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.

50 in 50 is D-O-N-E

It's over. Done. Finished. No more.

So my 50 in 50 challenge is finally done with. And not a moment too soon. There were highs, there were lows. And there were plenty of aches and pains. In the end, I nailed 50 runs in 50 days. The breakdown looked something like this:

Total miles: 186.6
Average miles per day: 3.7
November breakdown: 65.3 (19 days)
December breakdown: 121.3 (31 days)
Number of non-running days: 3
Number of two-runs in a day: 3
Average pace: 8:20 per mile

Number of runs under 3 miles: 24
Number of runs between 3-5 miles: 19
Number of runs between 5.1-7 miles: 3
Number of runs greater than 7 miles: 4

Easiest run: Probably the first. Most of the runs were easy. There were very few runs I didn't look forward to.
Hardest run: Hands down the last. I thought this would be my favorite run. I just finished a hard 2 hour ride and I was wiped. I came back to the house bonking and still knew I needed to run at least two miles. It was miserable. I only recall one other hard run where my legs were in so much pain that I really questioned going back to bed.

I have yet to decide if I am going to continue with the program and attempt to stretch it to 100 days. I really like the idea but I fear it will impact tri training too much. Plus I would really like to take a few days off without the pressure of feeling that I need to play catch up. More to come later.

Looking for a Thought

I know I need to blog but I am drained right now. I am blogging much more over on the FTP coaching blog so that has been my primary focus. I am still on pace with my 50 day running challenge. I am only 1 run behind. So far, I am thrilled with the results. I feel like I have a better relationship with running. And I know my running is coming along better than it has in years.

All in all, life is good. Training is starting to pick up more. I am only swimming once a week but I suspect that will change next month. This past week, I started my offseason bike interval plan. I still hate the trainer but I hope to endure it for 60 minutes a few times each week. I am teaching an extended spin class on the weekend so I hope that suffices for the long ride. Goodness knows that the weather isn't cooperating.

Half way home

So far I have made 24/25 runs! Hooray. All the tightness I was experiencing a few weeks ago has subsided. Ironically, it went away the day after the Turkey Trot 5 miler. Maybe flooding my muscles with lactic acid, then my belly with too much food is what I needed.

So fast forward a few weeks and things are still looking good. There is general tightness and plenty of aches and pains. But most of those are normal for me. However, my mileage continues to climb. In November I eclipsed 100 miles for only the third time in the past 5 years.

Thus far, my mileage has peaked at 27.6 miles in a week. Over the past 25 days, I ran 106.8 total miles. My longest run was 9.3 which was actually 3 x 5k with 5 minute breaks. I don't have a specific goal for the next half of the challenge. I do suspect that my total mileage will be around 125 miles. I think my weekly mileage will peak around 32-33 miles. I don't know if I will extend it much further.

Turkey Trot 5 miler

This race might quickly become our Thanksgiving tradition. Different year, better results. In 2009, I was very pleased with my race result. My running was coming along and I had just returned from a vacation. This year wasn't quite the same. My training is consistent but my legs were completely beat. In fact, I am assured that I have a few nagging injuries that are burrowing in. I was confident that at the least, I could replicate the previous years result. I wasn't quite sure how much more the legs would give me.

I started out quick but made sure to hold back. I wanted the first mile to be sub-7 but not by much. I knew the course and starting out slow was going to be key. I hit the first mile in stride, feeling good. We did a quick turnaround and I had the opportunity to cheer on Jessica. The wind also began to really kick up. The race was all about being about to tuck in behind others. Mile two...check.

I wanted to make my move here but I recalled the third mile being the toughest as it was primarily on an incline. Yep, my pace took a small hit but I was still catching people. I began counting places at the final turnaround and discovered that I was about 22nd. I had a few more fish to reel in. I wondered what it would take to make top 10.

On the return I pushed it and quickly caught a handful of people. But at this point, the racers were strung out. I picked off who I could trying to push the pace. When I made the final turn I tried to push it up the hill but the hill was pushing back. I really didn't want to go into defcon heaving. I was running stride to stride with an high school cross country runner. And a few paces in front of us was one more person to pass. We weren't reeling him in until a kid from behind made his move and starting hauling.

Oh crap....here we go for the final 100m. I held off the attack, caught the guy but never regained the position from the other runner. And then I heaved.

Total time: 34:20 (6:52 pace).

2010 Splits
Mile 1-6:52
Mile 2-6:55
Mile 3-7:06
Mile 4-6:52
Mile 5-6:31

2nd in Age Group, 14th overall

12 Days of Running

As opposed to the 12 days of Christmas.

So this task is proving a little more challenging than I imagined. So far I have run 11 of 12 days so I am not falling behind. Instead, my body is having trouble adapting to the new workload. I am sore and tight all over. Some of this is from the increased frequency. The rest is likely from the lack of massage or chiropractic care. Luckily, I have both coming up soon.

I have had to rely on 2 mile runs more than I would like. But in reality, it is the wise thing to do. 7 days a week is a lot of running. Even only running 3 miles a day adds up to 21 a week. I don't want to build my mileage too quickly. In fact, I have a history of my body breaking down when I surpass 25 miles. So the plan is to keep it light.

