The difference

This is going to be a few brief thoughts on what will make the difference between 2011 and 2014.

First is the goal - it's no longer about finishing an Ironman. It's about getting to the top of my AG and qualifying for Kona. But I can't just focus on outcome based goals. I need to instead focus on things I can control and let the outcome be what it may.

So, what will make the difference?

I hope it's just attention to detail. Simple as that. As a former co-worker who I really admired used to say, "take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves."

What does that look like day-to-day?

- Going to the pool with a workout in hand rather than just winging it. And doing the whole workout! - which is a big problem of mine. In 2011 I did way too much "oh it's fine if I just do 2500 yards today, I'll make it up later in the week" and then I wouldn't make it up...

- Spending LOTS of time on the bike. I have 3 now, so there's really no excuse. I also cut a lot of rides short in the base phase of my training. The new training program is calling for a 3 hour ride as early as February 15. The bike is the "easiest" place to see major improvements and it's no secret that more time on the bike makes you faster.

- Adding striders to the end of my runs to focus on form and leg turnover. Just 5-10 short 20 second sprints with full rest have been shown to make runners more efficient without breaking down the muscles as much as a full track workout. Again, it's the little things.

- Strength sessions twice a week during my base phase. Not killing myself in the gym (or at least not all the time), but just adding some stability and core work. Hopefully this, as well, will pay dividends in my overall performance.

The underlining theme is focus on the little things. And as easy as it is to write down, I know it will be hard to put into practice. Especially when I get tired, things start to get cut short. And it could be my body trying to tell me that it's working too hard. But I hope I'll be able to tell the difference.

So bringing this into the New Year, I guess those are my resolutions... pay attention to the details. We shall see how it goes.

Happy New Year all! And thank you for reading.
DO GREAT WORK!

Santa was good to me!

Race wheels! (the other one is still in the box)

Ok it wasn't Santa, it was me... But some awesome family members helped fund these :) Thank you!! I actually got them for a screaming deal on active gear up. Less than $800 for the wheelset. 80mm carbon clinchers with aluminum braking surface. A little heavier than full carbon wheels, but I don't need new special brake pads, and I don't have to worry about heating them up on that Keene descent.

And I didn't forget where the rubber meets the road. Michelin Pro4 competition tires. Oooooh baby! And the red detailing is going to make people quiver in fear as I blow past them. They are going to look SOOO sweet on the Slice. Oh, and I'll probably go pretty fast on them too.

It's a shame I haven't been better to myself this break! I started off with a good week last week. Got a nice run in Friday and a ride outside in unseasonably warm weather Saturday, but I hit the holiday binge hard after that... Lots of beers, bourbon, and BIG meals. I'm talking about the heavy appetizer, lick-my-plate 2000 calorie entree, and then dessert, because why not? Right? Some people put a weighted vest on to train, but who wants a vest? I'll just pack on some extra pounds...

In all seriousness, I should be back in a routine by this weekend. No real harm will be done, and, frankly, I'm having fun with family and friends, so it's worth it. I also found a delicious and funky beer during my binge. It was called something like "Sweet baby Jesus Peanut Butter Porter". The name really tells you everything you need to know. Now go out and find one.

As I reel things back in I'll have some good reading to help me along. Some nutrition and cooking books as well as a book on tips how to get faster. I'll let you know what I think of these in a later post, but the cookbooks (at first glance) are pretty sweet.

OK - that's all for now. Happy holidays! Thanks for reading!

Putting the pen to paper

It's much easier for me to visualize the outline of a long training plan when I physically write things out. So, this morning (after getting some work done around the office) I got out some light reading materials and got to work!

I'm going to blend what I did last time I went to Lake Placid with Matt Fitzgerald's Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide (Level 7/8) 24 week IM plan. There were certain workouts from the last plan that I know (mentally at least) prepared me for the race. I will also use a longer than planned taper, which I took from the QT2 Systems website. I really like the things they do, and I almost signed up for coaching from them, but I couldn't justify the cost. I'll write about my thoughts on coaching some other time. Anywho - this is what I came up with!

24 weeks divided into 3 meso cycles - base phase, build phase, and peak phase. The way Fitzgerald builds his programs, you kind of cycle through a run, swim, and bike focus every few weeks, so I'm really going to just stick to the plan and let it work. From now until Feb. 11 is when I really need to prepare myself for the program. My fitness kind of sucks right now, but I'm relatively strong compared to past winters. More on that later.

 This will be the basic schedule week to week. The key workouts have boxes around them.
Monday - rest day
Tuesday - quality bike or run (they will alternate week to week) with a swim
Wednesday - the opposite of Tuesday also with a swim
Thursday - Brick and either a swim or weight session
Friday - quality swim session (LONG set! 1-2 hours). Maybe a shorter second session during the day.
Saturday - long bike and short run
Sunday - bike and then long run.

Eat, tell my wife I love her, sleep, repeat for 6 months...

Fitzgerald called for a swim then run on Sunday, but I really liked biking and then running long. It really prepared me, I think, for the IM marathon. And I want to go faster than my 3:23 from 2011... Fitzgerald also had a hard bike session on Friday, which I switched to Tuesday. I want to make sure I'm relatively fresh for my Saturday ride. This time around I want to make sure I'm really focused during key sessions. It becomes very difficult when heavy fatigue sets in, but digging a little deeper and really finishing those workouts will, I believe, get me where I want to go.

Despite my mojo being up, the weather is trying to hold me down! We've had a lot of snowfall (for PA) this time of year. I'm doing my best to work through it with strength sessions and pool sets. I tried to ride my mountain bike through the snow covered fields the other day and wow was it hard! I'll be on the trainer until this stuff clears (which might be soon bc it's supposed to hit 65 this weekend!). 

