Break Out

I can usually tell when it's time. First my runs begin to feel a bit flat. They lack the spring and flow they once had. They go from an exhilarating cruise to a dull plod. My shoes are comfortable and broken in but I'm on the edge of comfort now. Performance is beginning to decrease. It's time to move on.

The first run in new shoes is always a bit uncomfortable. A little to stiff here. A little funny feeling there. Flow and rhythm seem a bit off, much like the first dance with a new partner. Until you become accustomed to the subtle differences of your new partner it feels awkward. You suffer from the proverbial two left feet.

After the first few runs the shoes become broken in. They begin to adapt to your style. The stiff parts become pliable. The funny feeling becomes the normal feeling. You adapt to the new shoes. The new shoes adapt to you. Uncomfortable becomes comfortable. Performance begins to increase again. You begin to break out. You begin to push through the boundaries that comfort began to erect.

Sometimes being comfortable is not a good thing. It can sometimes mean that you are no longer growing. No longer progressing. It's often tempting to stay with what makes us comfortable - after all it feels good! It makes us feel warm and content. But after a while it can cause us to plateau and decline. Moving from an exhilarating cruise to a dull plod on flat shoes.

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Workout Summary (Thursday)

45 minute swim - S&D

45 minute spin class - hills

5.5 mile run - tempo

Workout Summary (Friday)

1440 yd swim

Got to break in my new shoes during my run on Thursday. Don't know if it was the shoes or the fact that I felt fully recovered but my run was outstanding. After a .25 mile warm-up I managed to keep my average pace to around a 7:45 mpm for five miles. Heart rates were a bit on the high side (duh) but it didn't feel like I was really struggling. If only I could keep that pace for 20! Planning on an 8 or so mile long run on Sunday and then two more tempo runs at about 3 miles before heading for New York next weekend for the marathon.

Had to pull the plug on the long swim today about 2/3 through my planned 2K swim due to a weird muscle pull in my left leg. It was bad enough that it messed with my stroke mechanics (it was one of those sharp, "take-that" sort of pains) so I invoked my "if it messes up form, stop" rule. The weird bit is that I don't feel it at all walking or running.

Instincts

My son (henceforth known as Super-D) has been playing forward since spring hockey last April. About a week ago one of the coaches approached me and asked if Super-D had ever played defense before. I should have known change was afoot.

At our Friday night game one of the coaches walked up as I was tying Super-D's skates. "We're a little short handed - can you play defense tonight?" Super-D reluctantly nodded. After the coach left he told me he didn't want to play defense. Being a parent I hear on multiple levels. What he was really saying was that he wasn't prepared to play defense.

Super-D likes order. He likes to know what is going to happen, the order it will happen in, and when it's going to happen. Super-D does not like surprises. He hasn't learned yet that sometimes you need to slip in. To flow. He hasn't learned how to not overthink things. To instead trust his instincts and training. "The coaches know you can do this and your team needs you. You know how to play this position - just trust your instincts."

Sometimes your head gets in the way. It's easy to get caught up by the what ifs and intimidated by the unknowns. That's where your training comes in. If you've trained well then your body knows what to do provided that you don't get in its way. When your head gets in the way it's time to shut it down. To convert the frothing sea of white caps to the glass like surface of a tranquil mountain lake. Easier said than done - training is required here as well.

We won our second game of the season that night. The coaches attributed the win to three factors - our shots on goal were high, our forwards were aggressive on the puck, and Super-D was outstanding on defense. Super-D was totally pumped coming off the ice. He knew he had just played his best game of the year. And unbeknownst to him he had just learned a valuable life lesson - that sometimes you need to just jump in in order to break through.

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Workout Summary

1800 yd swim - tempo

45 minute spin class - anerobic intervals

6 mile run - tempo

30 minutes circuit/core/stretching
Overall energy was a bit low but my legs felt good during the run and spin.

Today's tempo run saw the return of decent pacing - after a long warmup (holy crap was it cold this morning) I ratcheted up the pace and held it under 8 minute miles for about four miles. Felt a bit of tightness in the hips so I opened up my stride a bit to stretch things out. Will have to remember to stretch some more later tonight - cold weather and tight muscles are not a good combination.

