Vo2 Blog

Western States - An easy decision

2011-01-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

When I applied for the WS100 lottery I knew I had a slim chance of getting in however I had fun doing some Ultras in 2010 so I thought hey I qualified, I deserve to apply. Someone had led me to believe that you basically don't get a look in if its your first year applying so I thought what the hell apply and let fate deal your hand.

Well as fate had it I got selected. A double edged sword as I knew it was the same weekend as Ironman Coeur d'Alene a key race for many of my athletes and for several their first Ironman. I can honestly say I don't really have any personal ambitions left in the sport that I want to achieve. Don't get me wrong I will always race 'hard' when I race and if I am in shape then hey who knows what the outcome will be but long gone are the days when I get worked up about the outcome of a race.

A number of weeks have passed since I got the 'news' I was in WS100 and many weeks of trying to get my head around Ironman St George a race quickly creeping up on me and at the forefront of my mind. Also many more weeks have passed for my athletes preparing for Ironman Coeur d'Alene and as they are changing gear and really getting into some consistent meaningful training my mind keeps drifting to IMCDA 2010 where a good number of Team Vo2Multisport athletes and supporters alike made the journey to race and support. I have not missed an Ironman Coeur d'Alene since I moved to the US and in the process I have made some wonderful friends and collected some fabulous memories. A special mention at this point needs to go to Susan and Robert Cliff who have been the home stay of Cindy and I for the last several years and have the 'best' house in town (those of you who know where we stay can vouch for that).

I asked myself the question, how would I feel not being in Coeur d'Alene this year and the answer was heart broken. I love being there for my athletes and simply put have such an awesome time helping them get through their day and the lead up to the race that I don't want to miss it. So in short I am withdrawing from WS100 and am instead going to do what I love, look after my athletes, help them when they need me and generally enjoy the warmth and splendor that Coeur d'Alene has to offer.

The Vo2Multisport Inspiration station will bigger and better than ever before so stop by during race week, or give us a shout or a smile on race day. We will be there for you and will cheer just as loudly for the first person as the last ;).

Road to St George - Weeks 9-12

2011-01-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

Okay I admit I am woefully behind with my blog. Time to catch up and make amends. A lot has happened since my last update, some fun trips and a couple of decent races. Still very little in the way of meaningful long workouts but none the less I actually feel in a good place. Health status is great, this is something I take pride in and employing every recovery protocol that is practical after my workouts certainly helps my recovery and allows my body a fighting chance to hold up to the intensity/volume. Point of note here is the last two weeks executing back to back races (RnR AZ and 4th Dimension Off Road Duathlon), performing well and recovering after them in a timely manner with minimum disruption to the 'plan'.

Going to focus on highlights from the last several weeks rather than detailed training summaries as in previous posts:

New Year at Sage Cliff (Cave B) with Cindy and the dogs. A great time had by all, nice and relaxing and a chance to re-charge the batteries a little. Good food, good wine, wonderful company and of course a couple of short very very cold runs. Beautiful views of the Gorge and the Columbia River, will explore this area more in the Summer fingers crossed ;)
First Week of the New Year. A great training week which saw me hitting 16 hours or so of training with great balance. Only downside was getting lazy about signing up for Bridle Trails and for the first time in its history it sold out leaving myself and many other team mates out in the cold. I see this as a good thing though as it means the popularity of trail running is continuing to rise and people are gettting outside and getting it done.
Rock n Roll AZ. A much needed escape to the sunshine with our training group who had been preparing for the last 20 weeks or so. Cindy and I left late on Friday which was not optimal but once there soon found our bearings and with the use of our good friend Eric Wynn's condo and car for the weekend we were all set. The Saturday was a bit of blur, woke up, ate breakfast, did some work, went to register, ran a solid six miles, then out to dinner with the team at Oregano's and back to the condo ready to get some sleep after getting race kit ready for the morning.
The Race. Well what can I say I had an absolute blast pacing Max (and Joe for a while but he was suffering with some kind of stomach bug from earlier in the week, long story but between porta potty stops he still locked down a Boston qualifying time) to a huge marathon PR (over 20 minutes) and enjoying the atmosphere along the way. It was a great way for me to help a team mate and get a solid training run in. Max finished in 3:09:54 and was rock solid all day never once faltering even under my shouts and screams to hold things together in the last 8km (which he did) when the going got a little tough. We essentially even paced the entire run with mile splits ranging from 7:10-7:15 for the first 22 miles then a combination of the climbs and the fatigue slowed the next three miles to 7:20's before the final mile where I ran strong knowing Max would do his best to come with me and in the process break 3:10. He only needed to go sub 3:20 for Boston so he really knocked it out the park, awesome experience. I will do more pacing in the future (truly enjoyed it) so if anyone wants to shoot for Boston who knows they are a little erratic and/or need a little motivation when the going gets tough look me up ;).
Team Mates. Cindy had an awesome day in the half for her comeback race after getting hit by the car several months ago and ran 1:35. Not her best time but considering the lack of any speed work and limited mileage a great performance. We had five Boston qualifiers as a team and a bunch of people with PR's and satisfying experiences on race day. A real success for the Rock n Roll run program and something we will repeat for next year with a few tweaks here and there.
4th Dimension Racing. Roger Michel and Kevin Reinkensmeyer did a fabulous job of putting on a super great Off Road Duathlon at Ft Steilicoom this weekend. It was race one of a two race series and was a blast. I am no mountain biker but thankfully there was nothing too technical and other than couple of rookie errors I got through the ride okay, so don't fear the bike course you guys, come join us for race two on Saturday February 26th. Some great racing to be had, what a way to test your fitness against some very elite MTB's. Now if only that second run was 20km ;). Thanks to all the volunteers (many provided by Team Vo2Multisport) and Roger and Kevin for such an awesome awesome race.

Okay we are now at the start of a new week (today is January 24th) and only 15 weeks (eek!!!!) until Ironman St George, so time focus on staying healthy and injury free, building cycling volume, introducing some 'course' specific run training and generally having fun with this wonderful lifestyle I am able to be so deeply involved with......bring it on.

Thanks to everyone following this blog and those of you that are supporting me in my coaching, training, and racing. My sponsors Brooks, GU, TYR, nuun, Sports Reaction Center, Headsweats, Dilettante, Rudy Project, QR, and Orca Compression all make my life so much easier as I have everything I need to race fast, recover well and look sharp.

Road to St George - Weeks 6-8

2010-12-29T09:01:00.000-08:00

Well it seems i have gotten a little behind with the updates, sorry folks! I will redeem myself by catching up today. It has been a similar picture to the last several weeks overall. Some good key workouts achieved and unfortunately some very key workouts missed. Good things are my health and body, both are in a good place. A not so good thing is that wine consumption seems to be back where it was before I entered my preparation phase ;).

So to give you a quick summary of where things are at from a training standpoint. Week 6:

Swim - A big swim week by virtue of Laura's planned 100x100's that took place on Saturday. I wanted to challenge myself and my swim stroke with this epic swim and was very pleased with the outcome. I won't bore you with the details but the week ended up with 5 hours of swimming and 17,000+ yards of swimming.
Bike - Another week of indoor only riding, if nothing else I am a good marketing tool for my business! I managed to get in 5 hours of ride time with a real mix of work across all ranges, although no vo2 sets just yet. Most of the focus was around IM Power and LT.
Run - Not a great week. Three runs for a total of 20 miles (2.5 hours). Should have run Sunday just didn't happen, no excuse here just lazy I guess!
Core/TRX - Three solid sessions, feel really strong in a functional kind of way! I am certain the core work helped me get through the 100x100 without any 'fade' or loss of form. I need to work a little more on scapular stabilization and external rotation using the TRX but this is easy to implement.

Total duration for the week was 13.5 hours.

Week 7 was a mixed bag. Improvement in run frequency but less swimming and core work. I did take a day off this week my first for 27 days! I tend to only take days off when I feel I need them and/or when circumstances conspire against me and I simply can't fit something in. As you can gather most days I don't struggle with at least getting something done. Consistent training leads to consistent results and helps develop a robust athlete. Stats as follows:

Swim - Just two swims this week but they were both decent. 7000 yards 2 hours. Felt strong in the water during my 2000 straight through, did not 'tt' it but swam strong and went around 26:55. That will do for now!
Bike - Well biked four times Mon-Thurs. No riding Fri-Sun. Not optimal but not the end of the world. That outdoor ride still missing! 4 hours ride time, some intensity for sure!
Run - Four sessions this week, 33 miles and about 4 hours total run time. Long trail run, track workout, m pace tempo on the treadmill and a trail run with Hawi. A nice rounded week of running.
Core/TRX - Just two sessions this week but both were very solid. Not much more to say on that.

So in summary week seven ended up at about 11.5 hours. Same old story of missing the long outdoor ride (or long indoor ride as a substitute) but a somewhat well rounded week I guess.

Week eight was Christmas week. In spite of the crazyness of Christmas I still managed a solid week. Diet was not optimal but could definitely have been worse. More wine and chocolate than I care to recall but all in all I did not put weight on and was at a season low of 152.5lbs Christmas morning ;), since moved up a little but hey, I am only human..... Here are some stats, oh and Christmas day was a day off ;o0:

Swim - Two sessions, one of 3700 and one of 4150. Pleased with Thursdays swim, hit 4k in an hour which including rest intervals which was decent. Need to hit three sessions next week though.
Bike - Four sessions, one road ride (1:45), and one longer ride on the CT (54 miles). A decent week, averaged about 240w for the Wildflower course on Friday and it felt good (about 85% ftp). Other sessions had some intensity but nothing noteworthy, either that or I am just keeping it a secret ;). Time on the bike 6.5 hours.
Run - Four sessions, a short night time trail run with Hawi, an M pace tempo run (6 miles at 6:48 pace), t-run (transition run) after the Wildflower ride and a long trail run with Gerry and Eddie on Sunday. Total run time 4:15.
Core/TRX - Another week of just two sessions......must try harder!!!

Total for the week 13:45hrs. Some missed workouts but I am satisfied with the week. The New Year really is crunch time for me to hit my long brick workout and to build the run volume. Not in a panic just yet and feeling healthy and strong so that is a blessing.

I shall try and get back on track with the weekly updates in the New Year and get back to adding some nutrition information and other good stuff. Thanks for reading and Happy New Year to you all.

Road to St George - Week 5

2010-12-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry this is late, been a hectic week. Week 5 was decent, again a couple of 'planned' sessions never happened but there were a couple of bonus workouts in there so I was on the whole pleased. Here is the training week in detail:

Swim - I managed three swims this week and two of those were masters workouts. I missed my normal post swim4tri workouts due to the pools being closed at Samena so to get three sessions in was pleasing. I swam approx 10,000 yards and am starting to feel decent in the water. Monday's Masters session was pushing the envelope for me with super tight send off's, I normally hate swimming like this as I feel my stroke falls apart however I believe there is some value in challenging yourself in the water sometimes (with a tight send off) provided you get the opportunity to re-set and bring your stroke back during the session with some well timed drills and easy swimming.
Bike - Again the big downer here is the lack of a decent outdoor long ride. Time to re-evaluate my schedule and look for a day that is a better fit for this. I don't have the flexibility to just get out when the weather is good and need to factor in my ride leads at the Performance Center with any other planned riding. Five rides and a total of 6.5 hours of ride time, all on the CT with a decent amount of work at/around IM watts. Introducing more and more NM work into my rides now and am feeling the benefit.
Run - An interesting week! For the first time in a while all my runs were on technical trail with two of them being in the pitch dark. Not sure how many of you have run off road in the dark with a head torch but it is challenging. Biggest concerns with this are rolling an ankle and then being out of action for a while, can't afford for that to happen but still got to get the runs in. I did indeed roll my ankle on Saturday evening which meant I missed my planned run with the team on Sunday but it was not a serious sprain fortunately. The big news on the run side this week was winning one of the much sought after Western States 100 lottery slots, more on that later! Total for the week was three runs and 3.5 hours of running.
TRX/Core - Another good week here and feeling the benefits of hitting these workouts with consistency. Three very solid 30-45 minute sessions with lots of functional movements. Helping the body co-ordinate movement patterns and improving NM function makes for a more balanced athlete and a more resilient one, I will build to five sessions a week here and start mixing some TRX into the middle of my bike and run workouts over the next couple of weeks.

Total training time for week 5 about 14.5 hours. Relatively well balanced but definitely missing two key things, that long outdoor ride and the forth run. Will try and remedy that this week but looks like the weather might be against me a little.

So as I promised in last weeks blog here is some detail as to how my year will shape up with regard to planned races, training camps and 'big weekends'. Having key BT (breakthrough) workouts/camps/prep races on the calendar really helps to break up the year when training for an early season race where inevitably you have to train through some rather inclement weather. The more things you have to look ahead to the more focused you will be on your intermediate goals, and the more likely you will be to hit key workouts and get to the starting line mentally and physically ready to toe the line:

January 8th Bridal Trails 50km - This will likely be a game day decision. If conditions are good (would prefer cold snow covered trails or dry conditions, slim chance) then I will likely run if not then maybe the 10 mile race will be the way I go or talk Cindy into the pairs race!
January 16th Rock n Roll AZ Marathon - I will leave on Friday evening, and return on Monday. My plan is to run long on South Mtn Trails on Saturday and race the marathon on Sunday. I care not about the outcome of the marathon the goal is come out of the weekend with two solid over distance runs healthy and injury free. I will still however run as fast as my legs will allow me. Would be nice to go under 3:10 for the marathon.
February 10th-13th - Tour de Palm Springs Century ride. This will be combined with a moderate duration ride the day before with a short t-run, the century on the Saturday and a long run and swim on the Sunday. This will probably be the first real opportunity to get in a solid long ride outside on the tri bike since training started in November, will be good benchmark as to where my riding is as I will aim to ride the century (where congestion etc allows) at goal IM power.
March Tucson Training Camps - Week 1 will be dedicated to bike volume with at least one key session dedicated to work at LT. As the focus in on the campers though it will be a case of simply getting in what I can while ensuring everything runs smoothly and the campers leave happy and fulfilled (read as completely shattered from all the training ;)). Week 2 will be a hardcore training week as I shall hopefully have Cindy along to do most of the support duties and as this is labeled the 'elite week' the quality of the athletes in attendance should ensure I get adequately smashed in training. Would like to rack up at least 300 miles a week of riding, 40-50 miles of running and 12-15k in the pool.
April 13th-17th - St George and Rage - Plan is to fly to Vegas on Wednesday early morning, drive up to St George and ride one loop of the bike course followed by running a portion of the run course. Thursday will be full ride of the course followed by a loop of the run course (big day). Friday, early swim, then drive to Vegas and register etc for the HIM on the Saturday. Saturday will be interesting if nothing else. I will 'race' to the best of my ability given the fatigue I will be carrying into the event. Sunday will be a chilled day with perhaps a recovery spin or more likely a short open water swim (opportunities to get in open water will be limited before race day so makes sense to take advantage while I can).
April 21st-24th Ironman Coeur d'Alene Camp 1 - This is now two weeks out from IMStG and will be my last week of significant volume. I won't train a lot during the camp but will execute on some final key sessions to ensure my race plan is dialed in and my power/paces are locked in.

