So, do I just hand in my chip?

My ankle is feeling better, thank you very much.  I'm not in the big black walking boot anymore - I'm in a much sleeker, and aerodynamic brace now. 

Which one would you rather wear?

The great thing is I can wear a regular shoe with this new brace.  It makes getting around on crutches much easier.  My Orthopedist did say that I'll need to wear this brace for 6 more weeks.  But, the crutches can go away as soon as I'm strong enough to walk comfortably without them.  This made me "Mr. Happy Guy" last Friday.  Great news as far as I'm concerned.  Six weeks post ankle surgery and I could be off crutches within another month.  Maybe.

The timing of this news was good.  A couple friends from the usual morning running crew  dropped me a line to check in and see how things were going with my rehab.  This was great info to have as I provided updates.  So, with all this on my mind, my first thoughts over the weekend were: "When do I think I can race next?"

Suffice it to say that the North Face Endurance Challenge 1/2 Marathon in May is out.  So is the triathlon in June I was targeting.  That one bums me out as I had a top 10 finish / 1st in AG podium last year.  I was really looking forward to getting on that course again. 

I'm also not going to be able to do the Stamford Olympic triathlon this June as well.  I had some redemption on my mind after I received a time penalty at this race last year which bumped me from an age-group podium finish.  No redemption this year, apparently. 

So now we're into July and August.  I'm registered for two races during these two months and I'm pretty sure that, while I may be able to jog with some nominal level of discomfort, I won't be able to run with any great intensity.  Same goes with the Toughman Half Iron triathlon in September.  I just don't know what I'll be able to muster on the run.

This isn't to say that I couldn't do the swim, the bike, and then just jog easy through the run.  I could.  But that would suck, in my opinion.  I have enough Type-A / OCD triathlete in me to know that if I was having a great race and then jogged the run I'd be a mental wreck.

What's a person to do?  Hence my opening question.  Should I do the swim and the bike and then turn in my timing chip?  Could I do that?  I mean, of course I can.  But the question is, should I?

I say "should I" as I'm a bit conflicted.  Not all these races have an Aquabike category.  And for those that don't, what impact will I have on other athletes?  If I were to pass someone on the bike course - and they see that I'm in their age group and, as I would, attempt to reel me back in - this person is going to burn a bunch of extra energy.  More to the point, they're going to burn energy chasing down someone who was never going to be a factor in their race.  I'm sure I could sit here and dream up all the reasons that I have a valid plan in the works.  Heck, I can justify almost anything if you give me enough time.

I want to race as soon as possible.  Dare I say I NEED to race!  I'm going absolutely stir-crazy not being able to get outside and run or ride.  Swimming is great.  But 15 minute sessions on the bike trainer are getting old.  I know that as soon as I'm able to ramp things up, I'm going to want to race as soon as possible.

So, again, what's a person to do?  I need input here folks.  If there's no Aquabike category at a race, do I pull a DNS (did not start) and volunteer?  Or do I do what I can and turn in my chip once I get to T2?

USAT Coaching Clinic Recap

I was in Baltimore last weekend for my USAT coaching clinic.  What an experience.  There was just tons of info and it was really inspiring to listen to all the presenters.  Most of them are coaching athletes, elite and otherwise, and to hear about their approach to coaching was really educational.  This weekend really solidified my desire to coach.  I know deep down that I can do something here that benefits athletes of all levels.

The good stuff:

• Anything that was covered by Bob Seebohar and Justin Trolle.  I know that sounds hokey, but I'm serious.  The day and a half that these two alone spent with the group was simply amazing.

• Building a proper training plan

• Great content from all the Level III coaches, and hearing how they train their athletes and build their workouts.

• Great ideas all around on how to improve transition times and mental prep.

• The discussions on nutrition were amazing.  I could have spent hours on this alone.

The "me being critical" stuff:

• The swimming presentation left a little to be desired.  Now, most of the other participants thought the lecture was very good, and that there was a lot of good information shared.  I'm being overly critical as I have a swimming background, and there was just nothing new that I hadn't heard before.  I thought it was a little light in content.

• Wait, no SWAG?!

