Week In Review

This may or may not end up being a recurring feature on this blog, largely dependent on how busy lazy I am on Sundays.  We’ll give it a try for a bit and see how it goes.

Looking Back:

I love recovery week.  I slept in a few mornings, I went to the gym a few one morning.  It was nice to listen to my body instead of my training plan – push when I felt it, and rest when I didn’t.  The lion’s share of the work this week came from a brick yesterday – 60 minute bike ride followed by a 50 minute run (all indoors – it snowed 20cm yesterday thank you very much).  It was great to do a brick like that – the first I’ve done since the summer.  As my wife told me after: I’m going to be in much better shape this triathlon season than I ever have been before!

January’s now in the books.  I’m really happy with how this month went.  Without a doubt, the most consistent training month I’ve ever had!

Looking Forward:

I’ve decided this year to follow a modified version of a 1/2 Iron training plan I found on trinewbies.com – modified, for the most part, because I’m not training for a 1/2 Iron, but rather primarily Olympic distance races (with a Sprint or two likely to also happen this summer).  In short, where the training plan calls for 20 miles of biking, for example, I’m doing 20kms.  It’s an easy way to keep the structure of the plan, while dialing back to roughly 60% of the volume.

I’m also making a few other adjustments – incorporating some bike and run workouts from One Hour Workouts, a wonderful little training guide my Mother in Law gave me at Christmas; moving a few sessions around to better fit my personal schedule.

Throughout January I repeated week one 4 times over, focusing on consistency and getting used to the every day (and often twice a day) schedule.  Now that it’s February, it’s time to start progressing through the plan.  Ironically enough (and I didn’t realize this until just now), the plan is for 18 weeks leading up to the race day, and this coming week is 19 weeks out from the Toronto Triathlon Festival, which is my A race this year.  How convenient is that?!?

Edit: Turns out I’m 19 weeks out from the Muskoka 5150 that I hope to race in June, but haven’t yet signed up for.  Not from the Toronto Triathlon Festival, which is another 3 weeks after that.  In case that’s important…

So… Week 1 this week, for keeps this time!

56 Things I Think I Think:

1. I think I’d forgotten how much I love swimming.  I’m a half decent swimmer and cyclist, but a lousy runner.  So I spend a lot of my training effort running.  In fact, in 2013 I almost didn’t swim train at all (a total of 25.3km swam in all of 2013 – including races).  But the more I swim now, the more I remember how much I enjoy swimming.  I’m looking forward to it being a bigger part of my 2014 training.
2. I think I need to remember that riding a bike machine is different from being on a stair master.  I try to remember to spin full circles, but when I lose focus for a few minutes I fall back into mashing the downward stroke like we were taught to ride bikes as kids.  It’s amazing how my power goes up, while my perceived effort goes down when I remember to spin full circles.  A very simple thing, but one I need to keep working on.
3. I think Wiarton Willie predicted 6 more weeks of winter.  I think Wiarton Willie’s historical success rate is close to 37% (which is lousy for what is essentially a coin flip).  I think I don’t really believe in this crap anyway.  I think this is one of the lousiest, coldest, snowiest winters in a long time and I’m so ready for it to be done!
4. I think there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes of organizing a race.  It takes a lot of volunteers, and a lot of planning.  I’ve done volunteer coordination before, but never for a race event.  I think I’m learning a lot, and my brain is kinda pooped.
5. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.  Go Seahawks!!  Though I think my cat wishes the Saints were in it…
6. I think this is my 200th post on this blog.  I think that should mean something, but I’m really not sure what.  Thanks to everyone who’s read so many of my random ramblings, and for all the comments and conversations!

That’s my week in a nutshell.  How was your week?

New Exciting Things

(sorry for the lack of Friday Stray Thoughts today… I was drawing a blank.  Besides, I had something to actually write about.  Hope that’s cool with you)

This one’s been in the works all hush hush like for a while, but now that it’s finally been published on the website, I figure I’m okay to talk about it here to.  Right?  Right!

I’ve joined up with RunWaterloo (aka the Waterloo Running Series) as their shiny new Volunteer Coordinator!

I’m excited!  Can you tell!

Why?  Because I have too much free time on my hands?  (umm… no)

Because I love running events (and triathlon too, obviously).  I love ‘race day’, and this gives me a chance to be part of putting on 13+ ‘race days’ each year.  And I really believe volunteers make all the difference.  They make a good race GREAT.  Races don’t happen without all the volunteers – from the marshals on the course, to the people handing out race kits and food, to the folks who show up at the crack of dawn (or earlier) to set up the course, and stay late to clean up after all of us.  Its a kind soul who shows up to do this work.  And it’s my way of saying ‘thank you’ by rolling up my sleeves and and pitching in.

