Newbie Triathlete - 2011 Edition

The physical challenges are easy

2012-01-20T22:04:00.003-05:00

Life happens - we all know that. But we get set in our daily routines, fall into our comfort zones, and become a slave to the grind. And when life does happen, we're thrown off and get stressed, uncomfortable, and perhaps even panicked.

For me, life is happening. This time, I'm the one causing it, but that doesn't make it much easier. I've been rather comfortable with my place personally and professionally, and I'm removing that balance for now...looking for a better situation. Eventually, I'll get it.

But it's this stuff that I find hard because my decisions affect those around me. Well, at least they have the potential of affecting them. For me, getting up at 4:30am for a long workout is easier than fitting it in the middle of the day because I feel like I should be at home with family, or doing things that need to be done.

For me, this is just another test, one that I need to explore and experience, rather than wall up and avoid until it absolutely must be dealt with. This needs to be just another thing in my day, not an excuse to affect the things I need to do and want to do.

Let the test begin.

T-minus 7 months to Ironman Mont Tremblant!

2012-01-19T09:34:00.001-05:00

Time flies when you are having fun! I cannot believe we are down to only 7 months now. A bit more than a month and the real training starts!

The main training plan for me starts March 5 if I remember correctly. To try to boost my base I have been doing Troy Jacobson's Super 6 plan which ends in about 3 weeks. I haven't followed it to the letter but fairly closely - I am allowing the swim to replace some if the workouts, and some of the rides have been a bit shorter than prescribed. But overall things are improving nicely. My bike endurance is increasing, my swim is taking shape quite well, and my heart rate seems to have dropped a bit already. I am actually getting used to waking around 5am and consider it a luxury to sleep to 6 or 6:30.

I am still a bit concerned about my running, not some much in ability but in ability to improve. I have tried to get good quality base runs in, but find I hit my lactate threshold early on and tend to run zone 3/4 a lot. Hitting zone 2 in the run is tough for me. I am still talking with my swim coach about some run coaching too and should get more details on that soon. Hopefully time and money will allow that coaching to occur too, because if it's anything like the swim coaching I am getting, I will drop a pile of time in a race. :)

One recent wrinkle for the run is the weather. We gave had a very easy winter so far and now we have to pay our dues. It has been much colder - I am okay with that - and we got a pile of freezing rain...twice. That is the part I hate. The most recent rain and snow mix left and inch-thick crust on everything. Some was slippery, and some was not. Every step is like a toss of the dice! It seems better out today so I may try a short run, and hopefully the crews have been generous with the salt and gravel. Fingers crossed!

I am feeling quite positive so far this year, and I am looking forward to this journey we are on towards race day. It's time to book the vacation days (praying my wife can get the time off) and call to confirm the hotel booking (don't need that kind of headache on race week). I will gave to get my bike in for a checkup since I haven't done that in the three years I have owned it, and double check the stick of bottles, gel and protein powder.

We are getting close! Should be a fun ride.

Millions would be sad if this happened

2012-01-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

Better zones, better workout

2012-01-07T14:26:00.001-05:00

After determining better estimates for my lactate threshold, I did my first bike workout with that new information. It was a bigger effort today, even if I didn't get up early enough for the full 2h20 of Spinervals 30.0, I still got 1h45 in.

And let me tell you, it was a LOT harder with the new HR zones defined. I was a little shocked at how different everything felt, but pumped at the same time when I realized that there's still a lot of room for improvement - even at 40.

The goal of the workout was intervals at Zone 3 - aerobic endurance, where your body's flirting with muscle breakdown to make enough energy to keep going. This is the "grey zone" where you don't want to be training too often, but once in a while it's okay.

Well today it was so hard to get into Z3! I really, REALLY had to push it all along to get there - I was so surprised at the difference. I was sweating buckets, and my legs were pumped and tired pretty early into the workout. I could feel the strength getting removed from me, and looked forward the strength building up once I recovered.

The other workout for today is a 30min run which might not happen thanks to the freezing rain that's been pelting us on and off today. I'd love to get an easy run in, but I won't risk an ankle for it. The weather forecast is showing some much colder weather coming along, and while I like things warmer, you can always run when it's that cold - even when it's REALLY cold.

Or maybe I'll just hide at home and do a BodyRock workout...or finish painting the workout room...or spend time with the family. Perhaps I'll play things by ear today. ;)

2012: The year of MY Ironman

2012-01-05T09:30:00.002-05:00

2011 was a crazy, all-over-the-place year for me. Quite frankly, I didn't deal with it well many times, and there's honestly a part of me that is more than happy that year's done. But I hate saying that because there was a lot of good and fun that happened in 2011...why is it always harder to remember the good through the bad? Even with all the challenges we faced, we persevered and we're better for it.

Now there was one thing that I did last year that strongly impacts me and my family this year: I signed up for my first Ironman race. A dream I've had for many years will come to fruition this year in August, in Mont Tremblant. I've got a plan (two actually - one for now from Troy Jacobson, and one that starts in March and goes for 6 months), a new swim coach, and possibly a new running coach (still figuring that out). This is a dream I've had for many years, with the seed planted back in 2003 when I watched the NBC Ironman World Championship Recap with amazement. If I knew then what I know now....

And up to this point, all that talk and ego about being a triathlete, a runner, a persistent athlete that goes out in the heat and in the cold (well, most days) - all that feels unimportant now in a strange way. I've trained, I've raced, I've sweated and I've suffered. I've gotten up early and stayed up late to get workouts in. And I'm proud of all that - it's what got me to the point of being able to register for an iron distance triathlon. But now I feel like I did many times before: when I signed up for my first triathlon; when I signed up for my first olympic distance tri; when I signed up for my first 5k, 10k, half- and full marathon; when I signed up for my first half-iron tri. I feel the excitement, fear, confusion, the "everything" of facing a new big challenge head on.

My wife got me a Garmin Forerunner 305 for Christmas this year. I think it was her way of ushering the "new" in more ways than one. My Polar 625X was old and worn, the chest strap broken and stained - but it still worked. Why change it? It's still good enough. But, as always, she knew better, and she knew it on many levels. A new tool for me, with new features that encouraged a new way to apply my stats so I could train smarter. The HRM has made me revisit how I train, how I measure myself through the different efforts, what I decide to focus on. After years of racing and training, nothing has really changed in terms of performance and desire. Getting the Forerunner has changed that for me.

A key example - my lactate threshold. This is an important number for many reasons, including defining your intensity zones across all activities. If you don't know your LT, you don't really know if you're training too hard or too soft. And if you don't race often, you don't know if you're improving either. Well, on January 1 of the new year, I did a hard-effort run around my neighborhood, suffering through much of the run but pushing to see where I was on that day. Skip ahead to today, where Coach Troy's plan for the day was a bike set that (with one of his DVDs) allowed you to determine your LT. I don't have that DVD (yet...) but found that if you do a 30min time-trial and give it your all for the full duration, the average HR for the last 20min is a good estimate. So that's what I did on the bike today, and what I did with the stats from the New Year's Day run. Previously, I guessed my LT was at about 155bpm. Today I found that on the bike it's 170, and on the run it's 165ish. That's a HUGE difference. And I can take that to the training bank and adjust my training accordingly.

The nearly done workout area...well, part of it.

Even my workout area is fresh and new. In the new house we bought last year, there was a spare room in the basement that was a music room before. It's now become our workout room (my wife insists it is *my* workout room :D) and it's got freshened up. I've got room for up to 4 bikes now, but with the 2 in there now, I've still got a pile of room for weights, yoga, stretching, or a play space when my daughter wants to be in the same room as me. I'll be spending a fair bit of time in that room, so we didn't mind putting a bit of effort into it to make it truly ours.

Talk is cheap, sure. And I've added a pile of it above. I'm a good talker, a good complainer, a good whiner, and I can be a terrific victim when I want to. But by signing up for this event, I'm putting my money where my mouth is and I won't let myself down, my family down, my friends down. I'm going to do the very best I can each and every day leading up to that event in August where I will see what I truly am possible of achieving. Just like the good stuff we forget about in our daily lives, I think I've forgotten just how good I really am - perhaps the daily grind drums that out of you. But it's still there - it's always been there - and I'm going to celebrate it again and again.

This is my year, my race, my Ironman. And the best thing about it is that I'm sharing it with my family and my friends. Without them, I'm just another guy. I may wear the medal, but we'll all have earned it.

And that excites me to no end.

My daughter's got it figured out already

2012-01-04T16:55:00.001-05:00

Amazing how simple life can be when you view it like a 7 year old. Love it.

T-minus 8 months, 3 days

2011-12-16T12:31:00.002-05:00

Holy crap it's the middle of December already! Hard to believe. It seems like the older I get the faster time passes me by.

Even with all the goings-on lately, my mind is getting more and more focused for this Ironman gig. My swim is getting solid thanks to Greg (who I hope to bring aboard as a run coach too), the workout room has been reorganized, and I'm experimenting with TrainingPeaks.com and my new Garmin Forerunner 305. And the weather here in Ottawa has been extremely conducive to training, with temperatures above freezing for the most part and no snow or ice on the pathways...yet.

My good buddy Scott tripped over a video that he let me know about, and I've gotta tell ya, it hit me hard. I knew exactly what he was getting at, and the speech made me think long and hard about my personal thoughts of myself - perhaps even my beliefs in myself. I never expected a video to hit me that hard, but this one really did. And I'm glad for that. It made me rethink things I hadn't thought about for years, face things that I had tucked away a long time ago. And it made me think about how I can approach things differently. Change is good. That speech is going up on my workout room wall, and I'm going to read it every day.

Week 1 of 24 starts March 5, 2012. That's when things get serious, when start the real journey to completing an Ironman. And on that day, I want to feel prepared as best as possible, with some "habits" in place. I want my weekly volumes around 3hrs each for running, cycling and swimming. I want to be used to having one workout session 6 days out of 7. I want to be eating healthy, stretching regularly. I want to have good base fitness in place to work hard for 24 more weeks. And I want to be happy through it all - with my family. Those are a lot of goals to have, and I don't mind. Goals are just dreams with a plan, and we all want to reach our dreams.

My goals are in sight, and I feel like I'm taking the first steps towards them. Feels good.

T-Minus 9 months, 2 days

2011-11-17T12:36:00.001-05:00

I can't believe that we're down to just a wee bit more than 9 months until Ironman Mont Tremblant. That leaves me 3 months and 2 days until the formal training plan begins. That's not a lot!

The nesting is continuing, but not as much. My first shot at tile setting in a kitchen has gone very well, and I'll be trying to finish the rest this weekend. I must say, I've done a great job and it looks great. And I'm quite relieved by that 'cause I would hate to not have it done well. Once that's done, I'll probably move on to painting the trim and maybe the workout room, but the Christmas lights need to get up soon too. (I've hung Christmas lights when it was -20C, and I'll never make that mistake again!)

The weather in Ottawa has been amazing, well above freezing. Lawns are still lush and green, and that's made it more enjoyable to get out for runs...even to get out the door at 5.30am for the swims. That's also the reason that I have yet to get on the bike trainer this fall.

And even though that little BuckeyeOutdoors widget on my blog shows nothing, I have been doing some training. While I'm doing that, I'm trying out TrainingPeaks for a log thanks to my swim coach, Greg, having a coach account. He's been a great coach for the swim, and even not considering him for other services, I'm open to any input he might provide on my progress. He's got serious value - just look at how well his team is doing lately. And if I can get some of that insight, I'll improve.

Training lately has been limited to swimming 3hrs a week, and 2-3hrs of running a week. Better than nothing. But I need to incorporate the bike again, and add stretching and strength. And hopefully I can improve upon that within the next 3 months, 2 days. :)

I do think I need some new shoes, though. I've had these runners since last year, and I ran the marathon in them this year too. I'm noticing that my runs on swim days are leaving me a bit sore. So either I need new shoes, or I need drop some weight and HTFU.

Speaking of needs, Christmas is getting near and I need to make a list. This is always so tough, but here's a few ideas.

Garmin Forerunner 305 OR a new monitor strap for my Polar S625X (the latter is much cheaper).
Pretty much anything from Hammer Nutrition.
New swim jammers (Speedo Endurance, of course), or I'll be showing more than my form in the water.
New water bottles for the bike (not the tall ones - they eject easily).
Need For Speed "The Run" for Wii (or the XBox version...with an XBox).
A pair of skates for everyone in my family so we can enjoy the Rideau Canal.
A fresh, finely-ground pound of Starbucks coffee.

Nesting

2011-11-09T12:46:00.000-05:00

This fall has been an odd time for me with so much going on and to be honest, I've had some trouble dealing with it. My head has been foggy, my focus less than usual, and my fatigue high. I feel aimless, restless, and haven't been sleeping well lately, and I don't really know why.

This week is better, so far, mainly because I'm trying to do the simple things that matter first, and pushing other stuff away. Thanks to that, my head is becoming clearer, even when the backlog of items is getting longer.

With this clearer head, I've noticed something that really surprises me - I'm nesting. Yes, nesting, like a pregnant woman coming to term, awaiting the contractions.

Odd, I know, but I can't describe it any other way. I'm setting myself up for next year's Ironman Mont Tremblant right now by getting stuff done. Projects at work are getting more attention and direction. I'm redoing the backsplash and countertops in the kitchen. I'm cleaning and tuning up my bikes. I'm getting ready to paint the workout room. Christmas gift lists are doubling as lists of "what I'll need for all the training next year." It's like I'm expediting all of next year's projects into November and December, making January through August clear for the training.

It's weird, but it does make sense. Deep down I know I want to be as ready as possible to focus on this training: easy stuff done easily; hard stuff done really hard; and lots of base building. With training consuming between 10 and 20hrs of training a week (something I've never done before), there will be times where there's not much extra time left, and that time will be time to spend with family and friends. I just wish I didn't feel like a woman at the end of her third trimester.

Until these projects get completed, training and base building will have to take a backseat. I'm still getting some of that done, but with much lower volumes. But don't worry - come January, those volumes will ramp up significantly, and with a solid direction in view.

Crazy days

2011-11-01T08:41:00.000-04:00

It feels like this year won't let up for us. Yesterday I guess I pushed my luck too long and my battery died in the car. I though I had gotten away with it for another day - I went swimming in the morning and while it was a slow start the battery did just fine. But when my wife went to take The Wee to school and herself to work, no such luck.

What made this worse was my phone. I bought a used Motorola phone and for some reason when you charge it, it decides to change your ring tone. Well I was charging my phone the night before, and popped it in my pocket after swimming. My wife was calling me during my morning commute but I was completely unaware - the ring tone was changed to "Silent" during the charge cycle! An unhappy voicemail was waiting when I got to my office.

And of course, all this happens when we have all sorts of activities that day. So off to the car rental place again. I just dropped it off - $40 to travel 3km. But we needed it.

The day at the office was just as crazy and unpredictable. I was beat, and kind of panicked with all the craziness of the day.

Then we got to see my daughter at her school's open house. She was one of the few Grade 2s participating and she was so excited. She was involved with the French group which did a game-show stour presentation through the night. I was completely blown away by this - neither my wife nor I are proficient at all in French so she got here on her own. She did so well, and we were so proud of her. Even her teachers applauded her for getting in there with the older kids who knew far more than she did. So proud.

And seeing that made it all worth while. We get so caught up in the negatives, and we let our emotions spiral away instead of remaining calm and seeing the good things. I asked myself yesterday "why is this so hard?" I think the answer is "because I make it that way". Looking back now, I needed to take one step back, get a better view of the situation, and move on. And remember that everything we do is for either yourself, or your loved ones. Everything else becomes the means to the end.

Oh, and just remember that you remove the NEGATIVE terminal of the battery first. :)

If only...

2011-10-26T09:43:00.000-04:00

...I could do this. I absolutely love Halloween, and as an electrical engineer, this gives me wood. :D

Triathlon Bingo

2011-10-23T19:01:00.001-04:00

I'm going to start copying this now, and distribute at Ironman Mont Tremblant. :)

(Source - http://running.competitor.com/files/2011/10/Screen-shot-2011-10-20-at-2.54.18-PM.png)

A seasonal low

2011-10-23T18:59:00.000-04:00

Man I am so tired again! I am back in this low where I cannot get enough sleep. Perhaps it is because I haven't been training as much, or it is fall and the days are getting shorter, not sure. All I know is that I would be more than happy getting 20hrs of sleep each night.

I skipped the swim session today because of that and while I feel a bit guilty, it's no big deal. I am planning a run for today and tomorrow, and given the winds today it should make for a good workout at or above tempo (assuming I don't fly away like Mary Poppins). The wind and rain was crazy all night long and it kept me up all night. And I am guessing that it was the wind that kept setting off my neighbor's car alarm. That was a real treat.

Where dies the time go?!?

