20-60-40 Triathlon

Another Sufferfest! 30 minute TT effort

2012-01-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

I'm downloading another Sufferfest vid released last week. It's a 30 minute TT effort. Nice add-on to whatever else you are doing.

Double routine of weight lifting

2012-01-28T06:39:00.000-08:00

I did a twice-through of the weight lifting routine Thursday, and it affected me alot more than expected. The first time through, I did sets of twelve reps. This is the second week I've been using a bigger weight on every muscle group, too. The first time through felt great!

The second time through, I knocked the weights down to a weight equivalent to two cycles ago. Each cycle is a three week period that I do one specific amount of weight per muscle. After three weeks (or when I feel appropriate), I add weight. So, all in all, I went to where I started a couple months ago, which felt really light. I did three sets of ten on everything, and it still felt easy.

It seems that the extra muscle is starting to eat into the extra fat I have right now. It's hard to tell because I can't stay away from all the cookies at the meetings I go to. If there ever was a real cookie monster......

By Friday morning, my body was already telling me that I overdid it. I wasn't incredibly sore, but there was definitely some soreness. The heavy soreness moved in later in Friday. As I write this on Saturday morning, I am quite sore. Just one more recovery period that might keep me off the bike today.

But I'm still hoping to get out on the xc skis with the boys in the cruiser today!

More swim stuff and random notes

2012-01-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

This Master's Swim practice has me writing about nothing but swimming. I'm pretty excited about it. On the flip side, I haven't run in three weeks and my bike volume is down because I don't recover well from all the swimming. But I am still lifting and seeing improvements there, although it is making me gain alot of weight that will be hard to carry when I start running again.

Mr Swim Smooth sends out a weekly e-mail. Many of them are good stuff, and this week's e-mail is about the big picture of training rather than some detail of form and technique.

http://www.feelforthewater.com/2012/01/performance-technique-fitness-ow-skills.html

"Are you getting a feeling of deja-vu with your swimming? Doing the same things every year and getting the same old results? In this situation you need to shake things up both from a physical and psychological perspective."

Well...I definitely shook things up with the Master's Swim practice, and my swim is improving quickly. But I need to improve my bike more than anything else, and I definitely need to run more.

Paul and I hit the cross-country ski trail last week. It was pretty good once we got a bit higher and into the real the snow. Amazing...it's the end of January and the snow level is 6,000ft. But it's really good once you get there. Of course, I forgot to prep my feet because it was the first ski of the year, and I got huge blisters right in the same spot as I get them the first ski of every year. These xc ski boots are nice but they really rub on my heels. A bit of duct tape fixes the problem easily; the biggest issue is remembering.

On the bike, I got in four rides last week, and I thought I was finding some consistency there. But Tera is gone this week, so I'm alone with the boys. That timing just isn't working out. Noah is standing now and also crawling around and getting into everything, so he has to be watched nearly constantly. And then like I said in the first paragraph, I just don't recover from the swimming effort very easily.

I do manage to get some consistency in the weight room, and it's showing. The place it shows up the most is on the scale when I weigh-in. Wow! Muscle weighs alot. I'm not huge or anything by any means, but all the shirts that were almost loose last summer are fairly tight now. Pants are tighter too, but that doesn't account for all the weight I've gained. At this point, I'm only a couple pounds from competing in Clydesdale.

My run is non-existent right now. Haven't run in probably three weeks. When I get that going again, alot of this extra weight will come right off.

Learning bilateral breathing for swimming

2012-01-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

My efforts in triathlon training are basically focusing on the swim right now. That's exactly where it shouldn't be, by the way. My annual plan is to focus on run and bike in the winter and maintain my swim. Well, starting on this master's swim team has completely changed everything.

I now swim for an hour three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), and it's kicking my butt, kind of. But I'm also finally learning how to breathe to my right side. For twenty..actually thirty... years, I breathed solely to the left. Ms Keller...you failed me 30 years ago when you didn't force me to breathe to both sides! But you were then at 6am every day, so thank you for that!

Anyway, the process for learning to breathe to both sides is coming along a bit faster than I expected. It's coming along nicely, but it's not at all easy.

Below are a few comments and tips for people who want to learn to bilateral breathe on the swim. Set aside about two months to learn to breathe bilaterally (alternating sides).

1. Start now! The sooner you start, the better. It's hard to break thirty years of muscle memory.

2. Expect to slow down significantly while you learn. If you're doing 100's on 1:50, expect to do them on 2:10 or so for a bit because you will struggle in ways you never thought possible. You'll lose your streamlining and any efficiencies you have. You'll be sucking for air, which will break down your endurance.

3. Take it slow and concentrate on streamlining, head position, shoulder rotation, and arm extension at the top of the stroke.

4. One drill the coach is having me do is breathe to one wall only. Effectively, I'm then breathing to one side for 25 yards, then another side for 25 yards. That is a good starter drill. Pretty soon, you'll want to move to always breathing on the "new" side so you can get used to that and get your muscles in shape for the new actions they take.

5. Remember to exhale in the water. The timing of the breath is so very important, and you don't have time to keep your head sticking out of the water sucking air. Breathe out while your face is in the water. Breathe in quickly with your face to the side and out of the water.

6. You'll find that you tire very quickly when breathing solely to the new side. Use your pull-buoy when you get tired so you can force yourself to learn good form. It's hard to learn good form when you're tired and weak. In fact, it's not a bad idea to just concentrate on form and totally forget about speed until you build up strength and endurance for those actions required to breathe to the new side.

Here's a quick sample of progression for those who might try to learn this on their own:

First week: Breathe to one wall only, thus alternating which side you breathe to for entire length of the pool. Focus on good form over speed. Expect to tire much more quickly than normal. Use the pull buoy when you get tired, and consider using it the entire time you are doing freestyle.

Second week: Breath to your new side almost exclusively. Start with no pull bouy and then use it whenever you need it (error on the side of sooner rather than later). Expect to be out of breath the entire time; focus on your streamlining and breathing.

Third week: Go back to nearly 100% use of pull-bouy, and assuming you are grasping onto some good form, start adding thoughts about speed and strength of stroke. Focus on extension of the arms at the top of the stroke, shoulder rotation, and breathing.

Fourth week: Alternate use of pull-bouy and no pull-bouy while maintaining the same focus areas of the week prior.

Fifth week: Still alternating us and no-use of pull-bouy and assuming your strength and endurance has built up, start alternating the breathing sides with two strokes in the middle. You will now be almost back to step one or two and sucking for air like never before. Why? Because you aren't breathing every stroke, and you're basically getting about half the oxygen you are used to getting! Prepare to slow down again because you can't get enough air to keep going. Focus on good form, streamlining, rotation, and breathing.

Sixth week: You might be ready to swim entirely with no pull-buoy while alternating breathing sides. Your body is stronger with more endurance for breathing to both sides.

Good luck with your training!

Sighting drills in the pool.

2012-01-14T18:39:00.001-08:00

The last set of our swim workout this mornin was 6x25 sighting drills. A day late on finding this!

9 Secrets To Sighting

I like the 3/3/6 combination because it seems to make the most sense to me.

Thoughts on my first Master's Swim practice

2012-01-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

A Master's Swim Team has started up in Pocatello, and I went to my first practice with them yesterday.

Quick take-aways:

1. Definitely going to do this at least til summer hits. We did all those things that I don't do on my own.

2. Nice and warm water is easy to get into in the morning.

3. I did some drills, which is something I really NEED to do.

4. I did some butterfly and breaststroke. I guess muscle-memory lasts over 20 years because that's how long it's been since I did those strokes.

5. I got in just a bit of high-intensity work early in the morning, which is really hard for me to do normally.

6. I can justify the cost because it provides additional flexibility in time by giving access to a pool at 5am on the weekdays, and a 6am swim workout on Saturday. The ISU pool doesn't open til 6am on weekdays, and I can't swim til noon or 1 on weekends.

The Long Story For Those With Too Much Time on Your Hands

I've been swimming completely solo for the last 25 years (I swam on a club swim team from sixth or seventh grade to eleventh grade). My solo workouts consisted of basically simply do sets of freestyle varying from 25 or 50 yards to 2,000 yards . I've kept the intensity level down a bit for the most part, although at one point a couple of years ago I was regularly doing some really hard 15-20 x 100 yard sets. Outside of that, it was get in, swim at a decent but not hard pace for about 1,500 - 2,000 yards and then get out. Simple.

Yesterday was simple, too....it simply much more difficult!

Alarm goes of at 4:25am, and it takes me a few minutes to realize that it's the alarm. I've had a 50% success rate of getting up for a workout in the past 2-3 months. I thought about not going, then the voice in my head said "Just go. You'll be glad you did. How hard could it be?" Out of bed at 4:35.

Getting up and going is ALWAYS the hardest part of early morning workouts.

I had pre-staged some of the Starbucks micro-brew coffee single packs next to the baby formula. That's a lifesaver idea, by the way! Thirty seconds later I have a full-on awesome 20oz coffee to get me started. I put on the clothes I prestaged the night before because I know that is a stopping point for me if I can't get up and get out of the door right away in the morning.

Fire up the car to warm it up a bit. It was about 15-20 degrees outside, so I wanted as much heat as possible going when I got in the car. Less than five minutes of warm-up in 15-20 degrees doesn't get much heat going, by the way.

To the pool. Streets empty but not deserted. Parking lot is dark. Hmmm....I'm on time so far. One guy hanging out by the door. A couple folks running around; I guess they ran to the gym and don't want to stand around and freeze to death. By now, I 'm getting comfy in the warmth of the car and waking up as I finish my coffee.

Into the pool and quick change. Four other people! OK, I'm "one of the few" here, too.

Now, the biggest problem I always had with swimming at zero-dark-thirty in the winters of North Dakota back in the day was getting into the water. It's cold as heck out, and then you have to jump in cold water in the morning.

That problem was not present. I sighed some relief as I slid into the nearly-90-degree water. No shock whatsoever. You know that any water that doesn't cause a chill-shock at 4:55am is pretty warm. But I consider it "just right" because it solves my biggest gripe about early morning swims.

The workout itself went great. I finished 2,150 yards if I remember right. That's the longest swim I've done in eight months. Intensity level was much higher than I've done in the past year, even at that early hour (I generally can't get a high intensity level before 1100). Again, the water was nice and warm (only felt way too hot a couple of times, although it definitely was way too hot).

Then we did a few 100's. This was the high intensity part. It felt pretty good, though!

Then we did some drills for each stroke. Wow! I haven't done a drill in many, many years. And you know what? The catch-up drill is probably the solution to my snaking issue and just might be the way I learn to breathe on my right side! So things are looking better already.

Out of the pool at 0558. When I got home, of course Noah was already awake. That's the only bad thing about the timing of this workout. Tera is probably going to have to get up with Noah because he often gets up at around 5:30am and doesn't go back to sleep. Incidentally, that's how I'm writing this post this morning...Noah is up at 5:10am while I was supposed to be on the bike trainer.

I met the other swimmers very briefly on my way out of the pool. Nice people of course, but they must be a bit weird because they get up and go swimming at 5am on a cold winter morning.

A great example of "here and now"

2012-01-07T07:53:00.001-08:00

Why wait to get in a race? Do it NOW.

Mr Swim Smooth has some advice that fits my motto this year "here and now"

Feel For The Water! Advice & Tips to Improve Your Swimming.: Turn Off The Brain And Press The Go Button

Good Food!

2012-01-04T21:00:00.001-08:00

Triathletes can be overwhelmed about nutrition and all the different ideas out there about what constitutes good, nutritious food. But, you never see any real examples, so I thought I'd share two specific examples of what I think good food is.

1. Eat your vegetables. These "Steamables" mixed veggies taste great and couldn't be easier to prepare. Put the bag in the microwave for five minutes, and they're ready to go. If I remember right, they are $1.29, so you pay for that convenience versus probably $0.69 - $0.89 for basic frozen veggies. As you can see on the label (actually not quite clear but you can trust me on this!), they are pure veggies with no chemicals or preservatives or anything. You no longer have an excuse for not each your veggies!

