COACH'S CORNER

Boulder Saturday June 25

2011-06-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the last instalment on my Boulder Mega Training Camp Week. We were up at 4am for our Super (50km bike leg) Olympic Race on Saturday morning. The race was 1 hour drive from Boulder, and race start was 6:30am (quite early by even Ironman Standards). The swim went well, after my swim tips on the previous day. I had a couple of things to focus on, and I kept repeating those cues in my mind to keep my swim on track. I started in the last of 5 waves, and thus ended up swimming through 3 of the preceding waves before ending the race (waves were 5 minutes apart). Final swim time was ~26 minutes (1:44 pace), which I was happy with considering the altitude and the swim traffic that I had to negotiate. On to the bike- I felt good. I didn’t bring any Aero wheels, so my split was off by a couple of minutes. Still, I was passing lots of people in spite of not being able to raise my heart rate above 142bpm. I should be able to maintain 160 bpm for an Olympic, but due to the training load of the previous week, I was only able to put out Ironman power as opposed to Olympic Power. Bike pace was ~35kph, so I was happy enough with that. On to the run, the legs took a while to warm up. After 6km and lots of heavy breathing I was finally able to click off consistent sub 5 minute kms. At home I can breathe through my nose at this pace, but that was not the case for me here. Run split was almost 49 minutes (well off of my best pace). Overall I finished in the top third of my AG, which was OK considering the Anti Taper, and considering that this race was a qualifier for the USAT age group nationals (lots of good AG competition). Post race food was great (they had lots of hot, cooked food ready for us in the high school gym). It was amazing how much athletes appreciate small touches such as real food after a race (instead of a dried up bagel…).

Since we were flying home the next day, I managed to convince Ian that we needed on more hill climb for the week (not quite enough training today ). I don’t think he really wanted to go, but the lure of the twisty-turny downhill return was too much for him. These downhills are a blast, and I am concerned that my normal Kincardine “Loop” will be pretty boring to me once I get home (2 hours straight east, no hills, no turns, no cars, - now that I think about it the only excitement is swerving to avoid the occasional pile of horse dung or the very occasional tornado like winds). We hammered the rolling highway (with the 6 foot wide paved shoulder) back to the hotel.

Camp finished with dinner at one of the numerous local brew pubs. Leaving was bittersweet, missing the family at home, but not yet tired of the life of a pro :Swim (nap), bike (nap), run (nap), eat, in bed by 9:30 or 10pm at the latest… Several of the campers are staying at least 1 more week in Boulder, and one is there for 3 months (training for Ultraman). With the altitude, hills (mountains), training facilities I could get really, really fit if I spent a couple on months in Boulder. I suspect the biggest hazard would be overtraining.

All in all, I highly recommend Boulder as a training destination. It is easily one of my favourite cities on the US. Final total for training hours of our week in Boulder was ~30 hours. 99.9 % of that time was far below threshold (Zone 1-Zone 2), so surprisingly my body is not feeling beat up. Farther + Faster= Disaster was an equation that believed when I went into this big week. My training hours were doubled (farther) so in order to avoid overtraining (disaster) I moderated the effort every day (when I could). Good training, good location, good friends, fun times. Time to recover so that I can get get faster...

Boulder Friday June 24

2011-06-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well, just when I think it can't get any better it does. This morning there was an "optional" ride up Flagstaff Mountain. Of course to a group of Type A triathletes optional means mandatory. They warned us that it was a bit steep at the start. Holy crap they weren't kidding. This ride rolled out from downtown Boulder, and immediately starts multiple switchbacks, and we quickly gained altitude above the city. Eventually the grade levels out from "holy shit" to "damn tough". Then we get to the turnoff for the Amphitheater after which we climb the Super- Flag section. Now that I am acquainted with the local slang any climb that has "super" in front of it is VERY tough. Super flag didn't disappoint. This was the first climb when I wasn't sure that I could (or should) make it to the top. Altitude plus very steep grades made it quite a challenge. I was very satisfied to make it to the top!!!

Next on the agenda was a pool swim led by Jane Scott (Dave Scott's sister). She is a fulltime swim coach. She shortly had us sorted out into appropriate lanes and into a nice workout. She quickly learned most of our names, and nailed all of us for any of our bad swim habits. She had an awesome way of explaining proper triathlon swim form. Really good workout. Matty Reid and Chrissie Wellington were seen on the pool deck at during our session. Cool.

