Race report Campbell’s Shepparton Half Ironman (2km/90km/21km) 18th November 2007

Summary (read this if you want the hard facts and numbers):

Time: 4:36:59

Swim: 25:56 solid

Bike: 2:35:46 ack!!

Run 1:35:17 solid

9^th in age-group

50^th overall

Solid effort, happy with my time. Definite room for improvement with quality taper, improved race strategy, improved mental approach, tweaks to nutrition and attention to mechanical issues. Quality B race result, fulfilling requirement with regards to highlighting fitness gains and areas needing to be addressed.

Race Report (read this if you want a long winded, ramble about the race and what I will take away for future races):

Build up:
Shepparton was on the race card based on timing and financial reasons. It’s seven weeks out from my A race, Tauranga Half Ironman, NZ 5^th January 2008, making it a good lead-up and it’s only a couple of hours drive north of Melbourne, meaning no need for airfares etc.

The plan was to go into Shepparton with a “training race” mindset. The Coach, Mat Tippett, warned me well in advance that there would be no full taper and little recovery afterwards. I would be racing tired and winding back into full training ASAP after the event. I was fine with this as I want to be all guns a-blazing in NZ in January, in front of the home crowd, my family and Kiwi friends.

There were two issues I found with going into a race with a “training race” mindset. The first of these is the possibility of talking yourself out of a result before toeing the start line. I found myself making predictions when people asked of “having a crack but not expecting much as I will not be tapered” and “it’s just to see how I go and get pacing/nutrition and stuff right”. The coach reminded me that I need to go in expecting a strong showing and to be confident in my training to give me a result despite any fatigue I was feeling. I am not sure I achieved that… The second issue is that I am a highly externally motivated athlete and to think that I was going into a race in which I may not perform as well as I might like was a considerable stress on me. Sprinkle on top of that, the “I have busted my gut for the last nine months with a new coach and surrounded myself with solid athletes, what if I haven’t improved much? What if I only do as well as I did last time out …?” For a psychologist I sure do have some issues to work through with regards to race build up. There have to be huge gains for endurance athletes (including my self) from improving their mental game in training, race lead-up and during racing… Hmm there could be a career in that…

Race Morning:
Race morning, I was feeling in control, I have raced many times before and I am pretty good at a slow controlled build of nervous energy running up until the start line. I was feeling good after a restful nights sleep despite waking up a few times and having a nightmare that I had the wrong wheels on my bike (whatever that meant). Pre-race nutrition was all liquid form, which I felt was a success, however it may have resulted in my being over hydrated pre-race relative to the conditions and may partially explain the constant need for relief felt throughout the race.

We got down to the race venue nice and early and started setup. I was a little thrown off by the bikes already in transition thing, as I would usually take the stead for a quick spin prior to the race start. This was one of the mistakes, as minor technical issues on the bike were a concern; the lack of a proper warm-up was another. I was thankful for my priceless race support crew, Fay. Without her to carry, hold, pass, anticipate and generally let me focus I would have been considerably more stressed and less sorted on race morning. Once all was ready, body parts that required lubing were lubed and the wetsuit was on it was down to the lake (puddle) for a race briefing that was too long and ate into any chance of a warm-up it seemed. By the time the race director had finished and allowed us to file through the finish shute and walk around to the race start I was lucky to have time to enter the water and get to the start line let alone warm-up or get positioned for the start. Next time the race briefing will take second place to a warm-up if it’s one or the other.

The Swim:

I was on instructions to find a strong swimmer and sit on them for the duration of the swim, preferably the leader or as close too. A solid plan which I was reasonably confident I could achieve (one of the top few at least). The wheels fell of the swim plan when I got zero warm-up. I know from experience that I will feel magic for about 200m swimming from cold and then I will hit an unseen wall and have arms of lead for about another 100m or so and then I will come good and cruise from then. The lack of warm up meant I hit the wall during the most important part of the swim, the trip to the first turn buoy. Couple this with being late to the start line and picking the wrong swimmer, meant I lost the lead bunch earlier and probably with it about a minute in the swim. I realised at about 500m that my draft was not cutting it and went round him and tried to bridge to the leaders but never quite made it and decided I was burning too many matches trying. So I buttoned off and swam the remainder at a more conservative pace. It seems the guy that I hoped would drag me round, dragged off me, he passed me at the end for the glory exit. I let him have it and floated on his feet for the last 200m. Exiting the water I was all about trying to relax, sucking in some air and calming down, running through the transition in my mind as I headed for the stead. Swim time 25:59 1^st age-grouper and 10^th overall out. Solid time, with potential to improve with the right draft.

The Ride:

During the swim the heavens had started to open up and they were just warming-up for the ride. The ominous mention during race briefing of pulling us from the course in case of an electrical storm was in the back of my mind, it bucketed down and thunder and lightning joined in. The conditions made for treacherous conditions and on the second lap one of the casualties came rattling past me missing a few layers of skin and half of his rear drink bottle mount. I wasn’t having any of that and I passed him back. We passed each other a number of times during the ride and I knew he was coming each time because his broken drink bottle holder was rattling like mad.

For the first 20km of the bike I was struggling to find my rhythm and drop my heart rate to a more respectable level. For the last 70km I was still trying to find my rhythm but was struggling to get my heart rate as high as I wanted. I had pains in places that I hadn’t in the past in my quads and I couldn’t help wishing I could find the same powerful feeling I had during a training ride the previous weekend. There were a couple of sections on the bike where I felt awesome and flew past other cyclists, but the majority of the ride was an exercise in searching for the mental or physical trigger to get moving. I also think playing in the back of my mind was the demoralising 2:10 21km I had in my last race after pushing the ride. I wanted to have a solid run and wasn’t sure how hard was too hard on the bike. I think I went too soft.

The new stead courtesy of some old ladies front bumper was great and the borrowed race wheels were wicked. Throughout the ride the back wheel kept rubbing on the brake pad, I stopped twice to sort it out but it returned soon afterwards. I don’t know how much real time it cost me but the noise it was making sure was robbing me of my focus.

Nutrition was an issue throughout the bike and I have a feeling I didn’t get enough fluids in due to the need to pee that plagued me throughout. There was no way I was pulling over to go and could only squeeze out small amounts while free wheeling as there were no hills to relax on. I made a conscious decision that it could either come out or my bladder would explode and I probably didn’t drink enough because of it. I lost a lot of positions on the bike and I think that I have a much faster ride in me. I know the conditions were tough but I think I may be able to ride a good 5-10min faster with little effect on my run time…we shall see…we shall see…

I was glad to be coming in off the windy wet course after my third lap and hadn’t considered the effect that torrential rain may have on my run gear sitting on a towel in transition. I hadn’t imagined after the weeks weather predictions that putting my shoes in a plastic bag would be required, I think even on a 40 degree day I will be bagging my shoes none the less in the future. It’s not a very cheering experience wringing out your socks before putting them on then squelching out of transition with 21km to run…

The Run:
Despite the heavy shoes and wet socks, I felt strong as I headed out on the run. I was conservative over the first 3-4 km stabilising my heart rate and getting some carbs into my system. I early stab of the dreaded stitch gave me cause to worry but this came right and I started to feel stronger as the run progressed. The first 7km went by in 30min and I was happy with my pace and felt like the next 14km would be all good.

I again felt the need to pee during the run and was considering my options with regards to pit stops. I decided that stopping still wasn’t on the agenda and had a crack at ‘urinating while running at full speed’, the word on the street was that running and peeing was not possible. I am happy to say that it can be done…twice. Now they weren’t particularly reliving pees, but they certainly took the pressure off… one of my proudest moments… best followed by water at the next aid-station.