It's a little messy... but I could spend the early morning cleaning OR on the bike. Guess which one I chose? And guess which one Maddy wishes I chose? (Just kidding - kind of).

Last note - coaching winter track has kept me pretty strong. I do a dynamic warm up with the kids everyday, and we do a lot of shorter sprint sets. With the snow covering the track, we've run A LOT of stairs in the academic buildings and we even hit the gym a little bit. Strength seems to be there, but, as I alluded to earlier, my aerobic fitness is way down. I know that I just need to be able to handle the training in February, so, for now, it's going to be kind of unstructured. I'll need to be able to run an hour, swim 3k, and ride 3 hours by Feb. 10. I'm not too worried.

Thanks for reading!

Happy holidays!

Finally feeling it

For the past few months (and I think I could probably go as far back as last year) I haven't really felt the mojo for training and thus racing. Maybe it was burnout, maybe it was just all the other things that I've had going on, but I really struggled to get motivated. I hoped that I would just snap out of it, but it didn't happen... Until now! I'm excited to start ramping things up and get into shape again. I don't know what changed, but I'm finally ready mentally to start getting after it. It feels good. I'll put the pen to paper today to build my plan through July 2014. I hope the energy and motivation stay. I'm sure it will waver at times, but I think I'm finally ready to commit to something again. We shall see how my body holds up. I feel pretty strong actually, but I don't think I have the aerobic endurance that I should. The biggest change will be getting back into the habit of going long on the weekends. Ideally I'll be riding 2+ hours on Saturdays and running 1.5+ on Sundays... I'm also going to try to swim 5x a week. MWF mornings I'll get in for about 3k, and TR I'll do something shorter during my lunch break. Then my running and biking will be done after school. Ideally 2 runs and 2 trainer rides M-F. I'll only get outside on the bike (mountain bike) on the weekends because of daylight. Then I'll run long on Sundays... Week one begins today! Had a good morning swim, and I'm planning a nice easy run this afternoon.

Onward and upward!

Thanksgiving and MTB

What a wonderful time of year! Spent this Thanksgiving mostly with the in-laws, and it was a blast. Managed to squeak out a 3rd AG in a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning (more on that below) and then stuffed my face until my stomach hurt through the evening. Friday I took out my brand spankin new mountain bike on Friday before filling myself with copious amounts of pasta and alcohol. Saturday we made it out to see my parents and grandparents, and then Sunday I relaxed (after getting in another mtb ride...). There is a lot to be thankful for.

I'll do a brief description of the turkey trot and then give some specs on my new wheels because, after all, this is a sport-centric blog.

The Nazareth Pumpkin Pie 5k was Thanksgiving morning. This is the third year we've done it, and it's a blast every time. It's a pretty hilly 5k course, all on roads, and close to Maddy's parents' house. This year we had her sister and bro-in-law (the same guy who has built 2 bikes for me now - check him and my bikes out at royalhcycles.com), Maddy, her aunt (who placed 4th AG in her first 5k ever!), and me. Top 3 finishers in each age group win a pumpkin pie and I had been second the previous two years running 17:42, and 17:39. This year I knew I was in no shape to run sub 18 since I haven't been running with my old cross country team, and I really just haven't been running... Nevertheless, I got home this year in 18:22, and managed to get 3rd and a pie. Maddy also PR'ed (!) which is even more impressive because she's been battling a fiery IT band for the past few weeks. She wasn't sure she'd even make it because of the pain she'd been having. It was a great start to the day all in all.

Now the good stuff...

Went out on Friday for an 1:15 ride through some muck and mud. The Royal H MTB delivered on all my expectations! What a ride!

Only problem is going to be finding a hose near my house! We don't have a hook up outside and I think I'll need it if riding is going to be anything like it was Friday...

More later this week. I'm getting back in the swing of things.

1500 tt in the pool some time this week as a benchmark. I'm having a competition to see who can shave the most off in the month of Dec. with 2 guys I work with.

Two awesome things

First is an interview with the head coach of my old school's running program. Pat, the head coach, is an amazingly inspiring man. He lives and breathes positivity and teaches kids to reach their potential better than anyone I've ever met. It was a pleasure working with him for a few years. I'm sure he and his runners will continue to see amazing success in the future. Definitely worth 13 minutes of your time, especially if you work with kids.

http://pa.milesplit.com/articles/116647-tatnall-de-xc-an-interview-with-coach-pat-castagno#.UpJtsmTwJUJ

Second is a cause I joined this year with some great people I work with. I'm growing a mustache for Movember. It's a movement supporting men's health, and our team has already raised over $2,600! I'm currently in 4th place (off the podium!) in my team ranking. To anyone out there who has the means, I would greatly appreciate a donation. The link is below, and I will send you a picture of me with a mustache.

http://mobro.co/peterwickman

Thanks!
PW

Checking in - comparing 2013 to 2010 in prep for IMLP

I'm giving myself until the end of the month to continue to unwind and just work out when and how I want. I can't say this season ever really got too far off the ground - I didn't have any real structured training blocks - but nevertheless, I feel like I need a little bit of nothing before getting into a structured program. I have thought a LOT about what the program will look like though. I'm going to blend some different things rather than focus specifically on one program... It will basically have 4 phases.

Nov. and Dec. are going to be based around strength work in the gym, time in the pool, long easy runs, and riding the MTB as much as I can.

Jan. and Feb. are going to pick up some cycling intensity with trainer sessions, all else will stay similar.

Mar. and April will be lengthening my rides, tapering off some of the strength, incorporating some speed into my running, and increasing frequency in the pool.

May, June, and July will be getting more race specific in all disciplines and and then tapering.

