I'm Back... and sick!

It's been a awhile since my last post but let me bring you up to date on my past activities. The week of April 10th had me traveling to Calgary on business. The morning of April 9th I participated in the ParisAncaster Bike Race. It was quite the muddy ordeal as the pictures will attest. I finished but not without some bruises and scratches. At some point during one of my many spills I must of put a gash in my calf. I didn' notice until the completion of the race. Someone pointed to it and said you better get that looked at. I thought with all the riding through farmer fields and manure this would probably be a good idea. After the race I had to drive quickly home, shower and get to the airport for my flight to Calgary. I made sure that I was fully hydrated before getting onto the airplane but with the limited space that Air Canada provides I was quite confined in my seat. About 2 hours into the flight my legs began to cramp. It was difficult to try and stretch them out so I think the gentlemen in the seats beside me were starting to get annoyed with my many romps up and down the aisle. Although, the one passenger was a mountain biker from Calgary and he could sympathize. I also got some sympathy from the cute flight attendant as she kept on bringing me water.















































When I was in Calgary I was able to get in some pretty decent runs on Monday and Tuesday. It was nice to run with the backdrop of the mountains. Nothing to strenuous but wanted keep the legs moving while I was away. Everytime I venture out onto an airplane, which is typically once or twice a month I seem to always pick something up and get sick. No matter how hard I try to stay hydrated and try and do all the sanitary things (wash hands, etc) I seem to still get sick. This trip was no different. I started to feel quite ill on Thursday and by Friday I was in bed with a bad chest infection. This cancelled my group long run on Saturday and the long bike on Sunday. I also missed out on all the Easter festivities, so no bunnies for moi. I started to feel much better by Tuesday so I ventured out for an easy 30 minute run. Kept the pace slow and did 10x30sec pickups to keep the legs fresh.

Wednesday, April 19th

I decided to meet a group of fellow cyclist on Wednesday evening for a simulated Time Trial. Although I wasn't feeling 100% I thought it would be great to get use to the new bike in race conditions. Although the bike performed outstanding I in turn did not. I just averaged just under 30kph for the 15km T.T. I rode about 30 minutes beforehand to warm up and did another 60 minutes afterward. Overall it was a great workout with a couple of good climbs around the Niagara Escarpment. Even rode a bit of the Milton Triathlon bike route.

Goals - Continued

Swim

This has always been my weakest event. I remember some events where I had to do the backstroke to get through the swim. When I did the 1/2 Ironman it almost killed me. The one thing that I've learned over the last two years is that I have very poor technique. This year I've spend considerable amount of time trying to correct this. I've purchased the TI DVD and have begun to practice all the drills in each workout. In fact, sometimes I've just worked on the drills for the entire workout. I'm finally starting to see a difference. The one main component is the glide. I always use to start the catch to early in the stroke. Now, I really strive to drive my hand forward into the water just in front of my ear and rotate to the proper skating position. It's hard work learning to swim all over again but I'm hoping that it will payoff in the future. I'll never be a good swimmer but if I can be decent enough so that I don't have to spend 20 minutes on the bike getting my heartrate down, I think I'll be ahead of the game. I've checked some swim time for my age group (40-44) and noticed that range is somewhere in the 1:35 - 2:45/100m. My goal is to be in the middle around 2:00 - 2:10/100. I'd be quite happy with that.

Stay tuned... more to come.

Goals

I specifically wanted to speak about goals today. In the past few years I've gotten a little complacent in my training which in turn has hampered my improvement. Case in point. I happen to be cleaning up my PC files and noticed that I had quite a few of my old race results. In the past 3 years my times in each discipline haven't really improved. If you examine the paces for the swim, bike and run you'll notice that everything in each year is quite similar. So, how do I change this to improve for this coming year. I think that setting specific goals would be a good start. I watched a clip from the Science of Triathlon DVD and Wes Hobson was speaking specifically on Goal Setting. Two points that he made were interesting to me. One, "setting goals is the foundation of all your training" and "without goals your just spinning your wheels". This definitely sounds familiar. Two, "goals should be challenging yet achievable". I think that I need to be realistic on my time commitment and physical limitations and than decide on some specific goals. I know that I cannot physically ride a 40K TT in under 1 hour. I've done this in my younger days but physically I cannot achieve this. But, averaging 30K+ over 40K in a standard Olympic race is. In the next few days I'm going to publish some general goals and than focus in the coming weeks on more detailed goals.

