Mach Tenn Race (6.4.11)

With race season well under way, I am quickly becoming overwhelmed with trying to keep up with my personal blog. As much as anyone, I understand the need to continue to write race reports. These things are vital as I review my progress from year to year. BT does that for the most part but I tend to be more honest here. Therefore, I have a feeling that this blog is quickly about to become nothing more than a results and totals blog. Sigh.

Mach Tenn is about 80 minutes southeast of Nashville in the community of Tullahoma. I heard numerous good things about this race and was very eager to take on the challenge. The race is a unique distance 1000m-16mi-4 mi. The terrain is rolling and the field is stacked.

Swim 1000y

I thought this would be a perfect tune up for more olympic races. Given that the bike and run were shorter, I set out with the goal of really trying to push the swim. I seeded myself high but ended up being the 42nd person in the water. The course was a simple long rectangle in a bath water warm lake.

I immediately jumped on the feet in front of me and used them to round the first buoy. Then it became a free for all. I couldn't hold the faster people and quickly found myself in no man's land (story of my racing). I felt like I continued an aggressive pace and pushed until I found the bottom of the lake

Time: 16:20 (1:43 pace)

T1: 1:13

Straight up a big hill into the area and retrieved the bike. Up some more hill and on the bike.

Bike: 16 miles

The course, I think, was a giant circle with one out and bike. It was around an airforce base with flat to rolling terrain. It was definitely fast. I spent the first few minutes working on getting my HR into check. Once I felt comfortable I took off and began taking names.

I really tried to push but found no extra pop in the legs. They were strong but didn't have that extra gear. As usual, there was no one around to push me. That is until the last mile when I was finally caught and passed as if I was standing still. That hasn't happened in quite some time. I thought to myself...I bet he blows up on the run (he didn't).

I felt good about the bike. I knew that I had moved up considerably and put myself in contention for placement. But the run would be where it mattered

Time: 41:51 (22.9 mph)

T2: 0:50

Off the bike and back down the hill

Run:

Challenging run course. The first mile has about 3-4 rollers. The second mile is flat. And then you return. Given the number of bikes in transition, I knew exactly where I stood. But I also knew that a 4 mile run would present a challenge to me and opportunity to be caught. I beat the guy who passed me out of transition but he quickly countered and moved around me. About three minutes later, another guy in my age group caught me. I knew he was the third place athlete. They were running a solid 20s per mile quick and I didn't have it in my legs.

When the course flattened out, I could count the number of people in front of me and saw it was about 12. My goals was to NOT get passed on the final two miles. Since it was a time trial start, I still needed to push but certainly didn't feel the presence of anyone breathing down my back.

And then something happened that I have NEVER experienced in a race. I was making the final left turn back into the park with about a third of a mile left in the race. At this point there was 2 way traffic. Some dumbass decided to caught the corner and we ran smack into one another. Not sure who won but we kinda bounced off each other. I know my chin hit is left shoulder and I took a fist/forearm to the gut. Felt those for about 3 days. I shook it off the best I could and finished strong.

Run: 27:22 (6:50)

Overall time: 1:27:34

Unfortunately, I really had high hopes of placing in this race. But it wasn't in the cards that day. I ended up 5th in my age group out of 32 (lost 4th by 1s due to the collision). I did end up about 16th out of 400. Any other year and my time would have been 1st or 2nd in my age group. Goes to show that you can't control who shows up on race day.

Age Group results:
Swim: 9/32
Bike: 5/32 (2-5 were 8s apart)
Run: 5/32
T1: 3/32
T2: 10/32 (???)

Memphis in May Race Results

Better late than never....

This year I opted out of doing an half iron early in the season. I decided that my time is better spent establishing the business and I wasn't quite sure what my training would look like. So I targeted Memphis in May as my early season "A" race. I spent some time last year working on my Olympic distance racing. Of all the distances, I tend to find it the most difficult to master--too long to redline, too short to pace. Kinda like the 400 or 800 of track.

My training builds were good. But then the wheels came off during my peak. I still don't know exactly what happened but I think I had to shift some training around and was stuck stacking too much on top of each other in too short of a time span. At the same time, I experienced rapid weight loss and that is always a recipe for disaster. By the end of my first peak week, my legs were zapped. I was struggling to lead my group workouts. So taper started early and slowly the body began to recovery but mentally it was tough to know that I didn't hit the 2 peak workouts that I really wanted.

I have always wanted to do Memphis in May. It used to be one of the biggest events. But competition has slowly invaded the territory and splits athletes among a few different races. It is primarily known for two things--heat and speed. It is a flat, fast course. I was looking forward to setting a new pr. My goal was to go sub 2:15 and I felt like with a modest run, I would be able to achieve it.

We arrived in town a few days early to spend some time in the area so it gave me a chance to ride the course ahead a time. How fast is the course? I averaged 21+ mph on a z2 spin. Sweet. We also watched the sprint race the day before and had 2 athletes racing it.

Race day morning came and due to the logistics of the event, breakfast wasn't readily available. I opted for a pair of delicious pop-tarts and made my way to transition.

Swim: 1500m

It was a time trial start by age group. I was lucky to be one of the age groups starting early. My goal was to be aggressive in the swim. I felt like I have been swimming a lot lately and hoped that the work would show up on race day. I planned to draft as much as possible.

The swim is in a private lake on the Harrah's property. The lake is actually really shallow and some people were rumored to walk a great deal of it. There was a noticeable but small chop due to an impending storm but overall a good swim venue.

I can think of only a few swims where I was unable to ever find a draft. It seemed like there was nothing but slower swimmers spread out in front of me. The few people that passed me were in a different league as they quickly dropped me. I went from feet to feet never finding anything to work with. So I just had to do it on my own.

Swim time: 26:18 Not quite what I wanted but I will take that.

T1: 1:15

Bikes were racked in blocks, which I love. Plus I had an good placement. Took my time and prepared to crush the bike.

