I have a small sprint triathlon on the calendar this weekend in Corvallis, Oregon.
I'm on the fence about whether to compete or not. I have some conflicts including: I'm in Seattle and it's a 5.5 hour drive when there is no traffic, leaving on Friday night is a terrible idea since getting to Tacoma takes two hours instead of 45min in clear traffic.
The only reasons I have to do it are selfish ones and they don't really align with work obilgations such as being available in the office.
Argh. It's mildly frustrating, but it's my doing. I signed up under the impresssion I was going to be able to work/live remote in Pdx.
That's a no-go, which is fine, I'm pretty happy to be working on campus. But now I need to find another event to knock the rust off before I do some Half Iron distance race (TBD) in June/July.
That won't be a problem; but I was excited to race and have good early season fitness.
We'll see, maybe I will get inspired and make the drive. But probably not. It will cost more getting to Corvallis, Oregon in fuel, etc. then the actual race cost and this is all for a short pool swim, short bike, short run.
To make matters worse, I was just down in the area this last weekend for a family visit, but that's life. That event makes me feel like the Corvallis event is pretty unpalatable, especially when I have to be back down in Oregon in a month's time.. Just way too much driving and travel which impacts training continuity.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Week of 3/30
Summary
Swim- 4
Bike- 4
Run-4
Mon
Bike- 1hr 35min - Steady ride out to Woodinville on BG. 29miles; just holding 200-225; 170w avg.
Swim- Main set- Done at easy, medium, hard..
300 (4.45) 200 (3.05) 100 (1.27), kick 50, 300 (4.48), 200 (3.05), 100 (1.27)- (30 sec rest)
Tues
Run- 45min steady on BG, 1st 10min of at fast pace, remainder steady..
Bike- Intervals 4x5min 1min rest, 4x3min 30sec rest, 4x2min 20sec rest- 5min, 4min, 3min on 200-210w, 2min on 240-260w. 1hr 10min total
Wed
Swim- 8x100- 1st half 1.24, 2nd half 1.28/30sec rest
Run- 45min steady on BG, jog over to the soccer fields, 5x fast strides
Thurs
Swim- Mainset: Swim at Mod pace on longer reps descended to faster spilts as reps are shorter:
400 (6.30) 300 (4.40) 200 (3.01) 100 (1.24) then 100 paddles, 2x100 on 2min (1,25, 1,25)
Bike- 55min steady spin over evening news, Milan-San Remo and Tirreno Adriatico. Some TT efforts, and some one leg drills.
Fri
Travel Day. Driving 6 hours to get to Oregon. Yay.
Sat
Run- 60min even out on Mac farm roads mid-morning at steady pace.
Swim- At the Mac swimming pool, no lane lines up as usual. The pool was a flipping washing machine.
Main set- 300, 200, 100, 200 (100 pull, 100 free) 500 (200 pull, 300 free): Not much to report here times were all pretty slowish given the lack of lane lines. A good few tics slower than usual at each distance, either way, my arms didn't know the difference.
Sun
Run- 32min out and back on farm roads in mid-morning.. legs feeling fine.
Bike- 2 hours steady out to Coleman & Maysara vineyards, 35 miles. 174w avg.
Swim- 4
Bike- 4
Run-4
Mon
Bike- 1hr 35min - Steady ride out to Woodinville on BG. 29miles; just holding 200-225; 170w avg.
Swim- Main set- Done at easy, medium, hard..
300 (4.45) 200 (3.05) 100 (1.27), kick 50, 300 (4.48), 200 (3.05), 100 (1.27)- (30 sec rest)
Tues
Run- 45min steady on BG, 1st 10min of at fast pace, remainder steady..
Bike- Intervals 4x5min 1min rest, 4x3min 30sec rest, 4x2min 20sec rest- 5min, 4min, 3min on 200-210w, 2min on 240-260w. 1hr 10min total
Wed
Swim- 8x100- 1st half 1.24, 2nd half 1.28/30sec rest
Run- 45min steady on BG, jog over to the soccer fields, 5x fast strides
Thurs
Swim- Mainset: Swim at Mod pace on longer reps descended to faster spilts as reps are shorter:
400 (6.30) 300 (4.40) 200 (3.01) 100 (1.24) then 100 paddles, 2x100 on 2min (1,25, 1,25)
Bike- 55min steady spin over evening news, Milan-San Remo and Tirreno Adriatico. Some TT efforts, and some one leg drills.
Fri
Travel Day. Driving 6 hours to get to Oregon. Yay.
Sat
Run- 60min even out on Mac farm roads mid-morning at steady pace.
Swim- At the Mac swimming pool, no lane lines up as usual. The pool was a flipping washing machine.
Main set- 300, 200, 100, 200 (100 pull, 100 free) 500 (200 pull, 300 free): Not much to report here times were all pretty slowish given the lack of lane lines. A good few tics slower than usual at each distance, either way, my arms didn't know the difference.
Sun
Run- 32min out and back on farm roads in mid-morning.. legs feeling fine.
Bike- 2 hours steady out to Coleman & Maysara vineyards, 35 miles. 174w avg.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Fake Steve Jobs Blog and the novel "Options", the secret life of steve jobs
I'm finishing one of the funniest books I've ever read, "Options" a parody by fake steve jobs.
As soon as I do finish it I will get a review up. The only connection to the blog is business (but not really), and no athletics connection, oh well.
I was inspired to read the book after reading this:
http://fakesteve.blogspot.com
The blog inspired the book. The blog was written anonymously, skewering Steve Jobs and all his celebrity friends who float in and out of his life.
The blog (and book) also skewered Apple, Microsoft, Oracle along with the folks that run those companies.
The first thing I'd say about the book is that it's not about technology at all; it's about Steve and his hidden craziness, along with his odd relationships with Al Gore, who sits on the board of directors at Apple.
I know it's hard to believe that Steve Jobs could be funny, but trust me, read some of the blog; I'd just heard of it word of mouth myself and then bought the book immediately.
The book is literally laugh out loud funny.
As soon as I do finish it I will get a review up. The only connection to the blog is business (but not really), and no athletics connection, oh well.
I was inspired to read the book after reading this:
http://fakesteve.blogspot.com
The blog inspired the book. The blog was written anonymously, skewering Steve Jobs and all his celebrity friends who float in and out of his life.
