of benefits to long to list on this blog. The obvious benefits are a more healthy cardiovascular system. It helps me avoid things such as coronary artery disease - which if I were to lead a more sedentary lifestyle, I'd be at risk for. Vigorous exercise has been shown to improve and maintain brain function in adults. In other words if keep at it as I age, I have a better shot at being one of those old dudes you talk to and think "man he's pretty sharp for and old fart".

For me, the endorphins released from training is the greatest benefit. It acts as a natural pain reliever and anti-depressant in the body. This is somewhat counter intuitive in that one would expect to be sore and tired while training. While this is somewhat true I certainly sleep better and feel better when I get out of bed when I'm training. Right now since I've been taking it easy, I feel stiff and achy when I wake up. This means during training I'm probably more tired and able to reach REM (rapid eye movement) sleep easier and for a longer period of time. Training keeps my anxiety under control and allows me to truly relax.

I often have heard of those who have completed events such as Ironman and marathons talk of being addicted. It's not that these folks and myself like torturing ourselves, it's that we are addicted to how training for and competing in these events makes us feel. How often do you here of person who was serious marathoner or triathlete being over-weight? Not every often. How often do you see former football, baseball, basketball ect. ("popular sports") who are out of shape and over weight? Very often. This shows me that endurance sports are lifetime sports and create quite a unique addiction. Once you know what it feels like to train and compete in sport like longer distance triathlons - it's a hard habit to break. Triathlon is my drug - what is yours?

Mile 130 of Ironman Couer D'Alene - no words to describe how it feels.

TryCharleston Half Iron: new and affordable

I enjoy things that are new and affordable. I also like things that are a great value. Who doesn't?

I've been plotting and planning my racing schedule for 2011 and am pretty certain come April/May I want to get another half iron under my belt. The past two years I've gone down to Panama City Beach for the Gulf Coast Triathlon. This race has has treated me well, but the thought of going and doing the same course again for the 3rd year in a row is not as appealing as I'd like it to be. So what could be wrong with taking a year away from the redneck riviera?

I found out about a race that is going into it's 2nd year in existance. The TryCharleston half, which takes place in Charleston, SC on April 30th. Last year this race had around 400 entries so hopefully it will go up this year (they cap it at 600). It's about 3 hours closer than PCB, and the entry fee is about 70 bucks less...only $130, which really isn't to bad. I've never been to Charleston and a change in scenery would be nice. The course appears to be flat and fast, although all courses are described as flat and fast according to race directors.

So a change in scenery is feeling like the right thing to do this year - gotta keep it fresh and exciting! Other potential new races for me are looking like the Augusta 70.3 in September, possibly the Rev3 half iron in October, and the Beach2Battleship Half in November. Another plus is that I can drive to all these races and lodging should be relatively cheap.

So if your trying to figure out what races to do this year, try something new with me @ TryCharleston - and save some serous cash over WTC races also!

Movin' on up! SF Elite Team for 2011

Just a quick note-

I got some exciting news today. I confirmed with The Sport Factory owner and head coach, Matt Russ, that I will be on the Sport Factory Elite team for 2011! So far all I know is that I will be signing a formal sponsorship contract and am eligible to earn prize money. Hopefully I'll be getting more details soon - because I'm psyched about this opportunity.

Want to know more about the Sport Factory? Check out the Team Sport Factory and The Sport Factory web pages.

Grand Rapids Half: race report

Last weekend I ventured north....way north, to Grand Rapids, Michigan to run the Grand Rapids Half Marathon. Naomi and our friend Lauren would tackle the full. I signed up mostly on a whim since I would be going anyways to support Naomi. I had zero expectations for this race and figured I would just run however I was feeling that day. I had not really run a half in about 3.5 years, since I ran the Tybee half in February of 2007 in 1h 28min. I only ran 3 or 4 times in the two weeks coming into the race, but I'd done a lot of fast tri racing in the last month.

On race morning we awoke to perfect racing conditions. I had a good nights sleep - thanks Naomi's brother Dennis and his wonderful family for hosting us. They also showed up at 8 AM for the start of the race and cheered us both through the whole ordeal. I toed the line feeling optimistic. When the horn blew I positioned myself with the 2:59 full marathon pace group and decided I would run with them and see how it felt. We glided along and it was feeling almost effortless at 6:45 miles. I Passed the Newton gang after a few miles

and gave them big goofy wave - I was having a grand ole time. The leaders of the pace group did a fair amount of talking which was pretty entertaining, the miles were ticking away fast and smooth. Doing some quick math in my head I figure we were right on pace for me to be just about at my PR.