But now I think I'll talk about what I started this post thinking... In 2010 I finished the season with a 4:59 HIM in September and a 3:00 marathon in November. Then I took off a little time and got going again in late January/early February. I remember thinking in early 2011 that I needed to work on my bike speed, so I did a lot of long slow rides through the winter on the trainer and I tried to swim more than I had in the past. Both were pretty tough to follow through on. I also didn't think I needed any strength work...

This year I finished with a 4:58 HIM and a 3:05 marathon. My bike is surprisingly stronger (although maybe it isn't that much of a surprise considering I had only had a bike for 4 months before that HIM in 2010). My run isn't where it should be, but this year my marathon was in October not November. I think if I had to I could run a 3:00 marathon in a month... But I could be wrong.

I'm going to go with a "reverse periodization" this winter by starting with more high intensity work. I read a great article by Joe Friel that told me EXACTLY what I wanted to hear about this - HERE. I always thought that reverse periodization was a risk because you aren't building the aerobic bike strength before building top end speed. However, periodization really refers to starting with a specific skill and then becoming more and more race specific as you get closer to the race. For me, I need top end speed. And and Ironman is a long, relatively easy effort race. So, by going hard on the trainer this winter and then going long later, I'm really not reverse periodizing because I'm getting more race specific. So, we'll see how it works.

I know what my goals are and it's going to take great amounts of work to get there regardless of the path I choose. November 1 is when things get going!

AC Marathon recap

Another long race in the books. Overall I'm pretty content with my results and extremely proud of my wife for her race. I'll give an overview and then go into more detail below with some pictures and data.

Me: 3:05.xx (5 min off my current marathon PR - through 13.1 in 1:29)

Maddy: 4:17.xx (a 35 minute PR over 2011!)

Some background: Maddy and I both went with a somewhat minimal training plan for this race. We can pretend it was on purpose, but we started out with an idea of doing some longer runs, and they just never happened. Neither one of us ran more than 2.5 hours in prep for this. We did some back to back days - 2 hours one day and 1.5 the next - which I think really helps you learn to run on tired legs. And, frankly, I think the long marathon run is overrated! We might have gone a little too minimal because we both felt it toward the end of the race, but (on top of the 20+mph headwind the last 10k) I really don't think we needed more long miles, just more frequent miles if that makes sense. We each did three runs of over 2 hours. I think that number needs to be closer to 5-6 long runs spaced out over 8 weeks.

Anyway, I went out based on HR. Looking at my last marathon I figured I could hold low 170's for the marathon distance if I didn't have too many spikes, and that's what I did.

 

Miles - split (HR)

1 - 6:35 (175)                                                          14 - 6:39 (173)

2 - 6:52 (176)                                                          15 - 6:55 (174)

3 - 6:52 (176)                                                          16 - 6:55 (177) 

4 - 6:44 (174)                                                          17 - 6:48 (181) *too much!

5 - 7:01 (174)                                                          18 - 6:57 (181) *too much!

6 - 6:44 (172)                                                          19 - 6:58 (182) *too much!

7 - 6:45 (173)                                                          20 - 7:04 (183) *too much!

8 - 6:46 (173)                                                          21 - 7:01 (183) *too much!

9 - 6:56 (172)                                                          22 - 7:32 (187) *too much!

10 - 6:45 (171)                                                        23 - 7:58 (185) *too much!

11 - 6:44 (171)                                                        24 - 8:15 (180) *too much!

12 - 6:39 (170)                                                        25 - 8:15 (174)

13 - 6:36 (173)                                                        26 - 8:11 (173)

Finish - 3:05 (176)

Miles 10-14 were straight downwind. It was nice and easy. Miles 17-26 were straight into the wind. They HURT! I made a conscious decision to ignore my high HR and just let it go for the rest of the race. I picked off 3 people in those last 10 miles and even encouraged some of them to group up with me and run together to protect ourselves from the wind. No one would hang though. Disappointing was that I got passed (AGAIN!!) in the last mile of the race. I also had a guy within probably 100m that I just couldn't reel in over the last 3 miles. We were both going slow, but he held his distance.

I guess based on my pre-race thoughts that I earned an A-/B+ for the day. I'm capable of more, but I am happy how I ended up given everything that went in. The bottom line is that I'm fitter than I was on Saturday and ready to recover and get a nice strong off season plan underway, so I'm ready to go for IM training in a few months.

Thanks for reading!

Kona Picks!

Oh baby I am excited! It's unfortunate that I won't be able to watch most of the coverage because I'll be driving down to Atlantic City as the race starts, and I'll probably be busy most of the afternoon getting prepped. I'll be keeping up as much as I can though. I even started a twitter account so I can get the tweet updates haha.

I'll keep this short and sweet - race predictions and top 3.

Ladies first:

3rd place: Mirinda Carfree
2nd place: Meredith Kessler
1st place: Caroline Steffan

The woman's race will be a good one. I think Steffan will show that she is the best woman in the sport right now and win it coming off the bike in the lead. Kessler has been quiet for a while, which should mean she's well rested. She usually races like 10 IM's a year (and wins 8 of them), so we'll see what happens when she actually settles in and does one right. Rinny is such a fast runner that she'll come off the bike 15+min back, but she'll run out of real estate before she can catch up to the woman twice her size.

