The 7 Deadly Sins

Firstly,  BIG congrats to those Summit Performance Athletes completing a very difficult Ironman St George on May 5th.
David Christian, M35 28th in his highest placing ever in an IM
Scott Sutton, M25 and completing his first ever IM and did it on one hell of a day
Eric Mcrae, M45 who battled the elements all day and never ever gave up
You three should be justifiably proud of your accomplishment.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

I’ll make an attempt to convey some historical character flaws, by covering one per blog over the next few weeks. This is by no means an attempt to relate a religious connotation to cycling, running, or triathlon. However, the historical relevance is undisputed in it’s direct correlation to the flaws I commonly see in athletes. Flaws that are commonly ignored by athletes, and are, in fact, the crutch that holds them back from achieving their goals in sport. The 7 deadly sins.

Gula
Irritum
Invidia
Acedia
Avaritia
Luxuria
Superbia

Gula
The over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste.
In discussion at Summit Tucson camp this spring, I suggested that athletes should in fact, allow themselves to function throughout the day with hunger twice a week, typically on the recovery days. This is presuming the athlete has put a quick thought into recovery from the workout(s) preceding the recovery day (Sat, Sunday big workouts, followed by Monday recovery day). I asked David Christian what his method was in dropping 10 pounds off his prior “race weight” going into IM St George and he replied, “Monday’s were the key.” David recovered properly off his weekend workouts, and on his lighter day Monday would eat very light, without consuming any unnecessary calories. This lead to a 1-2 pound weight loss per week.
Eating light can of course harm an athlete, and those athlete’s that I see eating a salad after a 70 mile bike ride or 16 mile run are in fact, harming themselves in terms of recovery. “Eating for the workout tomorrow” is another common misnomer and while not entirely incorrect, is not the optimal approach to proper weight loss. “Eating for the workout just completed” will allow for more rapid recovery, and will then lead to optimal successive workouts. I showed athletes at Camp how it is simple to estimate how many carbohydrate (THE rate limiting agent in exercise and the critical agent to replace between workouts for optimal performance) is needed based on the length and type as well as general intensity of the workout. This included the baseline carbohydrate needed for normal function of bodily systems on a day to day basis. Once you know this, and you know how rapid glycogen synthesis occurs (also detailed at camp), then it’s easy to estimate how much you need in the 24 hours following a glycogen taxing or depletion workout.
“Do not confuse fatigue with hunger” is another concept I attempted to reinforce at camp. If you ride 80 miles, and you take proper recovery after, then eat the correct quantity of carbohydrate and protein 2 hours later, then more carbs before bedtime to assure proper glycogen synthesis over-night…then you feel a bit fatigued the next day. Well, that is due to the lack of repolarization of muscle fibers associated with a labor intensive workout completed 18 hours prior. If you have taken the proper amount of carbs and protein to recover from that workout, and the additional amount for your normal physiology, then you are done! If you only have a swim the next day or a very light short run or spin, then it is unnecessary to consume high carb food just because you have some residual fatigue. This leads to weight gain. This is exactly how some athletes actually gain weight during a camp. Gaining weight during a training camp simply means the athlete does not know how to eat and does not have a concept of how to properly recover, simple as that. A coach may disagree with this but sorry, they are wrong. You can lose just a small amount of weight at a camp (caloric weight not water weight) and get away with it, but the optimal outcome is to remain iso-caloric, meaning very similar weight before…and after camp.

So, confusing expected residual fatigue with hunger. This indirectly leads to gluttony. The more common form is more simple. Its about your conscious decision to make the wrong choices in you diet to simple please yourself. Ordering the big  piece of cake, eating the 1/3 box of cereal at night, the 2 cups (4 servings) of ice cream, the full-fat buttered popcorn, the full-fat dish at PF Changs, the fast food, etc. Now these are quite obvious. The more subtle choices are those of eating a candy bar on a ride instead of a protein bar, and justifying it by thinking “I’m burning plenty of calories today”, or “I know pro’s that do it (and I know many athletically ignorant pro’s). Choosing to skip the 400 calorie recovery drink and opting to get the cheeseburger and fries instead. Choosing whole eggs, cheese,  and sausage for your omelet instead of egg whites, no cheese, and substitute mushrooms for sausage. Whole-cheese vegi pizza instead of simply asking them to weight out 1/3 of the normal amount of cheese when you order. Yes I can go on with numerous examples of gluttony but I think you get the picture.

Now, I am a firm believer in reward behavior. The benefits of this concept are well established. This is why I bought crispy bacon and 1/2 order stuffed french toast with my breakfast the day after IM St George, and even though I pulled out of the race, I still had one hell of a ride and a 12 mile brick, and thus rewarded myself. This is far different from eating this type of breakfast every weekend after a long run or long ride.
I had 2 McDonald’s cheeseburgers the night of St George as well (12 grams of fat each), and I specifically remember the last time I had a McDonald’s cheeseburger, and it was in November of 2005, the night of Ann’s first qualification for Kona (I was rewarding myself in her accomplishment!). This is not a load of bull, this was the last time I had a cheeseburger from McDonalds. Now, every ironman I have some form of reward meal, as well as the next day, but it simply varies each time. Regardless, you can bet it will be something I have deprived myself of for many months going into the race, and thus is even more pleasing after I’ve “earned” those meals.

I discussed self-deprivation in a prior blog. This is a powerful strategy in the psychological preparation for a key event. In fact, I bought 2 packages of Pretzel M&M’s (5 grams fat each) 3 days before St George. I am certain David, Kelly or Ann didn’t notice because this was not my intent, but I purposely left both packages on the kitchen counter and walked by them every day  going into the race. Each time I saw them, and especially in the evenings, the urge to open one and eat the entirely unnecessary pre-race calories was there. However, I deprived myself intentionally in those days going into the race, and I became stronger because of it. I had one of the packages the night following the race while packing my bike and trust me they were far better in that moment then if I had given in to my desire to eat them pre-race. What was my solution in those day’s going into the race?  Instead of opening the candy, I ate a low-fat greek yogurt, a red grapefruit, or rice and eggs. It was a simple as that.

We, as a society, are generally raised to “finish everything on your plate”, and this leads to bad behavior habits as adults. In addition, as I explained at camp, you will not pass out or die if you allow yourself to be just a bit hungry throughout the day. You do not have to place calories in your mouth each and every time you feel the slightest bit of hunger, or when your bored. Instead, allow yourself to remain a little hungry through the day. This is not just a practice of self deprivation and a method to increase your psycological strength, but it’s physiologically an advantage. By maintaining lower insulin levels, and thus higher glucagon hormonal levels throughout the day, your metabolism remains catabolic. Slight catabolism throughout the day will make you stronger by maintaining the shift to fatty acid metabolism, and preventing the anabolic state that results with insulin secretion. This will in turn lead to a slightly higher efficiency of fat utilization. Sorry to disappoint some of you but “organic” does not translate to “low calorie” or “good for you”. Some of the most unhealthy people I know eat almost exclusively organic and/or vegan. This is not a pass to consume massive amounts of calories.