The second 7km went by in around 31min; it was about 14km in that I started to get concerned. Both my calves were sending me urgent warning signals that total crampage was about to ensue. I have had problems with cramp, in my calves in particular numerous times in races and training. I was seriously worried that if I cramped, that it would mean a catastrophic slowdown to walk or crawl for the remainder of the run. At 7km out that is a big chunk of time, even at 1km out its significant. Close to 5min is my guess between a solidly ran 1km and a hobbling walk. At this point I went into crisis mode. I adjusted my running style to be calf friendly (read: all glutes and quads) started to take on more fluids at aid stations and threw back a few salt tabs I had in my back pocket. I have never used salt tabs in training and I remember commenting pre-race “I know I should never try new things in a race but if I am feeling like I need the salt tabs that badly to take them without practice, the race is probably about to implode anyhow” and I think I was right. I have a feeling that without the salt tabs I may not have made it to the finish line. The last 7km went by in 33:30min and I was s**tting bricks the whole way. Every curb or corner was a possible game breaker and I was literally bargaining with my calves for the last 1km, that I would stop running and stand still or even lay down if they would just get me to the finish line. I have a feeling that some changes need to be made to avert this situation in future races. I am unsure if it is hydration, electrolytes, run form or a combination, but the last 7km my heart rate was dropping significantly and my engine had power to spare but cramp was my limiting factor. I think another 31min lap was on the cards. 100m from the finish a guy in my age group overtook me. I consulted with my claves on a sprint finish and they told me I could have a sprint/crawl finish photo or a respectable jog over the finish line. We agreed on the jog and let him go.

I was most happy with my run, I ran the same time I did in my last fresh 21km and only 3min off my PB. I think a sub 1:30 is on the cards in the next HIM or so, if my calves concur.

Post Race:
Once I had crossed the line I thanked my calves and thanked the timing chip remover for removing my chip and saving me collapsing trying to remove it myself. Then I was all about the caloric consumption. I polished off all sorts of junk food washed down with 1.5ltr of Gatorade and this was the pattern for the rest of the day. I am not sure how I managed to get in so much food over the course of a day but it was good to eat with abandon. I got a free massage from the race masseuse and enjoyed cheering on the other ETPA’rs, all of who were having great races. The rest of the day was taken up with a snooze in the arvo and lots of stretching. I have recently been using Skins compression tights in my recovery plan and I feel there are significant benefits in sleeping in skins the night after races and/or heavy run training days.

Thank yous:
Despite this being a B race, I think it’s important to thank the people that get you to the start line
A big thank you to:

• Coach Mat Tippett, without his expert input I would be still a self coached, slower athlete and I think you are going to take me to my potential (did someone say Hawaii…?). I encourage everyone to invest in a professional coach, its money well spent. Check out www.etpa.com.au for coaching plan options.

• The ETPA crew for the hours spent hurting together, as training is much more bearable with someone to hurt with.

• Finally, Support crew (Fay) as she is an important part of “Team Duncan” and I would be lost without her expertise in the racing from the spectator side. Hope you had a good time too.

Jimmy D

Out.

The New Stead!

I know, I know, it’s been a while since my last post, which was my rant about my run in with the traffic. Update on this is that the body is fully recovered with only a few minor scars to show for it. More importantly, I have a new bike, care of (in part) the drivers insurance. I managed to get a good chunk of the cost of a nice upgrade bike, chipping in the rest myself. Here is a picture of the new stead.It’s a big step up from the old ride, in that it’s a dedicated time trial bike rather than what was essentially a road bike with aerobars. I was looked after really well by Anthony at CBD cycles in Melbourne (thanks), which made it possible for me to buy-up to this bike.

The Giant Trinity Elite comes stock with Zipp Flashpoints, I opted to swap those for a set of training wheels (har-har, yes I do need training wheels to stay on my bike….), as it made the bike affordable and I can pick and choose my race wheel combo next year when funds allow. The stock groupset is Shimano Ultegra, I have upgraded the front and rear derailers to Durace and had a set of carbon cranks fitted, to decrease weight and increase mechanical efficiency. I plan to upgrade my pedals as well next year, because as we know the biggest gains are made by decreasing the weight of rotating parts, and this is even more important with parts that move in bigger circles (i.e. wheel rims and pedals).

I’m happy with the colour, which is very important...

The setup is close to what I want, though I think a few tweaks are in order over the next week or so to get it how I would like it.

I am surprised that the saddle is not as comfortable as I expected. I have read reviews that rave about the Fizik Arione saddles, but I have to say my gooch (point of contact with bike saddle), disagrees at the moment. It is likely in part due to the more aggressive riding position, but I feel that the saddle on my old stead was more comfortable. I am going to withhold judgment until I get used to the overall position change, but the alternating burning and numb sensations in my gooch are not nice.

When it comes down to it I think I just need to HTFU (Harden The F**k Up).

I have a good feeling about the bike and I’m anticipating a significant improvement in my ride times due to the improved aerodynamics and weight of me and the bike and the psychological “look at me go fast on my red speed machine everybody!” factor. A set of nice race wheels will top it off nicely.

Training is generally going great, I am coming to the end of two “overload” weeks, injury free and coping. I say coping, as I am pretty tired and I’m noticing some carry-over fatigue each day, especially in the pool. I am working through in my head why I feel the fatigue most in the pool and the jury is out. I have a feeling that it reflects my lack of finesse in the water and that I muscle my way through the water with a background as a sprinter. I think that maybe if my technique was a little more solid I would be able to swim better when fatigued. I have a stroke correction workshop coming up soon, so hopefully I can continue to renovate my stroke and increase my efficiency in the water.

The coach says that training will ramp up again in the next few weeks and I say bring it on. I am looking forward to smashing it over the next three months so I can make a strong appearance in Tauranga in January.

Congrats to the guys and gals from ETPA that raced in the Cannibal Gold Coast Half Ironman last weekend.

43 days till Shepparton Half Ironman

90 days till Tauranga Half Ironman

97 days till the Wedding!!! Yikes…

It's a F'n warzone out there!

I am starting to settle after a particularly hairy morning this morning. Ten minutes into what was going to be a 4hr brick session today, I got hit by a car and my bike was totaled. I am luckily(I always find it funny people say 'lucky' in these situations), not too damaged. I have some bruises, aches and grazes but nothing serious at all. Thankfully, I was thrown away from the road and didn't go over or worse under the car. I keep picturing worse case scenarios.

The driver was a little old Vietnamese lady. I was riding well left on a two lane road and I was hit from behind. The driver's daughter tells me that her mother tried to avoid me, but her car doesn't have power steering and her arthritis makes it hard to turn quickly... Why am I struggling to drag up some empathy...

There was no squealing tires and she didn't stop till she was about 80m up the road. She just sat in the car, and I, after getting up and checking that I was in one piece and getting my bikes remains off the road, had to walk to her (I removed my bike shoes in case I had to give the driver the 'good news')and give her directions in handing over her drivers license, a pen and some paper. I took down her details and by the time I finished, I admit I felt a little sorry for her, because she looked like she might have a heart attack.

In the process of the crash I was thrown into my riding partner and his bike received some cosmetic damage also, and I think he took an aerobar in the back, which would have hurt. Thankfully his wife was able to come pick us up and take us home. Which I appreciated.

It sounds like my bike will be covered on the drivers insurance, which is a relief, I would hate to have to have battled with them to get a new bike. I only hope the insurance company gets it sorted quickly. Its only 71 days till Shepparton Half Ironman and I don't need more time off the bike.

The coach suggested a relaxed next 24 hrs and a visit to the osteopath ASAP, to make sure I'm running true. A fall like this morning's could cause problems over the next few weeks, if I have something out of alignment,

I haven't told Fay yet, she is at work and I think a face to face, standing up looking healthy, explanation would be best. Hope she lets me out riding again...