Bike: 24.8 miles (or a little shorter)

My goal for the bike was to try to break an hour. I didn't really think it was possible but I felt like I could be very close. Starting out it was just dodging people and finding a groove. I made quick work of the swimmers and mentally prepared for the next hour. The race course in general was windy. I felt it on my training ride and race day was no different. With each turn the wind shifted just a bit. You just had to wait for the time it was behind you.

Well on race day, it was a head/cross wind for the first 12-14 miles. It was noticeable but nothing too severe. After the bottle exchange, the wind shifted behind you and it was time to do work. WOW. That's the feeling I had. I instantly took off and knew that it was my make or break time. Several times, I ran out of gears as I tried to push.

While being wind aided, I tried to up my watts on the return and it just didn't happen. This is a reoccurring issue--I ride really strong but lack that pop during the race to take it to the next level. So I had to settle for what I felt was a moderate-hard effort. In hindsight it is interesting to see how low my heartrate was. It was about 6 beats below where I expected.

I was never challenged on the bike--which I hate. I have worked hard on mentally dialing it in so that I can race against the clock. However, nothing beats the adrenaline rush when you are passed and need to make a counter move. Alas, it was me and myself.

The one remarkable note was that it began storming around mile 5 of the bike. And I mean pouring. I can recall racing in one other major downpour. But this was thunder and lightening storms. I am still shocked that we continued to race. I just put my head down and eyes about 10 feet in front of me.

Bike time: 1:01:10 (24.3 mph) Fine. No sense in complaining

T2: 1:10
Talk about a mud pit. T2 was nothing but a muddy run to the rack. When I made it to my rack, I didn't quite know what to do. I looked down and mud was caked between the toes. I still opted to put on my wet socks and hope for the best.

Run: 6.2 miles--give or take .5 a mile

And it always comes down to the run for me. While my build wasn't perfect, I felt like I had put in some solid work in the running department. In my previous two races, I ran well off the bike. And this was a flat course so certainly I was primed to run a sub-45 off the bike. And I was on target to meet my 2:15 goal.

I started aggressive and moved out of T2 quickly, ascending the only hill of the course. The half mile mark I was passed for the first time. No way I could run with him. Just after the first aid station, I was passed again. This time by an acquaintance in my age group. We exchanged some pleasantries as he tried to pull away. Not today. I rode his shoulder for a while....then stared at the back of head working that adrenaline rush....repeating--I can run with him, I can run with him. Ooops....I can't run with him. The body held on for about 5 minutes and quickly let me know that I was asking a bit much. So I backed off.

My plan was to carefully stair step down each mile and open it up on the last one. I found out that much like the bike, my body had one speed today. It was a good speed but it wasn't going to let me pick it up. At the half way mark, I knew something was up on the course. My garmin was off--and not just a little. I waited for the course to correct itself.

At mile 4 of the run, my garmin read 4.45. Hmmm...I hope that miss measured the final two miles. Nope. It was increasingly clear that the course was going to be long. And not in a good way. So much for an official pr. I did check my watch when I unofficially ran 6.2 and it was at 44:10. I can live with that. But today I still had another half mile to go.

Run time: 47:21 for 6.7 miles (7:04 pace)

Total time: 2:17:14

It still ended up being a PR for me by several minutes. I quickly came to terms with not making my sub 2:15 goal because I know it was there had the course been measured properly. Everyone was groaning about the run post race and officials did apologize and correct it. Overall it was a solid race. I can't complain much. I raced within my abilities and don't feel like I left much more out there.

Now, I just need to get the 2:15 monkey off my back.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

As certain as the summer humidity, I decided to go more aerodynamic with my noggin. Ever since making this career jump, a number of things have changed in my life...all for the better.

• No more suits and ties. I have worn a button up shirt 2-3 times in the past 8 months. Weddings and funerals, that's about it.
  
• Living in workout attire. 90% of the time I am in shorts, pajamas or something in between.
  
• No shaving. I am lucky to shave once a week right now. I even took the holiday time to grow out facial hair for the first time in my life.
  
• No haircuts. I had exactly ONE haircut from September to May.
  

Now, I really enjoy these liberties. I enjoy being on my own schedule. I enjoy rolling out of bed with complete bed head and coaching a workout (my hair received a number of jokes). Laundry is a lot simpler. In fact, I have a basket of dry cleaning that hasn't moved in 8 months. It is more likely to be donated than pressed at this point.

While I enjoy each of these, I knew the end was coming. As soon as the heat and humidity arrived, it was time to shave it back. I just couldn't take the messy look any longer. So I grabbed the clippers and gots my hair did.

This has become an annual tradition for more. It is something that I actually look forward too. But this time it was different. I was cutting off months and months of hair. Not just shaving it back a little more. I also took the time to completely shave my face. Voila. Instantly, I am younger.

I must say, given the race conditions of the past few weeks. I am very thankful that I didn't wait an extra day.

Before:





















After:

Swimming Progress

I dare say that I am still swimming. And I continue to see improvements. April was a BIG swim month for me. I put in over 35,000 yards. That left me a workout short of a new monthly total. While not 100% convenient, the current swim schedule fits my schedule pretty well. I am still finding that I am a bit more motivated in this new time slot.

I did retest my 1000 time trial. And to make this even more interesting (and true), I did it when the pool was long course meters. For those who don't understand the metric system, 1000m=1093 yards. So that is nearly an extra 100 on my test.

1/15/08 TT 1000y 18.01 (1.48 pace)
2/24/08 TT 1000y 16.44 (1.40 pace)
4/10/10 TT 1000y 15:22 (1.32 pace)
2/14/11 TT 1000y 15.24 (1.32 pace)
4/25/11 TT 1000m 16:19 (1.29 pace) (14:52 equivalent)

I felt really good after doing the 1000m. I knew I was pushing it but it was far from going all out. Needless to say, I am pleased with the progress. Best of all, I still took nearly 4 months off from swimming and have broken through to a new pr in only a few months.

I guess my next goal is to get that t-pace down to 1:25 range.

April Totals

Really solid month of training. I had no major set backs. In fact, I moved forward quite well. Even had time for a recovery week at the end of the month.

