Ironman Coeur d'Alene Race Report

3200 miles were driven and 140.6 miles were raced and it will go down as the two best weeks of my life. Granted, I did not qualify for Kona but as many of my friends and team mates have pointed out, the journey is what made the whole experience special, not necessarily the race and it is so true. Even my dream wedding and honeymooning in Australia for two weeks 10 years ago did not compare to the epic road trip I did with my wife and two kids topped off with a "dreamlike" vacation from the vacation in Las Vegas with some amazing people. Wow. Where to begin! Since this is a triathlon blog, I'll stick to the race...

We left Wednesday night to stay in Vegas for a night to avoid the dreaded SoCal traffic. We then headed to Park City, UT the next day to stay with some friends and get a quick glimpse of the beautiful mountain resort town. Thursday we drove to Yellowstone, saw Old Faithful and then drove to Missoula, MT for the night. Between Montana and Yellowstone, we saw some of the most beautiful parts of this country I've ever seen and I've been to every state except five. Breathtaking! Friday we finally arrived in Coeur d'Alene and although it was beautiful it didn't compare to what we just witnessed the day before! The city of Coeur d'Alene seemed like the whole good side of the street/bad side of the street. We were very unimpressed until we got around the resort and Ironman check-in area which was amazing.

Friday and Saturday was very low key. Check in, pre-workouts and getting around were very easy and simple. I was able to spend a lot of time napping, hydrating and staying off my feet. Come Saturday night I felt very rested and very hungry to leave it all out there the next day.

2.4 mile swim: 1:21:02 (2:05/100 yd pace) 141 out of 316 in AG

The day before the race I swam in the lake Coeur d'Alene choppy waters and wasn't so concerned. I've swam many times in Vail lake (local) which is always choppy and over the past month I've swam at La Jolla cove which can also be choppy. Well race day the wind was kicking pretty good. I actually laughed out loud when I saw the lake. We basically had to swim straight into it, make the turn home and then do it again. I told Flanny the day before that if he saw a 1:15 swim split to not be alarmed because I knew it was going to be a slow swim and I was not going to fight through it and potentially ruin my race. It was a "self-seeded" start so I ended up going in the second wave (1:00-1:15) group. There's no delay in between the waves, it's just a rolling start. It was definitely the most violent swim I've been in. Between getting a shiner on my forehead, swam over, and knocked around. I also had trouble siting -- whenever I tried a wave was blocking the buoys. I've learned over the past 4 years of doing triathlons that the best way to get through these kind of swims is to just relax, not force it and actually just smile. So that's what I did. Just took the punches and swam as strong as I could.

I hit the first lap in 36 minutes and was on pace to break 1:15. I was pretty disoriented when I got out of the water to make the turn to go back in. The waves and chop can really make you dizzy. I definitely felt the fatigue going into the current again on the second lap and could tell my pace dropped. I just did my best to get through it and not get overly concerned about it. I knew historically if you swam around 1:15 you still have a shot of a Kona slot. When I saw 1:20 on my Garmin when I came out, I just knew it was time to get to work and figured with my run - a 1:20 wouldn't take me out of the race.

T1: 4:46

First time experiencing the whole Ironman tent changing room. The volunteers were amazing. Got me out of my suit, my bike bag, sun screened me up, went pee #1 of the day and I was on my way.

112 mile bike/4500ft of climbing: 5:42 (AVG 19.6 mph) 46th in AG

The temperature was actually perfect. I went with no arm warmers and felt great. It was the wind that hurt me. It seemed like it continued to pick up momentum as the bike went on. Strong winds for my slender frame really took me out of the race. Based off of the last 8 months of using power, Flanny and I decided 190NP was going to be my magic number to ride a 5:00-5:15 bike split. With all of the intervals, hills, long days, short days etc...we had no doubt that the bike would be a huge advantage for me and I'd be able to run off the bike holding that power and crush this course. Well I held 189NP and rode 5:42 haha. You can check out data HERE. The only variable we couldn't factor in was the wind. I stayed very aero the whole race and did my best to fight through that wind but it just ended up being a day that favored the power riders. The ones that didn't get blown over by the wind on the bike and the ones that could power through the chop in the swim. HOWEVER. I still felt like I was in the race. My biggest maturity in triathlon over the past few years is that I learned times mean nothing in triathlon. There are so many variables in long course that your S,B,R times really don't mean anything nor do they tell the story of the race.

So I just kept eating and drinking, nailing my nutrition plan. I peed three times on the bike and never felt hungry or thirsty. I finally started feeling my efforts for the day right at mile 100. I fought to stay at 190 watts for the last 10 miles which tells me that Flanny's plan was spot on. Hard enough to question whether or not I could run off the bike but no cramping, GI issues or dreading the run. Even coming in at 5:42, I had a feeling that a lot of people's splits were slow so I still didn't throw in the towel, I knew I had work to do!

T2: 3:13

Again, the volunteers were awesome. Found my bag right away, slipped on my shoes, took another pee and off I went!

26.2 mile run/1500ft of climbing: 3:43 (AVG 8:31 pace) 36th in AG

Again, after months of training data - Flanny and I decided that 7:15 pace was going to be the magic number for me. Data found HERE. I got off the bike and that first mile felt a little bit weird. It just took some time to get my running legs off of me. I carried a flask of nutrition and just sipped on it while refueling it at each aid station with whatever sounded good. After the first mile, 7:15's became effortless and I knew I was going to have a good run. I just stayed on top of my nutrition, picked a stronger runner ahead of me in the distance and just worked my way up to them for the pass while staying on my own pace. It's a 2 loop course, basically go through a neighborhood, up the long hill and back x2.

The first lap (1/2 marathon) I was enjoying myself. Smiles, giving some fist bumps to the awesome house parties going on and just clicking off the miles. As I went through the first loop I saw my family, gave them a wave and saw that I clicked off a 1:34 half. Right on pace! Then like almost clock work the next mile I started getting some serious taste fatigue. Everything I tried to eat or drink I just spit it out. I tried drinking a lot of water and eating some pretzels to rinse my palate like I was drinking wine or something but with no such luck! I just gradually started bonking. Whenever I tried to force food down I felt like I wanted to puke. Not because of GI issues but because of the sweet food/taste fatigue I had going on. Everything was just gross. Sweet, salty - didn't matter. So my great pace eventually turned into a slow jog. I just did my best to keep form and stay positive. Those last 6 miles ended up being one of the toughest things I've ever been through. I was so stubborn and refused to walk and just forced myself through it.

Ironman isn't easy. These past several months haven't been easy. So when I arrived to that long finish chute it was almost like my mind just replayed pictures and videos of all of the good and bad in my life leading up to this race. I choked up big time. When you are in a lot of pain you become very vulnerable. With each step and high five I gave heading into the finish I was very proud of myself. Not just of the race but the entire "Kona Journey" that I've been on over the past year. It took every ounce of discipline mentally and physically to get there and even though it hurt that I did not qualify, when I crossed that finish line - that wasn't what was on my mind. My family was there and as I looked at their faces with watery eyes, I looked up into the sky and became an Ironman.


Final Result: 10:55:01, 36th in AG, 161st overall.

Thank you all for the amazing kind words and encouragement; this was truly an experience that I will never forget.

Thanks for reading-

Final Thoughts

You always hear people say how fast time flies. Ironman training has been in full effect since January and I can tell you first hand that the time DID NOT fly by. It wasn't easy by any means and these last six months took everything I had both physically and mentally. I'm running on fumes and I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally toe the line and then cross that finish line next week at Ironman Coeur d' Alene. The time discipline I've had to exercise over the past few months has been beyond difficult but I managed to get through it.
Here's my workout totals since January (25 weeks):

Swim: 187,643 yards / Avg: 7,505 yards/week

Bike: 2,825 miles / Avg: 113 miles/week

Run:  563 / Avg: 22.5 miles/week

Average weekly hours training: 12.3 hrs/week

So for your typical Kona qualifier hopeful, this doesn't seem like a lot of volume. However, the quality is what has been important. Juggling family/work life with training hasn't been easy but I go into this race very confident in my abilities and still think I have a shot at qualifying as long as I execute perfectly. So how do I qualify? Well, historically at IMCDA a 9:30-9:45 in the 35-39 AG and/or top 5 will get you the beloved KQ not to mention a spot on the podium. How does that break down for me? I debated whether or not to post this, but I've let you all in on my journey, I may as well put myself out there and share what Flanny and I think I am capable of (as long as everything goes right - which I understand is the hardest thing about Ironman!).