The blog (and book) also skewered Apple, Microsoft, Oracle along with the folks that run those companies.
The first thing I'd say about the book is that it's not about technology at all; it's about Steve and his hidden craziness, along with his odd relationships with Al Gore, who sits on the board of directors at Apple.
I know it's hard to believe that Steve Jobs could be funny, but trust me, read some of the blog; I'd just heard of it word of mouth myself and then bought the book immediately.
The book is literally laugh out loud funny.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Lane Etiquette at the pool
Every spring lane etiquette comes up for runners at the track, some community tracks get so crowded that making sure the whole place runs in sync is important.
I used to actually get annoyed by some lapses in etiquette, the examples are too numerous to list.
What got me thinking about etiquette at the pool was another workout that was marred by some poor etiquette.
Here's the break down:
I get to the YMCA at lunch hour (there is a 2.5 hour window of lap swim) thinking I won't have to wait long for a lane. As I'm waiting, I grab a kickboard, paddles, etc. and drop my gear off by the fast lane, thus staking it as I can see the person in it will be leaving soon.
Moments later some Microtard (slang for the tards at msft- o.k. I work there too but some of them bug) walks in, gets in the water and proceeds to split the lane w/the women who then leaves, so this tard has the lane. Said Microtard actually saw me stake the lane out too.
He gets in and does the "I own the lane body language" and proceeds to swim "fast"..
I finally manage a lane after a couple of side-stroking octogenarians who were sharing a lane pop out together and leave the lane free.
As an aside, normally I'm fine sharing a lane but with a seasoned swimmer or someone *not* paddling like they are going to storm the beaches of Normandy and kick the crud out of the Krauts.
So, just noodling through the warmup and not boasting at all but I'm just passing Microtard left and right. He goes Michael Phelps and starts walloping the water. At the wall he clearly went anaerobic and I send off for an easy kick set.
I'm thinking, "Oh boy.. Dude. Lighten up."
So, I'm nearly ready to start a set of 100 repeats on short rest which are at a pretty good clip and fast at most pools. And, hey I've swam at a few pools where it'd just be a mod-hard pace (Stanford's outdoor pool) so I've some good context for the speed I'm swimming relative to others.
As I'm getting ready to start a grumpy looking "swimmer guy" (the only other guy in a speedo, except for yours truly) is being told by an older woman that he can share a lane with me because as she says, (and points to me) "he's really fast"...
Except that I'm not, but it's the YMCA. And I'm not a 80 years old w/a Special Forces side-stroke and accoutrements such as snorkel and fins.
"Swimmer Guy" is also clearly a Microtard w/'tude. And he looks skeptical when this information about velocity is presented.
I start my 100's and they are going fine for the most part. I'm doing them w/30 seconds rest; I start the workout so that when I get rolling he's well away from me so I don't catch and pass him. Plus, I have this inkling he'll try and match me or "beat me" to the wall.
Sure enough.
At midpoint through the set "Swimmer Guy" is coming to the wall as I have to start the next rep and it's a fast rep... He matches my pace. And then as soon as I'm finished, goes back to his pretty poor looking stroke.
It gets worse, the last couple of reps when I send he tries to catch me.
I mean seriously, if I wanted to race, I'd signed up for one. OK, I have one in a couple of weeks..
What's annoying about this is that the guy clearly has some anger and rage issues with all the 'tude he had about sharing the lane with me, but it's not like he's even a good a swimmer; just some overly built annoying office worker who's doing *everything* he can to either catch me or match my pace.
People are weird, and some are strangely competitive to the point of rudeness.
I'm pretty particular about grabbing my own lane and swimming unimpeded or sharing w. a real swimmer. I have a friend who's a multiple time Olympic qualifier, All-American status who did all that at the winningist University (National titles) who laps me constantly, but when swimming with her the lane moves in perfect synchronicity. I have other swim partners that are my speed and guess what? No problems.
Good athletes have class *and* panache. You have to bring your game face to the races but you need to train smart, not on emotion. People who train on emotion maybe emotionally exhausted by race day.
I actually don't get people and their deals, sometimes I feel like just saying look, "If you want to race, let's have at it but in the mean time, can you be more respectful of my workout?"
So, simple tips for the pool:
-Give the person you're sharing a lane with some space on his/her interval sets; don't follow them two seconds after they leave the wall, give them 10-12 secs
-If you're two to a lane, don't insist on circle swimming if the other person is really much faster than you, you are slowly them down.
-Give people room to pass at the wall if you know you're being lapped.
-Don't race random strangers at the pool because you had a bad day. It's like road raging at the YMCA.
Yours in training and sport,
JKT
I used to actually get annoyed by some lapses in etiquette, the examples are too numerous to list.
What got me thinking about etiquette at the pool was another workout that was marred by some poor etiquette.
Here's the break down:
I get to the YMCA at lunch hour (there is a 2.5 hour window of lap swim) thinking I won't have to wait long for a lane. As I'm waiting, I grab a kickboard, paddles, etc. and drop my gear off by the fast lane, thus staking it as I can see the person in it will be leaving soon.
Moments later some Microtard (slang for the tards at msft- o.k. I work there too but some of them bug) walks in, gets in the water and proceeds to split the lane w/the women who then leaves, so this tard has the lane. Said Microtard actually saw me stake the lane out too.
He gets in and does the "I own the lane body language" and proceeds to swim "fast"..
I finally manage a lane after a couple of side-stroking octogenarians who were sharing a lane pop out together and leave the lane free.
As an aside, normally I'm fine sharing a lane but with a seasoned swimmer or someone *not* paddling like they are going to storm the beaches of Normandy and kick the crud out of the Krauts.
So, just noodling through the warmup and not boasting at all but I'm just passing Microtard left and right. He goes Michael Phelps and starts walloping the water. At the wall he clearly went anaerobic and I send off for an easy kick set.
I'm thinking, "Oh boy.. Dude. Lighten up."
So, I'm nearly ready to start a set of 100 repeats on short rest which are at a pretty good clip and fast at most pools. And, hey I've swam at a few pools where it'd just be a mod-hard pace (Stanford's outdoor pool) so I've some good context for the speed I'm swimming relative to others.