Previously stated goals


1. More balance, less sporadic volume spikes--DONE
2. Consistent long rides AND runs--DONE
3. Build FTP higher--Probably DONE
4. Hard bricks--Half Done

For my volume, here are my goals
Bike: 500 miles (125 a week)--474 Actual. I will take a 94.8%
Run: 100 miles (25 a week)--89.3 Actual. Not bad for me.
Swim: 40,000 (10k a week)--35800 Actual. Really good for me.

Overall, I am very pleased. I felt really dialed in and a few flats, rainy days and busy schedule were the only thing to prevent me from hitting the totals.

Alpha Delta Pi-athlon

A few weekends ago, a group of our FTP athletes decided it was time to test their training in a small local sprint. I wasn't 100% recovered from Powerman Alabama but decided I could stomach the distances enough. And quite honestly, I was itching to race a tri too. So we headed to Murfreesboro for the 3rd Annual AD Pi-athlon. This event is finally making the big times. Last year, there were only 67 athletes. This year close to 200.

This also was my first foray into the depths of coaching and racing at the same time. Not the easiest thing when athletes are full of questions prior to the race. I am so accustomed to going through the motions on my own and then secluding myself to find that inner peace prior to the gun going off.

Swim: 300m

It was a time trial, pool start seeded by our estimated times. This put me as the 26th person getting in the water. I wasn't exactly thrilled by my position as I knew there would be the possibility of a log jam with 25 people in front of me. At least 10 who probably had no clue to their actual time. And as expected, it happened.

About half way through the swim, I encountered the first hazard. A little maneuvering and I was able to beat them to the wall. Sorry. I was a little rude. The next jam was a little more difficult. It was about 5 people and they were not giving up position. Fortunately in the water, it is easy to move people. So I did. I literally split right through them, using my hands to push them out of the way. Sorry. I finally exited the water in 4:33. Good enough for 14th overall.

T1

Not sure what happened here but I was a fumbling idiot. My goal for the race was to get through transitions as fast as possible. That didn't quite happen. 1:32

Bike: 10.3 miles

To make matters worse, I couldn't get on my bike for some reason. It took me 4 different attempts to actually clip in and get moving. Once I did, I was off and running. There were only a handful of people in front of me and I set out to blister the course. I think my legs had a different idea. I was strong but I was definitely feeling the fatigue from Powerman Alabama the weekend before.

I pushed hard but with no real competition pushing me, it became a race against myself. I was able to pick off the low hanging fruit. But wasn't closing too much of a gap on the good cyclists. I could see the leaders ahead on the long straights. I flew back into transition with only a handful of people already there (and some still exiting to start the bike)

Bike: 26:38 (23.1 mph) 5th OA

T2:

More rookie mistakes. Because I made the last minute decision to race, I never really packed my bag. I just left all my stuff in there from the previous weekend. After several attempts to put on my shoe, I realized my dirty socks were in there. Rolls eyes. 0:50

Run: 3.14

Pancake flat. In good position. Several out and backs. Could see the leaders. I ran out of transition along side a younger athlete. Within 60s I was toast. We were running 5:30s for the first minute and I knew that I couldn't sustain that. So I backed off. At each turn around we were all eyeing each other. The lead pack had about a quarter mile on me. I had maybe a quarter mile on the next pack.

I didn't know what my legs would give me. So I just went for it and they actually responded quite well. I held a sub 6:30 pace through the first 2 miles and I really began to hurt around 2.5. I could also see the group gaining on me. Unfortunately, there was no additional gear that day. My third mile slipped about 10 seconds and I was finally caught. It was only one person but I really didn't want to be caught in that race.

Run: 20:32 (6:31 pace) 10th OA

Overall my time was 54:03. I ended up 8th overall and won my age group. I am pleased with my performance with the exception of transition. Not sure what happened there.

April Goals

Coming off a solid March has me thinking more and more about what I want to accomplish in April. So here are my goals:

1. More balance, less sporadic volume spikes.
2. Consistent long rides AND runs
3. Build FTP higher
4. Hard bricks

For my volume, here are my goals
Bike: 500 miles (125 a week)
Run: 100 miles (25 a week)
Swim: 40,000 (10k a week)

I suspect that the breakdown will be 4 bikes a week (doable), 4 runs a week (must push myself to do these) and 3 swims a week (easily doable). All I need is some good weather. The trainer isn't going to cut it anymore.

March Totals

Really good month of training in the books. My numbers look inflated and they are. My run was added by two races--Tom King Half and Powerman Alabama. Those two days alone provided 25.5 miles or 29% of my total mileage. But given the races, there was plenty of recovery that forced me to not run. Shrugs shoulders

I did a bike focus week and that really helped drive up my biking volume. That week alone gave me 150 miles or 41% of my volume. Overall, that is a solid amount of riding for a month. Hopefully kinder weather will help me in April.

I am very pleased with my swimming. I think this is my 2nd or 3rd most yardage in a month ever. The only times I put in more were the two months leading up to IM Florida. I guess those 4500y workouts added up. The best part is that I don't really feel like I made any extra effort to get to the pool. In fact, I was only swimming 2x a week most of the time. I know there is room to add another swim.

March's totals:
Bike:	19h 56m 23s - 362.2 Mi
Run:	11h 49m 18s - 88.6 Mi
Swim:	10h 31m - 31318.07 Yd

Powerman Alabama

I came, I saw, I conquered. At least in some respects. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this race. Many, many moons ago, I did the shorter version of the race as my first ever multisport event. I vividly recall the anxiety of surviving. And I am talking about transitions.

I later came back for two more long course races. The late March race was an early season tune up. It gave me great feedback in regards to my run and bike fitness. In 2008, I swore I would never again return to this event. Duathlons hurt too damn much. The old course was challenging in many respects and after 3 hours of racing, I was spent.

I don't know what it was but I felt a small desire to return this year. Maybe it was a few clients that were also racing. Maybe it was a desire to get out of town again. After spending a day at the multisport expo next to Team Magic, I was convinced to sign up for the race. It was on.