Later in the day we had a 1.5 hour talk with Chrissie. What an awesome ambassador for our sport. We all got a lot out of the session. She is as tough as she is nice, which is an interesting combination. Gordo told a story of how Chrissie showed up for a Dave Scott swim workout 4 days after a breaking a rib. She completed the 5km workout and kept her normal position in the "elite" swim lane. Gordo was talking to her but she ignored him until after the workout. Apparently in the mental state that she was in to deal with the pain, she basically blocked off all of the world and was effectively deaf to the world.

"Super" Olympic race tomorrow. 1.5km swim, 50km bike, 10km run. We'll see how the Anti taper goes. I am hoping that I can generate many more red blood cells overnight.....

Boulder June 23

2011-06-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a busy couple of days here in lovely Boulder. Yesterday was an easy day (for training) but was super valuable. We had a 2 hour session at the track with Bobby McGee. Bobby is one of the most well respected run coaches in the world. He has coached many straight up runners, and many triathletes, including top ITU stars. He was a wealth of knowledge, and experience. I paid for a 30 minute personal session with Bobby. I had hung around the track for a while waiting for my turn, and he was not afraid to point out peoples run flaws. When it was my turn we talked about my shoes, running injuries, huge calves, and open running race times vs triathlon run splits. Then he watched me run, and I was surprised (shocked actually) when he said I had a good long course running style. He gave me some pointers on how to improve my style, and some great tips on how to change my training program to make me a faster runner overall, and how to change my training cycle to enhance my running. Lots of out of the box thinking and stuff that I have never heard or read. Totally awesome.

Next up was our Retul bike fit. We drove 30 minutes to Denver and had a fit with Todd Carver, the founder of Retul and the guy who has done most of the pro cyclist and triathlete fits in the USA. Good enough for Normann and Lance... Anyway Todd was fantastic. He made some major changes to my seat position, height, cleat position and Aerobars. I was surprised at how many tweaks he made to my position, but the end result was well worth it. This was my first ever real bike fit, and Todd is a true craftsman of bike fit. Todd tweaked Ian's position also, and I was happy that Todd used a hammer and a dremel tool to "tweak" Ian's bike stem and bar pads. The guys at camp like my position. There are two guys named Mike in camp. They call me the "Low Mike".

Today we did a 2km swim in the reservoir (one of 3 weekly supervised, life-guarded, measured 1km course swims per week here in Boulder). Following that we did a 105km bike ride, again up into the mountains. Today was the first time since we arrived that I felt like I could push some good watts. Everything went well up until 8000 feet when again it got much harder to hold the same power due to the thin air. On the descent we came down with Angela Naith, an up and coming triathlete pro. She can go uphill like the wind, but Ian and I dusted her on the downhill. We waited for her at the bottom of the hill, and we hammered the rolling hills back into town at 40kph. Later Angela said that she was surprised how fast guys like us can go. I wonder if she really meant how fast old guys like us can go... We think this girl had loads of talent, nobody at the camp can climb faster than her.

Well, thats all for tonight. Time to chill and relax. Bike and coached swim tomorrow, then Olympic Triathlon race on Saturday. I think that we are doing and Anti-Taper for that race, so it will be interesting to see how it goes. BTW that is Gordo in his speedo for all of you girls out there...

2011-06-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, Epic day here in Boulder. First an open water swim in the reservoir. I did 1km, Ian got a bonus 1km on me. Followed right after by a monumental bike ride. I don't get worried about many rides, but I was dreaming about this one all last night. After rolling out we started the 15 MILE climb that would take us to 10,000 feet elevation. The air is really thin up there. The grade of the climb was a very nice 5-6% up until the last mile when it turned into a painful 12%. I don't know what was hurting more my legs or my lungs. We got very close to the snow, as seen in the pictures. It was damn cold up there, but the views were awesome. Of course there was an Awesome downhill! The descents are really nice, curvy but not too scary. Total climbing was 8700 feet vertical. I did a bonus 2km transition run, and Ian watched my gear. Of course there was a refueling stop with a mandatory beer to celebrate life.

I have tried to post a video of the downhill scenery. Fingers are crossed...

Post again tomorrow. Tired boy tonight- Yawn....