Adding this kind of structure sure helps focus the mind and gain a little more commitment. You can't show up to a century for example without some bike miles in your legs so the drive this provides to get some riding in before the event is very useful. The same goes with the Tucson camps. Without some condition I will not be able to do the volume I desire and more importantly would compromise my ability to recover and absorb the said training. One thing I don't have margin for given the volume of my typical 'in town' week is to miss any training through injury/illness so it is imperative that I balance fatigue cost of my workouts and structure adequate rest and recovery between some of these key events that I have planned.

The big addition to my 2011 race calendar is the Western States 100 trail race. If you like this is kind of like the Kona of trail running in that you have to qualify (unlike Kona however it is not that challenging) however unlike Kona once you qualify (along with 1600 or so others) you then have to register and wait for the lottery which this year was on December 4th. Only 220 or so runners get selected so as you can see the odds are long. I entered more because I was proud of my race at Whiteriver and less to actually get into Western States but as 'luck' would have it my name came out of the hat!! It will not influence my St George prep other than I might try and get a couple more longer trail runs in than i would otherwise have done and then after the ironman it will be run, run , run and run some more!

The blog now has good reason to continue after Ironman St George so keep reading.

Road to St George - Week 4

2010-11-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

The end of the first four weeks and I feel like I am beginning to hit my stride although there are still some key workouts that seem to not be happening. Not a problem as this 'prep phase' was about establishing some semblance of a routine and working out which days will work for certain workouts. Not as easy for someone whose hours are not set like a regular job but still I probably have a little more flexibility in my day than most so things kind of balance out in the end. Whenever I have worked in jobs with consistent working hours I have always found my training to be more effective and my schedule to be easier to follow, your training windows are somewhat forced upon you.

The training week in summary:

Swim: I actually managed to again swim three times this past week, all three workouts in a SCM pool. I prefer swimming in meters pools, it is what I grew up swimming in and I like making fewer turns for a given workout. The highlight was Tuesday, the crazy snow day! I felt like Peter Reid in the movie 'What it Takes', I showed up to no lifeguards, one receptionist and the maintenance manager. None of my swimmers showed for their scheduled workout (swim4tri is every Tuesday/Thursday at 6:45am) and so after making the journey from Newcastle to Bellevue I was determined that I would not miss out on my swim (I usually swim after my class) so I managed to persuade the staff at Samena to let me sneak in a quick session. I managed to get in 2100m and felt good about it! My other two sessions were both around 3000m and included a decent amount of work at or around my CSS (critical swim speed).
Bike: Not the week I wanted here as no ride over 75 minutes in duration. Not going to build the necessary IM bike fitness with hour long rides no matter how many of them I do! I got in four decent sessions, most of which included an element of tempo and/or LT work. There were also a couple of NM type sets included. Not the end of the world so will look forward to building volume on the bike through December.
Run: A much better week than the previous two. I managed a double run day on Tuesday with a 5 mile and 11 mile session. Both of these were at E pace (for me right now about 7:30/mile), so 2 hours for the day. I finally reaquainted myself with Cougar Mtn this week and got in two decent sessions, one with Ethan, Erin and Cindy on Thanksgiving in the snow (with yaktraks of course) which was a ton of fun and a second with Gerry, Eddie, and Ethan on Sunday. I was amazed by the young guns, they are making leaps and bounds in their fitness. Ethan schooled us out there but I think I still managed to keep them honest on the climb up the Wilderness Cliffs trail ;). My forth run was a short commute from Samena to the Performance Center on Saturday, felt remarkably good which was nice. I usually hate running immediately after a hard pool session (and hence avoid it) but today instead of legs feeling empty because all the blood is pooled in my upper body I felt great. A four and half hour run week has to be considered a success.
TRX/Core: Three decent sessions completed. Going to make this more of a focus going forward and am now at a stage where I am ready for some more dynamic, power based functional movements. Great article in Lava Magazine featuring TRX this month written by Matt Dixon, you should all check it out.

Total volume for the week was (Swim 2:40, Bike 4:30, Run 4:30, TRX/Core 2:00) 13:40 so pretty solid and I am happy with the overall breakdown. The trend is in the right direction. Not going to do my usual diet summary this week, it was a holiday after all right and everyone tells me its 'okay to indulge a little' at Thanksgiving ;). I am instead going to talk a little about dietary supplementation defined by Wikipedia as -

"A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet. Some countries define dietary supplements as foods, while in others they are defined as drugs or natural health products."

So what does the typical triathlete with a full time job, family and demanding training schedule need to add to their normal diet to ensure they are not going short on any key nutrients that may then hinder their recovery, and/or effect them in any other way that might prevent them being able to execute on their workouts, be productive in their job and be involved with their family? I am not qualified to give that answer/advice although what I can do is give you an idea as to what I do and how I feel my health and performance are aided by what I take.

My primary goal is to eat fresh, organic, non processed food where I can. I know that when I succeed in doing this on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis then I typically (regardless of stress and training load) stay healthy and avoid any prolonged illness and/or injury. However there are times when I for whatever reason - convenience, laziness, time constraints, travel, etc am not able to do this. When this is the case and/or during periods of hampered recovery due to lack of sleep, rushing from training sessions to meetings or simply a much higher than normal training load (training camp for example) then I need to include some dietary supplements to help me keep on top of this. Here are my favored supplements:

Vitamin C: The king of antioxidants. Lots of research has been conducted on Vitamin C supplementation and much of it concludes that supplementation can help counteract the damage caused by free radicals produced by training and racing triathlons. It is also associated with immune system function and I can definitely say that when I feel like I am on the edge a big hit of Vitamin C often brings me back. I have been known to ingest upto 5g of Vitamin C in a day, not something I recommend but it has worked for me in the past.
L-Glutamine: Essential for protein synthesis. Lots of research to support its use to help promote recovery (cell damage) at times of prolonged stress. Although a non-essential amino acid (the body can produce it) it is now considered 'conditionally essential'. Needless to say with the training load we are typically under as atheltes it is a smart addition to your diet through supplementation. I add it in free form to my recovery smoothies and when I feel like I need it.
Quercetin: I take this for its anti-inflammatory and anti oxidant properties. It is abundant in the multi vitamins I take by the inclusion of Green Tea, Broccoli, and a host of other ingredients. Again simply a ton of good research on the benefits and I swear by it.
Omega 3's - I supplement with a couple of oils rich in Omega 3 (DHA and EPA). There is strong evidence to suggest a diet rich in Omega 3's leads to a lower incidence of Coronary Heart Disease, boosts immune system function and reduces inflammation amongst other positive benefits. I take it in the form of Udo's Plant Based 3-6-9 Blend and also Barleans Fresh Catch Fish Oil

So that is about it for what I consider dietary supplements. I shall cover off 'Performance' supplements next time. I think we have to accept that with the best will in the world there are times when through diet alone we simply can't get the quantity and quality of nutrients that we need. I believe it is prudent for the performance athlete to consider additional supplements to help ensure they stay healthy, injury free and able to absorb the stresses we place our bodies under when training for endurance sports.

Thanks for reading. Next time I will detail my ATP in the lead up to St George and what races, training camps etc I have planned to help me get there in the best shape I can.

Road to St George - Week 3

2010-11-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

Is it poignant that St George is the Patron Saint of England, my country of birth. St George has been pictured as a soldier since the 7th century, coincidentally I very nearly took that route myself and was one small step away from RMA Sandhurst. How vastly different my life would have likely been had I committed to that decision. I am a patriotic person and love my country, in some respects I feel I owe it to 'St George' to knock it out the park come May 7th, it provides a little added motivation. Sorry for the side story but I think some of you might see its relevance. Back to the training......

This week in summary:

Swim - Yeah finally three sessions this week and a total of 9200 yards. Felt good about this and knocked out a couple of good quality sessions with some work at LT and a pure technique session. Amazing what a difference the third swim makes from a 'feel' perspective.
Bike - Solid week for me here. Monday became an impromptu FTP (Functional Threshold Power) test. I was really not sure how it would go although obviously had a range of numbers in mind. It went better than expected and I averaged 298w for an FTP of 282w. Three other rides left me with about six hours of ride time, all on the CT.
Run - Poor poor week here. I really feel my running has gone backwards since the return to 'tri' training. I am sure the reality does not match the perception as I know a couple of low volume run weeks won't ruin all the hard work I did this year preparing for the White River 50. Regardless though I am still disappointed with my run week. Three sessions, two of six miles and one of four miles for a measly total of 16 miles and about 2 hours of run time.
TRX/Core - Another solid week here with three good workouts, two TRX sessions and a core workout at home on the rug again! Feel strong and fluid on the TRX now, time to add some progressions!

The weekly total came to 12.5 hours and a well rounded week. The only real disappointment for me from a training sense was the low run volume/frequency. No need to panic though, time to move that in the right direction. So how is the diet going I hear you all ask??? Well not such a great week really, not a disaster but a couple of poor decisions here and there that hopefully won't be repeated this week. The wine consumption crept up a little, oops! Last week we reduced to four bottle from seven, this week it went back up to five!!! The one success was the two nights of just a single glass, big deal I hear you say however the will power to leave half a bottle of good red for the following night was impressive in my mind ;). A quick breakdown:

Breakfast - no change here, the usual oatmeal, banana, almond butter and Udo's 3-6-9 washed down with two cups of coffee and plenty of water. Oh, I did start taking a vitamin c supplement this week at breakfast.
Mid Morning - If I swam early then I had second breakfast of two eggs, half an avocado in a sandwich of Dave's Killer bread. I only ate this one morning this week as on Thursday a meeting followed my swim and on Saturday I was straight to the PC after my early swim.
Lunch - My usual sandwich, no real variation here although I think I ran out of sun dried tomatoes and on one day had no avocado in my sandwich.
Dinner - Bad week by my standards. A late Tuesday led to the convenience of CPK Frozen Pizza with a salad, boooo. Sunday night ended up being a Pagliacci night, much better Pizza but much more of it!!! Two nights were pasta nights (wholewheat of course) with a simple sauce (not really a sauce, the ingredients are olive oil, fresh garlic, olives, green onions, sun dried tomatoes, and regular tomatoes preferably heirloom). I also add some protein, this week it was Aidell's Chicken and Apple Sausage one night and an organic skinless chicken breast on the other. Other meals were Couscous with lots of veggies and Wild Sockeye Salmon and Aidell's Sausage with Yam Mash and Broccolini.
Snacks etc - Some of Cindy's protein bars and cookies (don't want to disclose numbers here ;)), various fruit, protein shakes after key workouts, and a little dark chocolate.

So as you can see not the best of weeks. Having said that Monday morning (voided) weight was the same as last week 154lbs so no regression there which is nice. Other things of note to report from the week:

Signed up for the Western States 100 lottery. I got goaded into this by Amber Montforte who I spent some time running with during the White River 50 (we finished together). Amber is an awesome athlete (Xterra Amateur World Champ) and her post on my FB wall spurred me into action. I may of course not be successful but it sure means I will have no choice but to run more if I am lucky (maybe unlucky is the right term) enough to get picked!
A great week at the Performance Center, things are moving in the right direction and business is solid. Worked on the new class schedule and am excited to roll out TRX to all our members free of charge, a huge benefit for everyone. Exciting news to announce soon about a couple of very special guests who will be visiting in the New Year for some clinics, Q&A's etc, very cool!
Cold...brrrr the snow is here. Made me think more about supplementation, I will talk more on this next week.

I will try and keep the format for these blog posts similar week to week however if there is anything you guys and girls following would like me to include (relevant of course) then please post a comment and I shall do my best to oblige.

Thanks for reading.

Road to ST George - Week 2

2010-11-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

A summary of the week from a training perspective:

Swim - Two decent sessions this week, both over 3000 yards so progress on last week. Heading into week three I will make one out of my two proposed masters session (fingers crossed) to add an additional session. I do feel solid in the water, 1:15-20/100 feels comfortably hard.
Bike - No outdoor ride, Tuesday was my planned day but it rained all day and I was land locked without the car to get to the PC. I rode 25 miles on the CT on Monday, 40 miles on Wednesday and about 20 miles on Thursday. The first two sessions were at/around IM power and the Thursday ride had some work at LT. No weekend ride.
Run - Well the calves have calmed down a lot, I know what caused it and have made the necessary changes. I was concerned at one stage that I had torn something in the right calf but plenty of trauma oil and some self massage as well as sensible stretching (and a light run week) have worked wonders. Four runs two t-runs (of three and four miles), one E pace run of eight miles and a E pace -20s six mile run to finish off the week.
Core/TRX - A great week for core and I am excited to continue to build my functional strength with the TRX. Feel strong. Three sessions this week, two on the TRX one on the living room rug! Stretching post workout has been very thorough this week and this trend will continue. Also added some theraband work focusing on abduction and lateral stability.