I just uploaded my heartrate monitor data to see how the old ticker enjoyed the action. I went from the cruising training heartrate of 120bpm to 178bpm in the space of 5secs. Obviously exciting stuff...

So ride careful out there kids, and don't think that your high-vis top is going to keep you safe. It's an F'n warzone out there.

Rolling along nicely

Training is ticking along nicely. I'm enjoying running without fear of knee pain, though I am definitely still hyper-sensitive. Hopefully this will pass. I am feeling good and can't wait to crank the intensity up and smash myself some, before Shepparton Half in 10 weeks time. Then I can 'iron out the wrinkles' and fly in January.

Don't have much more to say today.

Train hard!

Interesting read - Drug Test

I’m not sure if this article is common knowledge or not, but it’s new to me and I found it pretty damn interesting.

It was written in 2003, and it’s about a guy who appears to have been a pretty reasonable ultra-distance cyclist, who decided to experiment with performance enhancing drugs. Not to win a race or cheat; but to have the experience and to fulfil a host of questions he had about the physiological effects and performance gains that can result. He spent 8 months “on the junk” and tells all.

It’s one of those things that I might think “what if”, but would never contemplate going through with. Scary stuff!

Read it here:

Drug Test

Going slower to go faster

It seems to me that with a lot of sports, to make steps forward, sometimes a step backwards is required.

This is even more the case it seems in the more technique driven sports.

The thing that got his idea ticking over in my head was the current renovation I am doing on my swim stroke.

I come from a swimming background that spanned from around ten years old until I returned to competitive swimming for a season after “retiring” from triathlon at about age 18. I would like to think I was a pretty handy swimmer and I was able to be in the first two or three out of the water, or there abouts in the majority of the triathlons that I did.

I have found recently that I still swim pretty quick, compared to the age group triathlete population, however nothing like how I use to swim.

I have spent the last 18 months hunting for my old stroke, which use to see me to much quicker times in the pool. As yet I have not found it.

More recently I decided to stop hunting by feel and to start getting a little more scientific in my approach; I have been consulting with a number of sources and have started to develop my understanding of what good technique is.

Previously I was one of those athletes that didn’t care and didn’t want to know why, I just wanted to be told what to do and how to do it and don’t bore me with details. I think this is a real shame, because all the guidance and information that I had access to through some pretty stellar athletes/coaches in the past, is mostly wasted. I have little idea about the theory behind anything I did back then and have almost been learning from scratch this time round.

I have learnt that if I question why and research the theory, eventually it clicks, I have an “aha!” moment and I can apply the theory myself and generalize the concepts, rather than relying on someone else to hand it to me on a platter.

Back on topic – going slower to go faster. Bilateral breathing. I have been ignoring the message from almost every coach I have trained under to bilateral breath. When at my fastest, I only breathed on one side. However, recently I have followed the trail of technical inefficiencies in my stroke back to my one sided breathing (among other things – flexibility etc). I am not going to go into the technicalities of the problem here, as I find explaining swimming technique in writing similar to reading the articles in a penthouse, you really need to see it live to get whats going on and a picture is worth a thousand words. But the point I am trying to illustrate is that I am currently trying to breath bilaterally. I am finding this straight forward enough at easy to moderate pace, but when the pace is wound up, I feel short of air and find it hard to find the rhythm I am used to.

I am finding it easier over time, but I am having to swim slower at times to maintain what I feel will be a faster more efficient stroke once I have it nailed down.

Sometimes in the interest of going faster you have to take a hit in speed, check your ego and work on technique, at a pace that you can maintain, then start to wind it up again when you have it down.

A word of warning: I wouldn't recommend doing this too close to your 'A' race, as there may be reactions from your body to the new movements both injury and fatigue wise. Which you don't want in race season.

I am high maintenance

The two most common causes of injury in endurance athletes are, increase in training volume and/or increase in training intensity. I am testament to this, as I have experienced both this year since starting training in earnest for Ironman and as a result I've had a series of injuries. The increase in training has exposed the inadequacies in my body, it bio-mechanics and my ability to maintain it.

Injuries are par for the course in Ironman training and its not the injuries that I have the problem with. It is the cost financially that makes it hard to swallow. If I try to maintain the training volume required to get the performance I want, it is likely I will run the risk of continued injuries. The only way I can foresee training at the level I need to, is too invest large sums of time and money on maintaining 'the machine'. By this I mean regular massage, physiotherapy, podiatrist consults, and the list goes on, which can add up to $200+/week.

I am high maintenance.

"Slow down? Lower your sights?" you say. Not in my nature. Now, I am a huge fan of the enter to finish athletes, but I am not one of them. I understand that my first Ironman will be an exercise in finishing, but I want to finish fast.

I got into Ironman under no illusion that it would be cheap, however there is another important factor that makes this situation more difficult. My 'A' race this season is not triathlon related... I'm getting married in January to my race support crew (otherwise known as Fay), and no surprise it ain't cheap jumping the Tasman to tie the knot. This means all funds are currently being funneled into the blackhole that is 'wedding expenses', with the few odd dollars being funnel off to 'training and racing expenses'.

So, after much soul searching and consultation with 'the coach', it looks like the road to Ironman is going to be extended to a two year plan. This season is probably going to take in a couple of Half Ironmans, one of those being a race back home, The Port of Tauranga Half (which by huge coincidence is a week before the wedding! How convenient). The other looks like being Shepparton Half Ironman as a preparation race. I can't wait to race.

There are numerous positives to this decision and at my age I can extend the time frame by a year with no real problems (other than my lack of patience). A lot of people I have talked to agree, that a two year plan is probably more realistic and sustainable than one.

The take home message that I get from this is, that I can go balls out to race Ironman this season, probably carrying injuries all season, possibly having a disappointing race (and a budget wedding and angry support crew). Or, I can train and race Half Ironman this season, which will require less volume training (and cost less in general) and be better prepared physically and financially for the 2008/2009 season, to smash Ironman. I have checked my ego at the door (yes I managed to fit that line in)

Thats my positive spin on the matter and I am sticking to it...

Reading back over this post, it seems to have a negative feel and that wasn't the intention. I am fine with the fact that I am taking time to adapt to the Ironman training workload and I am fine that I will be racing Ironman next season rather than this. I'm really looking forward to smashing it, in the races I have planned this season.

Sunday morning ride with new kit

I cranked out a solid 3:30 on the bike this morning, on a hilly course. It was good to do a decent ride after the ups and down I have had on the bike lately. I had a small niggle at about 40mins, which I have learnt will pass completely if I keep going. It's not the same as the ITB pains I was getting, but seems to be a result of it or the rehab work I have been doing. It was pretty chilly one this morning and I was trialling some new kit. Now, I am a procrastinator at times, and despite it being spring (the tree outside with the pink buds on it says so, so Fay says), I went for my first ride with a new set of booties, gloves and a fleece neck warmer. One reason I hadn't got some sooner, was that the price of these items just seems ridiculous. Come on, $40-$60 for foot warmers?! But I stalked eBay until I found some at the right price, $18.00, sold! Now, if you haven't got booties and are thinking that the freezer bags in the shoes are doing the trick (as I did), you are missing out! My booties rock. I was of the opinion that cold feet were part of winter cycling, but my feet were toasty all morning. The fleece neck warmer was pretty successful too, it may have looked a little lame but my neck and face (I wore it cattle rustler style for the first 40min) were much warmer and I could talk using my lips this morning, which improves my speech no end. The gloves, I must say were a let down, they were supposed to be an upgrade of my old pair but the were more like a lateral-grade at best. Don't buy Trek 5x5 gloves at retail, they aren't all that. I am hoping they might stretch a little and allow more circulation which may have been the problem...