Boulder Monday June 20

2011-06-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

OK- first camp day done. Woo Hoo. Today was an "easy" 90 minute run on a nice trail around the Boulder Reservoir. Easy except for the altitude which makes my 5 min kms feel like 4:30s at home. At least I didn't get dusted on the run, finishing firmly in the middle. I am trying not to let my Ego define my efforts, since it is such a big training week. Going too hard early in the week will make the end of the week suck.

After lunch we met for a 2 hour group ride. Flat they told us except for one hill. I now know that flat is a relative term, Boulder "flat" rides are our hilly rides. Plus there was a bonus headwind that plagued us except for the last 15 minutes. Ian and headed out with the Fast group, and they put some hurt into our legs by the climb. On the way back from that climb were nasty crosswinds, and some painful climbs. I hung onto the front group mostly, but a few times the string broke and I had to catch up.

Mirinda Carfrae was our speaker tonight, and she brought along her boyfriend Tim O'Donnel (currently on the cover of Inside Tri Magazine). Super nice couple! Mirinda has never has any help with her running stride or technique, it is all a natural gift. She has worked hard on her swim, and has cut down from 60km swim weeks to "only" 22km weeks now. As with most pros most of their day is spent either training or eating (fuelling).

Open water swim tomorrow in the reservoir, followed by long tough 100 mile ride. Tough ride with a couple of 15 mile long climbs. Weather will be better up there tomorrow (no snow falling), and I am wondering (worrying) how much tougher it will be once we get up to real altitude (8000 feet?). On boy.

Boulder Sunday June 19 2011

2011-06-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it was another great day in Boulder. We got up a bit early due to the 2 hour time difference from home. We did a solid 2 hour ride up a different canyon today. Plenty of climbing, but a lovely 20 minute curvy descent as our payback. Later after our mid morning nap (er -recovery session), we hit one of Boulder's 30 bike stores which just happens to be 400m from our hotel. Happy fathers day Ian and Mike! Mike is still ahead of Ian in the purchases department due to a parcel of (cheap) shoes that was waiting for us when we arrived at the hotel. I have full confidence that Ian can catch up! I am sure he was dreaming up ways during the second "recovery session" of the day.

Just returned from Camp Kickoff Dinner at Gordo's. Plenty of Pro triathletes for our coaches. Gordo, Justin Daerr, Chris and Marilyn McDonald (Chris has won multiple IM races), Chucky V, and some girl who was an ex US road cycling champion turned pro triathlete. Nice group of campers. Plenty of hard core athletes. Tomorrow we are running in the am and then biking in the afternoon. The big bike day in the mountains has been postponed due to the 12 degree temperature, 40 mph winds and probable thunderstorms- good call in my books.

On our ride today, when we were descending we saw more cyclists climbing the hill then I have ever seen outside of an Ironman race. Holy Crap! They were mostly roadies, since the triathletes were mostly racing the Boulder 5430 sprint triathlon.

Will post again tomorrow. I have included a couple of pictures of Pearl Street, a pedestrian shopping mall. Pretty sweet, and I know a few of you girls who could spend a solid hour or two in the outdoor apparel store for active ladies.

2011-06-19T06:54:00.001-07:00

Sunday 19 June 2011
Greetings from Boulder Colorado! Ian and I arrived yesterday, flying from Detroit to Denver, then making our way to Boulder after some fun at the rental car place. We finally squeezed ourselves into a giant black Suburban. Driving this thing I feel like I should be part of a Presidential Motorcade.

First order of business was to buy two CO2 cartridges, and assemble bikes. First impressions of Boulder- it is a very nice. Small city (95,000 population), well laid out, upscale but not pretentious. Bikes everywhere. Bike lanes on most roads. Boulder is snuggled up right next to the front range of the Rockies. Elevation is 5430 feet (more than a mile high) and all of the mountains jut up from Boulder. On the bike, I noticed that my breathing rate was higher, sucking more air to make up for the elevation.

We rode North from Boulder and followed a road that was beside a creek for about an hour of steady uphill riding. Totally awesome scenery. We turned around at the place in the photo to the left, and grabbed a couple shots of the fast creek. The return ride on the downhill was much faster. Ian had to wait for me a couple of times, I don’t corner as fast as he does.