Men:

3rd place: Andy Potts
2nd place: Sebastian Kienle
1st place: Pete Jacobs

The men's race will be epic. There are SO many great athletes in the field. I think Potts will surprise people this year and get on the podium. He, like Kessler, usually panics and sneaks in an extra race overcooking himself. He hasn't raced since Vegas, so I think he's as ready as he'll ever be. Kienle is a monster on the bike and runs well too. The only thing I think will surprise people is that I don't think he'll come off the bike first! I think Andy Starykowicz will just act like a gorilla and crush the existing bike course record. I also think he'll either drop out or run like a 3:30 marathon because he overdoes it on his first trip to the island. PJ is just too good. He's not only in peak form (he did a 70.3 in 3:39 a few weeks back! 3:39! His bike split was like 2:01 and his run was like 1:13... who does that?!?!) he's also got his head on straight. He knows he's the best, and he'll prove it again.

It pains me to keep Crowie, Andy Raelert, and Eneko Llanos off the list, but I think Crowie is too old, Andy can't get his head around winning in Kona, and Eneke is overdone by his outstanding performances at Melbourne and Frankfurt this year.

Once I get past this weekend I'll start to build my 2014 plan toward IMLP. It's not a secret - I'm shooting for a Kona slot. I will keep that at the forefront of my mind to keep me motivated. I want to get to the Big Island. I want to race on the Queen K. I want to be among the best in the sport. And I think I know what it will take to get there.

Fun weekend ahead!
Thanks for reading!
PW

AC Marathon (less than) 1 week out

**I started this post on Sunday, but wrapped it up Thursday, so you'll see my throughts through the whole week.

The last real workout is in the books. I did a nice warm up of ~15 minutes easy, then some stretching and strides on the track. Then I hit the track for 2 miles at goal heart rate (170-173). The first one was easy, fast, and relaxed. The second was when I settled in. The first two miles were done in 13:44 averaging 171 for my heart rate. Nice. Then I went up and around town for 17 minutes holding the same HR range (with a little spike up to 180 on a hill leading up to town). Not sure how far it is unfortunately, but I estimate around 2 1/4 miles. Then I wrapped it up with 2 more on the track - same HR zone, but dropped to 13:55 the second time around. I cooled down and called it a day. All things considered, I felt very strong. The legs turned over well. I was breathing well at the effort. Again, the question is going to be how it pans out over the distance.

This week is all about resting the legs (and body) and just making sure I'm still sharp come next Sunday. Again, lots of questions as to how the race will go. My workouts tell me I can still run OK, but the big question mark is my durability over the longer distance. So here's the plan for the week:

- Eat well and hydrate!
- Easy run tomorrow, Monday (I was asked to help out with XC practice, so I'll spin the legs with them for 30ish minutes)
- Rest Tuesday
- Wednesday easy 50 minutes with a few pick ups
- Thursday rest or maybe a swim
- Friday a 3-4 miler with a few pick ups
- Saturday rest and try to watch as much of the Kona race as possible
- Sunday - game time!

Well now it's Thursday, and I've stuck to some of the plan. Eating well? Eh... I've had a few more sweets than I probably should have. Just topping off the glycogen stores though, right? The runs have been good. I'm getting the typical (for me) race week pains in my legs. Whenever I taper I get some unusual twinges of pain in my hips and/or calves.

Goals for the race:

- Finish. It's going to be a tough day. On top of the fact that it's a marathon, it's also calling for rain from now through Monday.
- Hold to a HR and stay patient! I'm going to have to put my ego on the shelf and just run by HR. I know I'll feel fine on the front half, but the back half could bury me if I'm not careful.
- Lay it out there in the last 10k with whatever is left.
- Time? I'll say this, 3:05-3:10 would be a B/B+. Not what I'm shooting for, but not bad. 3:00-3:05 would be an A. And anything sub 3:00 would be an A+.

It's tough because I know I can run a sub 3 marathon. Frankly, I think I could go sub 2:50. Sunday is not going to be that race though. I haven't trained properly to do that. Going sub 2:50 would require about a 3 month build and a perfect taper. I hope I'll do it some day, but again, Sunday won't be that day.

What I love about racing is also what I hate about racing.... You only get out what you put in. There's no hiding what you've done to prepare. You are who you've made yourself on that day. So, Sunday I'll find out who I am, I guess.

O.M.G. It's beautiful.

I won't be able to pick it up and ride it for about a month, but I'm already drooling on myself. LOOK AT THAT BABY!

It's going to be a fun winter : )

Training while traveling (and a sneak peak at the MTB!!!)

My new job has allowed me some great opportunities to travel, which is AWESOME, but makes getting in a routine a little more difficult. Even day trips that get me home a bit later in the evening end up messing with my eating, sleeping, and evening workouts. That being said, I should take more responsibility because I have my travel schedule well in advance so I can plan accordingly. It's a transition, and I'm sure I'll get better, but I can't say I've checked all the boxes for workouts that were supposed to prepare me for this upcoming marathon. The fact is that I've only done two runs of over 2 hours (and I mean barely over 2 hours...). I've felt strong, and my weekly mileage is still pretty good, but not doing anything over 17 miles before a marathon makes me worry. Have I built enough muscular strength? Will I hit the proverbial wall even sooner in this marathon? Or, fingers crossed, will my legs just be fresh enough to carry me through? We shall see on October 13.

I did my last long run today (yes, a Tuesday morning). I banged out 1:45 at a nice, easy pace, then 2 miles on the track at my threshold heart rate. Add in a cool down, and I ended with 2:05 run all done before work. (Side note - that is a HUGE benefit of my new job. I would never have been able to do anything over 1:20 in the morning with my old position). The legs felt pretty good, especially considering that I ran a pretty hard 1:30 on Sunday and then 1:00+ last night with Maddy. The cumulative fatigue is there, but I just haven't put in the single long run... I'll write about a race plan, goals, and all that in another post.