#2. A great, relatively healthy and low calorie Christmas Eve dinner. I figure this comes in at about 1,600 calories. There is no butter or sauces; all extra flavor is done with spices. Here we have grass fed rib-eye and wild-caught salmon from the Fish Off The Old Block shop in Pocatello with the Steamables mentioned above and some rehydrated potatoes seasoned with Italian seasoning and NO BUTTER so that they remain basically 100% carbs. Sometimes we have long-grain rice under the fish instead of potatoes on the side.

This is a very special meal for us because it isn't cheap, but because it is at home, it's still cheaper than a comparable meal at The Outback Steakhouse or Texas Roadhouse. I definitely prefer this meal over a chain-restaurant meal any day.....the best steak in town is in my backyard!

Motto for 2012: "Here and Now"

2012-01-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

My motto for the year is "Here and Now." It means to live in the here and now. Previous years' mottos were "loose" and, when that didn't work out quite as I thought, I went to "looser."

Anyway, here are some things you can do "here and now," as in TODAY, to be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle and faster triathlon times.

1. Cut out soda. Here are the progression steps for someone drinking several cans of Coke per day:
1. First month: Switch to diet.
2. Second month: Cut intake by 1/2
3. Third month: Cut that 1/2 by 1/2
4. Third month: Completely switch to water, adding Lipton Iced Tea drink mixes as desired.

** This will help you lose about ten pounds pretty easily, and it will do wonders for your overall health.

2. Minimize alcohol. Follow the same steps as above to minimize your alcohol intake. This will help you lose some weight, too, without completely killing your social life.

3. Plan for consistent workouts. If you have to dial down the intensity to get in a workout, do so. Don't blow off a workout simply because you're tired. Take an hour for each day that is a standard workout time that is easy to get to (ie it's not at 4am).

4. Mix it up. When you hit a plateau or you are getting bored, mix up your workout a bit to shock your body and get out a rut. This includes using a cross-training period in lieu of a scheduled workout, like going cross-country skiing instead of a run. It's important to keep your mind and body fresh during a training program lasting several months.

5.Track your progress. Write down your workouts and track your progress. For instance, I do a standard 10k run at lunch (see the one hour concept in #3). I track my time all season, and it is incredibly motivating to see the times go down as the training progresses. That motivation helps build a burning desire for consistent training, too.

Here's to great training and fast racing in 2012!!

Thinking about symmetry and muscle imbalances in triathlon

2011-12-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

Muscular imbalances can slow you down and might even cause injury. They can hurt your technique which leads to being slower and less efficient, making you tired more quickly.

I want to write about identifying causes of muscular imbalance and how prevent or fix them.

First, let's look at Rob in the video below (I don't know Rob; I found this on youtube and thought it was a good example of what I'm talking about). Notice is right shoulder muscle during the contraction phase. Freaky! Aside from the discussion about machine v free weights, think about how long he has been doing the exercise that way to get that kind of imbalance.

And here's a video about running with a muscular imbalance. Again, this was from a quick youtube search. The good stuff starts at 1:36, but the beginning is a nice summary and educational portion.

So what do I think some common symmetry problems are in triathletes?

The core has to be the most imbalanced muscle group we read about, and it's a bit more complicated than just side to side. In fact, most common is probably a weak core that leads to lower back pain. Stronger core equals stronger lower back, and that will help you maintain an aero position on the bike and definitely help you on longer runs.

Swimming Imbalances: With so many of us having trouble getting a good streamline, there are many areas that lead to imbalances.

1. Breathing: this one is pretty obvious, and I'm probably the lead problem-child because I simply decided not to worry about bi-lateral breathing. Anytime you are doing something to the same side repeatedly, you are asking for trouble. I know this causes a somewhat major imbalance in my stroke technique and I think it leads to differences in my abs. The solution is obviously to breathe bi-laterally, which most people say will also greatly improve your overall technique and certainly streamline you better.

2. "Strong-arm" pull associated with a strong side of the core: Again, we are going back to the core. A good swim technique involves using the core muscles as a platform to push against in the water. If you are pushing stronger with one arm, you are leading yourself to an imbalance in your core as the associated side gets stronger, too.

Bike Imbalances: These are a little harder to think about. With a bike leg that drastically lags behind my swim and run in terms of where relative times in races, I figure I must have a few imbalances.

1. Quads and Hams: Most people will tell you to pedal in circles in effort to ensure you are not "mashing." Well, that mashing will certainly lead to an imbalance between quadriceps and hamstrings. There must be a perfect ratio of "quads to hams," but I don't know it. The point being that bicyclists should consider if that ratio might be out of whack and creating an imbalance of quads-to-hams effort.

2. Core and Lower Back: Well, here is that pesky core showing up again. Staying in an aero position is not something everyone is immediately comfortable doing. It takes a bit of getting used to. And part of that transition is building an equally strong core and lower back that facilitates that position. I think you'll also find that as you cycle more in the areo position, your abs become significantly stronger.

3. Right versus Left: Everyone has a dominant arm, hand, and leg. It could be showing up in your bicycling. Catch it early in the season to prevent other problems. I personally think (without any review of studies) that a muscular imbalance between right and left can create knee problems because one leg ends up "mashing," which leads to the knee problem.

Run Imbalances: This isn't as simple as you would think. How hard can running be, right? Weeeellll, it can get more complicated than just putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as you can.

1. Posture: Go back to the second video today. In the first few slides, you can see different yellow lines and how they line up (they should be symmetrical on both vertical and horizontal axis). When you get tired and start slouching, you are showing your musclular imbalances. Which way do you lean when you slouch? Concentrate on good posture when you run, and that will help immensely with any imblances.

One of the main triathlon magazines had an article about running posture and it directly affected the outcome of the race. Lines were drown on the men racers, with the question something like "based on the running posture, which of the eight racers won the race?" Well, the guy that was at the back of the pack won the race because he had perfectly vertical posture. It's really a shame that I can't find that article now (and spent 30 minutes looking!).

2. Heel strike: Without getting too far into this issue, suffice to say that different angles of foot strike will create different muscles being used. Ensure each foot is striking the ground in a similar fashion.

Weight lifting: Refer back to Rob at the beginning of the video. You don't want to be like Rob. Here are some thoughts I have about weight-lifting for triathlon and some specific items to consider while you are lifting weights.

1. ALWAYS think about each and every action of each rep. You should know the general "lines of movement" that the exercise should follow in order to properly isolate the muscle group you are exercising. If you feel your whole body working to complete a rep, you are probably doing it wrong, and you'll end up like Rob (read the note of the video for more insight). Isolate the muscle on each side properly to ensure you are lifting the same amount of weight on each side.

2. "Lines of movement" should be the same for both sides. The "lines of movement" are the actually paths in the air that your body makes. For example, given a bench press with individual dumbbells, are your arms following the same path through the air relative to your body? If not, you will eventually end up with a muscle imbalance.

3. Angles: Similar to "lines of movement," the angles at which you are working need to be the same. For example, on the leg press, both feet should be in the same position relative to your body in the seat. Be picky about this! A little three-degree angle difference could lead to some significant imbalances. And are the angles close to what you are actually doing on the bike?

That's my attempt at a quick note about symmetry in your training. Obviously, there is much more to be said about this. But my point is that everyone should be thinking about it during their training sessions. Sometimes, there is a pre-existing imbalance that is hurting your technique which then hurts speed and endurance. Or, because you are new to the sport or just not thinking about it, poor form will lead to an imbalance, which can be terribly difficult to train out of.

More on big breakfasts

2011-12-27T05:49:00.001-08:00

As Matt says in the video linked below, "Go ahead and chow down."

I've posted before about big breakfasts, and this is a little two minute clip with more to say about that. My breakfasts run in the 800-1000 calorie range (based on how many cups of cereal fit in my standard size breakfast bowl), so when he talks about 610-calorie breakfasts, it really isn't that much.

Take a peak and start eating big in the morning:
Racing Weight: The Benefits Of Eating A Big Breakfast - Triathlete.com

1st Day of Christmas: One Philosophy of Consistency

2011-12-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas is tomorrow! Wow!

Everything up to now has focused on gear. But gear is not the most important thing in triathlon training and racing.

1st Day of Christmas: Consistency!

All the best gear in the world is not going to get you to the finish line of your big training days or big races. Only training can get you there. A smart training plan that builds upon weekly successes to create monthly successes that then create annual successes. And the foundation of all that training is CONSISTENCY.

It's really that simple. For 90% of the triathlete population, consistent training at a moderate pace will bring consistent improvement at a moderate pace. And then it's just a matter of time until you break into the upper echelon in which gear and equipment provides specific advantages.

But even the philosophy of consistency has it's own foundation. To be consistent, you have to be dedicated to get up every morning and hit that scheduled workout of 3-4 sessions for each sport per week. You have to have a schedule that let's you get in consistent workouts. Most importantly to me, you have to coordinate your family time such that they remain the priority in life.

Consistency will indeed pay off, usually fairly quickly for people just starting.

A key element to how quickly it pays off is if you are hitting the right intensity level. It certainly shouldn't be high intensity in the very early stages like the first three weeks, when you should be simply setting a groove for yourself and letting your body adapt to new stresses. The second three weeks, you can turn up the intensity a bit, and then you'll start noticing the changes towards the end of the third week. Each week, you either maintain an intensity and volume level or increase ONE of them (don't increase both because then you'll certainly lose consistency from lack of recovery or injury).

Of course, if you workout consistently at too low of an intensity level, you'll never see a difference. I like to keep things around 80% of max heart rate to ensure I maintain consistency. Anything harder than that, and I have to start worrying about appropriate recovery towards the end of the week (and I certainly do do the harder workouts! they are scheduled appropriately for recovery). I always here about people who go to the gym or walk EVERY DAY but can't lose weight...well, short and simple....their intensity level is too low or they haven't adjusted calorie intake.

If you want to improve in triathlon, CONSISTENCY is the key.

2nd Day of Christmas: Two things you DON'T NEED

2011-12-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

All of the mentors I've had in life had at least one thing in common; they knew that wisdom is counter-intuitive. It's counter-intuitive to think about thing you don't need to succeed. And then there are the definitions of "need" and "want."....and only you can define "want" versus "need" in your case.

So, let's get started....

2nd Day of Christmas....Two Things You DON'T NEED.

You DON'T NEED a really nice bike. In fact, you DON'T NEED a time-trial (TT) bike with aero-bars. What you do need to do is figure out your goals for triathlon and then get gear that helps you meet those goals. If winning the Ironman World Championships is one of your goals, well...ok...then you probably need a really sweet $10,000 bike. If you want to enjoy the effects of triathlon training...better mood, better physique, lower cholesterol, and all those things....a bike can't help with those things. Take a year or two beforel you go big-spender on the bike, and you'll be much smarter about what you want and what you should get. I didn't wait, and I now have a bike I'm not completely happy with (although it fits exactly what I wanted...basic TT bike).

If you already have a mountain bike, then look for Xterra races in your area. If you already have a road bike, then spend your money on better things like a wetsuit, pool membership, and such. For most people, time and money spent on taking ten minutes off our time should be spent on the swim.

You DON'T NEED all the supplements that the marketing guys and gals throw at you. Yes, I just did a post about Hammer Nutrition and all the great things that will do for you, but re-read it and you'll see several mentions about how I minimize their intake. Like the bike, they are really expensive and might not directly help you meet your goals. My annual budget for supplements is about $70-$100 (a bag of protein mix, a bag of Recoverite, a couple bottles of gel, and a few individual servings of HEED), and I think that is almost excessive. I save alot of the individual serving items from races and use those during breakthrough training sessions. This is all for what I consider a fairly competitive season. You can get all the nutrition you need (and get from supplements) from stuff likely already in your kitchen.