Race morning quickly arrived and so did the anxiety of doing a long race. The temperatures were in the mid-50s and overcast. I opted for a tri top, arm warmers and shorts. My hope was that the first run would warm me enough and the adrenaline of the bike would carry me through that portion. I also learned that morning the race was serving as the long course duathlon national championships. That meant the big boys were there. And it also explained how my age group grew from 6 people last year to 20 this year.

Getting set up is so easy in a duathlon. You are already wearing half of what you need so it is just your helmet, bike and shoes. That simple. This gave me ample opportunity to catch up with a few FTP athletes and friends. I was unusually loose before the race. I guess I didn't feel like I had much riding on the outcome. I was just hoping for a solid training day.

Run #1-10k

We were the final wave to go off. I didn't plan on killing it. I wanted to run a comfortable 7:15-7:30 pace. My goal for the day was to have a strong second run. Or at least one that was close to the first run. The course was rolling for the first 2.5 miles. There were no major climbs over this portion of the race, just enough to make you work. While I was a ways back in the wave, my first mile was 7:02, the second 7:11. I felt good.

And then we began to climb. And climb. And climb. And climb. This might go down as the second hardest hill I ever encountered during a race. The only competition would be Triple T Ohio. And while I have tried to erase those memories, I am not sure that a single hill on that course rivaled this one.

This hills began climbing at 2.7 mile and didn't stop until 2.85. It was over one mile to the top. And there was only one brief stretch of flat/downhill slope. It climbed over 300 feet during that distance. It was something. That's about all I can say about it. I began the climb, turning over mile 3 at a 7:25 pace. Still in control.

I keep my Garmin on average mile pace. For the first quarter of a mile, it registered a 9:45 pace. It was that type of hill. To make matters worse, it was winding so you could always hear and see people above you. It seemed as if not end was in site. Once you hit the turnaround (the hill went on) and began the descent, you passed mile 4. 8:25 . Ouch.

As you might imagine, the downhill was fast. The pitch of the hill was too much to completely let yourself go. Your momentum would carry you with plenty of speed but you needed to keep yourself in check. Mile 5: 6:55.

At that point, my biggest concern was repeating the performance and the excruciating pain that my quads would come to know the next day. I cruised into transition at a 7:25 pace and put the first run behind me.

Run #1 time: 45:37 (7:22 pace). Solid

T1: :48 Nothing to report. Not much to do.

Bike: 60k (3 loops)

I knew this course as I had raced a sprint triathlon a few times in this location. It was a tight, rolling course. There was 1-2 climbs that forced you to pace and the a few twisting descents that didn't allow you to be too aggressive.

My goal was to pace the course conservatively. I wanted to enjoy the first loop and hold back. Mainly because after the first lap, I still had to do an Olympic tri-40k, 10k brick. Then I wanted to pick it up a bit on each lap trying to move my power higher and higher. My guess was that the runners that went out hard on the ride would begin to fade around mile 30-35.

Lap one was steady as could be. I kept my power in check. I kept my climbing under control. And I kept the pace very comfortable. So much so that I didn't even average 20 mph. I was riding with the same pack of guys playing leapfrog for the first lap. I came back around with a smile on my face. I was actually enjoying myself.

During the second lap, I made my first move. I put it on the group and instantly dropped them. I upped my power by about 10%, still working on keeping the climbs under control. I began gaining on the next pack of riders. The course going out was noticeably slower than the return. I finished lap 2 still feeling good and about 90s quicker than the first lap.

Lap three was much of the same. I made my second move at the final turnaround. I shot out of the turn and attacked the hill. And I subsequently attacked the downhills even harder. At this point the course was really spread out. You could be a little more aggressive. Plus, you knew the course by now. I picked up the power another 90% and rode away from the last few people.

Bike time: 1:51:17 (20.3 mph)

T2: Changed shoes and ran.

Run #2-10k

Back to the course again. While I didn't feel cold on the bike, I realized that I must have curled my feet the entire time because I couldn't feel my left foot for the first mile. I thought it was hinder me but it seemed to work itself out quickly.

The course was carnage. There were some people hurting out there. For a fleeting moment, I felt like a runner because I was passing people. Better yet, I felt comfortable. Mile 1: 7:35, 7:24, 7:43. A bit slower than I would like, but well within the margin of error.

And then that damn hill. Grrr. At this point it was all about mental training. It hurt. And not in a good way. And I swear it was longer than before. I vowed to not walk. Keep running. I finally hit the top. I did take a moment to gather myself, consume fluids and get my HR down. Mile 4-9:04 And then I went pounding down the hill. But not as quickly as the dude who passed me. One guy came down the hill so fast that I feared for his life. Crazy.

Mile 5-6:57. And then I ran out of steam. The hill won. I gambled a bit with my nutrition. I took a double concentrated bottle of Infinit on the bike. And nothing for either run. I planned on take in a gel during the first part of run #2. But after I went through the first run, I questioned how a gel would feel in the stomach climbing that hill. I didn't wear my HRM but I easily suspect that I set a new HR high. So I skipped the gel. But now I was starting to hurt as a bonk was coming on. Fortunately the finish line was close enough to hang in there. Mile 6-7:58.

Run #2 time: 47:33 (7:40)

Overall time: 3:26

It wasn't the prettiest race but it was a consistent, solid effort. I did what I wanted. My second run was only about 5% slower than my first. I hung in there on the long, challenging course. I didn't give it. It has been a while since I pushed the 10k after a pick. Usually, I just settle into a comfortable pace. Hopefully this will bode well for Memphis in May.

Crushing the Bike

No complaints from the weather department here. The past week has climbed into the 80s. Even the mornings were nice. I certainly took every opportunity I could to ride, ride and ride. I ended with just over 150 miles in 5 days...with a day off. Volume wise that isn't killer but given that nearly all of it was at a high intensity, there was no rest for the weak.