Summaries

Workout Summary

2700 yd swim (Friday)

15 mile run (Sunday)

Weekly Summary
Definitely felt the after affects of my long run last weekend during my Tuesday and Thursday bricks this week. My overall energy level was quite low and I was pretty slow in all disciplines.

Decided to cut back on the long swim a little - at least until the marathon is over and I get back into base training. Form focus on Thursdays continues to pay dividends on the long swim - my rotation and positioning is better and I'm able to feel my pull from my core even when I'm not going all out.

Skipped the long bike again this week - Saturday turned out to be a busy day (hair cut, travel hockey game in the morning, trip to Madison to see a hockey game in the afternoon/evening) so I punted.

After watching the Chicago marathon coverage on TV I headed out for the long run on Sunday. About 8 miles in I started getting random aches and pains in my knees and hips, but I think it was due to the cold conditions (30 degrees and windy) as well as residual stress from the previous weekend, so no cause for concern at this point. Today (Monday) my legs feel tight but not wrecked, so I'll throw in a bit of tempo work this week before tapering next week.

I had been lamenting at how slow my long runs have been the last couple of weeks so I decided to do some analysis on the data I've gathered over the last six months. The data shows my last four long runs have actually been faster than average, and I'm able to run faster now at a given heart rate than at my midseason peaks. Sweet!

The Point

What is your point?

This entered my mind as I pushed off the wall for another lap. I hesitated then hit the brakes and promptly stopped. Right. Point. Don't have one. Need one. Can't continue without one.

I had just come inches from slipping into a "do it to get it over with" mindset. This mindset defeats the entire purpose of drills. Drills are the time to focus on your problem areas and correct imperfections in your form. Without them endless repetition of the same imperfections wreck your form and prevent you from developing.

Once at the pool a fellow triathlete proudly told me that he had just finished 2000 yards with a pull buoy. Why? I asked. I was drilling he replied. What did you learn? Got a blank stare on that one.

If you have no reason for doing a drill you probably shouldn't be doing it. Time spent on a drill without reason is for the most part wasted time. Any benefit you hope to gain from doing the drill only comes by focusing on the point of the drill. Do you know how to do the drill correctly? What is the drill supposed to teach you? Are you focused on that point - or are you just going through the motions?

I stood with my head a little above the surface thinking about my point. I'm still having problems with balance and positioning when I breathe on my left side. I decided to do alternate breaths for 4 laps, breathing on every single stroke for the first two laps, and every other stroke for the second two laps. The focus for the first set was to get my rotation and extension symmetrical. The focus for the second set was also on symmetry, but with a focus on my arm position during the reach.

There it was. My point. I ducked my head under the water and pushed off the wall.

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Workout Summary (Tuesday)

1800 yd swim - LSD

45 minute spin class - endurance

6.5 mile run - LSD

30 minutes circuit(weights)/core/stretching

Workout Summary (Thursday)

50 minute S&D swim

45 minute spin class - hills

6.5 mile run - 1/2 LSD, 1/2 tempo

30 minutes circuit(cables)/core/stretching

My runs this week have been the slowest they've been in a long time - about a 9 mpm pace over the full distance. Guess the big runs over the last few weekends are taking their toll. Fortunately my last 20+ mile run before the marathon is complete so I can focus a bit getting my pace back as I taper down. Once again I'm not too concerned though - more focused on being comfortable then fast for the marathon.

In general I felt stronger during today's workouts (especially during spin class) then on Tuesday's workouts. Probably should have either taken the day off or trimmed my time back as I was still pretty trashed from Sunday's long run.

Summaries

Workout Summary

3060 yd swim - LSD - continuous (Friday)

21.5 mile run - LSD (Sunday)

Weekly Summary
Mid week bricks were a mixed bag - Tuesday I felt pretty strong but Thursday was a bit of a struggle energy wise.

