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!

 

 

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]

 

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





 

 

 

Surf City Half Marathon Race Report

This picture sums up how I felt at the race!

I am no longer a runner, but a triathlete.

I'll keep this short and sweet, getting right to the details.

Going into the race I texted Flanny and wrote I could see myself running 1:12 and I could see myself running 1:17. I didn't really have any idea where I was. I just know that two years ago I kicked down a 1:14 and am in way better shape then I was then. Why wouldn't I go faster? Well, it's true, I would kick that little 1:14 runner's ass from two years ago anyday...in a triathlon. The single biggest thing I learned this weekend is that I am no longer a runner. I'm not built that way anymore, I don't train like that anymore and now...I FINALLY I don't think that way anymore. I know Walsh and Flanny both tried to get that through my thick skull but like a lot of things in my life over the years, I had to learn it myself. So as soon as I got over the major disappointment of running my slowest half marathon to date (4 total) of a 1:18 and running 5 minutes slower that I thought I would - the light bulb came on and I am completely content with the result now.

Pre race: Good friend and Wattie team mate Chris Masilon lives 5 minutes from the starting line so him and his amazing family took me in, fed me and let me crash for the race the next day. I slept good, woke up, put on my Spidertech tape and ate a Powerbar and banana two hours before the race and just sipped on some Powerbar Perform leading up to the race. After a quick 10 minute warm up and some strides I was ready to rock! I felt very relaxed and confident of the day to come. The sun started coming out, the beach smell was in the air and everyone's energy was radiating off of their body. I absolutely love the start of a race. All that hard work ready to be paid off. Time to have some fun!

Race: 13.1 miles / 1:18:42 / 6:01 pace / 7th in AG, 24th Overall (out of 15,447 runners):

Our plan was simple. Hit 5:40-45's for the first 10k and then race it from there. I settled into the 3rd pack which was quite large. We all took turns leading and tried to block the two women who were leading their race from the wind. This race was HUGE. Television camera's, helicopters flying overhead - it was a pretty cool experience. Since we held the leading women we got quite a bit of attention. The course is rolling with a lot of false flats. My splits for the most part where right on where I wanted to be:

After a bunch of zigzagging through some residential neighborhoods we popped back out onto the Pacific Coast highway, turned around and BAM. We hit a nasty headwind for that last 10k. The pack immediately started to dissipate and I did my best to hang on. It was a bit of a crosswind so it was hard to hide from. Before I knew it I fell off the back and had to run solo into that wind all the way back. I haven't hurt that bad in a race in quite some time. It got to the point where I wanted to walk but I just fought through it. It reminded me of some of these running nightmares I have where I am running the hardest I can but the wind is so strong it has me running in place, going nowhere. I started to see my pace fall, started to get passed and my legs just got heavier and heavier. I did my best to try and stay relaxed and keep form. I'll mention it again...I haven't hurt that bad in a LONG time!

Eurostar made his debut appearance with about 800 meters to go and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't even crack a smile. I was in some deep pain. I crossed the line, wiped my brow which felt like sand paper from salt, wobbled through the chute and tried to pull myself together. After seeing a few fellow friends/triathletes in the chute, I got out of there as fast as I could with my tail between my legs...I was pissed and just wanted an IPA. Tired legs, wind, blah blah blah - stupid excuses, I hate them and don't want to come across that way. The reality is, I'm built to run a half marathon off the bike now, not crush an open one. My goal is to actually run a 1:18 off the bike this year and if you bring my pacing down to 6 minutes - I certainly think that's doable - especially since I've run 1:22 off the bike before.

To wrap things up, I am in a good place now. I learned more from that race then any other race I've done before. To let go of that runner I've been clinging so hard onto the past three years and accept the fact that I'm a triathlete now. I really enjoy triathlon and I didn't have anywhere near the same amount of fun at this race compared to the fun I have at triathlons....and that's what it's all about. Having fun!

Thanks for all of the support and I want to apologize for coming across like 1:18 is a slow time. I just have very very high expectations of myself and I didn't mean to come across as arrogant in my social media posts after my race. Thank you for reading and cheers to the 2014 triathlon season!