Motivation

The mornings are now pitch dark when I hit the road. I need the reflective vest and headlamp. It's also colder, so I have a couple of light layers and a hat. This is just the start- it's going to get really really cold soon, and I won't see any daylight for these runs until at least March. It's a small, cold, occasionally numbing, uncomfortable world, and I'm slow. It isn't a whole lot of fun, but the only reasons I don't hit the road as scheduled is if it's below 10 degrees or there's snow or ice on the road.

As for the bike, it's in our back garage on a trainer, next to a workbench, with a fan and TV. Soon enough I'll need the portable heater on full blast so that the temp goes from a toe-numbing 38 to a balmy 45 by the time the ride ends. So while I have the TV and music as a distraction, I wouldn't exactly call it paradise.

I get out there and put in the time and miles. And miles and miles. Why? Why do I do this? This past Tuesday, I went out for my scheduled run at 5:40. About a quarter mile into the run, I get to a place that's wide open fields. In the western sky, an incredible, enormous full moon was setting. Just a few wisps of clouds added depth to the picture. It was one of those moons you feel like you can reach out and touch. It was beautiful.

On that day, for that run, that was my motivation. And it got me thinking about all of the various sources of motivation that push us.

1. The event. The "A" race that although it's months and months away, you can't stop thinking about it. It's always there. Everything you do- or don't do- you think about how it will impact your race. For me, last year it was the USAT Nationals. I missed qualifying for Team USA by a measly 45 seconds the year before, so I wanted it BAD. I wanted to be a NOAD. This year, it's Worlds.

2. The competition. When you put two competitors next to each other, they will want to crush the other. You dissect race splits to see where you did well compared to them and where there's room for improvement. You become very aware of everything when you're around them, even if it isn't at a race. OK, it sounds a bit psycho and self-centered, I know. Locally, I have several folks who are in my vicinity, and I want to beat them every time. I don't want to show up for even a "C" race and let them finish in front of me. And seeing good results from races I don't go to revs me up. It makes me think they are going to be even better next year. Which means training and racing even harder than last year. Seeing Jeff F's pictures from ITU Long Distance Worlds got to me. Seeing the Thanksgiving Day 4 mi results for Jeff and Rob F got to me. Reading Bob T's new blog got to me. He has no idea he just handed me some race time- thanks, Bob. Keep it coming guys, you're stoking the fire.

3. Sights. Scenery can be invigorating. The full moon, a rising sun, and great scenery can push me. One of my favorite roads is Flying Point Rd. in Freeport. It's beautiful there.

4. Challenges. I'm a fan of Rocky. I love a challenge. Hill repeats on the bike and run, track intervals, or really long, punishing tempo rides are exhausting, but it feels great to get through them. Some of my most memorable sails were solo efforts in Penobscott Bay in our 18 foot sloop in 25 knots. I wasn't quite sure if I'd make it back, or if the boat would stay in one piece. But I made it back and couldn't wait to do it again.

5. Music. My shuffle is my friend. It's loaded with songs that keep me going- Rocky theme songs, lots of stuff from the 80s, and a smattering of other stuff that's either upbeat or has some special meaning to me.

6. Anger. This one is pretty rare, but when I get pissed at someone and can't get it out of my mind, I take out my frustrations on the road.

7. The Feeling. Rolling out of bed, sore from head to toe feels good. I know I've worked when I feel like that. And I know I'm headed in the right direction. Then I can't wait to get out and do it again.

8. The Family. I'll never forget talking with Nick on the phone after Nationals this year when he said, "We're proud of you." I want my family to think well of me. I want my kids to look up to me, which might help drive them to accomplishments later in life.

9. Clothes. Fast clothes may not make a huge difference in themselves, but if I'm going to wear a fast uniform, I better not disappoint. Pulling on the USA uniform will be the ultimate rush.

10. Data. The powermeter doesn't lie, and shows exactly where you stand compared to last week, month or year. For the run, the Garmin does the same thing. All of this data goes into WKO+. It's very easy to pick out previous peaks and attempt to better them. A classic for me is an FTP test on the bike. That's basically a stair-step, drop-dead bike set.

11. The perfect race- the love of the sport. I want to be able to look in the mirror and know I did everything I could to go fast. There are so many components to a good race that there's always something to work on. But as for physical effort, I know if I did what I was capable of. And it really bugs me when I didn't reach my potential.

Now I sit here imagining a race where I have on the USA uniform, my family is there, I push and push my limits, the powertap is silently screaming my output, well-known, tough competition is all around me, the course is in a great location, music is blaring, and there's a lot on the line. Whoa. I guess that's why we have power meters and heart rate monitors to keep us under control.

Gotta go get ready for tomorrow's run in the dark. Gonna kick some ass.