The last thing I'll write about today is the very first ROYAL H CYCLES MTB that will be hitting the trails of PA by the end of October! I picked the paint scheme, and Bryan picked just about everything else with some help from other frame builders he knows. We went with a 27.5 wheelsize - not quite as large as the popular 29'er, but something more than the traditional 26" wheel. It will be a BLAST to get out on this winter! I'm hoping this keeps me riding often all winter long. More to come on the MTB as well as it is finished being built up.

Benchmark workout for AC 26.2

After a busy work week traveling and attending conferences I had almost resigned to the fact that I haven't been doing enough work to run the Atlantic City marathon on Oct. 13. I figured I would give myself a long run test to see how I handled the time on my feet before making a final decision, and, much to my surprise, I felt pretty good. So, baring any catastrophe or injury, I will be running the full 26.2 in 3 weeks. Did I have an amazing 20 mile run that told me I'll be able to PR in AC? No. But I had a decent enough run that told me I'll be able to finish the marathon and come out fitter on the other side without risking injury. 

I got out for 17 miles on Sunday in just over 2 hours. My HR was steady and in the 147-153 range for miles 1-14. I felt good, so I decided to hit the track for the last two and see what kind of pace I would be holding at my lactate threshold (basically the HR I can hold for a 2+hour workout). My LT heart rate is right around 173. For me right now, probably a little closer to 170. Anyway, I picked it up going around the track and did mile 15 in 6:53 with a HR of 169, then mile 16 was 6:43 with a HR of 177. Somewhere in there is my sweet spot (I think/hope). 

My 2010 Philly marathon of 3:00:47 averaged out to a 6:52 pace... I'm not sure if I can handle that again, but we shall see!

Tuesday runs

From September of 2010 through August of 2011 I ran all but 4 Tuesdays. Most of those runs were in the morning. Some were hard, some were easy, some were fast, some were slow, some were long, and some were short. But every Tuesday I ran. It has been a dietary staple that always fuels me. Since Mondays are typically rest days, Tuesday mornings were my first workout of the week, and it just fits that they were runs being my favorite discipline of my training.

Today's run made me think back to the hours I put in leading up to IM Lake Placid in 2011. I remembered how it felt to be strong and unbelievably fit. Right now I'm not, but that's OK. I'll get back there. 

It's interesting to me how the first workout of the week really sets the tone for the week. It's so important to get done because when I don't, I'm stressed for the rest of the week. And if I nail the workout, I'm happy for the rest of the week and feel less guilt even when later workouts don't go as planned. 

This week I'm happy so far. There's work to be done including a 2-2:30 run this weekend, which will be very telling of my current fitness, but I'm feeling good thanks to this morning. 

One last thought I had this morning - the training plan I am planning on starting after the AC marathon has rides on Tuesday morning rather than runs... I have always felt that Sunday-Wednesday is too long off the bike, but I will miss my therapeutic Tuesday runs.

Shoreman 70.3 race recap

It was a pretty good day at the office with all things considered. I always scroll down to find splits and then back up to read the report, so I'll just post the splits up top for anyone like me out there reading.

Swim - 34:37 (HR 132)

t1 - 3:04

Bike - 2:40:20 (HR 156)

t2 - 2:33

Run - 1:37:59 (HR 171)

Finish - 4:58:32 (HR 162)

18 OA, 3rd AG

So, like I said, not a bad day. I came in under my goal times for the swim and bike. So now the blow by blow...

I got up and ate breakfast plenty early, but got on the road a few minutes later than I should have. By the time I parked and picked up my packet it was about 6:25 and the race started at 7:00am. Of course there were lines at all the port-o-johns, so I had to wait. At about 6:50 I was next in line. I still had my bike with me and all my transition stuff. Needless to say I was quick to take care of business and then ran over to transition. I got set up and jumped into my wetsuit in record speed. I was on the beach by 6:58 for the National Anthem. Little did I know that my rush through transition would cost me a bit of time later in the day...

It was a two loop swim in a shallow lake. How shallow? When we got the 300ish yards to the other side I was scraping the ground with my pull. I even got up to dolphin dive a few times to get going and get a full breath. There was only about 25 yards of shallow water, but it was surprising. I felt pretty good, and frankly I don't know how or why. I haven't been swimming a lot. My suspicion is that the swim was a little short. The break mid way helped too. I hit the half way point at 17 minutes and exited in 34 and change. I was pretty happy at that point, and I think that's my current 70.3 swim PR...

Transition was a disaster. It was a small local race, so I just racked my bike where I could find space - no numbering on the rows. I literally ran around for what felt like 20 minutes looking for my bike. Finally I spotted it, ripped off the wetsuit, helmet on, shoes on, and off I went.

It was cold when the bike started - definitely below 60 degrees. I was pretty numb in my extremities. My HR was a little high when I started (in the 160s), so I eased off slightly to get it down into the 150s. For the first time I can remember in a race the bike felt smooth as butter and it was SO easy to get my HR to do exactly what I wanted. If I pushed a little it went up, and I could back off a little to take it down. It was perfect. The bike was also pancake flat. I'm talking NO hills, not even an ant hill. I stayed down in the aerobars and just went. Something else I have to say is how damn comfortable my new ride is. I only ride about 10% of my rides down in the aero position, so I always worry how uncomfortable I'm going to be. The Slice is PERFECT for me! I just love how it rides. Anyway, the one part of the ride that really pissed me off was the draft pack I kept getting swallowed up by. There were 4-5 guys just sitting on each others' wheels! They got to me and tried to sit on mine, but I called them out for it and one guy responded, "we're not trying to draft, but you can't help it out here..." BULL.SHIT. It was a small race... There was NO need to draft. Anyway, I pushed for a bit and let my HR get up to get away from them, but then they gobbled me up again. This happened about 3-4 times before I finally fell back from them at about mile 53. I was pissed. And it messed with my race plan because I had to ride hard surges to try and shake them. Something else that hurt me on the bike was fueling. I missed a water bottle and miscalculated in my hurried transition set up, so I was about 2 gels short of what I wanted to take in. I also ran out of water. I didn't take in anything for the last 30 minutes of the bike, which is really not ideal. I'm going to tinker with my fuel/hydration set up before I race again next year... Nevertheless, the bike went well. The Slice is awesome and my Rudy Project wingspan aerohelmet definitely helped too. I can't wait to throw some aero wheels on her next spring. Mom, Dad, Maddy, and anyone else who reads this and might potentially get me a gift some time between now and next summer, please donate to my aero wheel fund.  