Over the past 12 days, I have run 46.3 miles. I am very pleased with that. In fact, my mileage over the past three weeks has risen from 22.2 to 24.5 to 26.4. So it is climbing steadily. My goal still remains to reach a steady 35 miles a week. I think I am on pace to build there by mid-January.

50 in 50

Well I am back in Atlanta for an extended weekend. Boy I have NOT missed that drive!!! But it did give me some opportunity to find some quiet time and reflect on some things. In my previous post, I mentioned some of my offseason goals. An additional one hit me during the drive.

50 runs in 50 days. Yesterday marked 50 days left in the year. I wonder if I can run 50 times before the end the of the year.

I see people doing this periodically. Most of the time they try to work up to 100 days or runs. I am always in awe of it. They also comment on how it really jumpstarts their running abilities because the body has little chance to do anything other than adapt.

So with that my goal is 50 runs in 50 days. Notice I am not saying 50 straight days of running. I don't think I can commit to that which means that I will need to double up from time to time. That shouldn't be too much of a problem with the job. The rules are simple--a run must constitute a minimum of 2 miles or 20 minutes, whichever occurs first.

Let's just hope I remember this goal as I move through the offseason.

Finding an offseason goal

I will admit that I am struggling to find a few offseason goals. I am really enjoying unstructured training yet at the same time, I know it is time to get moving and working toward something. But that just sounds painful. (rolls eyes) Plus I am still trying to figure out my schedule. Twice this past week, I had to scrap my training to meet other obligations.

When I lived in Atlanta, training was simple. It was either first thing in the morning or immediately after work. Now, my schedule is different. I have too many options of when I can train. And options are never a good thing.

So I am going to just lay it out there and see where it all falls in March/April:

Strength Training takes the top priority. I prefer to emphasize on this more in the offseason so that I can enter race season strong and balanced. This year, my goal is to train for 20 minutes, 3x a week. I know that sounds simple to some, but I am not talking about 20 minutes in the gym. I am talking about 20 minutes of high-intensity, crossfit style movements. I have the TRX set up outside and by the end of summer I want to be friends with single leg squats, lunges and jack knifes. Throw in a box jumps, kettlebells and burpees and you see why I am less motivated.

Swimming--just get in the pool regularly. Maybe this comes together for me, maybe it doesn't. I don't really feel that I lose too much by not swimming as often in the offseason. However, the aquatics center did just add a 9-10 am masters class MWF so that might become my home.

Bike--Ride, ride, ride. It is almost time to start cursing the trainer. Lately, I haven't focused too much on my power. I let it slide a bit towards the end of summer because I was feeling burned out. But now, I have written two offseason power based cycling plans so it is time to implement them. Also, I will be coaching a few classes each week so that should give me time to get in some solid work. I think my goal will be to ride 300 miles each month. That sounds so easy but it is a stretch for the offseason. I have an upcoming FTP test so that will determine what the offseason goal should be. I still can't reach 4.0 w/kg but I should be able to reach 3.6-3.8 this offseason.

Run--this is where I will focus most of my attention. My big goal is to build to 35 miles a week. It is a slightly arbitrary goal but I think it is in reach. For me, I tend to start struggling around 25 miles a week. So my goal is to slowly build to and then maintain 25 for a few weeks, allowing the body to adapt. Then hopefully I will build again. I really need to focus on my long runs. Right now, they are not happening. I am solid for 4-6 miles on a whim. Sometimes I squeeze in 8. But never beyond that. I want to have a standing 10 mile run for the week. I hope that becomes my mid-to-long run.

Additionally, I want to race two half marys this winter. I want to get that time under 1:30. That means 6:55 miles for the entire 13.1. That also means breaking 20 minutes in a 5k and likely getting under 41 minutes for a 10k. Ouch.

At some point I am sure that I will develop and commit to a few races. In the meantime, I will continue to just keep plugging along and see what kind of results it gets me.

My New Playground

It isn't too often that I brag about places to train. Living in Atlanta for over five years, I really grew fond of 3 different places--Stone Mountain (for a while), the Silver Comet Trail and Columns. IMO, Columns is a special place that will be hard to replicate in any new city. The Comet was unique only in the amount of mileage you could travel. And Stone Mountain had good diversity but it grew old quick.

You know a place is special when the parking lot is full at 6 am in late October. In my short time living in Nashville, I have fallen in love with Percy Warner Park. This is truly a gem to the city and a place that I would HIGHLY recommend to any athlete. It has something for everyone.

The park encompasses over 2,600 acres. On my first visit, Jessica and I simply drove through the park and were in awe of its size and beauty. That was just the tip of the iceberg. On my second visit, I was introduced to the trails that are intertwined throughout the mountainous terrain. 3 trail systems cover distances for all abilities with a 2.5, 5 and 8 mile loop that are all connected. This in addition to 10 miles of horse trails that are available for running too.

