Everything butt.

It's getting to be that time of year. Halloween. I know because I feel like I've been getting "egg'd" metaphorically speaking, for the last two or three weeks. I was talking to a friend of mine and we commiserated that it sometimes gets like that where everything seems to crumble at your fingertips and it requires a real "global" perspective of the life and style, to keep from going Richter. Challenging times will pass only when the challenges are met.

I've assumed a real layman's approach to fitness, where it's more about relieving stress than it has anything to do with becoming a better athlete. I suppose that's good to be totally focused on other things, I just wish the atmosphere were less tumultuous. The day will come.

The training has been so erratic that I can barely can recall the details. I've been mostly running 30-40 minutes, every other day at best. My last run was through the desert at sunrise during a family trip to the Colorado River last weekend. It had it's moments but it was strange to head out on a run straight out of bed without coffee. Gratuitous shot of the family on vacation at the river.

I guess the last post I promised some photos of the "great" rides I had planned around Warner Springs. Honestly, it was a bust. To get to any decent riding, I would have taken my life for granted on any of the roads out there. Busy fast traffic with no shoulder to speak of. I'm not that dumb. It was frustrating but even more so to have a clear view of Palomar Mountain and the East Grade, knowing that at any other time of year, during a training phase I would have been all over it. Turns out I could have been a lot more busy on the MTB as they just cut about 10 miles of trails (flat singletrack) which would have made for some fast action. As it turns out I did get some fun runs in on the trails. The first time I've ran with my wife in at least a year. She's a proficient runner, 4:20 marathon, but just a little slower than I'm used to. I suppose it was just about right.

Jim is back from Ironman and I am expecting to start getting some workouts sometime soon. I'd like to get the run and swim up as I'll have some time and place when we head over to the Big Island for a 12 day vacation. It's pretty cool that Jim was just there and knows where I'll be staying and can hopefully consider the location when planning the workouts. Someday I'll pack my bike over there but at this point, it'd be a lot of work.

Some work(outs)

I've been pretty slammed at work and am fortunate to not have to sweat the training.

Today was the official start of preliminary, pre-base, no load, easy training. I had a good meeting with Jim to discuss my plans for next year. I am really happy with the longer term coaching relationship as Jim is getting a chance to know me better as an athlete. This is critical to fine tuning some overall planning as well as understanding my true limiters and how that applies to my race selection and schedule. I still have to temper my ambition when setting up the race schedule as this year will be another tough one schedule wise. I've got the opportunity to get some great jobs this year and have to be careful not to make any unnecessary compromises.


The focus this year will be Xterra, with a handfull of city tri training races. We've been talking a bit about gaining some more specialized strength. One thing I've noticed is that I don't have much raw leg strength. A better balance of fast twitch muscle is what I'm after. This will put me in the gym a little more often and should begin to transform me into a more powerful type of athlete able to absorb the more intense bursts consistent with off road racing. I am also going to try and gain some leg strength on the trails by doing more straight hiking to improve strength and minimize impact.

As for the training I have been doing, it's simply what I can get in. So far it's been a couple of 30-40 min. runs, 2-3 short swims 30-45 min. focused on drills/DPS and one ride. The rides mostly going to and from picking up my van from the shop. Killing two birds. I've got the luxury now of getting in two full rest days/week which is refreshing.

On the nutrition front. I've got a pretty firm goal of dropping 5 lbs and getting down to a race weight of 155 by mid April. "It's a performance thing" -Peter Reid. I just picked up Joe Friel's book "Paleo Diet for Athletes." I've just started it and I'm pretty well aligned with what he's saying. His hypothesis is basically based on Low glycemic, nutrient dense foods with the exception of during and post-exercise allowances for higher glycemic foods to take advantage of insulin response. I was looking at some of the suggested daily plans and they look a lot like how I learned to eat during my cancer treatment. Both are focused on promoting healing and maximizing nutrient absorption.

I am expecting things to start heating up mid October wher I expect to start getting specific workouts from Jim. I'm going up to Warner Springs this weekend for a family weekend and will get in some fun workouts and should have some photos and details to post.