Finally, the opposing character trait to gluttony is temperance.
Practice temperance
Practice some reasonable self-deprivation, but also reward yourself occasionally
Stop being weak, and become stronger
Regardless if you are a 14 hour ironman athlete, or an 8:30 athlete
This applies to all

 

Ironman St George

On the bike course with David Christian. David has reached his highest fitness as a Triathlete and is ready to go

My Disadvantages going into Ironman St George

1. Crash last week with non-displaced fracture of right hand
2. Worked 75 hour work week, 7 consecutive nights ending Friday 8 days out from race day
3. Still hampered by cartilage damage from right ankle fractures 50 weeks ago
4. Only 5 Long runs of 2 hours, longest run of 2:10 one week ago
5. It’s hot
6. It’s windy

My Advantages going into Ironman St George

1. Crash last week with non-displaced fracture of right hand
2. Worked 75 hour work week, 7 consecutive nights ending Friday 8 days out from race day
3. Still hampered by cartilage damage from right ankle fractures 50 weeks ago
4. Only 5 Long runs of 2 hours, longest run of 2:10 one week ago
5. It’s hot
6. It’s windy

Ready

Deprivation, Indulgence, and Balance

Thanks to our camp assistant coaches Aleck Alleckson (Summit Coaching) James Williams (Zing 3 Coaching), Ann Ciaverella (Summit Coaching) and our mechanic Greg Nyhus. Those who helped provide transportation, provision of goods and were overall critical to the camp’s success, Karon and Bob Rakoz, as well as David Lowe. Thanks to Blue Seventy for the goggles and other supplies. Lastly and most importantly, Gary Walleson, Scott Benjamin and Chris Budreaux of Athlete’s Lounge in Portland for their financial,  cycling gear, and nutritional (meaning all the wine and beer Gary bought as well) contributions to make this camp complete.
This was the 8th camp conducted over the past several years and the theme was simple. No wasting hours throughout the week driving to a pool. No wasting hours cooking. No running on sidewalks. Virtual guarantee of sun and warm weather. Sound like my coaches’ camp in Spain? Ann and I have done the Spain camp twice and realized the major disadvantages of many (including ours) camps in the U.S.
So, I decided to try to bring the concept here, more local.
The venue was a lodge setting with selected menu personalized for our group for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was able to negotiate private dining for the group to allow more social experience just amongst us. The pool was on-site with a simple walk across the parking lot in the mornings, 8 lanes of which we were given 5-6 open lanes depending on the day. The running was a 2 mile short run on part bike lane and dirt shoulder to a local state park with trails and park roads with no traffic. The cycling? Well….it’s Tucson. I chose routes throughout the week that would take us out each corner of Tucson,  in each direction, so the group got a good feel for the area. Gates Pass, Pistol Hill and Saguro National Park, Mt Lemmon, and Twin Peaks to Dove Mountain and Oro Valley to encompass the long rides.
These concepts work and provided the atmosphere athletes are starving for when it comes to a triathlon camp. Not a group of people who pay a lot of money to get together and ride all week. But, a concept of providing a complete product for athletes. A product deserving for the relentless gouging we all experience in the sport by our sanctioning agencies, WTC, “minimum lodging requirements at races”, product, etc. You get the picture.

I limited the camp to 30. 26 Athletes and 4 Coaches to allow plenty of personal coaching time for each small group

Deprivation
In discussing various topics of feeding habits of triathletes during one of my nutrition lectures, I was drawn off topic by a question on daily requirements. This was to be covered in my 3rd lecture on proper recovery, but I used this opportunity to make a point. Many of us have been raised to eat until feeling immediately full, to satisfaction. This almost ideological belief has contributed to the issues we have seen over the past 2 generations as far as weight gain, and the host of morbidity that ensues. Ask yourself, how long can you go throughout the day feeling hunger….

Getting ready for the morning swim at the lodge

I am hungry most of the time. In fact, I am hungry right now while writing this piece. This concept is essential to proper weight loss, strength, and health. How could this be? I showed athletes how to simply calculate how many total calories they burn based on the type, intensity, and duration of a workout, and to correlate this with basic metabolic needs throughout the day. Now this doesn’t have to be precise, but only an estimation. Getting close will put most athletes in the 99th percentile in self-awareness on their own, without resorting to fad diets and ridiculous concepts of pill-popping, so common in this sport. Maintaining a “slightly catabolic” state, resulting in lower baseline insulin levels and higher glucagon levels throughout the day will lead to trickling weight loss over time. This is accomplished by choosing the proper low glycemic index foods for starters. No, “organic” or “natural” doesn’t mean low fat or low glycemic index. Even different fruits for instance, can have a widely variable glycemic index and some of course can cause insulin spikes in the same manner that eating a tablespoon of cane sugar or honey. Maintaining a slightly catabolic state leads to a positive protein balance, and maintenance of the amino acid pool. No, not popping expensive amino acids, but acquiring them naturally by always targeting proper protein consumption, utilizing a wide source of high bio-available proteins, as well as in the correct combinations. Trust me, this is not difficult. It  may be for some who do not take the time to learn, and for those cachectic vegans I see everywhere that believe simply going off all meat products makes them healthier.
The bottom line? Stop eating until you are completely full. Remain just a bit hungry and allow the feedback mechanisms of satiety to function. Stop eating every single time you feel the slightest bit of hunger. No, you will not die and you will not pass out if you feel slightly hungry. Lastly, learn the methods of practical deprivation. Depriving one’s self of the dietary pleasures we are bombarded with every day will make you stronger. I intentionally walk right up to the donut counter at the hospital and take a good look at the huge variety of big, creamy, chocolate donuts in the mornings when I get in. Then I walk over, grab a spoon and walk back to my office and eat my low fat yogurt or grapefruit (sometimes both if I’m famished). Yes, I want the snack every time I see it. However, I intentionally deprive myself of the indulgence. On race day? You bet…I know I’ve sacrificed, and I know the person running with me coming to the finish likely hasn’t. I am now at the advantage. Simple.