2.4 mile swim goal time: 1:05-1:10 (1:32-1:39 pace). With the rolling start last year, IMCDA saw really fast times. I've done a lot of open water swims leading up and even a 4000 yd straight swim which showed me I'm more than capable of swimming in this timeframe.

112 mile bike: 5:00-5:10 (21-22mph). Course has 6k of climbing which really suits my strengths. Goal is to hold 190 watts (NP). Over the past several months I've held 190-200 watts (NP) for 5-6 hour rides and finished with a solid run with no problem. As long as I can stay true to my plan on the hills and not burn any matches, I should be capable of this kind of ride.

26.2 mile run: 3:10-3:15 (7:15-7:30 pace). So Flanny's magic number for me is 7:15's. As easy as it is on tired legs in training, I've never duplicated it for 26 miles after a long day. As long as I fuel properly and absolutely go beyond my comfort zone - 7:15's should absolutely be possible for me.

Total time ~9:30-9:45

It always comes down to the run in Ironman. Doesn't matter how fast you swim or how well you ride, can you execute a marathon on tired legs? A lot of that comes with your ability to suffer on the run. It can be learned but there is no doubt that the true runners have a huge advantage in Ironman. I'm hoping to utilize it.

Are these high expectations for my first Ironman? Not if you have prepared properly and I believe I have. We'll find out on Sunday! You can track me Bib #174 at Ironman.com

I want to really thank my beautiful wife Amy for really supporting me through this process. It hasn't been easy for her either. I get a lot of credit for being able to juggle all that I do but there's no doubt that she does SO MUCH. She really sacrificed a lot so I could train and fulfill this dream I have had and she never complained once. I am truly lucky to have her and couldn't do any of this or be the man I am without her.

I want to thank Flanny again for EVERYTHING. You can read about it HERE. Also thanks to James Walsh who also played a big part of me being competitive in triathlon.

I want to thank Wattie and all my Wattie Ink teammates for the crazy amount of support, fun and family environment you've given me. #OG

Thanks to Wattie Sponsors: Herbalife, Powerbar, Reynolds, Blueseventy, Spidertech, Rudy Project, ISM, Speedfil, 10 Barrel Brewing, TriBike Transport, 454 Tattoo, Hypoxic, Rev3 and Wildflower.

Thanks to my personal sponsors: The Bike Shop (thanks for everything Rick!), SRM, e21, SportMulti.

And lastly, thanks to all that have followed along on my journey. Whether it be on this site, Kona Journey, at Lava Magazine or years prior to this at Love the Hurt. I've had so many messages, emails and voices of support over the years and I can't thank you enough for it.

TIME TO RACE!

 

Guest Post II: Coach Robert "Flanny" Flanigan

Before I get to coach Flanny’s blog post, I think it’s important to try to explain in writing how physically and emotionally hard it was to finally arrive here. In reading Flanny’s post I had to fight back tears. He went WAY above and beyond what a typical coach does for you. He held my hand though the thick and thin. Took my calls and texts from different time zones to make sure I was alright. You see, I’ve never been much of an emotional person. I’ve always been really grounded and strong (so I thought). Ironman training has changed that in me. It’s broken me to pieces, it’s forced me to get back on my feet and it’s left me standing tall and proud whether I have a good race or not.

There’s always been this emotional wall I’ve put up my whole life. Every ridiculous hard workout Flanny threw at me when I was physically and emotionally drained from training, career and life – slowly broke down that wall. “Why an Ironman?” is the question I’ve been asked so often leading up to this race. This is why. It’s been life changing and turned me into a better man. A man that falls down and gets back on his feet holding a stronger ground day in and day out.

It truly has been a journey that I will never forget.

Guest Blog post: Coach Robert “Flanny” Flanigan, Owner - Central Virgina Endurance and Black Dragon Racing.
www.centralvirginiaendurance.com
www.facebook.com/blackdragonracing.com

With just a few days until the gun fires at the 2014 edition of Ironman Coeur d’Alene I wanted to step back to reflect and comment on the preparation James has put in since the decision to pursue Ironman was made late in 2013. 

From the very beginnings of the preparation for this season, one concept was reinforced to James almost every time we spoke. The concept of consistency. The season needed to be looked at as a very long book with each of the pages being individual workouts, each chapter being a cycle (block), and the entire book being the work done to prepare for race day. Success or failure would not be determined by the individual pages of the book, but would be determined by the overall volume of the book. Getting the workouts in day after day, making the right decisions, and being consistent would be the keys to unlocking the physiological adaptations needed to accomplish the goals James had set.

For those familiar with James and his personal situation, consistency would not prove to be as easy as it sounds. As a committed family man, businessperson, and lastly an athlete the life demands took a toll on James throughout the process. This is where the value of the coach-athlete relationship comes into play and makes a huge impact. Coaching is not about training plans. Any educated and intelligent person can eventually throw together workouts and call it a training plan. It’s everything else that makes up coaching. Helping an athlete navigate the insanity that can be life while staying on track to achieve peak performance and meet their goals. The preparation period for this race threw everything it had at James ranging from illness and unexpected lows to career advancement and unexpected highs. James and I stayed very closely connected throughout the entire process and were able to course correct when the currents of life tried to push us off course.  The result was the consistency I had hoped for and preached since the start. Did we get to fill the book with as many pages as I had hoped or expected? Not really but we did get in all the key parts of each chapter, all the chapters, and the book is now complete.  We have indeed seen the adaptations we had hoped we would see leading into his first Ironman.

James will be entering this race in the best form and fitness he has ever been in, injury free, strong, fast, and most importantly with the support of his loving family. I cannot tell you how refreshing it has been to work with someone so fully committed to his family. In this sport I see many people willing to sacrifice so much to succeed and many times those that suffer most are the athlete’s family. While the goals James had set for himself were of great importance to him there was no question as to what sacrifices we would make in his preparation. Family always came first and we were all in agreement with that expectation. The sweaty hugs at the finish line will truly be a team celebration as they all took this journey together.

When James gets into those chilly waters at the start, he can do so knowing he is fully prepared to race Ironman and his only job is to execute his race plan, stay dynamic and adjust to the demands of the day, and enjoy the end of a long and rewarding journey. 

Training Log (April 7-13)

Last week kicked off my "official" Ironman training for IMCDA. After a week of recovery from Oceanside I'm back into a great consistent routine and most of all, my attitude about the sport and training are at an all-time high right now. I feel like my maturity for each discipline has grown exponentially over the past few weeks. What was once a hesitancy about my chances of qualifying for Kona on my first go are now becoming a confident, "I will have a great race and qualify if can continue to stay focused, stay consistent and BELIEVE."

You always hear people say they are excited to do an Ironman. I'm excited to RACE an Ironman. The distance and idea has always intimidated me until now. Here's why I say that. I'll break down each discipline individually to give you an idea of what our plan for is in our build towards IMCDA and where I am at physically and mentally.

Swim: Flanny and I decided to actually bring my swim volume down a notch. Although this may gain some criticism - I truly believe it is the right call. I noticed I was swimming the same whether I swam 10k/week or 15k/week. Some call this "maintenance mileage" - basically I'm not getting any faster or slower. I believe with the level I am at and the experience I have, I won't really see any improvements unless I get up to the 18-20k/week range. So we brought it down to 10k/week (3 swims a week vs. 4-5 swims a week). This gives me two additional workouts a week where I can do a bike or run. HOWEVER, my workouts in the pool are a lot more focused, intense and include more paddle work to gain strength which is key in long course.

Takeaways: I've noticed more energy in my bike and run workouts leading to more quality sessions. I've also noticed that I sustain pacing deep into the latter parts of 3500/4000 yard days when normally I would fade. I contribute that to paddle work and really focusing on keeping form when fatigue sets in.

Bike: Time for volume to go up! We'll start incorporating back to back long rides on the weekends with some tempo work and recovery rides during the weekdays. My SRM Power meter has really helped take my cycling to the next level. I'm really starting to learn how to use it. Not just chasing watts but studying output when out of aero, out of the saddle, speed, wind....etc etc. There is a lot to it and it's been fun seeing speed improvements with just simple adjustments in my riding style. This really is what IMCDA all comes down to - How well I ride, and a big part of that is how smart I am and the SRM plays a huge part of that.

Takeaways: I'm closing long rides better and running off the bike even better. I'm seeing power numbers; speed, energy and recovery time all go up. I had no idea how big of a tool a Power meter could be until now.

Run: Run volume will also increase. I'm already starting to see some gains because of it. For the past 3 years in triathlon I've always kept my mileage between 15-25 miles a week which is very low but with my running background I've been able to get away with it in most cases. Well, I have no doubt that my true running ability will start to show with the higher mileage.