Wednesday: 90' of riding 30 miles as 4 x 10' @ 90-95% of FTP
Thursday: 150' of riding 47 miles on road bike. Mainly z2 effort but the terrain was more challenging than expected.
Friday: 90' of riding 32 miles as 60' at 80-85% or race simulation
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: 120' as 4 x 15 at 75, 85, 90% in 5' increments.

While my legs are completely numb right now, I know this is what I needed. I feel like I riding well right now but I need to breakthrough to that next level. I like putting in these big blocks of riding. I am curious to see if they pay off. I would love to average 150 miles each week for most of the season. That's a lot more riding than I am accustom. I think if I can commute downtown and back once a week then this is easily attainable. I just need to ensure proper rest and recovery.

Tom King Rewind

I can't express how happy I am that Tom King is over. I will be even more happy when Powerman is over this weekend. It is time like this that I truly wonder where my desire comes from to continue participating in this sport trying to achieve a higher level. But in the end, I know these decisions are just tough. And when you make tough decisions, then the outcome isn't always fun. You look for the lining--and sometimes it is character building.

It took me about a week to shake off my Tom King performance. I was at peace with it...for the most part. Sure I was unhappy but I have never once regretted backing off and shutting it down. I KNOW that was the right decision. However, there were a number of key mistakes I made in training all along the way. I think in the days leading up to the event, I began to realize them. Or maybe I just accepted what I knew all along.

1. Over-reaching. This race was simply me over reaching for a goal. I want to be a sub 1:30 half marathoner. But I am not. I am not. I am not. I am close, but I am not there yet. All the race day calculators told me I would run a 1:34. I wouldn't listen. And I began lying to myself. I convinced myself that the flat terrain would give me an advantage. I convinced myself that my 5k time would be faster. I simple over reached.

2. Failure of long runs. Well I knew this was going to be a problem. I knew I could run 13.1 miles...and I did. But the lack of longer tempo runs. Or strong negative splits prevented me from staying strong for 90+ minutes.

3. Over reliance of mile repeats. Nearly each Tuesday I did mile repeats in the park. I usually did 3-5 at HM pace. Easy peasy. No problem at all. I cut the recovery times in half and could pound them out. But I nearly always had an excuse as to why the workouts wasn't 6-8 repeats.

4. Over estimation of volume impact. Jury is still out on my volume experiment. I am still not convinced that more volume for the sake of volume is good for me. When I did the 50 runs in 50 days I started down a path and transferred over to race specific training. I became really efficient at running 3-5 miles. I have no doubt that my 5k likely improved. But all that volume didn't do much for my longer endurance needs. Consistency is great but it needs to be aligned with your goals.

5. Obsession with a time. This is a lesson that I continually learn the hard way. Three years ago, I took a DNF at NOLA 70.3 because I was chasing the wrong carrot. At Tom King that carrot returned. I wouldn't simply let things just be. I wanted the wrong carrot and it messes with me mentally.

The race is over. My legs are still a bit fatigued. I didn't plan on running much between the race and Powerman. Once the next race is over, I feel like I can back off the throttle a bit and let go of the early season longer races.

Tom King Classic Half Marathon

Go big or go home. That was my approach for Saturday's race. I had one goal. I only wanted one outcome. Anything less was unsatisfactory for me. And maybe that was wrong of me. But more about that in a future blog.

I felt really good the day before. I went for an easy 35 minute run in the morning. I and put together a strong 70' minute ride in the evening. I made sure I ate well. I was in bed, in my tights, at a very reasonable hour. As usual, I was a little wound up. Maybe it was not having raced lately or nervous that I was really over stretching.

The race had a different feel for it. It is very much a community event. It has a 5k run and 3k walk prior to the half marathon. That means gun time wasn't until 8:30. We arrived around 7:00 and I took the first hour to work with FTP athletes that were racing the 5k. We were able to watch them participate before needing to warmup. I never felt rushed. I liked being on my feet moving around prior to the race.

I entered the corral moments before the gun started the race. I knew what was needed at nearly every step of the race. My plan was to cruise for the first 4 miles. And then begin to slowly picking it up through 10 miles. Then I needed a solid 5k to finish off a killer race. I knew it was a stretch but I thought it would come down to two things--establishing a steady pace in the beginning and having the heart to kick in the end.

Unfortunately, neither of those panned out for me on Saturday. Last year, I started ING half mary with a fast first mile. I didn't want to make that mistake this year. So I paced myself. First mile was under control. Nice and smooth at 6:57. I let the jitters move out and worked to establish a smooth pace around 7:00. The next two miles ticked off at 7:03 and 7:04. Smooth and in control.

Or so I thought. Mile 4 slipped to 7:10. Hmmm. This is a flat course with little to no elevation gain. Maybe it was a false flat. Mile 5 is slipping even more. 7:15 pace....7:20 pace. WTF??? I don't feel tired yet. I still feel strong but my mental strength is slipping fast. Next thing I know, I am 30s off pace.

Houston, we have a problem.

I tell myself to make it to the turn around and then mentally reset. But things aren't looking good as I make the turnaround at 6.3 miles. I tell myself to run one mile at a comfortable pace and then negative split the backside. I have always been stronger on the back side.

No go. It just isn't happening today. 7 miles in, I am reduced to a 7:45. Just trying to hold it together now. 8 miles and pace is shot, I am over it. It is going to a be a LONG jog back. I take some time to talk to other struggling athletes. Misery loves company. I learn that most have no clue how close they are to still meeting their goals. Two guys were ahead of pace.

I decided to completely shut it down at this point. There is no reason to trash the body. It is time to start recovering. I take my time at each aid station and put back some fluids. I am also taking walk breaks each mile. Time to focus on the next race.

I ended up crossing the line at 1:50 (8:25 pace). I realize that for many this would be a great race but it was nearly 20 minutes slower than I anticipated. I really don't have an excuse. Likely, I was overstretching in my goal. I just didn't have it that day. I went for it and it backfired.