3rd Day of Christmas: Three Visions of Sugarplums and Really Sweet Gear!

2011-12-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

The third day of Christmas, and now I'm dreaming. Here is some of my dream gear. Remember, I have two little kids now, so I doubt I'll see these dreams come true for a while.

1. Power meter: I want a real, no-kidding power meter that works in all places and at all times. Right now, I use the "meter" that comes in the Kurt Kinetic wireless bike computer, and it calculates the power rather than measures the power. It works good enough for what I bought it for. But I want something that is always truly measuring the power and will give me the downloads of data for analyzing it like some freak scientist.

2. Computrainer: These look sooooooo AWESOME! I honestly have never had the opportunity to ride on one, but how could the theory go wrong. All reviews are that it is quite realistic. The premise is that the computer changes the difficulty of your trainer compared to the elevation and other factors of the course you are riding. You can make up courses with topo maps (ie the course you've ridden three times weekly for the past five years), or you can buy courses that also come with live video as if you were riding down the road.

3 Endless Pool: I have the place already picked out where this will be put in our yard and attached to the house. Now I just have to win the lottery! Wouldn't it be great to have this at home for a 30 minute swim every morning without the pain of dealing with a packed pool and the denizens of the local pool? I can only dream of this sort of thing!

4th Day of Christmas = Running Shoes

2011-12-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

Running Shoes. This is one of those topics that is impossible to please everyone because there are so many opinions and scientific studies. I'm not going to get into the specifics about this other than to say I think you need four pairs of shoes.

Thus, Four Pairs of Shoes on the Fourth Day of Christmas.

1. Trainers: these are your every day, volume and tempo running shoes. They should be sturdy with padding to prevent injury. I like the Nike Structure Triax 14 that I bought last year. They solved my calf muscle problem that I could never really pinpoint a cause of. When choosing your trainer, this is where you get into the types of shoes for pronating and such. Below is a good video on the subject (found on Triathlete.com today!).

2. Race Shoes / Sprint workouts: First off, let me tell you that I don't have a pair of race shoes like this, simply because I haven't moved them up the financial priority list (ie I don't have the money!). These are the shoes that are specially made for racing; they are light, easy to slip on in transition, and provide minimal padding. Not only are they race shoes, but you should probably run in them occassionally during the year, probably during sprint workouts or 2-3 race distance tempo runs each month so you know that your body "likes" them and they don't cause injury. Some of them look pretty cool, too.

3. Trail Shoes: I like trail running, and trail shoes can make a bit of a difference. If you think you'll be doing a fair amount of trail running in your training year, go ahead and get a pair of trail shoes instead of wearing your road shoes on the trails. I find that the biggest problem with the road shoes on the trail is that the tread gets eaten up pretty quickly. Stability and such is a long-second to simply getting my road shoes beat up too much.

4. Miscellaneous Shoes: All my used shoes turn into miscellaneous shoes. These are the beat-up shoes that are too worn down to run in but can provide basic shoe functions during other activities. The first option is gym shoes, like during a quick weight lifting routine. Or, they can be the shoes I throw on to ride bike with the kids. Some shoes turn into lawn-mowing shoes and get the green-grass-stain treatment. They could also be your first wet-wading shoes for fly-fishing or a pair of very light hikers, but I recommend some real water-shoes or hiking boots for those tasks. Don't forget that charities take shoes, too!

5th Day of Christmas = Headphones (that work for triathlon!)

2011-12-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot of trouble finding useful headphones that work for triathlon workouts. I'm talking about big-sweat-fests on the trainer and long runs where I need some mental stimulation. I prefer bluetooth simply to get rid of the cords.

Here are five headphones for you to check-out, in order of usefullness.

I currently am using a pair of Jayfree Freedom headphones. I like them the best of all the bluetooth headphones I've tried, but they still aren't perfect. I haven't run with them because I'm not doing long nine-milers right now and I only recently got them a couple months ago. They fit snugly in my ear during long bike rides and require minimal fidgeting. If you're going to get a pair of bluetooth headphones, I recommend these, if only for the sweat-proof guarantee. I also like the wire that connects the earbuds because it is fairly flexible. Someday they'll come up with headphones that don't need to be attached to each other, and then I'll finally be happy. Finally, the box these come in and the carrying case are a bit over the top for me.....cut the price by $15 and skip the packaging bling for happier customers.

Second in line are the Backbeats. I like these for driving and listening to movies at home on the computer, but I don't recommend them for triathlon (although if you must, they would probably work). Like the Freedoms, the wire between them makes them much more comfortable and flexible than the S-9's.

Third is the Motorola S-10s, theoretically an upgrade from the S-9's. I had three pair of S-9's, all of which shorted out. These are ok for driving or office-work but I can't recommend them for anything related to triathlon.

Here are some swimming MP3 players. I haven't tried them. I talked to one person at the pool who had them (the Finis) on, and she was happy with them. I can't see them staying on after a hard push from the wall. I suppose if you are doing only kicks, they would work ok. I think you should focus on your swim technique instead of music during swim workouts. But here are two options for you....

$79.95 for Fitness Technologies @ Swim Outlet

$134.90 for Finis SwiMP3 at Amazon.com

6th Day of Christmas: Hammer Nutrition

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't tried all of the different brands of nutrition and energy, mostly because the first time I was tired and then had a shot of Hammer gel, I was AMAZED at the near-immediate shot of energy. I thought it was truly incredible. Thus, I haven't gone anywhere else since then.

On a different note about the company, I have to say that it's refreshing to see their print catalog with all the employees in it. It just seems like the people at this company are my kind of people, into fitness and love of the outdoors. That leads to AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE....give them a call to see what I mean.

So, on your sixth day of Christmas, get six products from Hammer at http://www.hammernutrition.com/.

*** I don't make any money off the products linked below. This is stuff I have and use and like enough to recommend it to you.***

If you've never used Hammer Nutrition before, I recommend you go with the starter course, which is a way of saying "sampler." But it's all good stuff. And DEFINITELY READ THE BOOK that comes with it; sure, it's part propaganda (ie "sales pitch,") but it's an excellent starter for information on the physiology and all the things happening in your body during an event and how good nutrition plays a part. There is also long-course starter kit.

Go with six different flavors of gel. Get the individual serving packets if you're just trying it out, and then move to the bottles when you know which ones you like (I heard that Santa likes Huckleberry and Raspberry!).

Go with six different flavors of HEED for on the fluid replacement. I find Gatorade and many others to be too thick and sugary. I water-down the HEED a bit, too, but not much.

Personally, I'm a fan of the straweberry flavor, but there wasn't a picture of that! HEED comes in strawberry, lemon-lime (too much flavor for me!), mandarin orange (ok by me), melon (never had it) and unflavored (and untried by me).

If you are doing distances beyond Olympic (or significantly beyond two hours), you'll need some Perpetuem. Yes, there really is difference on the athlete's side when it comes to using different products for different race lengths. When I did the Pocatello 50 race-leg a few years ago, it took four hours of running and I could feel the difference when I had some Perpetuem. I don't use this for anything beyond 2.5 hours. There really is a cut-off point or wall or whatever you want to call it right past the two-hour mark. You can push through that if you aren't going much past the two hours, but if you plan more than 2.5 hours, then plan for some Perpetuem.

Recovery is such a critical component of the training cycle, and wouldn't you know it....Hammer has a product just for that! Recoverite (get it? Recover...Right?..as in "correctly?" ha ha, it only two me a couple years to finally figure it out!). Anyway, this is good stuff but a bit on the expensive side. I use it maybe three times a week during the build phase, after the really hard workouts. I also take three servings right after a race because it simply helps the recovery process.

Endurolytes are great for those really hot summer days. I don't use them alot because it doesn't really get scorching hot here in southeast Idaho. But I know when I'll need them, and when I do use them they definitely can prevent bonking.

7th Day of Christmas: Bike Tools sets from Park Tools

2011-12-18T04:00:00.001-08:00

Bikes need maintenance. Good maintenance requires tools.

Get the tools you need to start at home in this tool set from Park.

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Park Tool Home Mechanic Starter Kit - SK-1

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8th Day of Christmas: Technical T-shirts

2011-12-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

I love the Champion technical t-shirts available at Target. They are good quality (not great, but will last several years of big sweating). You can usually find them for $12-$15 regular price, sometimes down to $7 each if you get a good coupon. Long-sleeves go for a couple more bucks..... get a couple of those, too, for the cool/cold days wherever you live.

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$12.99
C9 by Champion® Men's Short-Sleeve Pieced Tech Tee -buy one, get one 50% offSpend $50, get free shipping

9th Day of Christmas: All the Sufferfest! Videos

2011-12-16T18:55:00.000-08:00

The Sufferfest! They are great videos with great tunes that will take you to great workouts! All digital downloads; no discs to worry about and take up space, and they are easy to transfer to your phone or other device to view (instead of firing up your computer for every workout).

Get all nine for $84.99!

Not sure which one? Buy the SUFFERFEST NINE PACK

All nine of our videos for $84.99 USD instead of $102! Videos included in the Sufferfest Nine-Pack Bundle: Downward Spiral, Revolver, Fight Club, Angels, The Hunted, Local Hero, A Very Dark Place, Hell Hath No Fury and Extra Shot. Group edition includes all videos (except for Extra Shot) for $179.99 (save $20!).

Nine videos for individual use - $84.99 (Save $18!)	Eight videos for Group & Class use - $179.99 (Save $20!) (HHNF not available yet)

10th Day of Christmas: Running Gloves

2011-12-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

In February or March, cruise the glove aisle in the local discount store like Shopko for great deals on gloves. Find pairs suitable for different temperatures in the fall, winter, and spring. A couple years ago, I picked up ten pairs for an average price of $2.50 (no kidding!). Now I have gloves stashed in several different places and never have an excuse for not running because my hands might get cold. Same goes for hats, of course!

11th Day of Christmas - Swedish Goggles

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

I love the simplicity of these goggles, and you can't beat the price! Never worry about losing a pair of goggles again....because it's not a huge monetary loss if it's these. I usually buy 4-6 every couple of years, in whatever color fancies me but usually a couple clear sets for indoor pools. If you haven't worn them before and are wondering if you could ever wear a pair of goggles with no padding, have no fear. These will indeed work with absolutely no leaks; it will take a few workouts to get used to them, no doubt, but in the end you will prefer them. Also, these don't cause black-n-blue eyes like padded goggles sometimes do.

12th Day of Christmas = 12 sets of earplugs (20 for $16)

2011-12-13T06:05:00.000-08:00

I’m going to go the “Twelve Days of Christmas” here, showing some of the gear I use and why I use it.

Please note that I don’t have any affiliate links to the supplies and equipment I’m listing. In other words, I’m not making any money off these links.

Twelve sets of ear plugs

3M Tri-Flange re-usable earplugs.

A lot of people will tell you that you should wear earplugs on the swim to prevent dizziness coming out of the water. That’s absolutely true when swimming in the open water. Another reason I like to wear earplugs is to keep the noise level down while swimming laps. Seriously, if you have never worn earplugs in the pool, go ahead and try it because it will be a night and day experience as far as the noise level goes. And once you swim laps with earplugs and the peace and quiet they bring you, you will always want the earplugs.
There is a difference between these and the foamies that are really cheap. These just go right into the ear with no rolling and such. They are quick and easy and effective. Don’t get the version with cords because the cords get in the way and they also conduct sound. These are a very flexible plastic that you won’t even know are there once they are in. They come in different sizes, so if you’ve never worn them before, start with a medium and large to see which fit the best and then order in bulk to accommodate several sets in different lockers/bags for swimming and also in the garage for lawn-mowing, sawing, and all the other power-tools.
The link above takes you to a five-pack for about $10. I like to order one pack of twenty from Grainger for $16.00 every two years or so because I tend to misplace them.