Nutrition

I've always tried to eat properly but I still think that this area can need improving. My weight has been floating around 165lbs for the last 5 years or so but would live to lose that last 10 - 15lbs. So I'm starting to watch the calories and what I ingest at each meal. To help with this I'm going to try and take my lunch to work. Somewhat difficult in the corporate environment with business lunches and such but I'm going to give it a shot. I've calculated my calorie intake for each day and have a pretty good idea what I need to consume. I've already made some choices and have cut out the wine, beer and snack food from the menu. Also, I've drastically increased the amount of water per day to ensure that I'm always fully hydrated.

To be continued...

Tick, Tick, Tick ...

The clock is ticking... T-minus 9 days and counting until the ParisAncaster bike race. I just realized that the race isn't that far off and I really haven't spent much time on the mountain bike. I headed out into 16-mile Creek this past Sunday but I still need more quality ride so that I'm ready for the 60K race. I rode the bike to the pool on Monday and did a good quality swim. I think all the work with the TI drills is starting to pay off.

I attended a legal conference on Tuesday and Wednesday so I wasn't able to get in any training. However, I was able to get in a 40K+ ride in on Thursday and felt really good. I'm looking forward to some good workouts on the weekend as the weather is really starting to improve.

Go Tigers!

LSU Beats Duke

Bikes on the Mend

Today I was able to work from home so I took advantage and road the bike at lunch. I started on the trainer but the road was calling. So... I bundled up as the temperature was hovering around freezing. Once I got warmed up it wasn't too bad but once I hit the country roads the wind was blowing pretty good and it was a struggle. I'm glad I got but was frozen after I returned. I completed close to 40K but was feeling pretty worn when I returned.

This evening decided to work on the bikes and get them road ready. The mountain bike needed a lot of work and this is the bike I will be using for my race at Paris Ancaster. The headset needed to be cleaned and lubed, chain cleaned and new cables installed. It's funny that I'll be racing this bike in a few weeks and haven't spent any time on it. If the weather this weekend cooperates I'll be on the trails and getting some much needed saddle time in.

Ramble On

Training Day

Finally, a good day of training. I was able to get on the bike and ride on the trainer for 90 minutes. And, later this evening a 35 minute run. I'm really finding it difficult to find the time to get in the workouts but hopefully the weather will start to warm up and get in some much needed road miles. I'm starting to get tired of all the hassles required for working on in the north. It takes quite awhile to get all the gear on and get prepared to move outdoors. I'm looking forward to just putting on a pair of shorts, shirt and shoes and heading out the door. I want to start to prepare for the Paris Ancaster bike race that I have scheduled for April 9th but I haven't even taken the mountain bike out on the trails. Hopefully I'll be able to get out this weekend and get in some much needed miles.

Cheers

Weight of the World

In the last few weeks I've been following quite a few triathletes blogs and am amazed on how everyone can fine the time to get in quality workouts. Unfortunately I haven't been able to accomplish this. This weekend I was hoping for my long run on Saturday and long ride on Sunday. Both didn't materialize. Let me explain why. This past week is March Break in Canada so my son is on holiday. Which involves hockey tournaments and many activities to involve him in. My son's hockey tournament was a round robin so everytime they won they would continue to move on. They kept on winning all week and made it to the final which they won. Hooray! This substantially limited my time to get out and train. Also, my mother is moving into a new home and that required some running around on Saturday to help with logistics and moving items in my truck. Once again lost time for training. On Sunday the Special Olympics swim team that I coach hosted a swim meet. The meet started at 8:00am and ended at 1:00pm. Immediately after the meet went to the finals of the hockey game. Once again, lost time for training.

