#79: It takes a village, idiot

Triathlon is raced by individuals.....but anyone who has done it knows it's a team sport. This week the goal was to take another jump in training volume and it took help from many for me to even get close.  


Coming off a race week where I gave myself a premature "down" week in order to have some measure of freshness in the legs, it was about making another step in the ladder toward the big (20 hour plus) weeks.


This jump, from the 14-15 hour range to the 17-18 hour range is a tough one, b/c it really takes the mental willingness to let yourself get into a 2+ hour per day on most days of the week routine AND a big training weekend.  The obvious difficulty is just getting your body used to it.....the less obvious (but still understandable to most) is the idea of finding ANOTHER 3 hours in the week to train which is NEVER NEVER easy......how do you throw another ball into the juggling act?  At this point, it becomes a team sport......where the athlete is merely one member of the village.....some would argue, including me at times, the idiot.


This week, my village included 

Super-Fans

• my wife who continues to graciously allow every "we" minute to be sacrificed and morphed into a "me" minute
• my kids, who somehow think that our crazy schedule is normal "enough" and adapt with only the slight oddity that comes with being my children
• a total stranger who, through a mutual friend, hooked up with me for 50 miles on the bike this AM. He was willing to put together a great ride AND keep my time constraints (soccer game to attend) in the back of his mind 
• and my Mom who watched kid #3 while I put in session #2 for the day, another 30 miles on the bike + 2 run b/c Linds and the girls were headed to Chester, PA to watch the US Women's Soccer team take on China

 

And that's only this week.

The good news is, it was a solid training week.  It wasn't pretty (rain during the week hurt a little), but I hit most of my objectives (nearly 10 hours on the bike and a long run in the heat as part of the 25 miles I put int) but the not so good news is, I didn't successfully make the jump......14 hours, but not 18 as I had hoped.....and for the most part this was lost swimming yards.  I only got 1 x 45 min swim in this week.  It was a good set, but just couldn't get back there.

WHERE FROM HERE?

I'm pretty fried.  My legs are feeling decent (after my second ice-bath in 2 days), but I'm tired.  With the holiday tomorrow, I'm thinking I'll take the day off and with an Olympic distance race a week from today, I'll need to get some rest.  My training stress balance is showing me why I'm feeling a little trashed.....I'm sitting at a negative 20 after today's session (racing-ready is more like +20).

• My bike miles of 175 for the week was solid and that'll dip some this week.....but I need to be ready to get it over 200 the following week.
• My run miles need to come up some, from the 25 range to the 30 range......or just adding in some continued distance on my long run (move from 15.5 to 17?).
• HAVE to get back in the water.....I've worked pretty hard on my form and I can't afford to lose that hard work.  The good news is, I can use the softer week to get back in the pool.

But for now......the formula is simple.....REMEMBER and RECOVER.  Remember, that if it weren't for the sacrifice of so many who gave their lives and so many that continue to protect our freedoms, I wouldn't be able to play this game I do.  To them, my enduring thanks.

Happy Memorial Day, 

Mike E.

#78: I love the smell of neoprene in the mornin'

I thought I made this up....apparently not

This week was the official start of the racing season for me and it turned out alright, I think.....not perfect, but I think it was the right approach in general.  I toned down the training some because I wanted to get a good gauge of my race-fitness and I was feeling a little more run-down that I would like.....so I defaulted to listening to my body.  That coupled with the continued hectic nature of my non-training-life (is there such a thing?) and it was wise for me to not over-do.

• Started the week out with a solid tempo run on Monday.  Went out with the idea of taking it easy (first track workout the following day), but felt pretty good so just went with it.
• Tuesday I did a workout with a colleague at a client site....I should clarify....a colleague of the kona-qualifying, 9:30-IronMan, sub 3-hour marathon sort.  We did a mile warm-up, 800m repeats with 400m recovery x5 and mile cool-down.  Or a "1/2-Yasso" set.  Short and to the point.
• Wednesday I got out on the bike for nearly 35 mi
• Thursday I put in 30 minutes on the Elliptigo for a solid workout w/o joint stress
• Friday I jumped in for a quick & hard swim workout doing 100m repeats
• Saturday was raceday
• Today - my schedule dictated a rest day.....probably worth it, but not planned.

The alright part (as mentioned above) was that I placed 35 overall, besting 8 of the racers in the elite wave in the 2012 running of the JerseyMan race, a local "plus-sized" sprint (I'm calling it a "plus sized" b/c it was a little bit longer than a typical sprint @ .47 mi swim + 12 mi bike + 3.1 mi run) at .6 mi swim + 20 mi bike + 4 mi run which earned me 5th in my age group and the "yokel" award (i.e. first from the host-county to cross).

