My first ultra

50 miles or 80 kilometres is a long way to run/walk.

I never doubted heading into the day that I wouldn’t finish. That confidence comes from years of training and racing. While I believe that more people are capable of completing an ultra than they realize, it still requires doing enough work so that it’s a positive experience.

What I didn’t know was how I would feel on the day, or how I would feel now days later. I was a rookie again - and that’s important in life. (I was ‘sore’ as the race progressed and immediately after. And while ‘tired’ by the effort, I feel far better than I have after a lot of shorter races.)

Training for the Whistler 50 wasn’t what I would consider conventional.

As a triathlete, an Ironman, I’m a very structured athlete. I like the structure. It helps motivate and direct my training and it’s a reflection of who I am. I easily buy into the program.

Less than a month ago I ran the Victoria marathon and I had trained hard for that and ran well. It was an A race for me. I put in a very solid 10 weeks of training for it. Not everything went smoothly on the day but that’s OK.

Racing also should be spontaneous. It’s how I got into triathlon. I’d get a call, from a crazy paddling mate, on a Thursday night and I’d be entered into a race on Saturday.

And so I answered the call of the Whistler 50, making the decision to enter less than a month ago and knowing that I would be taking most of the past four weeks off for recovery. Thanks to Margreet for encouraging me to accept the challenge.

After Victoria, I took two weeks off training. I didn’t swim, spin or run. I had a few walks with Luka but otherwise nothing.

And then, in the 10 days before Whistler, I went for four easy, half hour efforts.

Was I insane?

Apparently not.

My objective wasn’t to be competitive. If it was we would have been in Whistler to run the course in training. We would have taken it easy in Victoria or not raced there.

But every race isn’t meant to be raced. Sometimes a more relaxed approach is the best.

The Whistler 50 was a superb event.

Was it tough? At times, yes.

I made some mistakes and paid the price: hydration and nutrition. No one is immune to making simple mistakes. I know better. I should have been more self-sufficient - at least the initial three hours. That’s constructive criticism for me.

Because my nutrition was poor, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I ended up taking a turn when I shouldn’t have and tacked on a bonus kilometre or two or 20! At least 20, now that I think about it!!

And I walked a bit too much between 45km and 60km - again, because my nutrition was poor, I wasn’t able to keep my mind on the task at hand.

I was able to recover for the fourth lap, in terms of where my focus was and convinced myself to run, albeit slowly, for most of the final 20kms. Ah, sugar and caffeine.

It was great to share my first ultra with Margreet and our friend Dessie, who had made this his A race, traveled half way around the world for it and who now has added a new chapter to his four decades of running.

Will I race another ultra? Without a doubt.

As Robert Frost wrote in his 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' poem:

"And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

Redefining my long run

A day from now I will have begun a new challenge, starting an ultra marathon: the Whistler 50-miler.

Why? Simply because I can.

I am not yet ready to move on from triathlon. It’s still is ‘my’ sport. Running though is one skill that I’d like to develop.

And the reality is that as winter approaches - rather fast I might add - it’s run outside or spin indoors.

The forecast for tomorrow is cold, wintry conditions. A low of minus 7 and a high of plus 2. Little wind and cloudy with sunny breaks. The key will be the lack of wind.

I still haven’t made a final decision on what to wear. However, the four-lap course provides easy access to my ‘special needs’ bag and I’ll be able to swap clothes as the day progresses.

I’ve been encouraged to run this distance by Margreet who has been eyeing this event for months. And by our Aussie mate Dessie who targeted this race in particular and has journeyed here for it.

My objective is to finish. I have some time ideas but it’s uncharted territory. I see it akin to heading out the door without a watch. The first lap is 17km and it will be in the early morning darkness given the 6am start. The 'remaining' three laps are 21km each.

It will be a long run. The farthest I have run so far is a standard marathon.

I am looking for it to redefine what I see as a long effort as Margreet's previous ultras have for her, and to kickstart my training for 2012.

Inspired

I like the idea of trying something new. There are no expectations. It keeps me fresh. And so the idea of running an ultra has appeared. In particular, the Whistler 50 miler (80km).

Keeping life simple is and has been important to me for some time now. That doesn't mean not thinking ahead. For me though, it's about not over thinking whatever it is.

Some ideas capture my imagination. The idea of writing the book that I did, did that. The process of writing it, well, that took some planning and time.

As I prepared for the marathon on Sunday, I thought back to what I read about Steve Jobs. I haven't read that much about him. I never met him. I knew nothing about him other than he was Apple in every sense.

