Today's schedule called for an 8 mile run which gave me plenty of time to think. Fortunately the sun was shining (a rarity in Michigan) and it was over 10 degrees (another rarity of late) so I decided to head outside and run on the White Pine Trail. I had a great run, though I am struggling to nail down the feel for my desired 25k race pace (9:40). My splits started out in the 10:05 - 10:13 range for the first few miles and then got progressively faster with a final mile of 9:09. It's hard to really judge effort and pace considering the conditions (packed snow and ice) but I'm happy with where I'm at. I started thinking about how far I've come over the past few years and decided to pull out my training journal (Garmin Connect) to see actual data.
While training for the 2012 River Bank Run my schedule first called for 8 miles on April 1st with a total of 17 miles for the week. At that time (a nice day with no snow on the ground) it took me 1:34 (11:44 per mile pace). Back then I was so exhausted after my weekly long run that I was worthless for the rest of the day... something I'm sure my wife would agree with.
Today's 8 mile run took 1:17 for a 9:44 pace in cold weather on packed snow. I will run approximately 20 miles this week but will also swim for almost 3 hours and bike for another 3 - 3.5 hours. In total I will complete 11 workouts this week taking somewhere between 9 and 10 hours. Perhaps most important, I still have energy to do things with my family that don't involve sitting on the couch for the rest of the day.
It's easy to become discouraged after a bad training day, which is why I recommend that everyone keep a training journal. It can be digital or old school pen and paper... it doesn't matter as long as you have a way to objectively measure your improvement over time. It's amazing to see how much progress I've made in the past few years, despite taking almost 2 years off in between. Of course that leads to the obvious question, how awesome could I be if I had actually stuck with a consistent training program for that length of time?!?
Saturday, February 28, 2015
1000y Swim Time Trial
One of my imaginary online triathlon friends mentioned performing a monthly 1000 yard time trial to measure swim progress. This seemed like a great idea so Friday I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. It probably wasn't the best time to do so as I had completed an FTP test on the bike the day before and my body was wrecked. Fortunately swimming muscles are pretty different from bike and run muscles so I don't think my intense week of training had an adverse effect on the test.
I went with my normal warmup:
200y easy swim
200y kick
200y pull
8x25 v-sprints
1000 time trial
Time - 17:44
Pace Per 100 - 1:46
My 25y times were pretty inconsistent and varied from 21 to 30 seconds with most falling in the 24-26 range.
I couldn't be happier with my time and was glad I used my watch as, per usual, I lost count and would have finished a lap early.
I'm coming to the conclusion that part of swimming is getting used to being uncomfortable. After the first 200 yards or so I was out of breath and wasn't sure I would be able to finish. Strangely that feeling never got any worse (didn't get any better either). Once I became accustomed to the discomfort I was able to keep plodding along. I felt like I could have done another 500 or 1000 yards at a similar pace. That might be a bit optimistic, but it gives me some hope for coming out of the water in a decent position this season.
I went with my normal warmup:
200y easy swim
200y kick
200y pull
8x25 v-sprints
1000 time trial
Time - 17:44
Pace Per 100 - 1:46
My 25y times were pretty inconsistent and varied from 21 to 30 seconds with most falling in the 24-26 range.
I couldn't be happier with my time and was glad I used my watch as, per usual, I lost count and would have finished a lap early.
I'm coming to the conclusion that part of swimming is getting used to being uncomfortable. After the first 200 yards or so I was out of breath and wasn't sure I would be able to finish. Strangely that feeling never got any worse (didn't get any better either). Once I became accustomed to the discomfort I was able to keep plodding along. I felt like I could have done another 500 or 1000 yards at a similar pace. That might be a bit optimistic, but it gives me some hope for coming out of the water in a decent position this season.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Going Long
Last year I completed my first two triathlons, both sprints. I fell in love with the sport and like many people decided I needed to go longer to be a real triathlete. My plan going forward was to complete my first 70.3 this season and then step up to a full Ironman (140.6) next year, most likely Wisconsin.