Takeaways: With the extra consistency and volume, I'm seeing quicker/effortless recovery runs and it's also given me the ability to work on perfecting my form and efficiency. We'll be smart about the ramp up in volume and I'm excited about the prospects of crushing that marathon at IMCDA.

Here's last week's workouts: [hr]

Monday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 75 mins / 3500 yds
700 wup
8x50 on :50
10x100 on 1:40(50ez/50 fast)
500 kick with fins
800 pull (1:30 pace)
c/d


Post workout notes: Mondays always feel like a time to shake out the cobwebs since I hadn't swam since Friday. Good workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Tempo Session: Power File HERE 1:56 / 33 miles / 17.3 mph

Flanny’s workout: We now turn our focus to Ironman. Your current speed and strength will serve you well at Wildfllower but we need to start focusing you on the full distance. This will consist of LOTS of tempo work as our quality. VO2max work is now a thing of the past and Threshold will be an ocassional treat but not used as we have been to date.

2 hours today with 3 x 20 minutes at your 70.3 race watts on 5 minutes easy riding between efforts.

Post workout notes: (listed in power file)[hr]

Tuesday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Track Workout, Data HERE: 57 mins / 7 miles / 7:47 pace

Workout details & notes: (listed in data file). Still felt a little tired from the race and being sick. Just stayed smart and cruised through the intervals.[hr]

Wednesday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Flanny Swim: 1hr / 3000 yds
400 Swim
400 Pull w/ Paddles
15 x 100 best avg you can hold on 15 sec rest
200 Kick
6 x 50 as 1 fast 1 easy on 10 sec rest
200 CD

Post workout notes: Held 1:30's for the 100's, felt good.

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Trainer: 1:34 / 25 miles / 16.4mph

Flanny’s workout: Simple Zone 2 ride as recovery.

Post workout notes: Just threw on some Netflix and enjoyed the recovery ride.[hr]

Thursday: 1 workout

Rudy Project / Powerbar / Herbalife Long run/ Tempo Session Data HERE
90 mins, 11.6 miles, AVG 7:44 pace 

Flanny’s Workout: 30 min of Warm Up, 45 minutes building from low Z3 to mid Z3, 15min Easy to finish it out.


Post workout notes: (listed in Data file)[hr]

Friday: 1 workout

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 75 mins / 3500 yards


500 wup, 4x100 on 1:40, 4x50 on 50
Main set (x2):
8x25 on 30
4X50 on 50
2x100 on 1:30
200 on 3:00
500 fins and paddles
300 c/d


Post workout notes: Loving the burn from the paddle work.[hr]

Saturday: 2 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride, Power file HERE. 4:37 / 71 miles / 15.4 mph / 6k+ of climbing

Flanny’s workout: Lets knock out a good Long Session today with a short run off the bike. Get in some solid climbing and make sure nutrition is a focus and reported.

Post workout notes: Notes attached to the power file above. This was a point to point ride with the infamous Palomar mountain climb right smack in the middle. The climb is 12 miles long with 4k of climbing. Fun workout!

[caption id="attachment_2782" align="alignleft" width="300"] Quick stop at the Julian Pie Company![/caption]

Rudy Project Brick Run- 25 mins / 3.4 miles/ 7:27 AVG pace. Data File HERE.

Flanny's workout: Controlled 30 min Z2

Post workout notes: (Notes listed in data file)

 


[hr]
Sunday: 1 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride:  2:05 / 33 miles / 16 mph

Flanny’s workout: No concern for watts or speed today.

Post workout notes: Just a nice cruise through wine country. Legs felt surprisingly good and really enjoyed the ride. Threw in some sprints to open the legs up a bit too.[hr]

Totals (3 swims, 4 rides, 3 runs)
Swim: 10,000 yds /3:30
Bike: 164 miles / 10:14
Run: 22.5 miles / 2:53
Total hours: 16:37

Few more pics from the weekend!

[caption id="attachment_2787" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Grillin and Chillin![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2785" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Rewarding beers after a great week![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2788" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Beer from my sis in law from Germany. Delicious![/caption]

 

 

Training Log (Mar 31-April 6)

Post Ironman Oceanside 70.3 race week was all about celebrating with
some beers, soaking in a good result and getting ready for “official” IMCDA
training to begin. However, the beers had to wait until later that week. Last
week ended up being very Deja vu from last year's race. After swimming in the harbor last year I woke up the next day with a sinus infection. Sure enough, this year - I woke up with a nasty sinus headache. I think it's important to mark sick days in your training log so you can reference patterns that may occur over the years. Obviously there's something in that water that does not agree with me and my sinuses. The difference this year was I have a coach! Last year I took a few days off, took some meds and jumped right back into training, only to relapse three days later and ended up being out a whole week with a full blown sinus infection. After I looked at my training log and conversing with Flanny, we really ramped up slowly getting back into the swing of things last week which paid off as I only took two days off.

Either way, this is the second time in a month that I've been sick which points to a pretty weak immune system. I started taking some electrolyte tablets that have extra minerals I may be lacking (esp. Iron) in hopes that it will boost my immune system a bit. I'd be interested in any feedback any of you have besides eating healthy, getting enough sleep and washing hands often (which I do all three really well and often) on how to boost the immune system. It may just be that I'm around a lot of different environments (kids, work, friends...etc) and I train a lot so it's just part of the process. If you have any suggestions, please comment!

So last week was low key. Just recovering from the race, being sick and then slowly ramping up training the smart way:

Monday & Tuesday: Sick [hr]

Wednesday: 1 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Trainer: 1:35 / 20 miles / 12.9 mph

Flanny’s workout: Super easy z1 ride

Post workout notes: Just watched Breaking Bad on Netflix and got the legs moving.[hr]

Thursday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Recovery Run- 40 mins / 4.5 miles / 8:53 pace

Flanny’s Workout: 30-40 mins Z1 super easy

Post workout notes: Some aches and pains from not running for five days but felt fine otherwise.[hr]

Friday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 1hr/ 3k

Post workout notes: I went to Masters but just did a long warm up a few slow sets and then shut it down.

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Trainer Ride:  1:35 / 22 miles / 13.9 mph

Flanny’s workout: Another easy z1 ride

Post workout notes: Same as Wed. Just slow easy, watched some shows to get the legs moving.[hr]

Saturday: 1 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride: 2:38 / 43 miles / 16.2 mph

Flanny’s workout: Longish Ride Z2

Post workout notes: Still easing back into it. Stayed on the flats and just enjoyed the ride.[hr]

Sunday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Run- 90 mins / 11 miles / 8:40 pace

Flanny's workout: ez z2 long run

Post workout notes: First time in a long time that I enjoyed a long run. I actually posted that on Facebook and had a lot of comments that it was too short or too slow and they were right haha! It was nice to have a long run with no purpose or no goal but to just put time on your feet. The weather was perfect and the run refreshing. Just what I needed to start a new week.[hr]

Totals (1 swims, 3 rides, 2 runs)
Swim: 3,000 yds /1:00
Bike: 85 miles / 5:50
Run: 15 miles / 2:15
Total hours: 9:05

I always like to have a takeaway from the week of work. Did I get better physically and mentally? This week was all about recovering from the race so getting sick actually happened at a good time (if there's such thing). The plan was a low key week to get me ready for the "official" start of Ironman training. The plan worked and I'm really motivated right now to get knee deep into training for IMCDA. This week allowed my race accomplishment to sink in and in a way grow a love for the sport again.

Momentum.

Questions / Comments always appreciated!
For more info/pictures and James’ website visit: www.konajourney.com

 

 

 

 

2014 Ironman Oceanside 70.3 Race Report

It's been a crazy week on so many levels. Some personal stuff, getting sick the week before the race (see post on that HERE), and the actual race itself. Everything just happened at once but my coach gave me probably the best advice I've ever received before the race. Flanny said I'm prepared physically to have a great race but my performance will have everything to do with how I perform mentally. It actually took a lot of pressure off because I trust his judgment on my fitness and it was up to me to prove that mentally I can stay strong for 4 1/2 hours and 70.3 miles despite all the challenges against me.

[caption id="attachment_2752" align="alignright" width="300"] Armed w/the best sponsors![/caption]

Two-three days before the race is when I finally started feeling like myself again and just tried to wrap my head around giving everything I had on race day. Race check-in went smooth, The Bike Shop once again had my Slice ready to go and during my last few workouts I finally felt some pop in my legs, something I hadn't felt in a long, long time. With us living 30-40 minutes away from the race I was able to sleep in my own bed and get to the race in plenty of time to get my new 2014 Wattie Ink kit - thanks Dusty, Karin and Chris for all the support! Race morning I didn't have the usual pre-race anxious bathroom pit stop which told me mentally I was already heading in the right direction. I was relaxed and really ready to embrace the day. It was all about hanging out in transition with friends and then chillin with my fellow team mate Mo until my wave went off, which happened to be one of the last wave starts...

