Best way to beat the winter?

I recently mentioned how the winter seems to sap the motivation out of me. I find myself wanting to train more but getting out the door when it is cold becomes more and more difficult. In fact, this weekend, I was stuck in Nashville where 4 inches of snow turned to ice and trapped me in the house with no way to leave nearly all weekend. There was no long run available given the conditions of the road. And after a bout with the trainer on Friday, we tried again on Saturday only to stop mid workout. I hate intervals on the trainer. So weekend training was a bust. Another no go. Another hope next weekend is better.

So what is the way to stay motivated throughout the cold? Simple, go somewhere warm. And today, I made that leap again. I will have to wait 365 days but I am going back to Kona this time next year. Ahhhh.....warm sun, lava fields, suntan in January, 25 hours of training, a suntan in Januaryand of course lava java. Sounds good to me. Is it 2011 yet?

Entering T-zero

Ok, the title might be cheesy, it was the best I developed late one night as I was sitting on the couch thinking about the upcoming season. What is T-zero? It is that transition before the triathlon season begins. It is those few weeks in your training plan where you shift from working out to training. It is the time your race schedule begins to seem a little real.

Each year we all enter T-zero at different times. Some might be there for a while before realizing it. However, after thinking about my past few seasons, there seems to be a common theme for me this time of year. Thus, I present the steps to identifying T-zero

1. The training plan slowly begins to creep up as the coach begins to test you just a bit more. You instantly feel the extra hour on the body because you have fallen in love with the 5 hour training weeks.

2. The trainer and bike becomes a permanent fixture in your living room, bedroom, basement, etc. It doesn't make sense to break it down. Your training plan calls for 3 bikes a week now. Sigh.

3. Monitoring your weight. First you found it cute that you gained 5 pounds in the off season. You began worrying when that number hit 10. Now as it approaches the teens you know you need to dial it back. You want to make sure that tri suit still fits in late April

4. You start watching what you eat. You aren't ready to commit to a diet but you are a bit more selective what you eat. You ultimately fail but the thought was there.

5. Laundry picks up. You were so happy over the winter when you had a clean pair of shorts EVERY time you needed them. Now you are doing a load a week and finding shorts that you had long forgotten because everything is dirty. You wonder why you never threw out that pair of shorts that chaffe you to no end.

6. You wallet becomes lighter. You are testing yourself with the local 5k or 10k. You are registering for those early races. You recall how it feels to be broke during the season.

7. You make those early season purchases. We all need new shoes. And for a few days they smell good and look shiny. That is until the weekend long run through the cold and rain. But, hey, these shoes make me look good and feel F-A-S-T!!!

8. You set the alarm 30 minutes earlier because you need to start morning workouts. Of course, this only results in hitting snooze three times and becoming frustrated with yourself that you still haven't made the pool at 6 am.

9. What little time you have in your schedule is filled with things like yoga, pilates and core strengthening. You don't really know if it does you any good but Dave Scott and Mark Allen swear by it so it has to be good. Right? Or, the scenery is nice at the gym this time of year.

10. No weather is too miserable for your run. 5 degrees? Time to bundle up. I am a hardcore athlete.

Essentially t-zero is kinda like when pitchers and catchers report to spring training. It is the time prior to the pre-season where you begin slowly turning your attention to the next few months. The cold is in the air but you can smell sweat and tears just around the corner.

What are the signs that YOU are entering T-zero?

Good Weekend Training

Mother nature held off just long enough for me to get outside this weekend. I always find it extremely difficult to train through the colder months because there is no established routine. One weekend is nice and the next few are miserable. One day it will rain and the next will be nice. It is hard to force yourself out there in miserable conditions when your races are still 4 months off.

Despite knowing that a roadie ride would be best for me, I headed out the Comet on Saturday morning for some solo riding on the tri bike. I think I just wanted to be alone and relax for a couple of hours. The weather was a balmy 43 and that wet feeling was in the air. I couldn't decide what to wear and apparently put too much on as I was shedding layers 45 minutes into the ride. Overall, I went 40 miles and held a relatively good wattage the entire time. I am still convinced that when it is cold the Comet is uphill and into a headwind both ways. I was very pleased with this ride. I found myself joyous that I was able to log some distance in a workout.

Sunday proved to be a typical January weekend. The forecast called for nasty rain all day. Fortunately, it held off until about noon. I headed out on a steady 10 mile run. I have this route near my house that I find extremely challenging. It contains nothing more than hills, hills and more hills. Just a bunch of ups and downs. I recall running it a few times over the past year and wanted to see if my running was making any progress.