The second transition was still a little confusing, but I found my spot quicker than I did coming out. I sat down and put some compression socks on because I was fearful of how my legs would hold up. I also grabbed as many gels and chomps as I could because I knew I was already behind on my nutrition plan. Then out I went.

The legs were turning over OK. I passed the draft pack punks within the first mile, which was a good feeling. The first few miles I was averaging a heart rate in the 160s and clipping off 7:10ish miles. Not ideal, but not bad. Things went on feeling pretty good until about mile 9. I started to have some cramps in my calves and my HR was well into the mid 170s. My pace had slowed too. At mile 11 I realized I needed to stop to walk a few steps. My stride was way off because of the cramping. I got passed at mile 12, and I HATE when that happens, but I had nothing to respond with. I limped across the line under 5 hours though, so I can't be too mad. My run split is my second worst half marathon though. The only one worse was in my first ever 70.3 in 2010 in which I limped a 1:55. The surges on the bike and the nutrition miscalculation definitely played a role. My fitness and low training volume is the other piece of the puzzle.

I can't be disappointed though. I had some really good parts of the day and I came out fitter. The run is concerning mostly because I'm signed up to run a marathon in 5 weeks. I'll take this week nice and easy, but then I need to test myself with a pretty long run next weekend - probably in the 18-20 mile range.

Onward and upward!

Thanks for reading!

PW

Bike set up for Saturday and thoughts on riding carbon vs steel (plus a tiny race plan)

Let's get to the good stuff first... this is 99% what my bike will look like on race day. Pretty standard - nothing too sexy, but this will be my first race on a carbon bike, and I wanted to show her off.

First you'll notice that I'm using a speedfil hydration system, which I've never used before. I've been on a couple training rides with it, but I've never raced with it. I chose it because it can hold 40oz of liquid, rather than the standard 32oz that one water bottle holds (I've never had more than one bottle cage on my frame - the Royal H has one on the down tube and the Slice has one on the seat tube). So far my thoughts are that it is a very effective and aerodynamic way to carry liquids. I do prefer being able to pull out an actual water bottle and squirt it directly in my mouth (as opposed to the straw, which can be slightly difficult to drink from at times), but I'll give this thing a whirl on Saturday. Theoretically the straw will keep me in the aero position longer, so it should be a better set up. The only 2 things that really stick out about it are that drinking through the straw can be tough and sometimes puts excess air in my stomach, and having all that weight sitting right in the middle of the bike is a feeling I'm not used to... And it sloshes around a little on climbs, which actually pushes the bike a little when it's full.

Next you'll see a carbon addition to the Slice - the Shimano Ultegra carbon pedals. I treated myself to these to save a few grams and say I have some extra carbon on my ride... I mentioned before that the Speedplay pedals weren't working for me (they caused me some foot pain that didn't go away) so I switched back to a larger platform pedal. So far, so good. I rode the metal Ultegra pedals before, so it was an easy choice to go back. So far they feel good, and I'm happy I treated myself.

Lastly, I upgraded the brakes from Tektro (which ironically come on the Slice 105 rather than Shimano 105 brakes that I wouldn't have changed) to Ultegra. The fact is that I don't need top of the line Dura Ace components, but I wanted something a little nicer than 105... Ultegra works perfectly for me. They are probably about the same weight, and the forums tell me that the Ultegra braking power isn't much better, but I feel better having these on my bike. Honestly, I want to upgrade the front and rear derailleur to Ultegra too before IMLP next year.

Now let me talk about the feel of my new bike compared to the old. My steel Royal H hybrid road bike with triathlon geometry is fast! Steel is super stiff and responsive - it's like a sports car! On the downside, it rides hard due to the stiffness, and it's heavier than it needs to be. The Slice, which is about 90% carbon (only the gruppo and cockpit aren't), rides like butter! It is still responsive, but it's SO smooth and rides soft compared to the steel bike. It's lighter and more aerodynamic too. Typically on training rides I'll go ~1mph faster at the same effort on the Slice, so it will be interesting to see how she does tomorrow. It won't be a totally fair comparison because I don't feel like I have the fitness to go out there and let it rip, but I'll have plenty of time for that in the spring leading up to IMLP next year. Last bit about the bike is that I'll just be riding the stock shimano RS-10 wheels and Shwabble tires. Fingers crossed that I'll get some nice race wheels and high end tires over the winter. This thing will FLY next year.

Absolute last bit for today since I've already been rambling... Race plan for tomorrow.

Swim - stay smooth and under control. It's two loops, which will break things up nicely. Get out and on my way. Goal time 35 minutes.

Bike - spin the legs to start. Cap my heart rate at 155. Stay aero. Remember to fuel and hydrate - 250 calories/hour plus water. Ride hard, but don't bury myself. Goal time 2:45.

Run - don't go out too hard! Capped HR at 160ish for the first 10k, then bump it to 170ish for miles 6-10 and then whatever is left for the last 5k. Stay smooth. Remember to fuel and hydrate. Don't blow up!!!

Overall - come out fitter on the other side. I'd love to be under 5 hours.