Enough about my new kit. I am enjoying training, the 5:00am starts are getting easier each day and the extra spare time in the AM means I can blog, do website admin for “the coach”'s website or play games without feeling guilty about other responsibilities. The true test it how much of an effort it is to get up for swim squad tomorrow morning.

By the way, weight update – 79.8kg (fluctuating by 1 - 1.5kg, but ignoring any over 80.0kg)

Oh, also looking like Ironman might be off the cards this season, may only do Half Ironmans this time round and go for the full next season. It's all to do with me being high maintenance, which I will explain later.

Sleep better by getting up early (I hope)

Today is a rest day and I am sitting here typing at 5:00am, due to the cunning plan I developed at the start of the week. I have been finding it a real struggle to get up some mornings, especially the 4:40am starts to get to swim squad. I have found that even when I get in 7-8 hours I still battle for the first 30min or so to get moving. Now, I know this is probably common for most folks, but I thought I would see if I could make some changes to decrease the chances of the dreaded, 'reset and roll syndrome' (reset, as in the alarm, for later). One of the things that I often tell clients (I work as a child and adolescent psychologist) with sleep problems, is that having a routine is very important to getting quality sleep. I have found lately, that I haven't been getting up at the same time on any two consecutive days. It can vary by up to three hours between a swim squad day and a rest day. I think this may be a big part of the problem. So, because I can't move swim squad to a later time, I have moved my waking time to an earlier one. I try to be in bed by 9:30pm at the latest, which isn't too bad as I just watch TV or surf the net anyway in the evenings, so I get 7-8 hours each night. Now, I haven't had overwhelmingly positive feedback on my plan from those I have deigned to share it with (non-believers!), but that doesn't usually stop me anyhow. One of the benefits of my plan is plainly clear, on non-swim squad mornings such as this morning, I have a spare 2 ½ hrs to waste use constructively. Another is that I can go to work half an hour early and finish the same in the afternoon. So far so good (it has only been a few days), but I will see how it goes.

Training is going pretty good, I can run pain free, I just have to avoid the “its all better, who needs stretches and strengthening exercises” thing and I should be all good. Last night I had a pretty intense magtrainer group session, and my knee didn't have anything to say at all, so fingers crossed.

Hopefully my new early to rise routine will also mean more time to blog too, win win for everyone.

Back on track and ITB links

I am two days into my first, what I guess is a full weeks training. It seems to be going well, tonight’s magtrainer session will tell. I have become quiet 'knee pain paranoid' lately and any sensation in my knee is analysed and monitored. I have not had pain as such for a while but I have had sensations which don’t seem normal or at least, I don’t remember having them in the past. I also have caught myself using my left leg to do all the work at times, which I can imagine would lead to all sorts of problems if I let it carry on. I was considering writing a post on ITB problems, but really my heart isn’t in it. To tell the truth after all the panicked research I have done into it recently, I don’t want to think too carefully about it. What I will do though is share a coupe of links that I felt were the most helpful and that made sense to me. They matched up with what the professionals I have talked to are saying as well as matching up with what other athletes who have experienced the problem have been saying.

This one is about ITB and rehab:
http://trifuel.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7715&highlight=itbs

This is a site that has tonnes of great info on all sport related injuries and the rehab for them:
http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/

Recovering from injury and Ironman training envy

I just got in from a 50min run, all be it a very easy paced one and I had no discomfort in my knee at all. Yay. I have had no problems at all this week with my knee and I think if I keep on top of my stretches and core strength exercises then I will be able to say goodbye to the ITB issues (touch wood). I have heard a lot about people having ongoing issues and I'm hoping that if I don't get lazy with looking after my body then I won't have further problems.

My build back into training will be a gradual one. My main problem at the moment is training envy. Its gotten to the point where I don't want to ask the guys I train with how their training is going or how far they have been going. It makes me feel like a wuss. It also makes me think about the training I haven't done and how it would have helped for the races later in the season. I guess I need to focus on getting as much quality training in between now and my next race, rather than focusing on the missed training. It seems to be that external motivation thing kicking in again. I'm all about the comparing with others and at the moment my is definitely smaller than yours.

Entered and Paid - Port of Tauranga Half Ironman

I have entered and paid for the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman!

The entries filled in just eight days, so lucky I didn't muck around. I missed out last year so I was entered within a few hours of it opening this time around. It should be great to race in front of my family and friends. If that doesn't keep me motivated nothing will. Now if I can just string together a few good blocks of training I will be all good.

Injury/training update #2

Its the end of another week of slowly but surely rehabing my knee. It has been reasonably successful, despite being slower than I would like. I got through a 30min jog yesterday and a 2hr spin this morning on the bike. I rode an hour, to watch some of the people I train with doing a half marathon or 10km run. Congratulations to everyone that ran. I was jealous to be stuck watching, which was made worse by uncontrollable shivering due to the cold. I was consolated by a plate of warm pancakes and some jelly beans, that the race organizers were providing for the runners. I think they meant to spectators to be fed too... Well thats my story and I'm sticking to it. I was concerned after last week, that the cooling off while watching the run would give my knee a chance to flare up and cause me grief on the way home. I am glad to say it didn't. Though for the first 10mins the shivering was so bad I almost shivered my self off the road a couple of times! I have my program for the next several weeks and its a long slow build back to full Ironman training program. I am looking forward to increasing the volume and intensity, so I can feel like I'm actually making progress rather than maintaining at best. Lets hope everything remains positive.

79.8kg!!!!!!!!!!!

James' weight update... 79.8kg!!!!!!!!!! Thats all I have to say about that.

Injury/training update

It's a bit sad to be doing “injury updates”, but such is life at the moment. This weekend I got through a 20min jog on Saturday, followed by a 15min cold water wade. It was interesting to see how a little thing like the camber of the footpath, played such a big part in my pain levels. I got through 10min reasonably well, then started running along a footpath with an, I guess, “reasonable” down to the right camber. Its my right ITB that is giving me grief and almost immediately the pain increased. I clicked after about a minute and moved to the part of the path sloping the other direction and walla! The pain went away within a minute or less. It really illustrates how small things can make a huge difference and how functional the injury is. I guess for the next while I will be sticking to the left hand side of the road, at least until I get this issue sorted.

This morning I joined the 2hr Sunday group ride, to see how I held up on the bike. We have made some significant changes to my saddle position that seems to have helped. The ride went pretty well, but ended in a frustrating fashion. One of the group got a puncture which is a common occurrence and cant be helped (to tell the truth I enjoy the break, though I was missing the few kg of body fat this morning brrrr!). In the five or so minutes we waited it seemed the part of my knee that swells when irritated got a good swell on and for the last 15min I was in a good deal of pain. At this point there was no way I found to be rid of it. I think, for the next while. no stopping and ice and anti-inflammatories immediately are the order of the day.

I am feeling pretty positive, despite the niggles, a few more weeks and I can get back to smashing it. As of todays date there are 133 days till my first, what I'd consider serious race. Yes I am counting it down already...

James' 'Weight Update' #6

I have had a number of people asking how my weight loss is going and I thought I would give you all the goss. The skinny of it (pun intended) is that... No I didn't get under 80kg by July 1st. I am disappointed and I admit contemplated a sweat it out weigh in attempt. But I thought better of it, as it wouldn't have been in spirit of the goal. I just weighed myself and I tipped the scales at 80.5kg. I have been maintaining the strict caloric intact since last time I reported, but the down fall of the, lose weight to go fast goal, was the injuries I'm carrying that have basically stopped me in my tracks. As a lot of you Ironpersons will know, an ITB problem is one of the lamest injuries in the world. You strut around all day feeling like a box of birds, then you run for ten minutes then fall in a heap. Not only annoying, but, unimpressive compared to other more visual/ believable injuries. I almost feel like limping all day just to make sure everyone knows I'm injured and I'm not just blagging training. I feel a ITB education post coming on in the near future.