*Please note that I don’t have any affiliate links to the supplies and equipment I’m listing. In other words, I’m not making any money off these links.

Non-Standard Cross-Training Opportunities for triathletes in winter...

2011-12-12T05:23:00.001-08:00

Winter is definitely here, although you wouldn’t know by the amount of snow on the ground here in town. But it’s cold! And there is snow in the mountains. I could actually ride my bike on the snow/ice-free streets!
But I like to mix it up a bit. Here a few of the different opportunities presenting themselves lately.

Johnny Jump-Up! We need an adult version of this. It wears out Noah after 20-30 minutes. Paul and Noah both absolutely loved this thing!

Annual Christmas Tree hike! 30 minute walk up a trail, cut the tree, back to the parking lot for recovery drinks. The weather was so AWESOME on Saturday when we did this. No Wind. 100% bluebird skies. About 15 degrees. One kid on your back + pulling one in the sled = SWEAT!

Starting out....BEAUTIFUL day!

Heading up the trail...

Tera found a good tree.

Back at the parking lot, enjoying hot chocolate and the sun.

And the last one for today……getting Kiddo #1 geared up!

Coming Soon!..... AmphibOps Triathlon

2011-12-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

As the new year creeps up on us and I'm getting back into a good training mode, I'm finding new motivation for my triathlon writing.

One of my primary goals for 2012 is to get the "AmphibOps Triathlon" brand moving along. I've been posting to 20-60-40 Triathlon for a few years now, and I think it has run its course. I previously wrote that I wanted to be running the AmphibOps Triathlon website by October 1, coinciding with the beginning of my winter training season. Well, my winter training season is really just now getting started, and so is the motivation to get moving with AmphibOps Triathlon.

Soooo.....I sat down tonight and wrote out a plan of at least 30 post subjects for the months of January, February, and March that will lead a newbie or intermediate triathlete through a detailed planning process that will hopefully lead them to a successful execution of their goals at summer races.

The plan is to introduce very specific and detailed subjects for you to read and think about, and then add into a developing triathlon plan, with the growing template available for copy/paste via google docs. At the end of the two or three months, you'll have a good plan based on principles and processes I've learned in the Marine Corps.

The first post will go out this weekend some time, with the follow-ups in the series coming out every two or three days.

I hope I can help at least one newbie or intermediate triathlete learn something new and meet their goals in 2012!

The kinks are almost out....moving into a full-on training schedule

2011-12-08T19:27:00.001-08:00

I've been stuck in a rut of definitely not enough training since August or so, each month declining further and further into the abyss. I gained 20 pounds. I lost the ability to run six miles every day for five days in a row. I doubt I could swim 1,000 yards straight through right now. And I can't be on the bike trainer for more than hour, compared to high-intensity two hour rides last winter.

But now I have a couple of weeks under my belt of training. I finally cut down the wine drinking to about two glasses per week. I am watching what I eat again, although not necessarily stopping anything but more aware of what I'm doing. My body clock is nearly completely changed to early morning wake-ups. I've worked out all the kinks in my new gear and my routines early in the morning.

I'm ready to start hitting it hard!

Here are a few quick tips for the first phase of training and those first 2-3 weeks of training when you're just starting out or getting back into it.

1. Consistency is the key! Consider cutting your workout in half for volume and intensity before you think you just can't even start a workout.

2. If you are really tired, start the workout with an absolute minimum effort in mind. You'll find after a few minutes that you get into a groove and pick it up a bit. Before you know, you have a good workout completed.

3. Don't start a new "diet" the same time you start a new training schedule. You'll probably find that you are absolutely starving many times during the day in the first couple of weeks. That's because your body is adapting to the new demands and needs energy. Feed the beast! The massive hunger "moments" should subside by week four or five back into something more natural for you.

4. Adjust your alcohol, tobacco, and soda intake right now (yes..in direct conflict with #3!). I'm not talking about drastic cuts or stopping cold-turkey. Adjust to 50% or so to keep the empty calories to a minimum, which will help you see initial results more quickly, which feeds the motivation monster just when you're starting to wonder if it's worth it.

5. Don't get discouraged when you have a hard time getting a workout started. This three weeks is about getting your body, schedule/routine, and gear ready for easy start-ups down the road. This is an investment period when you put things into place to make everything easy to maintain consistency and simply get workouts started in the next phase.

6. Write down some data points every three or four days. Include your weight, time for a standard run or bike route, and a 500 yard swim. Don't worry about improving your times right now. You are getting data points now to compare three or four months from now. It's incredibly motivating to see how much weight you lose and how much faster you get!

Xterra wetsuit sale.. GREAT DEAL!

2011-12-01T08:40:00.001-08:00

https://www.xterrawetsuits.com/index.php/2011-ironman-arizona

Awesome deal....60% off.

Consistency in the early phase of a training program

2011-11-29T05:31:00.001-08:00

I really think consistency is the NUMBER ONE priority in the first six weeks of a training program. Joe Friel in his "Training Bible" book talks about how the muscles and tendons have to adapt in the beginning phases, and he is absolutely right based on my recent experiences.

Here are some of my thoughts on how to maintain consistency in the first phase of a new training program:

1. Consistency trumps everything, especially intensity. It is more important to just get on the bike or run for twenty minutes then to worry or think that that 20 minutes won't do anything. It will do wonders simply because of the consistency.

2. As I increase my number of consistent workouts, I can see my capacity improve. For instance, my first workout on the bike trainer in six months, I kept a steady state of about 15mph for 20 minutes before getting tired. Two weeks later, I'm already up to 17.5 mph steady state for 20 minutes before getting tired. The percentage of improvement is good for morale and motivation.

3. Scheduling is the most important thing. I'm in a period right now when I go for several months with minimal interruptions on a macro-scheduling level, and three weeks when I can look at every meeting and schedule around them to maintain consistency.

4. It's those pop-up events that stop a workout that kill consistency, and those are the things you have to be prepared to adapt to. Find a way! That's when you have to say 20 minutes of anything is better than a skipped workout...this helps you find the time in your day.

5. Keep the goals very simple, with very little beyond the consistency aspect. I have very simple goals in this first six weeks phase: 1) maintain consistency. 2) get 150 "points" per week in that 100 yards swim = 1 point, 1/4 mile of running = 1 point, and 1 mile biking = 1 point. This keeps me keyed on consistency over volume or intensity (although the only metric is volume, it works that way for me personally).

When I first started triathlon training a few years ago, I noticed that there were significantly different muscles involved and paid attention to the adaption time and processes. I considered it quite normal and just something I had to deal with. Having been a runner and swimmer all my life and hiking alot in the previous ten years, I was in pretty good physical condition, but nothing compared to where I was headed for triathlon. My body needed to adapt to the bike stresses and then the overall changes in form and function of my body.

So now....after gaining 18-20 pounds and getting a bit out of shape, I'm back into the training. And I have to remember that after six months of no consistent training, my body needs to adapt again. That is difficult to deal with physically and mentally. Physically because there is some pain involved in getting back into running more and biking (consistent swimming comes in January!). Mentally, I am having trouble adapting to only being able to run four miles every day instead of six miles.

I figure after six weeks, I'll be back to my normal (new normal, anyway) self or pretty close to it, and then the physical and mental problems will go away, and I can focus on intensity and then move into race-specific workouts.

Tri helmets deal...50% off

2011-11-28T09:30:00.001-08:00

Triathlon Bike Helmets PowerTri Triathlon Shop

Good deals at the link.

Triathlon swim sets and a Pocatello Master's team

2011-11-25T08:45:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone! I had a really good training week last week, the first good, full, complete week of training in about three months. I even got in three bike trainer workouts!

Link below to great training advice that is TRIATHLON specific.

Feel For The Water! Advice & Tips to Improve Your Swimming.: The Two Classic Swim Training Mistakes

Great article here about triathlon swim training sets versus swim team and standard masters sets.

I like to do 16x100 at near race pace with a 10-15 second rest, which is also what Swim Smooth is recommending in this.

And it looks like Pocatello is going to get a masters swim program! Wooohooo! Solves two problems for me:
1. I get some coaching on my technique.

2. Timing is great. Sessions to start at 4:45am, so now I don't have to wait til 6am to swim. This makes scheduling much easier.

and I'll now have peer pressure to get me out of bed in the morning!

Gear: Kurt Kinetic Wireless Powercomputer

2011-11-15T05:32:00.001-08:00

I've had the Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer since about May, and then I bought the Kurt Kinetic Wireless Powercomputer a couple months ago. But I haven't used either of them until last week. When I first got it, I screwed around with it a bit just to see how it works and to see what to expect. Now that I've had five or six rides with it, and I think I'm ready to write a review. So here it goes.

BLUF: The only reason I'm keeping it is because it gives me a consistent power reading, although that reading might be off a bit it is consistent. Other than that power reading, the thing works as advertised, but it's not very user friendly. It is advertised as WIRELESS, but it requires a wire for cadence.....so not exactly as advertised concerning that. I can only recommend this to someone who wants a computer that provides consistent power readings without worrying that it is a computed data point rather than measured.

Setup: Setup was easy for some parts and hard for other things. First, I got to use the magnets from my previous bike computer, which was obviously nice. There's a lot of extra wire available, which is good or bad depending on your own needs. I'm tempted to cut and splice a foot out, but I haven't made that decision yet. The biggest issue with setup is that you have to change the orientation of the mount ninety degrees...a huge annoyance but easy enough to do...what kind of company doesn't fix that in production?

Feel: The bike computer feels light and cheap plastic. I'm nervous about clicking through the buttons because it seems like they're going to break. We'll see if this durability issue is warranted down the road.

Use: The display reads out ok, but the information available sucks. All the reviews I read about this before buying the gear talked about this issue....believe all the negative comments you read about the lack of thought put into how information and stats are displayed. I can see the speed nice and big, but quite small right below/beside it is the heart rate. When I'm hitting a hard Sufferfest! interval and trying to keep up a high heart rate, I need that heart rate to be BIG and READABLE...not the case here. The overall time of the ride is shown all the time, which I personally don't really need and consider it a waste of space.

I have to cycle through the bottom portion of the screen to see in quite small text the watts, avg speed, cadence, temperature (who cares what the exact temperature is?!), and a few other things. What I want is to see in big type the speed, cadence, and heart rate. Everything else, like average cadence, average heart, and such, can be cycled through in small text after the ride. So, I'm not a big of how information is displayed.

Wireless Interference: When I first tried the computer, the readings were wildly erratic, from 2mph to 75mph or something crazy like that. Every data point was acting crazy. I checked the magnets, and they were all good. Then I read the manual (gasp! I know...crazy!), and it said that there can be interference from magnetic forces. My laptop computer is magnetic. I moved it a couple feet away from the bike computer, and presto! all the problems were solved. Lesson: keep your laptop at least a couple feet away from the bike computer monitor. So how do I watch the awesome Sufferfest! videos? I watch them on my Droid X phone only about two feet away from the bike computer, and all is good.

Power Reading: Other reviews talked about the power reading being quite realistic and close to power meters that measure the power rather than compute the power. If you don't know, the Kurt Kinetic power computer computes the wattage via math formulas that are calibrated with the fluid trainer. I simply like knowing that I have another objective, consistent data point to measure and compare. This is truly the poor man's power meter.

Heart Rate Strap: This strap feels much bulkier than my Timex Ironman strap, but once I get going it makes no difference, and I basically forget that it's there. I don't necessarily like the strap, but I don't dislike it either. If I noticed it during the ride, then I would dislike it, but that is not the case here.

Please understand that I don't think my issues with this bike computer in any way relate to the fluid trainer from Kurt Kinetic. That thing is SWEEETT! I think the problem is that a trainer company tried to make a bike computer, resulting in a usable product but definitely not an awesome product.