What's your motivation?

Next up...

Tomorrow morning I enter the next phase of my training. I'll keep bike, swim and strength time the same, but throw in another run of one hour. Total training time moves up to 8:45 per week. November was supposed to have just two runs per week, but I was able to squeeze in an extra run the last two weeks. Weekly mileage was 11, 13, 16, 17, and moves to just under 19/wk in December. This increase in mileage is partially in preparation for the Cape Midwiter 10 mile race in early February. There will be plenty of folks around me in the 1:10-1:13 area. I was struggling with my running speed until the last few runs, where I felt a little lighter (while not technically correct- I'm up about 8 lbs. in 3 months), stronger, and my base pace moved down to about 7:45. Overall in November, I put in 32.5 hours, compared to 26.5 last year.

Away from the data, I feel like I'm coming out the other side of my off-season low. It's been three months since Nationals, so it's about friggin' time. Physically, while not trying to push my limits, I do feel like I'm able to work harder each week. The nagging injuries don't nag quite as much. I'm looking forward to some long, exhausting snowshoe runs. I want to mix it up again. I want those butterflies again. Admittedly, it's a little hard to see my main competition turning in good results in road races. I know June-September is the time to perform, but still, put me next to one of these guys and I want to GO. Knowing I can't right now is tough.

Details about Worlds are starting to trickle in. That's added fuel to the training fire. My race is on 9/12/10, 286 days from now.

Everest, All Wet

Something weird happened today...I finished an 8,000 yd. pool workout, as scheduled, and actually enjoyed it. That's just wrong.

Let's put this in perspective. First, I am a sprinter in the pool at heart. I went 49 in the 100 in college, and still went 53 last winter. But a 200? Forget it. A 500? Pathetic. Back in 2002 at New Englands, I went out in 3:03 and finished in 5:19. It isn't supposed to be done that way. You should have seen that piano fall from the ceiling. I have always believed, and will continue to believe, that quality is far more important than quantity. As one wise man once said, "if you practice swimming slow...you'll get good at it." I learned to teach my body what it felt like to swim FAST. For example, we trained with fins doing all-out 25s from a dive. With stretch cords, we would work returning from the far end just as much as getting there in the first place.

Since Nationals in August, I haven't done more than one ride per week, and never more than 22 miles or so. Running has been better, but I'm still only doing 2 runs/wk for about 12 miles (I'll add a third run starting next week). Swimming, on the other hand, has been going very well. I've been in 4 days/wk, for a total of about 12,000+ yds. And the intensity has been there. I am putting in times- and repeats- that I haven't done in practice in a long time. I'm also using paddles once per week, which has made a huge difference- until I did 19x100 on 1:20 with them last week. My left shoulder has felt a bit screwed up ever since. So I came to today a bit concerned that I might do further damage.

The noon group started a campaign a while back. Every Wednesday we alternated between all 100s and something else. Week 1 was 30x100, week 2 3,000 mixed, week 3 40x100, etc. I made it to the 50x100 and 5,000 mixed, but the last 5 weeks I've bailed early because I didn't want to put in junk yards, and frankly, I found it terribly boring. I typically got out around 4,000.

So today was the finale, 8,000 yards. Work was slow, I felt pretty good, ate a little more for breakfast, worked on hydrating and salt while at the office, and opened up to the idea that I might finish the whole thing. Here's the workout:

4 x (400, 300, 200 ,100)- First time through on 1:30/100, then 1:25, 1:20 and 1:20.
16 x 125 on 1:50, descend 1-8, ascend 9-16
4 x (1x100 on 1:20, 2x75 on 1:15, 3x50 on 40, 4x25 on 25)

My lane set up a great rotation in the first set so we shared the lead and also got lots of incredible drafting. The first 2,000 took zero effort. It was like sledding downhill. Even the next 2,000 was only harder when leading. That entire set was devoid of thought. I just turned the brain off, stayed in line, and took it easy. I knew I would need to if I wanted any hope of finishing.

It was around 3,000 when a few others started dropping of the pace a bit. And at 3,800, the calf cramps started. I hate calf cramps, and get them in most harder or longer workouts. Good push offs are impossible, and I end up swimming with at least one foot completely flexed so my toes are pointing up until I reach the wall. Not fast. The cramps continued to get worse for the rest of the workout. By some miracle, I never had to stop. I also swam fairly well the entire time, and stayed mentally engaged in the effort the whole way. I never got bored.

Somewhere near the end, I began thinking about how far 8,000 yards really is. I know Mt. Everest is 8,000+ meters, but at the time, I figured I had swum almost as far as Everest is above sea level. That's pretty cool. Grant me a little leeway on this one.