As I'm getting ready to start a grumpy looking "swimmer guy" (the only other guy in a speedo, except for yours truly) is being told by an older woman that he can share a lane with me because as she says, (and points to me) "he's really fast"...
Except that I'm not, but it's the YMCA. And I'm not a 80 years old w/a Special Forces side-stroke and accoutrements such as snorkel and fins.
"Swimmer Guy" is also clearly a Microtard w/'tude. And he looks skeptical when this information about velocity is presented.
I start my 100's and they are going fine for the most part. I'm doing them w/30 seconds rest; I start the workout so that when I get rolling he's well away from me so I don't catch and pass him. Plus, I have this inkling he'll try and match me or "beat me" to the wall.
Sure enough.
At midpoint through the set "Swimmer Guy" is coming to the wall as I have to start the next rep and it's a fast rep... He matches my pace. And then as soon as I'm finished, goes back to his pretty poor looking stroke.
It gets worse, the last couple of reps when I send he tries to catch me.
I mean seriously, if I wanted to race, I'd signed up for one. OK, I have one in a couple of weeks..
What's annoying about this is that the guy clearly has some anger and rage issues with all the 'tude he had about sharing the lane with me, but it's not like he's even a good a swimmer; just some overly built annoying office worker who's doing *everything* he can to either catch me or match my pace.
People are weird, and some are strangely competitive to the point of rudeness.
I'm pretty particular about grabbing my own lane and swimming unimpeded or sharing w. a real swimmer. I have a friend who's a multiple time Olympic qualifier, All-American status who did all that at the winningist University (National titles) who laps me constantly, but when swimming with her the lane moves in perfect synchronicity. I have other swim partners that are my speed and guess what? No problems.
Good athletes have class *and* panache. You have to bring your game face to the races but you need to train smart, not on emotion. People who train on emotion maybe emotionally exhausted by race day.
I actually don't get people and their deals, sometimes I feel like just saying look, "If you want to race, let's have at it but in the mean time, can you be more respectful of my workout?"
So, simple tips for the pool:
-Give the person you're sharing a lane with some space on his/her interval sets; don't follow them two seconds after they leave the wall, give them 10-12 secs
-If you're two to a lane, don't insist on circle swimming if the other person is really much faster than you, you are slowly them down.
-Give people room to pass at the wall if you know you're being lapped.
-Don't race random strangers at the pool because you had a bad day. It's like road raging at the YMCA.
Yours in training and sport,
JKT
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Week of 3/23
Summary
Swim-3
Bike- 5
Run- 5
Mon-
Travel Day
Still a bit sore from Shamrock 15k.
Bike- 40min z2/3/4 sets, 4-5min pulls at 190-210w, 30-40sec rest
Swim- Whatever you like main set, 500 continous swimming w/focus on bilateral breathing, kick sets, drills, etc.
Tues-
Bike- Intervals. Main set= Zones 3, 4, 5 wattage. Sets were either 4 or 5 min w/45sec/1min rest. Holding 210-220w for Z3 and Z4- 235-270w
Run- Very easy transition jog after the ride about 25min
Wed-
Run- 53min very, very easy & light on BG
Bike- 55min Zone 2/3 Intervals- 4min & 5min sets 190-210w on 45 sec rest
Thurs-
Swim- early afternoon. Mainset 300, 200, 100 (3.38, 3.01, 1.26) mod/hard-ish then 300 (3.45, 3.08, 1.30) easy, med, mod. 30sec rest each
Bike- 55min spin w.the evening news, standing on the commericials..
Fri
Run- 47min steady run on the BG late afternoon. Legs feel back after last weekends long hard run.
Swim- Main set-550 @ 7.50, 300 paddle work, 4x100 on 2min holding 1.25-30
Sat
Bike- 49 miles; 3hrs. Steady out to Carnation Valley then 30min functional threshold watts over flat to rolling terrain
Run- 30 min Transition Run. Did a shot of Hammer Gel, water and run laps around soccer field, first 8min easy, next 20min or so at IM race pace, finish w/jogging.
Sun-
55 min easy, easy run
Swim-3
Bike- 5
Run- 5
Mon-
Travel Day
Still a bit sore from Shamrock 15k.
Bike- 40min z2/3/4 sets, 4-5min pulls at 190-210w, 30-40sec rest
Swim- Whatever you like main set, 500 continous swimming w/focus on bilateral breathing, kick sets, drills, etc.
Tues-
Bike- Intervals. Main set= Zones 3, 4, 5 wattage. Sets were either 4 or 5 min w/45sec/1min rest. Holding 210-220w for Z3 and Z4- 235-270w
Run- Very easy transition jog after the ride about 25min
Wed-
Run- 53min very, very easy & light on BG
Bike- 55min Zone 2/3 Intervals- 4min & 5min sets 190-210w on 45 sec rest
Thurs-
Swim- early afternoon. Mainset 300, 200, 100 (3.38, 3.01, 1.26) mod/hard-ish then 300 (3.45, 3.08, 1.30) easy, med, mod. 30sec rest each
Bike- 55min spin w.the evening news, standing on the commericials..
Fri
Run- 47min steady run on the BG late afternoon. Legs feel back after last weekends long hard run.
Swim- Main set-550 @ 7.50, 300 paddle work, 4x100 on 2min holding 1.25-30
Sat
Bike- 49 miles; 3hrs. Steady out to Carnation Valley then 30min functional threshold watts over flat to rolling terrain
Run- 30 min Transition Run. Did a shot of Hammer Gel, water and run laps around soccer field, first 8min easy, next 20min or so at IM race pace, finish w/jogging.
Sun-
55 min easy, easy run
Monday, March 24, 2008
Update on my whereabouts, work, etc.
Some updates..
For a stretch of time it looked like Microsoft Licensing was going to be cool with me working remotely, so Pdx looked like a better choice for me than Seattle.
Unfortunately we didn't have much more than a few months of work and so I'm back on Microsoft campus in Redmond, full-time, in person.
Currently I'm doing a Program Manager gig in the Unified Communications group, responsible for some financial planning and analysis, budgeting and partner relations on Redmond campus.
As per the usual, I'm still swimming, biking and running alot in prep for Ironman Canada though, obviously, the training locale has changed.