I'm now in serious rehab mode and will continue the weight updates, full steam ahead for the under 80kg goal at the end of... July?

Oh, by the way, a big thank you for responding to my request for comments, 'touch it' (interesting nickname) who was kind enough to show me I wasn't rambling to myself, cheers.

I Apologize, I have been neglecting you...

I am sorry I have been absent for the last week or so. It has been a combination of other projects taking up my time and injuries ruining my buzz. My Ironman training has been riding a rough road lately as I have mentioned previously, but hopefully with professional input and a solid rehab program, I will be back into it. I will endeavor to be more regular with my posting. It would be more encouraging if some of you guys start to give me some feedback through the comments function. I kinda feel like I'm talking to myself... hello? anybody out there? nuff said.

Will post again ASAP.

James' 'Weight Update' #5

This morning, post ablutions, my weight was 80.8kgs. Full steam ahead for the under 80kg goal at the end of June!

James' 'Weight Update' #4

This morning, post swim training and ablutions, my weight was 81.3kgs. I guess some credit goes to fluid loss in training, but I'm going to take some credit for myself too. Looking like a close run thing for the under 80kg goal at the end of June.

Injury interrupted week and new gadget

Its the end of a frustrating week of training interrupted by injuries. My body has been rebelling against the increased training load and it is annoying the hell out of me. I suppose it is better to be happening now rather than closer to Ironman race season, but its a pain in the ass just the same. I won't go into great detail on this topic because I don't want to bring you all down with my negative mood. Lets just say training is not on track and I need to take some steps to sort things out.

On a different note I have recently purchased an IrDA (standing for Infrared Don't Ask me what it stands for) adapter. It allows me to upload the heartrate data from my Polar heartrate monitor to my PC. So far it is interesting, but I really have no idea what to do with the information. I anticipate that when I have my heartrate training zones (coming soon), I will be able to see how successful I have been in sticking to them. I think I'll do some research into how else I might make use of the technology. I need to find some excuse for why I spent the money. I will keep you updated on what I find out.

James' 'Weight Update' #3

This morning, post ablutions, my weight was 82.4kgs. I seem to have plateaued since last update a little. I think my increased calorie intake over the big training weekend last week may be to blame. I was thinking I could/should eat more to keep my energy levels up and I may have overdone it. This weekend, I'll have a good recovery meal after each workout, then maintain the smaller meals for the rest of the day. Hope the numbers drop more next update. Still on track.

Ironman Podcasts, give them a go.

I remember when I was a teenager, I used to wait each month for the one and only triathlon magazine that was available back then, to come out, I would read it cover to cover, then start over again. That magazine would get read several times before the next months issue hit the shelves.

Now, in the day of the internet, there is so much more information easily available, with online magazines, websites dedicated to Ironman related issues and Ironman forums. It's heaven for the often obsessive types that do Ironman. If you want to know more about a topic, all you have to do is ask google. I spend a lot of time online, reading and researching, my current favorite source of Ironman related information media is podcast.

Podcasts are audio recordings similar to what you hear from a radio station, but they are stored, usually in mp3 format, so you can listen to them at your leisure. Podcasting is a fast growing medium and there are thousands of podcasts available on thousands of topics. With the easy availability of portable audio-players and fast-internet, it's simple to download and listen to podcasts where and whenever you please. I personally make use of podcasts when commuting and when on the magtrainer at home. There are a number of ways to access podcasts and the majority of them are free to download, though you will probably need software to get access to them. Some podcasts are available to be listened to directly from the podcaster's website, which is an easy way to listen, but not particularly useful if you want to go mobile while listening. You need to have software to download and transfer the podcasts onto you audio-player. There are a number of programs available, I think the easiest method for this is to download the free iTunes program. iTunes allows you to download the podcasts and to subscribe to them, which means when you start up iTunes it will download the latest episode for you automatically. Then you can take the podcast with you and get your Ironman information fix on the go.

I have listened to a number of different podcasts on a few different topics. Of the different Ironman/Triathlon related podcasts out there, I have found three that I download regularly. In no particular order they are:

Ironman Talk – Produced by two Ironmen from New Zealand, Ironman Talk takes a light hearted approach. Providing your “weekly fix in all things Ironman” 'coach' John Newsom and Bevan James Eyles are both funny guys, with some good experience between them. They enjoy reporting the latest news, reviews and training tips from Ironman. I find they usually provide me with a laugh and they often point out good resources on the internet.

The Competitors Radio Show – A recording of a on air radio show that has been broadcasting for 17 years and is an offshoot of Competitor Magazine. Hosted by Bob Babbit and Paul Huddle, who both seem to really know their stuff, The Competitors Radio Show interviews some of the great names in not only Ironman but other endurance sports also. They have had a lot of the legends of Ironman on, a number of times. Some of my favorite interviews recently have been with Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Peter Reid, Chris McCormick and Cameron Brown. There is also an interesting and controversial interview with Greg Lemond. I enjoy hearing the big names in the sport, talk about their careers and their opinions on whose who in Ironman today.

Tri Talk Triathlon podcast – The most technical and information driven podcast of the three. David Warden describes himself as an individual who has a overwhelming desire to research triathlon information and to share that information with the masses. He strives to provide triathlon tips, training, news and more. His goal is to make us “swim, bike and run faster”. I find some of the topics particularly interesting, while others, not so much. David obviously does a lot of prep on the topics he discusses and the result is, in-depth and informative episodes. Though, not as humorous as Ironman Talk or The Competitors Radio Show, a valuable resource.

There are a few other related podcasts that I listen to from time to time, if they sound interesting and I always keep an eye out for more. One informative podcast that I recently listened too, is the Endurance and Nutrition Podcast. Produced the end of last ear and hosted by Dave Scott. There are only four episodes, but Dave covers some important and interesting issues.

My recommendation is to download a few episodes of each and have a listen, see what you think. Use the iTunes search function to find podcasts on other topics your find interesting as well. It's a great way get information and to pass the time and I'm hooked on podcasts. I have a been tossing around the idea of developing a podcast of my own in the future, but I think, first, I need to find a partner with some knowledge to balance out my enthusiasm. So maybe in the future, I will point you towards my own podcast feed. In the future if I find any more good podcasts I will post them here. Please pass any you guys like on to me in a comment below.

Eleven hours of Ironman training in two days, new personal record

Quick update to say, I AM SMASHED! 11 hours of training in two days. Yesterday, the Saturday morning brick was a long one, taking 6:45 to complete and I was toast by the end. This morning I did 4:15 on the bike at a firm pace and now I am burnt toast. I was a good ride, part of it was spent in a good size pack of cyclists and we smacked it. I was hurting, but it was fun. I am so happy its a long weekend, because I will need the sleep-in tomorrow. In the next few days, I will write a little article about podcasts, because I think they are great and that people training for Ironman could benefit from the info they provide and the enjoyment they bring.

Magnesium supplementation update – I have now been taking Ultra Muscleze for over two weeks and I think I'm onto a winner. I have had minimal problems with cramp at all in that time, other than minor twinges when working for long periods at high intensity. Compared to the bad cramping I was getting this is a huge improvement. I am gaining fitness also, so maybe a little bit of credit should go to that. Still, I can definitely give Ultra Muscleze the "Ironman Cafe Seal of Awesomeness".

Ironman Cafe Website Review: Athlinks

Just a quickie tonight. All is going well, I have a big weekend of training this week, with the Saturday Morning Brick tomorrow and 4hrs firm on the bike on Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing how I handle it.