Anyway, it feels great to have finished this. And it's fine if I don't do something this stupid again in a while.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Planning 2010

Planning for 2010 started on 8/22/09 when I qualified for the ITU Age Group World Championships, to be held in Budapest on 9/11/10. The rest of the training year will point towards that race.

This year's plan has the usual suspects, but I've dropped two out of state races I did last year. I also added two early running races in February and March- it will be good to get the competitive juices flowing at a point when I've been inside for a few months and still have a couple of months of crappy weather. Finally, there's still a hole in my plan. I need one more olympic distance race somewhere around late July or early August.

So here goes...

February- Last year I did the Cape 10 mi race "for the heck of it." I used the first few miles as warm up and had no pressure for a quick run. I ended up descending every mile, finishing at a 6:30 pace. Oh yeah, I hadn't run more than 6 before that. This year I'll try to put in a better effort. There are a few folks that beat me last year that will make good targets (Jeff, Ange, Mary....). I went 1:15 last year, so if the conditions are comparable (doubtful), maybe a 1:10-1:12 is possible. One week later is the Polarbear 5k.

March- I'll do my first snowshoe race ever, a 5k at Pineland. I have a good pair of under-used running snowshoes that I love. There are a whole bunch of trails near the house that I love to use on the weekends.

May- The tri season will kick off with the Polarbear sprint. It's the first chance for tri egos to see how the winter training went. Two weeks later is a fantastic bike time trial, Crank the Kanc. It's a one-way race from Conway to the top of the Kancamagus Highway. The first 17 are rolling, the last 5 UP. Red-lining for about 70 minutes. It's a great data-gathering race. I can compare the power files to 2008 and 2009.

June- In my mind, the season really kicks off with the Mooseman Olympic distance race. I was 5th in my AG last year, and 13th overall. It can be a very competitive race and you never know who will show up. This year, there's more competition for Mooseman due to the 70.3 the next day and the popular Rev3.

July- Urban Epic is a good race to do, even though it's just a sprint now.

August- I'll try to defend my title at the Bethel Tri. Winning overall last year from wire to wire was a thrill last year.

September- World Championships. 'Nuf said.

As for specific goals for the season, I'm having some trouble. I made Team USA, and I know I don't have a chance at the podium in Budapest. Top half of my AG would be good. So there's no "next step" race on the horizon. Locally, I'll always want to do well against my local rivals (Jeff, Rob, and 70.3 man Bob T.).

While it's not very specific, perhaps my big goal is to wear the uniform with pride. Having my name on my ass means there's a target on my back. Let's face it- people will want to knock me off simply because I have USA on my chest. They should. I certainly did the the same the last two years. So now it's my turn to be the target. And it's my job to move that target as far away as possible.

I'm Cool!

Last night after the 7th/8th grade dance, I picked up Nick and took him home to get stuff for a sleepover. Then we got back in the car to go pick up the other two boys. On the way, my iPod played Dire Straights' Money for Nothing. You know, it has that great opening drum solo, followed by a guitar solo. Upon hearing it for the first time, Nick says, "That's awesome!" I burst out laughing. "Why are you laughing?" "Because I NEVER said that about the music my father played." Which is true. However the real truth was that I was bursting with a great feeling of acceptance. My son thinks I'm cool!!! Well...maybe he thinks the music is cool. No...I like the former. We payed the opening another three times. Then we picked up the other boys and played it again. Those two are in the back yelling, "That's sick!" and playing air drums and guitar. Btw, "sick" is really good. In fact, better than "awesome." My son's friends think I'm cool! I still laugh at the scene and my reaction. I guess most parents have an innate desire to be friends with their kids. Made my day.

As for training, it's been a bit all over the place. I've been dealing with a host of injuries- hamstring, quad, knee, SI joints. So I've been on my bike just four times in the last two months. Running has been better, about 2-3 times per week. I can still build into a good run, to the point where I feel I could hold 7:15-7:30 forever. However I haven't been longer than 5 miles in the last month.

My big focus has been in the pool. I've done 65,000 yards in the last 5 weeks, with the max at 17,000 yards three weeks ago. I've been using paddles for the first time in decades, just once per week, not too hard, and no more than 1000 yards. As long as my shoulders hold up, I think the added strength will make a big difference.

In total, I'm at just 5-6 hours per week, and there are no double sessions. I'm just now beginning to add some strength work and weekly structure. I realized I needed a break from the training grind, especially considering I have 10 months to my target race. I'm going to build weekly hours gradually, without hitting my max until May or June. Last year I did 11-12 hours from November through March, then cut down to 10. It was too much. In the next few months, I'm also going to go through phases of focusing on certain sports. Lately, it's been swimming. I'll soon ramp up the running with a focus on the Cape 10 miler in early February. Then I'll back off on the run and have a two month bike focus. I think this plan will keep me fresher for the season without sacrificing results.