My long swim on Friday went well - backing off on Tuesday and Thursday paid off and I ended up going 500 or so yards more than I was originally planning. Over the winter I'm going to try to keep my swim and run volumes fairly high. That way when spring comes I'll only need to catch up on the bike, instead of all three like I did at the beginning of this season.

Blew the bike workout on Saturday. Had originally planned on getting out on the mountain bike for a bit but when the alarm went off at 6 I decided I needed the sleep more. My priorities over the winter will be running and swimming so if I blow a long bike workout now and then I'm not going to get too worked up about it. Plus I didn't want to be a zombie for my "date" with my wife on Saturday evening. We celebrated 11 years of marriage at Harvest located at the Pheasant Run Resort. I'd highly recommend it - service was excellent as was the food (and of course the company!).

To make up for skipping my long run last weekend (due to the hilly) I decided to get in one last 20 miler before tapering down for the marathon. About 2/3 through the run the bottoms of my feet started getting sore - which means it's time for a new pair of running shoes. Other than some minor/typical joint aches and pains the run went very well. My pacing was pretty slow (around a 9:30 mpm) compared to my PR pace (8:24 mpm) but I'm not going for a PR in New York so I'm not too concerned.

Preparation

The first hard freeze of the year. Time to drag out the mits and tights. It's only October. I think it's going to be a long winter....

In the past I've made amends with the treadmill and spin bike by the first hard freeze. This year things are going to be a bit different though. While I have given in to the spin bike I'm holding the line on the run. My run season last year started out miserably which I'm convinced is due to spending all my time over the winter on the treadmill. Not this year. This year I'm set on running outside unless it's below 10 degrees or my route is covered by ice and snow.

This seemed like a great decision when I came up with it in the waning days of summer. This morning I got to put it to the test. It was very cold, especially into the wind. Oh yeah, wind chill. I remember that. I remember it sucks. Yep. Still sucks.

One of the things that got me through was focusing on the "what ifs". What if it's cold for the New York marathon? What if it's cold and windy? Cold and rainy? Snowing?

Training is preparation. Preparation builds confidence. If I don't train in bad conditions how will I learn how to deal with them? How will I know how much stuff to wear? How will I know what nutrition to bring? Do I get blisters easier? Do I need more pain management meds? What mental demons are going to attack me and how will I defeat them?

Do I want to seek these answers during the event? Silly rabbit, the time to seek the answers to the "what ifs" is in training, not during an event. If I don't train in bad conditions then I waste an opportunity to build the confidence I'll need to deal with them. If I do train in bad conditions I'll know that I'm prepared to handle them during an event. One less thing to stress about. Now if I could just stop worrying about whether or not I've set the hotel alarm clock correctly I'd be golden.

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Workout Summary

50 minute swim - S&D

45 minute spin class - endurance (seated mid zone 3 the entire class)

6.5 mile run - Z2/Z3 boundary

20 minutes circuit(cables)/core/stretching

For the S&D swim I focused on left side breathing. Still not completely comfortable yet but I am seeing progress. I noticed that I'm not bouncing up and down as much. My pull still isn't completely symmetrical when alternating breaths though. Oh well - have the whole winter to work that out.

My run this morning was flat compared to my Tuesday run. Combination of improper nutrition (low carbs) last night as well as doing high tension endurance work during spin class. Being weighed down by an additional ten pounds of clothing probably didn't help things any.

Quality Time

Last night for the first time in a very very long time it was just me and my daughter (Pip). My son was at a friend's house for the day and my wife had a doctor's appointment.

We stopped in at Olive Garden for dinner. As we walked to our table people turned to look and smile as Pip and I walked hand in hand to our table. She has the affect on people sometimes. Complete strangers often call her "sunshine". The nickname fits as even at five she lights up a room when she enters. Lord help me...

After ordering food we started talking. One of those "stream of consciousness" type conversations. From puppies to best friends at school to whether or not it would rain. After a while she suddenly looked up and tilted her head. "We're talking a lot, aren't we?" she paused briefly and then she was off again, chattering away about spiders.

