Prior to both races – particularly IMWI I had some incredible workouts.  One of which was a 112 mile ride that saw me smoke the first 90 minutes at 250 watts, than dial it back to finish with an average of 232 for the day, than running for 60 minutes without breaking a sweat – I backed that performance up again a few times over the next few weeks with ride like 228 watts, 230 watts – etc – all while running well off them.  My mean maximal power profile in WKO+ was an impressive sight.  If I didn’t drop a 5:10 in Madison, it was going to have to be truly horrendous conditions, but than nobody would be dropping a 5:10.

Race day came – and I struggled to put out my result of ~215 watts.  At the time I simply chalked it up to allergy medications making me dopey – yet when IMFL rolled around, I was in for another simliar performance.  I didn’t have any jaw dropping rides leading up, but all signs were pointing to good things.

Having foot surgery in December gave me a lot of time to think about my season and my taper.   I came to the conclusion that rather than allergies – which although they contributed to performance issues at IMWI – the likely culpret was simply allowing to much fitness to fade during taper.

Looking at some races, I noticed that in both 2008 and 2009 I had some fantastic results 10 days or so after a traincation.  So I forumlated a plan that would continue my training capped off with a solid IM paced effort a week before the race – and than a major drop taper the last week.  Perfection!  I was going to share the plan – workout, by workout – but as I started doing so – I realized I don’t want to look like that much of an idiot.

Needless to say – it would have left me fried. Basically a no taper – taper.  A 2 hour run 12 days out, a 4 hour ride 7 days out, 2×20′ 10 days out.  Basically 700 or so cycling TSS this week, 650 next week – with the only difference being cutting the “long” ride back an hour or so.  Finally dropping into an easy week.  The only thing going for this plan was that it had me at about +10 TSB for both cycling and running on race day.

As I alluded to on Monday – Pigman made me realize I appear to be showing all the signs of being awfully tired – and my training log confirmed that.  Hours, intensity, average (not great) power numbers on key workouts.

As a result – I dialed my plan back to what I’ve done in the past – which happens to be straight out of Going Long.  Two or three key workouts this week, two or three next – and than race.

So what does that mean in reality:

• Monday (8/23): Off – it’s my birthday and I’ll pigout if I want to
• Tuesday
  • AM: Long, but stupid easy swim – 8×300
  • PM: Embarrasingly easy bike + run
• Wednesday
  • AM: Easyish OWS swim
  • PM: Long run – Run @ IM effort/pace until it feels that any further will be bad – 2 hours max
• Thursday
  • AM: Easy 3k Swim
  • PM: Noodle on the Trainer for 60 minutes and watch TV, run after
• Friday
  • AM: Sleep
  • PM: 48 mile bike + 45 minute run – do as BT #1 in Going Long – scratch it if it’s not happening
• Saturday
  • Easy swim + noodle bike
• Sunday
  • 4 hour bike + 60 minute run
• Monday (8/30): Off
• Tuesday
  • AM: Broken Ironman Swim for time
  • PM: 1:15 max E-Pace run
• Wednesday
  • AM: Off
  • PM: See last tuesday PM
• Thursday
  • BT #3 in going Long
• Friday
  • Repeast Wednesday
• Saturday
  • Repeat Last Saturday
• Sunday
  • BT #4 (2 hour Bike + 30 minute run – IM effort+)

Race Week – Unchanged from what I’ve done all 7 times before.

Following the revised plan I show up on race day with a significantly higher cycling TSB +21, a bit higher running TSB +14, but a CTL that is a fair bit lower in both sports (as compared to Plan A)

I think that’s all I’m going to cover today.  Next time, I’ll dig into some of the evidence I’ve dug out of training logs that reinforce my decision to revise my taper.

That evidence will lead into an anlysis of some good races and some bad races – and what my current thinking is on why they turned out that way.