Total volume this week was around 10.5, a decent week and feeling good to build things next week. A big improvement this week was diet. I know you are all waiting to here how the wine consumption was this week and the good news is it was much improved, meaning instead of seven bottles it went down to four, a move in the right direction for sure! I have eaten very consistently and weighed in this morning (11/15) at 152.8lbs down from just over 155lbs two weeks ago, here is an overview:

Breakfast - Every morning the same - Oatmeal, Banana, Teaspoon of Almond Butter, Tablespoon of Udo's 3-6-9 blend, two cups of coffee with half n half (eliminated vanilla creamer, yeah!), at least a liter of water.
Mid Morning Snack (Only Tuesday/Thursday after my swim workouts) - Dave's Killer Bread with two eggs, and half an avacado. Liter of water.
Lunch - Every day the same (I am nothing if not consistent) - Dave's Killer Bread Sandwich with Hormel Turkey (three slices), Spinach, Avocado (half/quarter) and Sun Dried Tomatoes. Piece of fruit or two. Liter of water.
Afternoon snack - Water with nuun, no calories
Dinner - Monday: Wild Salmon, Yam Mash and Salad, Tuesday: Couscous with lots of veggies and chicken/apple sausage, Wednesday: Wholewheat Pasta, lots of veggies and prosciutto, Thursday: Pagliacci Pizza, Friday: Wild Salmon, Salad, Yam Mash, Saturday: NZ Grass fed Lamb Steak, Yam Mash, and Broccolini, Sunday: Salad and Morning Star Veggie Burger
Other - A couple of protein shakes after key workouts (Arbonne Figure 8, Almond Milk, Water, Ice, Almond Butter, Udo's, L-Glutamine). Some chocolate (dark). A couple of TJ's vegan choc chip cookies. Various nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews), fruits (bananas, pears, oranges, raspberries) and the occasional Dilettante chocolate ;)

Training nutrition is minimal right now, I use nuun in my water for sessions of about an hour in duration and don't consume calories unless the workout is over an hour with some intensity. When I do it is GU Chomps and/or GU Roctane. I think many athletes consume too many calories during workouts that they simply don't need. When training load is light and/or our workouts are just one a day our bodies glycogen stores should be well stocked, provided there is not a second workout within close proximity then good post workout nutrition and a healthy diet should take care of replenishing these stores ready for the next days workout.

So my goal for this week is 12 hours split s3/b5/r4 excluding core/trx which will total approx 2 hours. Nutritionally I will continue the trend of reducing wine intake and eliminate one or two of the treats that I got a little greedy with this last week. I also want to focus on using my time more effectively to ensure a better chance of more quality rest between work and training.

Just to conclude this post, I am in my 'preparation phase' right now with the goal of establishing a routine that will stick. I am also simply trying to reintroduce the swimming/cycling and core training that I have not been doing this year safely so as not to unduly stress my body. As I get older I have to be more patient and a little smarter with what I do. There is no real focus on data right now although I am logging my training in RaceDay to give me a general idea as to progression and fatigue cost of workouts that I am completing. I am not collecting power data as such right now although am using power on the compu-trainer and will be using my Quarq Power Meter when it arrives!

Until next week, thanks for reading.

Road To St George - Week 1

2010-11-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Well an interesting first week back to triathlon training. Some positives and some negatives. Before I go into detail though I should explain the above photo. It was taken in April 2009 at our Coeur d'Alene training camp and signifies a change in priorities for me. I get more joy from helping support my athletes than I do from own racing ambitions nowadays, that does not mean I don't want to still train and compete because I do and will always want to, it just signifies a change in mind state when circumstances ensure I don't manage to get a workout done that is on my schedule. In the past I would beat myself up and get upset if I failed to get a prescribed workout completed, nowadays I give thanks to the sessions I do manage to get done and don't beat myself up to much (just a little bit ;)).

A review of the week then:

Swim - Manged to get two sessions in, one of just over 3000m (just under an hour) and another of 1500m (ran out of time, had to get the car to Cindy, the challenges of being a one car family!). My goal is to swim four times a week with two lunch time masters sessions at BAC but it's only week one and I figure I have time to build back to four sessions!
Bike - Three rides achieved, one as planned (a two hour L2 outdoor ride), and two CT rides the first went well (3x3m 85%, 2m 95%, 1m 105%) yet the second was a wash mainly due to a crazy busy day and not having the desire to be on the bike any longer than an hour.
Run - Been suffering this week with very very tight calves, beyond anything I have experienced before, ever! I attribute it to starting to ride again and running a rolling 12 miles last Sunday at 'M' pace (average 6:48/mile). It has been very frustrating and definitely curtailed my running a little. Having said that I still ran three times, one run of 16 miles (6:59 avg), one very painful run of 8 miles on a rolling route at E pace (7:30 avg), and a 10 mile treadmill session with 2x2 miles at M pace inserted into some E pace running. I shall evaluate the calves this week and get some treatment, I hope it is nothing too serious although they are crazy tight. I have been self treating with ice, compression, arnica, and a little gentle self massage.
Core/TRX - Two solid sessions here, would have liked to get a couple more in but time was simply not on my side this week. Still, felt strong and starting to work some more dynamic exercises into my routine.

Overall volume (Mon-Sun) was in the region of 10 hours so not a bad week really. I find athletes tend to focus on the workouts that don't get done and don't give the necessary credit to the ones that are accomplished. I have tried to be positive about actually getting in a somewhat balanced week and provided I can get my calves sorted out see no barriers in following my week a little closer to 'my plan' going forward.

I am still picking up some additional classes at the PC while Cindy continues her rehab following her accident and this Sunday marked the first of a three part swim clinic that I am running out of Samena. Combine that with a couple of unplanned meetings, some busy days at the Performance Center and a couple of new coaching clients starting with me this week and it has been a busy but productive work week that has eaten up a little planned training time. Work comes first and I expect this to be a somewhat common occurrence as we move into our busy season. My plan is to find a 'business manager' for the Performance Center, so if anyone out there knows of a suitable candidate do let me know, oh they have to be content with good perks but low wages ;).

Other notes - Not been sleeping great over the past week or so, definitely impacts my recovery and general energy levels. Nutrition in general has been good although Cindy had an Arbonne party at the house on Friday and has been 'baking' this week. Being the glutton that I am if there are baked goods around then I eat them, all of them!!! For me it is simply best not to have them in the house, I don't crave them but if they are there they will get eaten. A big goal for me this week is to reduce red wine consumption! Now some of you may laugh but Cindy and I literally drink a bottle of red wine every night, I can't actually remember the last night we went without. Okay its 'only' two classes each but I believe it is impacting my recovery, my body composition and my sleeping patterns so this week (you heard it here first) it goes down to two nights out of seven!!!!! Don't worry Thursday night is still Pagliacci night.......

Road to St George!

2010-11-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

After a year of not competing in triathlons to focus more attention on developing my coaching business and getting Vo2 Performance Center established it is time to jump back into the sport I love. I was not completely idle in 2010, in fact I set myself the goal of running the White River 50 trail race (race report on blog) in an attempt to help address my limited run endurance without the distraction and fatigue cost of swimming and cycling. I actually raced three ultra's in 2010 one of which I won, a second where I got lost, and the White River event which was a success. I still cycled and swam a little, more as a way to spend time with my athletes than with any real conviction and I continued to lead rides at the Performance Center which helped me hold on to a little bike fitness.

My goal is to write a weekly (yeah fat chance) short blog detailing my training and preparation for Ironman St George along with the trials and tribulations of managing my own business and trying to keep everything else in my life in order. I realize that some of you out there face many more time constraints than I but I think by providing some insight into how I coach myself, decisions I make around what workouts happen and don't happen and how that fits with training commitments that might not necessarily fit with my own plan will provide learning opportunities for you all.

A quick snap shot of where I am starting from with my training, body comp, etc is below:

Age 37, height 5'9", weight 155lbs (goal race weight 150lbs)
Swim - Averaged probably one swim a week this year (maybe), recent workout in a SCY pool was 2x(300s 30s rest, 2x150 rest 15s, 3x100 rest 10s) all at LT, times - 3:50, 1:58, 1:15-18
Bike - Averaged two rides a week this year of approx 1 hour in duration. My guess as to where my FTP is right now is 265-270w (last year when preparing for Kona it was 290-295)
Run - Strong right now, averaged four to five a runs a week this year. Recent 10km with my new found 'slow' ultramarathon legs was 37:26 at Salmon Days. Will run Rock n Roll AZ with the goal of going under 3 hours (never run an open marathon before ;)) on January 16th.

Follow me on my journey as I try and train smart, work smart and keep everything else in my life in harmony. St George is considered a tough course so my only real goal is to execute a race that does my fitness justice on race day whatever level that fitness may be. As my friend and fellow coach Scott Jones says "train with joy or not at all". Before I sign off I want to say a huge thank you to my wife Cindy who has been by my side all year and even put her own triathlon racing on hold to join me in my quest to run the White River 50 (she also completed the event with her customary smile on her face). She has also been instrumental in the success of the Performance Center as we head into our second year and I know supports me as I endeavor to get ready for another Ironman. Her turn will come as once I am done with St George, she will start preparation in earnest for Ironman Canada and a little comeback of her own!

White River 50

2010-08-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

Pre Race
The day had finally arrived for Cindy and I to head over to Greenwater nr Enumclaw WA. A good friend and one of my athletes Joe Silvernale had kindly offered us the use of his cabin for the weekend which was perfectly located and in an idyllic location overlooking a river. We arrived mid afternoon after a stop in Enumclaw to grab some lunch, a rather sloppy (but tasty) Panini from a little Italian place downtown. I enjoyed mine, Cindy, not so much.

After arriving we unloaded the car, made ourselves at home, dog proofed the cabin (don't worry Joe, Hawi did not chew anything up honest) and drove to Crystal Mtn to register and enjoy the pasta dinner provided by the race organizers. Simple fair but more than adequate and plenty of it. We sat down to dinner with three other first timers, Joel (Seattle), Pablo (Bellingham) and Nicholas (France, yes the European one). They were great company and we all chatted about a variety of topics mostly ending up back on the task of getting through 50 miles of running on some of the more challenging trails in the PacNW. I bumped into another friend and former coached athlete Win Van Pelt at dinner and chatted to him about strategy etc. Win has done several ultras including two White Rivers so has a lot of experience. He is also a true mountain man so always worth listening to. I knew Win had a sub 9 hour goal so I was intrerested to see if our paths crossed on raceday!

Just as the race briefing was starting Cindy and I left!! We had to get back to the dogs and have a pre race glass of wine and piece of chocolate to feel truly ready for what the morning might bring. It's funny but we both went into this Ultra Marathon adventure very relaxed and laid back. In no way were we being complacent but just having so many years of endurance racing in the bank and countless races under our belt provides a kind of confidence that you know, come what may, you will get the job done. After getting back to the cabin and walking the dogs we packed our drop bags, drank our wine and settled down for a short fitfull night of sleep.

I awoke at 3:30 to my alarm, damn no way was I ready to wake up so I reset the alarm for 4am knowing that my digestion window would be reduced but given the low relative intensity of the event this was a risk I was willing to take. 4am rolled around and I headed downstairs turned on the coffee and woke Cindy, in that order. I drank a liter of water immediately after waking and then consumed 2 cups of coffee, one and half bagels with butter and honey and a banana. I also drank 750ml of nuun, took three sports legs and one salt tab. I continued to drink water/nuun in the short car ride to the race start (about 15 mins away). After arriving we checked in to register ourselves as starters and then did the usual porta potty line thing. I realized I had left my vest and visor back at the house leaving me with only the Brooks long sleeve tech shirt that I threw on in the morning. Solution - Cut the sleeves off the top and turn one of them into a headband, perfect! I bodyglided my toes and all the other areas that were likely to rub/chafe and tied up my Brooks Ghosts. I was unsure what shoe I was going to wear for a few weeks leading into this race, i could not have chosen better, they worked like a charm.

The Race
So 6:30am rolled around and one last pit stop before wondering over to the start line. A quick kiss and good luck to Cindy and I lined up on the right hand side toward the front of the pack. The usual suspects were there, Scott Jurek, Greg Crowther, and Anton Krupicka plus many other esteemed trail runners who being so new to the sport I don't know by sight. The race starts and the first 3.9 miles is somewhat flat, a touch technical but generally just a nice soft compliant surface. I went out very relaxed and just let the 'pack' sort itself out. I was very conscious to not over stride, spot clean foot placements, not get boxed in and to generally run this section as easy as I could given the excitement factor of being in a race. I went through four miles in about 35 mins feeling super smooth and easy. The group had formed a long Conga line that stretched about 30-50 meters long up the trail. Everyone seemed happy to do their own thing and not make any moves. Seemingly everyone was running conservatively however sometimes its tough to tell.

The climb up to the Ranger Station began in earnest. Early sections of this are to most of us mortals not really runnable. We were all pretty much power hiking this section until we climbed the log steps to some slightly less steep terrain. A couple of movers were evident trying to leapfrog people up the mountain but for the most part status quo was maintained. I passed a couple of people and was hydrating and eating according to my plan (300 cals/hour, 2 bottles every 90 mins). I reached the 11.7 mile Ranger Station at about 1:55 feeling like I had run/hiked very conservatively until that point. Here is where I began to make some moves. I quckly refilled my bottles and headed out, passing three or four people immediately. I then saw Win ahead of me by about 100 yards, gradually reeled him in and we chatted a bit, mostly just checking on how we were feeling etc and dealing with the terrain. We caught Arthur Martineau on this section to Corral Pass which concerned me a little. I know of Arthur and have tracked some of his results and knew him to be a very solid trail runner. I was confident he was probably going to pace this pretty well so I was a little concerned but took confidence in how I was feeling and how well I had been managing my hydration/nutrition. Both Win and I passed him wishing him well. It was at this stage Win (who had been leading) hopped off the trail for a bathroom break. I took off and continued to build pace continuing to pass other runners.

It was about at this stage that the leaders were returning from Corral Pass so it was very cool to see how they were looking, who was winning etc. Not sure who was in the lead (sorry) but Anton was in 2nd looking super relaxed and Scott was running with another guy in 3rd/4th respectively. I gave way, literally stopping on the trail and moving over as it was very narrow single track at this stage. They were all super appreciative and everyone of the top 10 or so guys had a smile and nod or a few words which was very cool. What was weird is that very few people extended me the same courtesy on my return from the Corral Pass aid station, not sure why as it was very clear you were to give way to runners returning from Corral Pass!! Slighly annoyed by this but not enough to influence my day.

Reached Corral Pass (16.9 miles) in around 2:50 not really caring how long it took or what pace I was on, more concerned with how I felt and managing my calories, fluids and electrolytes. Eric Sach of the Balanced Athlete helped me refill my bottles and handed me some s-caps while I necked my RedBull, very refreshing. Back down (with some up) to the Ranger Station the way we came, very beautiful section this, with simply awesome views of Mt Rainier, it was a joy to be running. Passed Cindy who looked great and we stopped for a quick kiss (with each other ;)), feeling rejuvenated I continued on my way.