And to me, RunWaterloo is a great fit!  They do an amazing job of giving back to their community.  They’re accessible to runners of all abilities – from podium finishers to first time runners to families.  They’re a great little run group, and I’m so excited to be part of the team!  Seriously, if you’re ever in the Kitchener-Waterloo area you should come run with us!  Or come volunteer, that works too 😉

I could certainly use some new ideas and experiences to draw on.  So I’d love to hear from you:

Have you ever volunteered for a race (or other event)?  What made it great (or crappy) for you?  Or as a runner in a race, do you have a stand out story about a volunteer there?

Friday Stray Thoughts

Image by Glenn McCoy

Happy Friday everyone!  For those of you looking for a little light lunchtime internet distraction to tide you over until quitting time, here’s a Few Stray Thoughts for your Friday Afternoon

Image via Thoughts and Pavement

WordPress tells me that today is my 2 year Anniversary.  Happy Blogaversary to me!  Shout out to everyone reading this, or who has read this, or who will read this.  My quest to be a fitter and faster triathlete and less of a couch potato is a bit of a shit show sometimes – thanks for coming along for the ride! 🙂

(also, seriously?!?  I’ve been doing this for 2 years?!?  crazy how time flies)

– – – – –

I have amazing co-workers who make sure that I never miss out on a sushi lunch.  Tonight’s training session might be a little sluggish as a result, but I’m kinda okay with that.  It’s Friday, and I got sushi!  WIN

– – – – –

Big things brewing with the Waterloo Running Series (aka RunWaterloo)… #excited.

More on that when more can be publicly said, but in the mean time if you’re in KW or the South Western Ontario region, check them out and sign up as a runner, or as a race volunteer!

– – – – –

Kinda mailing it in this week – gotta get back to work and all.  I’ll try to actually read something about something triathlon-related for next week to have it lined up to share… maybe…

Have a great weekend everybody!  Good Luck to everyone racing or training this weekend!!!  Stay Warm!

Race Recap – Santa Pur-SUIT

I’m a day or so late getting this post up… after weeks of studying for a course that my work was putting me through, and writing my exam last week, this weekend was all about quality time with my wife.  But now that I have a few minutes (that’s what lunch breaks are for, right?  right!)…

Saturday morning was the 2013 Santa Pur-SUIT 5k run race in support of the local YMCA.  What a great event – great cause to run for, and who can beat hundreds of santas running through the streets of Waterloo?!?

This race was all about fun and community.  Did I run a PB time?  No.  Did I expect to?  No.  Considering a) I hadn’t trained, or done any form of exercise more vigorous than walking-around-the-office-at-work in over 2 weeks, and b) I was wearing an ill-fitting felt Santa suit, I’m reasonably happy with my 32:29 time.  It was great to see the local YMCA – where I do all my indoor training – be the benefactor of such a great event.  It was great to get my wife dressed up in a Santa Suit and to go for a run with her (even if she did peel away after 1km and finish a full 5 minutes ahead of me 😉

So that’s it.  My 2013 season is finally finished.  11 races in the books this year:

• 4 Triathlons (2x Sprint, 1x 750/30/7.5 hybrid, 1x Olympic), including 1 out-of-country race!
• 1 OW 1.5km Swim Race
• 1 Road 73km Bike Race
• 5 Running Races (1x 5km, 2x 10km, 1x 21.1km, and 1x 30km)

For my first “full racing season” (a.k.a. more than 1 race in a calendar year), that was a TON of fun… and way too many races.  As much as I love race day – the start line, the crowd, the music, the atmosphere – my bank account can’t sustain that many races again in 2014, nor can my personal schedule, to be honest.  And really, I think it did me a bit of a disservice racing so often – it was a crazy mix of events and I wasn’t able to get into a training routine focused on long term improvement.  I’m looking forward to 2014, though it will probably include fewer and more strategically selected races.

I’m sure I’ll give some further thought in a future post about my 2014 season (not like there’s a lot else to post about in the winter)… for now, I’m going to enjoy a December filled with no racing, no studying, a loosely scheduled training plan, lots of time with my wife, and lots of food and drink with family and friends!  Let the Holiday Season begin.  Ho Ho Ho!!! (see what I did there?! 😉 )

What’s in YOUR race kit?

Who’s got one thumb up and is ready to race tomorrow?

This guy!!