Finding Nemo

My transition back to the pool this week took a different turn. After years of talking the talk, I finally walked the walk. I attending my first masters class. This has been a goal for years. No longer can I rely on physical strength to power my way the water. I need a strong focus on becoming more efficient and faster. It is time to train my weakness.

Masters carries with it a very intimidating vibe--the notion that dozens of great swimmers will engulf you or workouts that are so convoluted that you are the one asking dumb questions. It kinda felt like the first day in a new school. Fortunately I had visited the center before so at least I didn't go looking for the pool on the roof.

Alas, I set my alarm for 5 am. It came early. Hmpf. I rolled out of bed and got moving. I am was the early bird, arriving at the facilities 20 minutes before class. In fact, only three cars lined the parking lot. I decided to stay in the warm car until closer to time.

I nervously made my way into the pool area and introduced myself to the coach and explained my situation. She seemed eager to tackle a new project. I then made my way to the pool deck looking all the people who clearly knew what they were doing and had all kinds of fancy toys. I waited patiently to be told what to do. Fortunately, I found another swimmer that was relatively new so we jumped into the lane together.

It was really nice to work with a coach and begin to understand how to improve my stroke. It was even better to be in a nice, cool pool as opposed to the sauna of a pool at the gym. In the end, the workout lasted about an hour and only covered 2500 yards.

It was much more difficult to get out of bed this morning. I think my body is in shock from the sudden schedule shift. The swim went great. I am definitely working hard in the pool and training much different than before. Hopefully a few months of this will really pay off.

Special thanks to Dynamo and all3sports for their partnership.

Tundra Results

What a difference a week makes. First, the time trial is canceled when the metro area is hit with 3 inches of snow that naturally turned to ice. The next weekend was sunny and made it up into the 60s. The race was on. Despite not always racing it, I really like Tundra. Middle of Feburary and going all out. Something a bit barbaric about it.

This year they changed the course location to a different section on the Comet and generously added nearly two miles to the distance. My strategy in the past seemed to serve me well...register late, race early and get out of there. There is no worse feeling than being late for a race and not adequately warming up...especially a time trial.

I made it to bfe west georgia around 7:30, picked up my number and set up the trainer. Props to Alex and Ben who already had the all3sports tent and a heater up and running. I had about an hour to kill so I was in no hurry to hope on the trainer. Instead, I just prepared my gear and chatted with the other races.

About 45 minutes out I moved toward getting ready. I noticed that my powertap computer didn't turn on properly. I assumed it was too cold so I took it out of the carriage and warmed it up. A few minutes later it turned on. I hopped on the trainer and went through a serious of easy spinning exercises with a few power surges to get the body nice and loose.

I didn't really have any expectations for this race. Since it was on a different part of the trail and slightly longer I wasn't sure how realistic my goal of 24 mph was. I was more interested in holding my power and hopefully getting a new FTP. Otherwise, my goal is to always hold off my 30 second man. Did I mention I was sandwiched between CAT II riders?

About 5 minutes before my start I roll up to the line and clear my cpu. And it doesn't turn back on. The screen is completely blank. Nothing. Nada. I keep fidgeting with it but nothing is working. Oh well, time to switch over to RPE. I head out of the gate at a good clip and keep trying to get the computer to turn on. For the first two miles I feel good. I am concerned that I am going too hard but I am focusing on maintaining constant effort through the slight inclines and declines of the course.

About 5 miles into the race, my cpu powers up. I look down and see that my cadence is good, my HR is good and well, my power is about 30 watts higher than where it should be. GULP. I immediately back off the pace and settle into my FTP. I realize that holding this power feels relatively easy. Crap. I knew I went out too hard. I hit the turn around and tried to refocus. Half way back I was taxed and knew it. I will still attacking the pace but my watts were beginning to slip. I was trying my best to hold onto the final match for the half mile mark and I hit it as hard as I could. I was ready to vomit.