I was back at the Ranger Station (22.1 miles) in about 3:29 feeling good and looking forward to the descent back to Buck Creek. I had run this once in training with Cindy although relatively fresh as we just headed up from Camp Sheppard to the Ranger Station and then down again and ran very smooth and fast, not so much today. I struggled a little into and out of the hairpins which were very sandy and loose. Essentially I caught the 3rd place female here and thought it best to hang back and follow her down. I figured I was probably in the top 30 by now and did not want to be 'that guy' that has to walk the last 10-15 miles due to poor pacing and execution. I kept Amber (3rd place female) in sight, took a pee break and ended up at the bottom of the descent in good shape. Passed Amber, the 3rd place female and a couple of guys going into and heading out of Buck Creek which i felt good about. I got to Buck Creek at about 4:20 into the race (27.2 miles and a whole lot of elevation gain) again feeling good and running all the descents and flat to rolling sections.

Here is where the fun begins, the climb to Fawn Ridge and Sun Top!!! Definitely more of a hike than a run for me (and most I think). I still felt pretty good at this point, legs good, mind good, hydration etc spot on. Just could not carry any speed on the climbs. In my mind this climb was much more challenging than the first. I caught some guy who was struggling on the climb, offered him some cals but he simply said his quads were killing him, fair comment thought I! I also got repassed by eventual 2nd place female Amy Sproston, we went back and forth a little but after the aid station at Fawn Ridge I never really saw her again, she seemed to be running a lot more of that climb than I was that's for sure. Amber Monforte also passed me again here but I could at least keep her in my sights. Again what stood out to me was that she too was running sections of this climb that I simply could not (or would not). Maybe my 45miles/week (biggest run mileage of my life) for the last six months without any really specific hill work other than the ones encountered where I train was simply not enough. I sometimes rely on my overall leg strength and 20+ year endurance base as a triathlete to get me through, it does not always work ;). On the plus side I felt great and I mean that. Legs were doing what they were told, mind was strong and I was looking forward to the long descent to Skookum Flats even though I knew it would hurt. I reached Sun Top 6:37 into the race. I repassed Amber here and took off on the descent on a mission to 'make up' some lost time.

First mile according to my Garmin 6:54, a little hot maybe but felt okay, the remaining miles all ticked by in the low to mid 7's a little more sensible, I walked a couple of times just to give the quads a little break before the last section of the race. Can't say I enjoyed this part of the course but I think I probably made up some time on the folks in front of me here and made a top 20 finish realistic. I reached Skookum Flats in 7:38, wow I had been running for over seven hours, this is simply crazy stuff, my previous longest run was the 50km I did at Soaring Eagle State Park as a prep race for this in the middle of July, that took me 4:24......the body is amazing and continues to surprise me!

The Last 6.6 miles along Skookum Flats are probably the most beautiful. They are also arguably (given the fact it is so late into the race) the most technical. Here is where I nearly had my first serious fall. I had left the aid station (huge thanks by the way to all the volunteers, you rocked all day) and was running, not fast but I was running. They had told me at the aid station I was 22nd male, that gave a little incentive to at least 'try' and run this last section so I did. I caught and passed two guys, cool I am in the top 20 of the USATF 50 Mile Champs in my first ever run over 31 miles. My feet I guess were getting heavier and heavier, I kicked something (likely a root, maybe a rock) very very hard with my left big toe and tumbled toward the floor, arms outstretched a lunge forward and somehow I managed to stay upright. This was a blessing in disguise as it sure focused the mind for the last several miles of single track. During this section I was caught yet again by Amber just as we were exiting the woods, funny thing was my Garmin only had 48 miles on it at this stage yet Amber's Suunto (I think) had over 50 so I was thankful to know that it was highly unlikely we had two miles to go based on the fact we were back at Buck Creek. We ran in together and I did the chivalrous thing (I think) and slowed up at the line to let Amber cross in 22nd overall good for 3rd female overall. I later found out Amber is a bit of a legend having won Ultraman Canada, placed very highly overall in a number of IM's and raced in Kona several times, wow!

For me to take my minimal mileage approach to an Ultra Marathon of the magnitude of White River was a risk. It worked out. I felt great all day. Yes there were times I wish I could have run some of the steeper climbs, and times when perhaps the 'power hiking' was not necessary but to go 8:30 and place 23rd overall (20th male) in a field of stud athletes is very very pleasing. It has given me a new found appreciation of running and during this process both Cindy and I have come to truly love trail running in all its shapes and forms whether running through a PacNW forest or cruising a desert trail in Tucson. I will continue to race the occasional ultra, maybe not another 50 miler for a while but probably a couple of 50km's. I will also use this deep running base to have a crack at a fast open marathon (never done one outside of an Ironman) in January and then do my best to rock Ironman St George in May which I signed up for a couple of weeks ago.

Huge thanks to Cindy for putting up with me and for being my partner out on the trails on so many occasions. To Hawi for getting me out for a run more because he needed it than me. To Brooks, your shoes and equipment helped me enjoy the training process and stay healthy, to GU huge product (Gu Chomps and GU Energy Gel) got me through the day with energy to spare and nuun for the active hydration along the way. I could not have done it without you guys. Also a big thank you to Joe and Beth who trekked over to Greenwater the week before Cindy and I to clear up the dead mice from the cabin and ensure we got no 'surprises' when we arrived at the cabin, you guys are awesome. It goes without saying that everyone associated with the Performance Center and Team Vo2Multisport has also provided inspiration and kind words over the course of the last six months that I know Cindy and I have both leveraged during some of our more challenging weeks when we wondered what the hell we had gotten ourselves into. I can't believe we got away with it ;-) and live to tell the tale.......

To more amazing adventures for us all.

The New Athletic Challenge

2010-04-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

Okay so the photo may be misleading as it is Cindy and I posing on Hapuna Beach in May 2009 before 70.3 Honu. Last years 'challenge' was executing a good race in Hawaii and if the gods were with me secure my third IM Hawaii slot which I did. Now in the interests of athletic longevity and mental freshness I have always avoided back to back years of serious triathlon training (multiple definitions exist for the term 'serious', those of you who know me understand what I mean) so without a decent photo to use for this years endeavor I thought a nice picture of my beautiful wife and I on a beach would do the job (it also shows me at what I consider 'racing weight', so aids in my motivation to think before I eat ;-)).

Moving on - I was thinking about racing some low key triathlons and a couple of 70.3 events this year to keep my hand in but with my personal triathlon objectives and goals accomplished many years ago and my primary focus now being my own athletes and the Vo2 Performance Center I asked myself what do I really enjoy doing (answer - trail running), what is the most time efficient single sport discipline to train for (answer - running) and what have I never done before due to being plain ole scared to death of it (answer - a trail ultra marathon), Eureka! So an off road ultra marathon it is!

Which one? Well another decision that was somewhat easy to make. First it had to be Epic in the true sense of the word as if I am going to put myself through this it might as well be a real challenge so instead of 'just an ultra marathon' (defined as any running event further than 26.2 mile) I decided on a 50 mile trail race. Secondly it had to be somewhat local as traveling takes me away from my athletes and the Performance Center. Thirdly it has to offer some spectacular scenery (I guess if I going to run this far there will undoubtedly be some low points and a nice view might take my mind off it). With my criteria in place it did not take much finding, the White River 50 is a legendary event in trail running circles, local, 50 miles and is set in the shadow of beautiful Mt Rainier so should provide some spectacular views! The date of the race is July 31st so it could not be better timing. Oh, did I mention in my excitement at entering this race that I also signed up my beautiful wife Cindy? Well I needed someone to understand what I was going to be putting myself through and what better way than for her to share the experience with me ;-).

Running an Ultra Marathon such as the White River 50 will be a completely different challenge to racing an Ironman. Similarities exist in the time it might take to complete (an Ironman usually takes me around 10 hours) and the fact pacing and nutrition are critical however there are many unique things, for starters it is all one form of locomotion! From a training perspective it poses a new challenge and has meant I have had to broaden my own knowledge base in order to ensure that Cindy and I are sufficiently prepared for the demands of the event. I intend to post several updates going forward on our progress towards this goal so that those of you who might be interested in following our journey or are maybe thinking of doing an Ultra yourself might learn something from the trials and tribulations we shall no doubt face along the way!

Already in our preparation we have learned 1. there is no place for speed work, 2. it is okay to walk, 3. weekly mileage might need to be greater than 25-30 ;-).

When To Get Serious Again?

2009-12-17T14:18:00.000-08:00

With thoughts of qualifying for Kona, doing your first Ironman, completing your first 70.3 or simply doing a triathlon many of us believe starting the training process sooner is better than later. My take on this is when you start your training depends on a number of things, and let me clarify that what I mean by 'start training' is commencing a program of structured workouts where each session has a purpose and a goal and you are following a structured periodized program.

So what might influence when you start? Firstly how long and arduous your current season was. Ask yourself how hard and how often you raced, how long your season was from that first race in anger to the your last race of the year. How healthy were you, meaning were you forced to take time off at all during the season due to illness/injury? How experienced are you, do you have several years of endurance training in the bank or are you relatively new to the rigors of training for three very aerobic sports? The last and arguably most important question is how motivated are you to get back into things mentally. If you don't feel a fire in your belly to be out there running, swimming laps and/or riding your bike then wait until that desire returns and then start working out with some structure and not before. I have seen many athletes burn out in my 20 years of racing, training and coaching, mostly it is mental fatigue and rarely physical!

Some guidllines I use with my athletes:

If your season started in April (or earlier) and finished in October/November my suggestion is you do not even consider formal, prescriptive training until January 1st. If by the New Year you feel ready to rock then great, if not and you don't have an early season 'A' race then you can afford to leave it until February. Now let me clarify before I move on that informal, unstructured training must still take place during this time off, it is absolutely the wrong thing to do to take time completely off!
If you are new to the sport (less than three seasons) then formal training is acceptable as early as November 1st provided the volume/intensity are low and the focus is on skills and limiter development. The caveat here is mental readiness and good health as alluded to above.
If you have multiple years of consistent training (more than five) and your 'A' race is in July or later then in my mind their is no need to start focused training until January/February.
If you were ill or injured more than once in the current season and had to have a week or more of forced rest then no matter when your next 'A' race is I would not advise commencing formal training until February 1st or later.

When to start formal training is always something that should be discussed with your athletes. Don't be afraid to force an athlete to take a break, very ofen they will thank you for it in the long run. There will always be those anomalies out there who are able to absorb training load and simply LOVE working out, provided they exhibit good health and are injuru free I see no danger with them continuing with a prescriptive type of program year round!

That's it for now, thanks for reading.

Ironman World Championships

2009-10-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009

THE LEAD UP TO THE RACE

For those of you who might be unaware I qualified to race at the Ironman World Championships at 70.3 Honu on May 30^th this year. Honu is one of the few 70.3 races that has qualifying spots and for me it seemed the obvious way to try and punch my ticket as it is a better distance for me. Knowing that it was within my ability to get a Kona slot at this race I made it a focus and trained very consistently towards that objective. As you all now know it went well and I achieved my goals - a podium finish and a Kona slot.

I took a break after Honu due to the level of preparation that had gone into that race, this break unfortunately got extended as I was hit by a car while riding my bike in Coeur d’Alene during Ironman week. It did not set me back too much but did dent my confidence a little and I definitely saw my fitness (especially run fitness) decline between the end of June into the early part of August. Most of this was due to back pain suffered as a result of the accident and the confusion caused to my body by all the Chiropractic treatments I was receiving.

For those interested my weekly averages for swim/bike/run from June through to the end of August were:

· June – SWIM 6800 YARDS, BIKE 104 MILES, RUN 16 MILES

· July – SWIM 6660 YARDS, BIKE 188 MILES, RUN 26 MILES

· August – SWIM 6400 YARDS, BIKE 166 MILES, RUN 22 MILES

· September – SWIM 10,500 YARDS, BIKE 163 MILES, RUN 28 MILES

I have always advocated quality over quantity but do realize the importance of running frequency and volume for a successful race. I knew going in my durability would be a little questionable with only one road run of two hours and one trail run of just under two hours during that four month period.

In order to give myself a chance at using the fitness that I did have on race day I planned to get to Kona two weeks ahead of time. This was a good plan as it gave me the opportunity to acclimate and settle into Hawaii time. It also gave me a great opportunity to refresh myself with the course and see how my feedback mechanisms (pace/power) behaved in the heat/humidity so I could better dial them in for race day. I tracked and logged every bike/run workout in detail and often did the exact same routes so as to make the data more comparable. The big variance was the weather day to day which I could not control so I simply got on with it.

I made no conscious dietary changes leading into this race and would actually say I was leaner going into Honu than I was going into this race (just check out the photos ;-)). No good reason, I simply did not want to exclude anything from my diet going in as I felt I had already made enough sacrifices along the road to getting here.

RACE WEEK

My biggest concern going into race week was how my heart would hold up during the swim. This has been a big source of stress over the past several months since the incident at Black Hills where I was forced to stop during the swim. I genuinely believe it was stress related (I have experienced a similar arrythmia before) but the last place I needed it to manifest itself was here!!! With this in the back of my mind and the long build I had mentally let alone physically going into this race I think I was more anxious and wound up than usual. No question this is counter productive but I simply tried to get all the pre race stuff taken care of as early as I possibly could and settle down hoping the ‘taper’ helped out with my dodgy heart! Now before any of you get too concerned about this it is not uncommon for an ‘athletic’ heart during times of stress (physical/emotional) to react this way.

Race week went smoothly. Cindy was a huge help and drove me around and helped me get everything I needed sorted out such as my bike, gluing on tubulars, cooking for me and generally being an awesome ‘iron mate’. I tried to keep a low profile and stay away from all the craziness during race week (you have to see it to believe it) which was difficult. I had to work two half days for TYR (Monday and Tuesday) which meant a little more time than I would have liked on my feet but nothing too serious. Workouts were going smoothly until Thursday where I swam in the morning for 20 minutes without issue and then later in the day did a bike/run workout of 1 hour/30 minutes. It was a very hot day, the hottest so far during my stay however I thought I had acclimated sufficiently for it to not cause any issues. My heart rate on the run that day was 15 beats higher for the same given pace I had been running at for the past 10 days. I tried to put it out of my mind and blamed it on the heat and the fact I was running in the afternoon at peak temps.

My mind had the chance to relax on Thursday evening having dinner with Alexis, JP and her parents Dave and Kathy. A truly great night was had by all and the conversation and wine were flowing (don’t worry I only had two glasses), it did a lot to take my mind off race day and was a lot of fun, thanks you guys ;-).

