Race Week: Training Log (April 21-27)

It's RACE WEEK! With the job of qualifying for 70.3 World Championships out of the way and IMCDA still two months away, I jumped at the opportunity of racing Wildflower. There's zero pressure to perform well, so what are we going to do? We're going to take risks! Every single 70.3 I've raced has been on a conservative approach - which is smart since I was so new to the sport. With this being my fourth year in triathlon, I think it's time to put on my big boy pants and actually take some risks and race aggressively. There's no doubt that this course can really hurt you if you're too aggressive but I really don't have anything to lose. I'm not tapering or taking this race too seriously. It's all about having fun with team mates and racing harder than I ever have before.

Why risk a blow up when this is my last race heading into the most important race of the season? Well, my confidence is sky high right now. There's no doubt that I'm in the best shape of my life. I've also matured as a triathlete a lot this year and I know what I am capable of. My once hesitant confidence at my chances of qualifying for Kona are now a distant memory. I now believe that as long as I execute come race day at IMCDA, I'll be standing on the podium and collecting my Kona slot. Flanny mentioned that I'm ahead of his expectations with my fitness and I still have two months of solid training to build into the race.

So really, the goal at Wildflower this weekend is to put myself in such a deep/dark place that once I start to suffer at IMCDA, I'll remember the battles that I won at Wildflower.

Here's how last week's training looked like. Work was super busy so I really had to manage my time well and be disciplined on the hour.

Monday: 1 workout

Bike Tempo Session Data HERE:  1:40/ 30 miles / 18.4mph

Flanny’s workout: 1.5-2 hours depending on available time. 2 x 20 minutes @ 70.3 Race Watts on 5 minutes easy. Stay aero as much as possible.

Post workout notes: (in notes) [hr]

Tuesday: 1 workout

Run Track Workout, Data HERE: 1:10 / 8.5 miles

Flanny's Workout:
15 min WU
2 x 2 mile on 2 min rest
(first one I want at 6:30 pace, second one I want at 6:15 pace)
2 x 800 on 1 min rest
(I want both at 6:00 pace.....NO FASTER)
This workout should not be too hard for you.
Easy CD for the remainder of the run.

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

Wednesday: 2 workouts

Masters Swim: 90 mins / 4000 yds
500 wup, 4x100 on 1:40, 4x50 on 50
Main set:
5x200 on 3mins
500 pull (buoy/paddles)
5x200 on 3 mins
500 with fins

Post workout notes: I hit all of the 200's between 2:50-55. For not swimming since Friday, this was a really good workout for me - basically 2k at race pace.

Bike Tempo Session DATA HERE: 2hrs / 35 miles / 17.7 mph

Flanny’s workout: 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 data notes).[hr]

Thursday: 2 workouts

Morning run: 41mins / 4.5 miles / AVG 9:07 pace.

Flanny’s Workout: Easy morning run.

Post workout notes: 5am run's are always hard for me to warm up. Just an easy slow run.

Afternoon run: 1:22 / 10 miles / AVG 8:12 pace.

Flanny’s Workout: Evening Run 1:20 Z2+

Post workout notes: Hit the trails, felt pretty tired after a long day at work but started coming around towards the end. Good double run day, it's been awhile since I've done that.[hr]

Friday: 1 workout

Masters Swim: 90 mins / 4000 yards

700 wup, 10x50 on 50
4x500 @1:35 pace (odds swim, evens paddles)
500 drill (changing every 100)
c/d

Post workout notes: Another early wakeup call as I played golf with some clients for the rest of the day. Starting to love the longer intervals.[hr]

Saturday: 2 workouts

Wetsuit Swim: 31:36 / 2000 yds / AVG 1:34/100 
 
Post workout notes: Was scheduled for a long ride/brick run but woke up to nasty rain and wind so I made a quick call to Flanny and we just swapped Sat/Sun's workouts. I have access to a non-heated pool so I knocked this out and was 3 seconds faster per 100 then I was the week before Oceanside. Good to see some progress.