AG 35-39: 333 Athletes

1.2 Mile Swim: 35:57 (AVG 1:51/100 pace) 84th out of the water

So a couple of things going against me here which didn't help since the swim is my weakest discipline. A lot of people make the big mistake in triathlon of judging performances by time when place is the only thing that matters. Especially since triathlon courses are rarely measured accurately or held accountable for the correct distance. For this particular race the swim course was long. To give you perspective last year 52 athletes in my AG broke 30 minutes for the swim. This year it was 11. Yes, I looked it up. This race was an important gauge of fitness for me leading into IMCDA so I needed to do my homework. I know I'm not a 36 minute swimmer and the fact that only 11 broke 30 minutes tells me this swim was 3-5 minutes slow. Distance wasn't the only thing that slowed our wave down. We had a lot of traffic to navigate, the chop picked up and we had horrible sighting issues when we made the turn back home with the sun directly in our eyes. Excuses? Nope. Again, gauging fitness accurately is important and you have to include all of the variables to make an educated guess of fitness. Just like science class! I did my best to draft, navigate traffic, kick as little as possible and keep my level of exertion as even as possible. All this said, when I exited out of the water and saw my time, my heart sunk. I couldn't believe my eyes and I really thought my chances of cracking the top 10 in a very tough and talented age group would be impossible. By the time I got through transition and onto my bike - my mind shifted to "I'm going to do whatever it takes to crack the top 10..."

[caption id="attachment_2740" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pissed off about the swim...[/caption]

T1: 3:24

Long run to T1 from the boat dock, stuff my wetsuit into the bag and got outta there.

56 mile Bike: 2:31:00 (AVG 22.3 mph) 1800ft elev. 9th fastest bike split in AG (passed 69 to move up to 15th place going into T2)
SRM Power file HERE.

For the first time ever in a triathlon I got on the bike and had some pop in my legs. I can't believe how much the SRM power meter helped me too. Our target watts was 230 (I ended up averaging 218). Since it's pretty much impossible to stay right on target watts the entire ride I tried to stick as close to 220-230 the whole time because I knew I would go over that quite a bit with the climbs. I was actually surprised my normalized power was 218 as I was afraid I was going to be more like 238! I really didn't want to ride too hard as I knew I could make up a ton of time on the run with some good legs as opposed to hitting more watts and making up just a little bit of time. My only struggle during the ride (which you can see in my power file notes) was trying to pee on the downhill's. There's about four of them on the ride and it took me until the fourth long downhill to finally go. Sorry if this grosses you out but if you want to podium in Ironman, you have to pee your pants haha. Last year I had no issues going twice but I guess I was a little shy this year and it cost me a lot of time and speed (possibly a podium) because I didn't pedal at all on all of the downhill's.

[caption id="attachment_2743" align="alignleft" width="300"] Coming into T2[/caption]

Another goal on the bike this year was to close strong. In the past two years I've always struggled after making that final turn to head back to transition. It's a false flat and usually you have quite a bit of headwind and you're tired. This year I made up a lot of ground on this stretch and power numbers were strong. All of Flanny's ridiculous trainer work helped big time here and I ended up passing a lot of people along that stretch. My time goal was to break 2:30 which I may have done if I had my urine issues handled...

T2: 1:24

In and out of there. Only thing that slows me down is putting on socks for long course, which I have to until I find a shoe that doesn't tear me up for weeks after.

[caption id="attachment_2744" align="alignleft" width="300"] Love the new kits![/caption]

13.1 mile Run: 1:25 (AVG 6:33 pace) 3rd fastest run split in AG (passed 7)
Run file HERE.

So they changed the run course this year. One of the cool things about the run course in the past is that it's always been 12.5 and it makes you look fast (again, times don't mean sh*t in triathlons) but this year to decrease run traffic and make it truly a half marathon they switched up the beginning of the run course. Past two years I ran 1:23, 24 and now this year 1:25. So technically this was my best half marathon off the bike ever because it was the full distance. The first mile I kind of felt like garbage but then miles 2-6 felt amazing and effortless. I just locked into a pace and it felt fairly easy. I was only taking in cola and water and I think that's where I screwed up. I hate taking in nutrition on a run, my heart rate is sky high and I hate breaking up momentum. Miles 7-10 started to hurt and then that last three miles the wheels fell off and all of my 6:2x's became 6:4x's and I just did my best to stay focused, keep my form intact and finish strong.

[caption id="attachment_2745" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Running up a wall[/caption]

This was a very emotional run for me. There's a lot going on in life right now and I broke down about four miles in and then again at the finish. Its weird how competing hard and giving it everything you have can make you very venerable to life's challenges. My buddy Dusty said it best. "Sometimes we race for more than just the clock."

4:37, 8th in AG, Qualified for Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Mount Tremblant Canada. [hr]

Here's coach Robert "Flanny" Flanigan's coaches evaluation of my race:

Oceanside was going to be a make or break day for James. In the weeks leading up to the race he started to show uncharacteristic signs that he was cracking. After a successful training camp with him in San Diego he ran into an emotional wall that started with a unexpected result at Desert Tri and strung into a few weeks of training that was not what I have come to expect from James. We circled back and managed to get him in a better mindset after some good sessions and a fresh perspective on training. We had some great momentum rolling when he was hit with some personal challenges that would have broken most athletes. We worked together daily to make sure that his focus was in the right place (and that wasn’t necessarily training and racing). The day before the race we reviewed our race plan one last time and I stressed the importance of racing his race….no matter what.

James was in a good place mentally the night before the race and if he could pull off a good result in light of all that was happening around him, I knew he would have what it takes to see his seasonal goals become a reality.

James came out of the water slower than we expected but was able to shake off that result and get to work on the bike. He executed the ride just as planned and set himself up for a solid run performance on the now honest 13.1 Oceanside course.

The result of this race, the time, placing, and Worlds Qualification were not the standout result of this day. James showed the ability to be mentally tougher than most any athlete I have worked with and that will be the take away from this race that we build on.
-Flanny[hr]

I can't thank Flanny enough. He's been instrumental in keeping my head screwed on straight, getting me to perform at my best and being a great friend.

I thank my warrior of a wife for all of the support with all we've been through along with our two amazing kids. I truly couldn't do any of this without you or them!

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Wattie Ink, Herbalife, Powerbar, Blueseventy, Rudy Project, Spidertech, Reynolds, ISM, Speedfil, and my personal sponsors SRM, OG's and The Bike Shop!



So now I have the 70.3 qualifier in my hip pocket if for some reason I don't qualify for Kona at IMCDA. I have to admit, I wasn't too optimistic about my chances at Kona until I raced Oceanside. I did my research and a lot of the competitors in front of me and behind me are really really fast. I'm unhappy with my time ONLY because it doesn't justify how good of a race I really had.

The confidence is there now, now it's just time to do the work.

 

 

 

Training Log (Mar 17-23)

Last week was really quite weird. After coming off my best week of training of the year I was excited to keep the momentum going as we lead into Ironman Oceanside 70.3. First half of the week went great then Wednesday I got horribly ill. I didn't mention it to anyone but my coach and of course my wife that tried to take care of me in bed. I hate it when people come up with excuses prior to a race, it's as if they have already defeated themselves. It's a sign of self-doubt. I had no intentions of bringing this up until I remembered that I have this blog to write... It really was a weird illness. I woke up with a big stomach ache which turned into sweats, chills, nausea, and was just left feeling really achy and weak. No fever, no vomiting - just HORRIBLE. I thought maybe I had food poisoning but with no fever or vomiting I am left confused and am just tacking it up as a bug that I got.

So the week was a bit of a wash when it came to training. I had to take two days off and even up till Monday I am left feeling very weak and tired. Flu season is going on in full effect out here and as much as I eat healthy, sleep 8-9 hours, wash my hands, sanitize and avoid others that are sick - it can be impossible to avoid, especially when you have two little ones running around! The good news is I have until Saturday to get well. I have a positive spin on the whole thing and look at it as forced rest and recovery which will make me even stronger once I toe the line... er buoy on Saturday.

