Phase Change

Post Apollo Bay Camp, we are now moving into the race (pre)season training phase. The next phase consist more of speed and endurance work and less on strength. Our summer training timetable kicks in the same week as daylight savings and this is where we move our Thursday night sessions to the Elwood Life Saving Club for Combo - bricks (run off bikes and then swim for short course and run and swims for long). Thursday mornings will be a TT ride for long course or a run session for short. As I am part of the Long Course group, there isn't really much of a change in my training schedule other than adding an ocean swim on Thursday evening.

Swim:

There are 4 planned swim sessions in a week - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday (as part of Combo) and Friday morning. I skipped most of the Friday morning swims last season as I was too tired from Thursday evenings. I will try to make it to as many sessions as I can, otherwise I must follow the program on my own after work. No slacking off.

Bike:

Bike sessions are still Tuesday evening windtrainer - ranging from 60-90min. Long course athletes will still have our Thursday morning TT efforts. This will either be laps of Albert Park lake or onto Beach Rd. Our long endurance rides will still be on Saturdays (with a small run off the bike). I will need to juggle between doing my long rides and some of the Saturday coaching sessions with Tri Alliance. It is our busiet time of the year with our association with Supersprint (for the Gatorade Series) and also our 6 week Try-the-Tri program for which we have 5 of them running over 6 months. It maybe that I will need to do a 2 hour ride before 9:30am and then another 2-3 hour ride in the afternoon. Closer to race dates, I will also be taking Wednesday off work to do another long ride in the week.

Looking back, I really didn't do much riding on the TT bike the previous summer and this is something which I will have to change if I want to do well in my races in the coming months.

Run:
Nothing really will change for the run session other than adding more kms and work on speed. It will be the usual Tuesday morning intervals at MSAC, Thursday evening run-swim combo at Elwood and a long run on Sundays at Fairfield/Beach Rd. My plans for running the Melbourne Ironman route is still being sorted out and it will be done over several weekends. I guess I am lucky to live so close to it (22-23km mark was pretty much at my doorstep). After shepparton, I will try to build my distance up to 35-37km prior to Ironman Melbourne. My longest run is 22km.

From experience, I will have good and bad days/weeks in training so I will consult the coaches and assess where I am at on a weekly basis. Injuries have been managed well so far - just muscle soreness/tightness. If I could afford massages I would get them on a weekly basis.

Looking forward to my up and coming events:
Kinglake 115km Ride in 8 days
Half Marathon 21.1km in 17 days
Round the Bay 100km in 24 days
Noosa Olympic Distance Tri in 38 days
Shepparton 70.3 in 52 days
Geelong Long Course in 136 days
.....and the big one - Ironman Melbourne in 178 days

Throw in a couple of ocean swims in Nov for Corporate Games (1km) and Feb for the Big Bay Swim (3.2km) to keep things interesting.

Shep 70.3 - Course Details are out!

A friend pointed out to me that my big head made it into the Shepparton 70.3 website...

I also noticed that the course details are up so I downloaded them and have posted them around my office cubicle and on my fridge.
Swim - this is a one and a bit lap of Kialla Lakes. The swim in the lake is like swimming in milo (with the grainy floatie bits in it too) - hard to see your hand. At least it doesn't stink. The lake must be ok as this event has been held in this location for years.


SWIM COURSE



Ride - 2 laps of this course. It is a very open (but flat) course so some areas are considered fast and others, not as much. There is one drink station on the course and one area where you have to make a sharp U-turn (also where people can cheer you on).



BIKE COURSE



Run - 3 laps of this 7km route. The run is undulating outside of the lake-loop. The good thing about this route is that you run past supporters and they can cheer you on the whole way through.



RUN COURSE



Mental Strength - Apollo Bay Camp Wrap Up.

Whenever I do Plan of Attack for a training - it never goes according to plan...