Race day is Aug 24th, so you can track my progress on www.ironmanlive.com if you decide you want to see how slowly I'm moving!
I'm still getting down to Portland every month or so for a weekend to see family, I'm usually there every couple of weeks on Friday so syncing up in the Pearl or somewhere downtown could work for coffee.
Truth be told, if I'm down there working remote I'm going to try and steal some time for a ride out on Sauvie or in Beaverton/North Plains!
Join me for a ride if you like.
For a stretch of time it looked like Microsoft Licensing was going to be cool with me working remotely, so Pdx looked like a better choice for me than Seattle.
Unfortunately we didn't have much more than a few months of work and so I'm back on Microsoft campus in Redmond, full-time, in person.
Currently I'm doing a Program Manager gig in the Unified Communications group, responsible for some financial planning and analysis, budgeting and partner relations on Redmond campus.
As per the usual, I'm still swimming, biking and running alot in prep for Ironman Canada though, obviously, the training locale has changed.
Race day is Aug 24th, so you can track my progress on www.ironmanlive.com if you decide you want to see how slowly I'm moving!
I'm still getting down to Portland every month or so for a weekend to see family, I'm usually there every couple of weeks on Friday so syncing up in the Pearl or somewhere downtown could work for coffee.
Truth be told, if I'm down there working remote I'm going to try and steal some time for a ride out on Sauvie or in Beaverton/North Plains!
Join me for a ride if you like.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Shamrock Pics
Fun finishing pic.
Just in case anyone is wondering I did not out kick her..
Once she came up around me and I realized it was one of the top 5 women, I let her go by, the crowd got a nice charge out of it. :)
Good job April and nice race btw.
Just in case anyone is wondering I did not out kick her..
Once she came up around me and I realized it was one of the top 5 women, I let her go by, the crowd got a nice charge out of it. :)
Good job April and nice race btw.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Zone 2 & 3 for Long Course Athletes
This isn't really new info for most folks...
The link I'm sharing below just sums up nicely the use of the "All Z2-Z3 protocol"...
In essence, if you're gonna train high volume train at mod to mod-hard levels all the time, sharpen speed near the end of your macrocycle (e.g. your "A" race).
Personally, I also happen to have used a training protocol in the last couple of seasons for Half Iron distance that is a bit different, basically a mix of Z2/3 volume based work, and higher intensity/velocity w/the overall weekly volumes reduced. Obviously there were some caveats to this, for example, there were some weeks last summer where I rode upwards of 600 miles, ran 80+mi or increased the frequency of the swim.
Is either approach better or more effective than the other? I think they can both work for either Iron distance or Half Iron depending on the athletes preferences in training.
This season I'm on the "Z2/3 all the time, w/volume" path, I like it, seem to be responding to it.
Here's that link, and a very nice write up by Justin Daerr (known for his EAS adverts) on his training
http://www.xtri.com/reports.aspx?riIDReport=4547&CAT=0&xref=xx
The link I'm sharing below just sums up nicely the use of the "All Z2-Z3 protocol"...
In essence, if you're gonna train high volume train at mod to mod-hard levels all the time, sharpen speed near the end of your macrocycle (e.g. your "A" race).
Personally, I also happen to have used a training protocol in the last couple of seasons for Half Iron distance that is a bit different, basically a mix of Z2/3 volume based work, and higher intensity/velocity w/the overall weekly volumes reduced. Obviously there were some caveats to this, for example, there were some weeks last summer where I rode upwards of 600 miles, ran 80+mi or increased the frequency of the swim.
Is either approach better or more effective than the other? I think they can both work for either Iron distance or Half Iron depending on the athletes preferences in training.
This season I'm on the "Z2/3 all the time, w/volume" path, I like it, seem to be responding to it.
Here's that link, and a very nice write up by Justin Daerr (known for his EAS adverts) on his training
http://www.xtri.com/reports.aspx?riIDReport=4547&CAT=0&xref=xx
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
New Gear: 2XU Wetsuit
The UPS guy dropped off the new 2XU wetsuit today, pretty exciting. It fits completely different than the old OR I've been using. Wetsuit technology has advanced a bit, panels are of a different thickness here and there to give an athlete more mobility and/or float better.
They also fit tighter. This is much smaller than the old one, and I suspect faster.. The old suit most likely let water in, which weighs a person down and creates drag.
Either way, I put it on right away out of excitement and it felt great. I won't really know if it performs better for months but since I made a commitment to swimming frequently and hard last year my times have dropped alot, and I'm closer to parity with folks that I want to be racing.
I have no illusions about swimming faster than anyone, I just don't want to give anything up!
At Alcatraz last year I had a great swim that was indicative of the work I'd done.. 35min for a 1.5mile swim; (Half Iron is 1.2mi) so I knew I'd done the right things, then I got to USAT Nats and swam like a moron.
In the first 150 yards or so I swam directly into another wave of folks on the in-bound portion of the swim, and worked like crazy to find my group again.
Oh boy.
Needless to say, navigation skills are pretty important in open water, and that day I had minimal skills. The swim was really affected by some blinding sun and I just didn't take it into account.
The result was a swim a good 5min slower than what I hoped to do. C'est la vie.
I'm hoping to implant a GPS Nav system into this suit to mitigate that mistake next race.
They also fit tighter. This is much smaller than the old one, and I suspect faster.. The old suit most likely let water in, which weighs a person down and creates drag.
Either way, I put it on right away out of excitement and it felt great. I won't really know if it performs better for months but since I made a commitment to swimming frequently and hard last year my times have dropped alot, and I'm closer to parity with folks that I want to be racing.
I have no illusions about swimming faster than anyone, I just don't want to give anything up!
At Alcatraz last year I had a great swim that was indicative of the work I'd done.. 35min for a 1.5mile swim; (Half Iron is 1.2mi) so I knew I'd done the right things, then I got to USAT Nats and swam like a moron.
In the first 150 yards or so I swam directly into another wave of folks on the in-bound portion of the swim, and worked like crazy to find my group again.
Oh boy.
Needless to say, navigation skills are pretty important in open water, and that day I had minimal skills. The swim was really affected by some blinding sun and I just didn't take it into account.
The result was a swim a good 5min slower than what I hoped to do. C'est la vie.