2011-10-18T12:22:00.001-04:00

I am finding that the older you get, the faster time flies by. And there is a corollary to this as well - each kid you have makes that time go by even faster.

But thankfully it is a good busy. House and home is still good and we continue to make improvements here and there as time...er, cash permit. My wife is doing well after surgery (which is one less thing to worry about). And my daughter continues to amaze us. She broke through a bit of a mental barrier in swimming lessons this weekend which was terrific to see - another very proud daddy moment. Another bonus this weekend was that we had good friends over for brunch and we had a blast.

On the training front, it is good. I am trying to not get caught up in big volume or worrying about missed workouts. It is fall, and there are some other things being made a higher priority, but I still find it hard to not get all worried that I missed a 30min run. Weekly I have been averaging 5-6hrs of activity a week, which should be more than enough to hold some strength and endurance. I would like to add some BodyRock and yoga in there, though. Something else to work on.

As for those other priorities I mentioned, they deal with the kitchen. I am trying to redo the backsplash tile, which is currently adhered to drywall - that will be a bit if a task just to keep the paper intact as much as possible. Then we decided to change the countertop as well, after finding an attractive and cheap option at Ikea - one plank of butcherblock, two cuts, and we're done there. Total cost on that is only about $200 and I am excited to see the result!

But then Ikea hit us again and we are considering new cabinets as well now. The prices are very reasonable, and we could do our entire kitchen (excluding the island) for much much less than from Lowes or Home Depot. And given the state the previous owners left it in, the kitchen could use a facelift. If we do go with this, it will be piecemeal, buying one or two pieces a paycheck. But that's okay - it still gets done.

In the sad news column, I have decided to put my Felt S22 back on the trainer for the season. Ottawa has been cold, wet and windy lately, and I don't feel like getting my race bike massively dirty. I will bring it in this week, clean it up, and put the trainer tire back on. In one way, I hate that 'cause it is always more fun on the road, but the positive side is that it will be easier and quicker to ride now - no need to wait for sunlight, or wonder what to wear for the weather. Just go.

And because I am not busy enough, I am thinking of painting and reorganizing the workout room. I am thinking that I will be spending a fair bit of time there this year, so I might as well make it "nice" and "comfy" - never thought I would say that about a workout area.

Well, time does fly! My bus ride is nearing the end. Hopefully time flies just as fast at the office. :)

Status Quo

2011-10-05T14:21:00.001-04:00

For some reason I just haven't made the time to post on this blog. Or call my parents. Or cut the grass. Or much of anything really. But I am on the bus this morning and I cannot sleep, so with an hour to kill, I thought I would finally post an update.

What has been keeping me so busy? Well work as always but a bit more lately. The usual home stuff. The usual parent stuff. Our most recent bit of activity was our fridge that suddenly died on Monday without warning - wasn't expecting that. Made me and my credit card cry (again).

Outside of that though, the base training is going along. I am not getting done as much as I would like, and I keep waiting for things to settle down but I need to just do it. Like Nike ads say - "Someone busier than you is running right now" - I need to tale that to heart.

Swimming is going well and I am enjoying the workouts being put up. Greg is a good coach and he is putting us to the test with focused sets. And I love that it is all tri-specific. Scott and Kim, an age-grouper that kicked ass in Beijing for the world age-group championships, are putting me to task in the water. I wish I could hold on better, but rather than trying harder, I try smarter and focus on solid form. It'll come. It has to - we are averaging over 3000m each session!

Cycling is at a standstill lately. I got one ride in last week with Scott and it was windy and cold - right near freezing. That was a shock to the system, but I was dressed almost perfectly for it. My bike fitness is still there but I need strength and stamina beyond aerobic intensity - that is this winter's goal. My Felt S22 is on the trainer already with a new front dérailleur cable (finally installed!) ready to go for some hard sets. I might bring it out this weekend for a ride or two, though, as our forecast looks summerish.

Running is there but not as much as I would like. To help with that, I am doing a sprint tri plan through to December to build base and strength. I just need to commit more and do the workouts "at all costs" - well not quite, but you know what I mean.

Strength work is nonexistent and I kick myself for this. Pushups, situps, and BodyRock workouts have only been put to paper for the last few weeks. I need to get this going to prepare for Mont Tremblant. The whole race is ups and downs, with the HR and lactate spiking up and down. I will need strength and lots of high intensity intervals to be properly prepared for that stuff.

But for now, things are good and I am happy. My wife is slowly getting back to work after her surgery, my daughter is doing well in school and loving her extracurricular activities, and we are doing fine.

And amongst all that, I still have time to play Call of Duty. :)

3.6

2011-09-23T14:39:00.000-04:00

That, in kilometers, is what I swam this morning at masters swim. That is my biggest swim to date by a long shot! There was some tough stuff going on, and the Mental Demons were pretty loud at the 60min mark but I stuck it out. Man am I tired now!

Now I am off to the office for the rest of the day!

This is why I don't do cyclocross

2011-09-21T08:56:00.001-04:00

Clear!

2011-09-20T12:20:00.003-04:00

Shirt open, paramedics on site, paddles charged - CLEAR!

Thankfully, I'm not THAT kind of "clear" - sorry if I freaked you out (but I'm feeling much better today, so cockiness rules).

A LONG time ago, I noticed that at times, my heart would skip beats. Just one here, one there. Then one day when I was getting over a flu, it happened a lot and for a long time. Pair that with my life-long history of fainting and I was worried something was up. Months later, I finally got to see the cardiologist who reviewed my file. More time on the ECG, more discussions, and the end result is that I'm clear of anything harmful. I do have Type I second-degree atrioventricular block, it's somewhat common, completely benign, and (surprisingly) more likely to occur when you are involved in endurance sports. But all tests and recordings indicate that there's nothing pathological there, and nothing to worry about.

I'm clear, and I've been formally cleared to continue with endurance sports.

I am very happy with this knowledge, but I'm still somewhat wary. Perhaps that's not the right term, but I'm certainly not going to ignore these skips in the future. I won't let them hinder me like I did in the past (human hearts are not redundant so I erred on the safe side) but I will note when they occur and their frequency. Should anything abnormal be noticed, it's back to the doctor.

But even in saying that, I feel a different approach lurking in my mind, one that can't wait to belt it out on the road, or in the pool, or doing hill repeats, or track work. I'm feeling ready to push hard and move ahead towards Ironman Mont Tremblant...and whatever lies beyond that.

This inner drive is also rising from the messy ashes of all my regrets from last week. I don't want to get into more details on that (I'm sure that last post was weird enough), but I do feel like I'm on the right path with that as well. I feel success can be found, and that this is all a bump in the road...even if it's a big one.

This morning, I finally cleared my head completely - the first time in weeks - by hitting the pool. Scott and I signed up for masters swimming which is coached by Greg at Bytown Storm. It's too early in the morning to think clearly (I was up at 4.30), and when you finally wake up fully, you're pool side and these guys are serious. I focused on nothing but swimming and form for nearly 90min today. The stress was gone, and I loved the feeling of the water as I cut through it - it's been months since I've swam and I forgot just how good it feels. I was working hard, but also working hard on working smart - swimming improves more with good form and technique than with shear brute force - and it set the tone for the rest of the day.

I'm feeling happy today, and relaxed. And it's nice.

Regret

2011-09-14T12:06:00.003-04:00

This has been a very hard week so far. Monday brought me a surprising situation that startled me and rocked me to the core. I felt (and still feel) threatened, scared, targeted, betrayed, angry, and depressed. It has caused me to second guess everything I do on a daily basis while I search for resolution...and maybe even redemption. I have trouble sleeping, I am stressed and tense, and I suddenly feel much older than I should.

This event has filled me with regret. I regret the events that caused all this to happen. I regret all the events that happened before those, thinking they may have been part of some Fate's decision to put this on me (I don't believe in fate or The Fates, by the way). I regret signing up for an Ironman, and for getting involved in this crazy addictive sport. I regret what I've done, and what I haven't done.

But what is worst of all is that this event made me question my life that I share with my family. That crosses the line.

When I think hard about it, it is not so much the event as it is the reason behind it. I feel like "the fall guy" in some weird ass mobster movie, and the cement shoes are just about dry as I sit in a warehouse near the Hudson River.

This has really affected me, and the only resolution in sight is to live through it and keep doing what I always have done, believing what I believe. One side of me knows that this will all be resolved just fine and life will go on. But all the engineering training in me says that doing the same thing won't change the outcome, and it is busy analyzing trying to find that little deviation that can make all the difference.

It's that continual, subconscious analysis that is wearing me down. The stress is so high that sometimes I can feel a panic attack lurking in the shadows (that bastard is my true nemesis).

I still don't know just what I am going to do, but I do know that I won't give up. I won't lay aside and let this run its course. I won't let fate take the reigns - unless my actions help The Fates (philosophers debate away) - and I will continue to drive ahead as I see best.

All this wouldn't be so difficult if I wasn't a triathlete, if I didn't sign up for Ironman Mont Tremblant 2012, if I didn't chase my dreams or try to become a better me. If I amputated this part of me, this situation would be easier to handle only because I'd have more time to handle it.

But nothing of value ever comes easy - family, jobs, recognition, goals, dreams, success. Truly, that is what makes endurance sports so appealing to me: it makes me discover something in me that I didn't know was there, and persevering through the effort to somehow finish the effort is the greatest reward. So perhaps, just perhaps, all this shit I have been dealt recently will make the end that much more special. If that is the case, if "Someone" out there is looking to add value to the end goal, then let it be. I will rise to the challenge, and I will succeed, and I will be better for it.

And when that happens (not if) the only regret I will have is that I allowed all these painful regrets affect me and my family in such a terrible way.

Slayer of Frogs

2011-09-08T12:21:00.001-04:00

No, I haven't posted much lately and yes I'm rather busy. Training's been going well, thanks, but this week's tougher on that given the latest panic at work.

But I do have time for a story, and perhaps a new title for me.

Last week I headed out for a longer ride with some buddies, and a couple of new gents that joined us for our trip through Carp, Dunrobin and north Kanata. It was a cool, very damp and humid morning and there was evidence of wildlife everywhere - porcupines, squirrels, deer, and frogs. Lots of frogs. I mean friggin' piles of frogs - most hoping merrily across the road, with a few pressed into the pavement from hopping at the wrong time. We spent a fair bit of time dodging them when we started out, and then >poof< they were gone.

Nearing the end of the ride, at about the 2h15 mark, Warren and I noticed something out of the corner of our eyes. It was coming from my bike (my Felt S22, on which we where holding 37kph up Dunrobin - too fun) and it was about 6" long. It was a frog. But it wasn't in good shape.

To set the picture correctly, take a good-sized frog, make it stand on its rear legs, and extend it's right arm up as if it were waving really high. Got it? Great! Now paste that waving hand onto the downtube of my bike, about 3" above the bottom bracket. Then take it's intestines out and string them up the downtube. And for the final touch, take some random blob of guts and stick it on the back of the forks.

That's how my riding companion "enjoyed" my 2h ride.

So now at home I have another informal title that is occasionally shared - that of Slayer of Frogs.

That training is still working

2011-08-31T21:35:00.000-04:00

After last week's training, which was heavy on the bike, we added a bit more to it on Sunday with a great 3hr ride. Scott, Ben, Warren and I headed out in rural Ontario on a cool, windy day. We were hoping we'd get lucky and avoid the rains (Hurricane Irene was heading north when we headed out), so we started early in the morning. And even with the stiff wind, it ended up being a great ride.

Good ol' Scott reeled us back to make sure that we stayed in the base intensity, and we just headed out. I wanted more, so I kept myself up in front and played mule pulling the guys along. But seriously, I don't mind pulling the lead - I guess I keep thinking that when I'm out there racing I can't draft anyways. We rode as a group with very, very little traffic the entire time. Out past Carp, Kinburn, Antrim, got close to Arnprior, and headed back through South March and Dunrobin. Fantastic - I felt solid...for the most part. On the flats it was easy, with my HR below 140bpm. But the hills downed me, and I had to resort to much lower gears than I'd prefer. Don't like it, but that's where I am - so I've got lots of strength work to do this winter.

And near the end of the ride, as I'm in the aerobars I feel something trying to prick my finger - my front shift cable is fraying. Shifting the chainrings is TOUGH and I can feel the cable binding. Heading towards the last big hill, I hope and pray I can get on the small chainring - someone heard me and down it went! I struggled up that hill, got my breath back and tried to shift back to the big chainring...which took about 5min to do. :D Finally I got it, and we headed down Sixth Line on the final journey home.

That's when we hit the road closure.

At the south end of Sixth Line, it was closed for a race - a kids triathlon. It was very cool to see kids as young as 6 or 7 doing the tri. Some kids had bikes that were too big, some were on their daily rides, but they were all working hard.

"Go ahead guys, but just don't pass them too fast." That's what I heard from one of the race officials. They let us go, and we were flying along, really paying attention to where the kids were - I really didn't want to pass them on my $2000 bike. Thankfully we were far enough back that we didn't have to pass anyone. But it was awesome to see those kids workin'!

It was a very good ride. Very good, very effective.

Very tired.

Monday I felt like I had to get out, and I did a very easy 30min run - except it didn't really feel easy. But it did loosen me up a bit. Tuesday I took off which is something I needed. The 9hrs of training last week wasn't exactly a 10% increase from the week before and my body wasn't quite ready for all that. :D But you know, I took it well. Feels good.

The training must be working...

2011-08-26T20:59:00.003-04:00

...because my legs are dead flat today! I didn't follow what I had hoped (see my last post), but I got some solid running and cycling in. And today, it all added up to me feeling flat.

Well, not at first. This morning we headed out to Gatineau Park again, and aimed for the usual loop of 35k. I felt flat, but once I started moving, I felt pretty good. I started grinding up the hills, and trying to overtake some smaller ones. Felt good. I even powered up the Lac Pink hill better than usual. But then that was about it - the tank was empty! I still kept grinding along, suffering the whole way, and getting about as close to puking as I ever have (which, really, wasn't that close, but still). Anyways, once I got over feeling sorry for myself, I just kept grinding along and pushed as hard as I could to catch Ben (that bastard is fast). And in the end, I finished with very shaky legs.

Biking to work after that was rather difficult, and I was proud of feeling like that. I pushed myself harder than usual, kept myself uncomfortable for longer than I like to, and got the legs worn right out. Biking home was as much of a chore, even after sitting in my office for 8hrs. I got nearly 3hrs of riding today, 90min of that in very hilly terrain, and that's like putting money in the bank.

T minus ONE YEAR!

2011-08-21T21:44:00.002-04:00

Yes, as of last Friday, it was ONE SINGLE YEAR to Ironman Mont Tremblant! Need to nail down the plan!

But for now, here's this week's thoughts:

Monday: run w/hill repeats;
Tuesday: BodyRock, swim
Wednesday: bike commute to work
Thursday: tempo run
Friday: bike hills in Gatineau, bike commute
Saturday: 60min easy run

More later - I'm going to bed after a weekend full of our garage sale and more painting! G'night!

Commit

2011-08-16T07:45:00.001-04:00

I need to commit - plain and simple. I was getting rather frustrated yesterday, because it was a frustrating day - and that did nothing to help with my feelings of guilt and desire about training. Work continues to be nuts, then the car had to go into the garage, a lunchtime meeting punted my run plans, I worked extra hours, and prepped my bathroom for painting. On top of all that I didn't stick to my plans for workouts.

I need to commit. I know that Ironman Mont Tremblant is still one year away, but I want to start now to regain some of what has been lost. And to do that, I need to stick to what I plan out.

So all you readers out there (even those who aren't) are going to hold me accountable for the short term untilI get "back into the habit" of all this. Here is what I aim to do this week:

Tuesday: 30-45min run easy; swim with form focus
Wednesday: bike commute (easy am; tempo pm) 2hr total
Thursday: 30-45min run easy/threshold; swim or BodyRock
Friday: Gatineau hills ride am; tempo ride commute pm
Saturday: 60-75min easy run
Sunday: 60-90min ride or Spinervals "Bending Crank Arms"

There are my goals. I will need to adjust to make these, which is part of the reason for this as well. But I mist also remember two things: ease in, and have fun.

Time to leave these starting blocks behind.

So I got that run in today

2011-08-10T13:36:00.004-04:00

Yup - I did it: 45min of good form focus and sprinting. And I didn't even get rained on!

Now recently I read "Born to Run" which isn't quite what you think. It's not a book about learning how to run, it's about learning to run like perhaps we should, and for the right reasons. The author has written for such publications as Men's Health and you can tell - it's a fascinating and enjoyable read from cover to cover. And to be honest, I am NOT a reader - if I need information, it's off to Google for a quick search and that's that. But this book kept me glued to it, wishing my bus commutes were longer just so I could keep reading. I strongly recommend it.