Despite computer malfunctions it ended up being an alright race for me. I am really disappointed that the data is no good because I really wanted to see how well my FTP held up this off-season. I have a feeling that I might have a date with columns real soon.

Results:
31:05
12 miles
23.1 mph
12/72 CAT V Men

Weight and Body Fat Tracking

I have no problem admitting that I am a data junkie, a number geek of sorts. Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated with numbers and telling a story with them. It really is no wonder that I naturally found a career and a hobby that is data heavy. Aside from all the training gadgets, I like to track numerous other things...mileage in shoes, mileage on a set of tires, how many times I eat at a particular place...the list goes on and on.

One of the areas that I am most consistent is with my weight. I have blogged about this a few times before. I don't think I am really obsessed with my weight and I don't think I have a very unhealthy relationship with food. Instead, I like to simply monitor it over the course of time so develop a longitudinal graph. I have been doing this for nearly 2 years with no real goal in mind.

I rarely step on the scale and feel that I need to make changes to my diet...though I should. Instead, it is just an FYI moment. So each Tuesday morning, I follow the same morning routine of getting out of bed and onto the scale to record my weight and body fat. I personally don't believe in weighing myself each day because there are too many factors involved. So I like the idea of a once a week snapshot. Also, I don't really think my scale is 100% accurate but since I use that scale each time, then I find changes comparable.

This year my goal is to get better about it. In the past, I just wrote it down on a piece of paper and looked at it over the course of the year. This year, I am logging each each Tuesday in BT. My goal is to post a new chart at the end of each month so that I can monitor it a bit more. Again, the goal isn't necessarily to 'lose' weight, though, I honestly feel like my ideal weight is probably 157-161.

Instead, I want to hold myself a bit more accountable this year and track changes. I am going to try a few different experiments to determine their impact on my weight. For instance, last year, I did an ice cream challenge. Each and every night, I ate ice cream (4-600 calories) because I felt like I was under fueling my body. Surprisingly, my weight dropped a few pounds. I am definitely up for that challenge again. I am currently starting another challenge by changing my dietary supplements. I am intrigued to see if it makes a difference. Finally, I want to see if their is an correlation between the hours I train and weight loss. Each and everyone of us is different, this is MY experiment.

2010 Race Schedule

Here it is February and I haven't even updated my race calendar (sigh). Here is the plan for the season.

2.13 Tundra Time Trial (r)
3.21 ING Half Atlanta
4.24 John Tanner
5.09 Rev3 Knoxville
6.5 Blalock Lake
6.26 Indian Springs (r)
7.11 Chattanooga
7.25 Music City Oly
9.25 AG Nationals Oly
9.26 AG Nationals Sprint
10.8 Triple T NC (?)

I plan on opening up with Rev3 up in Knoxville. Sadly, it conflicts with Gulf Coast this year so I can't schedule a trip to the beach that weekend. From there, I plan on focusing on the short stuff during the hot months. I really don't want to overdo it this year. Right now, I am aiming for AG Nationals as my "A" races of the year. I *think* my goal for the year will be to qualify again for worlds. That should keep me motivated and inspired for the year.

Right now, I am strongly considering wrapping up with the Triple T North Carolina. I really miss the long training. I miss hours on the bike. Right now, I am not (yet) ready to commit to doing another Ironman (soon). The Triple T is challenging enough without dominating the entire year. Plus the North Carolina race is held in White Lake which is pancake flat. That might work to my favor as a final race of the season.

So the goal is clear: get faster and qualify. Not sure if it will happen. I hope at the least that I will stay healthy this season. If I can achieve that, then I will be setting the stage for a great season this year and next.


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In other news, I am strongly considering overhauling this blog and giving it a much needed face lift. It is hard to imagine that I have kept this thing going for over two years. I think it is finally time to buy my own domain and build an actual site. Plus, that will provide me a several opportunities to branch out into a few different areas. I apologize in advance if it goes down for a few days.