Time will tell if my taper revisions will pan out, I certainly hope they do.  For my own future reference and your enjoyment, I’m going to document my taper thoughts over the next two weeks.  I’ll try to cover:

• The original plan and why I was going to do that
• The revised plan and why. 
• Past tapers and their results. 
• Why I dislike tapering
• An examination of some races over the last 3 seasons – and my thoughts on why they turned out the way they did – given current insights
• An examination of race performances that I don’t understand why they turned out that way.
• The results of the revision

I’ll try and cover those topics in that order, but they may shift/merge and even simply not get covered.  The results will be pretty evident to all sometime on 9/12!

• Leadville Trail 100 MTB race
• Western States Endurance Run
• Swim/Bike/Run round trip to my parents house
• Firehouse 50 (4 person team)
• Ironman New Zealand (or really faraway place)

That’s all for now.

Some of them, I’m sure will happen and get crossed off – others – I dunno.

I learned something yesterday.  A couple things actually.  One – I don’t have it figured out.  Two – you can’t expect to go fast when you make poor training choices the week of a race – particularly a HIM.  What is surprising to me – is that I thought I already knew both of those – so I’m a bit disappointed that I got to learn the lesson again.

The first lesson is pretty self explanatory.  The second lesson is a bit more long winded to explain.  After a lack luster performance for most of last season – I began training this year with the motivation to do hit a home run it at each race.

Saint Anthony’s – Check
Bong 30k – Check
High Cliff Half (Bike Relay) – 1/2 Check
Door County – CHECK
Tri-ing for Childrens – Check
Pigman – Swing and a Miss

So what happened?  Let’s start at the end, than jump to the beginning and work our way back to the end.

The gun went off.  I did my thing on the swim – ran to transition and hopped on the bike.  Got rolling – with the plan of riding for 10 to 15 minutes in the IM effort range; and than dialing it up to 250 to 260.  I shaked and baked that, and rolled up to HIM.  All was well, but I found myself having a difficult time keeping my power in that range – the RPE for it was a lot higher than I expected.  Initially, I attributed it to my PT hub – it was the first time I used it and maybe I didn’t get the manual zero right (post ride analysis shows this to NOT be the case, along with a check of the zero torque while riding).

As the ride progressed – my sustainable power kept trending downwards.  After a short coast downhill, a turn, or other rest “opportunity” – I’d be good for a bit – than it would drift back down.  The last 40 minutes of the ride or so I was barely able to sustain 200 watts.

I hit the run and between the heat, how I felt, and the potential outcome for the day – I didn’t have a lot.  By mile 3 I had decided I was going to run for 30 minutes and pull the plug.  30 minutes came, and the aid station had no shade – so I continued on.  By about 200 yards after that aid station I stopped, and pulled my chip off and headed back to the aid station.  10 feet later, my chip was back on and I was jogging in the correct direction.  When I got to the aid station at mile 5, saw they had shade – I was done.

I sat there for who knows how long until Mary went by – she convinced me to join her for the remainder of the run.

So what did my performance tell me?  I was not recovered.  My body was tired and not ready, willing or capable of doing a Half Ironman at Half Ironman.  I may have been fine for a sprint or olympic – or even a garden variety long ride – but I was not up to the task of riding or running at half ironman.

So am I just making excuses now?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  To save you all from the boring details – in the 14 days leading up to the race I executed nearly 1600 cycling TSS.  One of the workouts I did – received a comment of “I don’t think I could walk after that”.  Which was backed up with another stiff week of work. 

Last week, when I was doing my workouts I should have recognized the signs my body was sending me – and back off – instead I did 6×3′ (3′) @ 110% FTP on Thursday, which was preceded on Wednesday by Spinervals  Aero Base Builder I (basically 56 minutes @ HIM – broken up), which I really struggled to do well.

So enough of the whining and pity, and “I know what went wrong” talk.  I *think* I know why I didn’t have it on race day – but it could be anything.  Long story short I’m adjusting my final 3 weeks of training to include more rest.  My fitness is there buried in my body – recent workouts prove that.  There is not a lot I can do in the next three weeks to add to it. 

Just going to focus on 4 to 6 key workouts in the next 14 days with the rest being EASY filler – then race week.