I took away a few things from that book, mainly bits about my running and my approach to it. My form isn't what it should be (and when it is, I lose it when I get tired), and my approach has been brute-force with no end goal, and I get frustrated when I don't improve. Thanks to this book, I've reset my approach to running in four ways:

Do hard workouts HARD.
Do easy workouts EASY.
On easy workouts, "if it feels like work, you're working too hard."
Run like the Tarahumara.

For the fourth point - read the book. It's worth it.

Started...

2011-08-10T07:59:00.001-04:00

Now it is a matter of keeping some momentum. I ran 10k on Monday with a good friend of mine and we ran it slowly - just how I wanted to. And it was a good thing my friend was with me because I was having a tough time. I have been away from consistent running for a long time and you could tell. Even with the residual chest and head cold affecting me, I have lost a lot of fitness. Very frustrating, but understandable given what I've been doing lately.

So I am back at square one. Even after running a marathon in the spring, I am like a new runner again. That is frustrating for me. All that time and effort invested and I didn't carry it along. And it was all my choice.

This choice stuff is a pain in the ass. It would be much easier if I didn't need to make choices. But such is life, and even with choices made, others can be made too. And thankfully I haven't lost sight of that.

I am always brought back to recent wisdom of Chuckie V. I see better than ever that an excuse is the result of a choice. Make a different choice and you have no need for that excuse. If you can't make that change, you can make a choice that works on removing that excuse in the future. That is where I am now. My choice is to pull up my run training and bike training for the fall - the swim focus will come later. That is it - it is that simple.

So later today, rain or shine, hell or high water, fast or slow, I will be out today for a run. That is my choice.

Trying to get out of the starting blocks

2011-08-06T12:57:00.002-04:00

What a summer this is turning into! While I like to keep busy I like to get some breathing room too! But with August here already, it is time to make different choices and start prepping for Ironman Mont Tremblant.

My big project at work has met it's first major deadline, which took an awful lot of extra time but I am proud of what was produced. Unfortunately we still have at least another month of heavy workload before it is fully done...and two weeks to deliver it. I have already decided that I will be making better choices for me through this, rather than putting nearly all my energy into work like I did in July.

This week I was ready to go and get back to training, with my near-term strategy being a lot of a little - shorter sessions with a higher frequency, like 6-8 workouts per week of no more than 1hr each. I biked to work once this week and it felt so damned difficult and I felt pukey the whole time. That night a cold settled in and as usual I got cranky about not feeling 100%. I am certain that is a trait common to most males.

Today I do feel better, and I am trying to be patient. There is always next week, but I am tired of making excuses. Surprising, I know.

I'm read to get started...again. I'm ready to get healthy, eat better, tone up, get stronger. I'm ready to do BodyRock workouts with my wife. I'm ready to get back riding in Gatineau Park again. I'm ready to find my run again (especially after reading Born To Run - what a great read!). I'm ready to get ready.

While I'd usually get all mopey and upset at having to start yet again, I'm not that way now. Perhaps being 40 will make you more patient, but right now all I can do is try to start again. And that is what I'll do. And to start, I'll make a plan tonight, and next week I will work towards it.

Happy New Age Group Day!

2011-07-23T12:55:00.002-04:00

That's right - I'm in a new age group today! I'm now a proud member of the M40-44 group!

Yup, today I turn 40. It's so weird that I am 40. For many many many years I've never seen myself as a particular age, nor the people around me. I just feel that we're all the same kinda age and it just doesn't matter. Thankfully, I still feel that way. For me, 40 doesn't signify anything - never did. Age truly is a number, and all I can say is that I don't feel like this number defines me.

What this year DOES mean for me is this - one solid, focused year of preparing for the biggest challenge of my life: Ironman Mont Tremblant. What's even more important - getting to do all this with my lovely family and great friends.

Worried about being 40? Bah! Bring it!

An appeal - wear that helmet

2011-07-20T12:28:00.001-04:00

I always do - always. I hope you do too.

A preview of Mont Tremblant closer to home

2011-07-15T22:36:00.003-04:00

I've lived in Ottawa since 1996, and today was the first time I've ever ridden my bike in Gatineau Park. Thanks to Scott and the boys, I got to experience it this morning, bright and early before heading into work.

Most of the riding around Ottawa is rather flat, with the odd big hill to be encountered. For solid hill training, all the local cyclists hit "The Gats" for that. Sitting on the edge of the Precambrian Shield, hills are plentiful in this beautiful park, which hosts literally hundreds of kilometers of trails and paths for cycling, MTB riding, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing. It's a real gem.

And Scott found out that much of the elevation profile on today's route is quite similar to what we'll hit in Mont Tremblant for next year's Ironman. I was excited to finally try this out, and secretly wondered if I'd survive the ride...especially with Ben. Ben is our version of a "baller" and has an annoying trait of out powering us. I decided to "ride my own ride" and do what I could.

I was picked up at 5.30am and we headed to the south parking lot in Gatineau, Quebec on rue Gamelin, with the ride starting at about 6.15. The morning was exquisite but a bit cool and humid - I actually started the ride with arm warmers on. I probably didn't need them, though, as the uphill started right from the parking lot. We climbed a steep hill to the Pink Lake Lookout - the lake is super cool, with layers of water that do not mix - that made me realize that I will be getting to know the small ring very very well. Lots of rollers up and down, and some bigger hills along the way. The halfway point was familiar to me - the road to Camp Fortune. It's big, and it's steep. And if you go right instead of left, you climb past Camp Fortune and head towards the highpoint at Champlain Lookout. That was one long climb, but I ground it out the whole time and, to be completely honest, I felt surprisingly good. From that point, there were just a few more rollers, then a pile of high-speed decents. My Ridley 'cross bike handled very well, and it was a blast. But I did miss my Felt...badly.

The whole ride was awesome, and I can't wait to do it again.

But after that I had to get to work. I didn't realize just how close I was to work - only about 10min through Gatineau on boulevard Tache and crossed the Ottawa River on Booth, right to the War Museum, the Supreme Court, and Parliament. I locked up, drank my Recoverite, and savored the 1h40min of riding.

Other key points of the ride? Yeah, we had a few.

Warren thought he was going down after running over a squirrel...at about 65kph.
Scott rode about 50% of the loop with one leg after losing about 50% of the screws from his cleats.

Commitments, drive, and stress

2011-07-11T10:52:00.002-04:00

You may have noticed an absence on the blog - I have been very very busy lately. Work and life have kept me working hard and at all hours this summer, and I was okay with this until I read a recent post by one of my favorite bloggers - Chuckie V.

The way I read it, what makes improvements in performance, and champions, is commitment. That makes total sense. But what touched a nerve was how his discussion removed all excuses one would have. Basically, if you want it bad enough, you will find ways to remove obstacles to reach your goals. It is that simple and I totally agree with Chuckie.

So where is the soft spot? Like most people I have many commitments, and on a daily basis. Staying true to all of these is a battle we all face, and in my opinion, Chuckie's argument loses some solidity once your commitments reach "critical mass" and you are forced to perform a balancing act. For me, I hate that Chuckie's argument isn't all-true at all times. I hate that there are times where I cannot do it all on my own, where something has to give. Yes it is selfish of me. I completely realize that. But that realization doesn't help me much.

I have consciously let my training go lately because of work commitments - they were those of the sales department, but now they are mine :). It has been many late nights, many extra hours and many delayed work items on the house. Under normal circumstances, thus work project would be fun and exciting, and truly it still is, but I could use some breathing room.

This weekend I delayed some work and focused on family and house items, which included two birthday parties, Date Night with my lovely wife, and the realization the redoing the caulking in the bathroom really is a nasty job. There was about 30min of training this weekend, and while it was a kick-ass BodyRock workout, I was hoping for another hour at least. And I wasn't bothered by this at all.

Until I remembered Chuckie's post. Then I got mad.

A while later I realized that anger was at myself for not allowing myself a different way of doing all I wanted. When I looked back at this last weekend, and the last few weeks at work, I have accomplished a boatload of stuff, and I have been there for my family the whole time. The house is cleaner, the yard maintained, my daughter happy, and I got some precious time with just my wife. And I managed to get a few workouts in.

Just like the lawn that was too long, like the dishes on the counter, and the work project that is well behind schedule, the workouts will get done. Deep down I believe that and I will make that happen. As long as I allow myself the ability to reprioritize and adapt, all is good.

For me it is a matter of remembering that. I hope that I can remember to focus on the drive to my commitments, rather than the commitments themselves, to make me realize it can all be done, and I can have it all.

And with that, I add a commitment to my already long list, but this one is for me. I am taking my lunch breaks again, and I am getting the runs back in place. Funny how I make that decision on what could be the hottest day of the year so far! But I can do this and I will. Proudly.

I have to remember that it is the challenges of life that make it memorable, and thus journey still has a long way to go.

Glad I've got some time

2011-07-03T20:48:00.002-04:00

Didn't have a bad week, and managed to get a reasonable number of workouts done. I pulled back on the work just enough to make more time for myself and got some stuff done. It did help to have Monday off (my daughter is out of school now), and Friday was Canada Day. I really needed that break - and for once I took a vacation day as a vacation - no work at all.

The one thing that has held consistent this week was the way I was feeling. Even weeks after the marathon, I'm still stiff, sluggish, and tight. Fatigue comes fast and I'm always hoping that it's a mental lack of strength rather than a physical one. But I keep trudging through doing my best each time. But something is certainly off.

My swim endurance and form has fallen off, and my kick has weakened a lot. My kick form is horrible now, and it seems like my legs aren't strong enough to hold form properly. Biking is reasonable, but I do wear down faster than I'd like, and I am certainly not used to those aerobars again (a bike fit might be in order). And my runs are a struggle. It's like I'm so tight that I have to fight myself to make each stride. I ran the Canada Day in Kanata 10k and struggled the whole time. I thought I'd be able to hold a 5m40 pace with ease, but not so. It went from a planned tempo run to a mental test, doing everything I could to just not walk. I managed to do that, and managed to hold a high HR the whole time, and managed to complete the run in just over 58min. With a time like that, it should have been rather easy.

So in a way, I'm back to the drawing board Not sure how just yet, so I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing - the same thing. I'm sure that it won't lead to anything (it hasn't in the past) but it's still the summer and I want to enjoy it. :D

Today I was out for a ride, and it was damned hot. Well over 40C with the humidex, but I went out anyways. I managed to keep it aerobic, right around MAF for 1h40. It was great. The traffic was low, and I felt solid for the whole ride. I was getting tired near the end, but the worst thing was my arms, wrist and shoulders from riding the aerobars. I certainly need to tend to that. But the key thing was that I did well for the whole ride. So maybe doing the same thing isn't a bad thing, as long as I just follow the guidelines I keep talking about - go easy when it's supposed to be easy; go hard when it's supposed to be hard.

Now to remember that "wisdom" in the coming week. That might be harder than any training I do. ;)

Time to get consistent

2011-06-23T22:43:00.002-04:00

Just got back from one rough swim session. Lots of IM, lots of kick. And all of it showing me that I've lost a lot in my swim. And my stamina is weaker too, all pointing to weaker runs and rides too.

This isn't meant to be a complaining post here, rather it's one that identifies the cause - a lack of consistent training. I've let work get in the way of most of it, and the rest has been my decision to take it easy a bit. There's nothing wrong with any of that - life happens too.

I gave it my all tonight in the pool, even though it was a bit depressing. But I've got roughly 13.5 months before IM Mont Tremblant, and roughly 7.5 months before the formal training plan starts. So I've got a nice, "relaxed" base building block of 6 months before things get "serious." And I would like to make the most of it.

I'm starting to see this time as "Phase 0" that can get things off to the right foot. And for that to happen, I need to get consistent. Nothing too big, nothing too intense here, but just consistent activity in all facets - swims, bikes, runs, stretching and strength. For the next week or two, I'll try for 2-3 in each through the week with nothing longer than an hour. And in a week or two, I'll examine how I feel, and perhaps see if I can do some self-testing to benchmark how I'm doing after that.

My wife is planning my Ironman training already

2011-06-22T15:17:00.001-04:00

Direct quote from my loving wife: "Can we do this to you?"

Answer - BRING IT! It's gonna be one hell of a year! :D

So I signed up for an Ironman

2011-06-22T11:58:00.002-04:00

Dear god it is almost a week since I signed up and I have been too busy to elaborate! Work is absolutely insane, my daughter had her 7th birthday, I learned that 13 7- and 8-year-old girls is too much for a party (holy crap the teenage years are gonna be fun), and the end of the school year is upon us. I'm on the bus right now, and rather than read about Lucene and Hibernate (yawn) I thought I would get this late post done.

It all started a few weeks ago where folks on the net started talking about rumors of new Ironman races. Even the local press was chatting about the possibility of new WTC races nearby. Chatting with Scott about this we dreamed of getting in these events if we could.

Then, sure enough, WTC announced Ironman Mont Tremblant - a ski resort that is similar to Banff, but only about 2hrs away in Quebec. Scott was all excited about it, and I was bugging him that his Ironman ticket from Kona in 2003 needed to be renewed. Then the discussions got more and more serious, until finally I said "I'm in if you are."

You see, up to this point my wife and daughter were 100% blowing away any and all excuses I could come up with. As far as she was concerned, I was doing it. It was mine to lose, and I finally made the choice to sign up - with or without Scott. And for me, that's bigger than it may seem. You see, I saw Scott in 2003 on NBC as he was on the side of the road with 10 miles to go at the Kona Ironman. I wasn't running or doing tris then, but that scene made me question myself about what I was capable of, and what I would have done in his position. It has always stuck with me, and I always explain my crazy goals with that story.

Almost intuitively, Scott had sent me a text message that now is appended to that Kona story for me - "it is time for you to write your own story."

You bet it is.

I was in. Scott was in. And we waited for Wednesday to fight the online registration mayhem that seems to surround these races. I booked myself a meeting for that time to better ensure that I was available for the registration, and I was giddy like an excited schoolgirl all morning waiting to follow through.

11:58 - can't register. Thought I would try.
11:59 - damn our clocks are almost perfectly synched!
12:00 - GO! "Register here" link clicked! Here we go!

Then you wait. The servers are so busy that you are placed into an automated queue that retried the connection every 15 seconds. I am on the edge of my seat waiting with anticipation, blocking the inside voice saying "what the hell are you thinking?" Finally the dialog changes and I get the entry form! I start entering the data and filling in the surprising amount of data being requested. I am about half way done when a new little pop-up says "Your session is about to time out click Keep Working to keep it alive." I click that as fast as possible, not wanting to end up at the back of the list - "Error handling Keep Working request" shows next! Oh hell no!!! I throw caution and completeness to the wind and put just a single character in the remaining non-critical fields and hit submit.

And I get confirmation - my entry is good! I will be doing Ironman Mont Tremblant in August 2012!

At this point I am waiting for Scott, who has business in Toronto during the registration window. He texts me saying he skipped out of the meeting early and is waiting in the queue. It seems to take forever and I am still giddy, but this time hoping for him. Finally, he's in!

Not only do I get to do my first Ironman, I get to do it with one of the key inspiration points for doing all this stuff! Let the story begin!

My wife was working at the time and said she could have screamed when I told her I got a spot. We are all excited, perhaps my wife and daughter even more that they get to drive me to the workouts for a year with no complaining on my part. Yeah, somehow I agreed to that. :)

Now that the flurry of registration is done, it's time to get ready. Yeah, it is 14 months away, but there are some big ass hills there for the bike and run, making the distance even more challenging. I need to get started on a solid base, improved flexibility and strength very soon, and get ready for the "formal" 24 week plan that will start sometime in February. That and all this craziness at work has put a bit of a damper on racing this year, but that is okay. I still plan on doing some events this summer, just shorter, with the focus more on fun than beating personal bests. That will take away a lot of the stress I put on myself which will make thus work but more manageable.

And I have already seen a different perspective in me and my activities. Biking to work I normally complain when the wind changes direction in the evening. Now I don't care - that just gives me a better strength and endurance ride to get ready. It sure won't be that easy at Mont Tremblant!

Alright, I am getting close to my bus stop here. Time to pack it in (for now) and get ready for work. Wish me luck!

Big news! I am in!

2011-06-15T12:34:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe I've done this! I'll just put this up for now:

Holy crap I'm gonna be an Ironman!

Getting ready...

2011-06-15T10:35:00.002-04:00

Hoping for BIG news in the next couple of hours. In the mean time, I'm getting ready like this guy.

Fear and excitement

2011-06-13T11:31:00.003-04:00

There is two threads on this discussion!