One of the advantages of training is that you have plenty of time to think, and earlier this week while riding the bike I realized that my current volume (7-10 hours per week) is nice and sustainable. Later this season I can ramp that up to 10-12 hours per week by having a long ride and run outside (if the snow ever melts) in the mornings on Saturday and Sunday without cutting into too much family time. My kids are only going to want to do things with their parents for another year or two and then they will be gone. My son is almost 12 and is already entering the obnoxious teenage years of not wanting to do anything except sit in his room and play video games with friends. I constantly joke about how much I'm looking forward to them leaving the house so I can have my wife to myself again, but I do enjoy them and will miss them when they are gone (don't tell anyone!).
With that being said, I'm starting to rethink my plan to compete in my first Ironman next year as doing it properly will turn my workouts into a part-time job (15-20 hours per week). Also, a few years of 70.3 and/or Olympic races will better prepare me to actually race an Ironman as I will have an actual base from which to build. Another positive of shorter races (if you can call 70.3 short) is that you can compete more often and your entire season isn't built around one race. I can't imagine how disappointed I would be if I worked for an entire year only to have a mechanical, nutritional, or medical issue derail my race. A third reason to stick with the shorter races is cost. One full distance Ironman would take up my entire race budget for the year, whereas this year I have a half marathon, 25k, several Olympic triathlons, a 70.3, and a full marathon for the same price!
Fortunately I have plenty of time to decide so there is no hurry... it's just something that popped into my head earlier this week and again while driving to work today.
One of the advantages of training is that you have plenty of time to think, and earlier this week while riding the bike I realized that my current volume (7-10 hours per week) is nice and sustainable. Later this season I can ramp that up to 10-12 hours per week by having a long ride and run outside (if the snow ever melts) in the mornings on Saturday and Sunday without cutting into too much family time. My kids are only going to want to do things with their parents for another year or two and then they will be gone. My son is almost 12 and is already entering the obnoxious teenage years of not wanting to do anything except sit in his room and play video games with friends. I constantly joke about how much I'm looking forward to them leaving the house so I can have my wife to myself again, but I do enjoy them and will miss them when they are gone (don't tell anyone!).
With that being said, I'm starting to rethink my plan to compete in my first Ironman next year as doing it properly will turn my workouts into a part-time job (15-20 hours per week). Also, a few years of 70.3 and/or Olympic races will better prepare me to actually race an Ironman as I will have an actual base from which to build. Another positive of shorter races (if you can call 70.3 short) is that you can compete more often and your entire season isn't built around one race. I can't imagine how disappointed I would be if I worked for an entire year only to have a mechanical, nutritional, or medical issue derail my race. A third reason to stick with the shorter races is cost. One full distance Ironman would take up my entire race budget for the year, whereas this year I have a half marathon, 25k, several Olympic triathlons, a 70.3, and a full marathon for the same price!
Fortunately I have plenty of time to decide so there is no hurry... it's just something that popped into my head earlier this week and again while driving to work today.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Best Swim Day Yet
One of the things I learned while golfing (years ago, don't have the patience for it now) is that I could only have one swing thought in my head at a time. By that I mean I could concentrate on improving one aspect of my swing. I would focus on that for a period of time until it became habit, then I would move on to a different aspect of my swing that needed improvement. If I attempted to work on more than one thing at a time my swing usually went to hell and the results were disastrous. I think swimming needs to be approached in the same manner. When I first started I tried changing too many things at once and the results were similar to what I would have expected from my golf experience. For the past month I've really focused on high elbows during the catch and pull. This has gotten to the point where it has (almost) become habit and has allowed me to start focusing on being long in the water and actually kicking. Today I saw the fruits of my labor as we swam sets of 100y (after more than 1000y of warm up and sprinting) and I absolutely CRUSHED them! Historically I've been a 1:45 - 1:50 min/100 swimmer. Today I hit every single interval at 1:34 - 1:36. That's a HUGE improvement and I didn't feel like I was working that much harder. Of course there is something to be said for being consistent (hitting the pool 2x per week for the past 6 weeks) and getting stronger, but technique is a large portion of the swim and I think that's had a lot to do with it as well.
Next up will be breathing. It sounds simple, but it's not! I need to work on bilateral breathing as I often find myself struggling to get enough oxygen by the end of these intervals. That's fine when you are in the pool for a 100y session, but a much bigger concern when you have to swim 1.2 miles without stopping.