The "are you kidding me?" stuff:

• The apparent lack of basic knowledge of triathlon fundamentals shown by a few of the participants.

• Individuals, who are currently coaching athletes, showing a lack of understanding of how specific workouts impact a training session. 

• Future colleagues dozing off and simply not paying attention.  Obviously, these individuals won't endure the test of time, as athletes will eventually see their shortcomings.

As I said earlier, there were two presenters that really stand out in my mind:  Bob Seebohar and Justin Trolle.  These guys gave, in my opinion, the best lectures and presentations.  These two individuals are an absolute wealth of knowledge.  They're coaching elite and national team athletes and they were nothing but inspiring.  This isn't to say that the other coaches and presenters weren't up to snuff - far from it.  But Bob and Justin were just tremendous.

In the end, it was very exciting to gain a new understanding of applying some theories, training techniques, and more importantly the building of a proper annual training plan.  I was embarrassed at how poorly I'd built my own previous 1/2 Iron training plans after seeing what Bob and Justin put together on a regular basis for their athletes.  Moving forward, while more complicated, my training will be taking on a whole new format.

More to the point, this clinic made me think again about how some coaches put together a plan for you with next to no pertinent information.  Based on what I heard, saw, and digested, there is simply no way you can build  a customized training plan - with periodization and proper fitness testing - without spending a significant amount of time with the athlete in question.  Having someone fill out a web form just isn't going to give you the information required.

And where I thought I was doing proper step-back weeks, and getting the rest I needed - wrong again.  Where I was sure that my plans had all the quality workouts cooked in without overdoing it on quantity....hmmmm, not exactly. 

Next up, CPR certification, and the USAT test for certification.  Then, a business plan!

Hey Coach!

I'm heading off to a USAT Coaching Clinic this upcoming weekend.  I thought long and hard about signing up - did I really want to start coaching people?  Did I think I could really help somebody become faster, more efficient, and improve?  I think I can.  While I've been self-coached (mostly) for most of my triathlon career, I did swim competitively up into the college ranks.  I've been coached by a number of individuals, and I'd like to think that I know what to do, what not to do, and how to work with people to get the most out of their time.  I've trained with a lot of top-flight athletes, a number of whom have qualified for Kona, and know what their time, training, and sacrifices have entailed.  All of this information hasn't gone to waste.

I've actually built 1/2 Ironman training plans for a number of individuals.  I have to say I really had a good time creating them.  I found it fascinating to delve into their previous performances so I could better understand their abilities.  I enjoyed working with them to get an idea of what their schedules look like, how much time they could devote to training, and how this all impacted their overall goals.  It was actually quite a bit of fun working with them to understand their running and swimming pace so I could formulate speedwork on the track, and targeted swimming workouts.

Building an overall training plan, with periodization, pull back weeks, and taper, as well as incorporating strategically placed races, is more complicated than I originally thought.  There's a nice challenge that goes along with this process.  No two plans are alike.  Sure there may be a template that is used, but to do things correctly there's a lot of personalization involved.

What I found to be the critical piece of the training puzzle was working with these individuals to incorporate training into their real-life existence.  These folks work for a living.  One has multiple kids. Training has to be scheduled into windows of opportunity.  Quality workouts need to be the norm.  As I work full time, and train in whatever spare time I can muster during the week, I found that a key to building these plans was understanding how much time was available for training.  Then, and only then, can a truly personalized plan be formulated.

I just don't see how, via some coaching services I've seen online, filling out a web-form with minimal information can yield a detailed training plan that is tailored to the individual.  A cookie cutter approach isn't the best solution here.  There are of course some coaching services that are detailed and thorough, but some just don't look to be worth the price of admission.

But I digress.  At the end of the day, it's thrilling for me to see people get excited about training for a big race.  To listen to someone become animated, looking forward to long brick workouts, four hour training rides, and speedwork, is really satisfying.

As I said, I've built some 1/2 Iron plans. My biggest challenge to date, however, is building a training plan for my wife.

JL asked me to build a sprint triathlon training plan for her.  Not a problem!  This was going to be great, as I know what her paces are, I know what her schedule is, and I can easily customize a plan for her for the summer race she's targeting.  This was before she decided to take most of the winter off from training.  So, I'm going back to the drawing board on this one.