Our tri camp starts tonight with a kick off dinner, then a century in the high mountains tomorrow. Weather forcast is very sketchy, cool, rainy and windy, so I am sure it will be an epic day. I’ll post again when we have more pictures.

2009-12-09T20:02:00.001-08:00

Diary of an Ironman Rockstar

September 13 2009 is marks my 9th Ironman race, and the 4th time that I’ve competed here in Madison Wisconsin. I really dig this course and the spectators are out of this world. For the first time since 2005, I have a couple of team mates to keep me company (Ian and Doug). Doug is super well prepared for an iron-virgin, but he needs to save and channel all of his nervous energy into the race on Sunday.

Pre-race is consumed with the mandatory pre-race swim and bike course preview. We all ride a 30 minute stretch of the course to keep the legs firing. I can barely keep up to Doug. This boy can really make a bike go! Ian is no slouch on a bike either.

I am big on race planning, strategizing, and goal setting. This time around my race plan has swim, bike, run and overall time goals. I also have a goal that is non performance specific. This goal is called “Enjoy the Journey”. I want to have some fun in my 10 plus hours out there. At my last Ironman, I was not hitting my time goals, and once I realized that I slid into a mental funk that precluded me from having any more fun that day. I am determined not to let that happen this time!

My race mantra is “Strong at the Finish” and I build my race plan on some strategies to make that happen. Most times, the toughest, slowest part of the race is in the second half of the run. I structured my day, and my training, to get to that second half of the run with as much strength left in me as possible.

Swim start was more interesting than ever. I plan to go out hard for the first few hundred metres, and then settle into a good draft. After 50 metres that plan changes. A fellow racer swims across me at a right angle, straight over my torso, totally submerging me and I take in a lot of water. I figure that she got freaked out at the swim start, and is heading for shore. After a couple of minutes of coughing, I am good to go, but all of the fast feet have now disappeared. I emerge from the mosh pit in 1 hour 10 minutes; well there goes the first goal of the day out of the window.

T1 goes well, but there has to be a good 1km of running here, as evidenced my middle of the pack 7 minute T1 time. I climb onto the bike and head down the 6 story tall spiral parking lot ramp. It is a bit dizzying.

Now I am onto the best and most fun part of the day. Rock star time, otherwise known as the bike leg. A couple of years ago, a spectator called me a rock star of this bike course, and I still love that designation. With all of the spectators out on this course, I still feel like a star, especially on the climbs. There are lots of interesting costumes this year. A guy in a Bananna Suit? A hairy and rather burly guy in a cheerleaders outfit? The crowd noise and encouragement sure goes a long way, even if it is a bit of a freak show.

My bike mantra was “Ride to Run”, so my key for the bike was to go as fast as possible, while setting up the conditions to have a good run. That means not going too hard on the climbs, and getting enough nutrition. This race I decided to simplify my nutrition plan. I am still a big fan of INFINIT nutrition, and find my custom energy drink from them to be excellent. The problem is it is a bit tough to carry enough liquid calories of INFINIT to last the entire bike ride. So this time I had ~700 calories of Infinit on my bike (2 hours worth), then I would switch to the Gatorade endurance that they had on the course. I had done some of my training and race simulations using the Gatorade, so I was sure that it would work for me. Since the Gatorade is a bit light on calories, I was going to supplement with a gel flask (500 calories of gel). The gel flask spout broke off, when I first used it, covering me in a sticky mess. Yuck! Out goes the gel flask and I am onto plan B- semi solid Cliff shot blocks. They work real well, and I get to T2 feeling ok with energy.

Race day was kind of hot for what we had been acclimatised to, so I took in extra salt to bump my sodium intake up to ~700mg/hour. Pre-race I weaned myself off of caffeine for ~2 weeks so that it would give be a good charge on race day. I used 2 Motivator capsules ( Sportsquest product) at breakfast and 1 more at hour 4 of the bike, and had a good pick me up to prepare for the run.

T2 was very quiet, compared to the mayhem that was T1. I was in ~ 600th place after the swim, and was up to ~200th place after the bike. Game on! Run time. Here my race plan keys for success were: ease into pace in first 2 miles (don’t go out too fast), take my walk breaks starting from the start of the marathon (10 minutes run & 45 sec FAST walking), and do everything I can to be ready for race to start around mile 16 of the marathon.

