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.