Tempo Long run, DATA HERE: 1:27 / 11.3 miles / AVG 7:44 pace 

Flanny’s Workout:
30 minutes Z2
30 minutes Z3+
30 Minutes Z2
Relaxed

Post workout notes: (posted in workout notes).6:30's never felt so easy (ok, except in college :)[hr]

Sunday: 2 workouts

Bike ride, DATA HERE. 3:30 / 61 miles / 17.5 mph

Flanny’s workout: Within today's session I want 3 x 30 minutes at Z3 watts with lots of rest between efforts. Stay down and aero for as much of this as possible. We don't need a huge climbing day today so keep it reasonable.

Post workout notes: Notes attached to the power file above.

Brick Run- 20 mins / 2.75 miles/ 7:16 AVG pace. 

Flanny's workout: Easy 20 min run off bike.

Post workout notes: Running is feeling effortless right now.[hr]

Totals (3 swims, 3 rides, 5 runs)
Swim: 10,000 yds /3:32
Bike: 127 miles / 7:09
Run: 37 miles / 5:00
Total hours: 15:41

Hours had to go down a bit this week with it being such a busy week commuting to San Diego 4 out of the 5 days, running a trade show at the convention center for two days and golfing all day Friday. Overall very pleased with the progress and my fitness going into Wildflower.

Wish me luck!!

Here's some more pictures from the weekend, cheers!

[gallery columns="2" ids="2808,2807,2806,2805,2803,2802,2801,2800,2809"]

Training Log (April 14-20)

Consistency has been the name of the game and last week was no different. I'm executing every single workout that Flanny is throwing at me right now and I'm starting to see noticeable differences in my fitness for all three sports. Hours have slowly increased and the good news is I'm not feeling any more fatigued that I was before. I feel like as a coach and athlete we are in sync which is sometimes hard to do - and from it comes an overwhelming confidence that what I do each day is the right thing.

The world famous Wildflower triathlon festival is next weekend and I'm really excited to race. Sometimes when you get signs of great fitness you start looking around for a race and I feel like this is the perfect race at the perfect time in my build up to IMCDA. What's even better is Wattie Ink and Wildflower triathlon partners up each year - so we are treated like kings there. Can't wait to hang out with team mates and race hard!

Here's last weeks workouts:

Monday: 3 workouts

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 75 mins / 3500 yds
500 wup, 4x100 on 1:40, 4x50 on 50
Main set:
6x200 on 3 mins
10x100 pull on 1:30 (5 w/paddles, 5 w/buoy)
200 c/d

Post workout notes: Tough day today in the water, barely made the 200's on 3 mins.

Bike Trainer ride: 1hr / 14 miles / 14 mph

Flanny’s workout: Recovery ride

Post workout notes: Easy recovery ride on the trainer, felt good to chill.

Rudy Project / Powerbar / Herbalife Steady State run: 55mins / 7 miles / AVG 8:01 pace.

Flanny’s Workout: Lets get in 60 minutes of steady running on soft surfaces focused on quick turnover.

Post workout notes: 3 sport day. Felt good to run and drop the pace down a bit in the middle and then cruise in. [hr]

Tuesday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Track Workout, Data HERE: 1:03 / 8.42 miles

Workout details:
3 x 400m uphill @ 5k effort / easy jog back to the bottom
1 mile @ 15k pace
3 x 400m uphill @ 5k effort / easy jog back down
1 mile @ 10k pace

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

Wednesday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Flanny Swim: 90mins / 4000 yds
500 wup, 4x100 on 1:40, 4x50
Big Main set - 150's on 2:20
5x150
50 FAST on 1 min
4x150
2x50 FAST on 1 min
3x150
3x50 FAST on 1 min
2x150
4x50 FAST on 1 mi
150
5x50 FAST on 1 min
c/d
 
Post workout notes: I made all the sets and was even finishing the last 50's on 35. Big confidence builder today

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Tempo Session Data HERE: 2hrs / 36 miles / 18.3mph

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

Post workout notes: (in notes)[hr]

Thursday: 1 workout

Rudy Project / Powerbar / Herbalife Long run: 1:40 / 11.5 miles / AVG 8:42 pace 

Flanny’s Workout: z2 long run

Post workout notes: Super fun single track trail run today with 900ft of climbing and some hike sections. Really enjoyed it[hr]

Friday: 2 workouts

BlueSeventy Masters Swim: 85 mins / 3800 yards

No idea what our set was, just have the time/distance haha. I know we just did a lot more 150's

Post workout notes: Just remember it was a really tough workout.