Is any of this possible right now? We'll find out in about 28 hours.

Taper time

Well it's been a low volume summer of training, and my first 70.3 since 2011 is in just 6 days. I'm not really sure what I can expect, and it's difficult for me to admit to myself that this most likely will not be my best performance nor will it be a PR. But only race day will show me what I'm capable of, and maybe it won't be so bad. Below is my training for the past month.

It is what it is. I just looked back through my training log from 2011, and I was working a lot harder back then... The last 70.3 I did was in May of 2011 and for the 8 weeks prior to the race I had putting in 12-17 hours very consistently. I had actually forgotten how much time I used to spend training.... In that last race I swam 36 minutes (with a 170 heart rate), rode 2:43 (HR 156), and ran a 1:30 (HR 164) for a finishing time of 4:54. It was also one week after I was hit by a car while riding my bike, so I remember my hip being tight and not being able to really get my legs going on the bike. I know at the time I was hoping to be in the 4:30s-4:40s. I would love to be able to stay under 5 hours at the race coming up, but it's all going to depend on how the bike goes. I'm riding carbon this time around with a tt helmet (both of which I didn't have last time) so hopefully that "free speed" everyone on slowtwitch talks about will pay off. If I can manage a decent bike split while getting enough calories in I should still be able to run around 1:30 on a flat course. Again though, only race day will show what I can do.

On a totally different note, I purchased my first pieces of art last week. These TdF prints are AWESOME and will be decorating my house and office.

http://justeleanor.bigcartel.com/product/tour-de-france-100-set-of-5-prints

Later this week I'll write up a little more about race prep/strategy and some bike upgrades that have happened lately. Thanks for reading!

Spinning things out

After some serious muscle soreness from the race Sunday, I took Monday and Tuesday totally off. Today I got in the saddle for an EASY 1hr bike and my legs feel SO much better. Truthfully I should have gotten on the bike for a spin yesterday, but I slept in. Whoops! Regardless, I'm glad the legs feel better. The biggest thing I need to figure out right now is how to lead up to the 70.3 I have in just 2 weeks. Here's what I'm thinking...

Tomorrow - 1:00/:30 BRick in the morning and :30 swim in the evening.
Friday - 1:30 bike in the am, 1:00 run pm
Saturday - 3:00 bike
Sunday - 1:30 run, :30 swim
Monday - rest and start to taper...

This is an odd taper for me because I like to use a 10-14 day taper for a 70.3, but with my lack of fitness right now, I'm going to try to build as much as I can up to the race. It's a little risky, and I'm not sure I'll even feel the fitness gained from a longish weekend of training. That's the plan though! I'm really just hoping I can gut through the race, get some fitness from it, and come out better on the other side. I have to keep my eye on the big prize, which is IMLP 2014.

Do great work!
Thanks for reading.

Very hill 13.1

I had an OK week of training last week. I got on the bike a few times, got in the pool a few times, ran twice, and raced a half marathon yesterday (Sunday). My fitness isn't where I want it to be, but it is where it is.

I went into the half marathon tired - did a track workout Wednesday that beat me up a little bit and then rode for 3 hours on Saturday. Even knowing this, however, it's tough for me to put my ego on the shelf and admit that I'm not going to PR. So, I went out pretty hard (not smart) and was with the front 5 at mile 3. But that's when the hills started and my legs stopped. I was through the first 4 miles in about 24:20, but I wanted to quit. After a few rolling downhills my HR came down a little, but when I started a mile long climb from mile 5-6, I got passed by 3 guys. I tried to latch on to the pack, but I just couldn't. My heart was beating through my chest, I had chills, and my legs were screaming. Once I crested the hill I actually had to slow to a walk for about 15 seconds just to get my HR to dip below 190. I was able to keep eyes on the pack of 3 for about another mile and a half down the backside of the long hill, but they soon were out of sight and I was running alone. As I passed the not-so-accurately spaced mile markers I kept trying to guess what my finishing time would be, knowing that it would be my worst 13.1 to date. I had to walk one more time around mile 9 as I passed through an aid station. At mile 12, as I walked through another aid station which was manned by a few of my colleagues, 2 young guys caught me. I picked it up to stay on their shoulders and one of them faded back. The other kid still had quite a bit in the tank and with 800 meters to go he took off. He ended up beating me by 45 seconds.

I crossed the line with a 1:26:xx, 9th OA, and 2nd in my AG. My heart rate average for the race was 190 and I peaked at 205 bpm. The results were not bad, but it wasn't what I'm capable of. It was a hard effort though, which will inevitably make me stronger. I've got to get a nice long bike in some time this week because in 2 weeks I'll be "racing" a 70.3 that I'll taper for.

But enough about me... My wife had quite a different day on the course - she set a 20 minute half marathon PR and earned 2nd in her AG!! I'm super proud of her and know she's going to DESTROY the Atlantic City marathon in October.

Do great work!
Thanks for reading!
PW

Pedal change

The past few weeks I've been having some foot pain on longer rides and when I get my weekly mileage up. When I picked out my Cannondale Slice back in November, I decided to go with Speedplay pedals (basically because of some good marketing strategies). I thought I would like the extra float and the light weight. What I've found is that the smaller pedal surface and lack of stability is just not for me. I held on for a few weeks thinking that my foot would just get used to it, but finally I decided that I would go back to the Shimano pedals. I even treated myself a little bit and went with the carbon Shimano Ultegra pedals to try and keep the new ride super lightweight. Then I got a little carried away and decided to upgrade the brakes on the slice to Ultegra too. I should hopefully break even with the upgrades because I'll sell the Speedplay pedals and the Tekro brakes that are coming off the Slice.