First, my daughter (who will be 7 this week!) had a birthday party yesterday at Camp Fortune's Aerial Park - a place full of obstacles and such in the trees of Gatineau Park. She was so excited and loved getting the harness on and learning to use the equipment. Then she face the first ladder, made of logs and cables and went up about 10' to the first platform. That is when the tears welled up. She cried and cried and wanted help, but on the kids course you cannot go with them. With coaching and support, she crossed the first obstacle handling her climbing gear properly. The second obstacle was tougher, having to crawl through "barrels" suspended 10' again. That took some work, and I was starting to think she would dehydrate from all the tear loss. She got across though, and strapped herself to the next platform as she waited for the little guy ahead of her. She said she was so scared, but said she didn't want to stop! We helped to calm her down and give her tips for the next obstacle - a tightrope with a wiggly guide wire. This was the toughest for her, and she was really freaking out at the midpoint. We had to be a bit more stern to calm her down, but she realized that she was already half way across, and she couldn't get help until she was on a platform. All of a sudden, she just "ponied up" and zoomed across. All of her friends had completed the course by now, and came back to cheer her on and that helped things too. Then onto the 4th obstacle where she started to smile as she crossed! The next obstacle was suddenly a breeze for her! She had broken through her fear and believed in herself! I had tears in my eyes at this point, and she readied her equipment for the final two stages, both ziplines. She zoomed along through the trees smiling, and even remembered the proper breaking technique! Such proud parents! We only hope she can appreciate just how significant her actions were!

And of course, she now wants to go back and do the other kids courses there! I need to learn some HTFU from her!

Now it's my turn.

Well, almost, but I am really really hoping thus pans out. Last week WTC announced Ironman Mont Tremblant for 2012. That's close to me, about 2.5hrs away by car. I thought about what it would take to get there, the costs, and anything else that it may take...all of which was quickly doused by my loving wife (aka my drill sergeant). Texted my buddy Scott about the race and he was all over it, probably reliving his 2003 race in Kona. A few discussions later, and my mind is made up - I am signing up for IMMT! My first shot at an Ironman race!

Now what scares me is not the race or the race prep, but my ability to get a spot for 2012. Ottawa has a tonne of triathletes, and the surrounding areas are exactly the same. And with Montreal being two hours from Mont Tremblant, there will be athletes from there vying for the inaugural race too. I just keep hoping and preying this works out, and I can't wait for the registration to open!

Kudos to my daughter! And if I get a spot at IMMT, kudos to me too!

Wish me luck!

Will this be me in a few months?

2011-06-09T12:42:00.000-04:00

Something big coming my way!

Rider down

2011-06-06T12:17:00.002-04:00

Thankfully, it wasn't me, but perhaps 10min earlier it could have been. I was biking to work today along a smooth, well-marked stretch of quiet road when I came across the broken bike and the bloodied body of someone enjoying the beautiful morning. Thankfully there were some people caring for him and the paramedics were almost there when I passed by. He was conscious, but certainly hurt, perhaps with a broken nose.

My guess is that the rider was heading down the small hill when the vehicle involved drove into the bike lane to pass cars turning left, temporarily blocking their way. That move left the cyclist to plow into the back of the car, breaking off the fork and front wheel. Thankfully, he was wearing a helmet.

Please be careful out there folks. In a car, on a bike, or even just running along, remember that we all have families and friends to get home to.

Post-marathon - Getting started again

2011-06-02T22:17:00.002-04:00

Monday - Could barely walk. Felt like an old man who lost his walker the entire day. Getting on and off the bus was a challenge. I'm sure I looked the sight.

Tuesday - Much, much better. Walking normally and climbing stairs, but going down stairs makes it feel like my quads are going to split in half. Eating everything in sight.

Wednesday - Almost back to normal. Getting jittery with energy and want to get back to some form of activity again. Test that theory out with an easy spin on the trainer - last 30min. The plus side - I was breathing through my nose the entire time. Aerobic base in good shape!

Thursday - Was going to run at lunch today, but decided to give it one more day. Skipped tonight's swim too, which I'm feeling rather guilty of. Thankfully work is absolutely insane so I have a "good" excuse. But I must still be tired, because I'm sleeping like a rock at night...and on the bus commute.

What's next? Not sure, but here's a good estimate.

Friday - Forcing myself out the door at lunch for a short 20-30min easy run. Work is busy and all, but I don't want to lose much of what I gained with this whole marathon bit. Was tempted to ride to work, but given I had a hard time with 30min last night, 2hrs of riding on the road probably isn't the best decision just yet.

Sunday - Hoping to get out for a short-ish 1hr ride or so with a buddy. Try to get out in the morning before all the family stuff so the day's still free. And if I'm lucky, I'll finally get my Felt off the trainer.

Next week - It's back to the pool, and back to bike commuting. Time to start working back to 2 swims, 2-3 bikes, and 2-3 runs per week. Oh yeah, and I'll be anxiously awaiting the announcement of a new Ironman race in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, for 2012.

July 1 (Canada Day) - Definitely participating this year. I'll do either 5k or 10k, with my daughter doing the Kids 1k, and we'll all be cheering Scott for his return to the races.

July ?? - Is the half-iron in Carleton Place a possibility this year? Better start counting the weeks on the calendar!

Race report - National Capital Marathon 2011

2011-05-30T08:27:00.002-04:00

Time: 4h55

Splits:

10k: 1:00:55

21.1k: 2:13:39

30k: 3:19:12

I did it! I may have been 30min slower than I had hoped, but given the journey of the day, I am so proud of myself. I never, ever gave up - against all the demons that were screaming at me to just quit. Today, I won.

The day started early at 4:30 for me. I didn't want to be rushed at all, so I took my time with breakfast and getting ready. One last check of the forecast before heading out showed that it had changed - the heat was going to stay away. The humidity was in full force though, right at 100% all day long. It kept things cool, but heavy.

I got a great parking spot downtown and headed just a couple of blocks to the starting corrals. I gently loosened up and got organized at the back of my corral to better ensure I didn't start too hard. The battery in my HRM died out just two days before this race, so I was "running blind" - Chuckie V would be so proud. :). And before I knew it we were off, heading along a new route that ended up being absolutely amazing! They managed to take the runners through so many of Ottawa's great scenic points that I truly believe this marathon has become a destination race. It was a fantastic route and I don't know how they could improve upon it.

Things started out rather well for me. My 10k and 21.1k splits were what I had planned (roughly 1h05 and 2h15) but the wheels started to come off around 26 or 27k. I had been so concerned with my heart and cardio that my strength suffered and this was the point where it showed up. My quads and hips were done, and I had to change my strategy to have walk breaks. This was the rest of my race, with quads burning more, hamstrings getting tight, knees getting sore, feet burning.

At about 29k I was fighting voices in my head. There were so many opportunities to quit, and even more times when I severely wanted to quit. But stuck somewhere in those voices was one tiny voice saying "don't give up you've got this". Somehow that little voice kept me going. I thought of my wife and daughter and how I wanted them to be proud of me, and how I knew they were worrying about me. I though of my buddy Scott and how he did this run in Kona in the lava fields. I though of the wheelchair marathoner I met up with after 10mi as he forced himself up the bridge from Gatineau back to Ottawa - in a regular, non-racing chair. I remembered the 18wks I put in for training. I remembered Blazeman and his he conquered Kona with ALS. I knew I would cross that line, even if I was crawling, even if it took all day.

Near the 30k mark there were a lot of us walking. We had been rained on for nearly 3hrs at this point and we were wearing thin. I ended up walking beside a younger guy who looked how I felt and something in me managed to say "Hey buddy, I bet we can run through that 30k marker - let's do it!" and with smiles on our faces we did it, chatting on the way. I had hoped to see him at the finish, but never did. But I am sure he made it too.

Past 30k we headed back into the Byward Market and downtown area again, and merged up with the half-marathoners at the Rideau Canal. There were so many people lining that route it was amazing. Such a great turnout on such a rainy day, and it helped me forget the discomfort I had at this point with 10.2km to go. 1k later, as the half marathoners split off to head back is where I took the biggest mental hit. I wanted to quit. I wanted to head back and hear the crowds cheer me across the line. In didn't want to do the next 9k at all.

It was very odd, that last 9k. I had run that stretch along the Rideau Canal countless times - my office is just a couple blocks away. I could run that blind. But with 33k in the bag, dead hips and quads, and a hamstring that just wouldn't loosen up, this was totally different. I could barely imagine running the next 9k like this. I wanted to stop. I wanted to give it all up. But that voice in my head persevered, as did one more. "They can't stop us - we just keep moving" said the older gentleman that came up beside me. "You're right," I said, "I will walk across that line if I need to".

5k later I'm headed back towards the finish, and now my back and shoulder were threatening cramps and spasms. I was properly fed and hydrated the whole time so I knew this was just fatigue acting here. I had figured out an "effective" shuffle that was keeping me going, and the walking breaks were getting shorter (which was good since it took a LOT to get moving when I stopped). Before I knew it the 40k banner was in sight and to make it memorable I ran through it.

Then that little voice in my head got louder. "I can make it to the finish - I can". I grit my teeth, focused on the road, and shuffled. I heard the people cheering, clapping and calling my name. I felt my legs rigidly move under me, and the incline of the road (which is slight) increase as if it were a cliff, but I shuffled along ignoring what I was feeling in my legs and hips. I ran around those walking and resting, and I just kept shuffling. Then the 1000m sign popped up, and I swore to myself I wouldn't look for anything but the finish line. More people cheering and calling my name, more gritting of teeth and more digging - deeper than I ever had, than I ever thought I could.

And finally, with a tear in the eye, I crossed the line.

I got my medal (which is AWESOME) and a bottle of water which I promptly dropped. I think it took me 3min to pick it back up. :)

Thus was tough, and I have a new-found respect for marathoners and those who have completed iron distance races. I've learned a lot about this distance, and about myself, and I look forward to learning more. But for now, I'm happy to recover, celebrate with my family, and revel in the fact I did something as big as a marathon without giving up.

And to figure out what comes next this season.

Exactly what I needed to see

2011-05-27T09:11:00.002-04:00

The forecast for this weekend's races in Ottawa is supposed to be hot - possibly the hottest ever in the history of the event. I was hoping for cooler temps, but I'll just have to adapt won't I?

And then I saw this - a recap of Ironman St. George. This is a race that many people are saying is tougher than Kona. Just the inspiration I need, and just in time.

The home stretch

2011-05-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

This is the final week before the marathon! I can't believe that 18wks have passed already and that June is just around the corner.

This has been quite the experience for me. With the run being my weakness (well, the weakest weakness) I have improved but to what degree I don't yet know. Even now in the last part of the taper I feel heavy, more than I would like to at this point of the game. But it is too late now to make adjustments, so I am going in with a plan and one simple goal - successfully cross the finish line and be proud doing so.

I am usually hard on myself for pretty much everything, and I am sure that this run will be no different. I need to remember though where I was before I took this on. I have since run successfully to 29km on trails, have run the half marathon distance countless times with no issues or pain, and have worked a lot on base intensity (something I rarely do). And now I am in the position of doing a marathon. All it takes is one look at the marathon route to appreciate just what a marathon is.

Still a few days out and I am already wondering what is next. My good buddy Scott is back doing his first race in 5yrs on Canada Day so I am definitely doing that. The Smiths Falls tri is in June and I always like that one for some reason - we'll see if that gets in this year. Much the same for the half iron in July - need to get a good race out of that one still. Beyond that I am not sure, but I certainly have my choice of a tonne of other events here in Ottawa.

But most definitely I am riding my Felt...and just riding in general. The marathon plan has little room for riding, and I am missing my bikes dearly! Bring on the sun!

We are getting close

2011-05-20T08:06:00.001-04:00

Just a little over a week now until the marathon. I am in the middle of the taper and I am trying to stick with it. So far I feel like I am beyond the point of no return - it doesn't matter if I am not ready 'cuz there is not enough time to adjust now. But to be completely honest I believe that I will get this done successfully, with the only question being the final time and I really don't care much about that. While it would be amazing to knock out a sub-4 run, my only goal is to finish with a smile on my face.

There are those old voices of "what if" and worry, and I know that I am not alone in that. Events that are this size last long enough for The Fates to come out and play, and lots can go wrong. The other big worry centers around my heart, which still waits to see the cardiologist for interpretation of my test results. Things have been good with the ticker for some time now, but it was like that before too.

But I am still going to do this run, and in doing so I will follow the plan that has worked so far. HR at 150, gel and fluids every 25-30min, and a pace near 6min/km. Hat, sunscreen, and my favorite, most comfortable clothes. A bottle or two of Recoverite waiting at the finish, a protein bar, and a few days of good stretching to follow that.

I know that my family is worried about me doing this race and I want them to know that I will not take any of this for granted, nor will I risk my health for a simple medal - my ego won't take over. I have too much to come home to and that means more to me than any sport or challenge ever could. I will gladly throw this race away to stay safe and healthy. You guys are my team. And it is your support, love and encouragement that helped me get to this point. Thank you.

That reminds me. I used to believe that running and triathlon were individual sports - they are classified that way, aren't they? Well I can tell you that is not the case at all. You may be out there on the road all alone, but you have a team with you all day long that helps you get there - spouse, daughter, parents, friends, coworkers and many others that share your life. They are the unsung heroes that help you get to the races, get the long sessions in, and help you through it all. Don't forget to thank them regularly, and don't take them for granted.

Potpourri where have you gone?

2011-05-16T22:23:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time since I've done a potpourri post. And tonight is a great time for it, since I don't really have a lot to say and there's not a hell of a lot new. So, here goes!

The first ever Leadman Tri 250 was held last weekend, and not only is it epic, but it's epic that kick-ass Canadian Angela Naeth won the women's race AND was second overall. Now that's inspiring. You know it's tough when Troy Jacobsen is on the bike for over 7hrs!
I got out today for my long run that was supposed to be yesterday. The wind and rain was strong, and I had an extra 10lbs on my back thanks to a backpack full of snacks and a change of clothes. I didn't get the 90min scheduled, but I did get 75. I'm thinking that the added weight and conditions has be worth another 2min for sure. ;)
The taper has me feeling tired and tight. Need to ensure I eat lean foods and stretch all the way through to next week's marathon.
Painting ceilings and walls is, apparently, a great workout for the hips. Mine are really tired from that! But the room looks fantastic - just needs a couple touchups.
The plan says that tomorrow is a rest day. What will I do with all my spare time? :D
I got a new TV for my workout room. It's old, and the image is fuzzy, but it's a 27in that can accept a DVD player. Once I get that, those Spinervals DVDs will be much clearer - I've been doing them on a 7" portable player.
My Felt S22 TT bike is still on the trainer, still has the trainer tire on it, and has yet to see the light of day this year. When the marathon is done, I can't wait to ride it on a beautiful sunny day!
My daughter has a VERY wiggly tooth, and it's become a bit troublesome. It's causing a great deal of discomfort during eating...unless it's something that's almost microscopic in size. I'm tempted to just grab hold and yank it out. :D

At the limit...maybe

2011-05-14T12:06:00.002-04:00

This week has felt a lot tougher than I expected. It was supposed to be the start of the taper but getting nice weather and having a bike at the ready I biked to work a couple of times, and give it my all in the swim (damned butterfly stroke), and still push some of the runs. Ok, so I delayed the taper a bit. The next two weeks will be taper - for sure. Right now I feel like anything could go - an injury, a cold, a muscle pull - I almost feel fragile right now. So odd.

I've never reached this level of fatigue before, even in training for my previous half-iron tris (which indicates that I need to work harder on the tri training). I feel it all day, every day. And after yesterday's base run which felt so damned hard, I've felt sick ever since. What gets me is that during this run my HR was low - below 80%max the entire time - so I certainly didn't overexert myself...at least from a cardiovascular standpoint. Maybe I'm just that fatigued in the legs...dunno yet.

I do hope that all this just goes away through the taper. Right now I can't imagine running a marathon given how I feel. Things are just worn down and form is close to being lost. Just have to trust the plan...trust the plan....

Tomorrow is a 90min fartlek run, and I'm rather interested in seeing how that pans out. I'm doing nothing but rest today to prepare...although I did start to prep for painting the living room (I've had enough of that damned red color) so my level of rest might be "compromised" but it will be so worth it.

I forgot what tapers feel like

2011-05-11T12:34:00.003-04:00

There's less than three weeks until the National Capital Marathon, and this week is the start of the taper for the race. While I've backed off some of the run volume this week, I've kept up the activity by biking and swimming this week too - since my training plan was off by one week, I want to keep just a wee bit more load in the legs heading into this taper.

Now I don't know about other people, but when I taper, I get tired. Really tired. I find that it's easier to get up and head out during the build phase. Once I start to back off, it seems like my body wants to switch 100% to recovery mode and I feel like I'm heavy, sluggish and slow 24hrs a day. Don't know if that's how it's supposed to feel, but it's gotta be good if my body's trying to recover, right? :D

I laugh at myself through this stage quite a bit. Bus rides become "quicker" when you nod off on the ride home, you fight to go to bed later than your 6yr old daughter, and you test the failure rate of the snooze button on the alarm clock (damn things are rock solid!).

