I love the spectators
Here’s why.
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Rest Day - Lock Yourself in a Closet
With the IM race just 25 days away, I have this mental desire to train very, very hard. However, my body just won’t cooperate. I’m feeling a bit sore and tired today as if I raced this past weekend. I didn’t. In fact, I haven’t raced YET this season and my last triathlon was 9 months ago. My schedule just has not enabled me to get any races on my calendar.
What I did this past weekend although deserves a day off. Since we were up at our Lake (perfect place for my mini-training camp) I practiced two open water swims a long bike and then a brick. The swims consisted of a 30 minute venture out into the deep on one day to become acclimated to the low 60 degree water temperature and then 60 minutes the following day to find my relaxed and consistent stroke. The bike consisted of a 90 mile journey over 5 hours on some farm land and rolling hills around the lake community. I topped off the holiday weekend with a brick. The brick consisted of 1:45 run / 1:45 bike / 60 min run. The last run was difficult at first then I seemed to find the rythem. Total training logged was just about 11 hours.
Anyway, even though my type A personality says oh just a swim to loosen up and a 90 min recovery ride would be fine. I’m choosing to rest and ‘lock myself in a closet’ if I have to because the longest of the training happens in a just 4 days. This weekend coming up I will ride 112 miles with a 60 min. transition run and then the next day run 20 miles or 3 hours with a 90 min recovery bike later in the day. When you rest your body will be stronger for the upcoming workouts which leads to a greater improvement in race day performance.
That gun shot is just a few weeks away
I’m heading to Coeur d’Alene Idaho in just a few weeks for my second Ironman. Here’s how I’m getting ready.
You’re a triathlete when… part II
- Your legs move in a cycling motion while you are asleep.
- When you see a drop of blood, your first reaction is that you spilled some red Gatorade.
- You know how far you biked and ran last year, to one-tenth of a kilometer.
- You think the ultimate form of wallpaper is about 64 racing bibs.
- A 19-year old kid who works in a bicycle shop know more about you than your next-door neighbor.
- Your children are more likely to recognize you if you put your bicycle helmet.
- You have a vanity license plate with the work “Kona” in it. (or TRI WGON)
- About half the shirts you own have at least a dozen logos on the back of them.
- You don’t find the word “Fartlek” in the least bit amusing. (I still do)
- When you refer to your “partner”, you mean neither your spouse nor the co-owner of your business but the person you run or bike with three times a week.
- You shave your legs more often than your wife. (or you do it better.)
- The closest you came to punching somebody was when they disagreed with your position on whether wearing a wetsuit amounts to cheating.
- It doesn’t feel right that you can’t “clip ” in and out of the pedals in your car.
- There is a group of people in your life about whom you are more likely to know how fast they can swim 100 meters than their surnames or occupations.
- Some of the shorts you wear today are tighter than the ones you wore in high school.
- You are frustrated with the latest Garmin Forerunner because its live readings have a margin of error of approximately three per cent.
- There’s a separate load of laundry every week that is just your workout clothes. (They are washed more tenderly than your spouse’s past birthday presents)
- One of your goals this year is to be faster at getting out of your wetsuit. (or not to exceed your HR ceiling)
- You failed high school chemistry but you could teach a course on lactic acid.
- All you want for Christmas is something called a carbon crank set.
- You wore a digital watch to your wedding.
- You have to have completely separate meals from your spouse because he or she is on a low-carb diet.
- Your bicycle is in your living room.
- You have stocked up on a brand of cereal because it has a coupon that will save you money on your next two pairs of running shoes.
- In order to establish a new personal best, you considered peeing without getting off your bike. (or in fact did pee)
- One of your proudest moments is when you lost a toenail.
- When a car follows too closely behind you, you accuse the driver of “drafting”. (or you “draft” behind the car in front of you)
- When you went for a job interview, you wrote your social insurance number on your arm in black marker.
- Your spouse cried during Terms of Endearment; you cried during the television coverage of the Hawaii Ironman.
- You are comfortable discussing the sensitivity of your nipples with other guys.
- Your spouse is looking forward to the day when you will slow down and just run marathons.
- You have paused in front of the mirror in your wetsuit and thought, “Hey, I look like Spiderman. (or any other superhero)
- You see no issue with talking about treatments for chafing or saddle rash at the dinner table.
- You recently asked your spouse out for dinner by asking if he or she wanted to “fuel up” together.
- For you, “bonking” no longer has a sexual connotation.
- The magazine secretly tucked under your mattress has pictures of really expensive bicycles in it.
Pinewood Derby Success
Triathlons of course, aren’t the only big race of the year. This year, two of my four boys were competing in the annual Indian Guides Pinewood Derby Race. So, this marks the 9th and 10th cars I’ve built to date.
I must be getting good at this. My kindergartner took first place over all in the kindergarten race. That’s his car in the red speeding down the ramp.
My third-grader — his last pinewood derby race, took second overall in the third grade class. This is his car in the green:
It was a proud moment for a Dad.
You know you’re a triathlete when…
Someone on my team e-mailed me these. As you may have guessed, I can relate to most of these:
- You are over 30 and there is still someone in your life that you refer to as “coach”.
- Your last bike cost more than your first car.
- You have peed outdoors more times in the last year than you did in your first year of university.
- You think of mowing the lawn as a form of cross-training.
- You’ve worn a heart-rate monitor to bed.
- And it wasn’t when you were sleeping.
- You refer to the front hall of your house as the “transition area”.
- When you get home from a training session at the pool, the newspaper is just being delivered to your house.
- You have changed more flat tires this year than light bulbs.
- The most frequently used software program on your computer is the one that keeps track of your workouts.
- You have no idea why they call Cal Ripken Jr. “Iron Man” when, after all, he was a baseball player.
- The first three items on your grocery list are Gatorade, power bars, and gels.
- When you floss at night, it’s to get the bugs out of your teeth.
Why Train in the Morning?
When you are training for a big race like an Ironman or a triathalon, you need to workout twice a day. This means you won’t be able to escape a morning workout. Here’s are some good reasons to train in the morning.
- The kids are asleep.
- If you do it first thing, you’ll be less likely to make up an excuse about why you can’t do it later.
- An early morning workout kickstarts your metabolism.
- Releases endorphins, and gives you a great start for the day.
- It’s done. You don’t have to think about it again.
- You won’t miss your workout if something unexpected comes up later in the day.
- The gym, the streets, or wherever you train, will be less crowded.
- You’ll be free in the evening to rough-house with your kids, and read to them.
- Clears your mind, so you can plan your day, while you’re working out.
- You will be less likely to grab a donut… you’ll just feel too good.
- You’ll be hungry after your workout, and more likely to eat a substantial, good breakfast that can carry you through the day.
- When you work out at night, you can’t sleep for two hours after you work out, because of the increase in your heart rate. This makes it difficult for you to get some sleep.
- You’ll be able to get to bed earlier, and give yourself a good night’s rest, so your muscles recover.
Plus, there’s nothing like bragging to your buddies at lunch that you’re done.
How Safe Are You On The Road
Check out this video:
Kids are better in the AM
I have a 3-hour bike ride I must get in today, and it’s too cold outside to take the boys. If I do it first thing in the morning, the kids eat their breakfast, play, watch cartoons, and my absence is almost unnoticed. But if I wait till after lunchtime, it’s horrible for all of us. What is it about kids and the “witching hour?”
Advice for Dads: Do all your workouts first thing in the morning… it’s easier for everyone.