Nearing the half way point I started to feel myself surging off the front end of the pace group and decided I must not waste this opportunity to run a fast half marathon. I brought my tempo up and left the pace group in the dust. My garmin read of my mile 7 split at 6:18 and it really didn't feel to frantic. Seeing a low number like that got me really excited so I did some more math...if I could hold onto that for the last 10k of the race I'd be around 1:25 or 1:26 total time. The next three miles I ripped off 6:19, 6:19, and 6:20.

5k to go and I started to have to work for it a bit, and my HR was letting me know it - I was only about 3 beats from my threshold of 185. The greenway path I was running along came to a T with another path and there was no course markings. I went right, then quickly realized 3 guys behind me went left, shit - that just cost me a couple hundred feet of extra running and maybe 15 or 20 seconds. This kind of knocked me off my rhythm a bit and my HR went up even more. Garmin tells me that mile was 6:30, not to bad only 2 to go and I star

t to get my rhythm back. I'm really gritting my teeth now running way outside my limitations at this point. As I start to double back on the course we ran out, I see all the 4:30+ plus full marathon pacers prancing along like their out picking fricking dandelions. Meanwhile I'm grimacing like a gazelle trying to escape a couple of hungry lions, full on foaming from the mouth.

Garmin beeps again saying 6:27 for that last mile. The course breaks from outgoing traffic and I'm pretty much all alone. Wide open and flat to the finish there's only a handful of runners ahead of me. I passed a few more runners, make a right turn and see the Newtons giving me a big cheer so I stick my tongue out in the fashion of a dog that just can't stop chasing his ball. The Garmin beeps 6:23 and I'm at 1:25 something with the last tenth to go. Hit the line in 1:26:15, an new PR by a couple of minutes - definitely a fist pump worthy performance (and yes I did a fist pump).

This was easily the most fun I've had at any marathon or half marathon I've done. There's nothing quite like feeling great on a long run and having it all come together when you least expect it. I had a nice recovery brew while soaking in a hot tub at 10:30 AM thanks to Dana! Naomi wasn't to happy to hear that I was living the good life while she was crankin' it through mile 20 of her marathon, but I felt it was well deserved after all the races I've had this year.

Time to start planning the 2011 racing schedule - more to come on that later!

Bordom

A couple of weeks have passed since my last race of the year and I have done my due diligence in taking some much needed down time. I've gone on couple of mountain bike rides and runs here and there just to keep myself from going crazy, but not two weeks into the "off season" I'm starting to be wishing I was training for something. I'm definitely bored.

This weekend I'm running a half-marathon in Grand Rapids, MI while Naomi runs the full. I decided long this was not a race that would be high on my totem pole of importance after the year I've had. I think I may actually just run it for fun - now this is something that I have never done. Gonna take it nice and easy and enjoy the course and the trip.

I'm certainly not very good at working out just to work out. Training for me is a means to and end. That end usually being a race with a specific goal in mind. I think one thing that got me last year was not enough down time in the off season. I ran the Rocket City Marathon in December of last year which I training pretty hard for, and then went right into Ironman mode. I was in really good shape right away, but the second half of the year I struggled to stay with it. I read a quote that I really liked about the off season:

Don't be a (January) National Champion

With that being said, I'm going to keep my training very unstructured and keep my racing to a minimum this off season. I want to make sure I totally recharge the batteries mentally and physically before I get into next year. On that note - I think I'll go for a run. How far and how fast? Well maybe just whatever I'm feeling like :)

Favorite spots

Just like anyone else who is into endurance type sports, I have my favorite places that I like to train. Today I visited one of those spots for a mountain bike ride. This particular place I have been going to for nearly a decade now. I've watched the mountain bike trails grow from not much at all to a great 13 mile loop - they are also a wonderful place to trail run. Fort Yargo State Park is only about 25 minutes from our house which really isn't to far to drive for what you get to enjoy! Often I go out to Yargo with the intention of busting out a serious hard workout, so today I figure I'd take a more relaxed approach in my ride around the park. I brought along my camera to snap a few shots of the more scenic spots along the trail. Pretty amazing what you can find so close to home :)

Here's to the off season...a time to "go mountain biking and drink a beer" as my friend Kat Tindol likes to say.