I'm hoping to implant a GPS Nav system into this suit to mitigate that mistake next race.
Monday, March 17, 2008
3/12
Summary
Good Swim/Run week with plenty of strong swim interval sessions that were at race pace or better, but very comfortable; finished the week off with a solid effort over 15 kilometers running; happy with progress so far.
Swim-4
Bike- 2
Run- 4
Mon-
Run- Out and back on BG, easy 30min
Weights- Arms, Chest, Lats, Legs
Tues-
Run- 55min steady run on BG
Bike- 60min of varied intervals on borrowed bike
Wed-
Run- 30min on the BG nice and steady
Swim- Main set- 4x200m
Thurs-
Swim only today, will be running all this weekend and don't have the bike back, so it is what is...
Oh, the pool is waay, way too warm, it's apparently being warmed up since the boiler is out for repair next week. Oh boy.
Mainset 300,200,100.
Fri-
Bike- early evening trainer ride 55min Aero Base builder on the new bike. Holding 200-210w
Swim- Mainset= 10x100 at the YMCA. Finally, a good workout at the pool this week. The water was cool, and as soon as I realized that I got pretty jazzed to give full gas. Reps ranging from 1.22-1.28.
Sat-
Travel Day
Swim- Main set= 3x400m Time Trial effort, 1min rest between each. Hard & Steady
6.50's
Sun-
Run- Shamock Run 15k. Hilly 9.3 mile race. done at 6.20 pace *very* comfortable; never anaerobic, just ran.
Summary
Good Swim/Run week with plenty of strong swim interval sessions that were at race pace or better, but very comfortable; finished the week off with a solid effort over 15 kilometers running; happy with progress so far.
Swim-4
Bike- 2
Run- 4
Mon-
Run- Out and back on BG, easy 30min
Weights- Arms, Chest, Lats, Legs
Tues-
Run- 55min steady run on BG
Bike- 60min of varied intervals on borrowed bike
Wed-
Run- 30min on the BG nice and steady
Swim- Main set- 4x200m
Thurs-
Swim only today, will be running all this weekend and don't have the bike back, so it is what is...
Oh, the pool is waay, way too warm, it's apparently being warmed up since the boiler is out for repair next week. Oh boy.
Mainset 300,200,100.
Fri-
Bike- early evening trainer ride 55min Aero Base builder on the new bike. Holding 200-210w
Swim- Mainset= 10x100 at the YMCA. Finally, a good workout at the pool this week. The water was cool, and as soon as I realized that I got pretty jazzed to give full gas. Reps ranging from 1.22-1.28.
Sat-
Travel Day
Swim- Main set= 3x400m Time Trial effort, 1min rest between each. Hard & Steady
6.50's
Sun-
Run- Shamock Run 15k. Hilly 9.3 mile race. done at 6.20 pace *very* comfortable; never anaerobic, just ran.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Commentary on coaching in Triathlon
Why is that in the sport of Triathlon every moderately successful athlete decides that they are a coach?
I haven't spent too much time thinking about it, but basically I think with all of the equipment and balance of some pretty distinct sports, if a person enjoys a modicum of success they must feel pretty darn accomplished and ready to coach.
I don't know that I agree with that. First, I don't think a successful athlete equals effective coach; having been an athlete in a sport is only one pathway to gaining the knowledge necessary to have a positive impact on an athlete.
Anyhow, coaching is clearly both art and science; anybody can feed an athlete workouts but knowing what an athlete will respond to physically and emotionally is the key.
I was pondering coaches in this sport the other day quizzically because coming from running, my experience has been that coaches are usually very well respected and far and few between. I don't really count the Language Arts teachers who coach middle school Track.
I'm not sure what else I can say without pointedly calling folks out, but I wouldn't do that.
I do however have a great interview to share with Joel Filliol coach of the Canadian National Team who speaks on this topic and some others:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/A_chat_with_coach_Joel_Filliol_248.html
I haven't spent too much time thinking about it, but basically I think with all of the equipment and balance of some pretty distinct sports, if a person enjoys a modicum of success they must feel pretty darn accomplished and ready to coach.
I don't know that I agree with that. First, I don't think a successful athlete equals effective coach; having been an athlete in a sport is only one pathway to gaining the knowledge necessary to have a positive impact on an athlete.
Anyhow, coaching is clearly both art and science; anybody can feed an athlete workouts but knowing what an athlete will respond to physically and emotionally is the key.
I was pondering coaches in this sport the other day quizzically because coming from running, my experience has been that coaches are usually very well respected and far and few between. I don't really count the Language Arts teachers who coach middle school Track.
I'm not sure what else I can say without pointedly calling folks out, but I wouldn't do that.
I do however have a great interview to share with Joel Filliol coach of the Canadian National Team who speaks on this topic and some others:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/A_chat_with_coach_Joel_Filliol_248.html
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Random news..
Apparently this week will be a run/swim week, for good reasons. I'm having a new frame built up this week, a Giant TCR Aero. It's a Team ONCE frame, with ONCE engraved in the head tube to signify it's a "team frame".
Pretty cool. Maybe I will ride like Jaja (Laurent Jalabert) now? We'll see this weekend when I have the bike back.
At any rate, in this month's Triathlete Magazine there is a great article addressing running for Triathlon. If you had an interest in the earlier bits here, I highly recommend you look at it. I was actually impressed for once.
Also I now have an extra bike frame that was, up until about 2 seasons ago, the lightest frame on the ProTour. A Giant TCR, which is now for sale.
Shoot me a note if you are interested and we can work something out, I also have the original bars and stem that I would throw if you are building a ride.
Pretty cool. Maybe I will ride like Jaja (Laurent Jalabert) now? We'll see this weekend when I have the bike back.
At any rate, in this month's Triathlete Magazine there is a great article addressing running for Triathlon. If you had an interest in the earlier bits here, I highly recommend you look at it. I was actually impressed for once.
Also I now have an extra bike frame that was, up until about 2 seasons ago, the lightest frame on the ProTour. A Giant TCR, which is now for sale.
Shoot me a note if you are interested and we can work something out, I also have the original bars and stem that I would throw if you are building a ride.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Week of 3/9
Summary
Swim- 4
Bike-4
Run-4
A little light on the volume, but had the frequency.
