Getting Back in the Saddle

Yep. It is that time again. Time to move from recovery to base phase. Sometimes in the winter the South is really blessed with unseasonable weather. This past week was in the 60s. It was wet but for the most part I couldn't complain.

So I skirted out of work early and headed to the Silver Comet Trail for a slow long ride. This was my 3rd ride since IMFL. I wanted to take some serious time off from the bike and allow my body to reset.

The end result was a two hour, 35 mile ride that provided a few challenges along the way. I realized that I hadn't been on the bike in quite some time. While you never forget HOW to ride a bike, how to cycle takes some time to remember. Aero position wasn't as comfortable as the 112 mile ride I recall. I had no mental stamina out there. My ride went from 40 miles to 35 - 30 -25 -20 -30 -35. It wasn't as much fun as I remembered.

But most importantly, my bike and I need to have a real heart to heart. I just don't like my position. It was very noticeable yesterday. And I think it is a contributing factor to my ITBS problem. So at the beginning of the new year, I am going to seek a new position and hope this is the answer. Otherwise, more drastic measures might be taken...which saddens me.

Off Season - Things to Repair

(HT: Ironmantriathlontips for inspiring me to blog about this)

I don't claim to be a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. One thing I have struggled with over the past few seasons has been the deterioration of my hip flexors and supporting muscles. Specifically, as I have trained for Iron distance races, my muscle imbalances have been a limiter. They have resulted in injury for the last two seasons.

About a month after Ironman Coeur d'Alene, I was ready to get moving again. I had the desire to finish the season with another HIM. I remember how tight my body was on those first few runs. I remember a sharp pain in the front of my pelvis, near my hip. And then I will always remember the day it stopped me dead in my tracks. I was on a 12 mile looped run. I was 5 miles out and couldn't run anymore. Of course I didn't have a phone. Instead, I had to walk the long five miles back to the house.

This year it was ITBS. As I am still recovering from Ironman Florida I feel the same nagging pain in the front of my hip. This time, I am not pushing the long runs...yet. But the source of the pain is the same....weak hip flexors. And the physical therapy routine is the same--strengthen the core to keep my hips from shifting/tilting.

The offseason is the best time to tackle these issues. I am currently forcing myself to conduct 20 minutes of core training after each swim. This works well in that it forces me to the pool 2-3x a week and keeps me actively strengthening this area. But I need to ensure that this continues well into the season.

The issue for most triathletes is that we operate on the same linear plane. If you think about it, swimming, biking and running all occur on the same axis. There is no cross movement that other sports experience (e.g. football, baseball). So we build up solid muscle in our calves, quads and hamstrings. Where we often fail is developing strong secondary muscles...those that support the larger muscles and help keep us in place. This is where potential for injury occurs.

So what are the solutions:

1. I am an advocate for more stretching.
2. Focus on core exercises
3. Invest in a theraband
4. Cross train. And by cross train that means move on the lateral axis from time to time
5. Focus on core exercises :)

Here are a few of my favorite reads on the subject.

1. Learn about the hip flexor
2. Beginners Guide to hip flexors
3. Plyometric Exercises
4. Runner's World-Core Exercises
5. Bosu ball exercises
6. Theraband exercises (pdf)
7. Runner's Guide to ITBS

More thoughts

I think I am back. Of course, I say this while still in denial about my toe and the potential impact it may having on training. I hopped on the trainer tonight (ugh) and lasted for 45 minutes. If you know me, then you know my hatred of the trainer. I simply don't have the mental focus or stamina to complete more than a 75 minute workout. But I did it...and I pushed through the times when I wanted to quit.

This week looks good for training too. The heatwave is making ideal conditions for training, sans the rain. I am optimistic that Thursday will dry out and allow me to ride. My plan is to jump on the Silver Comet Trail in the early afternoon and log 40-50 miles. I need to jumpstart training so that I don't get embarrassed next month.

The weekend is also looking pretty good. Hopefully the calls for rain are minor and scattered. If that is the case, then I hope to log another couple of hours. Lets keep hoping for good weather.

I am headed back to the chiropractor on Friday. My back has been feeling really good. I am trying to blast my core for about 20 minutes at least three times a week. This is crucial and I need to keep focused on this endeavor throughout the season. I have learned that my body responds positively to core training and my hips begin to stabilize. My plan is to use my second bedroom for this reason. Then I have NO excuse.

Few More Updates

Blogging continues to be a thorn in my side. I have thoughts, I have things I want to share but everytime I sit down to right, I am not inspired. Hence, the lack of blogging.

I am in the process of buying a house so that is comprising most of my time. As with anything, I am obsessed with it (much like tri) so I am moving full steam ahead. I close in 2 weeks and have nearly every decision already made.

I do anticipate having my second room serve as a multi-functional gym/office. Hopefully I can leave my road bike on the trainer and be set for more workouts. This should give me a bit more of an incentive for core work during the season. If anyone has a great place to buy used workout equipment, please let me know.

Training is happening! Really, I am working out. Last week I logged nearly 5 hours! I know it is funny but I am still dealing with some aches. The forecast looks good this week so I hope to ride some.

Speaking of aches--I think my big toe is broken. I have been ignoring it since IMFL. I have no clue how I did it. I don't know if it was before or during the race. Or if it is just a stress fracture. But it is starting to ache a bit more after my runs so I think I am going to finally have it checked out. Grrrrr.....

I am still working on my 2009 race calendar. I have signed up for 2 big races already so I am waiting for a few more races to come online and I will post my plans.

Oh...and I have a little 'vacation' planned next month. It involves taking my bike. :)

Ironman in Perspective, part II

In the previous blog, I outlined what I thought were important criteria to consider when selecting an Ironman. Here I will attempt to capture many of the intangibles.