I thought I would point out a cool website that I heard about on a podcast I listen to regularly. The sight is called Athlinks, they describe themselves as a “social network for athletes”, with “the most comprehensive database of endurance race results and events anywhere in the world”. Their coverage focuses mainly on the U.S. and parts of Canada and Mexico for six different race categories: Running (over 3 K), Swimming (open water and/or over 500 M), Cycling, Mountain Biking, Triathlon/Multi Sport, and Adventure Racing. They also have a lots of race results for other countries. I managed to find one result to 'claim', the Rotorua Half Ironman in December last year (though I'm not so sure I want to own up to it). I have registered and 'claimed' my race result and I'm already building up my friends list. Athlinks already has a lot of athletes registered (15,553 as of right now) and they ask for people to let them know about results they don't have listed. It could be a cool resource in the future, to hook up with other like minded Ironman racers around the world. On a side not it also allows the stalker in you to get busy, I managed to find results for a few people I know and I will let them know so they can claim their results. You can get as into the Athlinks community as you want too, they allow you to send messages, record training, make blog entries, post photos and videos and show of your gear if you want to plug your sponsors. Go check it out. Send a friends invite to James Duncan and I 'll add you to my list. See you in there.

James' 'Weight Update' #2

This morning, post ablutions, my weight was 82.8kgs. looking good for the under 80kg goal at the end of June.

External motivation - Winning isn't everything, but losing sucks

Whew! What a big day at work. I'm pretty tired and the next two weeks look pretty full on training wise. The volume and intensity of my Ironman training is increasing significantly. I am a little nervous but definitely excited to see how I cope. I have taken tonight off on my physio's recommendation, because my right hamstring is still a bit tender from the half-marathon I did a week and a half ago. I'll run easy in the morning to see how it pulls up. I am reasonably happy with how my training and fitness is progressing, though I have some that my swimming is not really coming along. This is probably the result of a combination of two things. One is the training fatigue I am experiencing from the other discipline training that I am doing. The other is the fact that I usually share a lane with an absolute fish in the pool. My ego takes a battering (I'm sure there is an unintentional pun about fish and batter in there...) every swim session and I have been finding it hard to sleep the night before swim squad. This is likely an illustration of my personalty, I really much prefer to win than lose and I find it hard to cope with ongoing not winning. I guess I had better get used to it in the near future though, as I will regularly be surrounded by Ironman athletes that can wipe the floor with me from here on in. I think it is important for me to start developing some personal goals in the pool, such as times I want to make or sets I want to do well. That way I can start to see some success in my training instead of loses. One of the pitfalls of being an externally motivated Ironman is that unless you're the world champion or a top end professional, you are going to lose to someone...

Magnesium supplementation update – I have been taking the Ultra Muscleze now for a week and a half. I have had no problems with cramp at all in that time. I had a slight twinge in my calves in the pool on Monday morning but I regularly get cramps in the pool, so I feel there has been an improvement. I have a big brick session on Saturday morning, so that will be make or break time for my magnesium supplementation program. If I have a cramp free morning then I will call it a success and give Ultra Muscleze the Ironman Cafe seal of approval. Stay tuned.

James' 'Weight Update'

I'm trying to lose some weight at the moment as I have discussed previously. I'll give you an update on how I'm going every few days. I thought maybe you would be interested and it will keep me honest.

This morning, post ablutions, my weight was 83.4kgs.

Sleep and Ironman training

I went out for an “easy ride” for 3hrs this morning. The group I rode with was a step up from what I am used to, which was great for the fact that it will benefit me greatly to train with athletes at a higher level than me, both for the physical step up and for the motivational,inspirational step up. I can learn from people doing Ironman well and apply this to my training.

What made this morning not so great, was, for the first time in months, I went out in the city last night. We went out for a great dinner, I highly recommend teppanyaki restaurants for a great time with friends. We then went out to a bar which was nice, but this meant we got home about 1:30-2:00am. I got up just before 6:00am to head out for this ride, and as I struggled along lacking any gas on the hills, I remembered a couple of good articles I had read, on the importance of sleep to Ironman training. They make some good points and you should check them out. I, for one won't be hitting the town again any time soon. I don't feel its worth the cost to my training. Of course special occasions will be celebrated, but the going out for the sake of it is not on my agenda for a while.

Sleep more, train better, race faster
Sleep Your Way to Better Performance

Runner's stitch - cause, cure, prevention

I was talking to my physio today about my disappointing run on Sunday.... No, I'm not going to start another rant, we were talking about the stitch I experienced in the second of the race. I told him about my being desperate enough to try something I had heard, that carrying a handful of grass, helped ease stitch when running. He laughed out loud and said he had never heard of this and asked what research or physiological theory this was based on. Of course, I had no evidence to back it up, other than that my stitch did ease later in the race, though I doubt it was due to the handful of shrubbery I carried across the finish line. My physio jokingly suggested that I will probably try it again in the future and I am inclined to agree that in a similar desperate situation, I will end up attacking some poor plant on the roadside in hope it will cure my agony...

Now there are two issues at hand here, one, which I’m not going to get into today, is that sometimes the power of psychology can be a great ally or a formidable foe. Part of this is superstition, the power of a piece of bush, or small stones (which I have seen mentioned on forums a number of times, as a stitch cure, if carried in each hand), or the power of your lucky *insert item here*, to improve performance or stave off disaster. Maybe I will talk about this another time. The second issue, which do I want to talk about, and which has a little more scientific backing is that of what causes stitch and how can it be prevented and or cured?

Of course, I did a little research...

Cause: It appears that the jury is still out as to what causes stitch, but two more widely recognized theories are that it is a result of muscle spasms of the "diaphragm" (the sheet of muscle that separates your guts from your heart and lungs and is used in breathing) or irritation of the “parietal peritoneum” (the wrapping of your guts), as a result of jiggling of your insides during running. There are also discussions about eating and/or drinking too close to running.

Cure: Most experts discuss the importance of deep breathing or “belly breathing” during exercise. Also alternating which foot strike you breathe out on, so as to decrease the strain put on either side of the diaphragm has been mentioned. Slowing your running pace or stopping and bending at the waist or stretching out tall is also helpful, though in a race this means a possible slower time, (I didn't manage to find any scientific theory for carrying bits of bush anywhere, I'm sad to say).

Prevention: To decrease the occurrence of stitch experts suggest a combination of the above 'cure' techniques and conditioning exercises for the abdominal region (to minimize jiggling of insides I presume). Also being mindful of what you eat and drink prior to running.

Basically, after reading up on stitch I’m left feeling better educated but no more confident that I will be prepared for the next episode. But I will definitely be doing more core strength exercises, which my physio will be pleased about. I will try to use my belly to breath, maybe grunt a little and/or purse my lips (you will understand those two if you read the articles linked below). I may even carry a couple of leaves a tree branch and a handful of gravel while wearing my lucky socks too, just in case...

Here are a couple of links that you might want to read yourself, see if you feel any safer from the dreaded stitch...

Side Stitches: causes, cure and prevention
Stitch Pain - The biggest pain for athletes

Half-Marathon race review, not a happy camper.