Monday
Swim- Just plugging in some drills, continous swimming and working on form.
A bit fatigued from the weekend.
Tuesday
Run- Mod run on bg, 30min
Swim- Drills, continous swimming, paddle set, band set (small rope tied around feet to eliminate scissor kick) and a few fast 50's, 100's.
Wed
Run- Late afternoon run on BG, 55min. Legs feel tired and dead, but was able to just plug in steady time
Bike- Aerobase builder, 55min. Again, holding 190-200w thoughout the ride.
Thurs
Run- 30 min on BG
Bike- 30 min easy
Fri
Run- 45min BG steady
Swim- Main set 300, 200, 100. 4.45, 3.05. 1.25
Sat
Bike- 2hr 20min. Lk Samm to BG and back.
Sun
Swim- main set 300, 200, 100, 300, 100, 10sec rest, 100, 100
Bike- 60min Steady mod/hard
Swim- 4
Bike-4
Run-4
A little light on the volume, but had the frequency.
Monday
Swim- Just plugging in some drills, continous swimming and working on form.
A bit fatigued from the weekend.
Tuesday
Run- Mod run on bg, 30min
Swim- Drills, continous swimming, paddle set, band set (small rope tied around feet to eliminate scissor kick) and a few fast 50's, 100's.
Wed
Run- Late afternoon run on BG, 55min. Legs feel tired and dead, but was able to just plug in steady time
Bike- Aerobase builder, 55min. Again, holding 190-200w thoughout the ride.
Thurs
Run- 30 min on BG
Bike- 30 min easy
Fri
Run- 45min BG steady
Swim- Main set 300, 200, 100. 4.45, 3.05. 1.25
Sat
Bike- 2hr 20min. Lk Samm to BG and back.
Sun
Swim- main set 300, 200, 100, 300, 100, 10sec rest, 100, 100
Bike- 60min Steady mod/hard
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
"Cadence just happens" a run related post
The final follow-up post on running for Triathlon.
Those words above are the wisdom of a friend of mine who coaches a large-ish group of runners in Portland, Oregon.
He and I have known each other for years, and have shared thoughts a variety of running related subjects. Lately, we have discussed running "cadence" or turnover as runners refer to it.
Once a week my friend has group of folks show up for coached track workout with a complete explanation of the workout, and friendly feedback from said friend when they solicit it.
In the last couple of years some Triathletes have been making the workout, and some I've sent his way because, sadly, there aren't really any groups of Triathletes running regularly together in Portland.
When folks from tri show up, beyond just getting fit and improving, many are concerned about their "cadence", e.g. how many steps per minute occurs with each foot-fall.
I think that part of logic is: "If I run exactly Y number of steps per minute then I am going to run more efficiently, and therefore, faster."
This is going to come as shock to some folks but running economy is developed internally, on a cellular level.
Granted sometimes there are mechanical (form) adjustments that an athlete can make that will improve efficiency but running economy is developed by running more.
Well what about cadence? There is plenty of talk about it after all..
With running your cadence is never static, there is always some degree of variance based on terrain, your race tactics and so on.
It is like cycling, optimal cadence is somewhere between 80-ish and 90-ish for most folks. But when you climb a hill you may climb better in a bigger gear/lower cadence vs. lower gear/higher cadence.
It's really a bit naive to simply decide what an optimal cadence is and then sit on it for an entire race when you ride.
I can't imagine you'd want to run like that either.
So, just last night, to prep for this piece I decided I would count my steps for a minute. I did this once in college too, when cadence was discussed in RW. Sure enough my cadence hasn't changed in over ten years, it's about 88 and I was just jogging along on easy run.
Athletes wind up naturally self-selecting a turnover rate that works best for them as they get more fit. To be candid, as folks progress from not fit to fit their cadence does increase, but not usually because they are working at it, because they are finding a turnover rate whose aerobic cost is appropriate for their level of fitness.
This is not to say that when you come out of T2 that you should run how you normally would as you get your run legs under you, obviously a higher than normal cadence for a short while gets things re-sync'd.
Finally, if you are seeking to improve running economy, by all means do that, but focus on improving economy with appropriate workouts for the distances you will race at. Cadence, and what drives it, form, stem from well-developed functional (sport specific) strength in the calves and foot/ankle region.
Those words above are the wisdom of a friend of mine who coaches a large-ish group of runners in Portland, Oregon.
He and I have known each other for years, and have shared thoughts a variety of running related subjects. Lately, we have discussed running "cadence" or turnover as runners refer to it.
Once a week my friend has group of folks show up for coached track workout with a complete explanation of the workout, and friendly feedback from said friend when they solicit it.
In the last couple of years some Triathletes have been making the workout, and some I've sent his way because, sadly, there aren't really any groups of Triathletes running regularly together in Portland.
When folks from tri show up, beyond just getting fit and improving, many are concerned about their "cadence", e.g. how many steps per minute occurs with each foot-fall.
I think that part of logic is: "If I run exactly Y number of steps per minute then I am going to run more efficiently, and therefore, faster."
This is going to come as shock to some folks but running economy is developed internally, on a cellular level.
Granted sometimes there are mechanical (form) adjustments that an athlete can make that will improve efficiency but running economy is developed by running more.
Well what about cadence? There is plenty of talk about it after all..
With running your cadence is never static, there is always some degree of variance based on terrain, your race tactics and so on.
It is like cycling, optimal cadence is somewhere between 80-ish and 90-ish for most folks. But when you climb a hill you may climb better in a bigger gear/lower cadence vs. lower gear/higher cadence.
It's really a bit naive to simply decide what an optimal cadence is and then sit on it for an entire race when you ride.
I can't imagine you'd want to run like that either.
So, just last night, to prep for this piece I decided I would count my steps for a minute. I did this once in college too, when cadence was discussed in RW. Sure enough my cadence hasn't changed in over ten years, it's about 88 and I was just jogging along on easy run.
Athletes wind up naturally self-selecting a turnover rate that works best for them as they get more fit. To be candid, as folks progress from not fit to fit their cadence does increase, but not usually because they are working at it, because they are finding a turnover rate whose aerobic cost is appropriate for their level of fitness.
This is not to say that when you come out of T2 that you should run how you normally would as you get your run legs under you, obviously a higher than normal cadence for a short while gets things re-sync'd.