Kona Obsession

This weekend is the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. This is race is the super bowl of triathlon - it doesn't really get any bigger. This year I find myself particularly invested in the race. I've been following the top contenders all year and their race results from all the marquee races around the world. Sadly, this is not an event that I can watch on TV live. I'll have to settle for following the results on the day of the race and then waiting a few weeks until NBC shows it on tape - paired down to about an hour of coverage. I've decided the only way to really watch this race would be live. With that being said there may be a trip to Kona for Ironman week in sometime in my future.

There are a couple of websites that are giving great race week coverage. A lot of athlete interviews and reporting of the general goings on in Kona.

Everymantri.com

Triathlon.competitor.com

One of the great things about this sport is that there is really nothing differentiating the pro triathletes from the age groupers. Lets say you are a golf fan and just an average Joe golfer - could you go enter a tournament that Tiger woods was entering? Probably not. Triathlon, on the other hand, is much different. Craig Alexander, the two time Ironman world champion, raced a fair amount of half-iron distances in the U.S. this year. Any of these races I could have easily entered. Our bikes would have been in the same transition and we would run the same course. Chances are, if I really wanted to I could go up to him and shake his hand after the race. I could probably also have a conversation with Craig, just as if he were any other competitor. How cool is that? Pro's and Amateurs toeing the same line at the start and crossing the same line at the finish.

Lanier Sprint: race report

This was my last triathlon of the year, and it took place right in my back yard. I live near the race site and ride up to the islands about twice a week. I rode the bike course twice this week during training just to give myself every advantage. It was a massive field for a sprint – over 1,100 competitors. This being my last race of the year I made a decision going in to just race it like my hair was on fire. I figured if I blew up it couldn’t be that bad with only a 5k at the end.

I started off in the 3rd wave and had swim over, under, around, and through the racers in the waves in front of me. The 400m swim was over before it started and was followed by a 200 yard steep uphill sprint to T1.

The cool temps made for a bit of a chilly bike ride but it kept my HR uber low, I wasn’t anywhere near my normal sprint HR so I just let it all hang out. I rode the entire bike leg on the left side of the lane as I was constantly passing. It was good motivation to keep me red lining it for the ride. Hit T2 with a 31:25 split for the rolling 13 miles – 24.8mph. Fastest split on the day. Got off the bike just hoping I could still run after that!


Took off on the run with a high tempo and numb feet from the cold concrete in T1 and T2. Felt like balloons on the bottom of my feet but I just hammered on. That cool crisp fall air was treating me right today and felt strong to the end. Hit the line in 58:45 and an 18:45 run split. Good enough for 2nd overall on the day. The trophies for top 3 were these amazing blown glass sail boats made by Thom Lillie from Lillie Glassblowers – coolest Tri trophy I’ve ever seen! Great race by GA Multisports and props to Roswell Bicycles for the excellent bike support. SF had a good showing and I was pumped to end my year on a high note! See you in 2011 :)

Ride the Divide

Last night I stumbled upon something that was very entertaining - at least for me, and the best part was that it is free. It is a documentary that is currently showing free on you tube through midnight today.

"Ride the Divide" follows 15 cyclists as they attempt to finish the Continental Divide Trail race that runs from Bannf, Canada to the Mexican border. If you have any sense of adventure it will make you want to plan something big. If you have 80 minutes to spare today I highly suggest you check this out!

end of a long road

My triathlon season is drawing to a close. This weekend is my last Tri for the year - the Lake Lanier Islands Triathlon. It's just a little sprint that is about as close to home as a race can be. I ride the roads that this race takes place on at least twice a week.

I have never raced as much as I have this year, and it didn't all go down without it's challenges. I've had a pretty big year in the sport and a lot of good surprises along the way. I picked up a sponsorship and a coach. I also managed to check off all of my major goals for the year. Which included:

1. Finish my first full Ironman


2. Lower my half-Iron PR by 15 minutes


3. Break into the top 3 over-all in some local races



Towards the end of this run I've stumbled a bit and became unmotivated. I took a step back in training load and seriousness and made sure I was having fun doing this - and this seemed to make the biggest difference. This adjustment allowed to to relax and coincidentally I turned in some of my best results of the year. This also has really gotten me very excited for next year!