But even with this fatigue settled in, I'm proud of where I am today. My aerobic base has improved a great deal, and this is something I must continue to work on. It has lead to faster tempo run times and in the two 30k rides I have done so far, they were faster too. I've been able to run nearly 30km on trails, and avoid the previously nagging pain in my right foot when I run any "reasonable" distance. I had to give up focus on the bike and swim, but I still somewhat incorporated them as cross-training for this marathon - I'm sure that has all helped with my overall fitness as well.

I'm still nervous about this race, but I'm really looking forward to doing it as well. I'm not "racing" it per se, since my only real goal is to finish this run the best that I can. And even if things don't go well, I'm further ahead than I was this time last year, thanks to the 15wks of training invested in this.

And even if things go wrong, even really wrong, it's still a journey. I've yet to DNF, although I've come close in a half-iron tri a couple years back. I will finish this run in one form or another. It will build more than character - it'll build me.

Now to prep for a 1pm meeting. Need a couple of Red Bulls to keep awake. Wish me luck. :D

Death in Giro d'Italia, Stage 3

2011-05-11T09:03:00.002-04:00

Sad, sad, sad. Now I'm not a big cycling watcher, but this news is terrible. I haven't seen the video of the crash, and I'm not sure I want to. My thoughts go to his family, friends, fans and his team.

First ride...last ride

2011-05-10T08:54:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was my first outdoor ride of the year - twice. It was a wonderful commute to downtown Ottawa with clear skies, a light cool breeze, and very patient and accommodating drivers on the road. I road my Ridley Crossbow with pride, taking my time and enjoying the morning. Everything felt smooth and solid on the bike - that bike has been such an amazing workhorse for me. I bought it second-hand off eBay about 6 or 7 years ago (maybe even more) and I've had nothing but huge success with it.

What's even older is my helmet: a Louis Garneau "Oz-zy" model that I love for the fit, the venting, and the super fun bat-shaped cutout on the back to "honor" another Ozzy. I still remember laughing when I discovered that little gem! Thankfully I never needed to use it, but it was always there with me on commutes, rides and races. Unfortunately, though, it is starting to show its age now, with some of the padding coming off and other parts starting to separate. It's time to retire this helmet - yesterday was it's final ride.

Which left me with one nagging question - how often should this type of equipment be replaced? I did find one reference from an actual helmet manufacturer that says every 8 years or so, as long as you haven't crashed in it or dropped it hard. Lots of other places say to replace it when it (a) is so stinky it rides without you, and (b) when the fashion police continually chase you on your rides.

Ok, I've got another nagging question - what will my new helmet be? Aw shucks, I just have to go to my favorite store...again...oh darn. ;)

The bar has been set higher

2011-05-02T20:57:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I headed for my longest run of the training plan...and my longest run I've ever done EVER - 3hrs and 28km on trails. I've never run 3hrs, and I've never run 28km. And I sure as hell haven't done either of them on trails.

I ran on the West Carleton Trail, an old rail bed that is a recreational trail. It is a great little trail that goes quite a ways out, probably about 30km. I certainly didn't cover all that, but went a bit less than half way. The whole thing goes through farmers fields, marshland, wetlands, and it was rather busy too. Lots of great scenery and sounds. I just picked the top of each rolling hill, checked my HR, and trudged up.

The run went well, and I ended up pretty sore and tight at the end of it. I felt tight in spots right from the start, too, so I really need to work on that. And I ran out of gel and sport drink at about 2h30, and to make it worse, the total calories I had with me wasn't enough. 1.25L of liquid and 6 gels wasn't enough which was a bit of a shock.

As usual, there's more lessons to learn: stretching (yoga's gotta start up here too), more calories, watch the form especially when fatigued. Mini-goals on the way to the main goal.

The next big run comes in four weeks - the marathon.

Yeah, 4 weeks. I say this because my training plan shows that there are *3* weeks left. Yeah, I miscounted. I took 2 math classes every year of my university career - you'd think I'd get that right. :D

Crazy weather

2011-04-28T16:56:00.001-04:00

Not as crazy as all the tornados down south, but crazy enough. The last few days in Ottawa have been a coon toss with respect to the weather. You just don't know what is coming during the day. Today was another example of that.

This morning we had a warm, light rain. I was fine with this - in fact I like running in a gentle rain. But by the time I got to work it was sunny and windy. No problem! Then at lunch I was about to get ready for a run when I was briefly stopped by a coworker with a question. When that question was answered the light rain had turned into a full onslaught of wind and rain. It was unbelievable. From my office on the 9th floor you could barely see the street below. The winds sounded brutal, and a check on the weather showed wind gusts up near 100kph! I promptly decided I would not run in that and ate lunch instead. About 30min the rain stopped and the sun popped put again. Seriously?!?

Now I am on the bus and it is a calm warm cloudy day out. Hopefully the nasty wind is done for the day. My wife called me this afternoon and said that trees and fences are blown down in my neighborhood and shingles were scattered on my yard. Hopefully those are not from my house but I am interested to see what happened. The house is still new to us so I am a bit nervous as to what I will find.

But you know, I believe more and more that things happen for a reason. The weather "prevented" a run today, but I think I pulled a hamstring on Tuesday or Wednesday so some extra rest was probably a good thing. I am back in the pool tonight which will hopefully loosen things up. Tomorrow's forecast looks great, so the run will definitely happen.

I am hoping that the weather becomes more stable soon, especially for those dealing with the tornados. Fingers crossed.

Getting back on the wagon

2011-04-27T17:35:00.001-04:00

So far so good this week. After last week's easy going and realizing that the marathon is only four weeks away, I know that I have to stick the last few weeks of this training plan. I am quite optimistic for this race, but still cautiously so.

Monday's run went well, but my intensity was too high. I am trying to keep my steady runs at or near maximal aerobic function which for me is at about 140bpm. Did my best but was well over that.

Yesterday I had a lunch meeting so my workout of the day became the swim and for a change, it was mostly freestyle with no butterfly. It was a tough one, and after missing all last week, I was careful to not muscle my way through. I remember reading "drag trumps power in the pool" so form was my number one priority. I stuck it well, and could feel the form weaken as I got tired. I didn't expect to dominate the lane, but did the intensities for me alone to keep the workout valuable. The majority of the workout was repeats of build-to-fast adjacent to fast sets, each of 100m in length. It worked you hard, logic the intensity up for 100m then holding that pace for another 100. Tough stuff that made you work for form, because you worked even harder otherwise. Lots of breaststroke kick too, which had a jello effect on my legs by the end of the night.

That jello-ness stuck for today's run. Again my HR was higher than the 140 I wanted but not by as much. And frankly I didn't care - the day was absolutely beautiful. It was a pleasure to be out in shorts and t-shirt today, and everyone else was enjoying it too. The pathway was much busier than usual with runners, walkers and the like. I did the prescribed 45min today, stretched well, and headed back to the office.

Tomorrow the plan is to get the near-hour base run in, and hit the pool again in the evening. That will probably consist of a pile of butterfly which I am not looking forward to. Ah well, I will suck it up as best as I can.

And speaking of swimming, I am really thinking of not doing masters next year. It is a fair bit of cash, and I don't go all 3x through the week. And while swimming all four strokes is cool and all, I would rather just focus on prepping for tris. I miss just hopping in the pool and doing a workout that makes my tri swim better, and "just swimming" the long sets. I may just swim at city or university pools - passes there are much cheaper. But that is far away right now. Deal with it later.

What a weekend!

2011-04-25T16:05:00.002-04:00

The week - busy. Easter weekend - even busier! But it was a great one.

There wasn't much running or anything last week - just one run, now that I look back at it - but that's okay. I was feeling very, very tired mentally and physically and I didn't mind grabbing more rest and recovery. It gave me a chance to work on my taxes, hang out with the family, and work on stuff around the house. Yup, it's Spring time.

Good Friday was the start of "bigger" work. I got up, played a bit with my daughter, and then finished painting her play area - trim and door frames remained from the week before. The end result looks great, I must say. After lunch, it was time to get outside and enjoy some of the (sporadic) great weather. We got into the backyard, which was not my plan, and I had a few things pop into my head. The end result was my removing of perhaps the largest patio blocks I've seen yet (over 2' square, and 80ish lbs each), and a chunk of "fence" that closed off part of the yard to the dog that used to live here. I wanted it gone because it was built in a very crappy manner, and I didn't want anyone hurt on it. But it turns out that it was installed in the ground even worse - the post holes were about 16" deep and only a wee bit of concrete was used. I literally lifted them out of the ground! After all that there was backfilling from the holes, grading of the area, repositioning of the patio blocks, moving of the storage "shed" onto the blocks, and reseeding of the back lawn. It felt great to get that all done. And my back, legs and hips felt tight, sore and achy! Not used to manual labor!

Saturday my wife had to work (sadly), so my daughter and I did a bunch of errands, met up with mom for lunch, and then "chillaxed" for the afternoon. We were all still tired from the active Friday. And I had a sneaking suspicion that my daughter would be up early on Easter Sunday, so we needed to bank some rest through the day.

And I guessed right. Unlike most mornings where my daughter will wake about 6.30am, she declared that she was no longer tired at 5:45am on Sunday morning. The mean father I am, I made her rest until 6.30 'cause I knew she needed it. (Meany.) When 6.30 came, my wife and I hear the very fast soft thump-thump-thump-thump of a little girl's feet running with shear excitement. "He-came-he-came-he-was-here-he-was-here!!!" And then she was off again, trying to find what E.B. left for her. :D It was hilarious to see the sheer excitement in her - always special moments.

After all the items were found, I made a great breakfast for us all (it is VERY rare for all three of us to have breakfast together), and then we got dressed and headed out for more sunshine on another great day. We took the last bits of niger seed and headed to Sarsparilla Trail to feed the chickadees. My daughter LOVES doing that, and we were treated to many of them and their friends. Chickadees, cardinals, blue jays and woodpeckers were abundant, and all are rather used to people so we could get close to them all. A pair of geese at the lookout were also very interested in us...well, at least in the bread they wished we had.

We enjoyed that trail so much we hit two more that were right near by - Stony Swamp and the Chipmunk trails also in the Greenbelt. We saw so much wildlife and wilderness it was fantastic, and we enjoyed it so much. Our quick trip to feed the birds turned into a +3hr excursion! We ended up thirsty, hungry, tired and in my case a bit dirty (I need some rubber boots for next time). So we finished the day off with some nice steaks done on the bbq.

So much great quality time with the family, the entire weekend was a treasure. Looking forward to the next weekend like that.

Today I got back on the bandwagon again and headed out early this morning for a 10k run. Couldn't understand why I was so tired and winded for the whole run! I struggled the whole time, and just kept moving knowing that the marathon won't feel any better. With only about 10min left, I suddenly remembered the trails yesterday, which explained a lot. And at about the same time, all the steak and beef jerky I ate was remembered thanks to my GI tract. It was a good thing I was close to home! Better figure that issue out before race day!

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend, and thanks for reading.

Longest run to date

2011-04-18T15:43:00.002-04:00

I did it! I actually did it! In fact, I more than did it. Here's the gist.

I got myself ready at 6am on Sunday with my Camelbak full of Gatorade, a full flask of Hammer Gel (espresso flavor), and a packet of banana Hammer Gel to try out (not bad...). I decided that this time I'd take more fuel, and eat/drink every 30min and see how things went. I was also very focused on HR, making sure that I stayed right around 80%max for as much of the run as possible. At 6.30am I headed out into the cool, rainy morning.

I wore an UnderArmor cold gear long sleeve with my cycling vest which worked perfectly. Even when I got caught in rain and snow, I was still rather comfortable. That was a great start - I knew the weather could get tougher based on the forecast, and the last thing I wanted was to be uncomfortable and cold for 2.5hrs.

The city was nice and quiet, and the air was humid from a light rain - so light it was almost foggy. I meandered through my neighborhood, headed north past some new developments in Kanata, and then decided I'd head past my old workplace of nearly 10yrs. To get there, I had to go through an older neighborhood in Kanata which is rather pretty with old growth trees and many streets lined with tall cedar trees.

I was almost half way through the neighborhood, enjoying the quiet and damp morning when the Noise of Satan occurred. As soon as it happened, this Mighty Ball of Furry Fury literally FLEW out of the row of cedar trees I was next too - and it came right at me, nearly waist height. Scared the living crap out of me - I actually screamed as the Ball of Fury nearly hit me,

then seemed to stop and hang in midair in front of me - as if I was in The Matrix! As I jumped to get out of the way, the Ball of Fury suddenly changed form - a pair of squirrels were fighting like their lives depended on it and when they saw me, they immediately tried to run in the air and get the hell back to the trees! Once I realized what the hell was going on, I started to laugh - then I immediately watched my HRM. It went up about 5% because of those little hellions!!!

Thankfully, I didn't scream like a little girl. 'Cause it was close. :D

That little "event" kept me laughing for a long time after, and that carried me to my old workplace. I used to run there all the time during lunch, and while I reminised about old times, I remembered that fateful day when I was laid off and all the worry and stress from that. I spent nearly 10yrs there, and I was left wondering "was it really worth it?" I'll never know, but I certainly faired well after leaving that place. After a few more minutes of thoughts like that, I dismissed it all as easily as they dismissed me so long ago, and I made the turn for home.

That's when the wind really picked up, and the rain/snow mix started. With about 1hr left in the run, it was going to be a tough bit to fight that wind. I found out later it was gusting to 55kph, and it sure was a tough one. Surprisingly my HR never went up above 83% even through that. I was getting a bit sore in some muscles, but I just kept my pace and managed my hydration and nutrition to keep moving. And on and on I went.

Getting close to home I realized that I may have gone a bit too far, and that my 2h30 would end well before I got home. Turned out I was right - I was off by a long shot. But as that magical mark approached, I checked my gel/drink intake, did a mental "once-over" of how I was feeling, and just kept on moving.

I had found early on a nice, efficient stride that I had held for the full 2h30, and I just trusted it to keep me moving. And it certainly did, for an extra 10min and nearly 2k more. I ended the run in 2h40, covering 26.2km. Both of those measurements are big for me, as they mark the longest run I have ever done so far in my life. WOOT!

Even better, I could have kept going. I honestly felt that I could have gone right through to 3hrs with relative ease. The stride was feeling good, and I had perhaps just enough fuel to get through it. But I decided to save it for another day and get home. I celebrated with a good stretching session and a packet of Hammer Recoverite.

That Recoverite sure felt great too. I must say I felt great for the rest of the day after having that. I will DEFINITELY be getting more of that for the rest of my big workouts this season.

I'm completely pumped by this run. It provided a major boost for my confidence, and I got through some nutrition hurdles too. In 2wks time I get one more big run before the marathon - a 3hr+ run. And then a few weeks after that is the marathon, hopefully with an equally successful result.

On track for my longest run ever

2011-04-16T12:12:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow's run according to the training plan is 2h30. I have never ever run that long before. If all goes well, I expect that this will lead to 25-26km for me, which is also the longest I've run in one shot from a distance standpoint. This is pretty exciting for me...and still intimidating. My confidence needs work just as much as my running does.

Friday I was feeling tired (still am today too) but I ran 45min at a solid 80% maxHR and things felt fine. I think that I need to keep my HR right around this range for tomorrow's run to be successful. I am still timid with my HR (still waiting for the cardiologist appointment), and I need to nail down the hydration and nutrition strategy. God I worry too much.

I started the run planning today by taking my daughter to Bushtukah - in her words " again?!?" I was looking for a Fuel Belt Helium belt, but they didn't have any other than a not-so-manly pink. I decided that I'd find my Camelbak (NOT pink :D ) and fill it with HEED and strap a gel flask to it and try that (might actually try to save some money for a change). I also picked up a single pack of Banana HammerGel to try, a single pack of Hammer Whey and Hammer Recoverite for after the run. One thing I think I am susceptible to is not refueling properly after workouts, so I'll see if these products make me feel better after this run.

I also need to figure out just where the hell I'm going to run. I've had some GI "concerns" this week and I don't want to be stuck somewhere with no outcard. It's going to be cold, windy and wet in the morning as well, with the days feeling more like winter than spring lately. I'm probably worrying too much about this...no, I know I am. Sheesh!

The more I think (a problem for me!) about this, the more I realize that deep deep down I'm filled with doubt on all this. The voices inside are louder in saying I can't do it than those voices that say I can. I've spent so many years trying to push my physical limits, and recently I realize that I'm no where close because of the strict limitations of my mind, and how they hold me back all the time. This is about so much more than just 42.2km.