I'm sitting here wrapped up warm after a 15min ice-bath, as prescribed by the coach. It was particularly uncomfortable and the Gladwrap wrapped round 'my boys' didn't seem to ease the discomfort much... In truth though it was a small discomfort compared to what I would have to call a disappointing race today. The Sri Chinmoy Running & Fitness Festival – Williamstown Half-Marathon was run on a flat course in cool, windy conditions. The wind picked up as the morning progressed and the headwind was a killer near the end. Race strategy, as per coaches orders, was to stick with two of the guys that I am training for Ironman with, we shall call them greyhound #1 and greyhound #2, which would probably make me St. Bernard or maybe Boxer #1. At race start I tried to stand near the front of the pack, but still managed to find myself boxed in for the first 500m or so. By this time greyhound #1 was well off in front and I had no idea where #2 was. I put on a burst and ran up on #1's shoulder but that proved a mistake and I had to ease off. At this time #2 caught up and we ran together through the first 11km. I suspect #2 had more in reserve at the midway mark, as he gave me a running coaching/commentary session through out the first 10km, then he put the hammer down and dropped me by about 50m. I was happy with my run at the halfway mark, I ran about 41-42 minutes for the first 10km, but that was where the wheels fell off. As I started to reel #2 in at about the 12^th km, I got a nasty case of stitch that I tried to run through, but it started to hunch me over like the hunchback of Notre Dame, so I had to stop and bend at the waist to relieve it. At that point, though I was feeling reasonably comfortable with the pace, I knew my chances of catching greyhound #1 or #2 were out the window. The stitch came and went over the next 6kms and I stopped about five times. It's heartbreaking to watch people you're in front of run past while you bend over and stick your ass in the air. I tried the 'holding grass in my hand thing', which I had read somewhere helps, I not sure if it was a success or not, but I carried a chunk of bush for the whole last 6kms. At this point I was whacked mentally too, I was no longer chasing greyhounds, I was running from people coming up behind me, which is not way to run a race. I cursed the wind over the last few km and couldn't even put in a burst at the end because both my calves cramped. Greyhound #1, I think, finished in 1:28 and #2 finished in 1:32, I shuffled in with a particularly average time of 1:35 and some change. Not impressed...

Well.... All in all a tough morning out and not much positive to draw from it. Now I know this morning was really more of a tough training run rather than a race, and I know that my training week was not tapered towards the run. But, I was hoping for faster than my previous PB of 1:32, just so I could say, “yes! The training is working”, but what is a half-marathon at this point really in the scheme of things, sweet-F-A. I think the stitch was a result of the water I took on during the race, that maybe was not a good idea at that high intensity, when I haven't practiced taking on fluids when pushing that hard. I didn't have many cramping issues during the run other than the last 500m which I will put down as a win for the magnesium supplements. The coach videoed each of us running during the race which should be a barrel of laughs...

Now, I'm going to lie down for a while and contemplate my redemption when I smack! my Half-Marathon PB at the end of Half-Ironman at the end of the year!

Relaxing before tomorrows half-marathon

I just finished a nice large helping of fried rice after a 2hr cruise on the bike, with a stiff headwind out and a nice tail wind back. I'm feeling a little tired after a pretty tough week and I am planning to laze around all day and prepare for tomorrow mornings half-marathon race. My coach has told me to run the first 10kms at a firm pace, then if I'm feeling alright, smack it. A couple of guys I train with have similar instructions and they I think may have more staying power than I do. I know I have more pace than either of them, but I think their larger training base and smaller frames (both weigh in high 60kg to low 70kg) may mean they drop me later in the race. I normally have this drop in self-confidence before a race, hopefully I will prove myself wrong...*visualizing myself smashing it* I have been putting a significantly high training volume than the last half-marathon I did, in that one I ran a 1:32:23, so I'm expecting to do better than that, how much better, I don't know, as I have had no taper for this race.

On the subject of weight and running, I have started to work towards dropping weight in an effort to get down to a better race weight by the end of winter, before going into the larger volume training that will be required for Ironman. Losing weight will benefit me both in increased speed and in injury prevention. Carrying extra weight when swimming and cycling is not too much of a problem as they are not weight bearing activities, however running requires that you lug your entire body weight around and every extra gram counts. Right now I am the lightest I have been in probably 7-8 years but I still have a layer of fat that is not required and will start to tell later in my training season. I am aware that I won't get back to my race weight from when I was a teenager because I have grown too much muscle bulk to do that, but I think if I can get into the high 70kgs I will be lighter and faster on my feet. This means that the big carb-loaded dinners followed by ice cream are out the window, and its salads and controlled eating, specific to training loads. I feel my daily eating routine is fine its the the large dinners that have hindered my weight loss despite high training volume. From now on my energy intake each evening will be lower and dependent on my next mornings training plan. I find I get a little depressed if I cant have a nice big carb-filled dinner, so I will need to find a light and healthy treat to cheer me up in the evenings.

Oh, by the way, I picked up some Ultra Muscleze a few days ago and have taken it for three nights in a row, at the moment I have no miraculous results to report, but it doses require a loading phase apparently and tomorrows run may be a good tester for cramping. I will keep you updated.

Thats me for today, I'm going to go put my feet up, I will post a race report tomorrow night.

Training fatigue and hot/cold recovery

It has been a testing last few days, both physically and mentally, with the Saturday Morning Brick Session and the ongoing training since then. Yesterday I had one of the flattest Ironman training days I have had in a while. I felt tired when I woke for swimming and once in the pool I knew it was going to be a slog. I felt some residual fatigue from the 2km swim the night before and it didn't warm out. We did what I would usually find a pretty tame set of 12x100m on 1:30, I struggled from the get go and by the end was getting no rest, I felt like i was swimming in caramel sauce...mmm caramel sauce. It was hard on my body and probably harder on my ego. But, I have to look at it in the context of the big weekend I had and learn not to let individual sessions or sets overshadow the big picture. I am sure I am going to have a lot of sessions where it seems like I am going backwards or just don't have the energy to perform up to my expectations, but, who cares how fast I go for 12x100m eight months out from my goal Ironman...?

I had a couple of solid run sessions today, both including intervals building to max effort. On a positive note I felt pretty damn good this morning and not too bad this evening. I haven't felt any pain in the 'Old Rec Fem' in a few weeks and I'm continuing with regular physio appointments to improve my core strength and posture with a hope to keep future injuries at bay and to increase my performance.

I have been using hot/cold recovery lately and I feel that it is helping me to recover faster and train day in day out. I either do 3-5 sets in the shower of 30secs cold water and 1min hot water, or 3-4mins in a hot bath and 1min in a cold shower. The idea behind hot/cold recovery is that the repeated constriction and dilation of leg muscle tissues pumps wastes out of your legs and helps reduce inflammation and bleeding in the muscles. I am still unsure how much of a benefit it is. I feel it does help to a degree, it reduces the muscle pain I feel, which in turn probably helps me train harder. Whether it increases my performance or not, I'm not sure. One thing I am sure of is that I would like to find some sort of waterproof underwear, because, ice cold water is not welcome on some parts of my body no mater how therapeutic it is. I have considered cutting leg holes in a shower cap, but I would have to kick my own ass if I was getting around with a shower cap on for a nappy.

There has been some research into the benefits of hot/cold recovery, if your interested I have placed a link to a good article on the Peak Performance online website below.

Hot/Cold - Don't pour cold water over hydrotherapy

Which event gives the best chance of qualifying for Hawaii Ironman?

I found this website kind of interesting, check it out. It's by a guy called Neil Hammond, who seems to love his stats. Of course this is not going to be a sure thing, but it might add to your planning for Hawaii Ironman qualification... or you might just find it interesting.

Which event gives the best chance of qualifying for Hawaii Ironman?

Tough morning training and Ironman race schedule dilemma

Another Saturday Morning Brick Session under my belt and it was a tough one. It was similar to last weeks but I definitely felt fatigued off the bike this week. I think the cause was the overflow of egos one one hour 'spin' we did after the two hours of hill sprints. It turned into a smashfest, in which everyone was seeing if they could sneak up on the leader, and go flying past shouting “and he makes a break!” then everyone would chase the break down. I made an effort to force down a lot more nutrition today that I did last week. I think it helped with my energy levels, but it didn't seem to stop the quad cramps, which indicts that some magnesium supplements might help. By the way trying to swallow a Gatorade gel half way through a hill sprint set is not easy, particularly when you have people dry reaching next to you. I got it down in the end but it dint make the trip in one go, it decided to rest up in the back of my throat to see if it could make a come back at some point.