The itinerary was that I would leave Melbourne in time to check in a do the Friday afternoon run. Because I never sort out my nutrition plan on the Friday (have breakfast around 9am, leave Melbourne around 11:30 and not having lunch whilst driving), I took a gel on a fairly empty stomach about 15min before the (planned) 8km run. 4km in and the cramps and bloat started to happen. A 8km run became 5km which included 1km of walking and 100m of sprinting between car and toilet.  Lessons learnt - don't consume a gel on an empty stomach or you will need to find a toilet very soon.

After the soak in the ocean for the legs, it was a quick dinner and off to our Long Course briefing with Coach Jarrod Evans. The plan for me was a 110km ride from Apollo Bay - Benwerrin (via Lorne) and return with a 12km run off the bike. Jarrod also talked about doing it in accordance to time (duration) rather than distance - for me it was no more than 5 hours on the bike and no more than 1-1.5 hour for the run. It was then back to the house and pack for the next day.

I was trying out a few things out over the weekend - one was consuming gels from a flask rather than from the packets. I have to say - this worked a treat! Not only can I consume the gels easier (a quick squeeze of the flask which delivered more gels than the small opening of the packet) it also was better for the environment - less wrapping and less chances of rubbish being left on the ground when they accidentally drop them when riding. It is also more cost effective to purchase the gels in bulk than it is in their individual packets. This solution is good if you only like one flavour gel when riding. Multiple flask will need to be filled if you like multiple flavours. I will bring 2 flask as I like to also have a caffienated gel during my rides too.

So on Saturday, the ride was 110km - nothing too interesting to report back as I had ridden this route half a dozen times before. The weather was perfect, little to no wind and the sun was also out. Took the arm warmers off after the descent from Benwerrin. I will add that my descents is getting much better. I am more confident about turning left (with the left knee slightly turned outwards) but right turning still felt really unnatural. I found that I can only turn right whilst riding in the middle of the lane to gain much control. Stayed in the large chain ring the entire 110km even up Benwerrin.

The run off the bike was not as graceful. To sum it up - it hurt. Took me nearly 1:10 to do 10km. I was so thirsty that I nearly finished my 3 fuel belt flasks. Not sure if this was normal or not. I tried my hardest to push through the pain and there were a few moments where I had to dig deep and try to salvage my second wind. At the 1 hour mark, I only had walked/jogged about 9km. I needed to find the mental strength to push through the pain and keep running - this is something which I need to work on for the next few weeks. After the run, it was a 15min soak in the ocean, back to the house for lunch (homemade poached eggs on toast) and a quick nap before heading out to the Long Course workshop. We learnt several things from the talks which I will try over the next few weeks leading up to Shep, Geelong and Melbourne. These included warm ups, lead up races, equipment and hydration.

What I also learnt from Jarrod (over our group dinner) was the power to weight ratio. He remembered that my body fat % during Lorne Camp was around 32% (obese) and how I am down to about 28% and he says that losing body fat can also mean a reduction in power which some athletes forget to take into account and the first part which goes when you lose power is in your bike leg. Although you are lighter and can swim and run better - you may not have enough muscle strength for the bike ride which was something which I never considered or even thought about.