Mix It Up: Swim After Lifting Weights

2011-11-14T05:43:00.001-08:00

Starting a new category this morning called "Mix It Up," which is about different ways to increase variety in your workouts to break up the mental monotony and prevent plateaus (wow, the words flow quite nicely right after a workout!).

This morning I swam after lifting weights. I only did 2x100 + 1x50 for a total of 250 yards, which is the only 250 yards I've swam since mid-June except for the July 1500m I did at the Pocatello Triathlon. Anyway, I knew it was going to be difficult, but it was much harder than I expected. All of last year I was thinking that just 500 yards after any workout would greatly increase my swimming volume during the winter and set me up for a better spring and summer swims.

This 250 yards this morning really worked me. My last 50 yards on 40 seconds, but I highly doubt I could do that even ten times in a row, compared to 15x100 coming in on 1:20 and leaving at 1:40 during normal summer workouts. I didn't time the 2x100s because I just wanted to feel what the water felt like and where my form was at. I could definitely feel the weight lifting session in my strength, and I managed to have some decent form, but it didn't last long because I was so tired.

Anyway.. consider swimming directly after a weights session to mix up your workouts. You'll be surprised. Another option is to lift weights, specifically leg curls and leg presses, before a bike workout...or do the bike and then lift weights.

Clear Priorities allow Clear Focus

2011-11-13T19:51:00.001-08:00

No doubt that any athlete with a family and a job has trouble finding the opportunities to make the most of consistent training. Kids, spouse, housework, yardwork, cars, maintenance, burned out light bulbs, dirty diapers, throwing the balls around, time at the park, etc etc etc.....they all add up to missed workouts because we all put our families first (as it should be).

So how to solve that problem? Set clear priorities of effort for spouses based on time of the day or whatever will work for you and allows you to focus on what you want during a specific period of time. My personal example is below.

The last two months have been hard for me because Noah is still waking up at night and early morning. That means I never know if I'll be able to get in a morning workout session. Last year worked great because Paul almost always slept til 7:30, and so I would get 100% priority from 4:30am - 6:40am for my workouts....if Paul needed anything between those hours, Tera would take care of it. And then from 6:40 until he left for school, I would take care of Paul. Tera and I had a deal that clearly defined the priorities of each of us for a set period of time, and that allowed us both to succeed in our goals.

So tonight we made the deal again, a bit different, but the deal has been made. I will get up and give Noah a bottle anytime after we go to bed, and then I get to not worry about it from 4:30am - 6:40 again, just like last year. This allows us to both KNOW EASILY what is supposed to happen in the fog of the night. No questions. No arguing. We both understand what is supposed to be happening. I get to KNOW that I'm going to workout in the morning, and the added pressure of that being my only "window of opportunity" will get me out of bed. Tera gets to know that she'll be able to workout in the morning, too. And, most importantly, our kids will be taken care of appropriately. The juggling act is solved, at least for now. If Noah starts sleeping all night, then I'll be that much happier.

Other examples could be a specific time right after the work day, like 5:30pm - 6:30pm where you get to do a workout after work, but then take the kids the rest of the night. Even if that is the deal for just one night per week, it is one night per week that you get to focus. Choose a night that doesn't have many interruptions that can break the deal....the maturity level comes with how you handle it if you get home later than expected and realize you only have 30 minutes instead of an hour....then what? You shutup and do 30 minutes because that was the deal. Trying to muster more out of the deal because of circumstances neither of you can control doesn't help anyone. Roll with it, and go for something for the 30 minutes in the name of consistency and keeping the deal.

Or it could be a three hour period on Saturday or Sunday morning. Again, the deal is the deal. If the weather sucks or you drank the night before and can't get the whole workout in, that's just the way it is. You get your allotted time period -- no more and no less -- so that the other person can have their time. They've surely planned it out to maximize the time, and screwing with the timeline could break the whole deal. Obviously, there is some give and take on this, but if you are giving more than you are taking, then you need to realize the deal is probably in jeapordy.

Birthday Cake, Veteran's Day, and "Breaking Trail" trailer

2011-11-11T05:26:00.001-08:00

A double post this morning, as I watch Mr. Wide-awake at 0600 instead of going to the gym.

The US Marine Corps had its 236th birthday yesterday! Happy Birthday Marines! In the excitement of the day, I forgot to post a note about it! I only had three pieces of cake last night! I was full from a good meal, so I had to bring home about five pounds of it (having to clean up has its privileges). I have a bad sweettooth, and Marine Corps birthday cake is the one thing that I don't care about how much I eat....................

.......except like at the Birthday Ball I went to on Saturday for my drill when I got NO BIRTHDAY CAKE. Yes, that was an atrocious thing! But I survived. I went hunting it down, too, but couldn't find it. Still don't know what happened. However, in its place was an incredible tiramisu that is indeed a top five dessert of my entire lifetime!.

And it's Veteran's Day. Thanks to all you veterans out there....World War II Marines hold a special place in my heart because of the incredible Pacific campaign.

.....and now abruptly changing gears and directions....................

It's getting to be that time of the year! This will get you thinking....

See more on Trailspace at http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2011/11/09/backcountry-film-festival.html

That video is a trailer for a backcountry film festival, opening in Boise today. Dang! I think that would be pretty cool to see....too bad I'm not on that side of the state this weekend.

If you don't know why I'm tying skiing to triathlon, it's because of the great aerobic benefit from backcountry exploration. Climbing 2,000ft a couple of times through powder will wear you out like nothing else. And the change of scenery and fresh air is great motivation.

BTW, yurt sign-ups at Idaho State University are next week, Nov 18th beginning at 0900. I'm told there is a new yurt...hopefully it's at the bottom of Bonneville Peak proper, right at the bottom of the really sweet skiing. I'm hoping for two good yurt nights this year.

Also hoping for a good snow year again. I think I'll end up on cross country skis alot of the time this year again, as I want Paul to learn something on his own, and I think cross-country will facilitate that the best. We can ski a while, then he can get in the cruiser with his brother. Meanwhile, Mommy gets to stay home in a nice and quiet house and get some MUCH NEEDED personal quiet time. Win Win Win on that one.

Another new Sufferfest vid!

2011-11-09T05:47:00.001-08:00

Hell Hath No Fury | The Sufferfest

E-mail in my inbox this morning. This video gives some 20 minute intervals. Previous bids had some longer intervals and at least on 20 minute section but this one seems to focus in the 20 minutes.

I'm behind on my Sufferfest videos. I still don't have the last one.

But with my new found motivation for the bike, it's looking like I have some good bike workouts in my future.

Oh yeah, look for the 8-pack download if you don't have any of the vids ..... definite money saver.

Off to another great start....again!

2011-11-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

I biked on the trainer Monday and Tuesday(!)...holy cow! Two days in a row. Mind you, I rode a total of 40k since the race in June, and that 40k was another race here in Pocatello. I haven't been on the bike much, but I really did miss it. Timing and schedule was an issue, and with no race to look forward to, motivation for biking fell far down the priority list over the summer.

Til Monday, anyway.

I got up at 0545 on Monday, ready to hit it on the first morning of bike trainer this year. Then Noah woke up as I was getting out of bed. Straight to Noah's room because once he's up around that time of the day, he's up for the day. And I'm the one who gets up in the morning with the little one.

8:00pm Monday night....sick kids are in bed, wife is in bed. Let's ride! I went downstairs and got on the bike, just to see what would happen. I played with the new Kurt Kinetic wireless bike computer, and the most important thing I realized was that it doesn't like my computer being so close....instructions say magnetic fields can cause strange readings, and that is exactly what was happening. I'll write a review on that bike computer later, but for a summary....I like the ability to see a consistent reading on power (even if it's derived), but everything else about the computer is not great and I would certainly return it if it didn't have that power readout. 30 minutes later, I have completed my first bike workout in about four months!

0545 Tuesday morning. This time, Noah's crying wakes me up. Same story.

7:430pm Tuesday night. Sick kids in bed. Wife working. Let's hit it again! 45 minutes very easy ride just to get into the groove and see what that wattage looks like. Average 14.1 miles per hour for 45 minutes and 136 watts average and average heart rate of 108. I haven't figured out how to find overall calories burned, but not a huge deal. The Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer is so AWESOME and SWEET and QUIET. WOW! I really love this thing!

Let's see if I can make it three in a row for biking this week! Of course, I haven't ran this week, but that's a whole other problem!

A few tri races in Utah in 2012

2011-11-03T06:36:00.001-07:00

TriUtah - The Tri Life. Start Here. Start Today.

An Xterra race in Moab in early June.

A September race in Pineview, same place as the Utah Xterra.

Winter Training starts...and a Concept of Operations for the year.

2011-10-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

Winter training has started...today! I actually got up and went to the gym. I've been sleeping in every day since June. Last year, I started winter training at about 185 pounds. This year....193! Wow, and yes, the extra is all fat. I have a long ways to go. But my A races will be in August this year, so I have plenty of time, and I'm not going all-in right away because I don't want to be mentally burned out come the end of June, right when I need to be hitting it the hardest.

I haven't figured out the races for the year, but I know I'll focus on the August races that I love so much because I'll be home in August (yeah!) instead of gone on USMCR training.

So, November through January training will be focused on getting a good base of aerobic conditioning in, with a focus consistent biking and running while also lifting weights with just a touch of swimming to keep muscle memory. Goals for the period November to end of January:

- Run 27 miles per week (30 miles running is a perfect week, with 27 being an average week)
- Bike five days per week for a total of 6 hours in November, building to 9 hours biking at the end of January.
- Lift weights three times per week to build triathlon specific strength.
- Swim 500 yards after each weights workout to maintain swim technique and muscle memory.

That's my Phase I of Winter Training.

Phase 2 starts February 1 and then goes through April 30, which is close to the end of spring and the start of real outdoors training. I used to end Phase 2 at the end of March in conjunction with the university spring break, but the weather never cooperates, so I'm adjusting. During Phase 2, the focus becomes on building muscular endurance, meaning workouts of 80-120% of race distance at 90% efforts in varying lengths of time to build the ability to hold a race pace.

Phase 3 begins in May and runs through the end of July. This is race specific training at the 80-120% race distances. I'll add bricks and some sprints. I'll add open water swims (twice weekly). The local bike race series is during this time, too.

Phase 4 is the primary race season...August. I know I want to do the Rexburg Rush Triathlon and the Bear Lake Brawl, both of which are in August. So, August is mostly about maintaining whatever endurance I built up during the year. There is also a rest period of about a week when we go to Yellowstone for some backcountry fishing. Hopefully I can hang onto the physical and mental endurance til the end of September and do the Utah Xterra.

That runs down my concept of operations for the year.

Random Thoughts early on a Saturday morning

2011-10-22T05:11:00.000-07:00

I like getting up in the morning and enjoying a relaxing sunrise, whether in the car driving somewhere, getting in a good workout, or just being up. I don't always get up and do it, so it's nice when I do. Such is the case this morning...little guy Noah is Mr. Wide Awake at 0545. No signs of going back to sleep for him! So here I am, watching a wide-awake seven month old at 0600. Of course, the sun doesn't come up til 0730 or so(!). So, I thought I'd throw out some random thoughts this morning:

- Paul's third birthday party is today! Grandmas and Grandpas are everywhere. Sometimes it feels like he was born yesterday, and the other day Tera asked me "What did we do on weeknights before kids?" and I honestly don't remember!

- another trail race today! Weather should be dry with near-freezing temps. This route is much harder than two weeks. It's just fun to get out and do the races, even if I'm not really racing and full-on competing.

- I want to get all my thoughts about triathlon planning and military planning into another little book, but it is going really slow. The first two posts on the subject were written in August, and I haven't gotten much further than that.

- I don't even have my plan together for races next year. I'm hem-hawing about the Boise 70.3, which will determine my entire winter training program. I think other things in life are going to take precedent that weekend anyway, so the decision will be made for me. I'm excited about being able to do the August races again, like the Rush in Rexburg and the Bear Lake Brawl. And then those roll right into the Xterra in late September.