On Friday I did no training. I have done this before for Ironman races and it has not worked against me as far as I can tell. I was still active, walking about and getting my bike and gear checked in and chatting to a few folks I know along the way. Friday went by quickly and before I knew it I was back at the house with my feet up and Cindy cooking up my pre-race meal of salad and pasta, yum! An early night after getting all my swim gear and nutrition together and I hoped for a sound night of sleep. Oh I should mention throughout the day on Friday I drank Pedialyte diluted down, this I believe was a huge factor in keeping the cramp at bay during the race as those of you that know me know I have a very high sweat rate and high sodium loss through that sweat.

RACE DAY

Funny thing on race morning was Cindy waking up ahead of me and turning on the coffee machine. Now this never happens as whether racing or not Cindy is always the second one to get out of bed. In a strange way it actually made me relax a little, not sure exactly why but it did. I went back to Oatmeal, UDO’s, and Banana for my pre race breakfast. Along with this I drank a 500ml bottle of nuun, finished off the small amount of Pedialyte I had left over from Friday and my two cups of coffee. I felt good, obviously a little anxious but good none the less. Cindy drove me down to town (we were approx four miles out of town) at around 4:45am. I arrived at body marking and my line was the shortest, very cool. I even got filmed by Universal TV while they applied my numbers with the stamps that are the norm in Kona. This year only arms were being marked which I thought was cool as that would mean less scrubbing in the shower post race and only potential ‘tattoos’ on my arms and not both arms and legs! I left body marking gave Cindy a hug and a kiss and walked into transition. I set up my Garmin, pumped my tires, put my water bottles on the bike (one with water, one with gu2o) and then went to find Cindy. One of the coolest things about race week (and race morning) was hanging out with my friend Nick Kinsey, a super cool guy who has been racing triathlons since the mid 80’s. He used to hold the fastest IM time for a Brit and has been on the podium before at Kona as well as winning his AG at many international IM events around the world. Fun to be around he helped make race morning a real hoot and further helped ease my nerves. Another very cool thing about race morning was hanging out with Thomas Hellriegel (IM Canada course record holder, and former IM world champion). He is a lovely guy and so willing to simply chat about the thing he loves, triathlon! I have huge respect and admiration for Thomas, a true gentleman and great ambassador for our sport.

Okay back to the race. No warm up for this one other than a few strokes in the bay before heading towards the swim start to tread water for 10 minutes, warm up enough I think. My big concern was a repeat of my Black Hills experience, this was not the place to have to stop mid swim. I would not have the luxury here of clear water to gather my thoughts, I would simply be pummeled by the masses of people on my feet. Fortunately my strategy of treating the swim like a warm up (something I confess I have never done before even in IM events) worked. I swam very conservatively, I started the swim like a warm up set, I truly did, and I think this helped a lot. It was very cool in that I was so fresh I could bridge gaps when I wanted, move left or right as needed and just stay calm. I know I am competent enough to rely on my good stroke mechanics and don’t have to go out like a mad man. The swim was a success. I swam in the Sayonara swim skin, which although fast is arguably the most uncomfortable thing I have ever worn to swim in. About half way through the swim I had chafed under my arms so badly that every stroke stung and I was in a lot of pain. I simply put it out of my mind and hoped they had Vaseline in T1! Under my swim skin I wore my Vo2 Vest and nothing else as I intended to put on cycling shorts for the bike (I am getting soft in my old age).

Transition was not fast but methodical, no sense in rushing today I was not looking for the podium I was more concerned with comfort. I biked ‘easy’ for the first 30 minutes and then built from there. My AP for the first 10 miles was 209W, average HR 141. I was targeting sub 140 HR and close to 200W, this was close enough and certainly I paced this section of the ride better than most of my peers! I rode very evenly, here are my numbers by 10 mile increments:

· To 10 Miles – AP 209, AVG HR 141

· To 20 Miles – AP 206.5, AVG HR 143

· To 30 Miles – AP 198.5, AVG HR 142

· To 40 Miles – AP 196.5, AVG HR 143

· To 50 Miles – AP203, AVG HR 142

· To 60 Miles – AP 206, AVG HR 144

· To 70 Miles – AP 193, AVG HR 144

· To 80 Miles – AP 207, AVG HR 146

· To 90 Miles – AP 191, AVG HR 142

· To 100 Miles – AP 203, AVG HR 144

· To 110 Miles – AP 188, AVG HR 144

· To 112 Miles – AP 163, AVG HR 139

The last 30 miles were into a strong headwind, I focused on keeping on top of calories and salt and just about everyone seemed to be in survival mode for this section of the ride. I still had power when I needed it and tried to ride even although with all the other riders in close proximity it made this difficult as I had to surge away at times and then drop back to stay legal. I came off the bike knowing I had ridden well and with an even application of effort (other than the times I had to surge to get away from people or drop back after being passed). Although from my numbers is looks like I faded in the last 12 miles I made a conscious decision during this stage of the ride to conserve energy as you can see from my declining power.

The run. I took my time in T2 as you can probably tell ;-). Managed to leave my 310xt on my bike (doh!) and sent a volunteer to go get it while I changed shorts (wore bike shorts for the ride). He came back fast so there was no real delay. I headed out very easy and relaxed although the very first part of the run is uphill which kind of sucks. I settled into a nice rhythm and began my cooling strategy of walking aid stations, using ice, drinking water and popping thermolytes. I ran very even and held my pace around or just under 8’s for the first 6-8 miles. I decided to walk up Palani (very steep long hill) to keep my HR down and was glad I did. The first 10 miles of the run here are the hottest and most humid (it is sheltered so no cooling trade winds) so I was glad to be getting on the Queen K where I knew the trade winds would be blowing and offer some respite from the humidity. I was running with a guy who was very even paced and seemed to be intent on breaking 3:30 as I was. He was great until about mile 15-16 when he started to suffer and I had to leave him, felt bad about this as he had been a perfect run partner. I did not bonk or crack I just progressively faded and slowed in the last half of the run. I know why. I simply lack run miles. My avg weekly mileage over the last three months was, Sept 28miles/week, August 22miles/week, July 26miles/week. Simply not enough to build the durability and resilience necessary to sustain a moderate pace over 26.2 off the back of the ride. Going forward I need to safely be running 40 miles/week for a sustained period of 12-16 weeks. No worries I can make this happen ;-)

Overall I am not unhappy with the outcome. Yes I would have liked to break 10 hours but hey wouldn’t we all ;-). A solid day at the office! I think I in hindsight I could have spent less time walking through the aid stations (they are very long here in Kona), there were times where quite often I would have to ask very clearly where the cola/water/ice were as it was not very clear, this meant a little more time than necessary spent walking. Other than this I ran the entire run with the exception of three or four brief stops to stretch out the early stages of cramp in my left adductor and right hamstring. I think this is actually my best Ironman run ever given the heat and humidity which was extreme on this day. Simply read some of the race reports out there now and you will get an idea how hot it was out there. No-one really ran ‘fast’ bar the off person such as Miranda Carfrae. Even Crowie recorded his slowest run split in his three times racing here.

I would like to say a special thank you to my wife Cindy for all of her support during race week and in the weeks and months leading up to the race. I would also like to thank all of my team mates and friends who sent well wishes and words of wisdom to me during race week. I truly felt your positive energy out there on race day. I actually taped a piece of paper to my aero bars with amongst other things ‘team mates’ written on it, this helped keep me focused on the task in hand. I would also like to thank my best friend Ben Garrard who I knew was sharing the experience with me on Ironman live back in the UK as well as Nick Kinsey whose humor and warm nature helped ease my nerves during race week. This list would not be complete without thanking my sponsors, TYR (that Sayonara is quick), blueseventy (the Element goggle is simply perfect for me), GU (whose gels I used exclusively out on the course), nuun, TriSports.com and Veloce Velo.

I am back to reality on Friday, this has been a wonderful three weeks shared with some wonderful people. I am now ready to work my tail off getting Vo2 Performance Center set up and ready for its grand opening on November 1^st. I hope you will all join me there for a celebration of multisport and a bright future.

Honu 70.3 Race Report

2009-06-06T15:38:00.001-07:00

I awoke at 3:45am and crept out of the bedroom leaving Cindy to sleep a little longer. After taking in some water, I poured my first cup of coffee and put my bagel in the toaster. I took my time consuming it (which I had spread with banana, honey and peanut butter) and continued to sip on water. I checked email and then began to get ready to leave the house. Cindy was now up and we debated about which areas we could sunscreen without annoying the body markers and have our numbers smear and come straight off upon hitting the salty water at Hapuna. I like to be at the venue for around 5:30am for a 7am race start, earlier if it works. This way I have time to remedy any major issues such as flat tubular, forgetting something (still time to go back), and I also give myself plenty of time to warm up, review the entry and exit to transition and check out the swim course to pick the best line (it was only put out the morning before race day). As it was a split transition we had already dropped off our run bags the day before so could not check these before we got to T2.

All went smoothly with the exception of me leaving one of my drink bottles in the fridge, this bottle contained a concentrated electrolyte solution composed of Gatorlytes and ELoad (totaled about 2000mg sodium/potassium/magnesium). It was not a disaster as I had brought enough extra endurolytes to empty a few into a bottle, combined with some Eload Cindy was kind enough to share from her super concentrated bottle, thanks my love!

T1 was going to be a little different for me as I had elected (due to concerns about burning the soles of my feet in T2) to put my socks on then instead of wait for T2, this seemed prudent given the experience of Steve Bailey and Rocky Ursino when they did the race in previous years, both of whom burnt their feet on the asphalt in T2! I later found out that T2 was now grass covered, however not a deal breaker. Happy that I had everything sorted out Cindy and I ran around the parking lot for five minutes by way of a light aerobic warm up. I would have ran more but felt the already very clear, hot and humid conditions would make this counter productive for a pale Englishman. More sunscreen, applied bodyglide, grabbed swim stuff and headed down to the beach.

The field was big for a 70.3 and somewhat unique for a half distance race was the mass start (normally these races have wave starts), this was a little daunting as there were 1400 people signed up so I expected some contact and traffic jams. I had a secret weapon for the swim, the TYR Sayonara Swim Skin. After a decent length swim warm up which included a few accelerations I felt good, now it was choosing where to position myself. I ended up lining up on the front towards the left of the start line, this seemed like a decent spot, a direct line to the first buoy which was about 300 meters off shore. Some of the swimmers around me were talking expected swim times and I heard some 28’s, and 29’s in there so I thought this was a decent spot and justified my front line starting position. It also meant I expected some company for the opening section. The gun fired and off we went. The swim was very smooth, I had clear water to the first buoy where I met a small amount of congestion but nothing serious. There really was little to no contact despite being in a pack for most of the swim. I looked for a draft where one presented itself but was otherwise content breaking my own water, always conscious that the size of our group meant the water was less ‘thick’ anyway and quicker than being alone. Navigation was very good amongst our group but I was never really sure how fast we were swimming, I was very comfortable and my stroke felt good but I could not be sure what this would result in time wise. Exiting the water I immediately tried to get my swim skin off, problem number one, it was stuck! Amazing what a little adrenalin can do as I ripped the zipper clean off and wrestled the suit off my shoulders and torso, no big deal (other than a damaged garment). Swim time 28:02, very solid for a non wetsuit swim. My T1 was smooth and methodical as usual, suit off, helmet on, shoes on, fanny pack on (with my nutrition, a can of pitstop and my electrolytes in it) and headed out of transition to the mount line. It was a decent climb immediately out of T1 and so not leaving my shoes clipped on the pedals was smart, many people struggled here and were as usual over geared. Once on the bike I started my Garmin (which was ready to go as I had left it on my aerobars) and settled into a rhythm. My goal was to ride at 150bpm, a HR average I figured would yield something around a 2:30 bike split on this course given average wind and thereby leave me in contention with most of the other fast AG’ers.

I settled into the ride keeping a constant eye on my HR to ensure I was not over working or being lazy. The plan worked well. I geared down for all the climbs to keep the HR in check and worked hard on flat sections and descents. Typically a lot of overly aggressive guys rode by me on all of the early climbs only for me to pass them all back on the descents and some of the flatter sections. There were a couple of occasions where I had to ride a fraction harder than I would have liked to avoid blocking and/or drafting violations but these were not significant enough to be detrimental. There was some wind on the climb up to Havi, which was the toughest part of the course. It is here that Rae Shaw passed me, the ego in me wanted to ride with her (could not have a local girl beating me even if it is was the fastest AG cyclist at Kona last year!) but wanting to have a good run and manage my day in the heat (did I say it was very hot with clear skies and zero shade???) was far more important. I let her go and proceeded to the turnaround. Approaching the turnaround I hit a small bump in the road and felt my saddle come loose, not good! I told myself that provided I stayed seated my weight would keep it in position. It was a worrying moment. The return was fast, there was a five mile section after the turn where I averaged 30.5 mph!

I focused on keeping on top of my nutrition, managing my HR, and staying aero. There were one or two occasions on the return I let my mind wander and lo and behold my HR dropped a few beats, staying on task and in the moment is such a critical race day skill, I advise you all to work on it at every opportunity (the Race Rehearsal workouts I performed leading up to this race were critical in helping me with this) the remainder of the bike had me crossing my fingers my saddle did not fall off and keeping my HR where it needed to be (note, no power meter on my race wheels but I have done enough riding this year in race rehearsal workouts to know exactly how hard I could ride with respect to HR in order to have the run I know I am capable of).

Coming into T2 I relaxed a little and stretched out my calves, low back, hip flexors and shoulders. I had a swift T2 as I already had my socks on and simply needed to rack my bike, put on my running shoes and hat (no visor, will tell you why later) and grab my nuun tube filled with endurolytes. I had a lot of confidence in my running off the bike until I arrived in Kona the Sunday before the race. The heat and humidity compromises the body’s ability to work hard aerobically whilst maintaining core temperature at a somewhat normal level. The lack of evaporation of sweat off the body dramatically impedes the body’s ability to keep itself cool and as a result it needs to work harder on this process whilst still delivering oxygenated blood at a rate required to run the pace you ask of it. This meant that for a speed I was running comfortably off the bike in RR workouts in Seattle was yielding a HR 8-10bpm higher than it should have been. I had thought long and hard about this during race week and hoped I would adjust at least a little otherwise I would be running a 7:20-7:30 pace for a HR that resulted in a 6:30-6:40 pace in Seattle. I read and read papers on the effects of racing in the heat, spoke to Chris Whyte and several other athletes and coaches about it and concluded that I would probably be running 30-40 seconds per mile slower here in order to keep the HR in check and give my body a fighting chance at not overheating.