As expected, the route killed me. By mile 7.5 I was wiped. I backed off my pace and did everything I could mentally and physically to get back to the house. My first lesson was that my endurance isn't quite where I want it to be. I can handle 10 miles on gentle rollers. 10 miles on heavy hills, not quite so much. Second lesson is to be cognizant of pacing. I probably went out a bit too hard on the first few miles. I was running steady but probably needed to dial it back a notch. Finally, my run IS in fact improving. Last March I did that route as a negative split run when I was peaking for NOLA. Sunday's run was nearly 4 minutes faster and I don't feel like I was pushing the pace. I nearly even split the run.

Overall it was a good training weekend. It really lifts my spirits to occassionally have a good weekend like this. It reminds me how much I enjoy the sport. Hopefully, this feeling will last beyond the next weekend, where I am sure the weather will force me back inside.

2009 Closing Thoughts

I seem to always lag on getting this blog out at the appropriate time. At least this year, I am getting around to it in the first month. This year was a testing one. I had really high expectations. I was looking forward to recovering from injury with a vengeance. Alas, that didn't happen. Instead, most of the season I dealt with frustration.

There were two primary sources of frustration this year. First, my personal life was dealt with a few game changers that certainly caused me to shift my attention away from racing. Second, my body just didn't react like it normally does. It responded in a number of different ways.

The season started with a week of training in Kona. I would suggest the opportunity to anyone who calls themselves a triathlete. I returned focused and determined to punish the upcoming season. I set my sights on NOLA 70.3 and trained through the elements. In late March my body was peaking. I felt good and headed to the Big Easy with high hopes. And then I cracked. I somehow mentally defeated myself. I came off the bike with NO desire to run. I tried for about 10 minutes before making the walk of shame back to transition. I will never quite understand what happened.

So the season's priorities shifted. I registered for Gulf Coast the following month and looked to get back on track. My body had a different plan. It didn't respond to training at all. In fact, it kinda revolted. Personally, I think I was overtraining. Despite not running the 13.1 miles in NOLA, my body still peaked and competed for 3+ hours. I didn't physically feel taxed but the body needed rest. It showed at Gulf Coast. I had a lackluster race but mentally just needed to finish the 70.3 miles and prove to myself that I can do that.

As the summer heat arrived, my body revolted. My run became abysmal and I couldn't hold my FTP during workouts. I tried to push through it, getting my ass handed to me at local sprints. My hopes for the season were quickly going down the drain. My motivation was totally gone. I had to totally restructure my season to an ad hoc schedule. I finally showed up to Age Group Nationals and despite being under a great deal of stress, I feel I had a solid race (minus a hideous swim). At that point, I called it a season.

I decided to take about a month off and get away from it all. And then I found myself itching to get back on the bike. As I did, my body responded properly. It felt wholesome again. I started to run some more and found myself running better than I have in a few years. So I ended the year on an uptick that I hope to be able to carry into 2010.

What worked:

*To some extent, going to Kona and putting in some major volume. I liked that it broke up the monotony of training.
*Changing shoes. I went through several different shoes this year and the pain seemed to go away. I think my Kayano's were giving me TOO much stability. Now I run in shoes that provide me little to no stability and I feel stronger
*Training with power. I made the switch this year. It took some time to understand (still learning) but the focus on intensity made me a better rider.
*Taking time off to refocus
*Listening to my body


What didn't work:
*Training in Kona. I do think this volume contributed to catching up to me sometime later as fatigue.
*Quitting at NOLA 70.3. That really messed me up this season
*The same training schedule EVERY week (ahem, Dan). I need to have more fun
*Focusing too much on time and placement in an early season race. I went for it all in the first race of the season.
*Not listening to my body
*Additional non-tri related stress

I hope to take the lessons learned and apply them this year. I hope the added motivation of racing for all3sports will help push me through the dark times and bring out the best in me.

Exciting News

I wanted to wait until this was finalized and the contract was signed. I was selected to join the all3sports 2010 age group team. I am extremely excited by this opportunity to train and race with some of Atlanta's top notch athletes while being represented by THE best triathlon store in the nation.

For several years, I have had a great relationship with the all3sports staff. I bought my first tri bike (Black Betty) from them and appreciated the attention and patience they had throughout the whole process. I have returned a number of times for gear, advice and bike fittings. While a majority of the store exists online, the physical store is a true asset to the Atlanta region. Triathlon is still just a niche sport and I am grateful to have this resource in my backyard.

As I have trained and raced the past few seasons, I have grown to know a number of the team members. And with time, it seemed that most of my group training was with that crowd. It then became only a matter of time before my interest in the team grew.