- Which is why I'm not worried about being in a good training routine right now. The past couple years I always hit it hard beginning in October and then in March I burn out a bit to the point that in August I'm not excited about being on the bike anymore. And right now I don't have a burning desire to be getting up in the morning, although there is a small flame with some kindling on it and I have a bit of wood right next to the fire to make it a big fire when I want.

- I want to get Paul back into the pool this winter. He asks about it now and then. Swimming is such an important skill in life. If we are going to go backcountry fishing alot, he NEEDS to know how to swim well.

- When I ask Paul about what's great about snow in the hills, he says "We can go skiing!" It's awesome.

- Little Noah is the biggest obstacle to a good morning routine right now. He likes waking up at 0530 - 0545 and not going to sleep. The gym opens at 0600. I can't just leave him home awake and ask Tera to get up because she already gets up a couple times a night to feed him.

- Later this week, I'll be pushing out alot of links that have been collecting as draft posts. It will be kind of random without alot of comments, but the links are interesting.

The Triathlon Planning View

2011-10-16T19:24:00.001-07:00

Last week I wrote about matching triathlon planning to the Marine Corps Planning Process. I showed equivalents of strategic, campaign, operational, and tactical planning levels. If the descriptions were difficult to grasp, I’ve tried to make a picture of how the different levels tie into each other

Below is a picture of how it all fits together.

· The large circle is the Strategic Level that answers why you do triathlon and what you hope to accomplish each year.

· The vertical oblong circles with dashed borders represent campaigns of two consecutive years that have a goal that takes a couple of years to reach, such as moving from beginner-level and just finishing races to the intermediate level and competing for age-group podium finishes. In this case, the goals build on each and take a longer time to attain.

· The medium circles represent each year as a single operation that encompasses at a minimum the training aspect and races. In this case, the goals are specific to a training routine (why do you bike hard for 75 minutes instead of easy for four hours?) or a race (want to finish a 40k bike in 75 minutes or a 112 mile bike in 7 hours?).

· The smallest bubbles represent the tactical level of individual events such as races. Overall annual training is one circle for each year. Other things that could be included in each year are equipment purchases or training camps. Or, you are attempt a specific skill for the first time, like starting the bike with your shoes clipped in.

· Not shown are the individual Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) that are used in each race and may be updated each year.

Inflation: Smart Start Sept 2010 = 14.2 cents / oz vs Oct 2011 23.8 cents / oz

2011-10-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago I started to take pictures of prices at the grocery store to capture proof of the inflation. I lost a bunch of the photos in a hard-drive crash, but I found one from last year.

The latest inflation is .4% for the month of August (released Sept 15, 2011 at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm).


The 12-month change in the all items index edged up to 3.8 percent after holding at 3.6 percent for three months, while the 12-month the first time since November 2008. The energy index has risen 18.4 change for all items less food and energy reached 2.0 percent for percent over the last year, while the food index has increased 4.6 percent.

I'm a big fan of Smart Start to maintain a good diet, and it tastes great, too.

You easily see below that Smart Start went from 14.2 cents per oz in my grocery store on Sept 25, 2010 to 23.8 cents / oz today in the same grocery store. 4.6 percent change in twelve months? ...I don't think so! My math, which is admittedly quite shakey says it's a 63% increase (please correct me if I'm wrong).

The same 17.5 oz box went from $2.48 to $4.17 in the span of thirteen months for a change of $1.69 per box. I eat about 2.5 boxes per week for breakfast (yes, that's alot, I know). At that rate, this costs me and my family an extra $4.23 per week, which is $16.92 per month, which is $203.40.

If my two boys were teenagers and eating the same as me, that would be a change of $12.69 per week for the three of us, which is $50.76 per month....just for breakfast cereal. Wow, that's what I have to look forward to?

Smart Start at 14.2 cents oz on Sept 25, 2010

Smart Start at 23.8 cents / oz on Oct 15, 2011

Matching Triathlon Activities to Military Planning Levels

2011-10-13T05:48:00.001-07:00

When I think about triathlon and how it fits into my life and how I want to train and race, I consider the military planning as an efficient and effective way of looking at it. Great military thinkers have been around since the dawn of time, so it is a proven way of looking at things.

To understand my premise you have to understand the basics of military planning and execution. There are three levels of military planning and execution: strategic, operational, and tactical. Additionally, sometimes a Campaign is used to combine several operations to meet strategic
objectives. At the most basic level of execution is Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) that are how and what people actually do, like running form, bicycle cadence and such.

Everything you do must somehow support the level above it and somehow be connected to the level below it in order to be useful. If something does not support higher and subordinate levels of scope, you should seriously question why you do it. In terms of triathlon that you are doing as a hobby, you might simply add to your objectives so that it has a place to fit.

Below is a table that puts different triathlon activities next to an equivalent military activity, and an explanation of the basic level of activity or thought.

Triathlon Scope	Military Scope	Level of Activity
Lifestyle / Philosophy Why Do I Tri?	Strategic	This is the highest level of planning and execution. It encompasses every aspect of the activity. All activities should meet strategic goals. This is ongoing at all times with reviews every few years. Changes are infrequent.
A few seasons in a row or a level of competitiveness	Campaign	A series of operations that interact to meet a strategic objective. This is normally a few months at a minimum and up to a few months long in time.
A single season of training and racing	Operation	A large scale event with several objectives and/or phases, all which interact to meet a campaign or strategic goal.
A single race	Tactical	A single, smaller goal with specific tasks and objectives that meet operational goals.
Swim Stroke, Bicycle cadence, Running form, Specific gear	Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures	Very detailed items or issues that relate to specific ways of doing things.

Change of Seasons = Gear Room Changeout

2011-10-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

We have a small room in our house set aside as the "gear room." It's also a guest room, but it's main purpose is to hold our gear (and act as a stash for all the stuff we don't know what to do with!). Most of the in-season gear just stays laying out and easily accessible, mostly because I didn't take the time to put it all away.

Last week, the seasons switch got flipped, so it's time to changeout the gear room. Funny how that season switch works around here: one day it's summer, next day it's winter, and the reverse is true in early June.

So...into hiding goes the water shoes, fishing rods, fishing bags, tent (I use a yurt in the winter!), and bike helmets. Running shoes stay out because I AM COMMITTED to running in all weather....if only I could get back into a consistent routine....I am happy to say that the weather was never a reason for not running last year.

Out come the ski boots, thick socks, ski glasses, ski safety gear (avy beacon, avy poles, etc), parkas, gloves, hats, and all that stuff. As for triathlon, my bike trainer gets a focus area now, and the swimming trunks get washed and ready for what is hopefully twice-weekly use.

It's kind of a fun time getting all the winter gear out because I start thinking about all the possibilities the new season brings. And then putting all the summer gear away can be either sad or happy, depending on what memories hit when I start putting gear away. This summer, the memory about summer will be the incredible snow pack we had and how it held up fishing alot.

Does anyone else do a gear room switch-out?

Pocatello Trail Run Series #1 --- Big Fun in The Snow!

2011-10-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Today was the first trail run of the year, and the weather was GREAT! I missed last years' runs because of scheduling conflicts, so I was excited to run this year.

Here's the scoop on the run series: http://pocatellorunners.com/Trail_runs.php

These runs are frequented by a small core of about ten standard runners with a few others trying it out for the first time. All in all, a field of 20 is large, and fifteen is about average. The race has a really nice and friendly "Let's Have Fun" attitude without much outright competitiveness but just enough effort to make you breathe hard.

The snowstorm from yesterday left some good snow up in the mountains, so that made it even more fun. Two years ago, there was a huge snowfall that began halfway during the race, but with no wind it was BIG FUN. This year, the fun was in the mud.

Today was a 4.5 mile run that I finished in about 48:20. I took my time and had fun on this race. I even took pictures and video! The theme was a Zombie attack of some sort, so some people were dressed up (I didn't because I'm lame like that!). And the zombies got a two minute head-start or so!

Below are some pics of the run. Enjoy! The course was a big loop that included some good elevation gain. On this map, the run was a short loop around chickadee, cotton tail, ruffed grouse, then down to red fox and fox tail, then up the canyon, turnaround, and back to the start via the meadows and sage loop. Tough course! But a great run for day.

Next run is Oct 22, and it is harder than today's run and includes a really big hill. Basically, it's a run that goes uphill and then comes down the hill, a point to point that is lots of fun and lots of work.

Snow!

AAhhhh, a zombie!!

Heading up the canyon, starting to see some snow and mud!

Starting out on some "ankle breaker" terrain but no snow.

50% off all 2XU @ PowerTri PowerTri Triathlon Shop

2011-10-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

While supplies last...if it says 2XU, it's 50% off. Jump on it!

PowerTri PowerTri Triathlon Shop:

Weight Training for Triathlons - Back At It!

2011-10-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

So...last year the university started charging for the weight room (go figure!) in the brand-spanking-new mulit-million dollar facility a couple blocks from my house. Great setup, right? Well, I went cheap last year and didn't want to pay, so I didn't lift weight last winter. Before the new gym opened up, the facility was a little dungeon area in the basement that was an absolute no-frills, do the work on decent-enough equipment facility.

I missed lifting weights. I lost a lot of bulk. I probably got faster on the bike and on the run. But I missed lifting weights. I mean, seriously, I like the routine I do some much I wrote it into a book!.

Soooo...today was my first day back in the weight room. I bit the bullet and started paying. It is actually a pretty good deal, although I wish they would open at 5:00am or 5:30am like most gyms. Instead, they take the standard Pocatello-easy-life-approach and open at 6:00am. I would go at 5:30 so I could lift for thirty minutes then hit the pool for 25 minutes and then be back home five minutes later at 6:30am. Oh well, I can't have everything.

Anyway, back to the weights. I did my normal routine, but VERY light weights and only two sets of ten reps instead of three sets of 12-15 reps. I can tell already tonight at 10:30pm and nine hours after the workout that I will probably be sore tomorrow just from doing the activities with light weights.

But I'm excited to be back at it. My plan is to lift thirty minutes then swim for 15 minutes with a VERY FAST TRANSITION to be back home at 6:50am every day to get the kids going and such. That's three days per week.

Then I'll do the bike trainer 3-4 mornings per week from 1.5 hours to 2.25 hours beginning at whatever time gets me done at 6:45am. I want to do a mix of the Sufferfest! videos at high intensity for 90 minutes and watching a moving at moderate intensity for two hours or so (48-50 miles?). That will do it for October, November, and December I think, and maybe January. I still have to decide if I am doing the Boise 70.3, which will determine how much bike volume I do after January. If' I don't do the Boise 70.3, my volume remains the same for the most part but I crank up the intensity alot.

I'll post tomorrow how sore I am!

New Sufferfest! available - Very Dark Place

2011-10-03T19:36:00.001-07:00

Got this in my e-mail.....new Sufferfest available just in time for your winter training to start!

LIGHTS OUT - A Very Dark Place is on sale now

----
Our New Video, A Very Dark Place, is ON SALE NOW.
You can buy it - for $11.99 - right here:
http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/a-very-dark-place/

A Very Dark Place - The new Sufferfest Video
On Sale Now

You know that ride you've done where you thought you went harder, deeper and to a darker place than you'd ever gone before? Well, this takes you further, deeper and darker than that with officially licensed footage from races like Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege and featuring pro cyclists like Phillipe Gilbert, Fabian Cancellara, Thor Hushovd and Bradley Wiggins. Similar to our Downward Spiral and Revolver videos, A Very Dark Place is about maximum effort for shorter durations: in this case, 4:00 intervals.

It was created to work you very, very hard. You need to be both physically and mentally ready for this one. Designed to help you improve your top speed over short distances - covering, or making, attacks, getting over those steep short hills and powering down the other side or taking a big pull at the front of the breakaway.