I headed out of T2 at a very conservative pace and was reassured by a bunch of fast AG athletes charging off into the distance, I was confident they would come back to me! At most of the aid stations I would take water, Gatorade and lots of ice. The ice went under my hat (can’t do this with a visor), down my vest and into my shorts. This was a great tactic to help ensure my body stayed somewhat cool given the 85-90 degree heat with very high humidity. I clocked off the first couple of miles at 7:20 pace then started to catch runners who were ahead of me. I stayed very focused and tried to keep my HR around 160. This was clearly not going to happen and I told myself provided it did not go above 165 and I felt good (a relative term) then running it a little high would be fine (highest average HR for a given mile on the run was 164, highest max was 172). I found some semblance of rhythm, which was difficult given the nature of the course. The run course was multi-terrain on a wide variety of surfaces, uphills, downhills, sharp turns, dead turns, concrete, asphalt, grass, lava rock, a real experience. I concentrated on short strides on the climbs, and relaxing on the descents. I ran the course well and continued to pass other runners, in fact I was passing quite a lot of fast AG athletes. I finally saw a guy who I thought was likely to win my AG on the long out and back part of the course (Dennis Meeker, 9:15 in Kona and now a member of Team Timex), around mile nine, he was walking! I asked if he was okay and he said he had shut down. I was excited at seeing him walking although knew I was still a mile or so behind him. I nearly got carried away and started picking up the pace only to remind myself that I might need this for later in the race. As Dennis was walking and I was still running something in the region of 7:20’s I quickly caught him, I gave him a tap on the butt and asked him to run with me, he reiterated how he was spent and I pushed on. The next person I passed was Sam McGlone who I had been gaining on for the last several miles. Wow I thought if the women’s run course record holder is struggling then it must truly be a tough day out here. Now at mile 10.5 or so I had no real idea where I was in the field, I was getting no feedback from people on the course only some support from people I knew including Rae’s boyfriend Lang Reynolds. I saw a lot of Lang as he was shadowing Rae who I had passed on the run at around mile three, she looked strong and would go on to place third female overall! I guessed I was up there and knew I was getting back more places overall even though I could not tell which AG they were in (note: AG’s were not marked on calves for this event, a trend I think will be common going forward). I had passed a couple of pro men and pro women so knew I was having a decent race but was really not sure about the overall.

Anyhow back to the race. I had been feeling some twinges of cramp in my calves from around mile eight and as a result had shortened my stride a little, no big deal I thought as long as I held off full blown cramp and was not forced to stretch it out. The last three miles were crazy, more grass, some crazy sharp descents on concrete golf paths and a lot of turns. Low and behold at about mile 11 I get my first full on hamstring cramp in my left leg. I had to stop and stretch it. Sam re passed me. I got going as soon as I could and shortened my stride even further. I made it another mile or so and had a recurrence of the full blown cramp, stretched again, some other dude passed me who I had earlier run down. More coke, Gatorade and ice and I pushed on for the last mile. Perhaps 500 meters from the finish I got a third and final cramp, stopped and stretched it, looked over my shoulder and saw two guys who I had earlier run down gaining on me. I said a little prayer, held it together and finished strong without any further cramping. Whew, what a race! I was greeted by Amanda Balding (Luke McKenzie’s girlfriend) who did not finish the race (mechanical problems) and she said there were very few people in front of me. I walked over to the results board and they had already posted the first page. I finished 27th overall and was 3rd in my AG (the biggest AG in the race). The two guys in front of me were both Hawaiian residents meaning they were eligible for the Big Island and Hawaiian Island Kona spots. I grabbed a guy (one of the two who finished right behind me, both from Oahu) and asked him what the deal was with big island slots and he seemed to think they were obligated to take the Hawaiian resident slots. If this was the case then I was 1st non Hawaiian in my AG and would get a Hawaii slot, wow! As it turned out I did indeed get an automatic slot, no roll down stress, what a bonus. I tell myself due to my heavy sweat rate that I am not good in the heat, after this performance I do have a few things to work on but am confident that I can put together a race to justify my fitness come October 10th! Watch this space……..

I would like to say a special thank you to my wife Cindy who put up with me over the course of the week and tolerated my paranoia over my elevated HR during race week workouts. Thanks to Kirk and Marne Sall for letting us share their apartment and being cool with us following our own agenda. Also thank you to Ryan Dolan from TYR who very generously gave Sayonara swim skins to Marne, Kevin Steinbuch, Steve Bailey and Rae Shaw. He also took Cindy and I out to a fabulous dinner with his wife Shawn at Huggo’s on the Sunday evening after the race. Finally thanks to Deb Rubens, Kevin Steinbuch, and Win Van Pelt, all of whom carried the Vo2Multisport flag proudly on race day wearing their team kit with pride and all having solid results (Deb did not race but was a most enthusiastic supporter).

Run Happy

2009-04-10T08:19:00.001-07:00

A Brooks marketing slogan, 'Run Happy' often has my mind engaged when I am out running alongside Lake Skaha, Penticton (picture left), on my local trails in Cougar Mountain, knocking out a set of mile repeats at the Mercer Island Middle School Track, or joining Cindy my wonderful wife for a four mile recovery run on the pipeline trail near my home.

When I run my mind is free, my thoughts are clear and I love nothing more than listening to the depth of my breathing, the thumping of my heart and the sound as my foot strikes the earth time and time again tapping out a rhythm I have become more and more familiar with over recent weeks and months.

2009 has been something of a running renaissance for me. Those that know me well know me as the guy that never ran more than 30km's a week (yes that is under 19 miles a week!) in preparation for my first ironman, the guy that keeps threatening to run an open marathon but would rather save the legs for something more worthwhile (in my mind anyway), the guy that used to run hard and fast everytime he ran (I had too right I was only running 18 miles a week!!), the guy that has never had (touch wood) any serious running related injury that has forced a rest period.

As I get older in triathlon years (this year will represent 20 years since my first triathlon and I am 36 im May) and older physically I am having to look at previously unexplored training territory. This year it has been a commitment to myself to run more frequently and build more robustness and durability. It has also been a commitment to try and surpass my running PR's from years gone by (most of my run PR's were acheived in the late 80's early 90's, with just one coming in recent years). My tactic is simple Run Happy.

Rock n Roll Arizona

2009-01-21T17:17:00.001-08:00

Cindy and I raced the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix on Sunday, the nicest thing about the weekend was just getting away from Seattle for a few days and having time to ourselves to just relax and catch up. Its funny, even though we both 'work from home' there are still days that go by without us really spending any quality time together. Phoenix provided that opportunity.

The weekend got off to an auspicious start. On the plane I was reading Runners World and saw an advert for the Rock n Roll races. I glanced at the dates and saw that Phoenix was on the 18th, hmmmm I thought to myself, surely that is a printing error as we were due to fly out early on that day! Well it was not a printing error and indeed the race was on Sunday not Saturday as I had first thought! No drama, upon landing and checking into the hotel I rebooked a return flight to leave at 3pm on Sunday to ensure we had time to race, shower, relax and then fly! The bonus was it meant that Friday was now wide open and could become a training day, sweet! My favorite Phoenix/Tempe trailhead is South Mtn (near the golf course) and the running there is awesome. I did not want to get carried away so only planned on an hour. I think some of the climbs surprised Cindy a little but I kept assuring her it would not effect her performance on Sunday, I think I was right! The Garmin had me at 5.47 miles in 47.40 (avg 8.42) given the terrain this was a solid run and it was sooooo nice to run shirtless for a change.

One thing that stood out on this trip was the amount of food I ate. I must have consumed half my body weight in food in the two full days before the race, don't know why, just the gluttonous Taurean coming out in me I think! On the Saturday (as penance) we went along to the ASU student rec center for a swim. As I was waiting on the deck of one of the three pools (yes three pools) a group was forming around me that turned out to be the Sun Devil Masters, how could I resist joining in especially when the coach turned out to be from Liverpool (small world). A brief warm up and a set of 5x200 (best average) I climbed out and went to find Cindy who was sunning herself across at one of the other pools (she did swim, honest!).

Race day dawned and transit etc was made very easy as we were lucky enough to be registered as VIP's, this is huge at these events as it opens up free shuttles, nice bathrooms, places to change etc. I have to thank Kim Williams at Sugoi for hooking Cindy and I up here, thanks Kim you are a star. Cindy and I warmed up and used the bathroom and headed to corral 1 (for athletes between 1:00 and 1:35). The start was smooth and I quickly settled into a rhythm. No HR strap (forgot it) so relied on PE and pace. Felt 'okay' all the way through the race and genuinely nothing eventful happened. Finished strong, no dramas in a time of 1:24.44 (6.28 avg). I was not overjoyed as I know I am in better running shape than this. Honestly I put it down to carrying a few extra pounds at the moment (don't laugh) and just not really feeling it on the day. Cindy had a similar performance, solid but training has indicated she could run faster. Her time of 1:33.45 was a new PR (never to be sneezed at) and placed her 10th in her division (great considering 22,000 athletes competed). I managed (somehow) to finish in the top 100 and will live to fight another day and will hopefully replicate my times of old (1:20-1:22) this season.

We both had an awesome weekend and will be back at this race in the future although next time if the Seattle Winter cooperates we will do the Marathon (this would be my first open Marathon). Don't hold me to that though.....

The Tucson camps are fast approaching and I can't wait to get down there. Cindy and finished the itinerary today and it looks awesome, we were both really excited about how the days have worked out. Week three should be very special as my best friend (Ben Garrard) is over for that week. Cindy has given me permission to ride with him lots that week while she does support, hopefully my limited computrainer riding will allow me to keep up!

Bridle Trails - The Season Opener

2009-01-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

For many of us Bridle Trails is the first event of the New Year (except if you were disciplined enough to do a resolution run) and boy what an event! Last year several of us took part in the 50km relay and as much fun as this was I think it dawned on us that standing around in the rain when it is cold and muddy is not a whole lot of fun. So this year we opted for the individual events (5 and 10 mile races) and decided that the extra time could be spent eating pizza and drinking beer at New York Pizza in Kirkland, a smart option I think most of you will agree!

It was a great way to start the year and I think that the decision to do the individual events worked out as we all actually got to spend even more time together (in good moods) than we did last year during the four or five hours that it took us to get through the relay.

Conditions were a little muddy but not as bad as I had expected, the most difficult element of the run was navigating around some of the five mile runners who started five minutes before the 10 milers. I spent the majority of my second loop alone which was soothing in a muddy kind of way. The team all did great, we had some awesome performances and more importantly we all had fun and enjoyed pizza and beer afterwards (well me not so much as my stomach was a little churned up from the effort).

Looking forward to the next team event likely to be the Mercer Island Half Marathon, come join us!

WINTER FUN Part 2

2008-12-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

Snow shoeing is tough. Here is a photo Cindy took of me on one of our favorite local trails (well this is actually a short road section within the run but you would never know from the photo). We covered six miles in just over an hour and boy it was hard, not so much aerobically but simply from the recruitment of muscle groups I don't normally use when running. I also struggled getting truly comfortable in the snow shoes, something I am sure will improve with practice.

On the Monday we opted for a treadmill run. Our local club Samena was open and so we hopped in the car and made the sometimes dangerous journey there. I decided to run mile reps at 't' pace and after a two mile warm up set about completing 5x1 mile with a one minute rest interval at 9.8 mph (6:07 pace) at the mandatory 1% incline. With a short (I was bored) cool down I ended up with a little over eight miles and about an hours worth of running. Tuesday took me to the multi rider studio to lead one of my classes and boy it was a tough session. The theme was L5 (vo2max) intervals and to say (after yesterdays run) I struggled would be an understatement. Main set was essentially 5x2.5 mins at 120% FTP with a equal rest interval. To see my athletes (who have been riding consistently, unlike me!) cruise through it was great, I had to sit out the last minute of each interval and shout encouragement, my legs were fried. Wednesday saw me hit the snow shoes again! This time I used Cindy's as she was on her skis. They are smaller than mine and made for a faster run. I again ran six miles but on a slightly more challenging trail and managed to get it done in 57 minutes for an average of 9:30/mile. It was challening but fun and I think if this snow keeps up I have found a new sport!

WINTER FUN

2008-12-27T16:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, what a great looking snow man and who offended Zoozoo? Wow what a week it has been here in Newcastle. With several inches of snow over the last week it has made life a little more interesting. Throw into the mix a visit from Kathy and Gavin (my sister in law and her son) and it has made for a hectic few days. It was certainly a lot of fun spending some time with the family even if I was a little guilty at times of sitting at the computer working when i should have probably been out playing in the snow!

What was interesting was trying to think of ways to get some training in, in spite of the snow and ice (which made driving on a couple of the days impossible, well for Cindy and I anyway). So what are your options? Well they are many but the first real 'snow' session was on Sunday where Cindy and I decided to go for a snow shoe run.

VO2MULTISPORT.COM

2008-11-28T16:47:00.001-08:00

My new logo, what do you think? I love it and want to thank Job Hall for all his hard work and for putting up with me during the design process. I also want to thank all my athletes (and my wonderful wife) for their input. I was so impressed by all the well thought out feedback and comments I received from you all.

So where to now? Well, a completely redesigned website for one thing which will include forums, ecommerce and other 'surprise' features. It should be finished by the end of January 2009, fingers crossed. Also it is time to announce the merger of Team Synergy with Vo2Multisport creating Team Vo2Multisport. The merger is a win for both parties. I receive more exposure with team members racing in my branded clothing and they receive enhanced support from some of my sponsors and more direction going forward.

Another exciting piece of news is the launch of VO2 Endurance! This is a 70.3 and IM specific training protocol that focuses on offering athletes of all abilities a generic program to follow but with the addition of a forum for communication and the opportunity to attend a face to face coaches panel once every four weeks for a Q&A session to review the past four weeks. The best news is the introduction to the Vo2Multisport team of Chris Whyte (Power Guru, all round nice guy and awesome AG triathlete) and Michael Gordon (Professional Triathlete and runner extroadinaire). Both of these coaches and athletes bring so much to the table for Vo2Multisport and will help move VO2 Endurance forward.

Please keep an eye on the website over the coming weeks and months and look for some very cool changes. Exciting times ahead for V02Multisport.