The more important question for me to ponder after IMWI – is where do I go from here.  How do I make the jump to the next level?  I have had a powermeter since 2008 – and all three years I have essentially raced my races with the same power target(s).  The ony real improvement has come from Dexter – which allowed me to roll a 2:25 on sickly 224 watts yesterday – with Racine 2008 and 2009 being essentially the same time but @ 250ish watts.  Course differences – maybe – but he is damn fast for sure.

What do I need to do to get up to 350 watts or so @ FTP – to really kill it?  Can I get there, or am I tapped out in the 300 to 315 range that I am lingering in?  Do I really need to be peaking out my training @ 20 to 23 hours per week – or can I find a way to get fit and fast for my races in the 15 to 18 hour range – that I’ve been told some other local fast guys do?

Lots of things to think about, but I need to keep them in the freezer until after IMWI – as my focus needs to be there and not on the future.

This post has been brewing a few days, as I have been trying to find the words to helpfully express my recent thoughts and experiences surrounding racing without my beloved technology.

After my experience at Door County, I was comfortable with the idea of racing sans technology.  It wasn’t my preference, but it was reassuring to know that I’m not overly dependent upon it.  After Tri-ing for Children’s this past weekend – those feelings are the same, but joining it is a feeling of uncertainty of not knowing how to feel about my race.

On the surface TFC appears as a sucess: I finished 4th overall with a great run split, a strong swim, but an average bike.  Comparing my bike split to last years – where I took a small detour – and this year’s upgrade from Fluffy to Dexter – it’s pretty obvious that my bike wasn’t as strong this year or was it? 

The course was basically the same and I don’t feel that the conditions where any different.  So I can’t chalk it up to that.  My weeks prior were fairly comparable – so I wouldn’t say there was a major difference in the amount of fatigue I was having to cope with.

My run split was much better than last year, so did I bike to hard last year and bike just right/to easy this year?

My swim probably started off a bit harder this year than last year as I attempted to swim with Will Smith – it did take me 30 minutes or so to start to feel “speedy” on the bike.

Why does this bother me so much – because I don’t have an objective way to determine what actually happened on my bike.  All I have is the time/distance/feel – which those three combined leave me a bit unsatisfied about the bike.

So what does this whininess have to do with anything and how can you benefit from it?

Well you could interpret this as encouragement to run out and buy a powermeter so that you can objectively measure your bike rides – which I would encourage that, but that’s not the point.

The point is more along the lines of don’t always get caught up in the details of things – your energy is better spent on a broader focus.  Me for example – TFC was a superb race for me as a whole this year.  My swim was very strong,  it was one of my best Olympic distance runs to-date (let alone this year + moved up a VDOT point) – I held off Joe Kurian on the run for longer than i did last year at this same race.   As I was told by a commenter earlier – you don’t have to win all three legs to win the race – the same goes for great races.  All three legs don’t have to be heroic for the race to be heroic.

I set a new HIM PR at the race – it was a great day.

Thanks to Gear-Grinder, Emery’s, my wife and other members of my support group for helping to make it a great day.

My race report is up also.  This leaves 8 weeks until IMWI – a perfect training cycle – with two races inside of it.  Time to buckle down and do a bit of work.

Imagine a tall study oak tree, it’s roots are deeply embedded in the ground – unmovable right?  Sure, until a storm comes whipping through and rips it right out of the ground since it acted as a rigid object that the wind could just slam against and until it is pulled down whole.

Now think about the Grand Canyon and the colorado river.  The river winds it’s way through the Grand Canyon, the water going where the Canyon dictates, but ever so slowly and patiently destroying the Canyon.

Nothing in the world, is as yielding as water; Yet in attacking the firm and inflexible, nothing triumphs so well.- Tao Te Ching

What does this have to do with regards to triathlon?  I’ll give you an example.  One of the work-outs I like the least is 2×20′ @ FTP.  It’s hard, uncomfortable and not a lot of fun.  This year I’ve tried a new tactic when I approach this (or similar workouts), first I acknowledge that they are hard, will hurt and may not be a lot of fun.  Next I acknoweldge that it will make me a better athlete by doing it.  Finally, I remind myself that at the end of the day I’m going to be tired from whatever I do as a workout – so I may as well do the right workout.