I was generally in a good mood after the race. You never want to have a bad race but I do believe in going for it every once in a while. And I don't regret going for it. I think I made the right call in completely shutting it down. This was a low priority race and had little implication on my upcoming season. I even had the energy to coach a group ride 1.5 hours after crossing the finish line.

Now onto more important matters....

Swim Progress

This is very difficult for me to admit. I can't believe I am about to say this.

But I am swimming really well right now. And kinda enjoying it

(runs and hides)

It was about this time last year that I took the plunge and joined masters swimming at Dynamo. Under Maria's direction, I became a much more confident swimmer. And I assume I became a faster swimmer. But I never really came to terms with swimming. The 5 am wake up calls sucked. The initial shock of the pool at 5:45 am was never well received. It often took me a solid 1000m before I was awake. So while I continued to build my volume and endurance, I never took a solid liking to swimming. Fast forward another year and I have a different outlook...and possibly different results.

Naturally, I went back to my training log to determine if I am swimming more. I typically take about 3 months off from swimming at the end of the year. My training log seems to indicate that I was a bit sheepish about getting back into the water in January. That being said, I expected my swimming to be limited. For the first 10 weeks of the year, I only averaged 5600m a week. This began to pick up steadily in March when I joined Dynamo.

This year was a bit similar. In November and December, I swam once a week at most. In January, I picked it up a bit. By February, I was swimming masters with NAC. If I control for the two weeks that I didn't enter the pool at all, then I am averaging 5700m a week for the year.

As I am writing this, I am actually a bit dumbfounded. I thought for sure that I was just putting in more regular volume. I thought maybe consistency was the key. I guess not. Onto theory number two.

So today I tested a different thought. I love the pool where I work and swim. It is a great competition pool. It is deep throughout, has super wide lanes, wave breakers and basically no current. After talking with the masters group, I have learned that this is a 'fast' pool. Well that might explain my swimming. I was noticing that my intervals were often a few seconds faster than normal. My t-pace (1:32), tested a few weeks ago, was a PR for more and netted a per 100 pace faster than my in season speed. Must be the fast pool. Or so I thought.

I had the day off today so I visited another masters group in town. The workout called for repeats of 3 x 100 on 1:40 or holding a 1:30 pace. I was confident that I would easily hold the pace. But I was uncertain how the pool dynamics might slow me down a bit. Was it just easier in the other pool? Well I pushed the first set and came in around 1:25. I worked to back it off, as to play nice with my lane mates. I finally settled into a comfortable 1:30 pace. In fact, it was a bit too comfortable. It didn't feel tempo at all. In between the sets were an easy 300. I was cruising to a 4:35 finish and feeling like I was just enjoying the swim. During the final 100, 2000y into the workout, I was still able to push it a bit and go under 1:25. The final confirmation came when we were told to do a 200 all out. I went 2:35. That is probably 15 seconds faster than I can ever recall. Guess something is working for me.

I came home, talked to Jess and contemplated this for most of the day. As mentioned, I thought for sure it was just a volume thing. But apparently not. Onto theory 3, 4 and 5.

Theory 3: I am trying at a time that makes sense for me. The 5:45 am class didn't work for me. I typically had decent evening swims on my own but I was often fatigued from work. Instead, now I am swimming a masters class at 9 am. When I swim on my own it is often around 7:30, after I coach a class. I think my body is awake. I can't say that I look forward to jumping in the pool but I do so less begrudgingly. And I am ready to work once there.

Theory 4: I am training with swimmers. At Dynamo, I opted for the triathlete lane. We pushed it, but there was plenty time for social hour. Not at NAC. The 9 am class is brutal. And I fall behind quickly. Half the class is former D1 swimmers. The other half triathletes. As a coach and a business owner, I see it as my job to be fast...or give that appearance. So I work when I am there. Or maybe I get worked. Swimming with faster people pays off.

Theory 5: Stroke improvement. I will be the first to admit that I am very overwhelmed teaching people to swim. This is my weakness as an athlete. And I don't have all the experience as a coach. Doing so gives me a lot of time to reflect on the different aspects of the stroke. Whereas before, I would get information overload when I googled swimming tips, now I have a very direct approach to it. I am looking for very specific things like--drills to develop a high elbow during recovery. This forces me to think and learn more and more and more about swimming. Now when I am in the pool, I am thinking more about implementation. Somewhere along the way, I think my stroke changed. I think I developed a much stronger pull. And now I am onto working on better hip rotation.

It is really hard to pinpoint what is working. I am actually concerned about getting ahead of myself. However, there are very few times in the past 6+ years that I can admit enjoying swimming. I am seeing really good results. I have a better attitude about it. And I am *almost* looking forward to the swim portion of the season.

Race Week is Here

As you can see, time continues to elude me. I used to take great pride in blogging but I guess since it is also my job, my personal blog continues to take a back seat. So much to say, so little time and energy to get it out.

Nonetheless, race season is officially here. This weekend I have my first real race of the year--Tom King Classic Half Marathon. It is flat, fast and on a fairly familiar course for me. It has all the makings of a great race. Well, except...

My long runs continue to hinder my progress. This is nearly two years of rarely hitting a good long run. Long run to me is 10 or more miles. I don't know why I can't do it. It is as if there is a mental block. I used to love long runs. I used to love sitting in z2 for 2 hours. Not anymore. They just don't happen for me.

So this leaves me feeling really unprepared for next weekend. I know I am running more than last year. I don't quite know if I am running better than last year. Fortunately, I keep an extensive training log that allows me to run some basic analysis on the situation.

So last year, I completed the Atlanta ING Half Mary in 1:36:04 (7:11 pace). I knew during and immediately after the race that I ran it stupidly. I went out WAY too hard, felt a bit flat and let go a bit toward the end. My goal for the race was 1:35. Finishing 64 seconds after your goal kinda sucks. But I knew I easily had a 1:35 in my. It was just a matter of using my head.

So my goal this year made that next big leap. I want to run a 1:30 half. I tend to think that real runners begin at the 1:30 mark. That is simply my opinion. I really want 1:29:xx but for now I will settle for 1:30:xx. That is a big leap in a matter of a year. One that I am not 100% certain I am ready to make. My training has been slightly sporadic. But the volume is there.