Mike Huber pulls up Mt Lemmon

Indulgence
Eat, sleep and ……triathlon. This is the purpose of a focused camp. Sorry to disappoint some of you but you will not gain the benefits by logging hundreds of long slow miles in the saddle, at the expense of diminished quality of run and swim workouts. However, a camp should feel like exactly that. A camp. Creating an atmosphere of not only practicing triathlon training methods, but thinking about triathlon in it’s true sense of strategies in training and nutrition goes much farther then feeling satisfied because you can’t get out of bed due to fatigue, on the third day of camp.
Indulging yourself by not only miles and meters, but by knowledge in the sport. Not anecdotal mindless propaganda that is empty of truth, but concepts that are rational, evidence based, and practiced by those who have seen extreme benefits.
I have been to numerous camps and have seen first hand. Athletes will, for the most part, do whatever the coach instructs. Why? Because athletes trust that the coach knows. How do you know that the coach knows? To me it’s simple. Look at the results. Not the immediate results, but the results on race day. Not the result of one single athlete, but the overall results of the group you are coaching. So many athletes and coaches have the inability to correlate this simple relationship. Is you worst race of the season your “key race” you’ve trained 6 months for? As you approach your race a month out are you saying to yourself, “I can’t wait for taper” or “I just want to get this race over with?” These are signs of either the athlete not following the coaches plan, or the coach misguiding the athlete.

Jim Irvine and Wayne Warrington on Mt Lemmon

These concepts, believe it or not, are initiated as early as winter and spring, and yes, can begin with training camps who’s goal is to indulge the athlete with more work then then can realistically handle. Well, realistically “handle” may not be the correct choice of words, as you would be amazed of what athletes can actually handle in a camp. However, being able to handle large volume, but not gaining strength off that volume is where mistakes are made. I would rather indulge athletes in knowledge and method. I would rather have athletes leave the training camp strong, and not even necessarily needing a day off. I would rather have the athlete remain strong a month later, and not lose 3, 4, or 7 days of workouts a week after camp due to illness that is blamed on the “flight back” or “my kids” or “my co-workers”. Trust me, I’ve heard and witnessed all of it. All that money and time spent on a camp, only to then go backwards a week later, then race mediocre off it. I ‘ve seen it too many times to count, and as well, I’ve seen it repeated over and over again. This is not our goal. This isn’t to say we should have solid and relevant goals in a training camp, but it’s up the the coaches to maintain control over their athletes. I decided to lead group 2 on a 1 hour ride the day after Gates Pass ride, and I showed them what a “zone 3″ ride is all about. There wasn’t much talking in the group because the effort was quite a bit, especially for those who rode the 65 mile Gates Pass ride the day before also in Zone 3. For me, I rode Gates Pass in low to mid Z2 and thus, on our short 1 hour ride I was feeling fully recovered to the point of maintaining sub threshold at a cadence of 30 up most of the climbs with a heart rate under 120. However, this short effort at an average of IM wattage took it’s toll on those who decided to push too hard on the preceding ride. I was hoping this left an impression in those who probably were excited and rode too hard the day prior, in the concept of gaining strength by training wise, as opposed to gaining strength by tearing yourself down. Putting together 7 quality rides and 6 quality runs in 9 days will lead to a much higher end result in the weeks following the camp then struggling through the long slow miles to prove you can finish.
Indulgence of power, riding too much in Zone 5, especially on hills is also over-achieving and will lead to a poor result on race day. Over-training scenarios begin with training camps and can set a poor precedent for the upcoming weeks leading into a key race. Zone 5 efforts can be done effectively when practiced with the correct timing. These efforts also can be done frequently, but when combined with distance, especially at a camp, can result in several scenarios. Injury is of course the obvious, but inducing a peak early in the season is more difficult to detect, and of course initiation of chronic over-training stress is so insidious it leads to denial by the athlete, and eventual failure in their key events. These are the athletes that shine at camp, then miss their Kona slot, miss the podium, or drop out. Amateurs are not the only victims because I ‘ve seen this in pro’s as well. Who remembers the numbers you put up at a camp when you under-perform on race day. It’s the results on race day that will define you.

Kaytee Petross, Jim Irvine, and Aleck Alleckson negotiate the trails on our 16 miler

It’s not Lactate
In one of my lectures on concepts of power and performance, I surprised many of the athletes by informing them the “burning” in the legs and fatigue they feel is not lactate, and then while looking at a few glassy-eyes, explained the evidence based science behind my statement. Likewise, I explained in my Recovery lecture, how to calculate your expenditure, and by knowing the rate at which you can achieve complete glycogen recovery, how to properly eat for complete recovery. Many, and I’ll say nearly all athletes entirely ignore this important component of training. Instead, they simply indulge in poor caloric foods and those that lead to sub-optimal recovery because they had “a tough workout”. The next day and even on day 2, if they are feeling fatigued, they misinterpret this as needing more calories. This is exactly why many athletes gain weight on 30+ hour training weeks. “But coach, we need all that fat because we are burning all those calories”…wrong. Losing weight is not optimal in many scenarios as well, but remaining isocaloric with attention to recovery is optimal, and will lead to increasing strength throughout the camp without unnecessary consumption of calories. Now, I am not one to trample on someones party. Of course I am a firm believer in positive reinforcement and the occasional high caloric treat as a reward to a good day of training. This is necessary and as I explained in my 3rd lecture, has been shown conclusively to result in positive results during training and on race day. Lastly, what fun would a training camp be finishing on Easter, if we did not have a “peep war” the night of the final long ride….that Bill Thompson easily won (we will see next year).
The bottom line? Don’t misinterpret tiredness and fatigue with hunger. Feeling fatigued does not equate to the athlete needing more calories. Don’t feed yourself each and every time you feel just the slightest bit of hunger or you’re simply bored.

From Left, Karon Rakoz, Ann Ciaverella, Marie Gansemer, Amanda DeBlauw

Balance
A friend who is also a cyclist in Tucson had our group over for dinner during camp for an awesome pasta dinner. I talked to him a few days after camp, while getting him prepared for his State time trial qualification race the following weekend, in the Male 70 category (yes he not only passed the male 70 leader at 5k into the 20K TT, but subsequently passed the 60 year olds, then the 50 year olds). He said to me that night, “Dave, as a cyclist I realized there is something different between ironman athletes and cyclists”. I asked “what”, expecting to hear something on how we are all nuts. He said, “cycling is a sport to most of us, but to you…triathlon is not a sport, it’s a religion.”  Jokingly I said, “well, beware of false prophets…”
He is right. We sacrifice work, family, vacations, free time…all for the sake of trying to achieve satisfaction on race day. Well, some of us do…others gain their satisfaction by showing what they can do during the workout-phase leading up to their race, only to then under-perform when it counts. Regardless, this sport does require that degree of sacrifice and self-deprivation that does in a way carry religious connotations. Likewise, indulgence is required, in terms of complete dedication to the sport and all it has to offer. Deprivation to the extreme leads to fanaticism, while indulgence to the extreme leads to gluttony. So in these extremes there lies a balance.
Finding your center, and maintaining your balance will lead you to your goals. Don’t get caught up in the ridiculous blitz of half-truth information out there, which I read every month in our own magazine on the sport. Don’t constantly seek some secret magic pill that claims to get you to your goals. Instead, be mindful in who you are, and what your realistic goals are based on where you are right now. When you achieve those goals, set out to then improve on them. Finding your own balance will lead you to success in this sport, and in life. Reflect back and try to look at yourself from someone else’s perspective, instead of always looking at yourself from your own narrow perspective.
Those that cannot or refuse to make personal gains in these areas will continue to under-achieve.
I think we are on our way to finding this balance, even on a large week of dedicated training. It’s been a week and I have yet to hear of anyone being sick, and in fact everyone I’ve talked to has told me they continue to feel strong and have been able to maintain quality workouts without over-resting this past week. So, I think we are approaching the concept I am looking for in an effective training camp. High level balanced training, daily nutrition and recovery instruction, an educational didactic series, combined with a pleasant social experience is a formula that can lead to success.