"West and Wewaxation...uh.uh.uh.uh."- Fudd

As promised to myself and family I've settled into the first week of a two week Rest period. This sucks! I imagine there are a lot of athletes out there feeling the way I am after finishing up the last races of the season. This is exacerbated by the fact that Normann Stadler just gave a talk/interview to the triclub on Thurs. It's like losing in the playoffs and having to watch the World Series on TV (I don't think I even made it to the playoffs). The thing that I took away from that night the most was how much fun it must be to be the "best". I am not a Normann fan at all. I think he's a big baby but it was fascinating to listen to his background and how much inate raw talent that guy has. It's both inspiring and depressing. You just have to go with what you got and make the best of it.

I've been having some brief discussion with Jim about next year and the races I will have on the schedule. This is where I have to live somewhere between fantasy and reality. There is so much I want to do but striking a realistic balance will be the difference between satisfaction and frustration. The first thing I will do is include the wife in all discussions of race planning. The more she knows and is involved, the less grief I'll get when the schedule gets tight. I'm going to plan some destination races on the B or C (if there is such a thing) level. This way we can get out, travel and have some fun while Daddy does his thing without the stress of A level racing.

XTERRA

I did my first full Xterra this year at Temecula. I love it and will hopefully be able to focus on this style of racing next year. It's gritty, wicked hard, and adds a double dose of adrenaline. There are less newberries that do this style of racing and sets itself apart from the TNT tri trend. I figure if I train for this style of racing, I can race anywhere. Maybe not as effective for dead flat courses, but where's that around here? It also puts me where I want to train. In the mountains/hills and away from the crowds. The pinnacle of the sport for me would be the World Championships in Maui. Some people dream of Kona, for me, Maui! This is a long term goal, aka pipe dream, and I am pretty honest with myself about qualifying in 35-39AG, especially when I've got the little one in diapers. The more obvious goal would be to qualify for Nationals in Tahoe, which I could pretty much do next year if all goes reasonably well. The only caviat to that is I've got a really big problem with the COLD. Not just getting cold easily but premature numbing of hands and feet associated with Raynaud's Syndrome, not good to MTB with numb hands. Feeling doesn't come back unless I've got a warm water soak or can eliminate exposure. Whether this is a complication of the Chemo is unclear but it's appearance is more than coincidental. Anyway, I deal with it and avoid the cold.

That's the update and I'm looking forward to getting back on schedule.

Paydirt.

Yesterday's Time Trial went extremely well despite less than optimal pre-race preparation. We had a birthday party for my one year old on Saturday and I was dragging balls all day wondering if I could make it through and also if I would feel better come race day, with the 5am wake up call. It's becoming apparent that on about the third day of some taperlike workouts I feel like crap, plain tired. I recognized this familiar feeling and didn't panic just got to bed early after a jacuzzi and a good Yojah session. It's my twist on Yoga with a little bit of jah.

Here's the numbers:

Official time: 29:48 (2nd by :01 M30-39)
average speed: 25.02 mph
Average watts: 264
Cadence:101
HR max: 180
HR avg: 172
HR start: 128

Temp:~70F
wind:NNW 3-5mph
RH:~50%

Pre-Race:

I woke up around 5am and drank 20oz water befor standard 2 cups strong black coffee. Took in a banana and PowerBar and headed over to the island. After a long wait at the check-in, I allowed for a 45 minute warmup. This was not enough time. I'm still fine tuning this important part of short course TT. I kept it in aerobic zones allowing cadence and Power to slowly rise on their own for 20 minutes. It's amazing how easy it comes if I don't rush this. I did 4 surges to Low LT~245W for 1 minute 2:1 recovery, then 3 20s jumps to ~400 W w/ long recoveries. I showed up to the start with 5 minutes set my watch then just rode near the start and tried to keep the HR in solid Z1. I think I could have done at least 2 intervals at race pace to heat it up a little more. I'll count on 60 minute warmup next time with 5 minute break. Oh yeah, prerace nutrition was 1.5 scoops CPro with 1motortab at 45-30minutes. JW's Rx-5Vantage Tabs +2 Energ-Ease(secret weapons) and 1 gel @ 15 minutes w/20oz H20.