But I read that he often asked himself, what if today was my last day on earth? It was, as I understand, a way for him to simplify and focus on what's important now, as Michael Phelps talks about.

It's an idea that I think is a positive one. It's about not letting all of life's little distractions stop you from moving forward. It's about rolling one's eyes when someone says something that is absurd. It's about taking a breath when someone says the obvious.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs

Superb season ... and it's not over yet

Margreet Dietz is having a superb running season. To be honest, even I struggle at times to remember all that she has accomplished. And so here's a short recap:

First half half marathon, 25th out of 1100, 89:46

Sun Run, 40:09

Vancouver marathon 5th overall, age group winner, master’s champion 3:07:41

Scotiabank half marathon 2nd in age group, 89:44

Squamish 10km, 3rd in age group, top local woman for third year, 40:14

Bellingham Bay marathon winner 3:09:40

Victoria marathon 8th overall, age group winner, master’s champion, PB 3:06:06

*In Victoria yesterday, Margreet was handed her trophies by two running legends: Kathrine Switzer and Bart Yasso.

As the numbers show, Margreet has run three Sub 3:10 marathons within six months.

Age-graded sub three marathoner

Well .. I didn't really think I was going to run Sub Three in Victoria but by one calculation that's exactly what I did.

It's the age-graded calculation.

My actual chip time was 3:16:38, which I'm very happy with, though of course I had planned to run faster. I can't ever think of finishing a race and not having thought I was going to go faster. It's important to be confident.

Victoria was my third fastest marathon and the fastest I have run in four years, when I set my current PB of 3:10 at the Gold Coast in Australia. To be fair, I haven't done much specific marathon training in the last four years but I'm fit and I always believe that I should be able to leverage my triathlon training into success across the sporting spectrum.

One of the stats from Victoria is that I finished 10th in my age group. While I no doubt have so much work to do, I'm encouraged by the prospect of finishing in the top five of a marathon equivalent to Victoria in the near future. I'm not defining 'near' at the moment.

One cool stat from the race is that of my age-graded time: 2:59:17!

Ha. I'm a Sub Three Marathoner.

I found an age-graded calculator at Runner's World and it offers the following explanation:

Your age-graded score is the ratio of the approximate world-record time for your age and gender divided by your actual time.

Age-graded scores have been categorized into these broad achievement levels:
100% = Approximate World Record Level
Over 90% = World Class
Over 80% = National Class
Over 70% = Regional Class
Over 60% = Local Class

To reach 100%, I'd only need to run 2:17. Hmmmmmmm.

Top rating for Sub Nine!

5.0 out of 5 stars

An excellent contribution to collections focusing on women's accomplishments in sports, October 7, 2011

By

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen (Paperback)

Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen is an anthology profiles of the fastest known female triathlon participants, each of which completed the grueling course in less than nine hours. A handful of pages offer a brief summary of the life and training of each woman, recorded highlights of her career, and her comments in her own words if possible. An extraordinary and inspirational reckoning of women's athletic excellence, Sub Nine is an excellent contribution to collections focusing on women's accomplishments in sports.

Here's the link to the amazon.com page

*As for how the Midwest Book Review works. It's an independent group. I shipped two copies of my book for consideration for a review. I have no idea who did the review nor did I have any input into the review. And I was given no advance notice that it was going to be posted today.

Ready to Run

I've been running a lot the last two months. In fact, I even had one 100km plus week in the mix.

As Margreet has noted in recent posts, the more you run, the more fit you become. I too am feeling fit.

On Sunday I will give it everything that I have at the Victoria marathon. It will be my 10th marathon, standalone one that is.

I am going to wear a Garmin GPS. The first time I have done so. I want to make sure that I don't start too fast as has been an issue for me in the past. And I also want to encourage myself to keep moving fast and faster in the final 10km.

I'm reluctant to set out here my time target, though of course I know the pace that I intend to run based on the training that I've done. I want a PB - so faster than 3.10. I'll leave it at that.

What motivates me a bit more this weekend is what Steve Jobs had to say to students graduating from Stanford in 2005.

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

I take that as go for it. Go for it now. Live in the present.

Jobs also reportedly was motivated by a quote that said, in effect, live today as if it is your last.

Margreet's first novel is available!