Also, I hope that the next few months will bring some additional exciting news to my life. Training and racing wise there is a lot going on. I am dedicated to exploring a few different things this year. I am tired of my traditional, conservative approach to things so I hope to shake them up a bit.

Testing, testing

It is almost that time again. This weekend marks the annual Tundra Time Trial. 10 miles of snot spitting fun. Hopefully the weather will hold off because I am really excited.

Right now, I am feeling REALLY good about my cycling. My goal was to not experience a measurable decrease in my FTP. In all honesty, I did anticipate a bit of a drop. Nothing more than a 3-5% decrease. But it seems that things are going in the opposite direction.

My offseason has had a slight focus on the bike. My workouts are definitely bike heavy right now. When I tested back in December, I was moderately pleased with the FTP results. However, I was less than thrilled with the V02 results. Enter more intervals.

For the past few weeks, most of my trainer rides were short on volume and duration while HIGH on intensity. Does of 30 second intervals at 15-20% above FTP. Several 5-10 minute sets at 90-95% of FTP.

What I am most thrilled about is that I have been hitting my workouts with a high degree of precision. On Sunday, I completed what I feel was like one of the harder workouts I have ever done. 6 x 4 minutes @ FTP with only 60 seconds of rest. Vomit. I took the bike off the trainer and went to Columns to ensure that the trainer work was translating to the road. I was dead on. I finished with workout with a 24 minute average of 101% of FTP. Better yet, I felt like I was holding back a bit.

On Saturday, I get to put it to the test. 10 miles of crushing my FTP. Hopefully, the results will show yet another uptick. Now, if warm weather would show up and let me begin testing this power over longer distances, I would be thrilled.

Chattahoochee Challenge 10k

First race of the season, YIPPEE!!! Oh how I have missed 5 am wake up calls, driving to random venues and standing around in the cold. :)

My recent run training has left me a bit confused. It seems that my pace zones are off. I am not having any trouble hitting the more difficult workouts. Better yet, I am doing so at an extremely low heartrate. Of course this is a great problem to have. I like increasing the pace while maintaining a steady heartrate. However, it might suggest that my zones are off and it is time to increase them. Test time.

Dan and I headed up to Roswell early Saturday morning for the local 10k. We arrived around 7 and had to make the one mile trek to the packet pick up (read: annoyance). About 15 minutes before the race, I stepped back into the cold and loosened up. The body was feeling normal, no major issues going on, just looking forward to the run as much as I could.

I knew it was going to be a pr day for me. My 10k pr was during a subpar Peachtree last year where I ran a 45:52 (7:25s). In fact, on New Years Day I ran my own unofficial 10k and put together a 44:15 (7:08). However, I was really hoping to burst through the ceiling and have a solid race around 42:00. Dan predicted me to go sub 42. I can't say that I thought this would happen.

The plan was simply. I always seed myself to the front, jump out hard for the first quarter mile and then settle into my pace. I wanted to push a 6:45-7:00 pace until the three mile mark and then take the pace down to 6:40-6:50 for the next two miles and then blow it out on the final mile.

Well I got the jump I wanted and found space to run. I settled into a comfortable pace around 6:45 and started cruising. The course was relatively flat with a few minor annoying rollers and false flats. During mile two, my pace slipped a little but I was very comfortable. At mile three, the pace slipped a bit more. I was still on target as I hit the mile 3 marker under 21 minutes. So I begin to push a bit harder. And a bit harder. Well the body didn't like it. I tried to pick up the pace and it wasn't happening. My body was VERY comfortable with a 6:50-7:00 pace. So I decided to hold it until the last 1.5 miles.

When I hit mile 4.7 I pushed again. There was simply no pop in the legs. I kept trying to surge but I wasn't getting any faster. I was passing plenty of people but my pace wasn't increase. I held back for one last surge and pushed but it wasn't happening. I kept it at a tempo level and crossed the finish line with a chip time of 43:40. I had my unofficial time at 42:53 (6:55s).