I took the opportunity this year to train more by volume than intensity. I wanted to see what would happen. I did the 50 runs in 50 days challenge. I have a regular running routine. I have long felt that running was my weakness. And I don't really even know how I survived with such low running volume. Last year, I was lucky to get in 20 miles a week. This year it was different.

Data on the four months of running prior to race

	Last Year	This Year
November	57.2	103.7
December	83	121.3
January	56.8	81
February	77.4	84.9
	274.4	391.9

Weeks Out	Last Year	This Year
1	16.5	27.5
2	20.9	9.5
3	25.7	21
4	23.4	27.1
5	14	26.4
6	14.3	25.1
	114.8	133.1

So my monthly volume shows a 41% increase in total running or about 100 miles more. Additionally my weekly volume shows a significant increase (despite being ill for 5 days last week). Even with the abysmal 9.5 mile week, I was able to bounce back to 27.5 the next week and would have been 30+ had it not been for a series of thunderstorms.

But lost in all the mileage is the lack of long runs. This year I have likely passed 10 miles 3-4 times total. And I can think of two runs that were horrible. But looking back on last year, this seems par for the course.

I don't quite know if I will reach my time on Saturday. I know it is a bit of a stretch. Based on a hilly 5k I did in January, the running calculators predict 1:33. Blech. The course is flat so I know that will help. Guess we will see if I can hold 6:52 pace for the entire race.

A Day in the Life of a Coach, part 1

I consider myself a very blessed individual. At this time in my life, I am able to pursue a passion. I was able to leave behind the confines of a traditional 9-5 desk job and capitalize on my entrepreneurial spirit. Just like any other endeavor, there are good days and there are bad. And there are really good days...and there are really bad days.

I often do miss the routine nature of a traditional job. I have blogged several times before that I live my life fairly systematic. For 30 years, I carefully scripted every move. It provided comfort and stability. The traditional route provided security. Being on your own forces you out of your comfort zone and brings a great deal of anxiety.

If I had to divide up how I spend most my time, I would gather to say the chart would look like this:

Coaching	35%
Training	20%
Emails	10%
Dead time	15%
Networking	10%
Meetings	5%
Creating Content	5%

Clearly coaching takes up the most time. In the offseason, I am coaching between 10-12 hours a week for the group. And I typically have 3-4 sessions with personal clients. So that makes about 15 hours a week where I am 'on.' Of course those hours don't include all the time spent developing and planning workouts, thinking about each client's ability to complete them or even scouting locations.

The next bucket is likely my training and recovery. While difficult on most days, I am successful in maintaining about 8-10 hours of training this offseason. The hardest part is training around everyone else's schedule. Typically I do all my training between 9 am and 4 pm. This is really tough on most days. It is very difficult to go for a long run and coach a long session 30 minutes later.

The emails don't stop coming. And that is a good problem to have. It is a very overwhelming feeling to fall behind on emails when you know clients depend on you so much. I try to have a 24-36 hour rule if something needs attention. For new clients, I try to have a same day policy. While this task isn't physically taxing, it takes a toll to come home late and still have an hour a emails when you only want a bed.

Dead time is the thorn in my side right now. Often I find myself with 90-120 minute gaps in the schedule (like now). It doesn't make sense to commute home and back. Often I hit up a panera and try to take care of business. But there are plenty of days where I don't have the mental energy. This results in just trying to chill and relax (as much as one can knowing the work is piling up).

Networking. Business is all about who you know. You have to keep your clients, sponsors and partners happy. I learned in the business world that out of sight is out of mind. You can't afford to let a small business slip off people's radar. That means at least once a week you need to spend time with one of these entities. It might be lunch. It might be just stopping by to talk shop. When people see you, they are more inclined to help. In a business that relies heavily on referrals, every hand is worth shaking.

Similarly, I find myself in a few meetings from time to time. Jessica and I have a standing Sunday morning brunch meeting to outline the weekly objectives. But I also have current and prospective clients wanting to meet and talk.

Finally, when time permits, it is spent creating a publishing content. This is our marketing strategy. Fortunately, you can stockpile many of these efforts. I can take one afternoon and create a month's worth of quality content. Our goal is to publish a blog once a week and interact via facebook no less than three times a week. It is all about keeping your audience engaged. I hope that this area will grow as the business grows.

I wish I could say that it was all swimming, biking and running (not that my body would hold up). But there are too many opportunities and not enough time. This week is a classic example. Sunny, 60 degrees. I hope to ride a few times. But I am not 100% sure it will happen. And if it does, it will be a crammed ride because I don't have time.

But I wouldn't change it for anything. It keeps me busy.

2010 Totals

I knew this slipped by but I will make sure it gets mentioned at some point. I hit all my training goals for the year

Bike:	164h 27m 33s - 3138.44 Mi
Run:	129h 12m 02s - 956.69 Mi
Swim:	72h 20m 05s - 206685.9 Yd

My goals for the year were 3000, 750 and 200k.

This wasn't my biggest year for swimming. But considering the longest race I did was 1.2 miles, I didn't have the need for the same volume. In 2008, I did about 25% more distance.

My cycling was on par with previous years. Obviously, Ironman years are higher but not that much. I did about 250 miles more than last year.

Running was far and away a new high. I ran about 200 more miles than previous years. I think that is a substantial jump. Most of it can be accredited to staying healthy and my run focus to end the year.

The best part is that in both cycling and running, my average speed is faster than the previous year. This year I plan to train a bit differently, focusing a bit more on volume than distance. I am doing this more in response to the job than choice. However, I am very eager to see the results.

January is in the books

One month down. 11 more to go.

As expected, I am not finding ample time to keep this blog updated. I have things to blog about just lack the motivation and energy on most days. Most of my creative thoughts are being put into the FTP blog. Jessica and I are in full content creation mode right now. Tons of stuff to unveil in the next 45 days.