An excerpt:

“... it was dark and we were in the forest, again, hiding. We had run when we heard the soldiers were coming. Your mom was only a baby and I had to keep her safe. I had found an area with thick brush to cover us. We were quiet like mice. But your mom, she was scared. Of course, she was just a baby. And when she heard a branch breaking nearby, she cried. Just a little. And he found us. Underneath that brush. He didn't have good intentions. I know he didn't. And I had to protect her. To keep her safe, I had to stay alive. It was him or us.”

In the novel, Nadia is challenged by running a 100 kilometre ultra and as her mind wanders in the early darkness, she reminisces about her grandmother and the realization that there are many parallels between these two generations of strong willed women.

http://www.margreetdietz.com/

Margreet wins Bellingham marathon

Margreet had several objectives today and she accomplished one of them in being the first woman to cross the finish line in downtown Bellingham.

It was a wild day in terms of wind, with gusts at times blowing over pylons and almost the finish line chute.

It's Margreet's second marathon victory. Her first was the North Olympic Discovery Marathon.

Time to focus on Victoria, two weeks from now.

Weekend performances

Some superb weekend performances from friends:

Jan Francke fourth in age group in Xterra Czech

Ollie Whistler wins Yeppoon 70.3

Lisa Marangon second at Yeppoon 70.3

and then some other cool results:

Another Sub Nine for Bek Keat in Copenhagen

Another win for Belinda Granger in the Philippines 70.3

Lucy Smith was 4th in the Philippines

Natascha Badmann third at Weisbaden 70.3!!!!!

Marathon training begins

I'm on a marathon program as of this week and I'm running more now than I have in some time.

Monday was a rest day

On Tuesday, about 6km on the treadmill

On Wednesday, 15km on watch for cougars

On Thursday, 17.2km on watch for cougars

On Friday .. ah rest

On Saturday .. ah rest (though I did swim 1.5-1.8k in Brohm Lake *I did miss an easy 8k'er)

And today .. 27km in 2.25 ish ..

65k or so for the week .. a huge week for me .. (Half of what Margreet ran)

I'll keep swimming and cycling til the weather changes too (which hopefully won't be for at least another solid month or two!)

But now the training focus will be on Victoria and running a marathon faster than I ever have .. setting up the stage for another high quality season in 2012.

Banff no more

Well, it turns out that Banff is an Olympic not a half iron .. and so with one swift decision, it's been knocked off the race sked.

Put on a half iron, and I'll be there.

Why I race

All last week I was hemming and hawing about whether to race. I had just returned from a hectic ‘holiday’ back East to watch my brother compete at his first Ironman in Lake Placid, New York. A huge success for him.

Then I was in New York for five crazed days - which is what I expected and it was superb. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Racing isn’t what I do for a living. It is what I do to keep motivated to train and it’s a good simple measure of how fit I am at any given moment.

My definition of fit is always evolving. There’s the ‘more fit than the average guy’ versus ‘race fit’ and then what I consider to be ‘Iron fit’. Each has its part in how I assess my health.

While running and swimming in the town of Lake Placid, I felt more fit than I have so far this summer. And I finally had some summer weather to train in.

As expected, when I arrived back in the Squish, I was wiped from burning both ends of the candle in New York and then a day of travel. I wasn’t wiped for one day or two but all week I felt zapped.

So was I going to race or not? I kept going back and forth. In the end, I decided to race. Why? Because I like to race. And I don’t need to set a personal best every time I race. I don’t need to be perfectly prepared every time.

I have been far more relaxed about racing this season than the previous two when I was so focused on Ironman Canada and the outcome. I’m still learning how to balance my training and target setting. That’s part of the appeal of sport. Every single race is going to be different and adapting is a skill that takes time to acquire.

This past Sunday I don’t think I could have been more relaxed. I had low expectations. I wasn’t, in my mind, anywhere near being race fit. In fact, I have barely been on my bike this calendar year.

I’d spun for about half an hour on my bike twice last week, once while chatting on the phone with my Dad. I wasn’t hammering, simply spinning my legs. Just making sure the bike worked.

I had no illusions about cycling like a guy named Cadel did in France. Still, I always think positively. I’m open to going faster than expected.

I decided to change tactics for this race. Instead of starting the swim as hard as I could for 400m or so, I started more comfortably and then accelerated on the second loop. I swam a very respectable 32 minutes for 1.9km - without hammering it.

On the bike, I felt decent going uphill and solid on the relative flats - I did find some speed - but downhills still cost me far too much time, and momentum. I lost one group of four after about 30km and then I was on my own.

Most guys rode at least 10 minutes slower here than at Vancouver. I rode 2.43 in Vancouver - and shy of 3.04 in Sooke.