The cycling is even more breathtaking, but is not for the faint at heart. The whole park encompasses 11.2 miles of road that is open for cycling. I rode the loop last week and found it plenty challenging. The climbs varied from a gentle roll to a steep pitch. The descents were very technical. What I like best about it was that it isn't an up-down course. You might come down quick and go into another climb so you had to remain sharp.

Finally, there are the stairs. The entrance to the park demonstrates is grandeur and beauty. Awaiting you is a quarter mile uphill climb that involves nearly 150 stairs. The view from the top is breaktaking, that is if you can breathe. The climb is about 350 feet over the final half of the climb. And I can contest that the pitch toward the end is steep enough that running is barely possible. Move over stadium running.

So my workout this morning consisted of a 2 mile warmup run on the road entering the park which is flat, then I stormed the steps and returned. I took a 2 minute break, did the steps again and 2 more miles at a faster pace. My goal is to build this to about 4-5 repeats max.

Take a look at the climb:

Stress and Adaptation

The human body is an amazing thing. I really regret that people aren't in awe of the body the way they should be. I don't think the world's greatest engineers or scientists could ever design something as complex yet simple as the human body.

One of its most amazing features is its ability to adapt. I have blogged before about how you can basically stress the body in a number of ways and it will nearly always respond and adapt. It is really easy to demonstrate this in athletic achievements. Whether it is imprinting certain movements to muscle memory, like a golf swing, or increasing you speed or mileage running, the body absorbs the stress and given practice and the right amount of recovery it bounces right back. What once seemed like a struggle becomes a practical part of your training.

Over the past two weeks, I have experienced this in two ways--sleeping patterns and the ability to get moving in the morning. First, the triathlon coaching business has a standard 5 am alarm clock. Moving from the eastern to central time zone has made this adjustment much easier. While I will admit that the first few days were a struggle, the body as responded quite well. In fact, it has adapted too well. My body knows exactly when it is 4:50-4:55.

The sleeping pattern doesn't surprise me as much as my ability to get out the door in 15 minutes. In the past, I covet time in the morning. I enjoy the slow pace of the early hours. And in many instances (prior to masters) often find myself wallowing in misery about getting out the door. But that seems to be changing.

Most of it is mental because I KNOW I must get moving. There are people that depend on me. But now I hop out of bed, pop in my contacts, get changed and move straight out the door. It really is the simple. The body is adapting to my new set of demands. It doesn't stand in my way.

The flip side of all this is that the body has yet to adapt on the back end of things. I often spend the middle part of the day feeling like a zombie. I am working on figuring out the right amount of small napping that I need to catch my second wind for the evening sessions. And I don't even want to admit what time I go to bed at night. Let's just say that I get a standard 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

And Away We Go....

Life it is a changin...

Things are moving quickly in life right now. I am unofficially a resident of Tennessee. I say unofficially because I haven't moved over all the legal paperwork or finished moving to Nashville. However, it appears that I am hear as full-time as one is going to be. About 10 days ago, I packed as much stuff into my car as humanly possible and made the trek. The rest of the stuff will make it on a return trip.

I am extremely fortunate that my full-time job provides me with some solid flexibility in that I can work from Nashville. The majority of my job is response and research so it is a bit difficult to go make a bunch of new work for myself. Most often I wait for it to come to me. So we have agreed to develop a bit of a transition out that will last until the end of the year.

At the same time, our coaching business is ramping up. Jessica and I have been given a tremendous opportunity to take over a competing business. The coach was looking to leave town and needed to hand off his clientele to a willing and knowledgeable group. Looks like we were in the right place at the right time. So as I am transitioning out of one job, I am taking on another.

I will admit that it is a bit scary--quitting my full-time salaried job in place of a customer driven, semi-seasonal, entrepreneurial opportunity in amidst of an economic downturn. And we will know in a few months if it was the right decision. I am very optimistic that this endeavor will turnout to be a fruitful decision.

For now, it is working long hours. I am up coaching 3-4 days a week from 5:30-7:30 am, then I find myself a nook or travel back home to log hours finishing up a few research projects and then I am back at it from 5:30-8:00 pm. Not quite the glamorous life but it is entertaining. There remain a few last obstacles from making this a seamless transition but for the most part things are running really smooth.

Plus, I hope that all this light, easy volume work will payoff next season.

Busy, Busy, Busy Day

As an athlete, I have been known to workout a bit obsessively from time to time. I remember when I first started training. I felt like everyday I was in an out of the gym working on my fitness. If I only knew then what I know now. Yesterday was one of those days where I maximized (or overdid) my fitness.

It started with a light run in the park. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for the day but it was too nice to spend indoors, especially since I was a lazy bum all weekend. I did a 10 minute warmup followed by 10-15 minutes of running drills and a brief jog back.

In the early afternoon, I went for a bike ride. I intended to ride for 90-120 minutes but my cycling legs are somewhere in transit. I cut it short right at 60 minutes.

Then I went to coach the group at Music City Runners. I didn't plan on running but the final few people wanted some additional company. The slow pace was much appreciated. I didn't need the additional stress on the body.

Finally, I wrapped up the night co-coaching a strength class. I spent the first 30 minutes just doing some of the exercises but not vigorously. But I did hit the core and stretching routine.