It will be interesting to see if I really notice a difference... Sure the Slice will look a little sexier and come in a few grams lighter, but I'm always curious as to how this will affect my actual performance. I couldn't pull the trigger on them just yet, but some race wheels are rolling through my mind... I'm hoping for Christmas/birthday this year I will end up with some.

Despite the footpain I had a decent week on the bike last week, which was capped off by a nice 3 hour ride on Friday. I managed to get in the pool 4 times, which was 1 less than I was hoping for. I'm going to set some similar goals for this week. 5 swims, 8 hrs on the bike, and a couple runs.

This coming week is a half marathon for me, so I'll have an idea of just how in/out of shape I am. There aren't any real expectations because I'll be riding long on Saturday and just trying to gut through the 13.1 on Sunday.

Last week in review

Not a bad week last week, but not a great one. 

Only one swim, which didn't feel very good at all. I meant to get back in on Thursday and Friday, but it just didn't happen for one reason or another. I did watch a really good interview with Gerry Rodriguez of Tower 26 swimming out in CA. The dude knows what he's talking about - thanks for the recommendation, D. I'll touch more on what I learned in a different post later on. The goal for swimming this week is to get in the water everyday. I got in this morning and felt pretty good, so I'm headed the right direction thus far.

I put in about 75 miles on the bike, which is also quite a disappointment. There was a ride scheduled for Sunday too, but it got nixed because of a hangover and low motivation. I've got to do something about that. I'm riding OK, but I could/should be riding better. I need to get a few 3+ hour rides in before September. Goal for the bike this week is to be in the saddle for 8 or more hours this week. I've got it on paper, so let's see if I can hit the numbers.

I was happy with my run this week considering the training I've been doing. I did a double run on Monday, had a good track workout on Wednesday, and then hit the pavement for ~16 miles on Saturday and felt good the whole time. I didn't know how my body would react to a long run, but I was happy with how it held up. HR was where I needed it to be, didn't bonk, running in some new Kinvaras felt awesome. Quite content with how the run went.

That's all for now. I got a few new toys last week for the swim and the bike. I'll snap some pics and put them up later this week.

Onward and upward.
Thanks for reading.

Getting back on (the) track

Part of the reason I'm bringing back the blog is to hold me accountable for my training. I've really struggled this summer to get into a routine, and it's showing. My weight is up and my speed and durability is down...it's ugly. My swim is just horrendous right now. I haven't done anything over 2k in probably 18 months. My bike is meh... I've been on it on and off, but mostly just for maintenance - no long rides (over 60 miles), very little speed and hill work. My run is weak too. I haven't done a long run of over 1:30 this summer that I can remember. Some of the turnover is still there as I did a 5x800 track workout this morning (and thought of the title for today's musings) that didn't go horribly. I'm not sure what the numbers I hit this morning would translate to in a longer race.

My original plan (months ago) had been to be focused during the summer months and race an olympic distance tri in August, a 70.3 in September, and run a marathon in October. I've decided to scratch the Oly race and try and use these next 5 weeks to get ready for the 70.3. From there I'll decide whether or not I'll run the full marathon in October or just do 1/2. I've never been one to mentally be able to have a "B" race or just race to get fit. That might be what I have to do this fall though.

The first "test" will be to see how I handle the next 5 weeks leading up to a local 70.3 at the Jersey Shore. I'm going to hop right into the middle of a Matt Fitzgerald program even though I haven't done the appropriate build up for it.

Lots on my mind, so there will be some good reads coming up! To hire a coach or to self-coach?! The pressure of my last year in the 25-29 age group. More goal setting, and the big question: what am I capable of? Check back for more...

Oh yeah, and here are some pictures from the past few weeks/months that are share worthy.

Andy Potts dominated for the second year in a row at IMLP. I'm a HUGE fan.

Maddy was a stripper...

The challenged athletes give me chills. Amazing stuff.

New swim start at IMLP. I think it will definitely help me out next year.

We drank some good beers.

I got some new toys that should translate to free speed.

I got Maddy an engagement ring and she got me a bike. That, my friends, is a perfect relationship.

PW

I'm back!

Anyone still out there reading? I've decided to bring the blog back. I'm ready to commit to training and racing again, and this should help me stay on track. The past year (really two) I had so many other things going on that I just couldn't hanker down and commit to triathlon, so the blog (along with my training and racing) fell by the wayside.

Here's a quick summary of what happened:

1. I got married! Maddy and I are as happy as can be. Things are great. I highly recommend getting married to anyone considering it. I'm sure I'll have some that disagree with me, but it's even better than racing an Ironman.

2. I finished my MA at Villanova. It was tough, but taught me a lot about myself (and Spanish literature).

3. I got a new job! I'm no longer teaching, but still working in education. I started July 1, so it's still very new, but I'm extremely happy where I am.

4. We moved. No more city living. While there are things I'll miss, I now have miles upon miles of open roads and trails to bike and run on. There are also some lakes around here that will make it easier to open water swim. And Philly isn't too far away. I'm sure we'll get down to the city often enough.

5. Mad and I volunteered for IMLP last weekend, and I signed up for 2014! The energy of Lake Placid during race week along with the stupid expense of the race entry should be just the kick in the pants I need to get back in shape.

The goal is to get into a good routine and get a strong base under me leading into 2014. I know I have a year, but I have some big goals for IMLP next year. I'd really like to knock off about 10 minutes from my 2011 swim (1:17), 20 minutes off the bike (5:33), and 10 minutes off my run (3:23). I believe it can be done, but the only way to do it is put in the work - and it's going to require a lot of work.

That's all for now. I'll post again some time next week to document my current fitness, set some short term goals, and put up some pictures from the volunteering side of the race.