Right now I am feeling shattered, I felt good for a little while after finishing training but all of a sudden it hit me like a tonne of bricks. I probably could do with a sleep but Ironman Lanzarote 2007 is on currently and Ironman 70.3 Florida 2007 is on later so I am watching the updates for those. I will sleep like a baby tonight and tomorrow morning I have a cruisy two hours cycle on the hills and a 2km recovery swim tomorrow night.

I am currently facing a bit of a dilemma about my race schedule later in the year, I was planning to do Ironman Western Australia in December and Port of Tauranga Half Ironman in January, but I don't think I will be able to do both so close together. So I have some decisions to make and I may end up doing the Half and waiting till Ironman New Zealand in March or Ironman Port Macquarie in April. I need to consult with my coach some more before I decide so the countdown counter on the right hand side may change depending on what I decide.

Will keep you updated.

Ironman training in the dark

Had a good run this evening. I'm starting to get the hang of running in the dark. I have given up on running out towards the country on the road, it's just too dangerous. I don't particularly like running on the busier streets around where I live but its lighter and the footpath is reasonably flat most of the time. I am getting sick of trying see my watch using street-lights, or the light on my watch and I am hatching a plan for attaching a light to my running cap somehow. It will have to be done in such way that it is, comfortable, helpful with seeing where I'm going and seeing my watch and most importantly that I don't look like a git. Tough criteria I know but I have a few ideas in mind. I will keep you updated.

Tomorrow is my second Saturday Morning Brick Session, I'm looking forward to it and hope I can get my nutrition a little more on track and not suffer from leg cramps. I haven't managed to pick up the magnesium supplements I plan to start using due to financial difficulties, but hopefully I'll get it for next week.

I am running the Williamstown Half Marathon next weekend, which should be a good tester for me. I am a bit nervous, as I have not competed in anything since December last year and I am feeling the pressure of seeing results from my Ironman training over the last 3-4 months. I know that it is going to be part of my Ironman training and I won't be tapering or easing up my training for it, but I would still like to run a good time. We will see I guess...

Magnesium Supplements for Ironman training

I seem to have recovered from the head-cold that has been hanging about for the last few days and I'm feeling good. The bit of me that isn't feeling good is the inside of both my quads just above my knees on both legs. Both legs were cramping during the run on Saturday Morning's Brick Session and I had the same problem on the run in the Rotorua Half Ironman in December last year. I think that it was largely due to lack of conditioning to the high intensity and high volume exercise. There is a lot of research and information that says that cramp is often a result of dehydration and deficiencies in certain nutrients. In my reading, top of the list of nutrients are salt and magnesium. Salt is a common additive in sports drinks such as Gatorade and Ironman competitors often supplement with salt tablets during events. I discussed this with my coach and a number of the guys also training for and/or racing Ironman, all of them said that they were supplementing daily with magnesium (among other things). They said that they found that magnesium decreased the frequency of cramping during exercise and recovery and it seems also helps them sleep, which is a big plus in my view. I had a bit of a scout round the Internet and found a couple of informative sights discussing nutrients and Ironman racing, that seem pretty credible. I have put links to at the bottom of this post. One of the guys I train with recommended a particular magnesium supplement called Ultra Muscleze, which sounds promising. I will endeavor to pick some up in the next week or so and will do my own little mini review of it for you.

Here are those sights:

-10 essential nutrients for endurance athletes

-Optimal performance for endurance athletes

Saturday Morning Group Brick Session

Wow! I just got in from my first experience of the Saturday morning group brick session (bike/run). I t was a four hour session, which included some hill climb sprints, some longer hill climbs in TT position (on aerobars) and some longer hill climbs in TT position. This was follow by an hour ride, then we did a 10minute run, building to a strong pace followed by 40mins jogging. It was a step up in intensity for me and it seemed to be for a lot of the other people that were there training for Ironman too. As usual when we voiced how hard we were doing it, our coach who was taking part, told us how much longer and harder it was going to get in the future. I wonder whether that helps or not sometimes... I guess a realistic view of where we will go with our training is nice. The group atmosphere was great and I personally get so much out of doing these sort of trainings. When I'm by myself I can push to a degree, but because I am so extrinsic or externally motivated, having someone to catch or pass or keep up with does wonders for my training intensity. Of course on the down side, I find it hard to do easy when in a group. We numbered about 10-12 of us and we were spread in experience from multiple Ironman racers to one month into their Ironman training career and I think everyone enjoyed themselves and pushed their boundaries.

There is some schools of thought that say brick sessions are not necessary, and there have been a number of world class Ironman/triathlon competitors, who have not focused on this aspect of training. I personally feel that it is an important part of training for an Ironman or any triathlon. It is an opportunity to learn to run with that horrible jelly legs feeling off the bike, but more importantly it allows you to learn to run with the fatigue carried over from the ride. It puts you in the same physical state or as close to as you will be at the start of the Ironman run. This allows you to work at maintaining good running form with your cycling muscles fatigued.

I am glad that todays session is over and I think that now I have done one I will be able to be more specific in my feelings of dread leading up to Saturdays, as opposed to the fear of unknown I had this morning before setting out. But now, I'm going to put my feet up and relax.

Quick Ironman training catchup, back with more soon!

It’s been a few days since my last post and I have been a little slack over the past week. I’m going to try to get back into regular posting and finding some more useful information for you guys. Look forward to it.
Training is going well and I’m back on track for Ironman after the injury that slowed me down for a while. I am having regular physio visits to deal with some neural problems leftover from the quad strain I had a few weeks back. It appears that my bike setup has something to do with it and some tweaks to my bike might help. I have a group magtrainer session tonight which should be a tough’n. Can’t wait…

VO2max testing for Ironman training and breathing sand

I did a VO2max test this morning at the university bio-mechanics labs, it hurt. Hopefully its worth it and it allows my coach to provide a more specific Ironman training schedule in the future.

I was a little nervous about the testing session, which wasn't helped by the email form my coach saying there would be consent forms to sign before the “smashfest” began. Also, as with most race or test type situations, I had the anxiety/excitement I usually get, which I think is part of the reason for doing this in the first place. I turned up as one of my training partners was finishing and he described it as “uncomfortable”, he is an under-stater so I expected some pain.

The test is done on a stationary bike with a heart rate monitor and a horrible breathing apparatus not unlike a scuba diving mask or a snorkel. These are connected to a big bunch of computers which strangely enough didn't beep once while I was being tested. It would have added to my impression if there had been some sort of beeping going on, but I guess they didn't think of that while designing the system. Just saying...

Once hooked up to the machinery, I was asked to stay still to get some “resting data”. I started to have performance anxiety right then and there....”Is my heart rate supposed to be that high?”....”am I breathing normally?”, “what is he writing?” and “how stupid do I look in this getup?”. Once satisfied with my resting data I began pedaling. The testing began with 3 x 3min intervals at reasonably easy tension, to get some “steady state” data....then the test proper began and the discomfort was shortly to follow. From then the tension or watts increased by 25, starting at 250 every minute. I was required to maintain an even rpm and to try to keep going as long as I could. It became pretty hard pretty quickly. Early on I started to note that the scuba mask attachment prohibited any swallowing or moistening of my mouth and throat. As a result everything dried out and gave the impression of breathing sand... Now this might sound bad,but the pain the emerged in my legs soon took my mind of the desert in my mouth. Apparently at some point the data indicated that the lactic acid started doing its thing in my legs and this was when it got tough. At the end I managed to do 30seconds at 425watts. Now I have no idea if that is good or bad but it felt tough. My VO2max is apparently around 51? again no idea what that means, now I could link you to a bunch of articles that explain it all that I have already pawed over but I won't. My coach will get a summary of my results soon and he will feedback the findings, using these to educate my Ironman training program. I think I will leave the explaining to him and feedback to you after that. I think at that point I will write a bit more about the point of the testing and the benefits to be had. Then I can tell you if its worth the $250 it cost.