But for now, I need to just focus on the next 25km. Pace, intensity, hydration, nutrition, and putting one foot in front of the other. As for thinking, I'll have 2.5hrs to do that tomorrow.

My shot at a Friday funny

2011-04-15T09:34:00.002-04:00

It's funny 'cause it's true.

Good spin, bad sleep

2011-04-14T12:16:00.002-04:00

Yesterday's thoughts of biking to work fell apart (I wimped out because of the rain, quite frankly) so I hopped on the trainer last night and did Aero Base Builder III with good ol' Coach Troy. I didn't have my HRM with me, so I went on perceived exertion, and followed along as best as I could.

The whole thing felt really good. I'm not used to being on the aerobars any more, and I might need to adjust them a bit too, but I did stay down on them the whole time. Tuesday night's breaststroke and butterfly work in the pool did a number on my legs and I was still feeling it on the bike. I focused hard on keeping nice smooth circles on the crank to make it worth my while, and hopefully loosen up things a bit.

I did a good bit of stretching, had a shower, and went to bed a bit later than usual. I was looking forward to getting some solid rest.

But I couldn't settle down. My mind was alive with thoughts of anything but sleep. I decided to move to the spare room and save my wife the trouble of dealing with a Mexican jumping bean all night long. The rest of the night was a mix of my legs and arms cramping up randomly, and my daughter fighting demons in her sleep (poor kid). My sinuses decided to fill up, my throat got sore, and before I knew it the alarm was going off.

I was doing alright this morning until about half way through to noon, where the drudgery of office life made me feel just how tired I am. Wow - I don't know how young kids do it. In university, a few hours sleep was a piece of cake, but now I feel like I got run over by a Mack truck. Yes, I turn 40 this year, and it feels like it too. :D

Still moving forward...even in the pool

2011-04-13T09:31:00.002-04:00

Things seem so busy lately, which is why I've been absent here. No matter - I'm still around.

Last weekend was the first really nice weekend we had here in Ottawa, and I celebrated it by skipping the long run and focusing on the three B's of spring - Beer and BBQ. We cleaned the yard, cleaned the bbq and replaced some parts on it, set up the swingset again (it was still dismantled from the move) and got some big ass steaks from Costco. Friends came over, kids played, and we ate far too much beef. Good times.

Yesterday was my return to the training plan, with 10k in mind. I had to cut it 1k short, though, due to GI "concerns" I had, and I needed to make sure that I had an out-card just in case. It was still a good run, though, even if it felt harder than it should have (must still have some steaks in me). The weather was great, and I was really happy to get out. I am wondering, however, if the body is getting worn down harder with the marathon training now. The runs have felt harder lately, and my body is tired a lot more. I might be approaching that "fatigue well" they talk about.... But I'd better get over it, 'cause I've got a lot of running left this week, including a 2.5hr long run.

Slowtwitch had a great video yesterday on how to pull underwater for the swim. It was a great video that helped me understand how to improve my performance from a different perspective. As they say in the video: "In the pool, drag trumps power." They also said it applies to all strokes, so I gave it a shot.

Those tips helped me out a lot, and it was nice with all the drill work we did that I could really focus on them. Free, back and breaststroke were all improved and the level of effort was decreased thanks to the drop in drag. I must keep this form change in mind for the rest of my swims.

Now for me, the same tips didn't help my 'fly, but I've got other problems there. The good news there is that my fly is getting better, and I am holding more forward motion through that stroke. Baby steps...baby steps.

For today, I had to miss the run at lunch, but that's okay. I'll perhaps hop in the trainer tonight for something different. Tomorrow sees the return to the pool, and Friday's another good run. I might actually swap my Friday/Sunday runs so my 2h30 run is done Friday morning on the way to work (it's about 24ish km from home to work) so my Sunday run doesn't eat up so much of my weekend. Something to consider.

Thanks for reading.

Crazy busy at work, but I gotta post this

2011-04-12T08:59:00.002-04:00

She did it again - Chrissie Wellington spanks the IM world record...again. Congrats to her! She finished 8th overall. EIGHTH! Look out gents. If you're not used to getting chicked, you better start.

Not used to hard efforts now

2011-04-07T22:47:00.003-04:00

I've been doing my very best to follow the marathon training plan closely, especially when it comes to intensity. And as you'd expect, most of the intensity is rather low, and has been for a while now.

Last Sunday's run was the start of what is turning into a tough week. That run was scheduled to be a half-marathon race. Given that the week before I pulled a 2h05ish time for that distance, I thought I'd just have a "reasonable" pace for 2hrs and call it even. But not wanting to do the same route again, I chose to do trails near my house for a change of scenery. Those trails were made up of long, drawn out hills that sapped me and left me with an HR that was typically at or about 85% for the full run. After that, I decided to pay close attention to my HR again during my training runs and make sure I wasn't falling into the "junk mile" territory like I usually do.

I was strict on my shorter run on Tuesday, following the intensity guidelines to a 'T'. Wednesday was a bit different though. I was unable to do the run intervals, so I did bike intervals to "make it up." I pulled out Spinervals 9.0 - it's titled "Have Mercy" - and did 30min of kick-yer-ass-hard intervals. I wanted to give 'er to make up for the run, and I sure did. After those 30min, I could barely climb the stairs, and I felt crappy after (still do).

Today that continued. The plan called for a rest day, but I decided to get to the swim tonight since I missed it on Tuesday. The warmup was 4 x 200 all strokes - an indicator that we'd have our asses handed to us again. 12 x 50 mixed strokes with fins was next, and each 50 was prefixed with a 10sec flutter kick with arms out of the water (aka tough). Then it was swim/IM sets. I did my best all the way through, and it kicked my ass. Adding to the fatigue was the fact that I just couldn't get my timing in butterfly today, so I worked 2x as hard on that stroke all night.

One thing that has stuck all week is that the harder intensities leave me feeling "head-y" and my HR has been quick to jump up high too. Am I overtraining? Am I holding intensities too high for too long? Is this just an off week? Am I catching a cold or something? Is this normal fatigue for the point I'm at in training?

Too many questions again, and no answers yet. For an engineer, that's torture. :D

All of this is scaring me into thinking that there's something with the heart going on that I can't detect. I know I've had a couple of "blips" in the morning after I wake up, but I haven't felt anything through the rest of the day. I've had a wee bit of vertigo on the bus commute, but it's gone away. I'm tired, but I always am (I've always wished for a couple more hours of sleep - but I think that's common).

So what does all this mean? Well, I think it's safe to say that marathon training doesn't do much for high-intensity efforts. And it doesn't do much for cycling. Or swimming. And since I don't do those as much as I used to, it's probably just naturally harder right now. But then there's the other side of thought - if I were doing an Ironman, I'd be doing all three, so just shut-up and HTFU. :D

I'm sleepy, so I will do the latter for now. Hopefully this all washes away with a good sleep and warm shower. The test might be the run intervals tomorrow. Not a lot, but still tough - 6 x 75sec at 100% effort. Bring it!

Well, bring it after a good night's sleep. :D

Confidence down

2011-04-04T08:15:00.001-04:00

After last week's long run around Kanata, I was feeling pretty good about my run progression. So for this week's long run, which was 21.1k, I was confident enough to set my run route on the greenspace trails of West Ottawa. My house is just blocks from the West Carleton Trail, an old railway that has been converted into a recreational trail. It goes west out of town to Carleton Place (about 40k) and heading east it joins up with the rest of Ottawa's trails.

The morning was cool and windy, and for some reason my HR was high right off the bat. I had a hard time settling it down, and just decided to enjoy the run and not worry about it. By the time I got to the trail it had come down...just in time for the first hill. This hill isn't steep, but it is long, and I forgot all about it. I just focused on form and pace, and made it to the top about 12min later (yeah, it's that long). I cruised down the other side and ended up in the neighborhood of Bells Corners about 15min later. This is where you meet up with the Ottawa trail network, and I had planned on following the trails all morning. But these trails were much more sheltered and had a tonne of ice still. I toughed it out, knowing there was a road coming up, which put me on a loop back to the old rail bed.

The hills and ice from the trails really put the boots to me, and I was cursing my high HR and dead legs. There was a lot of hurt already and I was only an hour into the run. I did a condition check, passed it, and headed back to the trail for the next iteration of that big hill. Thus was a mental fight now, and I didn't care about pace. I just had to climb that hill. I did eventually make it, and my HR was high and it stayed there. I ate more gel, leaving a bit just in case. At this point I was managing a body that was really lacking something - I just wasn't sure what.

I got off the trail and back onto pavement, and was about to head towards home when I realized I was short on time and distance. I skipped my turn and kept going through the neighborhood, trudging along. The lack of strength in my legs was so surprising, and the elevated HR wasn't helping any. With only 15min to go, I wondered if I didn't get enough breakfast, or was dehydrated, or if I needed even more gel. At this point I just wanted it over. And I wondered how I would ever get through a full marathon.

Upon getting home, I stretched a lot, and drank a lot. Tonnes of Gatorade, apple juice and water. I was probably hungry but didn't was anything to eat - just to drink. A few minutes later I started to feel much better and the whole day got easier.

So next long run, I bring sport drink. Time for a new fuel belt!

It was still a great morning, even with all my bitching. The morning on the trail was beautiful, and there was a tonne of wildlife out - blue jays, cardinals, chickidees so tame they follow you looking for handouts of seed (it is fun to feed them). I saw deer, a skunk, chipmunks and squirrels. The streams were running beneath thin sheets of ice, and the trickle of the water was very peaceful. Running at lunch along the Rideau Canal is great, but you don't see stuff like this.

The run was successful too. I didn't get the easy run I expected, but I did work on hills and tired legs, and the mental aspects of that. I remember reading a quote something like "Don't train for the race you hope to have, but train for the race you hope you never have.". That has stuck with me ever since reading that, and on Sunday I worked on that a lot. I have more guts than I realize, and I still have a lot left.

To sleep perchance to dream

2011-03-31T07:58:00.001-04:00

Well, something like that. I used to know more Shakespeare but not anymore. Still enjoy dredging up quotes when I can!

Yesterday was a rest day for me and I truly do find them the toughest. The level of endorphins is gone so nothing keeps you awake, except for the itchiness of recovering legs at night. I am on the bus right now and really wonder if I will be able to stay awake for the ride (I don't want to be "that guy" who misses his stop and droops on his briefcase).

Training is going well lately. Sunday's long run caused some hurt, but I recovered well. That run was fully aerobic for over two hours, and I can see the improvement from all the aerobic work I am doing lately. Still need to work on nutrition for the long run, especially when your gel freezes up. :).

Tuesday's sprints were fun and I felt drained heading to my evening swim...which was pure hell. It was a solid work-yer-ass-off hour with 1200m IM done with closed fists. It was nasty! But before I could smear this workout, it got me to the point of doing 3 full 25m lengths of butterfly. I have never done that, and certainly not at that level of fatigue. Sure, doing butterfly won't help my tri swims, but it was awesome to make some progress on that stroke. Overall, it was a good workout, and everyone was feeling it. Slept like a baby that night!

Today is a subtle return to running with a relatively short run at lunch. There is another swim tonight which I will do my best not to miss. More runs through to Sunday where I am to "race" a half-marathon, but I will just do the distance like last week. My wife and daughter already have that planned out for me - who needs a coach when I've got them!

Thanks for reading!

Concerns raised

2011-03-28T20:51:00.003-04:00

I pulled out the HTFU card twice this least weekend. Saturday I got up and was out the door for 5.45am for my run. I did the same on Sunday.

Saturday's run was quite challenging - 15min easy, 15min hard. I was going to get some intervals in, then I remembered some wisdom from coaches saying not to make up workouts. So I just returned to the plan and belted it out as best as I could. And I did it better than I had expected. You see, since I moved to my new home, which is in the same neighborhood as my old home, I hadn't checked to see if my routes were of a different distance now. Well, they are...almost 1km longer. It was an awesome feeling to know that I was covering more ground in the same time. It's nice to get positive feedback every so often.

Sunday's run saw me get out a bit later, but still around 6am. What really sucked about this run was the cold. It was -20C with the windchill - isn't it supposed to be Spring?!?!? I bundled up appropriately for my 2h10min run, popped a flask of Hammer Gel in my pocket, and headed out. The wind was stiff, icy, and persistent. I wore a balaclava which was perfect for adjusting with the conditions, but my hands were a bit cold...especially after heading straight into the wind for the first 55min of the run. :) I guessed at a route and it worked out perfectly, covering most of the Kanata suburb (well, the older parts of it - it's developing like crazy).

Now it may just be that I had fallen short on calories in this run (the gel eventually froze, so I couldn't eat it for the last 40min or so), but I was hurting near the end. Hamstrings were tight and sore, as were my hips. My left calf was starting to protest, as were my right quadriceps. When the run was done, I was proud of myself - I beat my best half-marathon time by doing 21.1k in roughly 2h05, and still had something left in the tank - but I was left wondering just how I'd complete another 21.1km in this condition.

I stretched big-time when this run was done - probably for about 40min (my daughter was doing it too, showing me how "easy" it was to do). :D I was tired, hungry and thirsty, and after dealing with that, I showered and got on with the day. Through the day, I realized that I've got quite a bit of time to still prepare for this distance. And knowing that I have a new best (albeit unofficial) time for 21.1k, it was done with relative ease, and I could have kept going if I "needed" to.

More good stuff came today. While I'm still sore, it's not that bad. And the soreness I have is completely muscular - there's nothing in the joints or bones. All good stuff, and all positive.

So with...9 weeks (I think) left, my head's still up, and I'm trying to keep faith in the training plan, the training, and me. I feel confident that I'll complete the distance, it's just a matter of how long it'll take me, and what shape I'll be in. And perhaps I shouldn't even care about that, and get rid of that "stress" altogether. But for now, I'll let that bit of fear drive me to help make sure I do the training. :D

But now, it's time for bed. It's going to be another big day tomorrow.

Make up

2011-03-25T21:04:00.002-04:00

Friday's like that come too often sometimes. :)

Long story made short - today's interval run will become a run tomorrow morning before the family is up. Not sure if I'll belt out the intervals, but it'll be a solid run.

And I'm not on call this week, so Sunday's long run MUST happen. I need the 2h10 to start getting used to being on my feet long again.

G'night!

So much for that lunch run...again

2011-03-24T15:52:00.002-04:00

Man, why can't I just get my butt out of bed in the morning for these runs? Tied up at work again (...still, actually). Need either a swim, or a solid spin tonight.

Looking for good training mojo!

Chugging along

2011-03-24T08:48:00.003-04:00

Not much to report (for those of you that are actually interested). Still running, still moving. Progress continues to come along.

I skipped yesterday's interval run, and didn't make it up in the evening - easily sided with supper and ice cream with my family (that always wins). Besides, I needed some comfort after dropping a wad of cash at the garage - any more big tickets and it's time to unload this car of mine. Hopefully that won't need to happen for a few more years.

That interval run will happen today, and followed by another one tomorrow as per the training plan. Squash a swim in the middle, and I'll be looking forward to my rest day on Saturday.

Well, that is until I examine my training plan and find that I don't get rest on Saturday. At least it's shorter...and a good deal shorter than Sunday's long run.

Things are still a bit achy and sore from the continued load. I have to work much harder on keeping the intensity levels where they should be, and I need to keep getting quality stretching in. And dropping 20lbs wouldn't hurt either. ;)

That's all for now. Back to work.

Two and a half...

2011-03-20T21:07:00.002-04:00

...months! That's how far the marathon is for me. And if you're wondering, I'm "bi-winning" at it so far. :D Solid training, solid efforts, and quality family time.

I got about 4.5hrs of training in this week, and I'm sore from it. I missed a couple of key runs (one being today's long fartlek run), but made up for it by suffering through Spinervals 19.0 to load the legs for longer training efforts. Let me tell you, it's been a LONG time since I've felt like that. I think the last time was my last half-iron where I lost all my calories. Seriously.

And from those efforts there's some indicators of change. Lower HRs. Stronger and longer sustained paces. Quicker recovery. Unfortunately there's also some aches in the hips, back and knees, and some cramping in the upper back. Well, there's a good, solid reason for the ouches - the lack of stretching. That's always been something I've been weak with - both in level of flexibility and actually doing it. My wife recommended (once again) that I get some yoga done. The tough part now is picking a DVD that would be a good one. If anyone can recommend one, please leave me a message!

Through all this training, I'm enjoying the "ease" with which I can be with my family. I'm getting spoiled with the "just run" training, and it may be a challenge to get back to tri training later this season. :D I've been able to help out quite a bit this week, especially with a sick daughter. And today, we picked up and took a short roadtrip to Watertown, NY to get a change of scenery. It's only 90min from here, and it's a cheap way to get away a bit. We all had fun, ate crappy (but cheap) food, and now we're home ready for some rest, and ready for the next week to start.