Best Swim Start:
I am impartial to IMFL on this one. I like 2200 on a beach running into the waves. IMCDA is a close second because it is a beach start into a lake. IMLP, IMWI, IMAZ are all wading starts.

Worst Swim Start:
IM KY. It is a time trial. I tend to think an Ironman swim start is one of the coolest events in all sports. A time trial takes the fun out of it.

Most Toxic Swim:
IM AZ. Tempe Town Lake looks like a sewer. Second, IM KY for similar reasons. It is the Ohio River after all.

Most Pristine Swim:
CDA or Lake Placid. I just prefer lake swims.

Best Swim Start to Watch:
IM WI from the Minona Terrace. You are 4 stories up and can see the whole swim unfold in front of you. Second, IM AZ from Mill Avenue bridge for similar reasons.

Best Transitions:
IM WI. You have to climb the terrace spiral ramp and ride back down it. IM AZ is second only because of the ariel view you can get. It looks really cool.

Best Flat Course:
I would probably pick Florida over Arizona only because it is one giant loop versus three loops in the desert.

Best Rolling Course:
I am impartial to CDA. I suspect WI and KY run a very close second as they are all similar. For me, I thought going out to Higgins Point and then north near Hayden Lake was awesome. Plus, the colors in the northwest are spectacular. (Note, this analysis is missing IMLP and I have ever reason to believe it might trump all of these for the same reasons).

Best Run Course:
IM WI or IM KY. Both are in very vibrant communities. Wisconsin may get the nod because you run into the football stadium and along side the campus. Kentucky is cool for similar reasons.

Worst Run Course:
Florida. There is nothing scenic about it. And when it gets dark, St. Andrew's park becomes a lonely place.

Best Finish Line:
Kentucky, hands down. I thought finishing in 4th Street Live was an awesome atmosphere. Wisconsin is second because of State Street and the Capitol behind you.

Worst Finish Line:
Florida and Arizona. They are in the middle of a cold, dark street. Boring.

Best Destination Location:
Coeur d'Alene or Lake Placid for their remoteness.

Best Community Support:
All of them for the amount of time and effort the communities pour into the race.

Best Time of Year to Race:
I choose CDA. The end of June is ideal because it typically isn't too hot. It is early season and you don't have to train through the extreme cold or heat.

Cheapest: IM FL. It is off season for the beach so houses/condos are dirty cheap. Plus, you can drive.

Most Expensive: Lake Placid. There isn't a major airport close by (like Florida) and I have heard that the community price gouges like crazy because of the limited places to stay.

Most Convenient to get around: Florida is easy to navigate due to low traffic. Coeur d'Alene for the same reasons.

Most Difficult to navigate: Arizona, Louisville, Wisconsin are all set in downtown venues which means you park and stay on foot all day.

If there are other intangibles you want to add, let me know and I can amend it.

Off-Season Blues

We are all feeling it right about now. We put in months of training and raced our tails off. Now the days are shorter and we haven't seen our cycling shorts in weeks. It is officially the off-season...or base building season...or marathon season...or holiday season. Whatever you want to call it. Regardless, the common theme tends to be a break from training and a lack of motivation.

Let's face it, we sometimes need a physical and mental break. Physically we pushed ourselves to the extremes and then some. We didn't listen to our body when it said enough. We wanted to squeeze out that one last big workout before our "A" race. We didn't stretch and ice when we knew we should. Our body likely responded and kicked into overdrive to help prevent further injury. It is time for break. Personally, I like to take about a month of to physically repair the body. In this time, I make certain to visit the chiropractor and massage therapist to get the body back on the right track. I keep my workouts light, just enough to get some condtioning on the body.

In addition the physical rest, we all need a mental break. Triathlon is a very isolated sport. We spend a lot of time with ourselves...and only ourselves. In an effort to achieve our own personal goals, it comes with sacrificing other parts of our lives...family, work, friends. Use this time wisely to reinvest into those areas. A supportive family plays a large role in a successful season. It is time to return the favor. One thing I like to do with my newly found down time is remind myself of other hobbies that I love. For me, that is strength training in the gym. Also, find a hobby that keeps you active. I highly recommend joining a City Sports or local sports team for flag football or ultimately frisbee.

With time off, many of us struggle with what can be classified as the post-season blues. We lack the motivation to swim, bike or run (as I do right now). The important thing to understand is how common that is among athletes. The first thing one should do is reflect back on the previous season to determine what worked, what didn't. The next step is to re-evaluate one's goals. Did you take on too much during the season (I did), what/where do you want to improve. Finally, begin planning the next race season. Don't focus only on a big "A" race. Keep in mind that nearly every weekend there is a 5-10k just down the street. Make sure your goals/race calendar include these. Then sign up and race. I assure you that once you remember the fun of racing, you will have more motivation to train. Unless you are me, and never want to see a pool again! :)

November Totals

As expected, November totals include competing in an Ironman and not a whole lot more. But that is what I needed. I successfully took the rest of the month off and as you can see, didn't do much more. The positive is that I am mentally recharged after the holiday and ready to get moving again. I just hope the body cooperates.

November's totals:
Bike: 6h 25m 01s - 129.1 Mi
Run: 7h 06m 18s - 44.8 Mi
Swim: 3h 30m 36s - 11624 Yd
Strength: 1h 40m
Yoga: 20m

2008 totals
Bike: 194h 46m 19s - 3538.99 Mi
Run: 96h 40m 29s - 660.04 Mi
Swim: 86h 45m 15s - 261040.3 Yd
Strength: 10h 00m
Football: 25m
Yoga: 8h 00m

It appears that I will be short on my run volume for the year, minus getting a wild hair to run a lot this month. 90 miles at this point would probably be pushing it. Otherwise I am more than happy with my 2008 totals.