So the day culminated with four different workouts. Guess it is time to come up with a better offseason plan.

When September Ends

This song was made popular a number of years ago by the band Green Day. And for the most part, I found myself singing the chorus all month long.

The month of September was absolutely brutal on me and the body. In those 30 days I did all of the following:

--Traveled to SC to see a good friend and a football game
--Was a groomsman in a wedding
--Traveled to Orlando and visited the Magic Kingdom
--Traveled to Tuscaloosa to race
--Raced an Oly and Sprint
--Traveled to Macon for 2 day meetings
--Traveled to Nashville twice for business

I dare you to find a consistent pattern in which you can train or even eat for some regularity. My diet plummeted. I somehow found the time and energy (when I wasn't driving) to train.

September's totals:
Bike: 13h 39m 12s - 272.1 Mi
Run: 8h 53m 17s - 67.15 Mi
Swim: 7h 24m 21s - 19965.31 Yd

For entertainment value, I sat down last week and developed a color-coded calendar of what my month looked like.



So when September ends was the mantra. Now I hope to resume my regularly scheduled life. Well...sorta. There is moving to another state, quitting my day job and taking over another business. Details, details, details.

(rolls eyes)

Not all Transitions are Created Equally

Saturday morning at Age Group Nationals, I overheard a conversation between an athlete and a referee. The athlete was complaining about the flow of transition. He was arguing that where he was racked (near me) provided a 10-15 second disadvantage over those racked closer to the transition entry/exit. I shrugged it off as nothing more than a disgruntled athlete who didn't like his position.

But after racing both days and having two distinctly different racking positions, I think he was onto something. I was thinking back on various transitions throughout my triathlon career. There seem to be two types.

The first is the long, narrow rectangle in which the entry points are on each end. In this case, the people on the outside are disadvantaged by maybe a few feet. And by that, I mean they have to turn and run to the outside rather than making a straight shot through transition.

The second, and slightly more common. It a more square-like transition. Often the entry and exit are on opposite corners (bottom left; top right). Race officials will direct traffic in such a way to minimize any advantage. That way everyone is forced to run both the length and width of the entire area.

Age Group Nationals was designed differently. This was primarily due to the fact that they also had an ITU race. You see in the ITU race, the transitions are just a straight shot because of the low number of participants and racing style. This meant that for the age group races, the transition ended up being a box with the entry and exit on the same side (bottom left, top left). Now you had a distinct advantage for some athletes over others. This is what the competitor was complaining about.

While I will admit that it isn't exactly apples to apples, let's compare my times from the two races. Same transition, just different racked positions:

T1
Day 1: 1:43
Day 2: 1:28

T2
Day 1: 1:12
Day 2: 0:50

Again, I am not going to say that it is the best comparison. I was probably a bit more focused, less winded on day two from the short distance. And that likely makes up for a few seconds. But, the difference between the days was 37 seconds. That is a HUGE time difference. And I DO attribute most of it to the transition layout.

In most of these situations, there isn't anything you can do about it. In this case, the athlete complained, and probably for all the right reasons. In a short race 37 seconds can often be the difference in a number of places--or slots. But don't remain silent on the issue. Talk to the race director afterwards and encourage them to rethink the layout to ensure competitive fairness.

AG Nats - Day 2

Despite racing the day before and dealing with a few stressful car issues, I was ready for the second day of racing. I gambled a bit on the race by racing the day before but I was fairly certain that given the small number of entries in the M30-34 age group that I could beat out a few people and secure a worlds slot. I basically just needed to finish the race.

I felt good when I got up that morning. On my drive to the race sight I worked hard on mentally dialing into the race. I was definitely in the zone. I made a few remarks to friends but I stuck to myself. I took the bike out for 15 minutes spin and the hamstrings were tired. I hoped it was just the body working out the kinks.

I racked my stuff and despite the rain, found myself ready to race. It has been a while since I have felt like that. This race was likely the last of the year and I was determined to go out on a high note. I walked through transition, not looking to make friends but to size up the competition and think to myself how I am going to destroy them all.

Swim: 750m

Different swim course than the day before. Only 4 waves of about 100 people. I didn't really find good feet to draft from. I did my best to remain aggressive. However, I had the same problem as the day before. Halfway through the swim, I felt beat. The swim was just taking it out of me in a way that I have never experienced. I popped out the water in the middle of the pack, checked my time and prepared for the long run up the hill

Swim Time: 14:09

T1 1:28

Same transition as the day before but a better racking position. Transition gave a HUGE advantage to some competitors over others. Need to write a blog about this.

Bike: 12.4 miles

Boy were the hammies tight. I pushed from the beginning and tried to hold on. The legs were pushing back. I was determined to not get worked over on the bike and was only passed a few times. I did my thing spinning up the hills and pushing it back down. I definitely was not as strong as the day before. With the wet roads, I decided to hold back a bit and not kill myself.