Onto the run, I felt strong. A number of guys had spun past me in the last 10km of the ride and I flew past them either in transition or within the first 2km of the run.

One objective for this race was to run more consistently - it’s been a performance limiter for me forever and I’m finally starting at a better pace and holding it.

I knew there weren’t too many guys in front of me - the field was smaller than I expected given it was the provincial championships - but I had no idea where I stood in my age group.

When I hit the finish line, I was a bit shocked at the 5.19 clocking. (I wasn’t wearing a watch.) That’s the slowest half iron I’ve done in a long, long time.



Regardless of how challenging the course, I had expected to finish Sub Five. In hindsight that was optimistic. I did go 4.53 in Vancouver and simply adding 10 mins for the bike would have pushed through the five-hour mark alone.




After a few post race photos, it was a dash back to the hotel for a shower and then back to the finish line to check on the results.

Second in my age group. Yes! I expect to be competitive but as I said earlier, I haven't done the training this season to be as competitive as I know I can.

The outcome was a reverse of the two races last month - Vancouver half iron in early July and the Squamish tri a week later - where I had visualised standing on the podium. I suppose visualisation has its limits.

There are of course a thousand ways to analyse results. I was 22nd overall. I was 20th man overall.

In my age group, I had the fastest T1 and T2 (which included going to the wrong rack). Third fastest swim, third fastest bike and fastest run. Go figure.

It’s time now to prepare for the marathon in Victoria. I’m keen to race again - already.

There are so many truisms in life and one of which I was reminded this past weekend is never count yourself out. That said, I’m keeping my perspective on this race too. There’s ample room for improvement. That’s the key return from racing for me.

Where's summer?

Saturday morning and it's raining - again. I'm relieved to say that I am not training for an Ironman this summer.

Two races, two weeks

I often think back to a time several years ago when Margreet and I competed at six or seven races in a eight week period. It was a mix of running and triathlon events. Short and high intensity.

There's a reason why athletes like to 'compete' a lot. It keeps you race fit and race sharp.

So I was looking forward to the Squamish Triathlon this year. One week after the Vancouver half iron. While I haven't done the volume of training that I have the past two seasons, I still fit.

Leading into the Squamish Tri a year ago, I did a big day of cycling - 150km or so. And yet I had a good day.

Today I was relaxed and rested. My strategy was to go hard from the start. As the announcer counted down the start, I bolted into the water and I simply hammered it. I gave it everything that I had. It felt good for about 200 or 300 metres.

Then I had to shift gears.

Not into survival mode but I had to slow. My short swim speed has improved a lot this past year. What I lack though is endurance. I wasn't going to have it today. It takes months of work to get and then keep.

In the end, I swam a bit slower than a year ago. I'd be lying if I said I was happy with that. I was confident that I'd go faster. But I didn't know it at the time as I wasn't wearing a watch.

As I got out onto the bike, I was determined to ride stronger than a year ago. I wanted a bit more even pace. I took my time on the first lap, found a rhythm and settled in. I then pushed my effort a bit on the second lap and then one guy in my age group shot past me on the uphill. I'm not sure where my uphill legs have gone but I haven't found them yet this season!

My downhill legs though are working relatively well and I smashed the downhill and flat sections to catch and then pass this one athlete. We repeated this catch and drop the next two laps. It was perfect for me because it helped keep my head in the game.

I had a fast transition and started the run near top speed. A key objective was to podium. I had taken third a year ago and I was keen to at least do the same this year. Ha!

But I felt strong as I was running. Then one guy in my age group flew past, then a second. Hmmm.

Third. Third is good. But there was at least 6-7km to go.

At the out and back on the road, I saw the guy who I had to chase on the bike. He was a bit too close. So I sped up. I ran steady. And when I could I pushed myself. I never caught the other two guys though they didn't put in as much time to me as I anticipated.

I crossed the line thinking, well, at least I made the podium. I did so because looking at the two guys who past me on the run, I thought both looked super fit and so concluded that they were one and two. Ha!

Final result: I was seventh in my age group. Geez. Oh well. I take home that I was about a minute faster overall. A bit slower in the swim, a tad faster on the bike and faster on the run. And I was 19th overall.

It was a good day. Now, when can I race again?