The I think part was because if I hadn't monitored my own splits, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have any idea how I did beyond my total time of 1:43:36.2, which would be kind of tough to judge b/c my goal going in was to show solid swim improvement and transition well but beyond that just go with how I felt.

My current "official" results are showing:

• a 10:37 swim (about 30% faster than training pace, so unlikely despite the wetsuit) 
• 0:00 in Transition 1 (talk about efficient)
• a bike split of 57:57 (which is probably close @ 20.7 mph), 
• a T2 split of 9:37 (must have been when I made that PB&J and got that 5 min chair massage) and 
• 0:00 on the run (those sprints really paid off)

My watch, which I was close on (let the bike split inadvertently run a bit into transition-2 maybe 10 sec) had the following read-out:

• a 15:04.75 swim (which is still 17% faster than training pace)
• a T1 split of 2.49.05 (I'm reasonably happy with b/c pretty long run from water + wetsuit removal)
• a Bike split of 58:03.23 (which makes 57:57 a realistic, solid, but not all-out effort)
• a T2 split of 0:30.61 (which is solid)
• a run of 27:07.37 (a 6:47 min/mile avg off the bike, a definite improvement)

Overall, it's about what I had hoped for from a time perspective and I got the major parts in place (swim pace improved considerably, transitions good), but I still haven't figured out how to get the swim start right.  I went out WAY strong and had to back off a ton to get into a rhythm.  I was a little bit stronger on the run than I expected (PSYCHED that I was getting stronger mile by mile, but have no idea how long that would have lasted), but it was a little less than I was looking for on the bike, although in fairness, I probably lost 10-15 seconds when I dropped my Garmin within 100 yards of leaving T1 - DOH!).  Nutrition at this distance is basically a no-factor, and although it got warm, it wasn't really long enough to be a real heat-test.

WHERE FROM HERE?

Double the volume?
Thanks Tri-Coach Jesse K
for giving me a place to
steal this picture

This week HAS TO be a bigger bike volume week.  It's supposed to be my down week, but with a little backing-off for race week, I should be ready to increase the volume.  Shooting for some where b/t 150 and 175 miles.  Need to do a long-run if I can fit it in, but that's secondary to the bike miles and could wait until next week if needed.  Going to keep the swim sessions shorter and start building up the intensity some.

Got a couple weeks before my next race (Oly-distance on Jun-3 in PA) so need to get a couple of good build weeks in before then.

1 down, 3 to go,

Mike E.

#77b Insects are high in protein (and other pearls learned during endurance training)

I figured, since I'm normally writing this on Sunday and talking about the trials of training, and since I pretty much summed this week up with my blog post #77a (HERE if you didn't read it....it's a pretty realistic look into what's running through the head of an endurance athlete when the training week is done), I'd just give you a quick update on some of the pearls I've learned while "out there"

say ahh!

1. IN THROUGH THE NOSE, OUT THROUGH THE MOUTH:
Being a "nose" breather is a luxury that many people take for granted:  don't really know if it was the years of contact sports or just some sort of familial defect.....(my Dad is notorious for a similar inability) but I'm not blessed with a real functional nasal passage when it comes to breathing.  My left nostril works (as in, lets air in some of the time), but my right is a bit more restricted.  This means mouth breathing is much more efficient.  I know, breathing through your nose is generally regarded as "better" when it comes to endurance sports, but (in my mind) breathing at all is better than that......so mouth breathing it is for me usually.  There are many ways this becomes a disadvantage for me, but last night one really great one was reinforced.  The mouth is a bigger target for bugs to fly in and as the sun sets, the bugs come out en-force.  At least 3 different times last night a bug flew into my mouth.  Two times they were the small gnat-ish type.....so you almost just have to deal with it.....but one time it was big enough that I could work it to the front of my mouth and spit it out.  Yuk!  By the end of the ride (830P) they were pelting off my face like riding through sleet.....pretty gross.  But the scariest thing was when the bat (or bird or something else flying erratically) chasing them just about flew into me I knew it was time to be done. I'm thinking of trying the breathe-right strips.