I'm totally in awe of everyone in the triathlon community that can find all the time to train. I've always have had the goal to compete in an Ironman distance event but putting in the time would almost be impossible. I remember when I trained for the half and that was a struggle. I think that I might be at the point where I might just have to settle for the shorter events. I'll have to speak with other athletes and see how they can find the time.

Ramble On

Hello Spring

It's the start of a new week and I'm feeling pretty good about the past weekends training. The weather was outstanding and finally was able to get the new bike on the road on Saturday. Due to time restrictions I was only able to ride 45km's but felt really good and just kept an easy pace. It was surprising how many people were out hammering the big gears. The bike was perfectly setup by the LBS and I didn't have any discomfort in the lower back like I thought that I would.

On Sunday went for an easy 10K run and looped back to the local coffee shop and met my girlfriend for a brew. She's been training for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk in September. This is a 60Km walk that takes place over an entire weekend. It was nice to walk the remaining distance home at a nice easy pace. Good recovery and great conversation. It's always nice to have a spouse support your outside activities and understand the importance of such.

I decided to take it easy on Monday and prepare for the week. Tuesday I have a run schedule in the evening with some friends which probably will include some speedwork. I will also plan to visit the gym once again and work on my upper body.

Ramble On

Moving Forward

Overall it hasn't been that bad of a week for training. The swimming has been delayed because
of the closed pool but I will be able to get a swim in on Sunday. I feel pretty good about my workouts this week. A good run on Tuesday with speedwork and visited my good friend Troy Jacobson on Wednesday. Wednesday evenings our typically our club weekly time trial so using the Spinervals Totally Time Trial DVD seems to simulate a this weekly ritual. I put the new bike on the stand and used that for the first time. I can wait to get it on the road. I'll still continue to use the road bike for a good majority of my rides but the new bike should help on the time trials and
Tri races.

On Thursday I hit the weights pretty hard. I'm following a program that my trainer put together and we've moved from the base phase (low weight, high rep) to the max. Strength phase (high weight, low rep). I'm definitely feeling it. Started the workout with 15 minutes on the treadmill than started with squats. I can remember a time when two 45 lb plates was my normal workout. Now I'm squatting more than my body weight. Once done moved onto leg raises, curls and calves. Finished with leg presses and really pushed hard. I finally have moved over the 300 lb threshold. This is almost more than twice my body weight. Finished with some easy stretching and crawled back to work.

In the evening I did a tempo run but found it very difficult after the workout earlier in the day. My coach is trying to simulate running on tired legs. This will be the theme for the rest of the year. Since starting the weight training program in October I definitely feel stronger and have noticed it on the run and bike.

When I awoke this morning I was feeling quite sore. It was a good feeling but I could barely move. I'm glad I didn't have to walk up any stairs today. The plan for the weekend is a long run on Saturday (10 - 12km) and bike on Sunday. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can get out on the road on Sunday.

Ramble On

New Equipment Added

In January, my girlfriend and I hosted an open house party and invited friends and relatives. During the day I met up with a friend of ours that just started her own Chiropractic clinic. She is an advid runner and we got to talking about training and upcoming races. I mentioned that I was doing another 1/2 Ironman but was having problems with some injuries from running. She asked me to drop in for a consultation which I did in February. Through an examination we determined that my pelvis was out of alignment and this was causing pain in my hips and knees. She also checked my running gait and noticed something parculiar. She checked the wear patterns on my shoes and than examined my feet. It seems that I have extremely flat feet. Hardly any arch at all. She recommend that I purchase an orthotic. I know of other runners that use them but always thought this was something that you purchased off the shelf. Not so. She made molds of my feet and send them away to the manufacturer. A few days later these wonderful, new (and expensive) orthotics arrived. It's taken me a few weeks to adapt to them but the pain that I've felt in the past has finally dissipated. Fortunately part of the expense was covered through my works insurance program.

I learned a valuable lesson through this experience and that is to always ask questions to the professionals when your feeling pain or discomfort. I just thought that it was the wear and tear on my body that was causing the pain. Since that time I visit her for adjustments on my back as well as monthly massages. My recovery seems to be much faster and less discomfort.

Ramble On

Pool Closed!