Back to the Lanier Islands race - I actually got to pre-ride the bike course yesterday. I'm psyched that I know it so well and will feel so comfortable on it during the race. I actually did this race 3 years ago and rode the bike course in 36 minutes. Yesterday I rode at a moderate pace about 15-18 BPM (talking HR here) under my race pace and it only took me around 33 minutes. There's something that puts me at ease about know exactly what is coming on a race course that also allows me to push myself very hard.

I'm hoping to close the year out with another over-all podium finish - and wouldn't it be nice to do it in my own backyard? While it is a sprint, it's a HUGE sprint with about 800 competitors - so you never know who is going to show up. Guess we'll find out on Sunday!

cankle and RICE

I'm talking about how yesterday I had a cankle. What is a cankle you might ask? It's when you don't have ankles. Your calf just goes right into your foot.

Urban dictionary definition:
The absence of a defined ankle on a person - whereby the calf of the leg merges directly into the foot. The calf appears to replace the ankle - hence the term "cankle".




I achieved this by running on a trail on Tuesday and rolling my right ankle. Around 9.5 miles into a planned 12 mile run I came down on a root or rock. This is always unsettling and is pretty painful. At first I tried to run it out but it became apparent after about 50 feet more of running that this wasn't going to be the case. Sometimes depending on the severity you can just run it out and it feels better. This was a bonefide ankle sprain I believe so I was forced to walk it back to the car a little more than a mile.

What was I going to do now? "I have a race this weekend" was my first thought. I received some great advice from my friend Daniel who's had more than his fair share of traumatic rolls and cankles, and also from my brother-in-law, Leo. They both said to "RICE the hell out of that thing." RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, elevation. An old remedy for well, anything that you injure - but amazingly this works particularly well for my cankle situation.

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/rehab/a/rice.htm

I woke up Wednesday and my cankle was as big as a softball. I gave it an ice bath every so often, wrapped it up in between, and sat on the couch with my ankle 4 feet up. Toward the end of the day the swelling was about half of what it was and I was in a lot less pain. I'm not one who usually does a good job of taking care of myself recovery wise, but I guess the idea of not racing this Sunday was enough to get me motivated this time. I've got a lot less Cankle now and more ankle. Going to give it some more rice today and now I'm thinking I'll be good to go by Sunday.

Triathletes are gear heads.

So the Ironman World Championships are coming up in less than two weeks, so I've been all over the web checking out the media and race material on my favorite tri websites. One of my favorite things to do is take a look at the old results. One thing that always fascinates me is how more than 20 years ago, the winning times for Ironman are as fast as they have been in recent years.

Bike manufacturers would say "oh the conditions weren't as harsh on the big island back then". I say this is hogwash. Could it be that the athletes from the 80's and early 90's were just forced to be stronger due to equipment that was not as technologically advanced as what we have today - so therefor the current crop of athletes aren't as strong? With more technological advances in equipment, do we now have less physical resistance to overcome?

If you go to any triathlon, particularly of the half-iron distance or greater, you'll see thousands of bikes worth well in excess of $5,000. Not to mention all the fancy wetsuits ($600), aero helmets ($200), pricey tri clothes, shoes, etc. Below is a picture of Dave Scott from the 1989 "Budlite" Ironman World Championships. He's riding a basic tri bike. Note the lack of $2,500 set of Zipp wheels, $3000 SRM power meter, HRM (does he even have a computer on that thing?) and aero helmet. I'm not even sure if there's any carbon fiber in this picture anywhere? Do you see any compression socks on him? He took 2nd to Mark Allen who was riding an almost identical set up. Notice the downtube shifters as well. They went 8:09 and 8:10 respectively. Fast forward to 2009 and Craig Alexander won with an 8:20.


My guess is that we've all been duped. Tricked by the industry into thinking that you need all the aero carbon 11 speed $9,000 self floating wetsuit compression gear we can get. Notice that I say we - I'm guilty as charged! Do I think that all the new stuff is actually helpful - yes, I do. With that being said I do think the advantages in speed are marginal. If Scott and Allen can rip off times like that with the most basic equipment - maybe we just need to train harder!

Learning Process

Being self coached seems to be a constant learning process. You constantly are discovering new and more effective ways to train and race - and all the details in between that get you from one workout to the next, and from the start line to the finish line. Of late I've had a few epiphany's that I arrived at through trial and error and research.