The plan for the Sunday was a 90km ride (no one other than advanced Ironman/Half Ironman) were to ride beyond Lavers Hill due to the poor weather conditions and I was relieved at that. As the temperature was around 14, I decided to just wear short bibs, a jersey and arm warmers (similar to Saturday) and this proved to be the wrong choice. It rained overnight and the wind did not calm down. As soon as the ride took you into the Otways, the temperature dropped and the rain started again. I was blown sideways several times and this scared me tremendously. I rode for 1.5 hours in and my heart rate dropped to around 80-90 bpm due to the temperature. I was shivering but I was still pedalling. Jarrod stopped several people around the 1.5 hour mark and asked them to turn around. When he approached me he told me that I had to turn around or else I would die out here, I knew that I didn't look good. He asked if I wanted a lift back and looking back, I should have taken up the offer. Instead, as I didn't want the weather to defeat me, I decided to ride back towards home. The ride back was a nightmare. The conditions were similar to the Kinglake ride of 2011. Not only was I soaked, I was also cold and struggling to keep the bike upright from the cross winds. My heartrate was low and I only ended up burning 800cal over 2.5 hours (when I usually burn around 500cal/hour on a long ride). My teeth were chattering to much, a headache formed from the sides of my jaw. One word - unpleasant. What got me through the tough hour back was remembering what Coach Greg said - you can only control what is controllable. I could not control the weather but I could control my composure and how I dealt with the situation. No tears. I just kept pedaling until I got to the house. It was a nightmare but I still got through it.

There was no run off the bike for me. I got straight into the shower and turned the hot water on and stood there for 30min before I could feel anything. It was then that I noticed that my fingers were aching and realised that I jammed my hand in the door on the way into the house and I didn't noticed it when it happened. I had a heater on in my room and cranked it full ball and had all my warm layers on to warm up. I was physically and mentally done for the weekend. Getting through Sunday morning was a mental challenge which I would like to think I came away with a win. I did what I could (controllable) and there will always be more opportunities for me to ride up to Lavers again. Even on the drive back to Melbourne, I was already planning on a weekend back to Apollo Bay so that I could ride up to Lavers Hill. Will plan this weekend after Shepparton.

So in summary:
Total Rides = 110km + 47km = 157km (63km short of 220km)
Total Runs = 5km + 9km = 14km (18km short of 32km)
Lessons learnt from the weekend regarding training, racing and mental strength = Priceless

Apollo Bay Pre-Season Camp - The Plan of Attack!

This weekend 21st Sept - 22nd Sept will be the Apollo Bay Pre-Season training camp. This will be my first pre-season camp ever but my 3rd training camp for 2012.

Last night, I started to pack for the weekend after tackling a lonely 2km in the pool (with band/pb and paddles) as I will be running this evening and most likely have no energy (mental strength) to think about what to pack. The accomodation I am staying at this time around does not have a clothes dryer and is about 1km from the pier where we soak our legs so I will need to pack multiple sets of cycling clothes and running gear and possible, my single speed bike.

Friday
Planning again to leave Melb around 12 and trying to arrive in Apollo Bay around 3pm - check in and get ready for (my) first training session - 8km flat run.

Saturday
6:30am start - 110km ride from Apollo Bay to Lorne and up to Benwerrin and return to Apollo Bay (hopefully within 5 hours). This time around, I will try to do this distance in a better time compared to the Long Course camp a few months ago - that would be my aim and have enough in me to run 12km off the bike as per the program.

Running off the bike is something which I have not done since March 2012. It will not be pretty - that I can promise but hopefully will give me a kick up the bum to do more runs off the bike from now on.

We will then have a rest before joining VIS coach Jarrod Evans for a workshop on Long Course training and racing at 4pm.

Sunday
A 6:15am start - The ride will be another 110km but heading towards Lavers Hill and turn around at Wyelangta and back to Apollo Bay. Again, there will be another 12km run off the bike. I didn't do this ride last time due to stomach issues and so this weekend, I am determined to do this no matter what.

Check out of our accomodation will be around 3pm and may leave Apollo Bay around 4pm.

If everything goes to plan (no stomach issues this time around), I will aim to do the following:
Ride = 220km
Run = 32km

As I haven't done many hill rides in winter, I am hoping that the 220km ride along the Great Ocean Rd and up Deans Marsh Rd and Lavers Hill will be good enough training for the Kinglake ride on the 6th Oct.

Going to give it all I have this weekend (mentally and physically) - I have nothing to lose, only gains.