Of course, we're here not just to make you suffer, but to entertain you - so we designed each 4:00 interval with a unique, eh, personality: from steady intensity to aggressive climbing to relentless attacks on the cobbles or on the bergs. You will not get bored - guaranteed. A Very Dark Place, which is about 54:00 covers:

5:00 warm-up, with Asian racing footage from a member of the OCBC-Singapore National Team
2×30 sprints, from start line of the OCBC Cycle Singapore professional criterium
1:30 rest, because we're not totally merciless
5 x 4:00 sprints- with 3:00 rest between each interval. Each interval features pro-racing:
- Solo breakaway in Paris-Nice
- Small group breakaway in Fleche-Wallone
- Joining Gilbert and the Schlecks as they attack in Liege-Bastogne-Liege
- Following Cancellara - and trying to beat him - in Paris-Roubaix
- Holding onto Wiggins and crew in Criterium du Dauphine
4:00 recovery with some vintage cycling footage

Seven-Pack Bundle - $69.99 USD (save $14!)
http://wp.me/pqpcO-zI
Haven't bought a Sufferfest video yet because you're not sure which one to get? Well, buy them all. Our Seven-Pack Bundle includes all seven of our current videos. Bought one-by-one, you'd pay $84, but you can get them all at once for just $69.99

-------
Other Sufferstuff:
- The Book of Suffering: http://www.thesufferfest.com/uncategorized/the-book-of-suffering-now-available-and-free/
- T-shirts: http://www.thesufferfest.com/sfest-shirts/t-shirts/
- Sufferlandrian National Team Kit: http://sufferfest.myshopify.com/
-------

As always, a huge thank you for your support of The Sufferfest. We truly appreciate it.

IWBMATTKYT,
David McQuillen, Founder
Sufferfest Studios, Singapore
http://www.thesufferfest.com

A Foundation For Your Winter Swim Training

2011-10-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

As we start to think about our winter training plans, we should be thinking about the foundations of each plan. What is that one or two things that you will focus on in order to get better?

For 90% of the swimmers out there, certainly me included(!), technique should be our number one focus. To get faster, sometimes we need to slow down for a bit.

Triathlete.com » Become A Better Swimmer With Limited Training – Triathlete.com

"You’re so focused on getting to the other side of the pool as quickly as possible that you can’t think about the elements of good technique and your form gets sloppy. Before you go fast in the water, you must learn how to correctly swim slowly."

About once per week or when I'm not mentally into a good workout, I like to decrease the volume and then slow down my arm-turnover rate and focus on powering through the stroke with good form. This can be very tiring, too, and it helps me feel the water better. Rather than whipping through many strokes with poor form, I want to get high quality, powerful strokes with good form.

You could do this early in the season to create a very subjective baseline on what a powerful stroke with good form feels like and how long it takes to do 50 or 100 meters. Each month, do that same workout and rate yourself if you think you are improving. You could also have someone (the same person each month) take a look at your stroke and comment on any improvements.

Product Reviews coming

2011-09-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! Life is busy busy busy again. What I really want to be doing is writing about the Marine Corps Planning Process and how to apply it to a triathlon career, season, or race.

Instead, I'm travelling alot and missing my kids, all while getting a bit fatter every day and fighting off a sinus infection.

HOWEVER....there is some excitement. I received the Kurt Kinetic Wireless Power System and the Jaybird Freedom headphones. I haven't got the power system lined up on the bike yet, although I did manage to get my bike ready for a winter on the trainer....I just didn't have the power system at that time when I had the motivation. I'm starting up on the bike again on October 5, so maybe I'll have it ready for that. I most certainly want to get a good Lactate Threshhold test completed fairly early in October, though.

As for the headphones, they are wireless bluetooth headphones that come with a lifetime guarantee against sweat, and they are supposed to stay in the ear fairly well. I wore them a bit while driving this weekend and while on the phone a bit. There is very little bass sound, even when considering they are headphones. At the same time, the higher frequencies are quite clear, leading to me hearing a few "new" notes in some of my music. I would prefer to have the bass, though. The headphones sound ok for the phone, and they paired really easy with my phone. They stay in the ear pretty well during driving, but I haven't tried them running yet.

Detailed reviews coming up!

More travel coming up. Hopefully I'll get going on these planning articles.

"Glycoscience"

2011-09-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you find triathlon-related stuff in the strangest place. I'm a regular reader of the "Five Minute Forecast," which is a daily financial wrap-up.

The other day in the post Social Security's Accelerated Demise, they had this to say about a scientific practice I've never heard of. It's certainly interesting, so I thought I'd share it here.

“The science of carbohydrates as drugs,” says Patrick,” pivoting to another mind-bending concept, “is practically brand-new.”

It goes by the name “glycoscience.” Now a tiny company that essentially “owns the field,” in Patrick’s words, is joining forces with the University of Michigan for a research project that could one day knock out most cancers.

Here’s what scientists understand so far: Complex carbohydrates — think whole grains, fruits and vegetables — contain compounds that that hold the potential to shield your cells from cancer.

What they’re setting out to accomplish now is this: transforming those complex carbohydrates into a drug that can not only protect your cells from cancer, but knock out cells that have already turned cancerous.

“It’s difficult for me to envision a path,” says Patrick, “wherein this technology does not come to play a major role in most cancer treatments. I truly hope that you don’t wait to invest in this technology until after it begins.”

** I don't have any financial interest by posting this here. It's just an interesting twist on the things, specifically carbohydrates, that triathletes think alot about.

Wine is good for the heart....

2011-09-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

and apparently bad for the waistline. I started drinking a nightly glass of wine. And my weight is increasing directly proportionate, I think!

Come Oct 1, things will change and I'll have cut out the wine simply because it is an extra 350 calories per night.

Sweatproof headphones?!?! Jaybirds have a lifetime guarantee!

2011-09-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Bluetooth headphones that say they are sweatproof and then back it up with a lifetime guarantee?!?!

I'm quite tempted to try these out. I've gone through three pairs of Motorola S9's and have simply given up on "sweatproof" headphones because all three of those shorted out within 4-5 months of sweating on the indoor bike trainer. Why not just use the cords? Because they get in the way, and I inevitably sit up to take a break and the cord pulls my phone/MP3 player such that it crashes on the floor.

But these........like I said, it's tempting....

http://www.jaybirdgear.com/jf3/

Get Ready...Get Sufferfest

2011-09-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

David at the Sufferfest has bundled all of his videos into a single package for $60, for a savings of $12. Also, there is a new Sufferfest Video....coming in October.....standby to visit A VERY DARK PLACE! Why do I love the Sufferfest so much?!?!

From the Sufferfest:

Six times the suffering – 12 bucks off.

On 09/02/2011, in Uncategorized, by DMcQ

There are those of you, when first coming into contact with the ‘fest, can’t wait to put yourself into as much misery as possible. We love you. So, we’re now offering a package just for those who have chucked all those other cycling workout videos and are focused on true suffering. Here it is: All six Sufferfest videos at a discounted price: 59.99. At 12 bucks off the regular price for all the videos, it’s like six for the price of five! Get your ‘fest library off to the right start.

Videos included in the Sufferfest Six-Pack Bundle: Downward Spiral, Revolver, Fight Club, Angels, The Hunted and Local Hero.

Six videos for individual use - $59.99 (normally USD $72 if bought individually)

LinkedIn group worth mentioning

2011-09-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

There are alot of LinkedIn groups out there, some better than others. I recently joined the Triathlon Science group, and it's pretty interesting. Take a look if you are interested in the scientific stuff. Personally, I like to read the abstracts and then see if I fit into the basic findings of a study.

Triathlon Science

A winter bike trainer workout

2011-09-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

I like the triathlete.com website. They always have something of interest.

Here's what looks like a good bike trainer workout I'll keep on hand for this winter. Strength is one my weaknesses on the bike, and this hits that.

Triathlete.com » Tough Big Gear Bike Workout – Triathlete.com

"The next time you do hill repeats, consider this workout from pro Lesley Paterson. At her recent Braveheart Bootcamp, a weeklong triathlon camp in San Diego, Paterson used this big gear session to challenge her age group athletes. “This session is a sure fire way to develop unbelievable strength on the bike that will also transfer to the flats,” Paterson says. “Depending on racing emphasis, you can manipulate duration of interval, steepness of hill and cadence to best suit what you need.”"

Shoulder Season = Near Term Plans

2011-09-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

Here it is September and post-Labor Day. That means almost all the way back to the grind. I say "almost" because I still have some fishing to do, but otherwise summer is over. My season did not go as planned, ending quite earlier than expected. Even the September Xterra I was hoping to do in Park City at the end of this month got pre-empted (this one by Marine Corps Reserve).

So what am I going to do? I figure for the month of September I'll concentrate on running every day at lunch, starting at three miles per run per day last week and ending at six miles per run for five runs per week at the end of the month. The months of July and August were everything but triathlon it seems, and I gained alot of weight(!).

What to do during the shoulder season?

1. Take a break, number one, but already took a break(!) in July and August because I had other things that HAD to happen.

2. I can start hard into a new training schedule, but I'd peak mentally in February or so, and I'm not quite ready to get into something like that right now, anyway.

3. Take it easy but continue to exercise so that when I start up a new training cycle, I'm not starting from scratch and when it's time to put on skis, I can still get up and down the hill all day without a heart attack.

Option #3 with caveats it is!

During September and October, I will continue the transition to AmphibOps.com, too. That will take some time, and now is the time to do it before I get into a new training schedule. I'm about half way done with a planning book, too, and I hope to finish that by the end of October.

Somewhere in there, I want to review this past year and set up next year. My initial thoughts are the Boise 70.3, but I'm not sure I want to spend money on a big entrance fee for a race that could have any kind of weather. I also hope to get back into the August races because next year I'll be with a different unit and not have to travel all of August (yeah!). Then, I promise myself that I will do that Xterra in Park City in September!

But there's a lot of time between now and then. I always seem to peak in my training in late March, mentally for sure and probably physically, too. I need to figure out a way around that.

At least for September, I'll just be running and trying to get some weight off me. October will be more of the same and include some of the local trail run series. November will be the beginning of biking and swimming again, I think.

Transition Time...Starting a new leg of this race

2011-09-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

I've been doing the 20-60-40 Triathlon blog for about two years now. It started out as my one real goal in triathlon, to get the 20 minute swim, 60 minute bike, and 40 minute run. I'm faced with the reality that I can't prioritize triathlon high enough on the list to make that goal happen. And, 20-60-60 really pins me into talking about nothing but triathlon when there is so much more out there.

So, I'm branching out to a new brand name and broader topics. On October 1, 2011, I want to completely transition to AmphibOps Triathlon. "AmphibOps" is short for amphibious operations, or the type of maneuver warfare that the Marine Corps is known for during World War II and continues today. When you think of the beach landings throughout World War II, you are thinking about amphibious operations.

The connection is that I think triathlons are an amphibious operation as far as hobbies and races go. You start in the water, hit the beach on a fast transport, and then attack the objective on foot. That describes amphibious operations as much as it does triathlon.

Where do the thoughts about amphibious operations come from? Well, I have a career in the Marine Corps that is a deep-seeded part of me, such that almost everything I do has some sort of Marine Corps angle it, specifically my thought processes and how I relate to everything.

AmphibOps Triathlon will still focus on triathlon, but it will include broader topics about the triathlon lifestyle and a healthy, active lifestyle. I'll add more in about my family and some of my other hobbies, but everything will be tied back to triathlon in some way and might have a Marine Corps spin to it.

I know I'll have alot more to write about it! I already have about 50 topics in my mind ranging from applying Marine Corps planning to life and triathlon planning to how triathlon training impacts every aspect of my life including such things as a garden.

AmphibOps will be more for a beginning or intermediate triathlete who wants to be competitive in age-group events while maintaining a healthy balance between family, work, and triathlon. In the past six months or so, I've had people ask alot of the same questions, and I want to write more about those things that people have approached me about.