Here's what last week looked like. I'm also going to post this week's workouts leading up to the race so you can see how we approach race week. Next week will be my Oceanside race report. [hr]

Monday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 90 mins/ 4k
500 wup, 4x100 on 1:40, 4x50 on 50
Long Main set all on 1:40b:
300
2x150
300
3x100
300
4x75
300
6x50
300
12x25 Sprint


Post workout notes: As always, on Mondays I'm always a little bit tired from the weekend of training and having fun with family/friends. Workout went as planned but had zero sprint in me at the end.

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds / ISM Bike Ride: 75 mins / 20 miles / 16 mph

Flanny’s workout: No concern for watts or speed today. Settle into a good groove and stay down in the aerobars.

Post workout notes: Usually on recovery days I'm around 85-90 watts, today I was pushing over 100 and felt easy. Just a good shake out ride.[hr]

Tuesday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Track workout: 1hr / 7.86 miles Workout file HERE.

Group workout:10 min wup, plyos, 800 of jogging curves, striding straights.

Main set: 3x400 @ mile pace, 2x800 @5k pace, 1 mile @10k pace, 2x800 @5k pace, 3x400 @mile pace c/d

Post Workout notes: It's been awhile since I've done any speed work or running in a group setting so this was welcomed. My legs were pretty beat up and tired to start the workout but the back half I felt a lot better and faster. Always fun to be on the track![hr]

Wednesday-Thursday - Sick.[hr]

Friday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy 3k wetsuit swim: 50 mins / 3k

Post workout notes: This time of the year is great because I have access to three pools. One community pool (where I do masters) and two HOA pools - one heated and one not heated (but still maintained). So I'm able to get in some wetsuit swims and not burn up and also get used to that freeze shock we all get when we jump into Oceanside harbor each year. One thing I'm trying to work on is proper wetsuit fit. I do my best to try and get as much slack in the shoulders but I still get that wetsuit shoulder fatigue. I also have a bad habit of kicking too much with a wetsuit on. I have no idea why, but it's something I'm trying to work on and limit myself to a 2-beat kick, just like I do in the pool so I can conserve more energy for the bike and run.

Rudy Project Recovery Run- 37 mins / 4.3 miles / 8:36 pace

Flanny’s Workout: EZ run back

Post workout notes: Back from the dead. Still feeling effects, bloated, tired...etc[hr]

Saturday: 2 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride, Power file HERE:  2hrs / 31 miles / 15 mph

Flanny’s workout: Zone 2 w/ 30 minutes of climbing (that doesnt mean kill the climbs

Post workout notes: Felt like garbage most of the ride and got a flat for the first time in a year but things started getting better the last 30 minutes and started feeling a little bit better.

Rudy Project Brick Run: 20 mins / 2.85 miles / 7:43 pace

Flanny's workout: I want you to set up a practice transiton and quick change to the run after your ride. First mile at race pace and then shut it down.

Post workout notes: Treated this as transition practice and also experimented with eating solid food 15-20 minutes before to see how my gut would react to race pace. Hit that first mile in 6:17 and didn't feel so great. Both in my gut and in general. Still recovering from sickness.[hr]

Sunday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Long Run: 90 mins / 11 miles / 8:11 pace

Flanny’s workout:
30 minutes Warm Up
45 minutes low Z3 building to high Z3
15 minutes Cool Down

Post workout notes: This was a tough workout both mentally and physically. When you're not feeling well and you know you're fit it can be quite frustrating, especially after some time off. I'm just not quite recovered yet.[hr]

Totals (2 swims, 2 rides, 3 runs)
Swim: 7,000 yds /2:20
Bike: 51 miles / 3:20
Run: 26 miles / 3:30
Total hours: 9:10

Very light week overall. We would have approached this week a lot differently if I didn't get sick. The goal was to just get well and play each day by ear.[hr]

Race week (Mar 24-30)

Monday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 1hr / 3200 yds.
500 wup, 4x100 @1:40, 4x50 @50
Mainset (all on 1:30b)
500
5x100
8x75
2x150
10x50


Post workout notes: Felt like crap the entire swim. Just worn out with a deep fatigue. Had to skip a 50 here and there, something I rarely do.

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds / ISM Bike Ride: 80 mins / 21 miles / 15.8 mph

Flanny’s workout: Taper Ride ......Z2+ Ride for 75 min w/ 8 x 1 min Z4 on 3 min easy

Post workout notes: I went into this ride not knowing what to expect. After the first 30 seconds or so in z4, I knew it wasn't in the cards so I toned it down to z3. By the end of the ride I felt a lot better.[hr]

Tuesday: Tempo run

Flanny's workout: 10 minutes at race pace and no faster. Settle in and relax. Get 15 min of WU and then get the tempo in.....relax and run easy afterwards.[hr]

Wednesday, 2 workouts:

1hr swim:
400 choice
3X100m kick
9X100m descending 1 to 3 (3 times) on 15 sec rest
500 pull
200 cool down

1hr recovery ride:
w/ 4 x 90 sec at race pace.[hr]

Thursday:
30 min easy run. Super Easy Day
30 minute run w/ strides at completion.
Remember to get as much sleep as possible[hr]

Friday:
30 min pre race ride and 15 min venue swim if possible.[hr]

Saturday:
Race Day![hr]

Sunday:
1 hr active recovery spin or swim.[hr]

I have high expectations for Saturday. There have been a few setbacks over the winter but for the most part I've put in some solid training and there's no doubt that Flanny has me ready to race well. My bib number is #2365, feel free to track online. If you’re out on the course look out for the best looking kits on the course – all the Wattie Ink’ers! We are rocking black and orange this year and I’m excited to race in the custom made kit made by the W factory by Wattie himself. Made in the USA!

Thanks LAVA readers for all of the email encouragement and comments I have received, it means a lot! Wish me luck. Step 1, a test, for a KQ starts Saturday!

Training Log (Mar 10-16)

Last week was the best week of training I've had all year. I executed each workout to plan, had the best swim of my life and mentally overcame each day despite some personal stuff (not divorce or work related!) from the week before. It's crazy how much momentum affects me. I'm either on the upswing or downswing in training, rarely in between. Right now I'm definitely on the upswing and it couldn't come at a better time with Ironman Oceanside 70.3 next week. I'm going into the race as a different athlete than I was a year ago. I'm used to going into these races as a great runner with a decent bike and a poor swim. The swim takes everything out of me, I underperform on the bike and then I do my best to salvage a run with whatever I have left which often leads to unpredictable and poor results.

Now I go into Oceanside with confidence in my swim, something I'm not used to. I also go in with the best bike fitness I've ever had thanks to Flanny and my SRM. I'm actually least confident about my run but I know that me as an average runner is still better than most triathletes out there. I have a feeling that this breakthrough I've been waiting for; for so many years has finally arrived and I can't wait to toe the line and compete against a really good 35-39 field.

Here's last weeks numbers:

Monday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 75 mins / 3500 yds
800 wup, 4x100 @1:40, 4x50 on 50
6x150 on 2:30 w/last 50 sprint
6x100 on 1:40 w/last 50 sprint
12x50 on 55 w/last 25 sprint
c/d to 3500


Post workout notes: After that horrible 75 mile ride from the day before (and one to many beers), I struggled on this workout. It was really hard to change gears and actually sprint.

Rudy Project Recovery Run: 51 mins / 6 miles / 8:34 pace

Flanny’s workout: Monday Funday.....Lets get right into it with 50 minutes of Z2+ depending on the legs. Consistency is the name of the game so run as you feel today. If you are good....get it up a bit.

Post Workout notes: Legs didn't feel any better that night. Just felt tired and slow so I didn't force things and just cruised. [hr]

Tuesday: 1 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Threshold Session: Power File HERE
1:32 / 29 miles / 18.9 mph

Flanny’s workout: 30 min WU 10 min Z4 Threshold 2 min Rest 15 min Threshold 2 min Rest 20 min Z4 Threshold Remainder in Z2

I want you hitting mid to upper Z4 zone for each of these. Dont blow your load on the first one.

Post workout notes: I did this workout outside for the first time. In the past I've done these threshold intervals on the trainer but I just can't seem to ride as hard (as I've mentioned in the past). I put out my best numbers for these intervals and was pleased with how I felt.[hr]

Wednesday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy / Flanny Swim: 1hr / 3100 yds
800 Choice warm up
2x100 pull @ 1:50
2x50 pull @ :55
2x150 pull @ 2:45
2x50 pull @ :55
2x200 pull @ 3:40
2x50 pull @ :55
20x25 swim @ :30 (All FAST!)
600 w/Fins (100 swim/50 kick)
200 cool down

Post workout notes: Felt good to get some pulling in as my legs were pretty smoked from yesterday. Feeling stronger in the water.