By yielding to the fact that the workout isn’t going to be fun, but at the end of the day I’m going to be tired regardless – I’ve suddenly found that I actually enjoy the workouts.   The fatigue of the intervals sets into my bones, and I find myself able to dig deeper and push harder because rather than thinking about how awful this is, adding that stress to my body – I’m simply focused on what is happening.

Remember this on race day – you’re going to be tired no matter what – if you aren’t you probably did something wrong.  When you body starts to send those signals your way – don’t let the alarm bells go off.  Realize that getting tired is normal, it’s what you trained for and why you signed up.

Here are some tips I’ve found to help yield:

• Positive self talk
  • “In 5 minutes I’m going to be so glad I did this” instead of “Only 5 minutes left, than I’m done”
• Distract yourself
  • Count steps, pedal strokes
  • Sing
• Bargain with yourself
  • “I’ll give it 5 more minutes, then see what’s going on”

To summarize, by fighting the pain of fatigue we are actually introducing additional signal into the loop which which increases the stress and fatigue of the moment – this just feeds back into itself.

Rather settle into the pain of the fatique, make it your companion, accept it – let it pull up a chair and make itself at home.  After a while it will be like your bike saddle, sure it’s uncomfortable – but you learn how to sit on it and wiggle your butt around now and then, and before you know it you’re accustomed to the feeling and just plant your weight on it and peddle down the road.

Training update:

Things have been going pretty well.  Last week had a few non-starts in terms of bike workouts.  Between spending Thursday at the bike shop and Friday evening there for Mary’s bike – I ended up missing both bike workouts.  The good side is, I had a superb run Friday morning; just a short 30 minute thing, with 3 miles @ HIM run pace.  Saturday and Sunday I more than made up for the missed bike workouts.  Saturday was 4 hours pretty easy with Mary.  I inserted in: 5×5′ (1′) @ FTP.  Then a little later, 2×10′ (2′) @ FTP, and finally closing out with 20′ @ HIM.  I didn’t have any power – so it was all done by perceived exertion, but it was a good ride.  Sunday was good also, (I borrowed a PT from a friend for this one) 2×20′ @ HIM Power (with ~20 minutes IM pace in-between), followed about 50 minutes later by 8×4′ (1′) @ FTP, followed a bit later by 20 minutes @ HIM Power.

I was pretty surprised by Sunday, I’m not sure if it was due to having two days off of cycling, but I didn’t expect to be able to do all the work that I did.

It’s a bit kludgy, but I don’t want to screw up any of my permalinks out there.  Another solution maybe that I’ll simply setup a redirect for the root to /blog to maintain the permalinks.  Although I suppose I could do it the other way to.  The joys of trying to support bad design decisions 2 years down the road!

If you see anything quirky, please visit the contact page and drop me an email – or drop me an email if you live in SE WI and can lend me a Powertap equipped race wheel!!!!

I’ve always been a fan of Emery’s.  I first stumbled on them back in 2004.  I had just signed up for an Ironman, and after reading about the Cervelo Dual – promptly searched out a local dealer – Emery’s was the closest.  Brent and his gang have always been great to work with and have helped me out in a couple very difficult pickles.  The biggest two of which spring to mind was back in 2007 when I discovered a crack in my seat tube the day before a race -  they had me in and out and ready for the race in just a few hours.  The other is last year when they got my bike fixed up and road ready in just a couple of days, which suited me just fine! 

Long story short - the crew at Emery’s has always treated me right.  Yesterday, I had a great experience.  I didn’t need to do much fit wise, as I transferred over my current position – but I was impressed by Brent’s critical eye for details on the fit.  The stock stem on a Small Speed Concept is a 60mm length + 45 mm rise.  This left me about 40 mm short on my base bar reach.  On the trainer it felt fine, I could tell I was a little cramped on the horns, but felt OK.  Brent said he thought my earlier thoughts on using the 100/45 stem was spot on – based on how I looked and my weight was distributed.  15 minutes later riding down the parkway I found myself in instant agreement.  With the short stem and reach on the base bar the bike was just a little to twitchy for my taste and I felt a little cramped.