Race:

I started off a little hot in one gear too high. I was pushing 320 for the first 30 s then settled in around 280 trying to ease up. Apparently it's appropriate to negative split these races but I still don't have the confidence. I was flying hitting the first lap at -25s off 6min pace. I started to hurt a little earlier than expected part way through lap 2, I backed off a bit and focused on keeping it above 265, deep steady rhythmic breathing and staying aero. This meant adjusting the helmet back, staying low, and not staring at the P-meter especially into the wind. I waved slightly at my wife and baby girl on the first two laps then I had to dig in. I was still above pace and just had to hold it until the last lap. I had some surges on the last lap but was panicking slightly trying to find a gear and get comfortable. I missed the finish chute slightly and had to dodge some cones in the sprint to the finish. (maybe the :01 s differential?) I barely had over 300w even out of the saddle! Stoked with my finish time It took a while before I felt like I could have gone harder maybe with a team car and a bullhorn. Faster you pussy!

All in all I was fast yesterday. I think it was a combination of the new helmet, wicked fast wheels w/135psi and freshly waxed spokes. But also some solid workouts from Jim and really getting the power training zones wired. My PR for this race was 31:36 on 10.8.06 so almost 2 minutes in a year is pretty good considering a roller coaster year for training and racing. I got to give props out to James Walsh for joining me on some long hard rides this year. You can do intervals, long easy rides and hill repeats but nothing makes gains like 4+hour rides in the mountains. It's tough to do it alone.

I'm off now for a couple weeks, I think then I'll do some fitness testing for the run, body compostition then it's time to get running. I'll probably do some swimming, biking and running while I'm off just nothing over 30 minutes and probably not consecutive days. I think I'd go crazy if the wind doesn't blow and the surfs flat.

It feels good to end this season on a solid PR.

All fired up.

Today is a day off in preparation for the Time Trial on Sunday. Tomorrow I'll blow the legs out with some short, hard stuff and then be ready to race. I am psyched. I've never felt fresher for each workout leading up to a race. My pedaling is smoother than ever easily hitting 130 rpm on some descents. I'll be setting up the bike today, tying cables, and putting on the 11-23. The TT is dead flat and the smaller cassette will give me an extra gear in my power band. Hopefully I'll be racing in my new Giro Advantage 2 helmet (on its way?) and skinsuit thanks to Len at Canari custom. The focus on aerodynamics, with position and equipment, becomes more critical heading over the 24mph mark and beyond. I went well above 24 in the 20 minute test and hopefully with a solid warm-up, my Zipp 404/808 and a solid dose of adrenaline I'll be able to hold it for 20k. Racing is exciting and it should be fun to start the day in dry clothes for a change.

It was my baby's first birthday yesterday and she's stoked on my race too. Helping me clean my bike and turning the cranks to make sure the derailleur is adjusted properly. We're actually going to go down on Sat. morning to watch the B+L boys in the TTT. That's a killer event, and should be fun for her.

Looking forward to posting some good numbers on Monday.

Power updates

It never ceases to amaze me how stoked I can get on the little things in life. Sunday I cleaned my bikes. I'm not hyper-vigilant about cleaning my bikes, but it seems to be the one thing that gets me fired up to go ride. The drive trains were cleaned, rubbed, wiped down, rubbed again, then lubed so each link shined like a pearl. I spun the cranks around amazed at the lack of sound and the ease with which they spun. Have you ever noticed that when your car gets washed it just seems to run that much better as if its thanking you. My bikes do the same for me. They must have a soul.

My training is turning a slight corner from a faded peak for IB sprint to full on cycling mode for the second time this year. I had some good sessions last week and really started to get fired up on my run and swim. I think I had a decent peak regardless of whether or not I raced.
What is on tap now is the Fiesta Island Time Trial. In the past this has been a training tool and I've never had a specific focus to do well in that one event. It's just been a test.

This effort will be the same but I'll be using this data to establish my Power zones and raise the bar for my off-season cycling so I want to go hard and do well. I pretty much get my ass handed to me when I go against the sticks that show up for these races, once you may think your good you find out your not that good. This should be no different as the Open men are racing against Masters and Juniors for the State Championships. I know where I stand and what would be a good effort for me. I'd like to average 265-270W which should put me pretty close to the sub 30 minute mark for the 20k. That is if conditions shape up and we get some lighter winds and reduced humidity. My PR for this race was 31:13 and 250W average.