Finally, if you are seeking to improve running economy, by all means do that, but focus on improving economy with appropriate workouts for the distances you will race at. Cadence, and what drives it, form, stem from well-developed functional (sport specific) strength in the calves and foot/ankle region.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Week of 3/2
Summary:
Swim- 4 sessions
Bike- 4 sessions
Run- 4 sessions
Monday
Run-
53min run, out and back easy on Burke Gilliman (Redmond).. Feeling a bit tired from the hilly ride around Bainbridge
Tues
Swim-
Dropped into a masters swim squad early morning in Bellevue.. Main set= 500, 400, 150, 200, 100.. Done at race pace w/short rest, and descending intervals 40sec, 30sec, 20sec...
Bike-
Total time 1hr 10min, w/up and cool down
4 x 5min at 200watts, 1 min rest
10 x 2min at 200-210 watts, 15 sec rest
Wed
Run- 42 min steady... Threw in a hard, 4min surge at minute 16min to 20min; prolly close to 5k race pace "just for fun"
Swim- Main set 4x200y- on 40sec rest. Just punching in steady 200s at just below IM race pace, 3.00-3.06
Thurs
Bike/Run combo-
1 hour steady out on Beaverton roads, very short version of the "church loop", quick change, gatorade and then 45min steady run.
Not a fan of this workout, e.g. I think bricks are pretty worthless.
Fri
Bike- 40 miles; 2hr 27min.. Extended ride out past North Plains. Got windy half way through the ride, not fun.
Sat
Run- ..1 hr 15min- Terwilliger/John's Landing loop. First time w/HRM in ages. 132bpm avg; I got completely soaked.
Swim- Headed on over to the SWCC w/the kids. The usual, they play while I flog myself.. This was a planned swim but not intense, I knew I'd be tired after a long-ish morning run. Main set= 300, 200, 100: 4.40, 3.04, 1.27- I actually expected to thrash through it but I was actually smooth and just kind of diseled along.
Sun
Swim- Late morning SWCC swim.
Main set= 300 "easy" or IM pace, 200 mod/hard, 100 fast x 2 on 40 seconds rest.
300s: 4.40, 4.45 200s: 3.05's 100s: 1.26's
Bike- Time Trial. The out and back to the Glacial Erratic. Went under the previous best by a couple of minutes, but the wattage was really high.. 190w avg vs. 224w avg today. Good, hard ride.
Swim- 4 sessions
Bike- 4 sessions
Run- 4 sessions
Monday
Run-
53min run, out and back easy on Burke Gilliman (Redmond).. Feeling a bit tired from the hilly ride around Bainbridge
Tues
Swim-
Dropped into a masters swim squad early morning in Bellevue.. Main set= 500, 400, 150, 200, 100.. Done at race pace w/short rest, and descending intervals 40sec, 30sec, 20sec...
Bike-
Total time 1hr 10min, w/up and cool down
4 x 5min at 200watts, 1 min rest
10 x 2min at 200-210 watts, 15 sec rest
Wed
Run- 42 min steady... Threw in a hard, 4min surge at minute 16min to 20min; prolly close to 5k race pace "just for fun"
Swim- Main set 4x200y- on 40sec rest. Just punching in steady 200s at just below IM race pace, 3.00-3.06
Thurs
Bike/Run combo-
1 hour steady out on Beaverton roads, very short version of the "church loop", quick change, gatorade and then 45min steady run.
Not a fan of this workout, e.g. I think bricks are pretty worthless.
Fri
Bike- 40 miles; 2hr 27min.. Extended ride out past North Plains. Got windy half way through the ride, not fun.
Sat
Run- ..1 hr 15min- Terwilliger/John's Landing loop. First time w/HRM in ages. 132bpm avg; I got completely soaked.
Swim- Headed on over to the SWCC w/the kids. The usual, they play while I flog myself.. This was a planned swim but not intense, I knew I'd be tired after a long-ish morning run. Main set= 300, 200, 100: 4.40, 3.04, 1.27- I actually expected to thrash through it but I was actually smooth and just kind of diseled along.
Sun
Swim- Late morning SWCC swim.
Main set= 300 "easy" or IM pace, 200 mod/hard, 100 fast x 2 on 40 seconds rest.
300s: 4.40, 4.45 200s: 3.05's 100s: 1.26's
Bike- Time Trial. The out and back to the Glacial Erratic. Went under the previous best by a couple of minutes, but the wattage was really high.. 190w avg vs. 224w avg today. Good, hard ride.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Supplements update- pending lawsuit, Re Hammer Nutrition
I had an post a week ago about the lawsuit pending against Hammer Nutrition..
Here's a link to a podcast that's worth a listen to:
http://www.competitorradio.com/details.php?show=209
Here's a link to a podcast that's worth a listen to:
http://www.competitorradio.com/details.php?show=209
Developing Run Fitness for Tri
So you want to get faster in the context of triathlon?
Here are a couple of approaches that I think can work nicely for lots of folks.
They are as follows:
-Off-Season Run Focus
When your season winds down, pick a race 2 to 3 months out and train for it.. Preferably a Half Marathon, or you could focus on a couple of 5ks and one 10k. Go to the track once a week, and run with groups of pure, single-sport runners
You should drop all but two days of cycling, and it should be easy sessions. Same with the swim, you're doing it to maintain a measure of the muscle it took you all season to develop.
Advantages
-You'll get lean and runner-y
-You will develop top-end, repeatable speed you didn't know you had
-You won't lose that top-end because the focus for several months will allow deep adaptations to it. Why do you think runners who come to the sport are always good runners, or swimmers are generally always good in the water if they came from a competitive swim background. Deep and broad fitness there that never goes away, unless you decide to drink too many RedBull Vodka's and play vampire on the weekends for a few years.
Disadvatages
-The swim is impacted the most; it requires more "upkeep" than the others by a long shot. Ramping back up in in the early season will be annoying, unless you were a swimmer.
-You might lose a touch of top-end power on the bike (expressed in watts) but your time-trial power won't or shouldn't be adversely impacted
-You could get injured. All that single-sport focus in a short period of time coming out of a long season could be troublesome if you had previous issues or could cause something to flare up.