For the run, I wore my swimming tempo trainer, set to beep to give me a run cadence of ~180 steps/minute. I turned it on for the first few km to calibrate my tempo, then periodically during the race for a few minutes at a time to make sure my cadence was still reasonable. For nutrition, I tried something completely different. In past races I had relied on energy gel/Gatorade/Coke on the run. Unfortunately, that stuff is not palatable for me by that point, plus it is hard to ensure the calorie ingestion rate is optimal (200 to 250cal/hour for me on the run). This time I used PowerBar Gel Bites every 10 minutes. They were not sickeningly sweet, and required mimimal chewing to get down. 2 of these chews washed down with water every time I took a walk break sure seemed to do the trick! By lap 2 I switched to Clif Bar Shot Blocks (a similar product) for a flavour change. 2 Endurolyte capsules per hour fulfilled my salt requirements (~500mg/hour total).

There is one hill per run loop. This year I power-walked the steeper sections to keep my heart rate under control. As soon as the hill flattened out, I picked it up right back into a good run, and made up a lot of time by being able to run well on the downhill section. I was smoking along on the run, when I got an unusual compliment from a spectator. Normally they tell me lame lies like “You are looking good”, but this guys says “Man, you’re running like a superhero”. Now I knew this too was a lie, but I sure liked the sound of it! So now I bike like a rockstar and run like a superhero. Rock star Superhero- how good is that?

I completed lap 1 in ~ 1 hour 47 minutes, and felt pleased that my goal of a sub 3:40 run (PB) was in grasp. I had a tough time between miles 14 and 17, and my walk breaks stretched to 1 minute long. I tried my best to stay positive and in the moment, and just kept on concentrating on aspects of my running form for a few minutes each (cadence, body lean, foot strike, arm swing, relaxed shoulders …). After I summited the hill for the last time, I picked up my pace. This was at mile 19, and my race had begun. From here on in my race would depend on not slowing down. I stuck to the walk breaks, and kept passing people. On one section there were a couple of Bag Pipers serenading us, and they were happy to play Amazing Grace for me. I felt like there was a wee bit of Kincardine helping me along! I dug deep all of the way to the finish, managing to run/walk a 5 min/km pace the rest of the way.

I crossed the finish line in 10hr 26 minutes, an 11 minute personal best, and managed a 4 minute PB on the run. I had moved up from 200th place off of the bike to 102nd place (75th amateur) overall after the run, but only ended up 19th in my age group. The Kona slots are fewer and fewer every year, and the competition for those spots gets tougher. Maybe some year I’ll get a shot.

Highlight of the day was to watch Doug cross the finish line in his first Ironman. He looked very strong at the finish. My hat goes off to Karen, Doug’s wife, who had to put up with (and worry about) Ian, Doug and me all week. It is a long day for the athletes, but it must seem way longer to the spectators who wait hours on end just to see a passing glimpse of their athletes.

Post race, we all headed back to the Great Dane brew pub for a local beer, and to swap war stories. Just to set the record straight, this superhero had two whole “Big Boy” pints, contrary to what Doug says.

Train hard- race smart!

Mike

2009-09-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, you made it! Your long course A race is less than a week away, and all of your training is done. All you need to do now is show up and race- right? Not exactly. While this approach may work for sprint and olympic races, you need a race plan for a long course race. Many people in your age group will have similar fitness, and your relative placing to them will depend on your race execution. Pacing, nutrition or mental focus errors can change your day from a personal best performance to DNF. I believe that you only show up on race day with half a brain, the other half is back in the hotel room. Having a race plan will let you use your half brain to concentrate on race execution, and making observations on your physical and mental state to be able to make those subtle changes in pacing or nutrition that will make your day spectacular.

Below I have pasted a sample race plan for a first time 70.3 athlete who has done a few sprint and Olympic races. It can serve as a guide for your own race plan.

Pay attention to how you pace the first bit of the bike leg and first few km of the run. These are the spots where most people make their pacing errors. If you read race reports you will seldom hear racers lament that they should have gone harder at the start of the bike or taken it out faster at the start of the run. Typical reports go like- “I was flying by people like crazy on the bike, then something happened around km75 and my legs were cramping”, or “I was having the race of my life until a couple of km past the run turnaround I started having issues and did lots of walking”. Most of these issues are due to pacing and/or nutrition errors. Be patient especially at the start of the bike leg. Don’t worry about those people who are passing you at this point, they will likely come back to you later. Same goes for the start of the run, plan for the first few km to be the slowest of the day, and let your body transition to the run.