Groups 1 and 2 in Saguaro national park, Summit Performance Camp 2012

Ironman New Zealand – race prep

March 3rd is my first race since May of 2011. After the summer off with my mid foot fracture, an attempt to initiate running in October increased my confidence as I ran 5 days nearly pain free, but then side-tracked with an L2-3 disc herniation which laid me up until December.
So, it begins in the second week of December, very easy 10 minute pace jogs and light trainer spins as well as a couple 1200 meter swims per week. I continued the slow progression and in January was up to 10 mile runs at 9 pace, still spinning indoors on the trainer but my bike fitness was rapidly developing as usual. Swimming…well, not too motivated at a peak of 6k per week.
Big camp in end of January in Tucson allowed me to log 45 miles of running, primarily on dirt, and my first two 16 mile runs. I realized my left foot (Navicular) remains injured as the pain begins about 1:45-2 hour mark of my runs, even at an easy 8:30-9 pace, and rapidly becomes disabling as I slow down to 10  pace in order to ease the pain with foot strike. Regardless, I was able to log my single outdoor long ride of 5.5 hours during that week with 8K climbing so fairly happy with outcome. Since the camp, 1 ride outdoors and one additional long run of 16, and a moderate run of 14 miles.
“Ironman Prep”?
Since initiating my training early December 2011:
Number of outdoor rides = 6
Number of long runs 16 miles = 3
Number of Bricks = Zero
Race weight = 158 lbs. Wow I actually hit this one. Right where I want to be.

There are no miracles
I greatly appreciate the wishes of all my friends and athletes with the “you’ll kick ass” and “dont’ worry you’ll hammer” comments throughout the week. However, I hope this is just people being nice and not an attitude that actually believes that someone with minimal outdoor training and 10 weeks into an Ironman prep can just go out and race at a high level. This is not reality. I wonder sometimes if people actually think I take drugs or something….I mean, I’ve run 3 long runs. My Chronic stress level on the bike is at 42.5 and going into Ironman Texas last year I held a Chronic stress of 62 for the 6 weeks going into the race. In mapping my chronic stress last year in the final week of Feb? Yep…42.0. So, yes I AM in a very similar fitness now, compared to my fitness this time in 2011. So, sure I am confident I could race a half ironman fairly well. However, I could not have raced Ironman Texas in March of 2011…I continued to build on my stress levels unitl Texas in May. So, it is not much different this season. I simply am not at the physiology or preparation to have an outstanding race. This is reality. If I don’t adjust my race strategy…it will end in disaster.

Hope is not lost
in that….I am hopeful that the 3rd M45 at New Zealand could be me.  No, I don’t have this false sense of ability that many in this sport have…thinking I can just waltz in to an ironman and win the division. Sure, I have won the M45 division in 2 ironman races in the past two seasons, but I was in far better endurance fitness for those events. Hence my cockiness (I am certain you’ll remember) that I put into writing going into those events. Such comments from IM Texas such as, “Texas yellow bellies” and IM Brazil on, “my plan to take down Glah”. You will not see these types of statements for IM New Zealand…because I am not confident in this race, because I know I cannot rise to the level necessary to win a division in a WTC ironman event.

However, IF I can manage to find another 10 miles on my ankle in the marathon, despite not doing one brick yet this year and only riding one ride over 60 miles….a 3rd  place finish will likely be the final qualification slot to Ironman Hawaii. Last time I raced down here was Australia in 2007, in which at age 42 I was able to post a 9:11. Yet, that was the only Ironman since taking up the sport in 2004, that I missed the Hawaii slot with 5th place in the M40. The final Hawaii slot that year was 3rd  place and was a 9 hours….beyond my reach. So, I am fully confident that there will be those from Australia as well as Asia competing here again given that New Zealand sold out in March of 2011. I full expect the top 2 M45 athletes to be under 9:30. For me? impossible on this course in my current fitness.
However…3rd…now this remains possible for me.

The unknown factor is my foot. My third 16 miler last week was uneventful until the 1:50 mark and we passed from dirt trail to pavement. Within 2 minutes on pavement my left ankle became sore to the point that it shut me down from 7:30 pace to 10 pace over the final mile.  Fortunately,  I finally received a complicated ankle brace in the mail 2 days ago, which was backordered. I ran my final run of 14 miles yesterday, 8 days out from race, in the brace. The pain was present but tolerable. The brace definitely helped, as I was able to hold 8:40 pace on the same road I was running 10 pace a week ago. The drawback is that the brace takes a good 2 minutes to put on and secure the 6 straps, and must go over a sock that rises 1/3 up my shin so the brace doesn’t scrape the skin.
So, I suspect my T2 will be a good 4 minutes and I will be running the marathon in a long cycling sock.
Still, there remains the unknown. What happens when I get to that 2 hour mark, around 15 miles, and need to run another 90-1:45 minutes on this ankle?
We will see. The strategy is to have Ann tell me what place I am off the bike as I finish the first of 3 laps on the marathon. If I am not in a significant lead on 3rd place…then I drop the event and call it my first brick of the season at 8 miles off a 112 mile TT.
This is not life and death…it’s only an ironman. I won’t be crawling across the finish line for a 6th or 8th place just to say I finished.  If I am not in direct contention for a Kona slot, I will save my legs and chronic injury for ironman CdA in June.
I’ve done enough of these to realize, yes…there are more to come. As well, I am a realistic athlete. I don’t put myself up on some “fitness pedistal” when I know I am not there. Likewise…I know what it takes to get to Kona having 8 qualification races myself, and I know what it takes to win a division. I won’t lie to myself and think I will be blessed with some gift of performing far and above my fitness level on race day next week.

So, thanks for the good luck wishes to those who have emailed and texted. Off with Ann today Friday, and we arrive Sunday 6 days out. I will of course squeeze in another longer ride of 2.5 hours Sunday evening or Monday morning with about an hour of inervals. Not much of a taper but in this particular case, I am gaining strength from each workout so I think only a 3-4 day taper is necessary. Thanks Olaf for you guidance and confidence in me.