-In-Season Focus
Since we're in the early season now, it's worth addressing.
For the last couple of years, I've worked on building a base of cycling fitness, I'm a pretty skinny guy, and I weigh nearly 20lbs more than I did just three years ago when I had one summer away from Triathlon due to a lesbian-induced shoulder injury. Yes, this actually happened. A hot girl fell in a dance club, I caught her, and it wreaked havoc on my shoulder. She liked me, but liked other girls more. C'est la vie. As a result, I decided to run a fall marathon, and got down to almost my college run weight of, yes, 137lbs. I was 134lb as a runner in college.
I know it's hard to believe but I'm about 150lb-ish depending on how much pizza, hot wings and beer I decide to inhale after bike rides.
O.k. so, what I'm trying to say is that, you can build run fitness in your season, simply by making it a priority to run frequently and smartly. Your approach would most likely be to reduce the intensity of the bike rides directly before key run workouts; further you would want to focus on frequency.
Try to run at least 4x a week, 30-45min. 5x-6x is the ideal. If you are doing that w/30-45min runs 5x a week.. You can put off a long run of 1hour plus to once every two weeks. Just keep the runs light, easy and fresh, They are always "shaking it out" and/or "active recovery" pace.
What about bricks?
That's another post. As a rule they are fine, but manage them closely. A long-ish bike and long-ish run is the easiest way to start down the tendonitis path. Muscles that are used to supporting the joints are fatigued when you start the run and you're stressing them that much more. My suggestion with bricks is do an hour ride followed by a reasonable run. You'll build more run fitness by running fresh than running on dead legs. That is, if you do them at all. I think they are over-rated, and don't do many.
This makes sense if you are a strong cyclist especially; if you lose maybe a minute or two in half-iron bike spilt but you gain 5 minutes from an improved run, you net out positive.
I know cycling rocks, but we are triathletes after all, and it's who swims, bikes and runs the fastest all together that is fastest; I got tired of being a one-trick pony (run) which is why I focused on two seasons of cycling (time trials, bike races, mtb racing, ultra endurance (200 miles in one day) rides)...
So, it can be done, heck, I am currently working on becoming a decent swimmer. Anybody wanna help? :)
Advantages
-Builds the fitness now
-Planning for another "season" in your off-season can be put off or just ignored.
Disadvantages
-To some degree, you'll take a tiny step back in your strong discipline, but if you're a monster nobody will notice.
-Alot to think about juggling the other two sports
Next up is a discussion of cadence or as runners correctly refer to it, turnover.
Here are a couple of approaches that I think can work nicely for lots of folks.
They are as follows:
-Off-Season Run Focus
When your season winds down, pick a race 2 to 3 months out and train for it.. Preferably a Half Marathon, or you could focus on a couple of 5ks and one 10k. Go to the track once a week, and run with groups of pure, single-sport runners
You should drop all but two days of cycling, and it should be easy sessions. Same with the swim, you're doing it to maintain a measure of the muscle it took you all season to develop.
Advantages
-You'll get lean and runner-y
-You will develop top-end, repeatable speed you didn't know you had
-You won't lose that top-end because the focus for several months will allow deep adaptations to it. Why do you think runners who come to the sport are always good runners, or swimmers are generally always good in the water if they came from a competitive swim background. Deep and broad fitness there that never goes away, unless you decide to drink too many RedBull Vodka's and play vampire on the weekends for a few years.
Disadvatages
-The swim is impacted the most; it requires more "upkeep" than the others by a long shot. Ramping back up in in the early season will be annoying, unless you were a swimmer.
-You might lose a touch of top-end power on the bike (expressed in watts) but your time-trial power won't or shouldn't be adversely impacted
-You could get injured. All that single-sport focus in a short period of time coming out of a long season could be troublesome if you had previous issues or could cause something to flare up.
-In-Season Focus
Since we're in the early season now, it's worth addressing.
For the last couple of years, I've worked on building a base of cycling fitness, I'm a pretty skinny guy, and I weigh nearly 20lbs more than I did just three years ago when I had one summer away from Triathlon due to a lesbian-induced shoulder injury. Yes, this actually happened. A hot girl fell in a dance club, I caught her, and it wreaked havoc on my shoulder. She liked me, but liked other girls more. C'est la vie. As a result, I decided to run a fall marathon, and got down to almost my college run weight of, yes, 137lbs. I was 134lb as a runner in college.
I know it's hard to believe but I'm about 150lb-ish depending on how much pizza, hot wings and beer I decide to inhale after bike rides.
O.k. so, what I'm trying to say is that, you can build run fitness in your season, simply by making it a priority to run frequently and smartly. Your approach would most likely be to reduce the intensity of the bike rides directly before key run workouts; further you would want to focus on frequency.
Try to run at least 4x a week, 30-45min. 5x-6x is the ideal. If you are doing that w/30-45min runs 5x a week.. You can put off a long run of 1hour plus to once every two weeks. Just keep the runs light, easy and fresh, They are always "shaking it out" and/or "active recovery" pace.
What about bricks?
That's another post. As a rule they are fine, but manage them closely. A long-ish bike and long-ish run is the easiest way to start down the tendonitis path. Muscles that are used to supporting the joints are fatigued when you start the run and you're stressing them that much more. My suggestion with bricks is do an hour ride followed by a reasonable run. You'll build more run fitness by running fresh than running on dead legs. That is, if you do them at all. I think they are over-rated, and don't do many.
This makes sense if you are a strong cyclist especially; if you lose maybe a minute or two in half-iron bike spilt but you gain 5 minutes from an improved run, you net out positive.
I know cycling rocks, but we are triathletes after all, and it's who swims, bikes and runs the fastest all together that is fastest; I got tired of being a one-trick pony (run) which is why I focused on two seasons of cycling (time trials, bike races, mtb racing, ultra endurance (200 miles in one day) rides)...
So, it can be done, heck, I am currently working on becoming a decent swimmer. Anybody wanna help? :)
Advantages
-Builds the fitness now
-Planning for another "season" in your off-season can be put off or just ignored.
Disadvantages
-To some degree, you'll take a tiny step back in your strong discipline, but if you're a monster nobody will notice.
-Alot to think about juggling the other two sports
Next up is a discussion of cadence or as runners correctly refer to it, turnover.
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