Time: 33:21 (22.4 mph)

Run: 3.1

I was ready to run when I got off the bike. Most of the time I dread it. Not today. And I was on a mission. Run my ass off. And for the first time in a while, I did. I was passed 3 times and probably caught 6-7 people. I was actually running. It started pouring around mile two and I barely noticed. I even had a guy on my tail and I out kicked him for the final 4-600m. I crossed the finish line trying to heave.

Time: 21:21 (6:52)

Total Time: 1:11:08

That was good enough for 7th in my age group. Secured my slot for worlds. And made me feel like I actually raced.

Now onto the off season

AG Nationals--Day 1

Going into this race I had a dilemma. Originally the whole goal of the season was to destroy the Olympic distance race. I trained specifically for it. But when the Sprint distance championship was added to the schedule, I knew I had a better chance to get a Worlds slot in that race. So then do I go all out in the Olympic and trash my body for the next days race?

I made it down to Tuscaloosa Friday afternoon and took care of all the logistics. Dan and I hit transition the next morning around 6:40 and got set up. It was a big field--1300+ with about 100 in my AG. I had about an hour before where I spent the time chatting with my dad and then getting loose.

Swim (1500m)

In contrast to last year, there was NO current to fight. I seeded myself in the middle and let the fast fish go. I found good feet and followed them out to the first turn buoy. But then I had an odd feeling. I was tired. I really felt like I was having some shoulder fatigue which made no sense whatsoever. On the back stretch of the swim I was locked on this guys feet. And he was pissed. It cracked me up that he would power kick every 30-40 seconds to knock me back. It didn't work at all. I rode him all the way to the exit. And he was spent. But I was a bit beat too

Time: 28:38

Transition

Big area but I had a solid marker. Grabbed my stuff and was out.

Time: 1:45

Bike (24.9 miles)

I felt good when I hopped on the bike. I cruised for the first few miles feeling strong. But I kept hearing a noise that didn't sound right. I couldn't figure it out until I hit a big bump in the road. My aerobottle came straight out of the bracket. I secured it with my left hand and wedged it back in the holder. I realized that the strap that secures it was unbuckled. Hmmm. I fidgeted with it for a few moments but wasn't about to secure it. So my contingency plan was to pull off the course at the next median and reattach it. Try getting that velcro to slide through the eye when you heart rate is at zone 4.

I spent the rest of the bike trying to mentally reset. I tried to hold an aggressive pace and felt really good. But I didn't have any pop in the legs. I hammered the downhills and took the climbs relatively easy.

As I approached T2, I knew my goal time of 2:15 wasn't going to happen. I was a few minutes off pace and even my bike came in behind schedule. I wasn't going to make it up on the run so I made the decision to shut it down.

Time: 1:05:48 (22.7 mph)

Transition 2

Got in and out with little trouble.

Time: 1:13

Run 6.2 miles

I convinced myself to run the first mile just in case I changed my mind. I ran a 7:57 and still didn't feel like the legs had a sub-45 in them. So when I hit the first hill, I shut it down. I decided it was time to prepare for the next day. I walked all the uphills and ran the rest. I just settled into a comfortable 8:30-9:00 pace.

I stopped at every aid station and hydrated well. Then I picked it back up and ran. Along the way, I chatted with a number of people. It felt like an easy long run. I felt loose and didn't feel like I was working much at all.

Time: 55:24 (8:53)

Overall: 2:32:xx

I wasn't jumping up and down with the results but felt like I made the right decision. And I didn't think my time was all that bad given the bike malfunction and the fact that I didn't try on the run. Between the two, I am confident that I left 10 minutes on that course. But I wanted to focus on Sunday's event and make sure I secured a slot.

Peak, Overextending and Taper

Finally it is here. Taper week. And it could not have arrived at a better time. I made it through my 10 day peak feeling pretty good. I felt relatively strong on my runs. My bike intervals were solid. And this morning I had a really good swim. Hopefully that means things are coming together for me.

The downside is that I have been overextended for the past few weeks. If there was ever a time to clone myself, it is now. I have literally needed to be in 3 different places a bunch of time--Atlanta in the office, Atlanta working on my house, Nashville moving the business along. Add to that additional traveling and I was a groomsman in a wedding this weekend. (I want to develop a graphic of where I was for the month of September)

So while the body somehow miraculously held up during my peak week, I am officially beat--mentally. I keep telling myself to just hold it together for another week. Fortunately, I have my pre-race massage scheduled for tonight. That should help, except that I am leaving for Nashville immediately afterward for an early Tuesday meeting. That means my traveling to Tuscaloosa this week will be via Nashville.

I am scheduled to race Saturday at Age Group National Championship. The Saturday race is an Olympic distance. This is the race that I prepared for all season. Guess we will see what happens. I am also racing on Sunday in the Sprint Championship. The plan there is simply to play the numbers game and see if I can get a Worlds slot to go to Beijing next summer.

Now I just need to make it through this week, catch up on some much needed sleep, eat well, hydrate and attempt to de-stress prior to next weekend. And then race my ass off.

The Final Backstretch

Goodness things are busy right now. Training is entering the final peak week prior to Age Group Nationals. I took a small 3 day recovery before kicking off an abbreviated 4 day peak and will follow it into this week. So far the body is holding up. This season has forced some creative scheduling. I haven't been able to apply the typical training protocols. Instead, it has been a piecemeal at times. Hopefully it still gets me to the finish line in one piece.