After the race, some much needed solo time with Ann as we plan on some drinking, eating, and sight seeing on the South Island.

ZONE 3? NOT ME…

Ask Yourself

1: Do I feel pressure to bike or run the same loop at the same or faster pace/time?
2: Do I feel uncomfortable falling off the back on a group ride or run even though I am tired?
3: Do I feel pressured to be toward the front or at least finish toward the front on every group workout?
4: On a typical ride or run, and an unknown rider passes decisively, do I lose pride? Do I feel pressured to have to catch up to him?
5: Do I often go out for a ride alone or with others as a nice aerobic or recovery pace and it turns into the world championships?
6: Do I believe that riding less than an hour or running less than 30 minutes is a waste of time and not worth the trouble?
7: Do I feel riding in low Z2 Power on the bike is just too easy for me and is a waste of time?
8: Do I have to be 1/2 step in front of the person jogging next to me, even on an easy recovery run?
9: Do I begin and end any rides with sore legs? Do I have to meet a predetermined pace on all my runs?
10: Am I proud of my average speeds and my record of “climbs won” on rides, and believe that others really care?
11: Do I swim a pace within 2 seconds per 100 pace whether I am swimming a 600 or 3 x 200, or 4×150 sets?
12: Do I have to be the first one to touch the wall when swimming adjacent to someone I don’t even know?
13: Do I look at other swimmers in lanes beside me and create my own personal race with them, even though they are doing a completely different workout?
14: Do I think swim drills are a waste of time and when doing drills, can’t wait to get them done so push the pace on them?
15: Have I had another mediocre season with a specific reason for each and every single sub-par performance in every race?
16: Lastly, do I find myself in “peak” fitness 3-4 months prior to a key event, and workout performances trickle downward as the race approaches?

If you answered “yes” to any one of these, then you are at risk, and the more you answered yes, the higher your risk of another mediocre race. The zone 3 syndrome. This is part of the chronic over-training syndrome I see in many athletes I have trained with, and have coached.

I consider “zone 3 syndrome” a power zone 3 problem typically on the bike, but more of a pace oriented problem on the run and in the pool.  On the bike, heart rate is not useful as a determinant of this syndrome. This is because you can easily produce power in zone 3 and remain in heart rate zones 1 and 2, especially as you become fit, and even on long rides.

The Fallout
“Awesome” or “PR” workouts, then periods of several missed workouts due to fatigue.
Running slower or feeling fatigued in the water for sometimes weeks at a stretch, missing numerous key workout variables.
Cancelling workouts.
Inability to “go fast” for the short periods necessary as prescribed by the coach.

Some riders unfortunately, especially  ironman athletes, train like this week after week. The log looks great, yet they consistently run 10-11 hour ironman races when they have the physiology and endurance to run well under 10 or run 5 hour half ironman when they should be near 4:30.  They lose their podium slot, they lose their Kona slot, they may drop out. They always have an excuse that’s unrelated to training preparation. Even athletes who should break 12 hours in an ironman, yet race to a 12:45, 13 hour or slower. Pro men who race inconsistently ranging from mid 8′s to 9:30 or repeated DNF’s, and can’t figure out why the huge variation in performances. It effects every athlete, at every level.
“I was fatigued”, “too much salt intake”, “not enough salt intake”, “dehydrated”, “too hydrated”, “running shoes didn’t fit right” , “head cold race week”, “too hot”, “too cold”, “bike made funny noise”, “changed my bike position race week”…..do I need to go on with these actual excuses I have heard in the past? The excuses vary widely but never encompass the method of training in the several months prior to race day.

Know Yourself
So many athletes try for too much too early, or just try to shoot for the moon for a race in one giant leap instead of taking a few steps into the water first. Realize that maybe you should not be in “peak fitness” and feel like conquering the world…4 months from race day.

Don’t Be Proud
Be confident. I am hardly ever at my “race intensity” in workouts, and very few people have seen me race. I am a completely different person when I race. Much of this is because I am physically prepared, and race consistently, even with adversity. More importantly, I am emotionally prepared. I believe spending too much time in the “race zone” emotionally in workouts tends to burn an athlete out.

Envision
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am all about detail and creating a mental vision of the race in workouts, but that’s mostly in terms of nutrition and visualizing my goals during my TT training, run speed work, and key swim sessions. This does not mean I recreate the race setting as far as race intensity goes. My longest time trial on the bike was 50 minutes at 250 watts going into California 70.3 in my prep for ironman Texas in 2011. My normalized wattage for nearly every ride was in the middle to higher end of zone 2, and average wattage low zone 2. So, how is it possible with an average wattage of 190-200 in workouts and my best effort of 250 watts in a 50 minute time trial, that I was able to average 257 watts for 56 miles at California? If this seems impossible to you and you think I’m bull-shitting, then you lack the knowledge. If you’re a coach and don’t understand this, you should re-evaluate your skills.

Race Results
So, the zone 3 syndrome athlete tends to put too much into workouts, not  resting enough, and not really racing all out.
Just marginally competing ride after ride, run after run, and swim after swim. Then they lose their competitive spirit on race day, the day that counts. They lose the “snap” in their legs, the mental awareness that should increase during the race, but instead the fatigue sets in early.
This athlete can’t wait until a “3 week taper” or the upcoming rest week because they are chronically tired. When it comes time to do an interval in Zone 4 or Zone 5 power? They cant muster up the performance. Likewise, they hit power goals for the first 50-75% of an interval and then trickle off.  So, they don’t get much benefit of near-threshold and threshold training.  As a consequence,  they can’t generate consistent strength throughout their key race.
The result is a  race at  or perhaps only 20-30 watts above their “recovery ride watts”.
Trust me, it only gets worse on the run.

6 months of training wasted. Then, for the next big race…all over again.

Here’s a  piece of advice. If it doesn’t work for you, try something different. Something different doesn’t mean more work. Train in your own element. Stop lying to yourself and your coach by using your own created “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. Stop tweaking every single workout upward because of your insecurities as an athlete and mistrust of your coach.
Uncover your weaknesses, expose them, then eliminate them.

Save the racing for race day.

Horizons

Big congrats to Summit Athletes Aleck Alleckson and Garren Watkins. Aleck set his all-time personal best at 9:26, Ironman Hawaii couple weeks back, smashing his prior marathon personal best of 3:20 with a 3:16. To think…running was Aleck’s limiter and weakness when we began together 2 years ago. Aleck took his weakness and turned it into, arguably his strongest segment. Garren Watkins, of whom I’ve worked with now into the second season, who missed Kona by a few minutes at South Africa last year. Garren had the unfortunate bike crash couple weeks before Wisconsin and missed about 6 bike-run workouts the final 2 weeks and all of the swim workouts due to wrist injury and road rash. His first time back in the water was at IM Wisconsin. Garren gained his qualifying slot by his refusal to allow the negative events of the crash diminish his desire to qualify. Very proud of these two, and of course all my athletes…but especially these two who have gone above and beyond what I thought they were capable in their final races of the season. The good news for them is…neither has reached their potential.