2011 19th overall, 7th age group

Swim 26.20 avg speed 1:46/100m
Bike 1:06:16 avg speed 33.5km/hr
Run 45.57 avg speed 4:36/km

Total time: 2:19:03



2010 24th overall, 3rd age group

Swim 25:56 avg speed 1:44/100m
Bike 1:06:43 avg speed 33.3km/hr
Run 47:22 avg speed 4:45/km

Total time: 2:20:00

Clearing out some cobwebs

The Vancouver half iron yesterday was my first real race of the season and all in all, it was a good day for me.

Of course I always like to go faster. I think that is OK. It's a sign that I want to improve and it helps to motivate me to keep training and looking forward to the next race.



Is there a perfect race?

I don't think you ever know. It doesn't matter who you are either. Thea Sybesma, the first woman to go Sub Nine at an Ironman, says you never know when you have reached your potential. Did she? Did she retire before she would have?

For me, yesterday reminded me of some of my strengths and some of my weaknesses.

I'm fast in transition - in fact, I had the fastest transitions in my age group for both T1 and T2 - and for the first time I can remember I put on a jersey for the bike and swapped tops as I headed out for the run. As I've been preaching to the Titans here in Squamish, the key is to keep transition simple. I heeded my own advice with one exception: I shouldn't have tried to put on arm warmers. Didn't need them.

Other positives. I had a decent swim. The current seemed to me to be a bit stronger this year than I recalled. The key was to try as best to keep on course. So while I gave up trying to swim on feet, I believe I swam the course better than it appeared a lot of others did. At one point I looked up and saw a huge line of competitors to my right, drifting away from the line I saw back to the finish on the beach. At first I let myself drift a bit back as it seemed I was on my own but I corrected myself and kept to my line.

The bike was good. I was controlled for the first lap and then pushed it on the second and third laps. I simply haven't done the work to be in top form for cycling and it caught up to me on the fourth lap. In this race, you tend to find yourself in the general neighbourhood of several other riders once the second lap is done. Those who have gone out too fast, fade. Those who for some reason had a tough swim, have caught up and pushed ahead. I rode most of the fourth lap on my own. That's a disadvantage for me in particular because I lose focus. I like to have others ahead or passing me to keep my mind on the task at hand. It's a skill that I continue to need to work on.

That said, I managed a 2:43 on 90km and compared with the previous two years on this course, my cycling is solid. I was keen to be off the bike in 2:45. Target achieved.

I flew through T2 in less than a minute. One of my best transitions ever I think. And I felt good. I was out on the run and moving well til about the 500 metre mark and my legs protested. Ha.

And they had a bit more protesting to do. Oh well.

The big 'to do' for me is to run more off the bike. It's something that I did a lot five years ago and far far less in recent years. Different coaches, different styles.

When in Boulder in late May to train, I was talking about what I felt I missed from the long training sessions that I did when in Australia. The crazy weekend sessions which would include a 100km/120km easy spin on a Saturday and then a 150km or longer spin followed immediately by a 20-30km run with tempo sets on both the bike and run.

As physically exhausting as those long weekends were, they taught me that I could complete them and I could do so at a solid pace. I'm lacking the confidence to do so now, and I want that back. I have learned though from experience but also from listening to others that it's important to keep moving. A race isn't over til you cross the finish line.

My legs finally made an appearance after about 14km and I ran strong for the final 6km. It was good to finish strong.

I think it's important to finish strong and I have an ability to increase my effort when I sense the finish line is within reach.

It was a solid 4 hours and 53 minutes of work but one that I very much look forward to embracing again in August and again in September.

2011 (fourth in age group)

4:53:59 32:49 2:43:14 1:34:37

2010 (third in age group)

4:50:22 32:35 2:41:28 1:32:35

2009 (second in age group)

4:42:01 33:37 2:35:15 1:29:53

Race day in pictures

*Photos by Margreet Dietz, author of A Hundred Reasons to Run 100km

IMJ Coaching - Boulder camp

Last week I was in Boulder, Colorado for a training camp run by Teresa Rider and Scott Jones of IMJ Coaching. I plan to write a bit more about the camp in the next few days but wanted to start with:

Ten things I learned/relearned

1. The importance of training with like-minded athletes.
2. The parallels between triathlon and life are endless.
3. Training at altitude is breath taking in more ways than one, though particularly in the pool.
4. Hammer Sustained Energy and Recoverite. (I had never tried either.)
5. Always eat for the ‘next’ training session.
6. How to make home-made oatmeal and granola. So easy to do.
7. An even better fitting bike would improve both my bike and my run. I want to be better, be faster.
8. Front quadrant swimming.
9. Being fit is critical to living well each and every day.
10. Be open to new ideas. Absorb, adapt and look ahead.

http://www.imjcoaching.com/

Yellow Lake cleared on 12/27

I tested my new 12-27 cassette today on the CompuTrainer at Challenge By Choice by riding about 30k on the second half of the Ironman Canada course through Yellow Lake.