You should have a nutrition plan that includes a plan A and plan B. Plan B should involve nutrition products available on the course. That way if you lose your bottle (or gels) on the bike leg, you will know how much product you need to collect at an aid station to compensate. Personally, I would (and have) stop and collect my nutrition from the road if possible. Your nutrition plan should include calories per hour and mg of sodium per hour. If the day is extra hot, you will need more water and electrolytes, but your calories per hour should not change.

Lastly, after your race, but while the details are still fresh in your mind, review your race plan. Write down how your race went, and contrast that with the plan. That way you can modify your plan for next time, and avoid repeating the same errors.

This race plan is from Joe Friel’s blog. Joe is author of the books Triathletes Training Bible and Going Long. I consider Joe one of the foremost authorities on triathlon. http://www2.trainingbible.com/joesblog/blog.html

Timberman Ironman 70.3 2009

Goals:
• It’s simple: finish!
• Pace, moderate efforts at beginning of each leg
• Have fun and don’t worry about time
• Race your own race, don’t worry about other athletes (especially when they pass you)

Key For Success:
• Good pacing in each leg and no bonking
• Stay healthy, no upset stomach or cramps
• Don’t forget to refuel and hydrate

Race Week:
• In bed by 9:30 every night
• 15 minutes of stretching morning and night
• Visualize a strong finish before sleep each night
• Eat clean, avoid foods that upset stomach (lactose, mustard)
• Review race plan nightly

Day Prior:
• Rack the bike
• Drive the bike course
• Early to bed

Race Morning:
• 4:00AM: Wake up, Park gates open
• 4:15AM: Coffee and peanut butter & toast
• 4:30AM: Head to start
• 4:45AM: Head to transition
• 5:00 AM: Transition opens, body marking begins
• 5:15AM: Get body marked
• 5:30AM: Prepare transition
• 6:00AM: Warm up & stretch
• 7:00AM: Watch pro start
• 7:15AM: Apply body glide, HR belt, put on wetsuit
• 7:55AM: Wave 12 Start!

Swim – 1.2 miles

Goal:
• 38 minutes (30 seconds / 25 meters)

Key for Success:
• Relax, avoid anxious thoughts
• Find a good consistent rhythm
• Sight frequently and avoid zigzags
• Breathe often to avoid hyper-ventilating

Axioms:
• Efficiency not effort
• Rhythm is king
• Sight, sight, sight

T1:

Goal:
• 5 minutes

Tasks:
• Unzip wetsuit after water exit
• Remove wetsuit at transition
• Bike shoes on
• Sunscreen
• Helmet & sunglasses
• Quick hydration (add solid food/gel?)

Bike – 56 miles

Goal
• 3 hours (19 mph average)

Keys for Success:
• 180w on flat
• Pace, pace, pace – aim for negative split
• <240 on hills
• Hydrate with Gatorade Endurance
• Gels every 45 minutes (4 total)
• Be safe, avoid accidents
• HR<160

Axioms:
• Light legs and high cadence
• Aero is the way to go

T2:

Goal:
• 5 minutes

Tasks:
• Rack bike
• Bike shoes off, socks and run shoes on
• Helmet off, visor on
• Wear race belt (or add to T1?)
• Quick hydration (add solid food/gel?)

Run – 13.1Miles

Goal
• 1 hour 45 minutes (8 minute / mile average)

Keys for Success:
• Follow Plan:
Mile 1 9:00
Mile 2 9:00
Mile 3 8:30
Mile 4 8:30
Mile 5 8:30
Mile 6 8:00
Mile 7 8:00
Mile 8 8:00
Mile 9 8:00
Mile 10 7:30
Mile 11 7:30
Mile 12 7:00
Mile 13 7:00
• Hydrate at every aid station
• Gel every 45 minutes (3 total)
• Focus on form: stand proud, slight lean forward, mid-foot strike
• Don’t over-do it on hills
• HR<169

Axioms:
• Stay in Proud form
• Light feet!
• Tight core

Planned Time: 5 hours 33 minutes

Post Race:
• Call Joe – we did it!
• Stretch & ice
• Nutrition
• Enjoy festivities

Run/ Walk Revolution?