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Trainer: 1:20 / 19 miles / 14.5mph

Flanny’s workout: Simple Zone 2 ride as recovery to set you up for a good session of speed tomorrow.

Post workout notes: I was very close to bagging this workout because of a massive saddle sore from forgetting to wear chamois on Tuesday (sorry TMI). I just decided to do this on the trainer sitting up as to not agitate it anymore.[hr]

Thursday: 1 workout

Rudy Project / Powerbar / Herbalife Track Workout File HERE
70 mins / 9 miles

Flanny’s Workout:
15 minute Warm Up
4 x [1 mile @ 5:50-6:00 pace, 60 seconds rest between miles]
1 lap easy after miles
2 x [800 m @2:30-2:40, 60 sec rest]
Cool Down remaining time

Post workout notes: My splits are listed in the link above. As usual, I felt terrible during the warm up and then the intervals seemed way too easy. I felt like I could do the set over again. Good workout and good confidence builder.[hr]

Friday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 90 mins / 4k
500 wup, 4x100 @1:40, 4x50 @50
4x100 (1:10-15 pace w/20 secs rest)
2x50 on 50
3x100 (1:10-15 pace w/20 secs rest)
2x50 on 50
2x100 (1:10-15 pace w/20 secs rest)
2x50 on 50
100 (1:10-15 pace w/20 secs rest)
2x50 on 50
400 pull (1:15-20 pace)
300 pull (1:15-20 pace)
200 pull (1:15-20 pace)
100 pull (1:15-20 pace)
6x50 sprint on 1 min
10x25 sprint on 30


Post workout notes: So the fast boys forced me in their lane and what a difference it made! I was hitting most of my 100's at 1:12 (with my pr from a year ago a 1:09) and my pulling felt a lot stronger. This was a break through workout for me and made me realize that I may be faster than I think in the water and that maybe I've just been lazy and content with being an average swimmer.

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride:  1:47 / 33 miles / 18.5 mph

Flanny’s workout: No concern for watts or speed today. Settle into a good groove and stay down in the aerobars.

Post workout notes: Just trying to ride with others as much as I can so I hooked up with some friends for a nice evening ride after work. Love the time change![hr]

Saturday: 1 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride, Power file HERE. 4:18 / 68 miles / 15.7 mph / 5k of climbing

Flanny’s workout: Long Ride Z2 with 3 x 20 minutes high Z3 Watts on 10 minutes back in Z2. Start the efforts after the first hour of riding.

Post workout notes: Notes attached to the power file above. I'm starting to do a little experimenting with nutrition and trying to incorporate some real food during intervals to see how it would settle. We are getting some decent heat out here already so also trying to adapt to drinking more and riding in hotter conditions - something I failed at last week. Great ride and felt really strong on the climbs.[hr]

Sunday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Run- 1:40 / 13.2 miles. Workout File HERE.

Flanny's workout: Lets get this in since we didn't have the opportunity last week. 30 minutes Zone 2 getting warm and into a groove.
3 x 10 minutes at 6:00 pace with 2 minutes easy between the efforts
Finish out the run at Zone 2 and drop in some run drills at completion.

Post workout notes: This was the 4th hard day in the row with some sort of intensity so my legs were pretty beat up and energy low. I was still able to execute the intervals. I always like to duplicate my run intervals on the run profile of my next big race. With Oceanside being flat as a pancake, the track was perfect for this. With my tired legs, Flanny was able to duplicate what I will be feeling like in a few weeks in the half marathon. It felt exactly like a 70.3 and I was able to run through the workout like an audition. I got through it and was very pleased with the overall week.[hr]

Totals (3 swims, 4 rides, 3 runs)
Swim: 10,600 yds /3:45
Bike: 149 miles / 8:58
Run: 28 miles / 3:43
Total hours: 16:25

[caption id="attachment_2725" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The man Sean "Wattie" Watkins and I[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2723" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Post ride heaven in your mouth[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2724" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Chillin with family[/caption]

Questions / Comments always appreciated!

 

 

Training Log / FTP Test (Mar 3-9)

Last week wasn't the best week for me on the training front. It was a mix of a few days of recovery from the race, a poor FTP Test and then a frustrating weekend of training. Trust me, I realize every triathlete has these kind of weeks; it's part of the sport. However, my goal of this blog is to be REAL. To tell it like it is and not sugar coat anything. What good is any blog if you don't? I think too often blogs, articles and social media paint this perfect picture of the successful pro or age group triathlete. That everything comes easy, that they love the sport every day and that workouts and life are always PERFECT. Sometimes you can get caught up into that. After all, we all need to stay positive right? Nobody likes a "Debbie Downer" and we tend to try and avoid those people. The only problem with that is when the sport does get tough or your job gets stressful or personal life gets in the way of being the ideal triathlete, discouragement can set in.

My real challenge at making this Kona run is to just stay positive and FIGHT every single day. Doing the actual workouts is the easy part! Juggling being a good husband, father, employee and a hopeful top level / KQ material triathlete is no joke. I know what I signed up for but that doesn't make things any easier. It's hard to believe that I'm a short 3 1/2 months away from IMCDA. The real challenges lie ahead as we get ready for Ironman Oceanside 70.3 and then dive deep into IM training. I know I'll be on the rivet everyday of this balancing act. Every single decision I make on the hour can affect my family, work, and triathlon life - and I'm prepared for that. Making calculated decisions with my time and efforts so I can stay consistent these next 3-4 months is going to be key.

With over 17,000 hits to my blog in a short 2 1/2 months and 1,600 hits per article for the Lava Magazine website, the tri world is watching. My goal is to give a detailed play by play each week. All the ups, all the downs and everything in between. Here's how last week went down: [hr]

Monday: 1 workout

BlueSeventy Recovery Swim: 40 mins / 2000yds500 wup / 4x100 on 1:40, 4x50 on 50
200 w/buoy/paddles
200 w/fins
100 butterfly
200 w/buoy


Post workout notes: This workout was all about recovering from the race. Just some pulling and active recovery.[hr]

Tuesday: 2 workouts

Rudy Project Recovery Run: 37 mins / 4.5 miles / 8:20 pace

Flanny’s workout: 30-40 minutes with no care of pace or distance

Post Workout notes: Since I didn't run hard at the race I really wasn't sore, just really fatigued. Losing a lot of fluids can really take it out of you.

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds  Bike Ride: 1:09 / 17.5 miles / 15.2mph

Flanny’s workout: Depending oun how the legs feel today we go 90 minutes Z2+

Post workout notes: I was limited on time with work and family business so I had to cut this ride 20 minutes short. Legs are still tired but better than yesterday.[hr]

Wednesday: 2 workouts

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Trainer FTP TEST: 1:17 / 25 miles / 19.5mph

Flanny’s workout:


Today we are going to do our bike power test to identify your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) and Threshold HR. This will allow us to set up Training Zones and fitness benchmarks. This can be done on a trainer with a power meter and HR monitor.

Warm-up 15 minutes. 3 x 1 minute hard 1 minute recovery 5 minutes easy 5 minutes ALL OUT 10 minutes easy 20 minutes ALL OUT 15 minute cool down. The most important part of this test is the 20 minutes all out. Make sure you hit your lap button at the beginning and end of the 20 minute effort.

What I need from you at the end of this test. 1: Average Power (Watts) for the 20 minutes 2: Average Heart Rate for the 20 minutes.

Post workout notes: For the Power File, click HERE. My FTP is 240 watts / pushing 3.75 watts per kilo (weighing 141 pounds). Two things. 1. I don't think I was quite recovered from the race. 2. I struggle riding hard indoors on the trainer. However, we needed a base number to work off of and this was the best time to squeeze it in so we are not worried about it. Already proving I ride better outdoors, just a few days ago I had Lactate Threshold intervals. I did them outside with a 10, 15 and 20 minutes with 2 minute rest in between. My last (20 min) interval, my Normalized power was 263 watts. Now, I'm really new (as in 1 month) to a power meter so I'm out of my element talking about this stuff but I'm pretty sure I'll be re-testing soon and numbers will raise drastically.

With a Masters swim just 20 minutes later, I relied on a Powerbar Harvest bar to hold me over till after the swim. This saved me!