Training for an Ironman - Perspective

I am not a professional triathlete. I am an age-grouper. The goals for an Ironman Race (or any race for that matter) should be simple:

1. To make the cutoff time
2. To have fun
3. Enjoy the surroundings,
4. Finish in an upright position with the ability to speak to the volunteers at the finish line.

Personal Best.

I am venturing into new frontiers....I have never put my body into loads like these ever in my life. I guess it is pretty obvious as I have never had to train for a half ironman (or even more, an ironman) before.

My swimming has been coming along well. I have seen improvements and this is evident in my 1km swim time trial this morning where I took off nearly a whole minute from 20:52 to 19:56. It feels great to crack the 20min mark. Albeit that I am still one of the slower swimmers of the long course group, beating my own PB is all that it matters and it gives me more confidence that I am going to be able to swim 3.8km come March. As we come closer to racing season, the long course guys will be incorporating some (pool) swimming on Sunday afternoon. These sessions will be non-coached so its up to me to do these sessions myself (or swim with someone who is willing to train the same time as me).

Over the weekend, I completed my first 120km bike ride (outside of an event - Kinglake Sept 2011) and finished it under 5 hours. Once again, started at my house, then rode up to Port Melbourne (very hard to do efforts when there are people who over take and then drop back) but the ride towards Mt Eliza (via Olivers and Humphries) was great as the roads were not as congested with cyclists and motorist. After Humphries Rd, I turned right and headed towards Mt Eliza instead and this is now I increased my distance (previously 110km was my longest) and turned around at Canadian Bay Rd and towards Black Rock and then home. Next time, will try to ride towards Tyabb Rd in Mornington which may make the ride close to 150km+ This will need to be assessed as riding on the road bike is very different from riding the TT bike. 120km under 5 hours - another PB.

With running, I have been consistent with turning up at Fairfield Park to run with the North group. As we are working towards the Half Marathon (and Shepparton), I have been running 20km+ for the last 3 weekends or so. The week before, Greg wanted me to run a steady 20km but last week he wanted a 10km effort (quicker than race pace for half ironman). Because of these efforts, I was seriously struggling the last 3km of the run with a sore (left) hip. It is something which I need to work on to get a faster half marathon time - it needs to be a race rather than just get through the distance. Being able to run 20km+ 3 weekends in a row is definitely a PB. Never in my mind would I ever have thought that this was something which I could do comfortably.

I won't be doing the run TT this Thursday as I have Apollo Bay training over this weekend. But will be aiming to achieve more PB regarding the distance I will ride and the time it takes for me to complete them. I will need to work on my nutrition better and work out what to take on the bike rides.

Back in the Bikram room on Tuesday morning (no coached run session) and then I will be taking the windtrainer session on Tuesday night and Swim session Wednesday AM. Haven't done Bikram in about 10 months. Hard to fit it in amongst all the training I do and it also cost $20 per session (which I don't have) but will be able to go this week and afford it too. Winner!

Sleep....or the lack thereof.

I have never been a bad sleeper. In my family, I am the only one who can fall asleep anywhere, anytime and in any position (sitting on a couch, on a plane, lying on the floor). I am also a good sleeper - although I sleep in a queen size bed, I have always just laid in one spot from the moment I fall asleep to the moment my alarm goes off.

Ever since my training load increased to a half ironman program, I have noticed that I am not getting enough sleep over the last 2 months or so. I have stopped consuming caffeine after 7pm (this includes gels) to ease my body into a good sleep but this hasn't helped. I try and get into bed by 10-10:30pm but as I return home from training on most nights by 9pm, it doesn't give me much time to unpack, eat, shower (or shower, eat), then pack bags (3-4 bags) and be prepared to sleep by 10pm without rushing like a mad woman.

To ease the rush, I have already started the habit of packing my work clothes for the next week into 5 individual bags, 3 seperate bags with one towel and one swimwear in each for my swim days and my windtrainer bag all during the weekend. Even with some pre-planning, I still feel like my life is still a never ending routine of unpacking and packing.