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride: 1:35 / 23 miles / AVG 14.5 mph

Flanny’s workout: Depending on the time available today I want you to get in 1.5-2 hours of Z2 riding.

Post workout notes: Swim smashed me so I did more of a recovery ride, legs felt better towards the end[hr]

Saturday: 1 workout

SRM / Speedfil / Reynolds Bike Ride, Power file HERE. 4:04 / 74 miles / 18.1 mph

Flanny’s workout: Within todys session I want 2 x 20 minutes at Z3 watts. Focus on IM Nutrition as discussed and report back intake and how it went.

Post workout notes: Notes attached to the power file above. [hr]

Sunday: 1 workout

Rudy Project Run- 50 mins / 6 miles/ 8:14 AVG pace. 

Flanny's workout: 50 min easier run James. Dont worry about pace.....chill run.

Post workout notes: Easter/family day. Nice and easy. [hr]

Totals (3 swims, 4 rides, 4 runs)
Swim: 11,400 yds /4:10
Bike: 147 miles / 8:38
Run: 33 miles / 4:29
Total hours: 17:17

Cheers!

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

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]

 

 

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 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!

 

 

Desert Tri RR - Training Log (Feb 24-Mar 2)

Well my first triathlon of the 2014 season is in the books and it didn't quite go as planned...That's one thing I've learned about triathlon - that this "not going as planned" happens often and the real challenge is how you get through it DURING the race and how you respond to it AFTER the race. My coach always tells me that I'm too hard on myself but I have to say for this race - I'm proud of how I got through it and my attitude about it all. It was one of the harder AND easier races I've ever done. Let me explain.

[caption id="attachment_2702" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Love the Desert![/caption]

The big "storm" of 2014 hit SoCal on Friday before the race. The rain was dumping which was much needed in a long drought we've been facing. Amy woke up not feeling so well on Saturday and with the rain pouring outside she decided that it would be best to stay home with the kids. So I headed out solo and as soon as I got out of Temecula heading east, the rain went away completely and the sun was shining. I was in high spirits going into this race. I had just finished up three solid weekends which included a half marathon, a hard century ride/relay run, capped off with Wattie Ink / BDR Training camp last week. I don't know what it is but I've been recovering really well lately -almost giving me an invincible feeling each morning. No matter how hard I went the day before I've been waking up without any soreness or mental fatigue - something I've NEVER experienced as a triathlete. So needless to say I was ready to start the season off with a bang and had high expectations of proving I'm ready to lay down this year.

[caption id="attachment_2699" align="alignright" width="300"] New Asics Gel Noosa TRI's![/caption]

Woke up and went through my usual pre race routine:
1. Sweet potato with sea salt, and a banana with almond butter 2-3 hours before race start.
2. 10-15 minutes of meditation. Just a chance to visualize the race one more time, prepare my body for discomfort / mentally prepare for the race and enjoy the day.
3. 10 minute bike warm up to make sure all systems go
4. 15 minute run warm up, stretching, light plyometrics, 5 strides
5. Take in pre race energy in T1. I've mentioned it before, T1 and swim start is my favorite part of triathlons. You can literally feel the glow and excitement from other athletes. You get to see a lot of friends, the sunrise is in full effect, the water looks amazing and there's no other place you'd rather be.
6. 10 minute pre race swim. I just like to get in the water, pee like 3 times (like everyone else does), put in a few 50 yd efforts, familiarize myself of where all the buoys are and just soak it all in. Again, no place I'd rather be.
7. Find the right place for me at the swim start. Depending on the race, I always have a plan of where I want to line up. For some reason I chose a terrible spot, especially since the plan was to go out fairly conservative then finish strong. I lined up 2nd row, middle which ended up being a bad choice!

Here are the details and I'll also include previous years splits for comparison.