Overall, it was a 3 minute pr for me. I know I should take great joy in this but I didn't have the race I wanted. I wasn't able to push when needed. My HR stayed really low. I only did 10 minutes of racing in z4 and NONE in z5. Either my body is telling me something or I didn't push it enough. However, I am finally happen to break through the sub-7 celing. I have been trying to do that for quite some time so I am thrilled about that result. Now, I need to work on getting the time under 42.....then 40.

Splits

Lap	Time	Distance	Pace/Speed	AHR	MHR
1	06m 48s	1.00 miles	06m 48s /mile	159	167
2	07m 00s	1.00 miles	07m /mile	167	169
3	06m 58s	1.00 miles	06m 58s /mile	168	171
4	06m 55s	1.00 miles	06m 55s /mile	169	172
5	06m 55s	1.00 miles	06m 55s /mile	168	170
6	07m 01s	1.00 miles	07m 01s /mile	167	171
7	02m 05s	0.32 miles	06m 34s /mile	169	171

Results:
Overall: 68/903
Mens: 61/472
Age Group: 9/71

Company Shout-Out #1 and #2

One of my goals for quite some time is to begin archiving my opinion on different companies and gear in the sport. The goal is to design a gear review section that will be helpful as people wager which products are the best for them. I will admit that I am a bit of a gear whore. I love toys and often keep myself from buying new gadgets and gear. Right now, I am debating another purchase for no real reason other than I think it would be fun to have more options on race day (or to settle a beat in my head). I can certainly admit it would not be the best use of my money but I like the bling factor.

Nonetheless, since I don't seem to have the time to devote to developing my gear review section (yet), I do want to take a few moments and try to show support to a few companies that I believe go above and beyond in this sport. I hope to periodically give props to other companies as I have other positive interactions.

Shout-out #1 Infinit Nutrition

I first met the guys from Infinit at the 2007 Ironman Wisconsin expo. I spent a few minutes talking with the rep (Michael) about their product and my nutritional plan. I was very weary of the product and didn't quite believe their claims. I gave them my contact information and took a few free samples. I tried it out and still didn't have an opinion on it. As I began training for 08 Ironman Florida, I revisited the product. I called Michael and talked to him about what I thought my needs were and ultimately purchased a container. My formula wasn't quite right so I called back, explained my concerns and tweaked it again. I have been a user of the product ever since.

More recently, Infinit ran a huge sale that ended up being a clusterf*ck for them. For an hour they offered 50% off their product. Well they were flooded with requests, servers went down and people became outraged. While I will never understand the anger of many anal rententive triathletes who spend $5k on bikes but complain about not saving $15 on nutrition, Infinit accepted responsibility and made accomodations for those who couldn't get through. Kudos. Better yet, I was MORE impressed by their turn around time. The debacle occurred on Wednesday. My order was on my door step by Tuesday.

In the past two years, my experiences with Infinit have been nothing but positive. I continue to be impressed by the product and the company. They always have a discounted offer, so if you need a discount, email me and I will send you a code for 10% off.

Shout-out #2 Saris Cycling Group

The makers of powertap, trainers and other random novelties has a stong history in amateur and professional racing. I have heard many times before that their customer service was outstanding. Well, after my second go round, I am a believer too.

This time last year my powertap cpu stopped working. I changed batteries and went troubleshooting without any solid results. I finally called Saris and they said ship it back and they would give me a new one. Just like that, a brand new headunit was on my doorstep. More recently, I decided to upgrade an older model, wired powertap. They have an outstanding customer replacement policy wherby they will sell you the newest version at a deeply discounted price. Sure enough, I cut the old hub out of the wheel and shipped it back. No questions asked.

I have long felt that many companies have shifted away from the focus on customer service. In fact, many companies have downsized in this area in the past couple of years. It almost seems that getting good customer service comes as a shock. Therefore, I want to reward those companies that meet and exceed my expectations in this department.

What companies do feel exceed your expectations in customer service?