Without further ado, let me introduce Dexter

Dexter will be my trusty steed for many years and miles to come.

As a public service announcement for those with a Speed Concept or considering purchasing one – be aware – the stock cone cups on a Kurt Kinetic Road machine will not fit on the frame – you’ll need to call curt and have them send you a set of cups with a smaller OSD.  I was told that you don’t need the Small Slotted Cone for the NDS of the skewer.  I’m not sure I 100% believe them, but the worst that happens is I have to call them back and get them to send the the Slotted one.

A second PSA, is that I noticed my frame does not fit on my Saris Thelma rack.  I’m not sure if it’s a function of the frame size, or the frame in general.  I need to get in touch with Saris and find out what the best way to solve the issue is.

20×100 SCY @ 1:15 hold 1:10 – 1:12

2:15 run tonight.  It’s nice and humid – my favorite…..

These are probably the 3 biggest issues I have in my training and racing.  They are three little devils in the back of my mind that erode my ability to train consistently, smartly, and correctly – which ultimately impacts my ability to race at the level I want.

I’ve had success and failure in the past in dealing with FUD.  It’s easiest to combat FUD – when you are getting regular positive feedback on your actions.  Fast times, successful workouts, and good feelings always seem to hold FUD off.

FUD seems to creep in though when the opposite things happens – bad races, failed workouts, staleness.  In and of itself the arrival of FUD isn’t bad,when it turns bad though is when you act on that FUD.  For me, the downfall is when I start to question my training plan and my weekly routine, and spending time on the net searching out the next thing to try.

I try what I find, struggle, and struggle some more.  At some point I realize that I have succumbed to this bout of FUD, and am able to pull myself out of it.

A bit of a cryptic post today, but mostly intended as a reminder to myself (and warning to others) – FUD isn’t bad, but allowing FUD to change your day to day plan is.  When you find a formula that works for you – keep at it – until you need to make a change, rather than changing because out of FUD.

Training Update: I did the High Cliff HIM, as a relay.  I paced it a little aggressively – was at 290 some watts @ 20 minutes.  I ended up faded pretty fantastically to average 260 overall.  My time was 2:20+.  I really wanted to pull in under 2:20, but comparing my time to some of the studs in the race, I was very happy with it.  I could not have run well off the ride the way I rode, but assuming a smartly paced average power of 260 would have resulted in the same time, it probably would have been an exciting day.  I also raced the Superrun 5k last night.  Last year I finished in 18:40.  This year my time was 18:45 – the day after a 2 hour run in hot, humid weather that saw me losing 7 pounds, and was my second run of the day along with two bike rides.  So not to shabby to end up only 5 seconds slower than last year.  That said, my CTL for cycling has been flattening out the last two weeks or so – mostly due to some life scheduling things – so I need to focus a bit on the consistent to continue to drive that north for a few more weeks.

I intend to only sharply drive my CTL north for another 5 to 6 weeks, than let it flatten for a few weeks before I drop off for a taper.  That’s similar to what I did in 2008, so I intend to try to replicate it.

First a brief training update.  Things are continuing to progress well.  Last night was a 2 hour and change run in the rain.  My longest run in about 7 months!  It was awesome, it felt good, I enjoyed the rain, and I even had the opportunity for a brief swim when I came upon a bridge that was out due to construction and back tracking to detour wasn’t a viable option.  I figured what the heck I’m already wet because of the rain – splash!

On Sunday I did the Bong 30k TT, I was very pleased with my effort, although I did receive a sound beating from true TT monsters masters - but  things are continuing to progress well on the bike. 