racing physique

2. PLANNING OUT A TIME TO EAT IS MORE NECESSARY THAN IT SEEMS: Eating becomes something that you feel almost forced to do (it is sort of important) and you're finding ways to "fit it in" between training and work.  I've gotten the "you're looking really skinny" comment now a few times, and I'm seeing my body fat continue to melt away so I know I'm at a good training weight and almost nearing race-weight.  The trouble is, time is hard to come by no matter what the task....and I'm finding that eating is something that I have to plan out if I'm going to actually do it.  Eat too close to a workout and you'll pay for it.....you couldn't possibly eat enough during a workout to match the calories lost DURING THAT WORKOUT, let alone to make up for missing a meal......and after a long session you don't really feel like sitting down and eating a big spread.....this is not a complaint....just a reality.  This week I ate a powerbar as a meal more times than I'd care to admit....KNOWING FULL WELL this will hamper my training.  This accounts for some of the "other hours" (i.e. not training, but still dedicated) that are involved. Thank God I have a wife that is willing to help w/this.  E.g.: Yesterday I had a couple of bagels for breakfast before running out the door to kid #2 soccer game, drove back and grabbed a powerbar, 2x100 cal bag of pretzels and several handfuls of almonds/dried-fruit mix while watching kid #1 soccer prior to riding my bike x 73 miles......NO WONDER I didn't feel super powerful (or fast) on the bike yesterday.  Total failure on the meal side......and I paid for it.  This is the point in training when I start making calorie consumption part of the picture.....I'm starting my week long nutrition log NOW.

Keep it clean people

3. WORK REALLY GETS IN THE WAY OF TRAINING: I was once told that owning a small business was great because you got to work 1/2 days......any 12 hours you wanted.  Yep, that's about right.  I wonder sometimes what it would be like to work only a consistent 8 hour per day job.....or even better a job that had "banker's hours".  Could we arrange that?  It would do WONDERS for my training.  I feel like I'm progressing solidly this year and I'm expecting good things.....but unfortunately, not GREAT things b/c I need to be able to do 2x/day training (AM and PM would be ideal) and instead, I'm compressed into the odd hours of "when I can".  Again, this is NOT a complaint......I'm one of very few people who get to do what they really love and thankfully there's enough work to grow on.....but when it comes to training.....it's a roadblock for sure.

Not likely

4. MOTORISTS HATE YOU AND WANT YOU DEAD: Seems unfair but it's true.  They don't care that the pothole on the side of the road that you're about to ride through is large and deep enough to consume your front tire like a snack.  There are definitely some idiots out there that challenge the cars and probably drive motorists nuts (I've been behind them before), but there are PLENTY of drivers that seem to be playing the "how close can I get to this cyclist without hitting them" game, regardless of road width, on-coming traffic or anything else. It's truly a wonder more cyclists don't get killed on the roadways.

something like this....

5. NEVER EVER EVER RIDE BY A FIREHOUSE WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS: So this one MUST have been hilarious to see.  I was in Long Valley, NJ riding by the firehouse (or first aid house or some such) when the horn.....and I mean....H-O-R-N blared to let the town know there was an emergency.  Many smaller towns in NJ are volunteer and they used to (before the advent of wireless technologies I'm guessing) use a monster whistle to round up the troops.....well Long Valley apparently hasn't gotten rid of theirs.  Precisely at the moment I passed the first (of several) ear-splitting fog-horn-like blasts was given off.  The timing was impeccable.......and I sort of wish someone had on video b/c I freakin JUMPED.  I mean so much, that without clip-in pedals there's no doubt I'd have been off the bike.  The motorists near me must have peed themselves if they saw it......after a string of expletives I relaxed......LOUDEST NOISE EVER. 




_________________________________
Week in Review


14 hours of training (about an hour shy of my goal) - but considering a really really hectic week (see #3 above) I'm happy with that.  

• Equivalent of 135 mi on the bike, which was only about 15 mi short of goal.....but that was largely due to running out of daylight on my long ride (had hope to get b/t 80-100 miles in).
• Only 2 of 3 swim sessions in.....need to have a long session today (Monday)
• Got a strength session in.....MAN was I sore from the squats & lunges
• Run felt pretty good......had 2 really tough workouts and both went about as planned.

__________________________________
The Week AHEAD


Need to focus on getting some rest in this week b/c Saturday is my first RACE-TEST of the season "JerseyMan Classic Triathlon" a .6 swim + 20 mi bike + 4 mi run.  I'm feeling a little burnt, but with some rest and well planned out meals, I think I can have a successful day.


More next week,


Mike E.

#77a This is no time to write a blog

Seriously, it's not. I just got off the bike (20 min ago) after +/- 75mi and now after a shower, I'm really tired, really hungry and I really want a beer.