I am really honored by the opportunity. I hope that this will serve as an added motivator for me this season. I hope that the feel of putting on a uniform and representing a brand will kick me in the arse sometime during that last mile of the race. But most importantly, I look forward to establishing an even better partnership with a store that I know and trust.

I would like to send out a couple of thanks to all the people that helped me make the team. Specifically, I would like to thank Morgan Clark, Alex Poon, Bill Davis , Matt Cole and the rest of the all3sports staff for the opportunity.

If you have never shopped with all3sports, please check them out. First time shoppers should email me and I will see what I can do for you.

Weekend Humor

Part of my goal this season is to ride more regularly with roadies. I think this will help break of the monotony of interval training and force me to push a bit harder at times. Well, at least this is my thinking.

The forecast was vastly improved this weekend, so I was determined to ride outside. I searched the interwebs looking for a ride in the greater Nashville area. Fortunately, I found two. The first was 45 miles and started at 8 am. I knew this was probably the best bet for me but the start time didn't sound appetizing. The second was 27 miles starting at 10 am. That sounds more like it. And I thought to myself, SELF, if I have fresh legs then I will ride back to Jess' house to make it closer to 35 miles.

I arrived at the starting point about 15 minutes prior to departure. I gathered my gear and introduced myself to a few of the riders. Nice people. And they admitted that it was a bit more on the casual side. That is fine with me. I don't need to hammer for 90 minutes.

So we headed out on the ride. And they were true to their word. It was very casual. I was hoping that that group was just getting warmed up. They were all experienced cyclist, just the very casual, conversational type. I didn't know the route so I kinda had to assume their pace. All I could do was laugh and make the best of it. Once we were nearly finish, I began to pick up the pace and pull whoever want to go with me. Speeds went from 15 to 20 mph quickly and the group dissipated.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. So I joined the wrong group this morning. It was a subtle reminder that cycling is a hobby. I don't need to worry about my watts being 100 below where they should be (they were). Instead, I need to take enjoyment in the fact that I was out riding and meeting new people. I think we all get caught up in performance that we forget that this sport is supposed to be fun. I chatted the entire 1:45. I met new and interesting people. And most importantly, I enjoyed being on my bike. It didn't feel like work (it wasn't).

For the first time in a while, I stopped and smelled the roses.

Taking a Step Back

Despite the cold weather, I continue plugging along. Somewhere, some how I hope it pays off. The artic air that has invaded Atlanta hasn't made things easy for me. On Saturday, I set out for a 10 mile run when it was 16 degrees with a wind chill of 7. Brr....or so I thought. I actually found myself too warm in my minimal layers and had to cut the run short.

On the other end, I am still hitting the trainer with everything I have. But it is wearing on me. I have ridden outside exactly once in the past month. I am really itching to get in a ride. The new bike still has that new bike smell so I need to break it in some more.

This week, I am going to take a step back in training. I have a nagging pain in my hip area. Last night, I let Eileen attack my psoas in an attempt to reduce the inflammation. I think I need to get a chiro adjustment and then I might be good to go in about a week. Given that it is the second week of January, I don't see any point in pushing through the pain. Hopefully, an adjustment, some ART and advil will take care of it. In the meantime, I guess I will be in the pool. sigh.

Return of my Nemesis

The wait is over. I can't really justify fighting it much longer. Well, I guess I could but even I am beginning to get soft on the issue. Coach Dan tried. Her really did. In fact, he tried twice last week. However, I am not a lemming like many of his other athletes. I review, process and then decide what I want to do. This makes me his best athlete...by a long mile.

Alas, it is time to give in. When I get home tonight, I will search the igloo for the proper items. If found, I will dust off the cobwebs and make sure they still fit. I will once again put them in a bag as a precursor. And someday this week, I will make the lengthy trek to the gym. Sigh. It is time to return to the POOL.

End of Year Totals

2009 Totals

Bike:	151h 00m 44s - 2839.14 Mi
Run:	110h 49m 16s - 790 Mi
Swim:	39h 47m 50s - 122528 Yd

I was only 1 for 3 in hitting my goals for the year. My bike goal was 3000 miles. I hit 95% so I think that is close enough. I surpassed my running goal of 750. And well, swimming was about 50% of my goal. Not too bad given that I took 5 months off.

All in all it was an ok year. Given the overtraining debacle, I am surprised that I even came close to hitting any of my targets. I still think the goals I set were on par with what a solid year should look like at the distances I race. 2008 was higher because I spent more time on the volume. This year, I focused on the intensity.

In a factoid that only I find interesting:

Running 2008 pace: 8:46 2009 pace: 8:26
Cycling 2008 pace: 18.2 2009 pace: 18.8 mph