Swim - 1200 meters / 21:43 (Avg 1:39/100yd)
2013: 20:09
2012: 21:56

The water this year was the cleanest I've ever seen it. You could actually see your arms in the water and it didn't have that horrible fishy smell that it normally has. It even tasted good - which is odd. However, it didn't feel very good with copious amounts in my belly. At the swim start I got thrashed around a little more than usual and drank some water. No big deal, nothing out of the ordinary as I've swallowed water before in the nastiest of lakes. I started out fairly conservative and gradually increased my effort and pace as the race went on - something my coach and I have been working on. It was working by the time I made the turn to head back to shore ~500 meters in I started passing a lot of guys in my age group that went out too hard. We also started passing athletes from previous wave starts. I tried my best to navigate through the traffic but in one instance I had a wall of 5 swimmers in front of me. Instead of going all the way around I decided to just plow through them. I've done this before with no issues but on this occasion I ended up swallowing A LOT of water that stopped me in my tracks. I immediately started throwing up. Have you ever thrown up while trying to tread water? It's almost impossible as your body kind of controls you with the contractions. I felt like I was going to drown! I was a disaster; goggles fogged up, snot and puke everywhere, swimmers running right into me. I was just trying to gather myself and move on.

I finished the rest of the swim with a few if-y burps but actually finished strong, something I've never had before and was definitely one of the few positive take-aways from the race. Even though I was about a minute down from last year, I easily lost a minute with my issues...

T1: 1:37

[caption id="attachment_2703" align="alignright" width="200"] Rolling into T2 after a BRUTAL ride[/caption]

Bike - 40k / 1:02:23 (AVG 23.9 mph)
2013: 58:24
2012: 59:28

As soon as I got out of the water and stood up I could tell my stomach was not happy and my heart rate seemed through the roof. I threw on my Rudy Project sunglasses, hopped on my ISM saddle and as usual I took a few minutes to gather myself, get some Herbalife Prolong down the hatch and then lock into my pre-planned SRM wattage plan. About a minute after I took some fluids in it came right back up. I was in aero position and throwing up literally swerved me off the road and into the dirt. It scared the sh*t out of me and thankfully I was able to recover and get back on the road as a fellow racer went by asking me if I was getting some cyclocross training in. I gave him a look and then moved on. About 5 minutes later some acid came up which was quickly followed by some more puke and swerving on the road. Sorry if this is TMI, just telling you like it is. 

The rest of the bike was the same story. Losing all those fluids had my heart rate sky high and my wattage very low. I'm so stubborn that I refused to let this take me down and I pressed on. I just tried to stay as aero as possible and keep cadence high as there was no power in my legs. I was only able to average 180 watts which is what I average on my long rides! I am actually very pleased with my bike split despite what I was going through. I know a lot of people would have pulled the plug at this point. I still managed to average ~24 mph for the ride and I contribute a lot of that to my new Reynolds race wheels. It was my first time racing in them and not only did they handle fine in the dirt but also on these huge potholes and they gave the beautiful "hum" that I love hearing once you get going fast.

T2: 1:16

 

[caption id="attachment_2697" align="alignright" width="180"] First lap struggling...[/caption]

Run - 6 miles / 41:50 (AVG 6:58 pace)
2013: 32:10
2012: 34:02

Immediately leaving T2 I dry heaved annoying loud in front of everyone. It was very embarrassing and kind of funny. I felt absolutely horrible but I pressed on. I couldn't keep any fluid down, nor was there any left so the dry heaving commenced. Finally by the 3rd mile I figured out how to make it subside and that was settling into a 7:30ish pace. The heaving went away and the rest of the race was just this weird feeling like I was on a training jog cheering on all the competitors that passed me. I knew I was no longer in the race and I had peace about it. I was proud of how I fought through this and I know this is going to help me once I race the real challenges in Ironman. I crossed the line, had a few more dry heaving spells - said congrats to a few team mates (congrats to David Lipke and Dusty Nabor 1,2 - two great friends and I wish I could have joined them on the podium!). I quickly packed up and went straight back to the hotel to clean up and collapse. I was toast. I made it home, slept for 3 hours then slept for 13 hours that night, took a 2 hour nap the next day and finally started feeling normal again!