The only other thing worth mentioning is my attempt to do the Doc Ride on Saturday resulted in quite a story.  I departed my house at 6am, rode to Pewaukee and then onto Dousman.  The Doc Ride was going well, until about 20 miles into it, we had to ride over a rode which was under construction.  Long story short – a rock damaged the side wall of my front tire and I flatted.  I changed it, and inflated my spare and the sidewall did the spare in too.  If I had used a 12g CO2 and settled for limp home tire pressure it might have made it.  So I ended up hitchhiking back into Dousman and buying a new tube and tire prior to riding back home.

 This weekend I am doing participating in the High Cliff Half Ironman on a relay as the biker.  I decided to do a relay instead of the full race for two reasons: Doing the bike leg supports my current priority of biking hard to increase my fitness and FTP.  And it reduces the pressure for me to rush the rebuild of my run fitness.

But that’s not what untapped wisdom is about.  It’s easy to say – man if I could go back and apply my appreciation for hard work, my motivation, and the understanding of training I have now, and swim in college again…, but that does nothing but hold you in the past and ultimately hold you back from moving foward onto your potentional.  Untapped Wisdom is more about understanding that sometimes things are the way they are for reasons you don’t yet grasp, accepting that fact, and realizing that we can wait for time to bring us clarity – or we can take a look at the signs on the road and see if we can make sense of it now.

Albert Einstein says it best “Significant problems you face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

I’ve mentioned it a few times on my blog, but for me 2009 exemplifies this perfect.  Poor race performances, a major bike crash, a major injury – in the moment I found myself doing nothing more then driving myself forward.  I had two Ironmans to finish, I had Hawaii to qualify for, my bike power numbers were through the roof, I’m running my long runs like a rock star…all while I ignored little signs.  Waking up for swims was hard, getting pumped up for long runs was difficult, I couldn’t run without 4 ibuprofens per hour, I struggled to hit 6:20 mpm on tempo runs, my weight was up.  I even went so far to suggest taking a short cut on a Long Ride once.

Signs are there for a reason.  Sometimes they are there to tell us we need to stop or take a detour.  Other times they are there to tell “Bridge Out…Adventure ahead.”   Find the wisdom to read the signs and get the message before you’ve passed them by.

1> My expectations are low – I am honest to God tickled pink to run 8:20 miles.

2> Because my expectations are low, I am able to better control my ego and run the right pace.

3> I am running the right pace.

Prior to returning to running I recalculated my VDOT, based on my presumed VDOT last year, the time I took off of running, and weight I had gained.  Daniel’s formula (reference not handy) spit out a VDOT of 45.  Pathetic, but I accepted it.  The first week of running said that VDOT was actually mighty challenging for me.  3 weeks of running confirmed this VDOT was spot on at Saint Anthony’s.  4 weeks after St. A’s, the Triple T told me I had improved to 52.

I’m getting a bit side tracked here - what’s my point.  Last year I hated my long runs.  4 pm on Tuesday would roll around and 100% of the time I would look for other things to do, and a lot of the time I’d actually find something to do.  They were hard, uncomfortable, and I didn’t have a good time; but they were fast!!!!

This year I, while I haven’t had any 2+ hour runs (next week will be my first), I’ve actually enjoyed my long runs.  As I was getting ready yesterday I felt that feeling of dread come over me, I pushed myself out the door (into the rain), and 1:49 later I walked back into my house thinking “Damn, that was actually fun.”  I was a bit sad to see the run end.

My advice – make sure you are running at the right pace for your long run, if you find yourself dreading them, slow down, run the pace you’ve earned.  Don’t run the pace you want to run.  All you’re likely to do is set yourself up for disappointment, under-performance, or injury.

When my results point me to a new VDOT level, I’ll run faster – no need to spoil the fun by forcing things.

Training Update:  I did a fun swim set on Monday: 5x(1×300 @ 4:30 + 1×100 @ 2:00).  Distances were SCM, the 300 was swum steady hard, and the 100 was all out.  I did the 300′s @ 3:55 – 3:58, and the 100′s on 1:10 to 1:13.  I was pleased not only with my performance, but that I also saw the set through – it was rather unpleasant.

Beyond that – not much notable to mention – just keepin’ on, keepin’ on.