Next up will be breathing. It sounds simple, but it's not! I need to work on bilateral breathing as I often find myself struggling to get enough oxygen by the end of these intervals. That's fine when you are in the pool for a 100y session, but a much bigger concern when you have to swim 1.2 miles without stopping.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Being a Responsible Adult Sucks
My daughter went to the orthodontist yesterday and it looks like she will need braces earlier than we had planned. Unfortunately this puts a significant dent in my endurance training budget, aka, I no longer have a budget. Fortunately almost all of my races were paid before the end of last year to get the early bird discounts (remember, my wife is cheap). Unfortunately this means I have to eliminate coaching from my budget. With that in mind I spent last night scrambling to come up with a plan that will get me to my 25k in May safely. In the past my plan has always been similar to Higdon's running plans in that the bulk of my miles come on the weekend and my long run usually makes up at least 50% of my weekly distance. I've done some reading over the past few years and have come to the conclusion that your long run should be no more than 25-33% of your total distance. Unfortunately I don't think that's realistic given my need to train for swimming and biking, but I would like to get it down to no more than 40%. I would also like to increase the number of runs per week from 3 or 4 to 5 or 6, which allows me to reduce the mileage per run. I followed the Barry P plan from Slowtwitch.com which includes 6 runs; 3 short runs, 2 medium runs (double the short run), and 1 long run (triple the short run). My plan is as follows:
I'm concerned that my biking might suffer so I might try to add a third bike session on Sunday that I could turn into a brick. As the 25k gets closer and my running volume gets higher I will look at eliminating this, but to start my overall weekly volume should be the same as it has been (around 6.5 hours per week).
My goal pace for the River Bank Run is 9:40 min/mile. Most of my runs will be in the 10 - 11 min/mile range. I plan on making one of my medium runs a tempo run once my body starts to adjust to the workload.
The big advantage of having a coach was the lack of decision making on my part. I received a plan and that's what I followed. I actually love the idea of coaching myself but have the attention span of a 3 year old and often find myself changing my plan to adopt the latest article I read. Hopefully I can stay focuses and execute this plan as I think it's a good one.
I'm concerned that my biking might suffer so I might try to add a third bike session on Sunday that I could turn into a brick. As the 25k gets closer and my running volume gets higher I will look at eliminating this, but to start my overall weekly volume should be the same as it has been (around 6.5 hours per week).
My goal pace for the River Bank Run is 9:40 min/mile. Most of my runs will be in the 10 - 11 min/mile range. I plan on making one of my medium runs a tempo run once my body starts to adjust to the workload.
The big advantage of having a coach was the lack of decision making on my part. I received a plan and that's what I followed. I actually love the idea of coaching myself but have the attention span of a 3 year old and often find myself changing my plan to adopt the latest article I read. Hopefully I can stay focuses and execute this plan as I think it's a good one.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Fat Guy in a Little Coat
I'm tired of running inside on the stupid treadmill and it's supposed to warm up to 14 degrees today so I stopped by our local running store to pick up some tights. Yes, you read that correctly, I now own tights. They seem to be warm and are thin enough (hopefully) for me to wear under my cycling kit for some of the colder weather races, such as the upcoming Barry Roubaix. At the very least Gus (my dog) will thank me for getting him out of the house as he loves to run with me (okay, I run, he walks quickly).
As a formerly morbidly obese person who is now just overweight I would have bet any amount of money that you would never catch me in any type of form fitting clothing. Fast forward 3 or 4 years and I now own more Lycra than I do sweatpants! I even ditched the board shorts and picked up a pair of jammers for swimming. Of course I still wear the board shorts when I take the kids to the Y... there's no reason to scar them for life (aside from my amusement). Like most fat people I chose to hide myself beneath layers of too big clothing. It's amazing how much better I look if I wear something that actually fits and is, dare I say, slightly tight. My how things have changed! Of course the entire time I'm wearing Lycra this is all I can think of:
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
January in Review
January was a good month. I got back on track with my weight loss, hired a coach so I don't do something stupid and injure myself, joined a swim group/team, and completed the Tour of Sufferlandria. I have high hopes for the swim team as it's much easier to get out of bed at 5 am when you know people will never let you hear the end of your absence. So how did I do, you ask... well let's break it down.
Weight
Start: 211.6 on January 5th
End: 204.4 on January 31st.