Athlete Profile - Mary Frasier

2008-11-14T17:22:00.001-08:00

On the left is one dedicated individual and athlete and friend I take great pleasure in working with. I have had the pleasure of coaching Mary for about 14 months now and during that time have seen her come a long way as an athlete.

I first met Mary at my twice weekly triathlon specific swim workout at Samena in Bellevue. Very soon it was clear to me that Mary had a great work ethic and consistency to her training. When she asked me to coach her over a year ago I jumped at the chance. To give you some idea of just how far Mary progressed during the first six months of our relationship here is the outcome from three of her FTP tests during the Winter (all done on a CT in a controlled environment):

Test 1 October 27th 2007 - AVG Watts for 10 Mile TT = 157 (FTP 149)
Test 2 January 26th 2008 - AVG Watts for 10 Mile TT = 178 (FTP 169)
Test 3 March 8th 2008 - AVG Watts for 1o Mile TT = 192 (FTP 182)

This represents a 22% improvement in Mary's FTP power off the back of a good triathlon season and a relatively small amount of weekly cycling volume (come on this was a Seattle Winter). I was more impressed with these test results as Mary was already a very competent well trained athlete whose cycling had always been her strength.

Mary showed gains in her swim and run also but I believe the gains made in her riding had a notable impact on her triathlon performances. Boise 70.3 was the first test of the year in the build towards IMCDA (Mary's A race). There was no taper to speak of going into this race and with the race on June 1st she was going into it with minimal open water swim training and a little rusty as this was the first triathlon of the year.

The outcome was a podium finish, PR and all round confidence building race going into the seasons A race IMCDA. To finish 4th in her AG at a 70.3 series event in her first triathlon of the season and to register a PR was better than we anticipated. Mary raced smart, executed to perfection and her new found bike fitness allowed her to run strong.

Mary did her first Ironman in 2006 (IMAZ) and finished in a respectable 14:36:31. She then waited a year before tackling IMCDA in 2007, a big improvement she finished in 13:46:46 taking 50 minutes off her previous time on arguably a more challenging course (I say arguably because the wind and heat in AZ can make CDA seem like a walk in the park if they decide to not co-operate). I knew Mary was ready for a good race at this years event and believed in her ability to PR. Her AG is a tough one F45-49 but so be it, it is what it is.

Going into the 2008 race Mary's preparation had been flawless. No periods of forced down time, no injuries, no illnesses and some very good breakthrough workouts accomplished including the great race at Boise. I knew there was nothing more Mary nor I could do as race day approached. Simply put she was ready! Solid swim, excellent (maybe too excellent) ride and an okay run saw Mary PR by 42:30, a huge margin. The whole process of getting Mary ready, reading her training feedback and marveling at her consistency and ability to apply herself was a joy.

Mary went on to post another Half Ironman PR at Troika in August and is now focusing on her run. What does 2009 hold? A new AG and an overseas IM (Brasil) will present more opportunity for someone as dedicated and strong as Mary is. My job as her coach is an easy one with such a coachable athlete.

Bring on 2009 and watch out Brasil.

Training Camps Exposed

2008-10-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

As someone who earns their living through coaching triathletes I always have to think hard about the ROI on running training camps. Most of you probably think 'wow what a great way to spend a week or two, training alongside athletes and enjoying typically good weather all the while getting paid to do it'. Now I hate to shatter those illusions but the bottom line is training camps are hard work to organize, promote, and run. Not only that, the return is often very low given the significant investment of time and energy.

So I hear you ask, why bother running camps in the first place? Well here is the crux of this post and may I just bring your attention to the photo on the right. What do you see? I see a bunch of friends who look healthy and happy posing for a photo in a beautiful location somewhere just West of Beebee Bridge, WA. In actual fact many of these people only met each other for the first time four days prior to the photo being taken. Now maybe I am just sentimental (or just mental) but I love the fact this group of people came together at a training camp organized by my wife Cindy and I to help prepare them for the biggest race of their year (for some of them the biggest race of their life to date). To be able to impart my knowledge and experience onto these athletes and provide training opportunities that they themsleves would have been unlikely to undertake in the comforts of their own world gives me a huge sense of satisfaction. To know after the fact that they would all go on to have great races at their respective IM races also gives me a warm feeling.

So I run the numbers and they don't always look good but would I ever stop running training camps to help athletes move their athletic potential forwards, never!

And the winner is???

2008-10-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

Well my wife I guess for getting a photo with 'man crush' material Craig Alexander. But seriously Craig (Crowie) is a very realistic contender for the top spot. Having sat down to dinner with TJ and discussed some of the training they undertook together in Boulder I have to say Craig's workouts were very impressive. The 2008 champion, maybe!

The TYR Family

2008-10-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

Arrived safe and sound with only one small problem, no bags! Okay I dramatize, they arrived on the next flight several hours after we arrived so not too much of a horror story. My biggest single concern was my bike (I traveled with my P3C in the hope of getting some training done for 70.3 Worlds) as when I left it the oversize baggage guys had decided to search it and all I saw were straps and bubble wrap everywhere! It is still in the box as we speak so I will update you later on the outcome.

Cindy and I were met at the airport by my friend and boss Ryan Dolan (National Sales Manager Multisport and Team at TYR Sport) and were greeted by a big bag of TYR goodies some of which were custom made for the race. Cindy also got some rather nice swim suits from TYR's parent company Swimwear Anywhere (who own Juicy Couture, Donna Karen etc etc) so she was happy!

The rest of the evening was spent the three of us having dinner with TJ Tollakson and talking about what else - Triathlon, perfect! In the picture on the left Ryan, yours truly in the middle and TJ on the right, what a trio! Off to bed now for an early night after lots of travel, and an early wake up call to go for a run before the day begins.

I love this Island!

Kona 2008 - A view from the industry side

2008-10-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

Here starts the unofficial Vo2Multisport/TYR Ironman Hawaii 2008 blog. I will try and post somewhat regularly work and play permitting! This will be my first time on the island as a spectator and I must confess I am really looking forward to it. On the two occasions I have raced here (2004 and 2005) I can honestly say the race itself has not been terribly enjoyable (am I allowed to say that?) but the build up and the post race euphoria were incredible. I love the Big Island and the energy it exudes is phenomenal, add to that the fact my wife and I cemented our relationship here and it makes it a really special place.

Firstly let me clear up a few things if I may (hopefully I won’t anger Madam Pele in the process). This is not the 'hardest course’ on the Ironman Calendar. The lava fields are not expansive. The natural energy lab is no more difficult than any other part of the run course. The swim is the most brutal one I have ever experienced in my 19 years of racing. Alii Drive is the most hallowed ground in this sport and the most awesome finish ever in any sport.

Photos and more to come as the week progresses, watch this space!

Vo2 Athlete Profile - Damon Barnett

2008-09-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Over the coming weeks I shall profile athletes on the Vo2 roster and review their year and upcoming season. It is at this time of the year that I evaluate athletes race results (whether they know it or not!) and try and address their limiters going forward to the next season of racing. This is an important process to go through and one which yields (after close inspection) some surprises. Reviewing Damon's was no different.

Damon and I started working together in June this year and to date the relationship has been a very successful one. I cannot hide the fact I was excited that Damon chose me to coach him after contacting several other equally capable coaches in the area. I saw immediately that he had the potential to do well in the sport. He could swim well and was in overall good aerobic condition. A little raw when it came to cycling and running, but skills I was confident he could master in a short period of time.

Damon qualified for AG Nationals at the Moses Lake Olympic distance race on June 7th. He finished in a time of 2:12:39, good enough for 24th Overall and 2nd in his AG (Damon is 21). The overall winner Winslow Tandler, won in a time of 2:01:49 and took the Gold in Damon's AG. This was a solid race with little or no structured training. After seeing this result I knew Damon with a little direction could eclipse that result so after agreeing to coach him (and vice versa) we set a target of qualifying for AG Worlds in 2009 to be held in Noosa on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (a nice location!). This required a top 16 AG finish on the challenging Hagg Lake course in Oregon on September 20th.

Damon adapted to my training protocol well and in no time made significant progress across all disciplines. I wanted to work hard on Damon's run knowing that this would be the difference between top 16 and top 30 in the very competitive field he was likely to encounter at Nationals. Always mindful to not push to hard to soon I had Damon run using the Daniels formulae (adpated for a multisport athlete). It worked well and with perhaps a little more 'T' pace running than I might usually incorporate Damon was running fast off the bike in no time. A test race at Beaver Lake highlighted just how far Damon had come in the short time we had been working together. He finished 6th overall winning his AG in a decent field of athletes. Not only that but he beat several athletes from the Moses Lake race who had raced close to 10 minutes faster than Damon back in June, progress I think you would agree!

Knowing how valuable course knowledge would be for this race Damon traveled down to Hagg Lake to swim, ride and run at the race venue on the course that would be used for the race. This proved useful and Damon even jumped into the Scoggins Valley race that uses much of the same course as a test event for the big day. It proved useful and Damon finished 4th overall again securing the AG win and taking several notable scalps in the process. I thought long and hard about next steps and decided it would be beneficial for Damon to race Black Hills early in September. I knew this was something of a risk as a bad race and a loss of confidence could have hurt Damon's preparation for his 'A' race but to me the positives outweighed the negatives so race he did. The outcome - 1st Overall and even more notable scalps taken in the process. What was pleasing was the way he ran coming off a strong ride. I knew then that our goal was within reach and provided Damon executed the race he was capable of a good result was there.

I loaned Damon my disc wheel for Nationals and we ran through every possible scenario for the race. Unlike long course races there is less time to make up for errors in transition or by going out too conservatively on the run so with less margin of error execution needs to be flawless. Thank goodness Damon delivered and finished 14th in his AG, just 1 second in front of the guys in 15th and 16th! A perfectly executed race and the desired outcome achieved. Australia here we come! Even more pleasing was the gap to Windslow Tandler who beat Damon by 11 minutes back in June at the Moses Lake qualifier taking the overall win. That gap was reduced to just 30 seconds!!!

Going forward Damon needs to work on his technique in all disciplines and more importantly remain healthy and injury free through to next season. With World's in September this gives Damon the chance to try his hand at the 70.3 distance and he intends to debut in that distance at 70.3 California in April 2009. Watch this space.

An awesome season and I am excited for what the future might hold.

Black Diamond Olympic

2008-09-19T18:18:00.001-07:00

My first Olympic distance race of the season and a fine day it was. Black Diamond, located near Enumclaw in the shadow of Mt Rainier is a great venue but the weather for the September race (there is another race at the same venue in June) can be a little hit and miss. Not so this year. The day dawned with clear skies and by the time the race start came around (9:15) it was a balmy 60 degrees, perfect!

The team I race for were represented well. We did not have numbers but we had talent. Michael Gordon, Bryan Urakawa, Mike Pritchard and myself on the mens side and Kara Nielsen in the womens race. There was also ROn Stadick (far right in the picture) racing in the Sprint fresh from a PR at Ironman Canada (in fact Michael, Bryan and Mike had all raced in Penticton at the end of AUgust).

The race went well. I knew I was racing for 2nd with Michael in the field and my aim was to stay out in front as long as I could in the hope of keeping others at bay with a good solid showing in all three disciplines. That is pretty much how it went. I was third out of the water, first out on the bike and then held this postion until around mile 22 of the bike when Michael passed me. As I was racking my bike Michael was just leaving the rack to head to the run exit, I guess I was maybe 30 seconds down. I really wanted to run sub 40 minutes but this course has some funky off road sections that were going to make that a real challenge. I ran consistently despite a little cramping of the vas med and knew I had 2nd locked up after seeing the other athletes including Mike and Bryan (both of who were looking good and in the top 10) too far behind to catch me unless something dramatic happened.

I crossed the line 2nd overall in a time of 2:06:32 just under 4 minutes behind the winner (Professional Triathlete Michael Gordon) so I was happy. The next guy was just under 5 minutes behind me. Bryan and Mike had another epic battle (they have been close in all their races this year) with Mike posting 4th fastest run of the day to beat Bryan by 37 seconds! On the men's side we finished 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th overall.

Kara had another strong performance and locked up the overall win in a time of 2:22:29, her margin of victory 5 minutes. Ron managed 10th overall in the Sprint race winning his age category handily.

All I wanted was to post consistent splits in each discipline and not have a bad element to my race. I achieved this. My transitions could have been a little slicker and I struggled to get my nutrition down on the bike which may have impacted my run a little but to post the 3rd fastest swim time, 3rd fastest bike time and 7th fastest run time was in my mind solid execution.

Congrats to Vo2 athlete Scott Hill who had a fine race and finished in 2:48:42 despite a crazy week and training through it.

Thank you to my wonderful wife Cindy who took the photos and shouted encouragement to everyone throughout the day. My next race will be an open 10km, my prediction 37:47. Watch this space!

Tucson Warm Weather Camp Dates 2009

2008-09-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

Dates have been finalized, please email me through my website www.vo2multisport.com to register your interest

CAMP 1 FEBRUARY 2-7
CAMP 2 FEBRUARY 9-14
CAMP 3 FEBRUARY 16-21
CAMP 4 FEBRUARY 23-28

Camp will be co coached with Mark Van Akkeren.

Congratulations IMC Athletes!

2008-09-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my athletes and took huge satisfaction in seeing everyone cross the line. Here is a brief summary of the results:

Michael Pritchard - 10:12:59, 16th AG, 104th Overall PR by 00:57:26
Cindy Bigglestone - 11:00:53, 8th AG, 321st Overall (40th Female) PR by 00:16:36
Win Van Pelt - 11:05:07, 15th AG, 345th Overall PR by 00:18:10
Ron Stadick - 11:19:48, 24th AG, 426th Overall PR by 02:59:12
Ed Bullock - 12:12:33, 56th AG, 812th Overall PR by 00:41:30
Jeff Platt - 12:45:47, 62nd AG, 1067th Overall 1st Ironman Finish
Deb Rubens - 12:47:12, 49th AG, 1077th Overall PR by 00:23:16
Chris Esposito - 13:58:54, 182nd AG, 1526th Overall 1st Ironman Finish
Tami Prock - 16:17:32, 103rd AG, 1988th Overall 3rd Ironman Finish

This was the first year in the last five that I had not raced, I wanted to be there to support and cheer on my athletes on their big day. I was glad to not be racing and in fact thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being out on the course on race day and trying to track down where everyone was.