It's a section of the course that has knocked me three times (once in training and twice in races).

I think the value in the CT is merging the real work I've done on the course with time on the computer generated one. About knowing where/when and how much to push and then determine a race day strategy.

I suspect I'll be seeing a lot more of the course over the next year. I have taken a pass on IMC in 2011 but I'm not done there.

Back to Yellow Lake for a moment though. I knew it was a steady climb. I hadn't realized that most of the climb is at 6 degrees or higher. It's not massive, but it comes at a point in the race where if I haven't been good with my nutrition or if I've gone too hard earlier, then ...

I was curious to see if the cassette swap would make any real difference. I have generally been skeptical of changes, thinking that it's about me becoming more fit and more skilled at climbing, and spinning.

What I noticed was that I was able to generate a bit more power and I was able to hold my cadence above 70. So perhaps I should be more open to other potential component changes.

Top 10 Tips from Jan Francke

1. The water is my friend, don't fight it

2. Sculling isn't just for beginners

3. Do drills every single session (see this post for drill ideas)

4. Kick-ing isn't really a four-letter word (Though side kicking is, for me, another story!)

5. Kick without a kick board. (Start on my back, then side to side)

6. There's no excuse for not knowing how to flip turn. (Now I can)

7. On freestyle, high elbows on both arms, watch my hand entry, don't dig so deep, glide, catch and pull myself forward and finish each stroke strong - but focus on one detail at a time

8. Mix in some back, breast stroke and an easy 50m between harder efforts for active rest (Fly will have to wait - Yi-khy?)

9. Use stretch cords often but use pull buoy and paddles in moderation

10. You get out, what you put in

One final thought: smile before, during and after each session. It's swimming, not geopolitics.

**

Jan became a member of the Czech national triathlon team when he was 15 years old. He's an accomplished sprint and Olympic distance triathlete and has coached athletes in Boulder, Co and most recently, in Squamish, BC.

He's been the coach of the Squamish Titans' masters swim squad for the 2010-2011 indoor season. He led the team to multiple podium finishes as well as provincial records for Yi-khy Saw at masters meets in Victoria and Kelowna earlier this year.

Jan continues to race competitively; he won the BC provincial age group 25-29 title in 2010. He's returning to Europe for the summer race season. Be fast.

Thanks Jan!

What a difference. The previous two seasons, I swam almost entirely on my own.

I had some advice from an overseas triathlon coach (Kristian Manietta) as well as from overseas athletes (Lisa Marangon et al) but there was no one on deck for me. I was OK with that.

I had seen the Titans' masters squad in action but I was so focused on my own sets - and in swimming freestyle - that I kept to myself.

I swam freestyle almost exclusively. I also swam most of the time with a pull buoy and I swam about half of the time with paddles.

For me swimming became about trying to power myself through the water as fast as I could. I knew I wasn't as efficient as I could be but I was getting faster. I watched videos and read books and magazine articles too.

I have developed into a solid 1:05 Ironman swimmer. But I've yet to break the one hour mark at an Ironman, which has been a swim target for a number of years. Perhaps in 2012?

I began last season to add 'swim weeks' to my training schedule; I'd swim for seven days in a row and sometimes twice a day - super easy the second time, similar to how I was taught to break up runs longer than 2 hours and to ease the stress I was putting on my body. The full-on weeks of swimming helped immensely and I highly recommend them, especially during winter. Frequency not volume per se is what has worked for me.

These weeks always give me a much better feel for the water and as my endurance increases, so does my ability to hold a steady, faster pace. The weeks also are a superb boost to my overall level of fitness. But of course, as a triathlete, I always want to be just "a little" bit faster in all three disciplines.

That's what led me to join the masters' squad this season. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made as a triathlete.

I had no idea that I would learn so much in such a short period of time. I had no idea I would be swimming so much faster and more confidently.

The past six months of swimming with the squad has been exceptional. I give full credit to Jan Francke for helping me find my inner fins.

While Jan is departing our shores for a period of time, I'll see him every time I hit the water. Thanks.

Book store

SUB NINE

Well, it's been a solid year of interviewing and researching. And I've had the chance to chat with some amazing athletes.