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 1hr / 3k
500 wup, 4x100 @1:40, 4x50 @50
5x150 @2:15
200/300/200 on 1:30b
c/d to 3k

Post workout notes: Come to find out riding hard and then swimming hard shortly after is a tough thing to do!  Got though it albeit drafting most of the way, thanks lane mates![hr]

Thursday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Recovery Run- 40 mins / 5 miles / 8:00 pace

Flanny’s Workout: Z2

Post workout notes: Work was long and stressful. All I wanted to do was to get back home with my family and the last thing I wanted to do was run. I know a lot of us go through the same thing from time to time. I laced up anyways and as usual, I left the workout less stressed and more refreshed; something my family benefitted more from instead of me coming home still stressed out.[hr]

Friday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy 3k Time Trial: 49:30 / 3k / AVG 1:38/100 yds.

Post workout notes: I did this in my HOA pool that had no lane lines which simulates some good open water chop. I was a little bit bummed with my time. I really feel that I should be able to hold 1:30's, but as Flanny brought to my attention, my turns suck and you put me in a wetsuit and competition in the open water, my times will be closer to what I'm looking for. That's why I have a coach!

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride, Power file HERE:  1:51 / 33 miles / 18 mph

Flanny’s workout: Optional ride if you have time.

Post workout notes: I slipped this in after work and my legs finally felt like they were coming back to life.[hr]

Saturday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Run- 1hr / 4.5 miles / 13:20 pace

Flanny's workout: 1:40 run: 30 minutes Zone 2 getting warm and into a groove.3 x 10 minutes at 6:00 pace with 2 minutes easy between the efforts. Finish out the run at Zone 2 and drop in some run drills at completion.

Post workout notes: On the training front, this was a very frustrating day. On the family note, this was one of more enjoyable days I've had. Amy had a trail race that she was doing with her sister and the kids. The plan was for me to go out, cheer her on and do my workout out on the trails. She was sick so I ended up taking the kids on this crazy trail run that had a lot of hills and soft sand. It was a great workout but nothing even close to what I had planned for the day. Afterwards I took my daughter to a bike race and then my son that night to get him cleats for soccer season - very special father/kid time and I loved it! I'm really looking forward to them getting into sports. This was one of those days where I put away my triathlete hat and spent time with my family which was no doubt the right choice.[hr]

Sunday: 1 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride, Power file HERE. 4hrs / 76 miles / 18.7 mph

Flanny’s workout: Long Ride Z2 with 3 x 20 minutes high Z3 Watts (180-215) on 10 minutes back in Z2. Start the efforts after the first hour of riding.

Post workout notes: This ride was pretty frustrating. It was smooth sailing on the way out. I noticed it was getting a lot hotter than usual. I normally take in a bottle of fluids for every hour. The wind was also kicking by this point. I stopped, grabbed a cola and some fluids and headed back. Right around 3 hours I started running into some trouble. I felt like I was eating and drinking enough but probably not. I started getting dizzy, chills...etc. I know I needed to stop. So 20 minutes from home I stopped and grabbed a burger, a ton of water and of course a 22 ounce IPA. After two sips, it was the fastest I've ever been buzzed in my life! No doubt, it went straight to the blood - which was much needed. I had sort of a mental meltdown and just hated triathlon and everything about it. It wasn't the workout that spawned it - I've been through plenty of workouts where I ran into trouble. After talking with Flanny, I think it's just been an accumulation of things over the past several months. Getting into a groove, chopping my fingertip off. Getting into a grove, race a poor half marathon. Getting into a groove, get sick, puke all race, etc, etc, etc... It's just been awhile since I've had things swing my way.

Of course, its adversity - what do you expect in triathlon!? The difference for me is, in order for me to be at my best I need to be consistent and be right mentally. I can't have one or the other, they need to be synced and they both rely on each other. For me to be right mentally, I need momentum...i.e. success. I'm convinced that Oceanside is when things are going to turn around. I'm VERY motivated to throw down in that race.

I have a lot to prove.

Totals (3 swims, 4 rides, 3 runs)
Swim: 8,000 yds /2:30
Bike: 151 miles / 8:18
Run: 14 miles / 2:18
Total hours: 13:05

[caption id="attachment_2711" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Future soccer star![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2710" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Future tri star![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2709" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Love my family.[/caption]

 

Guest Post: Amy Adams - Recipes

With two kids and an Ironman in the house, we do our fair share of eating. We are on the go very often and I've found it's really challenging to find unprocessed/easy snacks to take with us (besides fruits & veggies). So I took the matter into my own hands and found a lot of great snacks that are easy to prepare (kids love to help), taste good and are healthy.

Here are some of our favorites (click on the links for full recipes):

[caption id="attachment_2664" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Vanilla Granola[/caption]

We love to throw this on our yogurt, oatmeal or just straight from a baggy.

[caption id="attachment_2666" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Homemade Cliff Bars[/caption]

James likes to take these out on his rides and the kids love them for school snacks

[caption id="attachment_2665" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Plantain Crackers[/caption]

We eat 90% GF, so these are a great alternative for a cracker. They are great plain or dip them into hummus, which the kids love. I've found they taste best fresh. Once they dry out they can become pretty chewy and not as good.

[caption id="attachment_2667" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Quinoa Coconut Granola Bars[/caption]

These have become a household favorite. Highly recommended!

[caption id="attachment_2663" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Homemade Graham Crackers[/caption]

These are not gluten free but very tasty and the kids love the shapes :)

[caption id="attachment_2662" align="aligncenter" width="111"] Raw Cookies[/caption]

These are so easy to make and everyone really likes them. We do a lot of raw cookies around here, just Google or look on Pinterest and you can find a lot of recipes.

These are just a few recipes - I always like to add my own flair to each of them so don't be afraid to add more or less of something. We also get a lot of our snacks from Feed Zone Portables. The kids love the peanut butter and jelly rice cakes and many others. Each week when we do our food planning for the week we always pick out a different recipe from the book so we have something different on hand all week.

~Amy

Being an "Ironmate" by Amy Adams

Guest Post by my wife, Amy Adams

Adjusting to having a husband training for triathlon wasn’t an easy transition at first; we had to find our rhythm. Now that we have, triathlon feels like a normal part of our lives. Our goal is always to spend as much quality time together as a family as possible so here are some things we have found that work for us.

Communicate-It’s the best thing we can do as a family to stay on the same page and make sure there are no unmet expectations for the day. We usually chat about the upcoming week to align our schedules. Then we talk each morning about what we have going on that day so that we can sync our days up to spend the most time together as a family.

Plan to be gone at the same time- If James has a long workout on the weekend then the kids and I will go for a run and then hit up the farmers market for a bit or we will go meet up at the park with friends for an hour and play while he finishes up those big training days. On weekdays, he’s usually up around 4:30am getting his workout in which has zero interference with family time.

Know why your spouse is training, it will help you be more supportive. Instead of just thinking of it as long workouts that take them away from the family, find out what drives this passion. Once James started sharing with me why he loves the sport so much it made me better understand why he does it and it helped me and the kids get excited about it for him as well. I run and our kids are very active too, so we understand why he loves it.

Share about your workouts, just not too much- As a non-triathlete I have no idea what cadences and aero means, I don’t want to know the nitty gritty about workouts but I do want to know how things went that day. James is really good about sharing his workouts with me in general terms (like it was hot and my legs were tired) rather then numbers and technical terms like blah blah blah!

Nutrition- What we eat around here has changed so much over the past few years and took some time adjusting. Although we were never big on eating out, we relied on a lot of convenience food. Preparing and cooking our own food takes a lot more time but is worth the effort. We share cooking responsibility so that when one of us is cooking the other is playing with the kids and vise versa. I also spend a lot of time in the kitchen with the kids. Most days you can find us in the kitchen mixing up bars, muffins or making granola. We have found tons of recipes that we love to make from triathlon magazines and blogs and love the inspiration that comes from them which translates to healthier choices in the kitchen.

Spend family time on what’s important to make the most of it- Instead of sitting around vegging out in front of the TV in the evenings, the TV stays off and we spend time reading books, building Legos together, playing games and Barbie’s. In the summer we hang out in the front yard while the kids ride bikes and scooters until it gets dark. Once the kids go to bed, we aren’t far behind them so that we can start the day off early once again.

Set time aside for just the two of you- Marriage is beyond important, don’t treat it lightly! Make sure that your spouse knows that they are more important to you then the sport. As a stay at home mom to a 3 year old and 5 year old, I know it can be hard to get away on date nights but make it happen whenever you can! When that’s not possible at least set aside some time at home connecting and talking to each other. I cherish the quiet moments we get together to just reconnect.

These are just a few things we do to make triathlon a fun part of our lives instead of a burden on family time. It takes a lot of work at first but once you find your groove it becomes easy! It takes us to destinations we normally wouldn't have visited, we've met a lot of new friends and it’s inspired me to become a better runner.