The first had to do with my bike that I had planned to ride at the Ironman. As I started logging some heavier and heavier mileage on my tri bike, I started feeling like there was no way I could ride the bike for 112 miles in the aero position as it was set up. So I sought some advice and scheduled a bike fitting at The Sport Factory in Roswell. As it turns out, my bike was to small a frame to achieve a comfortable fit that would allow me to stay in the aero position for 112 miles. The drop (distance from the saddle down the aero bar pads) was so aggressive that it cause me to have to arch my neck up at a strenuous angle to see the road. You can be the most aero and agressive rider at the start of the day at Ironman, but if your not comfortable you are not going to be able to hold that position all day. You will end up sitting up and that aero position is aero no more. What I needed was the right combination of aero and comfort. So I scoured the internet for resources on bike fit - Ironman bike fit specifically. I researched frame sets and visited bike shops. I had Naomi measure every possible measurement off my body that could be put into finding the right fit. I contacted dealers and talked to fit experts. I discussed it on forums and finally reached a decision, found the best deal on the best frame for an Ironman distance I felt we could afford (in my correct size of course). When it arrived I built it up and transferred all my research into how I set it up. I rode it, tweaked the fit, rode it some more, then tweaked it again, and again, and again. I made another appointment at the Sport Factory and had them look at me and make the final adjustments. The final product is exactly was I was striving for. I'm comfortable yet still aero and am in a very powerful position. Best of all, thanks to a very understanding wife and a sweet employee discount - I end up on my dream bike. While at times it was a frustrating and nerve racking process, it worked out perfectly in the end. Here is the result of nearly a month of research and trial and error.

My Cervelo P2. Chrissie Wellington won the Ironman World Championships on this exact frame in 2007 and 2008. Amazingly it's not even close to being the most expensive bike out there - it's not even Cervelo's most expensive bike. It's their "3rd best" tri frame. For some reason though - this thing is built for Ironman!

My other epiphany has to do with the way I approach the idea of recovery. Through a lot of reading I've finally got it through my head that I will never get stronger unless I take my rest days and recovery weeks seriously. That mean's not trying to make up missed workouts on off days and recovery weeks. Sticking to my routine of 6 days on, 1 day off helps me get stronger from week to week. In the long haul, making sure I stick to 3 weeks hard work to 1 week recovery will get me the most benefit from one phase to the next. Also not trying to cram to many long or intense efforts into a short period of time get's me the most gain from those efforts. In other words if I space my long efforts that are my key workouts apart through out the week I recover from one to the next instead of being in a state of perpetual exhaustion. Lastly - making sure I stick to a training load that I can consistently handle and recover from will yield the most improvement.

As I near the end of the first 8 weeks of my training plan, I feel like I've built a lot of momentum as I leave the "base phase" and enter the "build phase". I had two very good races at the Tundra Time Trial and the Thrills in the Hills Half Marathon Trail Race. I improved on my results in these events from last year with less specific speed preparation than I put in before them last year. This year my winter training has been geared more towards pure mileage. I'm most excited about the fact that my results in these two races were very even. Typically I see myself as a much stronger cyclist than a runner. The more balanced training plan I have this year seems to be paying off.

doldrums of winter training

I've got the winter training blues. The weather the past couple months has been rather uninspiring as far logging the mileage is concerned. 15 degree mornings a few weeks back forced me onto the trainer of a lot of riding, recently it's the incessant cold rains that keep me from deriving any kind of enjoyment from my training. These first four weeks have been painful. Not that the workout load has been all that strenuous, but the conditions tempting to stay in bed each morning have made it extra challenging to gear up and go for it. I admit I've missed a couple of workouts - so I'll be about 34 out of 36 for the first 4 weeks, which I guess isn't to bad considering what I've been facing.

One workout in particular really sent me over the edge. Yesterday I took off for a short ride before work and go caught in the rain, not to mention it was 35 degrees or so. I was soaked and freezing by the end. As I neared home I had a van pull up behind me and lay on his horn a few times. Not the friendly toot toot I'm going to pass you honk, but a loud obnoxious 'what the hell are you doing?' in my road honk. I turned around and waved at him, and motioned him to pass. He pulled up and rolled down his window. He yelled at me "You should be in the bike lane idiot!" as he pointed at the SIDEWALK. He sped off before I could really get a word in. Riding your bike on the sidewalk is not only dangerous as hell but illegal in Georgia (car's making rights can turn right into you, and cars pulling out never see you). I was fuming - but I would get he last word in as he got held up at the next stop light. I did what I probably shouldn't have done but was so aggravated by his ignorance and this was compounded by the crappy weather. I pulled my left glove off just to give him the bird - and yelled "jack ass!". The light turned green and I sped off. This wasn't the right thing to do - nothing was the best action. But given the ride I was having it sure made me feel better.