So I'm going to pull blogger's prerogative and simply leave it at:

I owe you one....Tomorrow's another day,

Mike E.

#76: This weeble wobbles but doesn't fall down

It was a bounce back week for me......my first gut check of this training season.....after feeling pretty good and being forced to (yet again) learn the lesson that one is NEVER to tempt fate by saying this out loud or in blog form, I was faced with the opportunity to be the clown that keeps coming back for another punch in the face and yet find a way to keep that silly smile on my face......yes.....let's be clear, I am the clown in this picture.....but hope to at some point be the kid with the monstrous gloves.


Monday I got back in the pool to see how much I deteriorated with a(nother) week off from the pool.  It wasn't a complete debacle, but it was close.  My form was really unnatural.....that is.....more really unnatural than it already is.  My balance in the water was super-screwy and I just couldn't find a rhythm......but I put some time in and was glad I did.


Tuesday I was doing some kid-chasing, but was able to get nearly 30 miles on the bike in and felt a little weak, but after reviewing the ride-data, it was better than it felt.


Wednesday I was able to get a short run and a short swim in as well.  This was a good thing, but again, the quality was fair.


Thursday I went out and did some hill work on the bike and it was tough.....but it felt good to work hard.


Friday I needed to do some miles on foot and managed to put in a bit more than 15 miles.  It was my first hot and humid run and I definitely wilted some.  Felt pretty good for the first 12, but struggled for the final three.  Need to keep working toward heat acclimation.

Saturday I was on the blitz.  It stared with kid #2's communion ceremony.....she was VERY proud to have the spotlight a little and we of course were very proud of her.  We celebrated a little and then jumped in the car to head north to try and catch Nick finish the NorthFace 50 mi Endurance Challenge in Bear Mountain.  He was ahead of pace and I wasn't sure we were going to make it so we hustled.....but got there.  It was pretty cool to watch some of the various racers (marathon, 50K and 50 mi) make their way toward to the finish.  We watched one guy come in who had clearly pushed himself to his limit, as he high-stepped (involuntarily) toward the finish on some really wobbly legs.  I smiled a little to myself as I thought about how much he looked like a marionette.....but after 50 miles, I'm pretty sure, I'd be happy to look that good.


A little while later, a few of the top women came through the finish......serious athletes......with physiques that made many of the men look a bit, uh, feeble.


Then after a few more minutes we saw Nick coming toward the finish, with an actual smile on his face.  Not the I'm in pain and trying to muster it up smile either.....an actual smile.  We sent Andrew out to give him a high-five and realized (as the 5 year old cut in front of a man who had just run 50 miles making him stop short) that maybe our instructions were a bit vague.  Nick nimbly changed direction and got across the finish meeting his goal of a sub-11 hour race.  Pretty impressive.....check out the video clip HERE  - we bolted soon thereafter and I dropped the kids and went straight to the pool for an endurance swim.....55 laps.  A little boring, but needed to get done and at a pace I was happy with for this point in training.  Not fast enough.....but moving in the right direction.

Today (Sunday): was the test of whether or not things were back on track.  I had planned on catching up with a few guys for a 8 mile run, but needed to get a solid ride in beforehand.  This would be the longest run (off a longer ride) I've done in a while and I wasn't sure how fast we'd be running so I took the ride out easy with the emphasis on cadence and easy gearing.  I was happy to see that my average pace was still solid and I got off the bike feeling pretty strong.  Ran at a reasonable pace and besides still not quite figuring out the best nutritional strategy (one of my top goals), the 8 miles went by quickly and I wasn't nearly as shot.  Positive.


FOR THE WEEK

• Got 11.5 hours of training which needs to get to 15 by the end of this 4 week cycle.
• Swam +/- 3 miles
• Biked +/- 100 miles
• Ran +/- 30 miles

WHERE FROM HERE?

Need to increase the bike miles, but the swim and run are pretty solid and could stay flat.  Wouldn't hurt to get in some strength and flexibility as well if possible.  With the increase in volume and the emphasis on endurance, there's no doubt I'm losing some strength.

Need to keep working on strength and endurance for another month during this "build" phase before moving to "power" in early June.  This means continued emphasis on building up my mileage and hours as well as starting to work toward greater sustained pace and lactate threshold.  With any luck I'll get in my first century-ride (100 miler) of the season and bring up my long run to 17 miles prior to the first race of the season on the 19th.  The trick now is to get that done.

Coming up for another punch,


Mike E.