Yesterday I had a 20 minute field test at Fiesta Island. I was supposed to do it Wednesday but I couldn't get out til noon and it was windy 12-15. That's not exactly conditions I want to repeat, so I had a window thurs. at sunrise~6:15am and the conditions were perfect. NW breeze at 3-5
72 degrees RH~65-70%. Warm up was 15 min@ 150-175W 1x5minutes race pace, 5x1 minute @ 275-280, all 1:1 RI. 5 minutes easy then quick stretch and TT start. It's amazing what the warmup can do just reflecting on how hard the first 5 minute WU effort felt. In contrast I was flying out of the start and finally settled in around 280W. My plan was to do the first lap at expected average~280, then let it rip. I began realizing quickly I went to hard starting lap 2, not much rip letting going on. Looking back the first 5 minutes was @ 298 W. Not ideal but at least power didn't drop more than 15%. I averaged 25.1 mph on the first 10 minutes, 24.6 for the whole effort on training wheels @ 100psi, aero helmet.

Total 20 minute test DATA:
326kj

Average Watts: 271

Average Speed: 24.6 mph

Max Speed: 28.5

Average Cadence:99 rpm

HR avg: 165
HR max: 174

FTP: 257W

Looking at max HR data I probably could have pushed a little harder as I've seen 180 during a 20k effort.

The good news is that I'm right on track to have a go at sub-30 minute race. It'll be tight but that's what will keep me focused. That's nice but I know now what my FTP is for future workouts. Funny thing is is that's pretty close to what I've been using for LT just using the PTap on most of my workouts. You just get a pretty good sense. I'm just glad to get the Field test overwith as they are tough. Some great rides planned for the weekend.

Checking in.

Wow! 18 days since a post. You got to know somethings up. My mom just got out of the hospital after a 2 week stay from a broken hip falling from her horse and I've had to spend alot of my free time checking in on her. My wife who's a PT spent a lot of time with her also, so that meant watching the baby on her shift. The bottom line is that for a while there my training was all out of wack and I really had to juggle and struggle to get in about 75 % of scheduled workouts. Jim and just about everybody else talks about consistency as the key to success. I'll take that as good advice but it is more applicable to my long term success. Consistently gettting back at it and not allowing too much unscheduled down time. This is starting to pay off as my run is back popping a bit and I'm getting some feel back in the water. The running hasn't been as fun as the swimming having to deal with mid-afternoon runs in this disgusting weather. The thermometer hasn't been doing any justice to the true heat index. It's been hard to judge fitness when its 80 degrees and 80% humidity. My HR has been consistently 10-12 bpm higher on the run and much slower to recover. Regardless I had a 60 minute run yesterday with a negative split:

8:32 pace HR 150 avg out

8:05 pace HR 167 avg home

Still pretty slow but felt good about the run with the heat and all. I remember training in Kona last year during December for Carlsbad Half. The training was tough in the heat and humidity, but came back to the cool weather on race day and ran really well, so I guess its all relative.

Earlier in the morning I did a fun 55 minute ocean swim. 73 degrees with just the speed tube pant. Its nice to feel like your actually IN the water. I used to think that swimming in open (salt) water was more difficult than the pool. I'm slowly learning some respect for that little black line.

I've been keeping together my cycling pretty well despite all this craziness. which is nice.

I had a 6 minute test last wednesday on the trainer where I averaved 314W. My cadence was a little lower than normal at 88rpm which actually felt pretty good. Not a best but much better than I would have guessed. Other than that it's pretty much all been on the trainer for mixed tempo intervals. I think the trainer has been the key to maximizing my training time.

I'm going to have a crack at the last FI TT on Sept 9th so getting on the trainer for some steady state stuff is going to be key.

On a side note I bought the 2006 XTERRA world champs DVD to check out the venue. That race is the shitt. I would never try to convince someone its better than Ironman WC but for me short course is where its at and XTERRA is the pinnacle of that realm of violent efforts. This year there will be a pretty good showdown in the AG's with UnC James Walsh and current WC Trevor Glavin. It'll be fun to watch these guys battle it out in Tahoe and then take it to Maui.