As I thought about it I realized how completely understated her comment was. It's been a long time since we talked for more than a couple of minutes at a stretch aside from the usual "how was your day dear?" conversations during dinner. Normally my son maintains a monopoly on my time and attention. Hockey, homework, playing catch, watching football, he is my constant shadow. Pip never complains about the lack of attention. I don't think she even realizes it. It's a pattern that has slowly developed over years so it wasn't noticeable. I've noticed it now though.

In my training I try to focus a lot on doing high quality workouts. My available time for training is very limited and must be spent and balanced very wisely. If I need to spend more time in one area I have to cut back on another. If I don't focus on getting good quality out or the workout then the time is wasted.

It occurred to me that I definitely need to apply this same thinking to my daughter. She never complains that she doesn't get as much attention, but I know that if I don't do it I will be the one who regrets. it. If I don't spend that time now I'll never get it back. And it has to be quality time. One-on-one and fully engaged - not the distracted half-here half-there time. My son won't like the time taken away - but he too must learn balance.

Time spent foolishly now sows the seeds of future regret and failure. Spend the time well.

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Workout Summary

1440yd swim - skills and drills

45 minute spin class - hills

6 mile run - Z2/Z3

Trip report from the Hilly Hundred this past weekend is coming - haven't had time yet to write things up.

I tweaked a muscle in my upper back last night so I swapped my planned LSD swim for an S&D session instead. Felt pretty flat on the spin bike so I wasn't looking forward to the run. Biking legs are still recovering from the Hilly I think. Surprisingly though, once I started running I slid very quickly into a good rhythm and felt smooth and light. I ended up taking in another 1/2 mile loop - feeling a bit guilty about not running for a week.

Best of 2006

With the last triathlon of the season completed it's time for my "Best of" list for 2006.

Best Swim
This year the best swim this year goes to Steelhead. How cool is it to launch off the side of a pier, plunge down a 10 feet, and then pop to the surface like a cork? Because everyone was well spread out on the point to point course there wasn't the usual floating bar fight effect that a lot of triathlon swims become. I truly enjoyed every yard of the swim despite the fact that my goggles fogged continuously throughout which made for an interesting time sighting.

Best Bike
Though not the best for me time wise, the Triple T 1/2 Ironman loop takes top honors here. The course wound through very low traffic state park roads and was very hilly and challenging. This was balanced by the absolutely stunning scenery of Shawnee State Park - which made this course an absolute joy to ride.

Best Run
This one is a tough one. Of the events I did this year the only run I truly did not enjoy was the Triple T course. All said though I think that the Muncie Endurathon course edges the other events by a very slim margin. The course had it all - good scenery, well positioned rest stops, and very entertaining supporters.

Best Overall Race
Gotta go with the Muncie Endurathon here. The race was fun, well organized, had a great expo, and the post race pulled-pork barbecue sandwiches ruled. In addition this was my first non-wetsuit race - something that in the past I thought I could never pull off. Another fear cornered and tamed.

Best Pre-race Meal
The night before Steelhead, Habeela arranged for a number of bloggers to meet at Santaniello's Restaurant and Pizzeria in St. Joseph. The food was fantastic as was the company.

Best Moment
This year's best moment goes to Steelhead. As I ran down the finishing chute I saw my family cheering me on from the hill adjacent to the finishing line. Then, I looked up at the elapsed time on the official clock and realized that I had just set a new PR. Priceless baby!

All in all I had a very good season this year - solid performances and a new PR for the half distance. With one super sprint, two olympics, and four 1/2 Ironman races it was also my busiest season. Thanks to everyone who helped make this the best season yet in my relatively short triathlon career!

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Workout Summary (Sunday)

19 mile LSD run - 2:53

Coming off a half the weekend before I was originally planning on doing only 15 miles for the long run, but I had time and felt good so I threw in another four mile loop. Surprisingly my legs were not trashed the day after - a bit sore and stiff but definitely not bad at all.

Was supposed to do my regular brick today but instead took it off to rest up for the Hilly Hundred trip later this week. The official ride is only Saturday and Sunday but we'll be going down Wednesday night to get in some riding Thursday and Friday. In addition we'll be throwing in some bonus miles to the official routes. This will be one of the last road rides of the season and one I look forward to year after year.