My friend Daniel said that one easy thing to increase respect for cyclists from motorists would be to include it in the curriculum and tests for obtaining a drivers license. This wouldn't really cost anything and would maybe just make motorists aware that we are out here and we're allowed to be out here.

breakthrough

My last couple of workouts have provided me with a small breakthrough of sorts. What this means is that I feel like the work that I've done so far has actually been effective and gotten me somewhere - not saying that I'm ready to go out and finish an Ironman tomorrow or anything, just had a couple of tiny victories. In the dead of winter, it's these tiny victories that get me from one workout to the next.

Tiny Victory #1
On Monday night I went to a group ride to try and avoid the trainer. It met at Mama's Board and Bike in downtown Buford. The entire ride would be in the dark which was amazingly fun but a little scary at the same time. I geared myself up with all my lights and reflective gear and joined the group of about 10 on a ride from downtown Buford then around Suwanee and back, about 17 miles. It was a pretty short ride but proved to be ridden at a fairly good tempo. The tiny victory was in the way I was able to pull the group into the wind and felt strong doing so. This was the first ride that I've felt powerful enough to "hammer" for any length of time.

Tiny Victory #2
My swim workout tonight also brought about some sensations of strength. My times weren't super fast but I sure felt efficient and much more powerful than I had in my first two weeks. It's not necessarily the speed or the times that are important in this game, it's the ability to move through long distances efficiently and relaxed.

The first two weeks of training kind of felt like I was just out there drudging through the mileage, but hopefully I've turned the corner and will start turning in more and more significant workouts that are confidence instilling.

in the groove

I've finally gotten myself into a solid full on training mode. Week 1 went well although I missed a couple of swims due to the lack of a car to get to the pool, but it was only about an hour worth of workout time. All of my bikes and runs were completed. Week 2 has gone even better, and I shouldn't have any problem getting all 9 of my planned workouts in.

One thing that has helped with this is the discovery of the Gwinnett Running Club. They meet 3 days a week for runs of different distances and intensities. So far I've been attending their Wednesday night run at Collins Hill Pool. It is a very diverse group of varying abilities and their seems to be enough serious runners on a regular basis to make it worthwhile to make running with them a regular routine. With all the solo training I have ahead of me, it's nice to have some workouts I can count on where I don't have to go it alone. They also do a track workout on Monday nights and a long run on Saturday mornings.

I've also made some crucial adjustments to the fit of my tri bike. This has been one of my biggest sources of anxiety regarding the race. I've never gone more than 60 or so miles on my triathlon bike, I've always done my centuries on my road bike, so I've been trying to figure out how to set it up to be comfortable for 112 miles. I've learned to make one small adjustment and then ride it to see how it feels - rather than make a lot of adjustments or big adjustments at one time. This way you know exactly what kind of adjustments are helping. It's definitely been a very systematic process to get it right.

Week 1 update

Quick update on how week 1 is going. So far so good. Workouts haven't been super long which means they aren't hard to find time to fit in. The only hurdle I've encountered this week is the lack of a car to get to the pool. I'll end up replacing a swim with some extra bike time on the trainer - what can you do though. The long bike for the week was 2hr and 15min on Monday which brought me to about 38 miles. I felt solid but the legs were fatigued afterward. Generally I feel like I'm physically at a good cross roads of being recovered from marathon season and ready to train hard, but I don't feel as though I've take to much time off.

The cold weather is still here, but once you get out in it a few times it doesn't seem to bother me to much. It's cold..but the miles must be logged and the show must go on!

My Favorite Gear (for now)

Through the benefits of working for a fantastic outdoor company, I have accumulated some great gear to help me during my training. During my run yesterday with Patrick, I was thinking about all of my favorite gear and how in the world would I get through the long workouts, adverse weather, and such with out them. Interestingly enough, it's those small things, those little detail pieces of gear that can make the biggest difference in a good day of training and a bad day. So here are my favorite pieces of gear!