As for training this next week, the volumes are much lower that last week, but the intensities are also higher. Tomorrow's run will be made a bit longer to get some fatigue back in the legs, and the intervals on Tuesday and Thursday will be paired up with the return to the pool. And Sunday's long run must be hit this week - those long runs need to stick so I can build up some stamina for the real thing.

...which is only 2.5 months away. Yikes! :D

Win some, lose some

2011-03-16T12:02:00.002-04:00

The title, this time, applies to two things:

runs
sleep.

With my renewed focus, I've been working hard on getting the runs done and getting them done right according to plan. To start the flow, I got up at 4.30am on Tuesday morning and got my 1hr15 run in. I'm sure that I was asleep on my feet for the first 45min - I was rough, stiff and ended up rather achy. I only really felt good during the last 15min, just as I noticed the first bits of twilight in the eastern sky.

I tried to do the same today for my next 1h15 run, but I just couldn't do it. 4.30am came and went while I slept as if I were dead to the world. So I'm feeling pretty good this morning! And with a clear, rested head, I've got a plan to recover the run and still keep the load in the legs for tomorrow's 1hr run - "Bending Crankarms." I'll do this video tonight and feel it in tomorrow's run.

As for Friday's 1h15 run, well, we'll see where I can fit that in. We'll see what wins that morning...when morning comes. :D

My 3 R's

2011-03-11T22:15:00.002-05:00

[1] Register

Yup, I did it. I finally, nervously, registered for my first attempt at a full marathon. Deep down I want to try this, while on the surface there's doubt and nervousness. It's time to step up.

[2] Refocus

I need to get back to examining each week of training before the week happens. Need to plan my approach, pick which workouts mean the most for that week, and be like Nike - just do it. For the next few weeks, ignore the fact that the swim is suffering. Ignore that the bike is suffering. Stick to the marathon plan, beef up the run. There will be all summer and fall to ramp back up with the bike and the swim.

[3] Recommit

This training plan is not as heavy as the half-iron tri plan I've followed the two years before. So I should have no problems getting the work done. I just need to commit to doing it, and I'll need to plan each week to trend towards success on each one.

Next week is the half-way point: Week 9 of 18. Looking ahead the long runs get bigger, the volume increases, the goal gets within reach. I need to keep my eye on the prize, man-up and not let things like dark early mornings and crappy weather stop me. That stuff just feeds the weak part of my mind, and that's not who I want to be.

Time to stand up, step up, and show up.

The doctor will see you now

2011-03-07T21:41:00.003-05:00

Got to see my doctor today about the test results for my weird heart beat. ECGs, blood work, and a holter monitor - all that data came together today. Finally. I was getting tired or waiting.

ECG - good. Blood work - awesome. Cholesterol - not a concern. No thyroid issues. No kidney issues.

Aside - as an engineer, you get nervous when you see a "problem" but then you can't find it again. I was starting to feel that way here.

The holter monitor had some interesting data. Now this thing watched my heart continuously for 24hrs, recording every moment. I did not do any training during this time as the monitor was a pain in the ass. ;) But that was the only thing that I adjusted in my day - everything else was the same. For the full 24hrs, my average HR was 69. The lowest HR measured was 39. 39?!?!? That seems crazy low! But the doctor that examined the monitor didn't seem concerned with this - there was no visible, concerning arrhythmia there.

But there were some "events" that were noted. Three "rare" early atrial contractions, two "rare" early ventrical contractions, and eight "significant pauses" with the longest (between beats) being 2.2 seconds. 2.2 seconds?!?!?!

I was feeling a bit mixed at this point. Lots of data, and a few data points that I took as concerning. But my doctor took care of that. His interpretation is that none of this is really anything to be concerned about. It is documented that "well conditioned athletes" can have low HRs, and some form of non-progressive, non-critical heart block pattern. From his point of view, nothing to be worried about, and business as usual for me and my training.

But he's also a rational man, and he thinks like I do. There was a measured block pattern captured at the hospital before - that should still be considered even if we didn't see it on the monitor, or I've not experienced anything like that since. He told me if I wasn't pursuing marathons and Ironmans there's be nothing more to do. But given the level of activity, and the type of activity, he wants to be 100% certain that his thoughts are correct. Me too.

So it's time for a referral to a cardiologist. We've got quite a stacked file now with data from hospital visits and a pile of tests, and this should feed a cardiologist's analysis quite well. I look forward to getting a specialists view on all this. The only bad thing - this probably won't be a quick process. The good thing - it'll take some time because I'm quite low on the risk scale.

I'm feeling quite relieved by all this. It's good to know the results, and I'm happy that all the blood work came back so good too. So, as my doctor said, it's back to "business as usual" for activity, family and training. Not so much second guessing what I feel...but I'll still pay attention for anything that might be abnormal.

Marathon - here I come!

Mother Nature sucks - no problem!

2011-03-07T07:56:00.001-05:00

It's March in Ottawa and if there is one thing that is certain, it is that the weather can be bipolar. After riding success through the latter part of last week, Mother Nature played the bipolar card and hit us with a tonne of rain on Saturday and a tonne of snow Saturday night. That meant there would be no run Sunday morning. With conditions like that, every step would be a guess - is that puddle frozen? Is there ice under that snow? Is that snow frozen solid? I didn't even consider the run.

But I was very determined to get a solid 90mi. Of aerobic activity in to fill the scheduled run slot. It would be on the bike in the afternoon.

After clearing the snow (a lot of it - god bless snowblowers) we hosted a get-together for a heap of friends. It was a blast to have everyone over, and www ate and drank and visited while the kids ate and played.

As soon as it was over I hopped on the bike with my little coach (aka my daughter) joining me in the workout room. She said she just wanted to be with me, and grabbed her Princess sleeping bag and some art supplies and sat on the floor the whole time. Meanwhile I belted out 90min of Spinervals "Muscle Endurance" as prescribed and sweated buckets, making my own "art" on the floor mat. Then the two of us did some stretching together, the whole time I was being shown how flexible I should be (my daughter can twist herself into a knot).

It was a great workout, and I gained serving from it even though it wasn't a run-specific workout. The whole thing was aerobic, and I had a soft steady burn through all parts of my legs (the whole workout is done right at threshold). One cool thing I noticed is thatI had to work the legs hard to get the HR up, which demo starts an aerobic increase! Finally! :)

Now if Mother Nature would just give us spring instead of extending winter, we could all get along.

Owned!

2011-03-04T08:06:00.001-05:00

First off, let it be known that this post is not a complaint! This is all good stuff.

Win number one - I made it to the pool last night! And I wasn't sorry about it. Well, not until the end. :)

That swim was a killer. Last week's swim with push-ups and planks in the middle of sets was bad enough. This one felt worse to me because it completely fatigued my entire body. I am not lying when I say that I had no stroke left between some of the sets. When the session was done my back was a solid triangle shape, and every muscle in my body was toast!

Of course the whole night was IM stuff. I still can't do butterfly worth a damn but I do give it all I have. I will learn that stroke - it is personal now! I do look forward to more freestyle focus only to prepare for tris this year, but I really see the IM stuff making me more fit all around.

The main killer for me last night was the main set (which I didn't complete). 3 times through 75m / 150m / 300m as follows:
- fly, back, breast switching on 25/50/100m
- back, breast, free switching on 25/50/100m
- all free.

My body was done after 2 of these, and the coach moved us to the next part of the workout afterwards - 4 x 150m with fins, switching every 25m in free/back/fly order, and accelerating through each 25.

Holy crap. I could barely walk.

And if you ever want to know how weak your fly kick is, just slap some fins on. Apparently my is absolutely horrid! And the worse your kick is, the harder it is to do with fins.

And now for Win number 2.

But with all this suffering and inhaling of the pool, I realized something. I can dig deeper than my mind allows me when I put myself in the right frame. I really didn't want to swim last night, and I sure as he'll didn't want to take the beating I did. But I never quit, never cheated, never gave up. I kept trying to do all I could during the fly and back sets, determined to do what was prescribed by my coach, and do it to the best of my abilities. Now all I have to do is apply the same determination, the same mindset, to the rest of my training (and to all of my responsibilities, really) and I will excel like never before.

I love learning things about myself. Maybe that is the real driver for me being in multisport. Bring it!

Try and try again

2011-03-02T07:54:00.001-05:00

First off - my wife is 100% correct. I am a whiner and complainer. :)

In any case, I feel quite a bit better after my long sleep last night. My wife, on the other hand, isn't doing as well. I guess this is the month where we pass it all around.

I am interested to see how things go for us all today. I will squeeze my run in today (it is only 35min) and see if there is enough steam left for a spin. My daughter will need to burn off some energy (she is just over her cold and full of spunk) and my wife will need to rest - like it or not. Maybe I should get a season of Glee for her.

Footing will be tricky today. There's blowing snow here and the temperature is right at the freezing point. My left knee is letting itself be known - feels a bit swollen - so I will need to be careful with today's tempo run. Should be interesting!

Ok maybe I am a bit sick

2011-03-01T20:34:00.001-05:00

When it is 8:30 and I am going to bed, I am under the weather. :) My running is more impotent than swimming ruff now, so it is off to bed to energize up for tomorrow's run.

And I want to get runs in this week because the Ottawa weather forecast this weekend sucks bad. A heap of snow, then a pile of rain, then more snow. All in 2 days. God I hope the forecasts are wrong!

A win is a win

2011-03-01T15:26:00.002-05:00

And I'm celebrating it. 50min run along the Canal. Used the YakTrax, but they weren't needed. Legs still surprisingly tired. Hoping they loosen up in the pool tonight.

Sick or tired?

2011-03-01T07:53:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to figure this one out all weekend. Ever since Friday I have been dragging my butt - hard. Headaches, upset stomach, and fighting to stay awake has been my best description of the weekend. I missed Sunday's long run and yesterday's run, and missed the spin workouts I said I would do to make them up.

On the positive side, I busted my ass hard last week. Solid and disciplined steady runs, a hard interval set done properly, killer swim workouts. I was really proud of how I did last week.

Then something came undone. At first I thought I was just really tired. But something else didn't sit right either. I do suspect, though, that my subconscious got the best of me without knowing it. Looking back, I think I was just really worn out from last week's efforts. It has been quite a while since I have felt that tired, when recovery runs feel like long runs.

I was beating myself up a bit last night over this. As I ate a big bowl of chocolate ice cream, I wondered where things went wrong and how to correct them. How would I get back lost effort? What was I really feeling? Is the marathon out of reach?

I think what I lost was vision. The mental picture of what my week would be like, and what my goals for the week were. With shorter runs it is easy to just pack up and run at lunch - no thought needed. But as times get longer and effort increases, lunch time doesn't always work out and you need to shuffle it around. Part of the stress I feel is getting in these longer sets and still getting everything else done. I couldn't picture this weekend for a similar reason. I felt tired physically and mentally, and couldn't wrap my head around what I needed to do.

That is key for me - the mental aspect. If my head is weak, I am done. If it is strong, I can work through the fatigue I feel elsewhere. This is a common theme and I struck it again.

So I put these two main ideas together and came up withy plan for the week. At the risk of making up workouts (which I hear isn't the best) I will get a run and swim today, run and optional bike tomorrow, run and swim Thursday, and a run Friday. I would like to bike on Saturday, and will get the long run on Sunday. And I'm going to have to change my morning routines to get the longer runs in before the rest of the day begins.

Swimming isn't key for me right now, but I am finding it really strengthens me up. As for biking, it is not key either but it is fun..and spring isn't far off anymore.

But given the freezing rain and snow we got yesterday, you would never know it!

And they bug me about eating Wendy's food...

2011-02-25T09:01:00.003-05:00

Where I work, there is a Wendy's restaurant on the main floor. On occasion, I'll grab something there for a lunch. The folks at work bug me about eating "that crap" when I'm so active and (apparently) trying to be healthy.

Well now I've got some backup! David Thompson sees fast food as a cheap and easy-to-get source of energy for those longer sessions, including races. Just goes to show you that anything is okay in moderation!

Contest!

2011-02-24T16:01:00.002-05:00

Well, maybe not a contest (there are no prizes other than bragging rights). If you need prizes for a contest, then this isn't a contest as much as it is a time waster.

I'm guessing that if you're reading this (all 5 of you), you probably run. And you probably run a lot, and seem to think you know about running - mechanics and all.

Now it's time for proof.

Give this game a go, and add a comment with your highest score (even if it's negative). Here, score == distance covered. The game is QWOP, and you can find it here.

Good luck!

Where does the time go?

2011-02-24T08:04:00.001-05:00

Really - where does the time go? I can't believe that February is nearly over. So much to do, so little time! At least I am getting ahead on that To Do List.

Can't believe that I am in the middle of Week 6 of the training for this spring's marathon. While I haven't hit all the workouts, I have been hitting most of them and still making it to the pool face a week. Sadly the cycling has fallen off the map but that will correct itself once the roads are clear for commuting. I think both my Felt and my Ridley need to "blow out the carbon" soon. :)

I have noticed a difference in my running already though. While I am not much faster (which I understand is not the focus of this plan) my stamina at the same pace is improving. Now in saying that, I have been paying close attention to my HR and intensity through the workouts and I thunk that is a big contributor. And so far all of this is still rather enjoyable.

One other strong contributor to my success so far is swimming. Lately or coach has been hitting us hard with the fins. Now normally swim fins make things easier but with the sets we have been getting, they hurt bad! The end result, however is a stronger core and steadier (and tighter) hips. Case in point: Tuesdays swim contained a fins set of 6x75m. Each 75 was broken as 25 kick, 25 swim and 25 kick with the whole 75 done with a kick at 100% effort. And the stroke changed each 75: fly, back, free, fly, back, free. I barely had anything in the core after that (making the following pyramid set rather tough), but the next morning I could feel the benefits of the workout already.

Today's plan is a hard interval run a lunch, and a swim tonight. I am on-call this week so all that could change in an instant, but for now this is in the works.

Got some catching up to do!

2011-02-16T08:02:00.001-05:00

It seems like the days have been flying by lately, hence the lack of posts. I can certainly say that I am keeping my plate full!

First off, the hand. It is doing much better now. The swelling has finally disappeared and all that remains is the site of impact - a triangular dent in the skin from the corner of tile that took the brunt of the impact. Now that I am approaching 40 I really notice how things heal much slower than they used to.

I am still keeping up with the marathon plan but have yet to register. I will have to do that soon as this race fills up fast. I did my 2nd run on Sunday (starting at 5am - big win for me!) and it went well. I do need to tune/adjust the nutrition better though. I was starting to fade in the last 30min or so. Tough to keep the gel from freezing though!

Sunday was also a big day in that I started a long overdue project - the painting of my daughter's room. "Boy Green" wasn't doing it for us so it was time to turn it into "Her Room.". So now it is pink...mostly. Still have one and a half walls to do. I say "half" because the previous owners did a crappy job of the previous painting, and my pink paint has a rather thin base. I do t mind doing 3 coats of a wall to cover well, but I can't stand having to fix shitty work. I was tempted to just rip all the trim off and redo it, but my daughter would need to be out of her room for another good week if I did that. I will leave that for now, and do it when we get new carpets.

Monday my daughter and I were sick so we stayed home and rested with Super Mario Galaxy all day. She loves that game. And just when I thought we were doing well having collected 89 stars, I found out that the game has 241 before you win. Crap! :)

Ran yesterday which felt really really good. My legs were stiff and tight still from Sunday's run so it made things feel much better. I did skip the swim though, as I really want to complete the painting during the week. Thursday will be my return to the pool.

Today I hope to squeeze in a run between meetings at lunch. Should fit nicely especially with the nice weather that has suddenly returned to Ottawa. And tonight I hope to finish painting my daughter's room...all but the trim that is.

Swim fins and pool walls

2011-02-11T11:55:00.002-05:00

Last night's swim was an absolute killer for me. Lots of work with fins, and it was punishing. Lots of IM stuff too. I knew with the warm-up that we were in for a tough night.

The first part of the main set was 12x75m with 10sec rest after each. The 75s were grouped in 4s - 4 freestyle, 4 butterfly, 4 backstroke. Within that, each 75 was made up of 25m hard-ass kick, 25m hard swim, and 25m hard-ass kick. The whole thing was done with swimfins, and my hips and core sure felt every bit of it.

After that was 5x100m IM with fins. I was taking a bit more rest at this point, 'cause I was finding that when rested, I could actually do the strokes properly. Butterfly with fins was coming around, and I was focusing very, very hard on the timing. I could feel it when that timing worked out - the stroke was so much easier.