2009-08-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

How can walking make your long course triathlon (Half Ironman to Full Ironman) faster? My Ironman PB marathon split is 3hr 41 minutes, and my race strategy has been to run steady for at least the first 21 km, with the odd walk break in an aid station to take in nutrition. Somewhere between 21km and ~32km fatigue usually hits big time, and run pace slows down (each km takes 5 to 10 sec longer to complete), as walk breaks in aid stations get longer and longer. As with most athletes out there, the success on the run leg is determined by how much you slow down in the second half of the run. Virtually nobody can speed up or maintain pace at this point of the race, and most athletes post significantly slower second half run splits. Thus the question is: How to prevent or minimize this run fade? The simple answer is to get to the halfway point of the run fresher, with more energy in the tank. That is where the run/walk protocol comes in.

First step in this system involves getting over your ego. Acknowledge that it is very unlikely that you will be able to run the whole distance without walking. Now the question is: Do you need to use the walk as a proactive racing strategy to improve your performance, or walk as a reactive strategy due to race day fade?

I’ve been incorporating this protocol into my running over the last 3 weeks or so. I have set my watch timer to repeat a 10 minute and 40 second intervals. When the watch alarms I’ll walk for 40 seconds, HR will drop up to 20 BPM, take in a small drink or some food, then run for 10 minutes. One of the keys to success here is walking form. Aim for a walking pace that is at least half as fast as your running pace. I’d like to average 5 min/km for an IM marathon, so I need to spend my walk breaks at less than 10 minutes/km pace. Doing the math, I need to be running at 4:50 pace for ~2km to compensate for my 40 second walk break.

How to walk effectively? Keep the same form as if you were running. Arms high, just like you were still running, and keep the cadence high (at least 65 strides per minute). If you were to watch somebody doing this transition from running to walking, and you could only see their upper body (visualize their legs being obscured behind a short hedge), the only difference you should notice is that their forward speed slowed when they started walking (body lean, cadence, and arm carriage identical). We are talking about walking with a purpose here! The purpose is to lower the HR, and take in some calories. Lower HR will allow the body to divert some blood from the muscles to the GI tract to help process those calories that you just took in. All good things -right?

Long runs with this protocol are less stressful on the body, and I have found recovery time is significantly improved. I believe that risk of injury would also be lower than straight running. Mentally this method also breaks your longer runs and races into shorter segments. 10 minutes go by pretty quick, as do the 40 second walk/nutrition breaks. One last benefit is that lower average heart rate means more fat is metabolized in your long run, sparing glycogen. Every little bit helps.

Find out if this will work for you. Try to repeat your last long run, only incorporate this run/walk strategy. See how close your performances are. I suspect that you’ll find you feel fresher, and will achieve a lower average HR by adding the walk breaks.

Keep it real-

Coach Mike

http://bobbysez.blogspot.com/2009/07/bobby-mcgees-runwalk-protocol.html

http://www.ironmantalk.com/Podcast.html download and listen to Episode 170 (Interview with Bobby McGee)

STEVE BENTLEY

2009-06-16T03:49:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to announce that Steve Bentley (ex pro triathlete and one of the most renowned coaches in the province) is coming on Sunday June 28 for a training clinic.

The cost is $30 and will include your lunch. The clinic will go from 10am until 2 or 2:30pm. The clinic is structured to appeal to the beginner, intermediate and experienced athletes alike. Here is what you can expect:

Strength work and plyometrics. Group 10 to 15 minute core strength session
Running session with warm-up and technique instruction (drills, running mechanics- how to run fast!)
Cycle Technique talk and fitting for power on the bike. Steve will show the aspects of proper bike fit. How to adjust the bike and position and how to know when you've got it right.
Lunch (provided) and a nutrition talk (hydration, race nutrition and nutrition strategies).
Open water swim session- Discussion on Race warm up, seeding, race start, pacing and sighting. Following this discussion you'll have the opportunity to practice in the open water. We'll put out some buoys to make a course, and have some real open water fun! (Yes there will be a lifeguard).
Transition tips and practice. Bring your bike and practice a transition!
Final questions and clinic wrap up.

You won't want to miss out on this. Please email me @ gadem@bmts.com to sign up for this clinic.