Woke up early this morning and headed off to the pool for my normal Monday morning workout. And to my surprise I found a sign posted on the door. Annual Maintenance Closure - March 6th - 24th. I must of missed a memo somewhere. Now I know why next Sunday's practice was moved to another pool.

I find that the early morning swims work best for my schedule. One thing is that the pace is much better and finding a lane to use is much easier than in the evening. I'm going to have to find another pool to use in the meantime. I hope that his isn't an indication on how the week will transpire.

Weekend Wrapup

I can't believe that I made it through the weekend. Friday started with my son staying home from school because of a bronchial infection and finished Sunday night with the Oscar's. I'll just summarize some of the training activity from Saturday and Sunday.

Swimming

Sunday afternoon's I'm at the pool as coach of the Special Olympic swim team here in town. This gives me the opportunity to work with other athletes and help develop their skills in the pool. The last 6 months I've been using quite a bit of the Total Immersion (www.totalimmersion.net) to help the swimmers. This has worked quite well as quite a few of these athletes have become very successful at past swim meets. A side benefit of coaching is it keeps me on top of the drills as I'm in the pool demonstrating them.



Biking

After the pool session on Sunday I was able to actually get out on the open road on the bike. It was wonderful to be off the trainer. I just did an easy spin to get used to being on the road again. Although it was very cold the sun was shining and it was quite enjoyable.

Running

Saturday morning I was out for an early morning run of about 5 miles. The weather was brisk but overall it was a nice easy run. I've been using a template for all my runs that I obtained from McMillan Running (http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/Running%20University/Article%201/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm). This has been quite useful as it breaks down your pace for each type of run. I think that his has helped my define my run program better than in the past. I always got in the habit of running at the same pace. Now I specifically know what pace I should be running at for each particular type of run.

Tale of the Missing Socks

It's funny how such a small thing can effect your entire day. Last night I spend a good part of the evening looking for my favorite running socks. I know that it's such a insignificant problem but for some reason it bothered me. I couldn't stop thinking about it even when I went to bed. The funny thing is that I have an over abundance of socks but these for some reason are my favorite. You probably have a pair yourself. They're the type that have the Swim, Bike, Run logos on them. Still looking...

Today, I'm working from home as my youngest son is home sick. Hopefully I'll be able to get caught up on some extra work. I didn't get my scheduled run in yesterday but will be out later today for my scheduled tempo run.

Cheers

Ramble On

Welcome. This is my first attempt at a personal blog and I thought that it would be interesting to outline my activities over the next year.

Now for a little history. I've been involved in cycling and triathlon for over 15 years. I was a Cat 3 racer in Ontario before getting involved in triathlon. During a long training ride in February of 1995 I suffered a mild heart attack. I was 32 years of age. This was a total surprise as I thought that I was in the best shape of my life. It probably saved my life. The cardiologist said that it could of been much worse if I wasn't in such good shape. Funny thing is that when I arrived at the hospital I was still in my cycling gear. I don't know how many times that I was asked if I was taking in steroids or enhancement drugs. I guess this is a possible side effect and other cyclist has passed away because of this.

Today, I still race triathlon's and do the odd bike race. Unfortunately I cannot do this at the same level as I once did. I'm more of a MOP/ BOP now but still enjoy the lifestyle. I'm now the cardiac poster boy when I go to the hospital for my yearly stress test. I'll provide some insight over the next few months as my training still has to be monitored quite closely. Several other athletes that have had similar problems have asked for some advice which I'm more than willing to provide.

I train with several clubs including Canada Fit. My training plan has been developed by a friend of mine who is a sub-3 hour marathoner and really understands my capabilities. We are currently getting ready for our first bike race of the year which is Paris Ancaster (http://www.parisancaster.com). This has always been alot of fun and is a good way to start the season. The weekly plan is as follows:

Monday: Swim (AM), Strength (PM)
Tuesday: Run (AM), Bike (PM)
Wednesday: Swim (AM), Bike (PM) Club T.T.
Thursday: Strength (AM), Run (PM)
Friday: Off
Saturday: Long Run
Sunday: Long Ride