Lost: 7.2
Goal: 203.6
I had a low of 203.8 a few days before this but ate Thai food which instantly adds 3 - 3.5 pounds. I did not hit my goal, but am pleased with my progress and would have been there if it wasn't for the pesky (and delicious Thai). I should note, I was down to 203.2 on February 1st. I will leave my February goal alone even though I was almost a pound high at the end of January.
Injuries
My hips have been bothering me so I started to see a physical therapist to work on strengthening everything that needs to be stronger, which is pretty much my entire core. We are also working on some exercises that will hopefully teach my body to fire the correct muscles instead of being lazy. Rehab work has gone well, though I did slack towards the end of the tour. I had some concerns about my IT band earlier this month but picked up some Superfeet inserts and it seems to have gone away. I'm not sure how much it's helped with my plantar fasciitis, but at the very least it hasn't gotten worse.
Distances
Swim: 8.55 miles, 7 swims, 6 hours 13 minutes
Bike: 256 miles, 18 rides, 18 hours 5 minutes
Run: 35.84 miles, 11 runs, 6 hours 9 minutes
Total: 300.83 miles, 36 activities, 30 hours 27 minutes
I am ahead of schedule on the bike, despite most of those being trainer miles which are notoriously low. I didn't start running and swimming until 7-10 days into the month so I'm okay with where I'm at. This week will be a sort of recovery week and then I hope my coach has me picking up the run as I have a half marathon at the end of April and a 25k in mid-May.
Overall
January was a good month. I completed the Tour of Sufferlandria (one of the hardest things I've ever done), joined the already mentioned swim team, and started working on some health issues before they grew to become injuries. My swim and run slacked a bit but that's to be expected with the heavy bike focus. Looking forward I want to weigh 198.6 by the end of February. I have no specific training volume goals as that will be dictated by my coach. I will, however, be joining the Team Beachbody 21 day fix challenge. I know, it seems so gimmicky, but my wife has been stuck in a rut and I'm doing it to support her. I know what I should be eating but have always struggled with portion control. With any luck I'll learn a thing or two about what a normal sized portion is as well.
Weight
Start: 211.6 on January 5th
End: 204.4 on January 31st.
Lost: 7.2
Goal: 203.6
I had a low of 203.8 a few days before this but ate Thai food which instantly adds 3 - 3.5 pounds. I did not hit my goal, but am pleased with my progress and would have been there if it wasn't for the pesky (and delicious Thai). I should note, I was down to 203.2 on February 1st. I will leave my February goal alone even though I was almost a pound high at the end of January.
Injuries
My hips have been bothering me so I started to see a physical therapist to work on strengthening everything that needs to be stronger, which is pretty much my entire core. We are also working on some exercises that will hopefully teach my body to fire the correct muscles instead of being lazy. Rehab work has gone well, though I did slack towards the end of the tour. I had some concerns about my IT band earlier this month but picked up some Superfeet inserts and it seems to have gone away. I'm not sure how much it's helped with my plantar fasciitis, but at the very least it hasn't gotten worse.
Distances
Swim: 8.55 miles, 7 swims, 6 hours 13 minutes
Bike: 256 miles, 18 rides, 18 hours 5 minutes
Run: 35.84 miles, 11 runs, 6 hours 9 minutes
Total: 300.83 miles, 36 activities, 30 hours 27 minutes
I am ahead of schedule on the bike, despite most of those being trainer miles which are notoriously low. I didn't start running and swimming until 7-10 days into the month so I'm okay with where I'm at. This week will be a sort of recovery week and then I hope my coach has me picking up the run as I have a half marathon at the end of April and a 25k in mid-May.
Overall
January was a good month. I completed the Tour of Sufferlandria (one of the hardest things I've ever done), joined the already mentioned swim team, and started working on some health issues before they grew to become injuries. My swim and run slacked a bit but that's to be expected with the heavy bike focus. Looking forward I want to weigh 198.6 by the end of February. I have no specific training volume goals as that will be dictated by my coach. I will, however, be joining the Team Beachbody 21 day fix challenge. I know, it seems so gimmicky, but my wife has been stuck in a rut and I'm doing it to support her. I know what I should be eating but have always struggled with portion control. With any luck I'll learn a thing or two about what a normal sized portion is as well.
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