So, if (when?) you sense a change in the writing and the topics, you are noticing the shift to the AmpibOps Triathlon brand. The new website should be up and running by October 1. A basic landing page is already at www.amphibops.com.

God and triathlon

2011-08-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

A perfect relation between God and triathlon...

"When Dick ran, he pushed Rick along in a wheelchair. Rick was dependent on his dad in order to finish the race. He couldn’t do it without him.
We see a parallel between their story and our own Christian life. Just as Rick was dependent on his dad, we are dependent on Christ to complete our Christian race."

Read more at.Our Daily Bread.

If you don't know the story of Dick Hoyt, you really need to google up his story... or just read this. I had him as a desktop when my first boy was born....very inspirational.

How to get back into routine after being gone?

2011-08-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm back home after almost three weeks gone for annual Marine Corps Reserve training. I was having problems getting back into a routine in July, and that continued in August. While I was gone, I had one good week of consistent running. I couldn't bike or swim, and I'm lucky to have run at all. The daily schedule was hard to break away from. If I don't get back into good, consistent training, I'm going to start going backwards instead of just not improving.

So, how does one go about getting back into it 100%? Right now, I can't imagine a 350 point week like I had in March or so. I can barely imagine getting in 25 miles of running and nothing else. I'd like to get back on the bike, but I think other things have priority right now.

And that's it all boils down to....priority! Once you sit down and agree with yourself and your family that a priority will be placed on triathlon time, it happens fairly easily. I haven't done that in the past couple of months since a big effort at the Pacific Crest Triathlon in June. Honestly, I have put other things at the top of the priority list, too, and I'm comfortable with it. I just wish there was more time in the day!

Along those lines of determining priority, my hopes of doing the Utah Xterra race in late September were dashed when my Marine Corps Reserve drill date got changed to that weekend. I'm kind of bummed because I wanted to do that race and had already told myself that it was just going to be a recon race, one that I do to get the feel of it and plan a big effort for that race next year. I'm in no shape to expect good results, so the recon effort was the perfect answer. In any case, I have prioritized my drills above triathlon, so that makes that an easy change and one more thing to towards next year.

So, what do you do to break the no-training cycle and get back into it?

Good week of running

2011-08-20T05:27:00.000-07:00

I'm out of town right now for Marine Corps Reserve annual training. You'd think that getting in some good workouts would be easy, but it takes some effort just because of the nature of this training. I got in four runs this week, and that is pretty good.

Staying consistent while travelling is always a difficult. I didn't prep myself properly with any type of plan for this trip other than "try to run every day." That's not enough to make something happen, especially when combined with a completely different weather pattern of heat and humidity.

10% to Challenged Athletes Foundation

2011-08-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

So the "Weight Training Routine" book has been selling more than I ever thought possible. As such, I need to start giving back to the community. So....10% of the net sales will go to the Challenged Athletes Foundation at www.caf.org I will also ask that 50% of that donation be used towards a US Marine. I'm a bit biased, yes, but that's how I see the world.

I chose CAF because its mission to assist people with physical disabilities is a noble cause in my mind. When I went to Iraq, I told myself I would be ok if I lost a leg or an arm because groups like this are out there to help you once the docs get you back into the game. And now that I have kids, I can't imagine a young child not having the opportunity to compete physically and know the joys of success and, yes, the pains of defeat because it makes a person grow so much.

I could have chosen a cancer cause like Relay For Life, but I don't think is a perfect match.

CAF feels like a perfect match to me!

Power Meter talk

2011-08-13T11:37:00.001-07:00

Got a Power Meter? This is one of the dilemmas I'm struggling with right now. I would love to have a power meter (who wouldn't?!), but the reality is that I simply can't spend that kind of money on this hobby.

To up the ante during winter training, I'm going with the Kurt Kinetic power meter that works with my trainer. It's not a "real" power meter in that it computes power rather than actually measuring it, but as long as it is a constant measure it will help me determine if I improve. For $150 it is still expensive for me but will fill the training measure gap nicely.

Triathlete.com discusses it at Triathlete.com » At What Point Am I Ready For A Power Meter? – Triathlete.com

I think their point about not becoming a slave to the numbers is quite valid. My main goal is to simply compare the same threshold workout monthly to see if I'm improving. I expect to use the power meter during only half my workouts.

The Good Side Lost A True Warrior over the weekend

2011-08-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning brought tragic news to me. A friend, fellow Marine, San Diego Policeman and a great warrior for the good side was killed Saturday while on duty with the San Diego Police. Jeremy Henwood was a great man and will be missed.

Therefore, running has been the therapy of choice. I went through the five stages of grief every two miles or so and finished three full grief "cycles" on a six mile run yesterday.

MapMyRide.com personal information...update

2011-08-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

It seems Traci from MapMyRide.com read this post about my not wanting to put even more personal information into their servers. I thought it was a marketing thing, which I understand but was just kind of irked about at the time. I have personal information everywhere. Heck, my sex and age are on every race results page! But I just didn't feel the need to give it to them.

So, according to Traci in a note back to me (it was in the "spam" comments section so not seen by everyone), "The reason we ask for date of birth is due to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which means we do not knowingly collect any information from users under the age of 14." OK then. I'll give up the information and keep using the service, which I really do like and find useful to be able to share routes right inline with text. Not to get too political..but that's what we're talking about here....the laws are out of control; there has to be a better way to protect minors rather than ask everyone for their age.

I just deleted a long rant about politicians. My apologies to MapMyRide because you are obviously caught up in the mix of restrictive laws. I'll stop now concerning politics.

Going fishing tomorrow. I get to stand in the Lamar River in Yellowstone National Park. It is a top ten activity in my life, so I'm quite excited.

Mr. Swim Smooth "Our Stroke Analysis: The Two Best 1500m Swimmers In The World"

2011-08-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Mr. Swim Smooth has another great Friday morning blog post in "Feel For The Water." They compare fast turnovers with a long, strong pull. Best of all is the comparison of a swimming styles with a bicycling analogy (Lance Armstrong vs Jan Ullrich). If you're a Lance-fan, you'll be glad to know that Mr. Swim Smooth thinks that the "swinger" style of swimming with a fast turnover and very little glide is probably the best method for open water swimming. This is because it provides very little dead-time in a glide, during which a wave or chop could stop you in your tracks. This can be compared to the high-cadence bicycling of Lance Armstrong.

Feel For The Water! Advice & Tips to Improve Your Swimming.: Our Stroke Analysis: The Two Best 1500m Swimmers In The World

The impetus of Mr. Swim Smooth's post was watching the different stroke styles at the World Championships. I haven't been following them closely, but I have read a few reports. There are fewer world records because of the ban on the high-tech swim suits. Locke is stealing some of the spotlight from Phelps, who says he's not in top condition. And I haven't seen or heard or read anyting about the women's side.

It's kind of late in the tri season here in Idaho, but it's never too early to start thinking about your swim stroke and how you can improve!

Battle of Priorities

2011-08-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

So, I basically let myself go for the entire month of July. Priorities clashed immensely in July, and May and June for that matter. Consistency plummeted, and then motivation took a hit.

Beyond family and work, I have other competing priorities....like this post at www.backcountrycutts.blogspot.com . I can run, bike, or swim any day of the year mostly.

But the days for standing in the Lamar River are quite limited every year.

New personal info required for MapMyRide, MapMyRun, etc

2011-07-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

I was going to write about how tomorrow is a great day to get back into a good workout routine because it's the first of the month and a Monday. I'm excited about doing that because I've let myself go for the ENTIRE month of July and I feel like crap. But......

I went to log-in to MapMyRide.com tonight. Up pops a window that says they "need some more information" from me, like birthday and whether I'm male or female. I understand the marketing side of a free site, but I'm not giving up that information when they didn't need it before. So I go over to MapMyRun.com, hoping that somehow that new requirement isn't there, too, but no luck. So I found their survey and told them I'm no longer using the site until they drop that requirement for additional personal information. I'll just use Google Earth or something until that happens. Til then, I can't share a route easily in the blog. But I'm drawing a line on personal information being on everyone's server. Maybe I'll change my mind down the road, but for now I think it's too much.

Reset Button!

2011-07-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Well, the entire month of July fell apart for workouts. The Pocatello race was fun, of course, but I had almost no workouts because of travel and other work.

So now I'm telling myself that I'll just hit the reset button and start again...FRESH!....on August 1. That sounds good, right. I might have lost some fitness, but I I certainly still have a nice foundation. I'll just have to build the high-intensity level again. The goal is to be able to do well at the Xterra Triathlon in Park City.

That's what I'm telling myself now, anyway.

Breakfast like a king....

2011-07-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

Triathlete.com » Racing Weight: The Benefits Of Eating A Big Breakfast – Triathlete.com

Ten years ago, I didn't believe the idea that big breakfast was the healthiest way to go. After making a concerted effort to change that in the past five years, I now know the truth. Whoever said it was right: "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper" is definitely the way to go. Going one step further, I would like to add that a big workout right when you get up (after a couple cups of coffee, of course) followed by the big breakfast is a sure-fire way to lose weight.

Pocatello Tri race results

2011-07-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Race day came and went. Nice course. Chip seal wasn't bad. Swam in my own lane in a second of two waves, then biked basically all alone, then ran basically alone, too. 6am start was EARLY but ok; would have been really hot otherwise. Only 20 people in the olympic distance, 120 or so in the sprint distance.

Completed the olympic distance in 2:25:XX. Kind of slow but a nice race.

This was the inaugural Olympic Distance race for Pocatello. Lance and crew did a GREAT job with it. Very informal, with a kind of show-n-go feel to it.

Details in a few days.

Race Day!

2011-07-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

It's dark as I'm ready to ride down to the park! I have no race plan, and I have this crazy idea of just cruising through the race and enjoying it instead of pushing to the limit. Weather should be nice, perfect actually. Off we go!

Hometown race on Saturday, BUT....

2011-07-20T16:57:00.001-07:00

But I haven't been prepping at all. I have maybe three workouts in the last four weeks since my last race.

I've heard of post-race blues, but this my first experience with them. Like I said three weeks ago, I just can't find the motivation. I'm also travelling alot for work and fun that is causing some schedule issues. It's also interesting that I haven't gained any weight with no workouts and eating and drinking whatever I feel like.

I'm wondering how others deal with this.

Recover, Rest, Relaxation

2011-07-13T23:10:00.000-07:00

Incredibly, I am still sore from drill PT on Sunday! How does that happen? Do a few leg lifts, sprint 100 yards, jog a bit, pushups, pullups....and then still sore three days later. It boggles the mind. Anyway....

Tomorrow me and the family are off to Yellowstone for R&R&R. Fishing will be tough because the water is incredibly high. And I won't be spending any time in the backcountry because of the little ones (I'm going to wait til they are potty trained to go into the backcountry. I don't want a bear sniffing around some diapers). Weather should be standard weather, so we'll get some hiking in, of course.

I always feel incredibly refreshed after a few days in Yellowstone, and I'm looking forward to making some family memories (not that the little ones could remember, but that's why we have cameras!).

Still not 100% mentally after Pacific Crest Tri

2011-07-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since the Pacific Crest race, and I still can't find any intensity during workouts. And the workouts I manage to get in are quite short. Example: over the weekend at Marine Corps drill, running barely four miles at sea level was nearly killing me. I got on the bike trainer this morning and could only manage 12 miles and 45 minutes before running out motivation. A 1,000 yard swim today was nice, only because I decided I shouldn't expect more than 1,000 yards as the FIRST SWIM IN TWO WEEKS(!).

What the heck is going on? I was hoping to have a great race next weekend here in my hometown, the first time my schedule has let me do this race. Not sure what's going to happen.

The psychology game is definitely the toughest piece to get together sometimes.

Maybe I need to get this book!!!!