Congrats to those who raced Kona last week, and good luck to those @ the Great Floridian this weekend. That was my first ironman, 10 years ago this week.

Race Report: CELT Sprint- Family Relay

Thankfully, no other bummers yesterday. I had enough yesterday morning to last a few weeks. Today started with my rustling the kids out of bed at 6:30 in an (unsuccessful) attempt to get everyone out the door by 7. As it turned out, the timing worked great, especially considering I didn't have a transition area to set up. It was great to see the group again, possibly for the last time until the Polarbear in May.

Because I was only swimming, I put in a longer warmup than usual, about 12-1400 yds. I was seeded in the first heat which was made up entirely of relay swimmers. For some strange reason, I had more butterflies than any other race this season. Maybe it was the fact that it was just a swim, so there was no excuse to hold back. Maybe it was all of the people inside watching- they can't watch that easily in the open water. Maybe it was swimming next to a guy who beats me in practice....or the chance that some high school swimmer is there I don't know about...in other words...ego. Yeah, that's it.





Now let's see how interesting I can make a 425 yd swim sound- The first 100 felt great, 2nd not so much, work hard on the 3rd, and hang on for the 4th. That's about it.


I was the first out of the water, ran out to Nick, tagged him, and watch him ride off in first place.I later learned that he actually stopped twice- once due to a puddle-covered pothole that rattled him, and another because there was no one around and he was afraid he was off course. He even started taking his cell phone out of his baggie, until someone came by. What he didn't know is that his dumb parents didn't have their phones with them so we couldn't have answered anyway. Without looking at the results, I'd guess he came in with a split of about 49 minutes for 14 miles, which comes to about 17 mph, including stops. Given that it's his first ride ever over 8 miles, first race, it was raining, he's 13, stopped twice, and had the big black pedals with sneakers, he did a fantastic job.

Leah took the handoff and charged into the 3 mile trail run. Chirstine went with her to help her confidence. I heard she stopped to walk about six times, for only 20 seconds each. When she emerged from the woods, headed for the finish, she looked great. Strong the whole way. Check out her form:

All done!

It was really fun to involve the whole family. After they warmed up and had a bit to eat, they were actually enthusiastic about the experience, and have asked to do it next year.

A Helluva A Day

I've had a lot of fun with my training lately. Nothing has been planned, I haven't done any doubles, and the quality is fine. I tend to ease into my runs, keep building, and end up somewhere around a 7-7:15 pace. I'm also getting back into the swimming groove. Wednesday was the third week of big Wednesdays, which will finish the day before Thanksgiving. The first two weeks were 30x100 at various intervals, then 1x1000, 2x500 and 8x125. Every two weeks we increase the yardage by 1000, and keep the same basic structure. So this week was 40x100. It's been several months since I've gone that far, so that feels good.

Back to today. I unintentionally woke up really early, couldn't go back to sleep, so got up a bit before 5. I started with my first trainer ride of the season, which strangely felt good and ominous at the same time. there are many, many hours to come on that trainer. That went for 1:05, then I headed out for a good long run. I headed out past the West Falmouth Hannaford, crossed the river, and found the start of the Portland Trails Trail. It was fantastic running alongside the river, through the woods, up, down, left right, constantly changing. I came out on Allen Ave. extension and headed home at a 7-7:15 pace. The whole run was about 9 miles in 1:15 (obviously slow on the trails). It was a great START to the day. Then the rest of the day happened.....

- Before the bike, I felt some tightness in my hamstring. It didn't bother me much on the bike, and I didn't notice it on the run. But it's killing me now. I obviously pulled something back there.

- So then we had someone take a look at our roof due to the leaks last winter. The whole damn thing needs to be replaced. Very, very expensive.

- Upon calling Toyota, where yesterday they replaced the brakes (expensive), they said they also need to replace the parking brake cable and it won't be ready until Monday.

- Then we went to replace our mattress (the two yr old one was under warranty), causing us to throw in another $400. I hate shopping for mattresses. How can you honestly tell how something is going to feel after a full night's sleep, much less 10 years? I also hate going to the Mall.

- Returning to the house, I was reminded that we just replaced the axle on the boat trailer, and the riding mower is at the shop getting new belts.

And it's only 12:30. I know we are more fortunate than many, and I am thankful for what we have. But I've had better mornings.

Tomorrow I head to a local sprint tri. The swim (425 yds) is in the pool where I grew up. It's always fun to go back there. Even better, I'm only doing the swim. Given the condition of my leg, that's a good thing. Nick will bike (14 mi) and Leah will run (3). It will be fun doing this as a team.