The year has been uneventful. My injury at IM Texas left me temporarily disabled for the summer, thus cancelling my season progressively, the most recent cancellation Austin 70.3. I was encouraged last week at IM Hawaii when I was able to string together 4 runs during the week for a total of 14 miles. However, my back spasm that occurred on IM Hawaii race morning prevented me from workouts for another 10 days post Hawaii. I was about to lose my mind by Wed, 5 days later, when the sudden spasm would force me onto a knee. Now nearly 3 weeks later, the spasm is down to a moderate level and I can ride again. Regardless, this is the first time I’ve experienced something like this and I definitely have a new respect for those who live with low back issues on a chronic level.
So, I am hopeful with a month left before IM Cozumel, I can muster up some running to get to maybe a single 2 hour run prior to the event. As of now, running an hour this week with a back brace and 9:30 pace seems very slow, but I’ll only have to wait and see how it all pans out over the next couple weeks. I am confident if I can get a good month of running in before the race, I can jog into a 3:40-45 marathon there. With a solid bike split and average run, hopefully that will gain me the final Kona slot for 2012, and allow me to race “freely” at New Zealand and Coeur d Alene in 2012.

Unforgiven
It’s hard for me to express the depth of my feelings of those events that day. I was angry and frustrated, and continued to be for the next several months. This selfishness I suppose in inherent, but in other ways I’m correct as well. I should have been frustrated. I entered the medical profession to help people and that is the bottom line. This is self-evident in my desire to see those around me succeed, not only in sport, but in life. My life has been altered for the positive by several people in my past. My father, my highschool coach Dave Medley, my marathon coach Peter Maher and my wife Ann to name just four. These four hero’s not only changed my life but imprinted that desire I have to guide others on a positive path that will lead to success. So, contrary to what some may have said regarding my motives in helping others…they will not, and cannot understand, because they arent made up of the same stuff as I am.
This personality trait is probably what resulted in the guilt I felt from being so angry at something that was not only out of my control, but could not have been altered by anything I could have done. So, regardless, my anger, frustration, and unforgiveness has recently led to forgiveness.

Two Years Ago Today
I lost a friend. I still have some echos in my memory when I am alone on my bike, riding through the deep forest along the edge of the cascades, on the same routes Rob and I would ride. Those times we rode together and our personal discussions I won’t forget. Is it coincidence that Rob appeared in a dream I had last last week when I was sleeping on the floor in the only pain free position I could find? No, I believe this connection was developed throughout the week as I lived and worked in almost constant low back pain. This was something Rob lived with throughout life, only relieved by high dose anti-inflammatories, steroids and strong self-awareness. God I am so weak when I think of what he went through. So, it was this I think, that reminded me of my relationship with him. His chronic disease leading to nearly debilitating back pain, a prognosis of only slowly becoming worse, and no foreseable cure. His chronic depression that only rarely manifested itself, in that he kept it swallowed amongst his friends, frequently giving out hugs and a lot of laughs.
The thoughts of my past with Rob will not fade away, as there are just too many reminders. Rob taught me how to swim in 2003. He taught Ann how to swim in 2004. We rode alone together many times, ran, and drank together, when our busy lives allowed.
So yeah, when I was swimming the IM Hawaii swim a couple weeks ago, out alone off wide,  I thought of my first race there in 2004, which led to the awareness on why I was there. My friend Rob was one of the major factors that led me to my first race in Hawaii that year. Rob spent about 2 months three times per week walking along the pool beside me and coaching me along. My first long ride was with Rob. He invited me out with his teammates on Veloce Cycling. Rob stuck with me as I fell back on almost every climb. This was Feb of 2004, and by June I felt unstoppable as I entered my first IM at CdA, missing podium by 30 seconds but finishing well within the Hawaii slots. Rob gave me a huge bear hug when I returned from Idaho that week and I specifically remember his, “I told you you would do it” comment in my ear as his arms wrapped around me. His desire to qualify for Kona persisted and despite his chronic arthritic disease, he always had this in the back of  his mind. I coached Rob intermittenly thoughout the years, and in 2007 we both agreed that we would qualify for ITU Worlds for the following year. I remember sitting alone with Rob that following year, a few days before the ITU race, and discussing the future of our team, the direction, and our perceptions on life. Despite our polital and social differences, we understood each other well, and we knew this when we talked. Rob went on to have, without a doubt, the best race of his life that  weekend in his ITU race that easily converted to a sub 10 hour ironman. That was the happiest I’d seen Rob in awhile as far as race results go, and his confidence to make an attempt at Kona qualification was once again gaining momentum.
I didn’t see Rob much upon our return, as he later moved to Colorado for a new job. He visited his loved ones frequently though, and I saw him on occassion. The following fall, 2009, Rob, Grant and I with our girls, spent the weekend in Hood River for the Cyclocross series. Over beers that night and listening to good music, I thanked Rob for enhancing my life. I decided to do this because of the uncertain future ahead with Rob no longer living in Oregon. I needed to let him know that he was a pivotal factor in my relative success in triathlon and simply reminded him of that. I think he knew this because the three of us raised our beers and he looked me right in the eyes. So, I knew I got the message across to him. I needed to tell him this.

This was the last thing I remember saying to Rob. He was gone about a month later.

Closure
Rob gave me a thin leather necklace the week I left for my first Ironman Hawaii race in 2004, and on it was a bike chain link from the chain he used when he rode across America to raise funds for the Ankylosing Spondylitis Association. That 2004 is still my slowest race ever as a triathlete and was the most difficult to endure. I joking cursed Rob when I got back telling him that necklace gave me bad luck. Yet, still to this day, that is the most memorable race of my life because of what it took just to finish. So, I pulled out my original necklace from 2004, and wore it for Ironman Brazil in 2010, and have in each Ironman since. The necklace now has 2 bike chain links on it. The original one Rob gave me, and the one from his bike chain given to all of his friends at his memorial service in 2009. I enjoy that moment of solitude in every ironman somewhere in the middle of the marathon, when my body wants to shut down and my mind is tired. I felt this in Brazil, Kona, Arizona and Texas. It is at this point I feel Rob’s chainlinks bouncing off my chest, and it brings me back to center.