I hit my long run on Friday which made me very happy. Long runs have been my nemesis all summer. Part of it is mental. Of course the downside to not running long very often is that it takes a toll on the body. I was wiped out on Saturday. I attended Tom's cross country meet that morning and it put me on the bike around 11:30. We summer reared its ugly head one last time as it was 94 degrees with a heat index of 99.

I lasted about an hour on the bike. My first 3 intervals were solid. Then I started to get overheated. I ended up going through 3 bottles of fluid in 1:40. I was so hot that on the ride back to the house, I took my feet out of my shoes because they too were on fire.

Sunday ended up being problematic too. I felt run down but I headed out for my race simulation brick. About 3.5 miles into the ride, I had a blowout. The tire had a large gash and the tube came out the side. Not good. I don't ride with patch kits and since it was a short ride, I didn't have any MacGyver like patchwork. In fact, I didn't even have my phone on my to call Jess. I changed the tube and put about 70 psi in the tube. Then i proceeded to ride back to the house, out of the saddle and leaning forward. Any pressure on that rear wheel would surely cause it to pop. My quads and hamstrings were shot.

I debated changing tires and trying to still do the workout but having a mechanical issue really zaps the motivation out of me. But I did put together a strong 5k brick. And in reality, the hard run off the bike was the key workout for the weekend.

So now, I just need to survive the next 6 days. I have a wedding this weekend so my schedule will be creative. Hopefully I can squeeze it all in and enter taper week feeling really good.

Back to the Mountains

One of my favorite parts of living in Atlanta is the ability to go riding in the North Georgia mountains. I certainly don't take advantage of the opportunity enough. But I manage to get up there a few times a year and remind myself how much it hurts...err fun it is.

Last Saturday, Dan threw down the challenge. Apparently, I talked a big game last year about trying to break two hours on the front three gaps. I remember trying last year and riding a 2:11 over the ~35 miles. I wondered if it could be done under two. Certainly not for the weak.

So we headed up for the morning and started just beyond the rock pile. I could tell from the beginning that I didn't have my climbing legs. But I still needed to work with what I got. The climb up Neel's was long and typically uneventful. I knew I needed to be under 50 minutes to the top to be in contention. I came in around 52 minutes. I pushed a bit but the body wasn't reacting in the way I wanted.

Anyone who rides with me knows that I am pretty much fearless on the decent. My plan was to drop to the lowest position I could, mash the hardest gear and not lose anytime. I maxed out just under 45 mph on the day. I was locked and loaded on the downhills and nearly missed the turn for Wolf Pen.

Of all the gaps, Wolf Pen is my favorite. It is steep but not too long. It is easily the second hardest of the six. But the pain doesn't last forever like it does on Hogpen. And it is short enough to not lull you to sleep like Neels or Jacks.

I turned onto the road hitting the hour mark. I could tell that I was about 2-3 minutes behind schedule. I pushed Wolf Pen as I normally do but I didn't have any pop in the legs. I still gave it an aggressive push and crested it in a good time. The downhill was fast and fun.

The second part of the plan was to hammer the flats--especially the area between Wolf Pen and Woody's. I always forget how deceiving that area is. It is far from flat and the rolling terrain beats you down just enough.

When I turned onto Woody's I knew that the goal wasn't in sight for the day. I was still wanted to give it my all so I hammered up the last mountain and enjoyed the final 10 minute decent.

Overall time: 2:04
Last year: 2:11

I will have my revenge in a few months when my legs are a bit more fresh.

Asleep at the Wheel

Do you ever have that day where you are sitting in traffic or cruising along the interstate, the sun is out, the car is warm and you can barely keep your eyes open. You know at any minute your eyes are going to shut. You want nothing more than a quick, power nap?

Today was one of those days. Except for the first time in my life, I experienced it while riding. I must admit that it was a rough day. It started with masters, my phone ringing before I made it into the office, 30 minutes of ART, a stressful work day/week, an afternoon of eating candy and then some road rage.

I finally made it to Columns, unmotivated yet determined. I thought for sure I would salvage my attitude and once on the bike, I would feel better. Nope. I muddled through my warmup and still wasn't finding my groove in the first 15 minutes. I started my first interval and the watts weren't there. I decided to adjust my workout to something easier. Second interval nothing. I couldn't even hold 200 watts.

All along the way, I was completely out of it. I seriously struggled to find the energy to keep my eyes open. When I looked into the sun, the eyes nearly rolled in the back of the head. I debated pulling over for a quick catnap. Not sure if it would do the trick but it would be a funny story. Instead, I bagged it, grabbed some dinner and headed home. Maybe I should turn in a bit early tonight.

Have you seen the wagon?

Which wagon?

The one I fell off of. Goodness the past month has been rough. One thing that I know about myself is that when I fall off the wagon, it takes me forever to get back on. This week was no exception.