Training Log (Jan 13-19)

Last week was a pretty solid week for me and I have a feeling that it was mild compared to what is to come. The best news was that my finger checked out enough for me to get back in the water swimming after a full month off. I'm scared to death of smacking it on the lane line or wall but so far so good.

This week's focus was to gradually get my swim volume back up and feel for the water without diving in too fast. The bike and run proved to be really challenging with each workout (for the most part) providing some intensity and purpose.

Challenges for the week: I had to commute Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the weekdays and for the weekend we had our kids in the Legoland 1 mile race on Saturday with a family birthday party that night. Sunday was Amy's half marathon - which she pr'd by 16 mins! So getting in my workouts on a strict/planned schedule proved key.[hr]

Monday: 2 workouts

Swim: 2000 yards / 45 minutes
4x500:
1 - ez/wup
2 - pull
3 - IM pace
4 - pull

Post workout notes: Got in the water with my BlueSeventy goggles at 6:30am before I started my work day. Today was all about just getting back into the water, ignoring the clock and making sure that my finger wasn't going to be effected by the water or chlorine. I put some second skin on it and it was good to go. I actually felt a lot better than I thought I would after taking a month off. I contribute that to loosing some of my holiday weight, eating healthier again and being in a lot better bike/run shape than I was a month ago.

Bike Trainer: 6x3 minutes Z5 VO2 / 90 minutes

20 minutes Zone 2 Warm Up
4 x 30 sec spin ups (get cadence over 100 rpm) on 30 sec recovery
1 min Easy
6 x 3 minutes Zone 5 on 3 minutes easy
Zone 2 to finish out the session.

Post workout notes: After work, threw my bike on the trainer and hit this up before dinner with the family. My SRM Powermeter is in the mail as I type this - so for this workout, once again was all about going as hard as I could on the Z5 intervals. My legs actually felt great and it ended up being a great session.[hr]

Tuesday: 2 workouts

Bike Trainer: 60 minutes Z2 easy recovery

Post Workout notes: 4:30am wake up call, on the trainer getting in an easy spin to clear out the legs from last nights workout and to prepare for a tough session on the track that night.

Run: Track session / 1 hr, 7.63 miles

1.5 wup including strides, plyometrics
4x1000 w/200 jog ~1 min recovery splits: 3:41, 3:33, 3:28, 3:26
4x300 w/100 walk recovery splits: :56, :54, :53, :52
1 lap jog recovery
1 mile: 5:21
cool down
Data:
Post workout notes: I hit this up after an early wake up call and a long day at work. It's always hard to get motivated to hit a hard track session after a day like this but I've always said to myself, just start running and you'll start feeling better! It really helps on nights like this to run with a group - which is my case is the San Diego track club. My legs didn't feel as good as they did last Tuesday but I was still able to hit pacing that I'm looking for in two weeks at the Surf City half ~5:40 pace. The 300's were fun to get in a little extra speed work and as always we always finish up with a strong effort mile to finish off the workout which I hit in 5:21 and felt so-so. [hr]

Wednesday: 2 workouts

Swim: Specific Technique work / 1 hr / 3k

Post workout notes: Another early 4am wake up call to get in the water. As much as I love our SoCal weather, there really aren't many indoor pools out here which is pretty rough in the "winter." So getting in at 4:30 when it's 38-40 degrees outside can sometimes be hard. But again, I just tell myself - start swimming! Sure enough, it's never as bad once you get going. I debated whether or not to post all of the drill/technique work that Flanny had me do, but it was pretty long. Unless I get some comments asking me to post next time I won't do it. I felt surprisingly good in the water and really don't feel like that month off had any effect on my form. GOOD NEWS.

Bike Trainer: Big gear work / 90 minutes

After a 30 min warm up on the trainer I want you to do 6 x 3 min big gear (hard enough to slow your rpm's to 40-50 as long as the knees are not strained) with 1 min of high cadence spinning between (100 rpm+). Ride the remaining time in Z2

Post workout notes: As soon as I get home from my commute, I kiss the family and immediately jump on the trainer before dinner. I LOVE big gear work. Something about it. For some reason it reminds me of when you were a kid and had a loose tooth. It hurt so good to pull and yank on that thing. Weird right? Legs felt tired, yet strong - good day of work. [hr]

Thursday: 1 workout

Run: Tempo session - 50 mins / 7 miles

Warm Up 20 minutes Z2 and then give me 20 minutes of high Z3 Tempo (5:50 pace) before bringing it back down for an easy 10 minutes of Cool Down

Post workout notes: Got the morning off to sleep in today. Hit this tempo session on the way back home from work on the trails (Lake Hodges). My legs felt really heavy during the warm up and wasn't too sure how it would go. For some reason I've always hated tempo sessions, even in hs and college. Something about them. Maybe it's because I only like either going really hard or really easy, nothing in between. I know these are key sessions though so I take them VERY serious. Here's how it went down:

[hr]

Friday: 2 workouts

Bike outside: Easy recovery spin -80 mins / 20 miles

Post workout notes: Woke up early, bundled up and rode through wine country watching the sun come up.

Swim: Masters - 75 minutes / 3500 yds

500 wup, 10x50 on 50
Mainset (everything on the 1:30b):
2x25,2x50,2x75,2x100,2x125,2x150,2x125,2x100,2x75,2x50,2x25
(1700 total mainset)
500 w/fins breathing every 3rd stroke
300 pull c/d

Post Workout notes: So it was my first time back with the group and was a little nervous of how I'd do. I just jumped right back into my same lane as always and ended up being fine and hitting all of the intervals. I started fading a little bit on the last few but that is normal because of my lack of volume. This was a huge confidence booster when my swim confidence has been lacking. [hr]

Saturday: 1 workout

Bike outside: 2:30 / 42.5 miles / 2k+ climbing

During this Ride I want you to get in 3 x 10 minutes of solid Z4 Threshold riding. Take 5 minutes of rest between efforts and dont start them until after the first hour of riding is complete.

Post workout notes: After watching the kids run their first mile race (which was so fun), we went over to the EXPO for Amy's half marathon. After she checked in, I suited up in my sweet Wattie Ink kit, Rudy Project helmet and glasses and hit the coast for some easy spinning and then hit the San Luis Trail for the 3x10 minutes while they went and hung out at the beach. My legs were dead tired today and was only able to average 21.6, 21.9, 22.5 mph for my three intervals. Some days you just don't have it. My HR felt low and my power felt low but I just did my best and got the work in - nothing else you can do![hr]

Sunday: 2 workouts

Bike Trainer: 1 hour easy spin

Post workout notes: Flanny orginally wanted this after my run but with Amy's half marathon that morning I had no choice but to get this in early in the am. Legs were dead!

Run - Track session: 80 mins / 9.5 miles

20 minutes of Z2 Running
15 minutes @ Half Marathon Goal Pace (5:45 pace)
Easy 5 minutes recovery
Stop Watch and get in 4 x 50 m strides to get some pop in legs
Easy 5 minutes to get back into it
10 minutes @ 5-10 sec per mile faster than half marathon goal pace (5:35 max)
15 minutes cool down

Post workout notes: Sometimes your commitment level is tested. This was one of those days. You're tired from waking up early, playing race sherpa, football and beer surround you but you need to get out the door and get the work in. I always take a reality check in situations like this. What is your main goal this year? It's not to watch football or drink beer or nap, it's qualifying for Kona! So I headed to the track and got the job done. Here's how it went down:

The splits are a little funky. My garmin doesn't calculate the track very accurately with laps. 1 mile usually equals ~ .98-.99. My first 15 minute interval falls on Splits 4-7. My 2nd inteval falls on splits 9-10. Running on tired legs is like Flan50ny's mantra. I hate it because I like to run fast and my legs to feel good. The problem with that is, it's not how your legs are going to feel in a 70.3 or IM. He's training me to run fast with good form and execute when my legs are smashed. It's working, I nailed this workout and am extremely pleased with the week and my progress. [hr]

Totals
Swim: 8500 yds
Bike: 150 miles
Run: 24 miles
Total hours: 15:07 [hr]

Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Thanks for reading.

Here's a few more pictures from the week:

[caption id="attachment_2569" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Kids before the big race![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2570" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Finished up a cleanse which included zero alcohol and coffee. Tough but I feel great![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2567" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Homemade Plantain Chips with Sea Salt that Amy made. Soooo good![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2573" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Tea replaced coffee and it's growing on me more and more and doesn't give me the big crash[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2571" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Carlsbad Beach riding[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2572" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Temecula winery riding. Life is good![/caption]

To see the post on LAVA's site, click HERE.