Tifosi Vogel Sunglasses

The great thing about these sunglasses to me is I don't really notice wearing them. They are extremely lightweight and do not have frames. The lenses have "fototec" technology, so they get darker and lighter as the amount of sunlight you are in changes. When you ride a triathlon bike and you are down in the aero position, it forces you to look up through your brow. With a pair of sunglasses that have frames, you end up looking right into the fame at the top - therefor obstructing your view of the road. Not the case with the Vogel's due to the lack of frames, they are the perfect triathlon pair of sunglasses.


Pearl Izumi Barrier Shoe Covers












These thick neoprene booties that cover your shoes are a must for cold weather riding. Forget the toe covers, nothing compares to these bad boys. Keeps my toes warm and toasty even on the most frigid and windy days.


Novara Thermal Tech Arm Warmers













These offer me the option of shedding layers on the fly. Fleece lined and wind proof to 60 mph, they turn any jersey into a long sleeve jersey - but when the ride heats up, you can peel them off while riding and tuck them in your back pocket. Also great for cold weather running - I used them at the Rocket City Marathon.

Wigwam Ironman Tailwind Pro Running Socks













These socks are great for many reasons other than the bamf Ironman logo. First being that they are partially spandex, so they move with your feet and help you avoid blisters on the long runs. They have a cushioned sole that makes them extra comfy. The toes are seamless as well, so no annoying rubbing from that either.

Nathan Speed 4 Hydration/Fuel Belt












Make fun if you want, but this thing has gotten me through more than it's fair share of 20 milers. It's got enough storage pockets to hold 800-1000 calories of your favorite fuel, and four 10 oz bottles to fill with whatever keeps you hydrated the best. The bottles are removed and loaded into the holsters with ease so you don't have to slow down and look at what your doing.

So those are my favorite pieces of gear at the moment - I'll let you know if I obtain any other gear worth blogging about!

Base Phase

This Sunday marks 24 weeks to go until Ironman Coeur D'Alene. Of recent my training has been kind of off and on for lack of a better description. I've been battling a cold and the cold - this is one of the harshest winters I can remember. With the extreme cold temps and lack of daylight, outdoor training time has been at a premium. I've been in the basement on the cycling trainer just about as much as I can stand in an attempt to maintain general fitness. Yes the indoor pool is an option, but when it's 15 degrees and dark out it is very very challenging to coerce yourself out of a nice warm bed to head to the pool alone and crank out laps while staring at a black line.

With that being said, it is definitely time to put up or shut up. I have all the resources to train through just about any weather or daylight constraints, it's just a matter of getting the ball rolling. Pulling a 24 week training plan from Triathlete Magazines Essential Week by Week training Guide, modifying it slightly by adding some more cycling volume and a bit more intensity here and there - I've created a plan that suits me pretty much to a T. This coming week I will begin the journey of a lifetime, my quest to finish an Ironman distance triathlon. 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running - all in one day. It's going to be a lot of cold, long, lonely, and grueling workouts to get myself to June 27th, yet at this point I have no choice but to force myself to do it - the entry fee is paid, the travel plans are all set. To me there is no greater challenge than to be self coached and self motivated. It would be all to easy to pay someone to tell me what to do and when to do it. I'm a firm believer that going through the suffering alone with my thoughts will make me better on June 27th, because in the end nobody is going to help me go the distance on race day. I expect this adventure to come down to an intense mental battle with myself on the 26.2 mile run, so that is how most of my preparation will be done.

The plan itself is divided into three 8 week phases: Base, Build, and Peak. These first 8 weeks a far and away the most important aspect of he entire plan. This is because in order to develop the ability to go for 13 or so hours straight, I need to build my endurance steadily over a long period of time. If I don't allow myself time to build slowly and have to "cram" my training into to short a period to close to the race I will probably end up over trained or injured. This would also affect my performance on race day as I would not have adequate time to recover from training before the race. Also included is a small amount of high-intensity work to enhance my efficiency and prepare my body for the build phase.

Here are the first 8 weeks (Build Phase) laid out: Ironman CDA 2010 Build Phase
-The key workouts are my long efforts, they are highlighted in yellow.
-Every 4th week is a recovery week. Not as noticeable of a drop in this phase though.

My goal for this week is to simply get accustomed to my new workout routine and simply get into a good rhythm with my training.

So here goes nothing!