Despite my weight and fat staying relatively normal, my diet has gone to crap. And bad. I realized this past week that I have a diet of a college student. Being on the go makes me eat out more. I try to do my best but sometimes it is unavoidable. But more importantly, I have lost my desire to cook at home. Even as I write, I am procrastinating grilling some chicken. I am having a battle with food. I had cereal for dinner twice this week. Once September starts it is time to hop back on that wagon and move forward.

The other wagon is the training one. Granted this week was extra stressful, I am having trouble finding the time and the energy to get in all my workouts. I am forcing myself at times. My running is basically nonexistent. My legs and body are not communicating. A few weeks ago, I was steadily building my mileage. Now it is a struggle to hit 20 miles a week. So much for my final build and a nice peak.

But I will climb back on that wagon again. It may just be next month.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Where does the time go? I am finishing a two week stint in Nashville and it seems like I just got here. I had all these plans to blog, enhance FTP Coaching and strike a few more business partnerships. Instead, I feel like I worked, worked, worked.

I am at the end of a 3 week build training wise. I have a 10/3 build starting next week and then a final peak on the way to Age Group Nationals. This build was solid. As usual, I am not running as much as I should. It seems that I will get into a solid groove for a week and then it will fall apart the next week. I had lofty goals for what I wanted from my running but those don't quite seem to be falling in place. After weeks of trying, I finally secured a long run. I am really good at getting 4-6 milers in. Anything beyond an hour has been a struggle for me the past few months. Finally, I knocked out a 9.5 miler. Hopefully, I get repeat it in the morning.

My riding is solid and I am not really concerned there. Of course, that probably means I am sandbagging it a bit. I don't really have a road ideal for intervals in Nashville and that continues to hurt me. Instead, I just focus on tempo riding. I have several routes where I can simulate race conditions and push HIM/Oly pace for 60+ minutes.

Swimming seems to be ok also. I do feel like my swimming is about as good as it is going to be. I know it has improved throughout the year. I know I am pushing myself harder than ever. And it is showing up in the pool. It is hard to say if it is showing up on race day because of all the variables. But I do know that I am coming out of the water feeling better. And that is a huge plus.

So finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the season. Only two more races. It is bitter sweet in so many regards. I do wish I had one last big race but I think I am making the right call on keeping it short. Hopefully I will continue to remain injury free and that will set up a great winter of running and cyclocross.

Longsleeves in July, Waterfalls and a YES!!!

Starting to get backlogged again but at least I have a really good reason this time. VACATION. And a much needed one. After Music City, I had just enough time to shower before jumping in the car and driving north. Jessica and I were taking a vacation, albeit with the munchkins, to upstate New York for a week on the lake. I can't express how excited I was to get out of the blistering southern heat and into the fresh outdoors where the crisp air might give you a chill.

Given that I raced on Sunday, my plan was to take a few days of recovery. Naturally we brought
the bikes on the trip. I even packed my wetsuit in case the water was cold enough. And I used it. We made it to our cabin Monday afternoon all excited about jumping in the water to play. Much to our surprise, the water temp was about 72-73. It was one of the most refreshing dips in a long time.

I decided to go for my long ride mid week since I knew we would be traveling on the weekend. I plotted my route around Skaneateles Lake and took off early one morning. The terrain was brutal. The Finger Lakes were carved out from glaciers millions of years ago. So essentially that are giant, deep trenches. The terrain around them reflected its history.

As I started riding that morning, I was actually cold. It was about 63 degrees out. I can't recall the last time I wore a sleeved jersey in the summer. The climbs were brutal at time and the descents were fast and fun. There was little time to enjoy the picturesque setting given the challenges. I found the natives perfectly accommodating as cycling is popular in the area.

Each day we tried to do something athletic. We spent nearly two full days hiking to various waterfalls in the area. The ones in Ithaca were populated with tourists and locals. But we found a few near our cabin that were remote and desolate. Two of the nights we had a fire outside the cabin. Amazingly enough, we all brought longsleeve shirts and pants. At night, we were huddled around the fire seeking warmth (or smores) from the cool, windy 60 degree nights.

I know it sounds boring to go on and on about the weather but living in the south my whole life, I have a much better understanding of why people spend their summers in these locations. The weather for me was rejuvenating. It was a much needed break from the unbearable heat this summer. The low temps and humidity meant that you went for a run and when you were finished, you wiped your brow had a sip of water and you were cooled down. I didn't miss using a towel and needing an immediate shower after an easy run.

So the trip was more than a success. The downside was spending 15 hours in the car both ways. But the trip had more to offer than just a break from the heat and a vacation. I finally proposed to Jessica. This is where she grew up and I always wanted to propose in a place that would have significant meaning to her. As I have said before, a lot is going to change in the next few months. Life is only getting more and more exciting for me.

Music City Results

Funny how the results always look different when you break them down.

	Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run	Total
Andrew	27:40:00	0:02:34	1:06:08	0:01:12	0:49:13	2:26:45
Top 10	22:50:00	0:02:10	1:04:25	0:01:02	0:40:38	2:11:05
Fastest	17:54:00	0:01:47	1:00:31	0:00:52	0:36:54	2:03:45
OA Rank (478)	75	48	15	33	57	31
AG Rank (47)	14	11	4	8	11	5

My run wasn't abysmal!!!!!! I thought my swim was good but apparently not. Oh well, I still put it together well enough to have good races. Maybe one day it will all click for me

Music City Olympic Triathlon

If case you don't know, the heat is on. Someone please remind me to not race long in the middle of summer. When I missed out on Chattanooga, I knew I needed to get another olympic distance under my belt. I rarely race this distance but wanted to assess where I was prior to Age Group Nationals. Plus it just happened that I was in Nashville for the weekend.

For some reason this race started later than normal. They were running a concurrent sprint that didn't start until 7:30 so we were able to sleep in and take our time making our way downtown. After setting up, I spent some time in the Middle Tennessee Triathlon Club tents chatting with other competitors. The club had 10 relay teams participating and numerous individuals.

The weather was miserable which made the late start even worse. Still not sure why Team Magic insists on pushing back start times when there is more than enough sunlight by 630. The other downside is that they use a time trial start (rolls eyes). This means I didn't get in the water until nearly 8:20. That is too late on a hot day. Rant over.

Swim: 1500m

The swim was in the Cumberland River and set up similar to age group nationals. You swam downstream into a slight current before two right turns and a long swim back. Then you make two more turns and returned to the pier. You could see there was a slight, noticeable current to fight but nothing significant.

You were seeded based on your estimated swim time. Naturally, I put in a swim time I couldn't swim so that it placed me closer to the front (you get in the water earlier and have fast swimmers to draft). I knew I was out of my league since I knew a handful of people around me but that worked to my advantage.

The swim was naturally uneventful. I found feet for the first few hundred meters but they quickly pulled away and I found myself in no man's land...as usual. I felt like I was engaged the entire swim which is rare for me. The oddest thing is that I wasn't getting passed very often. I rarely found feet. So I just focused on long, powerful strokes. I popped out of the water feeling really good.

Swim time: 27:40 (1:40 pace)

Transition 1:

I really feel for non runners in some of these races. From swim exit to bike exit, this transition was just over .25 mile. You had a long run back up the boat ramp into the parking lot. Another advantage to seeding yourself slightly higher in a time trial is that most of your rack mates are swimmers and it makes it easier to find your bike. The volunteers controlled the flow of traffic in transition so you had to take the long way around.

Time: 2:34

Bike: 25 miles

This was a fun bike. Once you left LP Field you hopped up onto the parkway which was completely closed to traffic. You basically did two loops on this. The terrain was rolling...certainly nothing big. I may have gotten out of the saddle a couple of times to surge and stretch but never dropped out of my big gear. The downside is that the course offered NO shade whatsoever.

I took off from the get go. I wanted to ride the first lap somewhat conservatively and then pick it up. For the first 6 miles, my watts were a bit high but I felt very composed and my HR was down. On the return, I pushed it a bit more and destroyed the downhills.

Another downside to a time trial start is that you never know where you are in the race. In this case, I was crushing all the swimmers and there wasn't a good cyclist in sight. To start the second lap, I was finally passed by a cyclist who was part of a relay. I used him as a carrot for a while until he pulled off into the distance. Other than him, I felt pressure from only 1-2 other cyclist but they quickly faded.

On the second lap, I picked it up a bit more but felt very comfortable. Probably too comfortable. I wanted to push it more but had a good groove going. It was a ghost town when I finished the lap and returned to transition.

Time: 1:06:08 (22.8 mph)

Transition 2:

Not quite as long. Clearly I was not thinking prior to the race as I left my shoes tied. Grrr. Must use head in future.

Time: 1:12

Run: 6.2 miles

Ouch. When I came off the bike I knew I was in trouble. I felt so overheated and when I feel this way, my body shuts down quick. I went through nearly 2 bottles of fluid on an hour long ride and still felt beat. I just hoped to hold on.

This course was brutal. Two loops with 3 solid climbs on each loop. There was a little shade when you ran downtown but that was it. The rest was wide open. I went out fast and tried to go. I survived the first mile. I started to suffer during the second. I really wanted to run a 45 but that was not going to happen. The heat, humidity and hills were my biggest enemy.

By mile three I was mentally cooked. I was grabbing as much fluid as possible and dumping it on my head. I walked the final three aid stations to just cool off enough to run. The miraculous thing is that I kept the negative demons from getting to me. I wanted to walk the hills so bad.

Interestingly enough, I wasn't getting run down in this race. I was probably passed by 6-7 runners. And I easily passed 10 more, including two in my age group. It was miserable for all of us.

Despite walking the aid stations, I bounced back nicely the second lap and kept move as quickly as my body would let me. I pushed the final mile a bit more because I could hear people behind me. I didn't want to give up positions.

Run: 48:47 (7:52 pace)

Total time: 2:26:45

I was initially disappointed because of my run. The reality is that my goal was 2:25. I will take that given the heat and terrain. It wasn't my best race but it was FAR from bad race. I need to put this in the good column. Now I just need to get myself running for September.

AG 5/47
OA 37/478