Being fortunate enough to work for TYR I had VIP access to transition and other normally off limits areas for spectators, this meant I could be right at the swim exit and in transition helping pump up tires on race morning. I also really got to experience the energy of all the athletes right before the cannon fired and started their day. Truly awesome.

Thank you to all our sponsors and thank you athletes for making this a most remarkable day for me. You are all rock stars.

NON LINEAR PERIODIZATION

2008-07-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

Having just finished reading an article in Runners World I got to thinking (and wondering) why so many athletes follow the standard protocol of periodization. Now what I mean by this is most people have a short preparation phase (usually four weeks), then begin their ‘base’ training (some proclaim the longer this phase lasts the better able the athlete will be to absorb more intense training further down the line) often recommended to be 12-16 weeks in length, they follow that with a phase of higher intensity ‘race preparation’ work and then go into a competition phase. Upon completion of this there is a short block of rest where the emphasis is on rest and recuperation and getting away from routine (often people are encouraged to go hike, kayak, cross country ski or to just ‘train’ when they want without structure).

Now this model is certainly not obsolete but I think it has been proven over and over again that it does just not fit with many Northern Hemisphere climates. Take where I live as an example. Okay, now Seattle is a beautiful place and as much as I moan to my wife about the rain and consistently cold and cloudy days during our fall, winter and spring I love it. What I don’t love is the thought of riding my bike (resplendent with fenders) for three to five hours in the cold and wet weather at an intensity that will not exactly help me generate much in the way of heat. Now this is the same for many of us living in the upper half of the US. Thankfully we don’t have to deal with sub zero temperatures and deep snow like some of our Eastern US counterparts!

The one year (2006/2007) I attempted to ride with some degree of frequency outdoors in a Pacific North West Winter I got thoroughly miserable and vowed to myself never to put myself through that again (maybe I am just soft)! I came through it somewhat unscathed but I believe it left me with even more disdain for the Seattle climate. To cap it all off my ‘A’ race that year was compromised by a bout of coughing blood (can’t blame the winter for that, but just thought I would continue my rant).

So how did I race through the 2007 season, well my first race was Oceanside (March 31st) and it went as well I thought my fitness would allow with the exception of the run which was uncharacteristically poor. I can’t really think of why this was other than perhaps a lack of any consistent workouts at or above FTP, coupled with even less work at or above VO2Max. I was running well (or so I thought) and during my long miserable training rides continued to push my regular training partners. Now I know this was an early season race but still it represented an investment of time and money to get there and I was not happy with the outcome. The season improved from there once I changed gear and started to introduce some intensity (and some racing). The problem for me now was inconsistency due to travel with my job (I was away on average 7-10 days a month often with no access to a pool and/or gym so that meant no swimming and little to no cycling). In spite of the limited volume the weather had improved along with my mood and I had some respectable results. I placed 3rd in a local sprint triathlon, 5th at the Canadian LC Champs and raced Vineman in 4:26 narrowly missing a Kona slot (by one place). All the time my goal was a good race at Ironman Canada and a hope of besting my PR on that course of 9:43 and securing a Kona slot. Everything seemed to be on track but an unfortunate chain of events leading up to the race left me taking some medication for a muscular issue with my left trapezius and rotator cuff. The medication caused me to cough blood during the race and so I made what I think was the right decision and pulled out in the early stages of the run (my first ever DNF and a tough one to deal with) whilst in the top 25 overall.

Anyhow I digress. The fact of the matter is having looked at historical training journals it is clear that when I chose to adopt a non linear approach (with less total volume) I raced better throughout the season and had no ‘early season’ disasters, I was competitive in all my races. N=1, but now having used this approach with many of my athletes including cyclists and runners (and my wife), it is clear that this approach leaves an athlete more psychologically prepared, physically fresher, and no question, able to work at a much higher % of LT than had they adopted a more traditional periodization model.

Year to date all of my athletes who have raced have achieved results above and beyond their expectations. Now this is a real achievement given some of the challenging goals that they set for themselves (after consultation with me of course) at the start of the year (training year). I have seen more PR’s and podiums than I ever expected to and had some very pleasant surprises along the way. Have their been any below par performances, of course, but they represent a tiny percentage given the number of races and athletes that I am currently working with. I will write more soon and qualify some of the gains in performance exhibited by my athletes following this soon to be standard method of periodizing an athletes training year.

Thanks for reading.

The Coaches Dilemma

2008-05-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

It seems almost any Tom, Dick or Harry is a triathlon coach nowadays. What makes the profession so alluring? Is it the chance to generate some illicit earnings to help fund the oh so expensive multisport lifestyle? Or could it be people truly believe that a couple of seasons of racing and a USAT Coaching Certification give them the skills they need to help others achieve their multisport goals? I am not too sure, but I guess both of the above and many other reasons that I don't want to speculate on right now.

One of the more frustrating things about it is the fact that most of this new breed of coaches do this for secondary income. Some of them are Professional Athletes who supplement their meager earnings by coaching. Many of them are professionals in more mainstream occupations that believe they have acquired enough knowledge and skill sets to be able to impart advice to others in their spare time! As a full time triathlon coach, (with close to 20 years of racing and training experience, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport and Exercise Science, many other coaching certifications and numerous podium and overall wins at distances ranging from Sprint to Ironman) I don’t mind other people with genuine passion and enthusiasm for helping others succeed enter the world of coaching, whether as a hobby or as a full time career. What I do mind are coaches who do not take the time to fully assess their athletes and help prepare them for what they will encounter not only in a multisport event but in their training for the said event.

It is very apparent that this ‘new breed' of coach is very adept at generating generic workouts, which in reality could have been plagiarized from any triathlon coaching manual, online forum, magazine or other coach. Goodness knows I have even heard of coaches using programs they have paid for (themselves) from other coaches and selling that to unsuspecting clients who are under the impression they are getting a ‘tailored, personalized program’, ha! One step further on this scale of unscrupulous coaching practices is the bear faced cheek of those willing to coach athletes remotely without any real concern for the development and personal well being of the athlete. I have seen first hand the impact of this and the outcome is never good. Athletes who have no understanding of training session objectives, athletes blindly trying to use RPE as the only means of workout feedback (might work for a very experienced athlete, but a novice!).

So here is my appeal to all of you out there considering hiring a coach. DO consider where your current skill level is. If you feel it is low then my recommendation is to find a local coach who can work closely with you in each discipline and educate you in the art of transitions as well as the technical nuances of swim, bike, and run. If you are a first or second year triathlete who wants to progress up from short course racing to long course racing, ask yourself, do you need a coach or can you continue making improvements adopting a simple approach of progressive overload and maybe joining a local club or team to get advice and help. Some of you may want that extra hand holding and full prescription that a coach can offer but again I would argue against considering anyone not local to you.

For those of you with very specific objectives regardless of experience level I would suggest you are the group that has the most to gain from using a coach. When you have specific targets and objectives it is all to easy to bull dozer your way into a program you may have found online or elsewhere that is just to generic and not targeted specifically to you as an athlete. There are a huge number of risk factors for the goal driven athlete with a specific objective in mind, not least the risk or injury and illness. Technical deficiencies can lead to long term breaks from training. Neglecting strength and conditioning, and incorrect setting of training zones are just a small example of where your sweat and toil can go wasted.

Find a real coach, interview them, find out what other commitments they have and how many athletes they are currently coaching. Ask to speak to some of their existing athletes and ask them candidly if they are happy with the support they receive. Find out what value add the coach brings, do they offer underwater video analysis to help you with your swim or if not are they able to refer to an expert in this field who they trust. What is their coaching rationale and how do they justify it. Will they be at your ‘A’ races to help you through the day?

Even if you find a coach that on paper, and after interviewing seem to know their stuff, do you have a rapport with them? This is probably the final piece of the puzzle. Once last thing, some coaches may make the decision that you are not right for them, if this is the case it is a sure fire sign that the coach cares about you and is willing to put to one side the financial benefits of ‘one more client’, for the greater good of you the athlete!

Good luck, real coaches are hard to find.........

Vo2Multisport @Camp Training in Tucson AZ - Part 1

2008-03-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

During the month of February I had the great pleasure of spending some time down in Tucson. Now, by 'some time' I actually mean two weeks! Before you all get jealous and think all I had to do was swim, ride and run you would be mistaken.

I arrived in Tucson with my wife Cindy on Tuesday February 19th. It always amazes me how in a little over two hours flight time I go from cold and rain in Seattle to beautiful sunshine, clear skies and warm temperatures. Bikes and bags in tow Cindy went to pick up the mini van and I hung tight looking after the luggage. A quick transition (I am a fan of those) and we were on the road. Our task was to get things ready for the campers that were arriving from Seattle on Wednesday, this included stocking the house with food, building bikes (these were shipped ahead of time to our wonderful friends at Trisports.com) and generally checking out the area.

I must give out a big shout to the City of Tucson for being totally awesome in helping Cindy and I plan the trip, there guidance was invaluable. They even helped with our house location. We stayed in Redington Ranch, a gated complex on the far East side of town. The location would prove to be perfect with easy access to quiet roads, a great pool and the oh so beautiful Saguaro East National Park for trail runs. You can find some photos on our team website, they capture the true beauty of the desert and give a flavor of our training rides.

Our house was huge, including a pool, hot tub, and the most tremendous views of the Tucson skyline perhaps anywhere in the area. The sunsets were spectacular and the city scape by night was a sight to behold. The accommodation was of very good quality and all campers were suitably impressed.

After Cindy and I had explored the house and grounds we unpacked the food we had purchased on route from the airport and headed off to Trisports to pick up bikes and some long ride essentials (co2's, spare tubes, and some treats for ourselves). The journey from our house was straightforward and as always we were looked after by experienced and friendly staff. In this case my good friend Billy Brenden (a senior buyer) from Trisports escorted us around the store and pointed us in the right direction for everything we needed. Cindy even managed to pick up a pair of skins recovery tights, ever since I had purchased a pair on a trip to Salt Lake City she had become rather envious of my bedtime habit of pulling on some tights before bed ;o)

Bikes built and everything in hand we headed to bed for an early night. The athletes arrived at noon the next day and Cindy and I wanted to check out the pool we would be using for all our swim workouts. The closest pool was Udall, about a 1o mile trip from the house but all down one road (Tanque Verde) which made things simple. It has ten ('ish) lanes and was generally not crowded, perfect! We had a quick swim and then Cindy trucked off to pick up the athletes, I headed to the house to tweak the bikes and ensure lunch was on the table.

Stay tuned for more coming soon........

Swim Power

2008-02-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

I have been coaching a twice weekly swim group (swim4tri) for some time now (approx 2.5 years) and take immense pleasure in seeing swimmers go from barely being able to complete 100 yards without stopping, to breaking 10 minutes for a 500 yard timed swim. Taking a swimmer from incompetent freestyle swimmer to competent is for me somewhat easy. I seem perfectly able to smooth out most peoples form and get them into a rhythm with their swimming. Focus on body position and pushing the water in the right direction is the primary emphasis for these swimmers and my coaching style and ability seems to get these swimmers to a good level fast!

So the perennial problem (for me anyhow) has been progressing my 7:30-8 minute swimmers (remember none of these swimmers come from a swim background and most learnt to swim as adults). Most of the group swim twice weekly and have been doing so for some time, not all are able to add a third session due to time constraints and wanting to focus the appropriate amount of time on cycling and running. So a dilemma! I became very aware that my coaching style needed an injection of new ideas and so I thought about what I could do to remedy this. Steve Tarpinian has been coaching swimmers and triathletes for a long time (over 20 years) and I have always been a big fan of his instructional DVD Swim Power. I contacted Steve and asked if he could travel over to Bellevue and offer his expertise to my swimmers (and indirectly me of course!), fortunately he said yes!

Steve was able to spend some time with me and my wife Cindy in the days prior to the clinic and this time was so valuable to me. I gained a new perspective on some of the drills I have been performing with my swimmers for the last several years and got some valuable feedback on the 'early catch' and elbow bend. Incorporating swim cords (stretch cords) on the poolside suddenly took on a new meaning and the value of this simple addition to my weekly group workouts I could envision would be significant.

The clinic came and went and was very successful. I had the chance to support Steve and help him run the clinic while all the time trying to listen for his words of wisdom to take on board and use for my own athletes. I took detailed notes down on the video analysis of my own swimmers strokes and am now prescribing their drills with more direction. Within my Swim4Tri group I am incorporating some of Steve's guidelines for correct drill execution and yes I am starting to see some progress from those swimmers that were in a bit of a rut. Some of the group are even committing to add a third swim workout to their training schedules!!!

I have now purchased a coach cam and as a result can now offer under water video analysis and drill prescription for all my athletes and swimmers. I am excited to take my swim coaching to the next level, for those interested check out my website

Making Changes

2008-02-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Life presents us with many cross roads. I am at one of those junctions right now. Which road should I take? Triathlon is and always has been my passion ever since I discovered this wonderful sport of ours back in 1989. I quickly understood that Triathlon was more than just a sport or pastime it was a lifestyle.

Nineteen years on and I find myself working in the industry I love marketing and promoting what I believe to be the best wetsuit brand in the sport (blueseventy). However due to recent changes in my role within the company I find myself facing a tough decision.

My new role has me promoting and leading the entry of blueseventy into the world of open water swimming (in the USA). Now, I love swimming and consider myself a relatively good exponent of the first discipline of our sport however on a standalone basis I find it hard to get excited about. As much as I have tried to turn myself on to this new Olympic discipline (Beijing 2008 will represent the inaugural year of the 10km open water swim as a medal event) I find it lacks the color, flair and passion of triathlon, I hate to say it but it is also not 'cool' in the same way that triathlon is.

This role change has come at the same time I decided that I wanted to more actively get involved in coaching (something I have been doing ever since obtaining my degree in Sport and Exercise Science back in 1995). I have been very fortunate to have had a lot if interest in my coaching business of late and this has helped me make the tough financial decision of leaving blueseventry and throwing myself headlong into full time coaching.

Those of you that have helped reassure me that pursuing what you are passionate about is the right thing to do and those that have joined my coaching group in recent months, I thank you. My wonderful wife Cindy who puts up with my ever changing mind (which I know drives her insane at times) I love you and thank you for allowing me to pursue this. Without your blessing this decision would have been impossible to make.

Rest assured I will continue to work with blueseventy and represent them as an ambassador locally and nationally, my time with them has taught me a great deal and exposed me further to the industry and sport I love.

Please follow my progress on this blog as I look forward to an exciting new career.