I think the anger and frustration in part originates from the lack of closure regarding his death in 2009.
I can safely say that all of his close friends probably had the feeling of emptiness and regret that they couldn’t help him. This I think was the primary factor that led to my feelings of regret, and anger at the loss we had all experienced.
In my dream last week, I awoke on the floor to a noise outside. I was alone and it was dark. I looked out onto the deck and with only the reflection of the moon, there was Rob, standing there looking at me through the window. I faded back to sleep, then awoke again and realized it was just a dream. I thought of Rob as I fell back to sleep, from our beginning in the pool in 2003, through our camps in Bend, the solo rides and the races. As I fell asleep, I felt Rob everywhere around me. I spent nearly two years over-coming the anger phase of his death, and it faded away in just those few minutes. I miss my friend. Such is life, and I am fortunate to have reminders to bring him back me in memory.

Horizons
The fact is that no one can possibly know what Rob felt and what he went through. His loss left an emptiness amongst everyone that knew him I’m certain, and it is still felt by his absence. It is human nature that we take things for granted, and become complacent with our lives and those around us. Why do we only realize this after loss.

I shed my anger a couple of weeks back and I am in a good place with Rob now. I am so happy that I was able to tell him how I felt about him that fall in Hood River, even though it may sound trivial. Rob greatly enhanced my life as well as many others around him. Regardless, there will be a new horizon every day. It’s difficult to over-come injury in this sport that we train all year and bank our fitness on a single one day event. However, with my injuries this year and in year’s past, you just move on and look toward the next horizon. We can’t predict the future, but there are some friends and family we can always count on. They will always be beyond that horizon despite adversity that we are living through in the moment. This should be remembered, and tell those you love that you count on them and they are important to you. Don’t live with regret that you didn’t tell them how you feel, and how they’ve improved your life, once they are gone.

Rob, it’s just not the same without you here.

 

Guaranteed

Congrats to Aleck Alleckson, who posted a 15 minute course personal best 4:22 at Lake Stevens 70.3 couple weeks back, getting off the bike first amateur, and finishing 4th amateur overall, his highest finish overall in a WTC event. Well done!

Good luck to my athletes in their upcoming ironman races:
Ryan Jasperson: Louisville
Eric Stimach: Louisville
Evan Deutsch: Canada
Tim Winestorfer: Canada
DJ DeAustria: Canada
Joshua Monda: Canada
Jim Zuba: Canada
Garren Watkins: Wisconsin
Bill Thompson: Wisconsin
Fred Doucette: Wisconsin

With the exception of one athlete above being injured, all of my men have the chance of gaining the elusive Kona slot.  There are many that would say that simply based on odds alone, the chances of this many athletes qualifying from a single coach of 25 athletes is pretty slim. Last year at IM Canada, 6 of my athletes qualified for Kona in this single event, and it is highly unusual for nearly every single athlete to have a great day.  I do believe in all of them however, and yeah…I think the odds are with them all.  If each executes well, solves potential problems that arise, remain patient throughout their race, and go deep enough when necessary, then they will have done everything they can. It is at this point one can confidently say they’ve given it all they’ve got.
I am confident they will give it their all on race day. However, there are no guarantees.
Most athletes that have the ability to qualify for world championships simply need to break that mental barrier. This is difficult to coach into someone because I can’t get into someone’s head at mile 16 in the marathon and guide them to that place they need to be. Finding your way to success is  individually driven. No coach can give you all the answers, and nobody can lead you to that place from which you need to arise. The level of pain and fatigue, the process of solitude, and eventual discovery has to come from within yourself.  When you’ve reached your potential, the fatigue, pain, and solitude simply disappear. You feel yourself as part of a collective that is self-driven toward the equivalent goal. This is what’s magical about this sport. When I raced ironman Texas, running on a blown up swollen ankle, as I began to jog, then run harder and harder…the sensation of pain faded away. This level of consciousness in a 46 year old striving to win his division is no different from a 30 year old pro trying to win overall. The connection is there.
I wish all of my athletes the best in their upcoming races, and hope all can reach their own level of success.  Like I told you all in our meeting on Sunday, when you are falling off the pace leading into the final 12 miles of the marathon, when you are feeling sorry for yourself, thinking about the heat, letting your mind wander…you have got to re-focus. You have got to find your way out. Once you do this, you will understand, and you will realize just how conspicuous it is, and how it was always right there in front you… that next level of consciousness.
Race to the best of your ability, and draw every ounce of energy from within yourself to the very end…then you will succeed. This, is guaranteed.

See her fall
With my recent diagnosis of a tendon tear, a ligament tear, and fractures as a consequence of my fall at ironman Texas…I wore a stabilization boot for 6 weeks, minimal swimming, and spinning every other day on the trainer in zone 1. This evolved after a month into 2 complete weeks of nothing. My repeat MRI 6 weeks after wearing my boot, and 10 weeks after ironman Texas revealed no change whatsoever in the diffuse edema in my Navicular, while the other 2 fractures have entirely healed. The tendon and ligament tear are not of consequence because in my strength testing, my orthopedic surgeon tells me I have enough compensatory strength to forego any surgery. However, the edema in the Navicular means another month of no running (or elliptical). The bright side is that I can ride “normally” outside, of which I began 2 weeks ago come Saturday. I have fallen terribly out of race fitness and completing 2 hours on flats resulted in a 2 hour nap last week. It’s getting a bit better after a few rides and last Sunday’s 54 miler with Ann was not too bad on me. Did 3 x 10 min TT in Z4 yesterday with Aleck of which I averaged my California 70.3 watts…uhhh and in that race was 2.5 hours not 3 x 10 minutes.…I’ve lost my race fitness.
This is relevant in that my wife had the entire year off in 2009 due to multiple stress fractures. I don’t know how she did it. We both love to run and looking back from where I now stand, and seeing her sitting on the couch every day I would return from a 16 mile run or 70 mile ride….I know how she feels. We don’t want to lose the addiction. We don’t want to go through the time it takes to achieve the level of fitness we once had… once we have significant time off, at this critical age when each year a little is lost.
Ann swallowed all of it that year, was patient, and was relentless in her treatment recommendations and therapy. I remember this well as it seemed for 5-6 months she was constantly involved in her treatment at home. She was discouraged yes, a bit depressed, of course. However, she maintained foresight and kept her mind on the goal of ironman Brazil in May of 2010, which would be her first Major race since Kona in 2008. I’ve had injuries of course, but having a stress fracture is different. You feel every little ache, and you become increasing aware of the risk of a full break if you push at all, and a full break results in a metal plate fixation, and probably a full year off.
I have the upmost respect for Ann, and fully understand her extended time off from 2009 and how difficult it is to have to cancel races like ironman Hawaii after racing so well a few months before.