[caption id="attachment_2698" align="aligncenter" width="200"] 2nd lap, at peace, cruising and proud that I fought through a tough day[/caption]

Results: 2:08:51 / 9th AG, 78th Overall
2013: 1:54:02 / 1st AG, 14th Overall
2012: 1:57:56 / 2nd AG, 22nd Overall



 

Wattie Ink / Black Dragon Racing Training Camp

Last week was the Wattie Ink Elite Team / Black Dragon Training Camp held in Carlsbad, CA. Black Dragon Racing owner, Wattie Ink Elite Team member and my coach Robert Flanigan hosted the camp with the man Sean Watkins with the support of:

1. Reynolds Wheels / Speedfil - SAG support for rides.
2. Blueseventy -sponsored swims and swag
3. Rudy Project - sponsored runs and swag bag
4. Herbalife / Powerbar - provided all nutrition before, during and after workouts.
5. ISM  - swag
6. Spidertech - Taping seminar and swag.
7. Nutrition seminar by pro triathlete Erin Green
8. Q&A with Heather Jackson hosted by Nytro Multisport.
9. Special guest appearance by pro triathlete Matty Reed.
10. On deck swim coaching/instruction by pro triathlete and Rev3 series leader Eric Limkemann

Over 25 athletes from all over the US came into town and the weather couldn't have been any better. Location is so important for a camp and Flanny/Wattie couldn't have picked a better place. I was particularly excited as it's close to home! Here was our schedule for the week which included about 20-25 hrs of training in 5-6 days:

It looked pretty intimidating on paper as I've only had probably a handful of weeks over 20 hours and that was over seven days! Looking back on it now Flanny was a genius in devising this schedule. The key was it being a "volume focused" camp. The only intensity we did was in the pool and then on a tempo run which I'll dive more into later.We arrived at registration and were greeted with a swag bag and a sweet custom shirt for camp - sweet!

For a great write up about camp, check out friend and fellow teammate Karin Langer's blog HERE. I'm going to just post links to my workout data and let the numbers talk this week. For the bike geeks, I weight 140 lbs. If numbers bore you, I'd stop reading here.

Here's how it all played out (feel free to reference what we did with the schedule above):

Thursday

Swim: 1 hour, 3k

2 hour ride: SRM Power file: Click HERE.

Brick run: Click HERE.

Friday

Swim: 90 mins, 4k

3 hour ride: SRM Power file: Click HERE

Saturday

Swim: 1 hour, 3k

1:45, 14 Mile Tempo Run: Click HERE.

90 min recovery ride

Sunday

5 hour ride: SRM Power file: Click HERE.

30 min brick run. Data HERE.

Monday

1 hr swim, 3k

90 min easy run. Data HERE.

Totals over 5 days

Swim -4.5 hours / 13k
Bike- 11.5 hours / 186 miles
Run-4.5 hours / 32 miles
Total = 20 hours

Leading up to camp I just had some s,b,r's that slowly got me back into it without having a relapse of sickness. The planned worked and I'm really pleased with my effort and results at camp. I think I'm ahead of what I thought I'd be at this time of the year - especially with all the missed time I've had to take off with my finger issue and my sickness.

The time I had at camp was amazing. Even though it was pretty tough to juggle work, family and this training load - I felt I had the right balance though out. Planning was key and Amy and I did a great job syncing our schedules. There was no way I was going to leave them at home while I went to camp. So we got a hotel down by the beach where she was able to hang out with family and friends while I suffered. Her and the kids had a blast and so did I; win, win.

Not only did camp boost my confidence, it also showed me that I can handle a pretty hefty amount of volume and recover really well. I'm recovering like I am 21 again which is a great sign because I'm going should be able to handle the upcoming volume in stride.

This weekend is the first race of the year! Desert Tri. Past two years I've gone 2nd then 1st. This year I step up to the big boys in 35-39 so it should be interesting to see how I stack up fresh off of camp.

Thanks for reading and I'd love feedback if you have anything!

Here's a bunch of pics I took over the week