I hope that others find their stories as inspiring as I have.

Details on when the book will be available and where will be released shortly.

Soon I'll have more time to train!

TMC March & April issue

The current issue of Triathlon Magazine Canada has now mostly been posted online.

In it you'll find two stories that I wrote.

One is a profile of my swim coach, Jan Francke. This story isn't yet online so you'll have to buy an issue to read it. He's a very interesting guy and a competitive athlete.

The second story is online and it's advice from two coaches on how to plan the season ahead.
Check it out here.


For previous stories I've written for the magazine see the 'Articles' link across the top of this page.

Missed opportunity in Malaysia

I just read on ironmanlive that there will be no WTC events in Malaysia in 2011.

Ironman was held 11 times in Malaysia and I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to compete there twice. My two eagle inspired finisher medals among my most prized.

The race billed itself as the "Toughest" on earth - and the intense heat ensured it wasn't easy.

The first time I competed there I wilted. It was hot. But I wasn't deterred. I was far better prepared when I returned the next year. I had expected to race well and I did. When I finished, I was sure I had second place. I had gone faster than the guy who won my age group the previous year.

There were three slots for Kona in my age group and I believed I had achieved what I'd set out to do - get a ticket to the Big Island.

An hour or so after I crossed the finish line I chatted with Margreet by phone and heard that I'd finished fourth. I wasn't crushed. Still I decided that I'd had enough Ironman racing. I'd invested a huge amount of time the past six months in particular to prepare. As anyone who races an Ironman knows, it takes a huge commitment.

It's true that there weren't a lot of competitors in the race overall but each age group had a handful who were super competitive. I thought there's no way someone who finished ahead of me would not go to Hawaii. I accepted the reality that I'd put in the best race effort of my Ironman 'career' and yet three others had finished ahead of me. I had done everything I could. I wouldn't have done anything differently.

I went to the rolldown the next day, not so much for me but for some friends. To my astonishment, the guy who finished second in my age group didn't respond when his name was called. My heart skipped. And after the third place guy stepped up, my name was called and I was 'un-retired' before I was standing. It was a great moment for me as an athlete, one I won't ever forget. It didn't change who I am but it did confirm that I had worked hard and excelled and I was going to go to the Show.

Perhaps my experience in Malaysia colors my impression of it. It's natural to link positive thoughts with positive experiences.

Yet I have had the chance to race in many different countries and bar none, the race in Malaysia was as well organized as any other. The enthusiasm of everyone on the ground in Langkawi was superb. Was it perfect? Well, no. But I haven't been to a perfect race yet. Each race has its eccentricities.

Anyone who's read about racing in Malaysia knows that the organizers and the WTC have had a rocky relationship to say the least. I read on the ironmanlive site this morning how the WTC was looking for 'new' partners in Malaysia and 'better' venues etc. It was disappointing to read.

The people who put on Ironman Malaysia for more than a decade did a good job. It was a very solid race, with solid swim bike and run courses and athletes were well looked after. That shouldn't be dismissed. The host hotel wasn't a five-star super luxury one but it worked. The elevators could be busy but all that was required was some patience. No one ever hassled us for wanting to sleep with our bikes or other gear and we had this stunning view of the eagle and the ocean.

Change happens. It's part of life.

So you think you’re TOO old to go for a swim

We’ve all heard that 40 is the new 20 and 60 is the new 40 and so on. The bottom line is that we are constantly being reminded that age is simply a number.

On Saturday - at the Victoria masters’ swim meet - I learned that 80 is the new 40-something.

As Jan was powering - impressively - through his 200-metre butterfly, an announcement was made: an 80-year-old man had just set a new world record in the 100m freestyle. That’s right 80.

No need to clean your computer screen. No need to have your eyes checked. Don’t worry about the water in your ears.

What time was that? Really? No, really?

Yup, 1.16.

Hmmmm. That’s two seconds faster than I had just swum and that was a personal best for me, and I was - and am - stoked about how well I’m swimming.

I’ll get back to that 80-year-old in a minute because as impressive as his performance was, he wasn’t alone.

There was a 90-94 age group at the meet. Yes, that’s right. A 92-year-old man who swam the 50m, 100m and 400m events. He outswam, easily, athletes less than half his age. (Thankfully I finished ahead of him - comfortably - in all three distances.)

Unfortunately I can’t say the same for the 50m breaststroke, which clearly is my achilles heel. I touched barely 3 seconds faster than a 76-year-old man. And I was slower than two of the three men in the 65-69 age group and the two men in the 70-74 age group. (Note to Jan: I’ll focus on freestyle, I think.)