Training is going sufficient right now. I took a week off in the beginning of the month. I did NOTHING for 5 straight days. No trainer. No pool. No strength. I think I needed a rest. And it seemed to help. I feel like I bounced back nicely.

I am marking Monday as my official kickoff in training. I have a half marathon in about 6 weeks. At some point I need to hit my long runs. I WILL run long for the next 5 weeks. I WILL. Last night was the first time since last year that the trainer won. Quite honestly, my legs are fried right now.

Jessica has me working on a posterior chain strength routine that leave my hamstrings screaming for a couple of days. Additionally, I overdid it a bit this past weekend. But...but...but....it was sunny and in the 60s. I bought a new road bike and had to test it out. But I forgot how different the geometry feels and it works a totally different muscle group. Great in the long run. Sucky in the short run. So I started this week with heavy legs. I have a feeling that an ice bath is in my near future.

I am also slowly finding my way to the pool. I have plenty of time to swim. In fact, I have NO excuses seeing as I basically work at the pool or across the street from it. But I like to make excuses. My biggest issue is that I want to swim masters but the times aren't convenient for me. I coach during their early sessions. Then the 9 am class is only MWF. I don't typically work M or F, so I really don't want to commute into town just to swim masters. The masters class by the house has a 9am TT class but I have a personal training client in that slot. SIGH. My life is so miserable, lol.

Overall, I am pleased with January. Taking 5 straight days off hurt but my numbers are still solid. I rode about 40 miles more than last year. And I ran 25 more. My swimming was almost the exact same. Ironically, I took off a week last year in January to recover.

Bike:	12h 26m 48s - 220 Mi
Run:	10h 59m 08s - 81 Mi
Swim:	3h 56m 19s - 12350 Yd
Strength:	1h 20m

I don't have a particular goal for February. I suspect my riding will be closer to 250, my running closer to 120 and swimming around 20,000. It isn't quite go time but I feel ramp up. My first race is an olympic this year in mid may. So I don't feel too much pressure...yet.

Booo....snow

I am the first to admit that I love the snow. I love playing in it. I love sledding in it. And for the most part, I enjoy running in it. But for now, I am over it.

We just had our fourth serious snowfall of the past 2 months. And by serious, I mean enough to mess up schedules or prevent me from leaving the house. The kids were out of school ALL last week due to the storm. They are out again today. Sigh.

I was all excited about getting back to training this week. The first of the week was good but yesterday and today fell a part. At least it will cause me to pick up my swimming a bit more. And I am finding the trainer tolerable (for now).

The worst part of it is that I brought home a nice, new, shiny carbon toy from the bike shop to test. Riding it on the trainer tells me nothing. I need to get in the saddle for about an hour and see how it works for me. Alas, the forecast calls for flurries several times over the next week.

Enjoying some time off

Initially, I seriously entertained the idea of turning my 50 in 50 into 100 in 100. And for about a week, I was on that path. But it seems that life got in the way. I feel like I am battling some tendinitis in my right foot. It hasn't prevented me from running but it is nagging me plenty. I suspect some of it is from the 50 in 50. But I suspect further that it has more to do with my career change.

Prior to coaching full-time, I had an office job. I moved around the office a fair amount but it was far from active. Now, I am on my feet when I work. Be it standing on a pool deck coaching or leading a class in strength training, my body is still making the adjustments. I also have a personal training client that I run with twice each week. So when I calculate my training + coaching + additional clients, I am easily on my feet 10-15 hours more than normal. This is why I think I wake up with tight calves.

So I decided to take some time off. Err...plus life forced it a bit. Last weekend, Jessica and I traveled out to Arizona to attend the BCS National Championship (War Eagle). We stopped off in Sobino Canyon for a run on Sunday afternoon. By the time we arrived back in Nashville on Tuesday, I was beat. Not to mention, we were snowed/iced in.

I took this opportunity to rest and recovery. I did NOTHING for the entire week. My logs are empty for five straight days. I think I needed the break. I taught SpinSanity on Saturday and did most of the workout. I assume I will run sometime today and slowly re-integrate training back into the life.

Taking a break from time to time is really nice. Yes, I was a bit stir crazy from the downtime. But it helped that I was also exhausted. So the added rest was a bonus. Most of us get too caught up in training and racing that we forget rest and recovery are the keys to success. During this period, you body is able to repair itself and make all the adaptations needed to increase your fitness. And it is really good mentally for you.

Now I am not sure, I would necessarily recommend a full week off for everyone. But why not? I like this idea. I wonder if I can take a full week off 4 times a year and let it reset my body to go into the next phase of training.

Resolution Run 5k

No better way to start off the New Year than with a benchmark race. I didn't expect too much from this race seeing that it was the day after my 50 in 50 ended and my legs weren't feeling strong all week. Plus it was on a hilly course.

Jessica and I arrived in plenty of time. The temperature was nice but it poured the night before and was still raining that morning. We stayed dry, in the car, up until about 15 minutes before the race started. And then it was go time.

In my forgetfulness, I left my Garmin at home. I liked the idea of not having my time, but I also knew that I would go out too hard. And I was right. I seeded myself aggressively and went hard that first mile. I knew I was pacing off 17 minute 5k people but I felt great (don't you always). The first mile had the first of the two big hills. I backed off the pace a bit and let the next pack catch me. I came down off the bridge to a first mile split of 6:15. Oops. That was about 20s too fast.

Despite the next section being the relatively flat part of the course, I slowed, along with everyone else, to about a 6:45 pace. The final mile had one more climb and a sharp descent. And I felt every bit of it. The climb hurt. And the descent was too sharp to fly on wet pavement. I wanted to pick it up but I could tell that I had wasted my energy on the first mile. I had a fast cruising pace but no hard kick and no real desire to kick.

Time: 20:22 (6:35 pace)
AG: 3/29
OA: 27/644

Overall, it was a small pr for my 5k. Just not a good race. I still want to get under 20 minutes which continues to elude me. But for now I will take it and hope for the best in the next round.