I don’t do blogs…
But here I go. Why? Its August 3 and I have 10 weeks to Kona 2015. Been here before – many times, but this will be my last one for a while. So why a blog? Couple of reasons:
I have an epic August lined up with training. Not on purpose, it just sorta settled into place like this…78 hours of training in the next 20 days. Park City, Bend and Boulder in the next 28 days. It’ll hurt, it’ll suck, but might as well document it for some future read. I’ll get into why this is my last Kona for a while in some future blog.
Also, some day, I’d like to look back on this window of life, the training, the long days, the fatigue, the depths of hard training…and I’d like to read it and smile, with a little twinkle in my eyes…remembering how fun it was – how alive I felt and how good friends, family and loved ones set up a successful window in time like this. A training partner – way back – from Sweden once said to me in his broken English: “you won’t remember the easy days of training, so you might as well stay on the couch and rest those days…what you will remember are the hard days” – And when he said hard days, he meant it – for him by definition that meant anything under a 300w ride might as well be a day on the couch…I missed doing this type of diary for my swimming days. I have so many stories – experiences – events – friendships but I never captured a window in time with a diary…or in today’s world – a blog.
Another reason is accountability. Writing about my training, my days, my life the next month, helps keep me accountable to this, the blog, the diary, the snapshot into a fun window of life. Accountability also in thinking that someone, somewhere – even if it is my kids some day – might read this. This will be Kona number 13 for me – not sure if that is lucky or not – but the point here is I know what the training leading up to October is like…how hard it gets, how tired, how flat at times, how solitary, how stressful on schedule, life, kids, family etc. I have done all the different approaches: gone away to train. Stay home to train. Train big, train fast, train aerobic, train lots of simulation, train alone, train with pros, train at altitude, train low. Geez, just writing this makes it exhausting. So – writing about it – sharing it – being accountable – even if it adds that little extra ounce of consistency, motivation…then it is already worth it…
Sort of a bigger commitment. Writing every day of the 20-30 days…and sort of pompous, narcissistic…to think that someone will want to read…well maybe read one day, but then not ever again…but I do have a few athletes that have mentioned that they would love to get an insight into my training, how I prepare, how I get tired, cranky, and balance this training, life, family work thing…And – if it helps in coaching, if it helps in connecting with some of my athletes, if it raises the right dialogue and questions, even better!
Not all entries will be this long. I figure a little bit of background…then down to the simple daily inputs/observations/training comments and diary: Hey – it looks as though I am doing my own Training Log updates…the ones I request from so many of my athletes…ugh.
Thank you in advance to Mike Radogna for posting these every day for me and keeping the website up to date. No way I could do that…!
Monday – August 3rd.. Training Plan? I’ve just come off a solid recovery week. I’ve had my kids for the past 8 days, we did some awesome adventures, so training is always a recovery week when I have them for longer periods of time. Last week was an easy 16hrs of training – and July was a little of a mix&match month of training…After IM CDA I just trained on feel into Vineman, then used a week up in Tahoe to get my aerobic legs back under me. So that was a big week of training (26hrs) at the back end of July, last week 16hrs of easy recovery and it begins today:
- 3 hours on the bike with 1×15 min at HIM race watts – and later in the ride 4×4 min at threshold (LT/Zone 4) with 2 min recovery. After that – settle into the aeros and let the legs dictate the watts – focus is aero, efficient and relaxed.
- 30 min run off the bike – 10 min easy at IM pace – 10 min Fast on Feel (FoF as I like to call it) – 10 min easy again.
Today I wanted to be real careful – easy when not ON an interval, smart training – big block ahead. Tons of fluids – to stay on top of hydration. Good calories and an overall awareness of getting my sh*t together in mindset, nutrition, focus and prep for every day over the next 21 days.
3 hrs was good – intervals were all in line but the 4 min intervals were a little ‘hot’…need to err on the side of a bit easier. Run: 4 miles, 28 min: 10 min 7:14 pace – 10 min 6.34 pace – 8 min 7:10 pace – avg HR 136
4 bottles: 3x water 1x GU Roctane drink. 2 Clif Bars.
Also – my some serious commitments: I will not compromise form for speed, pace or watts over the next few weeks. I will not sabotage the training over the next few weeks: I won’t force it, I won’t go too hard on easy days, I will not justify going easier because of some voice telling me I have permission. I will focus only on getting today done…right, to the best of my ability
Tomorrow – swim 4000 yards, bike 5 hrs aerobic, short transition run….