See her rise
Patience leads to perseverance. Ann came back in 2010, at age 40, to race a personal best 9:48 on a much more difficult course than her prior 9:52 PR, finishing with a 3:19 run split that was the fastest women marathon of the day at Brazil.  She ran into 6^th overall that day, and after nearly a year off. She would go on to have a great season and be chosen USAT female masters triathlete of the year. The psychology involved in Ann’s will to succeed is something most, and I emphasize most, athletes do not possess. This is just plain fact. Thinking you have “it” and having “it” are two completely different scenario’s. I am fully confident if Ann had entered the sport when she was 28 instead of 38, she would be posting times well under 9:30 in ironman. This perspective is quite remarkable to me…she was 40, and many people compare her to women who are in their late 20′s. Her progress really is amazing to me
So, why, when winning the division and placing as a top amateur, out competing many pro’s would she want to stop a 4  year winning streak, and become a pro athlete?

I was told by a popular professional triathlete a couple of years ago when we were discussing the difficulty of attaining pro status in the U.S, compared to most other countries in which you simply have to claim “pro” , and using triathlon as a potential means to make money in sport.
I asked him jokingly, “when did you know to go pro, when you start beating half of them?”
His answer was quite simple. “No, it’s when you are beating all the amateurs.”

I smiled because I knew what he was talking about. It’s not necessarily out performing other pro’s, but it’s about challenging yourself.  If you become good enough in this sport to finish as the top amateur, break amateur course records…over and over again, then the point of becoming a pro is to increase your awareness, and to better yourself.
So, while Ann is over 40, why would she give up all the winning to maybe grab a top 10 pro position in an ironman and be tagged as a “slower pro”?
If you do not understand this inherently then you may not understand with an explanation, but I’ll try.
The reason Ann decided to become pro (which, by the way, she qualified in 2007 with her ITU world championship top Amateur performance), was not because she thinks she can race side by side with girls that are 10-15 years younger than her. Does this surprise you? Ann took her pro card because she wanted to challenge herself, derive a set of achievable tasks, as well as some improbable (but not impossible) goals.  She is simply satisfied with her performances as a top amateur for now. Outside of Kona, she has been undefeated in her division in each and every race outside of Kona, since 2006.  Some athletes  want to discover some things about themselves.  She may not have the success compared to her amateur performances while racing pro, but if you see it as a concept of only “winning” your division in races, then this may be one of your limitations as an athlete. Yes sure there is a point in life when you are aged to the point that all you have is the division to compete  (myself), but certainly if a person is consistently finishing in the top 12 overall then maybe they should not throw in the towel.  Competing with this sense of a long-term goal is something that many and athletes I’ve known, and coached, simply do not understand.  How much strength does it take to go from a top cyclist in your division and as an amateur, and finishing overall champion, to finishing in the lower half of the field? This is taking the road less traveled.  Those that take the easy road will, in the long run, be less successful. Ten years from now…Ann will not be sitting around the pub table talking the “I could have been…I should have been….” The fact is.  She is living without regrets.
I’ve never been so proud of Ann as I was last week at Steelhead 70.3, watching her compete out there by herself, while many of the amateurs drafted in large packs and yes the women are even more guilty than the men (due to the 4 second gap, TT start in pairs), and I know this because I saw them drafting in packs of men on the bike course, and let them know it as well.  Yes Ann got off the bike in last place, and then ran into 15^th…out running 7 pro’s 10+ years younger than her.  None this matters however, because her field of competition was 22 women, nobody else. Coming off the bike in last place, and watch her remain more focused than I’ve ever seen her on the run, clicking off 6:40’s on a hilly and technical run course was one of the proudest moments of my life with her. On her first lap completion I told her she was in 19^th…was there any notion of calling an audible and quitting? Was there a look of discouragement on her  face? No. She was focused, staring straight ahead and coming through the second lap in 17^th, negative splitting as she ran the final 5k, capturing a couple more and finishing 15^th. This strength of character is not found in many people. The complete focus and remaining entirely on the race plan is exactly why she should be racing with other pro women, even those far younger. Ann’s success at Steelhead will carry her into Wisconsin in a few weeks and regardless of the outcome, from this she will rise, and grow.
This…is guaranteed.

Ann races to 6th fastest pro run split at Steelhead 6:40 pace

So it goes
For me, I have cancelled my only other race prior to Kona, Timberman 70.3 and will cancel Kona. Standing on my foot spectating for a few hours at Ann’s race last weekend showed me I am not ready. The deep aching in the mid-foot is my Navicular, and the edema in the  bone is undoubtedly unimproved. I may attempt to begin running in October, a week before Kona. If this goes well, then I’ll race Austin 70.3 a few weeks later in order to gauge my bike power fitness going into ironman Cozumel in November. My 4 month span off after ironman Texas was the result of my unwillingness to allow adversity to over-take me.  With 5k to go, running steady 6:50 per mile pace and my high overall placing in a strong pro field…I simply was not going to walk it in. Was it worth it? Does this even need to be asked?
I can’t foresee the end result of this injury, but I have to remain realistic and try to keep my head high. I will likely start the swim at Kona, as I am still registered in the event. Will I ride? Who knows…every race at Kona has been a learning experience for me. So, I may learn a piece of information, or encounter some new adversity I will learn to overcome during the event. This may help me in the future, when I plan to push for a high M50 finish there in a few years. I will just take these things day to day. I may use the week in Kona  to gain some much needed quality miles on the bike in order to prepare me for Cozumel as well. This option is still being considered.

I have to thank my athlete Bill Thompson for giving me the idea. My plan is to learn how to mountain bike this winter and race some Xterra, in hopes of gaining a future spot  for Maui if I don’t break my legs. Doing the “double” (IM Hawaii and Maui Xterra) would be fun and challenging, esp with the only 2 M45 slots available in the regional Xterra events. However, Bill brought up the “triple”, adding Vegas 70.3 worlds to the mix and this really got my mind thinking. Regardless, gaining a Vegas 70.3 2012 slot at Austin October 21, then gaining a Kona slot for 2012 at Cozumel in Novermber are my immediate goals for the end of my season. The hope is that I can go into CdA in June with my slot and go out with some specific goals and not have to be concerned on the Kona slot. As well, qualifying for Vegas as early as possible will allow me to take some time to learn how to ride a mountain bike this winter and spring, and subsequently race a couple of regional Xterra events. Male 45 carries 2 slots to Maui championships in Xterra. What are the odds of someone who has not, and can’t mountain bike…grabbing one of those 2 slots in a regional qualifier? I think the odds are very slim at best. However, I am not interested in what I can do…it’s what I can’t do that drives me.  You can dream of your accomplishments, or you can wake up and actually do them.

As far as my injuries go, year after year, I’ll keep collecting the scars, and I’ll become stronger. I would rather this then not be there at all.
So it goes…I’ll try to begin running on grass here shortly since I have been off nearly all summer. I’ll begin the cycle of gaining strength on the bike again as I start working with Olaf Sabatschus again next Monday.  If I decide to start the swim at Kona, who knows I may ride. All experiences lead to potential gains. This, is guaranteed.