Looking at the agenda for the upcoming clinic it looks like a very full 3 days of training this weekend.  I'll try to provide an overview of the sessions when I return next week.

Managing Life and Triathlons

I read a good post the other day on TriCrowd.com.  It was titled When Life gets in the way of Tri (click the link and give it a read) and it reminded me of the time-management, structure, and sometimes sacrifice that can be required for triathlon training.

Unlike the author of the post, I don't have kids.  While that makes it much easier for both me, and my wife, to train and race, I do work full time.  I'm not sponsored to race, or independently wealthy enough to work part time (or not at all) and train full time (reminder to play the lottery tonight).  What this means is that longer workouts during the week require starting the ride or run du-jour early in the day.  Usually in the dark. 

I remember fondly (yes, fondly) my training for the Toughman 1/2 Iron triathlon just a summer or so ago.  I needed to get long brick workouts into my schedule, and for some strange reason my brick days fell on Thursday mornings.  (For anyone who isn't quite sure what a brick workout is, check out this link from Ironman.com on brick workouts and training).  To get in the workout I needed - a 45+ mile bike ride, followed immediately by a 6+ mile run - I would set my alarm for 330a.  Some toast and peanut butter, a banana, a little coffee.....air in tires, bars and gels in the jersey pockets, water bottles filled with a mix of  Perpetuem and Sustained Energy, and I was out the door by 400a. 

Upon returning home from the ride, and then subsequently the run, I'd log my workout, shower, get dressed, eat a giant bowl of cereal or 3 or 4 eggs and toast, and be downtown in my office by 900a.  Usually Thursday nights were a very low key affair.  After dinner it was a guarantee that I'd be asleep on the couch by no later than 800p.

Even on the weekends early start times are still the norm.  On the road for a Saturday long ride by 700a at the latest.  Home by 1100a or noon.  Sunday long runs guarantee a couple of hours on the road or trails.  And this is only for a half Ironman.  Even without kids, I'm not sure how I'd double things up to do a full Ironman.  There's just not enough hours in my day.  Well, that's not true.  There are.  People do it all the time.  It just requires more discipline and time-management.  A few people from my triathlon club went to the world championships in Kona last year.  One is a guidance counselor at a elementary school in Connecticut.  You can read about his training in this article.

Triathlons require structure, dedication, and a lot of drive and desire.  They sometimes require sacrifice.  I think it's worth it.

Back in the pool - First workout in over 3 weeks

My first workout post injury is in the books.  This past weekend I was able to get to the pool and managed around 30 minutes of swimming.  Yeah, only 30 minutes. 

Upon getting in the water I wasn't comfortable at all and this was a little disappointing.  It took about 5 to 10 minutes for my ankle to loosen up enough so that I could swim somewhat normally without constantly thinking about it.  It was amazing to really feel what sort of flexing goes on in that joint even when not kicking.  Just the natural friction and resistance from the water was enough to make me well aware of how tight my ankle is.

I couldn't use a pull buoy.  My ankles kept clipping together and I can't use my left leg to push off the wall.  This was working out really well so far.  So I resigned myself to just letting my left leg drag behind me while my right leg did as much kicking as I could manage.  It took a lot of effort to keep my body streamlined.  My core muscles were engaged the whole time trying to keep my legs from sinking.  It was tiring.

In the end I felt pretty good.  I didn't get in nearly as much swimming as I would have liked, but as the pool became a little crowded I cut things short as I was being overprotective of my leg and was unnecessarily afraid of some kind of collision occurring.  It felt great to be in the water, though.  I'm sure that as things progress at physical therapy I'll be able to increase the intensity in the pool (flip turns will still out for a while) as well as the duration.  I think that as soon as I begin to get some strength back I'll be much more comfortable in the water.

Next up: the bike trainer.  I'll be chatting with my physical therapist tonight and might give a short, no resistance, spin on the bike trainer a shot in the near future.  Here's hoping my ankle doesn't blow up like a balloon.  I might actually have to show some patience and restraint.