I know that eating dinner so late at night also doesn't help with sleep as the body is actively processing and metabolising the food I consume, so I have tried having a liquid meal after training as much as I can but there is only so much protein shakes one can tolerate per week.

Due to me morning training sessions, I set my alarm for 4:30am and 4:45am for Monday through to Thursday and 5:00 and 5:15am for a Friday. I have 2 alarms - the first one wakes me up from sleep, the second one tells me to get out of bed. Weekend alarms depend on where we are riding and running.

During the last few months, I have been waking up every 2 hours (or so) with a fright on most nights. My heart rate is so high that sometimes I feel like its going to beat out of my chest. I never remember what day it is so the first thing that I stress about when I wake (in a fright) is what training session I am late for, the next would be if I have packed all of my bags for it and the third is am I really late? The first thought actually scares me quite a bit and this is why I have bought a better clock which has the day on it so I know what day it is straight away. Secondly, I look at the clock and if it is not 4:30am or 5:00am, I go straight to sleep. This sleep fright also happens during my naps on weekends too which is a bit of a worry.  

Recently, I have noticed that the lack of good sleep is affecting my mood when I am awake - this could either be at work or during training. I feel that I lack the energy during work and I am easily agitated (when people ask stupid questions or people at work being immature).

I guess I know that my body (and mind) needs a rest from training. I will try to sleep as much as I can on weekends after long endurance sets. Being prepared over the weekend has helped and must refrain from worrying about training.  I have also started to take Swisse Sleep supplements (as advised by experts) to aid my sleep. Will see how it goes.  

The half marathon is in 32 days (received my bib on Monday), Noosa in 53 days, Shepparton in 67 days, Geelong in 151 and finally, the big one, Melbourne IM in 193 days.

Looking Ahead

My training for half ironman (and full ironman) have been progressing well.

I have improved in my swimming (both speed and endurance) - I have noticed that my strokes are more efficient and I can feel both the catch and the pull of the water on both sides more evenly. Currently attending 3 sessions a week for the last 4 weeks or so.

The riding is something which I need to spend more time on and will need to venture outside of Beach Rd into the hills to build strength. I might add these in on Thursday mornings instead of doing windtrainer sessions...hopefully, we will be heading into Kinglake this month as it is getting close to the Kinglake ride event. Over the weekend, I rode 110km from Mentone through to Port Melbourne - top of Humphries Rd and return. If we are back on Beach rd again this weekend, I will ride another 10km to Mornington before heading back to Mentone.

Running has definitely improved - I am not injured and just over the weekend, I ran 20km (my longest run outside of an actual half marathon event). I did have an issue with my back during the run in that I neglected to stretch it out and only remembered around the 15km mark. Once it was stretched out, I was in pain and slightly immobile for the rest of the day after I rested when I reached home. It has improved as I had a massage on Monday night for my legs as well as my back and shoulders. Looks like massage might need to be added every 2nd week from now on. Running this weekend will be along the beach (not Fairfield) so I will see how I go again. Hoping to run 21-22km this weekend. Used a fuel belt for the first time too on the weekend and it has worked a treat! Handy to have your hydration and nutrition sorted on the run. Will also try to fit in Bikram on Sunday afternoons so I am properly stretched and I reduce my onset muscle soreness which I have been experiencing over the past weeks.

Looking ahead post April 2013, I am looking into what my goal races will be for 2013-2014. I have decided not to race Hawaii 70.3 in June 2013 as I want to take a proper holiday in America/Canada during July 2013. I have also decided to not race Noosa 2013 and concentrate on Port Mac 70.3 in 2013. Noosa this year (2012) will be just a tick in the box and see how much I have improved over the last 12 months and comparing that time with Noosa 2011 - my first Olympic distance race.

My race weight is coming down nicely to 57.6kg (4th Sept). The goal race-weight is still 55kg and looks like I am getting there slowly but surely.