Hmmmm.

No regrets. This was my first swim meet.

But this story isn’t about me. It’s about all the motivation that any of us need to be active.

Graham Johnston is the speedy 80 year old. He was born in South Africa and apparently learned to swim before the age of one. I’m not sure of that but I gather he’s been swimming for a long time.

Johnston, who now lives in Texas, has set more than 80 world records. He won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1950. He swam at the 1952 Olympics. At the age of 60 he attempted - though was thwarted by cold temperatures - to swim the English Channel. He wasn’t deterred. At the age of 74 he became the oldest person to swim the Strait of Gibraltar - the 14km gap from Spain to Morocco.

You can’t help but be impressed. Here’s a guy who’s made being fit and healthy such a key part of his life that at the age of 80, his biological age is far far lower. That’s what I want. He can keep his records. I don’t need any records. Though I still plan to get faster so I’ll be back in the pool looking for more advice from Jan.

If I can feel as good as I do now when I’m 30-plus years older, I’d know that I’d really accomplished something - and hopefully I’ll have inspired, encouraged or helped motivate someone else to take better care of themselves.

It’s within all of our reach.

Thanks Jan and thanks Graham.

Victoria masters results

400m free first half in 3:11 .. finished in 6:39

100m free 37:44 and 40:97 for 1:18.41 PB

50m free 34.14 PB

I won my age group in the 400m (two competitors), I was second in the 100m (three competitors) and I was third in the 50m (four competitors).

I also was third in my age group in the 50m breaststroke (four competitors) but it hardly was my strength.

And I swam the anchor in our mixed 4 x 50m; we captured fifth.

It was superb. I can't think of enough superlatives for accepting the challenge of entering the meet. I had a blast.

Training tips from Macca

Macca wrote a post on his blog about preparing for the season ahead and he then offered eight training tips.

Here's a link to his post.

In shortened form, the tips are:

Don't focus on 'pre-conceived' ideas on volume. Focus on developing functionality in all three sports.

Recovery - in its many forms - is key.

If you miss a session, move forward.

Seven day cycles aren't required. Be open to mixing it up.

Identify your weaknesses at the start of the season - and note that not all of them are physical.

Trust your coach but remember you are "the CEO of your journey in this sport".

Brick sessions are key - but easy does it on the run.

Consistency rules but be flexible too.

Seasons pass

I am looking forward to the season ahead and have firmed my race plans a week into this new year.

I have purchased the Subaru Western Triathlon Series seasons pass and have put three of the five races on my schedule. There are conflicts with the two others.

The plan calls for racing at Shawnigan (near Victoria) in late May, Vancouver in early July and then closing out the tri season in Banff in September.

I'm really looking forward to racing again.

After a bit of a search, I've also settled on a new helmet (a Giro from Speed Theory) and a new pair of cycling shoes (Sidi Genius 5's from WesternBikeWorks).

I'm patiently waiting for the new CompuTrainer centre to open here in Squamish.

Eat healthier

This post is a reminder to myself more than anyone else.

My diet has improved vastly this past decade as I've become more fit and made training almost every day part of who I am. I enjoy racing and am looking forward to racing later this year but far more importantly I enjoy being fit.

Training consistently is a critical part of being fit. And one need not train as I do. I embrace the challenge. It keeps me younger. It helps me cope with the various stresses of daily life.

What I eat is something that I increasingly focus on. I have been making incremental changes year to year. It's nothing too dramatic. I still am attracted to foods that aren't always the best.

So I read an interview with the author of The China Study in the New York Times today and I thought it was interesting and might be of interest to others. The author - T. Colin Campbell - has decades of expertise.

His advice: plant-based eating.

I think there is merit in what he has to say. It doesn't mean I will stop eating meat, but I do think there is value in his argument and it's another reminder to think before eating.

A Challenge in Cairns

There's a new Challenge series race in Cairns - the third iron distance race in Australia. I wrote a short profile on the race for the January issue of Triathlon Magazine Canada.

The story isn't yet online so you'll have to get a copy from a newsstand.

Won With One

Lacking some motivation .. look no further than the Won With One group of athletes. I had the opportunity to chat with several of them and write a story for Triathlon Magazine Canada that was published in this month's issue.

Here's the link:

http://triathlonmagazine.ca/2011/01/sections/racing/profiles/triathlon-team-making-a-difference/