On the 3rd of the 100m IM, my focus was too strong. I pushed off the wall a bit crooked with the fins, and angled over towards the side wall a bit too much. There was an opening there, where a waterslide empties, so I thought I was okay. One big fly kick, one big pull, and SLAM! I drove the back of my left hand into the wall corner at the opening. I knew this could be bad, so I stopped immediately and headed to the side. The coach saw the whole thing, and was there in an instant.

I hit just above the wrist, probably right at the carpels. The goose-egg grew rapidly, and there was a bit of blood. (I hate injuries and blood - I get extremely nervous and tend to pass out.) I stayed calm, and headed for the lifeguard room to get ice and some tending. I was sure I didn't break anything, but probably sprained my wrist a bit.

Obviously, the rest of the swim was a write-off for me. I had some kind folks stick with me to make sure I was okay (which I was), got changed, and headed home. The bandage has stayed on, and won't come off for a while yet. (Ick.)

This morning the swelling is all but gone, and the wrist aches. I'm confident nothing is broken, but my wrist is making itself known. It's been a tough day so far, with queezy feelings because of it - I wish I could shake that. I hate to use this as an excuse, but I will. No run today, even though I really really want to. Might hop on the bike for a spin tonight, but we'll see how it all works out.

Sigh. I was just starting to get that damned stroke too...

After reading this...

2011-02-08T12:14:00.002-05:00

...you may never be able to complain about your long run again. Ever.

CBC News - Canada - Jean Béliveau's 11 years on the road

No sick cards allowed.

2011-02-08T07:57:00.001-05:00

That is what I learned on Sunday from my wife. I was feeling the effects of my head cold and told my wife that the run wouldn't happen for me. Well she didn't agree!

She "encouraged" my ass out the door. I wasn't so sure but I wasn't about to argue about it either (she had "the look" on). :)

I headed out and just took my time, testing the waters as I went. Things felt substantially harder for the majority of the run which surprised me. But the whole way my HR was aerobic. Mind you, my pace showed it, but it was a full 70min of aerobic running. That is a huge win for me, and I am certain there is a lot I gained from that one run.

So this week continues with the "no sick cards" rule. I hit yesterday's run as prescribed, and will get today's as well and tonight's swim. The momentum feels good.

In looking at thus week's runs I noticed that the mid-week runs are quite short. "Must be a recovery week" I thought. If it is, it ends with a bang - a 2hr steady run on Sunday. Going to have to get up early for that one, and find a good entertaining route.

"Below the neck" Rule

2011-02-04T11:58:00.002-05:00

Not sure what it is, but I feel like warmed-over crap. Achy ears, headache, sore eyes, Barry White-esque voice (...or is it Chef?) thanks to some congestion. And when I cough, there's a wee bit of burning in the chest. Sadly, for me, this all means no run.

I was so looking forward to it today. The weather is the warmest it's been all week. With Winterlude starting today, I was hoping to run past the ice and snow sculptures along the Canal and Parliament (if they still do some there). But that will have to wait.

This all started to come on last night after work. I bobbled back and forth on whether or not I'd go swim, and at the last minute decided to "man up" and head out. I survived, but that was about it. No energy, no focus. Got the work done, but it wasn't pretty.

At breakfast this morning I felt a bit worse, and wondered what would happen today. I'm feeling worse, and my temperature is up a bit (the bus ride in felt SO hot!) so I'm just going to sit at my desk, have lunch, and sip tea (I hate tea, but I can't drink coffee all day).

How did they cope? :)

2011-02-04T08:53:00.002-05:00

For those who don't live in Canada, know that it's the job of all Canadians to make fun of Toronto. Here, a fellow Torontonian helps the nation out. (And to help with the context of the video, see this news report that was NOT a joke.)

Getting some ice time

2011-02-03T17:01:00.001-05:00

I decided to mix things up today. Since I missed a session yesterday (free lunch always tastes best) I decided to move the scheduled run from 15min to at least 30. I was prepared with my YakTrax knowing that the pathways and sidewalks would still be a mess from yesterday's snowfall.

As I started, I was a bit surprised at the poor condition of the sidewalks. Usually the city is all over it and cleans up quickly for the next day. But since we got more than usual I guess i should be more understanding. Given the amount of slipping and sliding I decided I may as well run on the world's longest skating rink.

This year the Canal is serviced by a new machine for the ice maintenance and it is doing a damn fine job. I am not a skater but for the years I have been working downtown, this is the best the ice has been. Unfortunately that did me no good. Even the snow left on the sides for walkers and runners was very slippery thanks to the pristine ice. My YakTrax made no difference at all. I was slower and working harder but it was really nice to have a different perspective. Same route as usual, but about 8 feet lower.

When I got to the halfway point, my feet and knees were not happy fighting for traction so I left the ice and returned to the pathway. The snow was getting hard packed there so things were better for traction.

I made sure I did some good focused stretching afterwards. My back was bothering me last night and I think it is because of tight IT band and tight hips. Need to keep focused on that from now on.

Hopefully they will loosen up in the pool tonight too. That would mean no IM, and I doubt that will be the case. :)

Yeah, but I don't have to wear a tie!

2011-02-02T13:40:00.002-05:00

Training plans need room for family too

2011-02-01T15:21:00.002-05:00

This has always been a strong concern of mine. Even at sub-10hrs a week, I'm always concerned about the impact my training has on my family. I hope I never lose that perspective.

Here's an article that touches on one aspect of this - the "exercise widow."

A more focused effort

2011-02-01T14:19:00.002-05:00

Today’s run was a 45min fartlek run. Fartleks are meant to be unstructured and at whatever intensity you want to hit at each time. And for that reason, I don’t get a lot out of fartleks when I do them. Obviously I’m either plainly lazy and don’t work hard enough, or I’m wimpy and don’t want to push myself as hard as I should. Or both. I don’t know the right answer, so I’ll say it’s both.

Today was different. I wanted to run with purpose, with a smart set to boost my level. So I set some guidelines to make these fartleks more like intervals. But rather than being based on time or distance, I set them to HR levels. To ensure I kept some form of aerobic activity, my warmup/cooldown max was 80%. When I started the fartleks, about 10min into the run, I would run as hard as I felt until I hit 90% maxHR, then I’d run easier until my HR fell back to 80% max HR. At that point I’d do another fartlek.

I didn’t bother counting how many iterations I completed, but I do know that it was a fair number. As expected, the recovery between them increased as the run went on from being more tired, but I always started out at a good state for the next one. Each fartlet lasted anywhere from 45sec to 60sec or so, and because of the recovery, I was able to put in a good, solid, focused effort on each one.

The workout was a total success. I loved it. And I can tell that this fartlek run will provide a good benefit, just from the fatigue I have right now.

Now I rest up for tonight’s swim. And figure out if I need to hide/blend the bare spots on my chest from that bloody holter monitor. How embarrassing! I look like a squirrel with mange! :D

The deadline approaches

2011-02-01T08:54:00.001-05:00

I'm putting myself on the line here. Once my wife sees this, I'm in. ;)

Unplugged and getting back to it

2011-01-29T11:42:00.001-05:00

Well the Holter monitor is done and dropped off. I can't believe how awkward that thing was! All I can say is that I hope the Matrix never comes to fruition.

And I am still showing the marks from it. Not only do I have shaved patches on me, but also I have red squares on my skin from the ECG pads. I don't know if it is a skin irritation or just from the adhesive but I look like patchwork.

As for swimming this week, I will have to do something about that. I may have to grab the trimmer and give my chest a fade so it's not so noticeable. Lovely.

To celebrate the occasion yesterday I went for a run. The weather was perfect and the traction was far improved. There was a tonne of people out because of the weather, and the Rideau Canal was packed. I enjoyed it all very thoroughly.

One thing got me by surprise - muscle tightness. Quads and abductors, and the ever-present back tightness. Need to work very hard on that...consistently.

It is so great to be unplugged. Such a weird experience. I hope I do not have to wear that again. If I do, it'll be for more than 24 hours. I have been told it could be as much as two weeks - I cannot imagine...

I'm totally wired!

2011-01-27T21:01:00.003-05:00

Seriously - I am. And it's driving me nuts. And tomorrow morning I expect that it'll hurt like hell tomorrow morning.

Confused yet? Let me explain. This morning I went to the cardiac center and got setup with a holter monitor. I endured one of the roughest shaves I've ever experienced...on my chest. I then had rubbing alcohol applied to make the surface more adherent...or find all of the tiny cuts from the shaving. Glue was then applied and the ECG pads essentially welded to my skin. The leads were tested, connected to the pads, and taped down for good measure. I swear this stuff could be used to build the space shuttle, or at least hold it together.

I cannot remove this device until tomorrow morning. The five leads will be a part of me all day today, and it only took a couple of hours to annoy me. Pulling, tugging, chaffing, getting in the way. I can't wait to try to sleep with this tonight. But there's no swimming, no bathing, no showering. So no workouts for me today.

At least it's only 24hrs. Tomorrow I get to remove this. And if I'm lucky, I'll be able to do it without waking my family to screams of pain as I remove the pads.

Must not be my week

2011-01-26T07:55:00.001-05:00

Either I need to HTFU, stop bitching about training impediments, or be more rational. Something has to give! Well, perhaps for this week.

After missing two runs I was aiming to "make it up" with a swim last night. But just after supper my stomach decided to turn itself inside out, and I got a nasty headache. I never get headaches so things weren't looking good. I heeded my wife's advice (she is never wrong) and went to bed promptly at 9.

Thankfully I do feel better today, but still quite tired and my HR seems to be up a bit. A run is still in the works for today, but I will keep my fingers crossed anyways.

Speed vs. Weight

2011-01-25T14:26:00.003-05:00

Lucho is a hardcore athlete, and runs hills so much that he should be on the moon by now. Honest. And if you don't believe me, I invite you to read his blog and tell me otherwise. Anyways, he decided to try adding 10lbs to himself and headed for a run. The results are well worth noting.

This isn't the first time I had seen something like this. There have been a few articles that try to relate increased speed to a lost pound or two. All of this is just more fodder for me to get my belly under control and focus on proper eating habits.

First the cold, now this

2011-01-25T12:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I skipped (wimped-out?) my run because of the cold. I'm okay with that.

But today I had to miss my run because a "Sales Engineer" (as a real, licensed engineer, that term frustrates me to no end) decided he'd sell something to a customer that we don't sell. Now I'm working with another person here to make a pile of code do what he "sold."

I must be in the wrong line of work. I certainly don't make as much as a "Sales Engineer" does, I don't get any of the perks, and apparently I wouldn't have to be held accountable for making a mistake.

I guess I should just let it go. But I'm already falling behind on the planned running this week. This is the third day of Week 2 that I've missed the run, and Thursday will be another (medical appointment). At least it's only Week 2.

Yeah, it is that cold.

2011-01-24T12:17:00.002-05:00

I'm normally not such a wimp when it comes to the weather. But these last couple of days have felt really, really cold. I feel odd saying that, having lived most of my life in Saskatchewan where it gets plain ol' damned cold. Maybe I'm just getting old. But stories like this just don't help matters much:

A frostbite warning goes into effect when the wind-chill dips below minus 35, and is a serious issue for Ottawa's shelters.Early Monday morning the wind-chill dipped as low as minus 38. The Shelters said they are hitting the streets in order to encourage to come inside for their own safety. The Ottawa Mission downtown added that they have been extremely busy.

Paramedics responded to a few weather related calls but said they see a spike because of the dropping temperature. Some brave citizens even headed out for a skate on the Rideau Canal which kept Patrollers busy and one woman even had to be treated for frozen eyeballs.

(Source: 1310 News)

Seriously?!?! I didn't even know that was possible! And I thought it was bad when my car wouldn't start yesterday....

So today - no run. My gear is here at my office, but judging from what I felt walking here, my gear won't be sufficient for a run today. Instead, it'll be more fun on the bike tonight, probably with my new Spinervals video again.

Thankfully, the weather is warming up rather quickly over the next couple of days. Tomorrow we jump up to -9, and even warmer on Wednesday. Snow will come with it, but honestly, I can deal with that better than the snow.

Not really a rest day - honest!

2011-01-23T20:52:00.002-05:00

Today I started by saying I would get my 1hr run done in the morning. I had full and complete intentions of getting it done. But then the day just kinda melted away.

I spent some time playing with my daughter first. Then I decided to install the new furnace humidifier. The installation DVD said it would take 1hr to do, and I really thought it would. Hell, I've installed one of these before. Well, it was much more complex (and larger capacity, hence the complexity). One hour turned into four, but it's done, and done right. People came and picked up the old washer and dryer, and then I decided it was time to get the garage organized enough to get the car in. And after freezing for about 30min in the -30C-ish temperatures, the job was done.

That's when we found out that the car wouldn't start.

Luckily I found a boost easily, and then took the car on the highway for 30min to hopefully charge up the battery again. Being in the garage should help out with that.

Then it was supper, dishes, bath time, bed time.

And now I sit with my wife watching tv. And for a day where I didn't run, I hurt. My back aches. My legs are tight and stiff. My back is spasming on and off. I feel spent. But it's all worth it. I love doing stuff for my wife and daughter - perhaps too much. :) Knowing that your actions are improving their lives is a feeling that can't be beat.

Week 2 starts tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. Not looking forward to the cold, but looking forward to the work.

So many possible titles for this post!

2011-01-20T22:41:00.002-05:00

Options include:

How to Avoid Cramps When Swimming by Eating Supper
The Butterfly Stroke - Satan's Greatest Gag
Lane Dividers - World's Strongest Plastic
How Being Stubborn is Related to Physical Fatigue

I worked from home today since I had someone clean the ducts and furnace in my new home (it had NEVER been done before in the 10 years - EVER). The work finished late and my wife and I headed out to The Works at about 2pm for the best burgers in town. Come supper time, I wasn't really hungry so I had about a cup of rice and some peas. Yeah, that's not nearly enough for a tough swim workout. It didn't take long for the muscles to feel wiped, and the cramping wasn't far from that point either. Inner thigh, quads, and feet. I actually had a cramp on the TOP of my foot! I've never even heard of that. In fact, when I had that one, I also had one on the bottom of the foot. One cramp pulled my big toe down and out, and the other pulled my little toe up and over - I must have looked like a circus freak.

Today's workout was all IM stuff. While it was dominantly freestyle, it was generously sprinkled with the other three strokes. And that damned butterfly was taunting me horribly! Tonight was one of those nights where I felt that I'd never get that damned stroke figured out - and I think the coach caught that vibe. She was giving me a lot of pointers and advice! I certainly appreciated it, and on each 50m I focused on what she had told me.

That's when I realized that swimming is a lot like golf - when you focus on one thing in your stroke, the rest falls into the crapper! I worked my ass off trying to get that damned smooth rhythm down, hard kicks, powerful arms, back out of the water. All I got was power ostriches on every stroke. (A "power ostrich" is an old BMX term for slamming yourself headfirst into the ground over your bars.)

On the second set, I was bound and determined to make progress in this damned stroke, and I knew the coach was watching me. I focused only on my stroke, slowed things down, and made every move deliberate. One stroke - out of the water and smooth re-entry with the arms! Yes!!! Second stroke - out of the water, not quite as much, and not so smooth back in. I nailed the lane divider again. I thought for sure I broke something that time, but that didn't stop me. I kept trying to get that dolphin-like rhythm, the arms and back cleanly out of the water. But alas, I just couldn't. I was sucking air so hard I couldn't swim anymore in that length.

Turns out my arm movement is getting much better, but I'm relying on my knee bend FAR too much on the kick. Good to hear. 'Cause I'm going to get that damned stroke figured out before I die! :D

Bike mojo > Pool mojo

2011-01-19T14:26:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I had absolutely no desire to go to the pool. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I just wasn't feelin' it, and I decided not to fight it. So I skipped the pool.

Roll the clock back a few hours from that time, and I come home to my wife working out like a banshee in the workout room. Bike workout, cardio, weights. It had been a long time since I had done anything like that, and it appealed to me.

My mind was made up. I would not swim. I would ride. And I would ride with my new Spinervals video. And I would like it.

And I did. I liked it a lot. I only got through half of Spinervals 30.0 but I got a tonne of benefit from it. The focus is muscle endurance, with the entire video doing longer intervals just below lactate threshold. My legs were feeling the work the entire time, and the feeling went deep into the muscles - total fatigue was in the works (I'm sure the remaining half of the video would achieve that). This is a totally different workout than all of the other videos I have.

My legs felt good when I was done, and according to the HRM they burned off 960 calories in the 1hr10. Not bad!

Today, my legs are heavier but still feeling good. It certainly wasn't enough to hold me back from today's fartlek run. My fartleks certainly weren't as fast, but they were still strong and I felt pretty good (certainly better than I will near the end of the marathon).

A good week so far, and I'm having fun with it. I will return to the pool tomorrow, and to the road for a short run. Looking forward to it!