And counting....down!!
Well, a fraction over. This time in 3 weeks I will be on my last day of work before I pack up head to the BIG Island, and the time is just ticking away day by day.
I am not really counting down until race day, as having 5 weeks over there pre race, means that there will be some serious work still to be done.
This final 3 weeks are all about preparation, getting myself in the best shape that I can before my final attack on training where it counts.
Everything is going along nicely. I managed my biggest run week ever last week, ticking just over 130k's, and I must say that I loved every one of them.
The bike is still the same, ticking off the boxes, surviving one week at racing, getting dropped the next. This doesn't bother me as usually have done 4 - 4.5hrs on the morning of, I simply can't expect to be competitive with guys who are a) just cyclists and b) fresh every week. I am achieving what I need to from these races and still stirring them up where I can!!
The swim is a real variable one. I have been averaging 4 squad swims per week and have good and bad sessions, like a big gap between. Some days I can hang onto the fast lane coming in on the 1min 20 for 100's, low 2.40's for 200m and other days I am lucky if I can break 3min for 200m!! Gets frustrating at times. I am just hoping that it has something to do with fatigued and once I freshen up I will be consistently swimming low 1.20's!
This weekend is Yeppoon 70.3, one of my favourite races, one that I finished in 8th Overall last year and one that I am not going to this year for the first time in 5 years. Sad weekend. But a big shout out to mates who are racing.... Ian Scott, Matt Burton and 1st time 70.3 Scott Slater. Good Luck guys.
For me is hitting the Great Ocean Road with Gregory Farrell for just over 6hrs in whatever condition is thrown at us. I am sure plenty of Kona talk will take place as the young kid is starting to get really excited!! Sunday a 34k trail run with a big group of TMC'ers down the coast of Geelong. Going to be a great weekend of kilometers and laughs.
For now...
X-Man
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Doesn't time just fly..
After looking back on my previous post, time has just ticked by, well actually it has flown by.
A lot has happened and improvements are also happening. I won't bore you with everything just a quick summary.
Swim: My swim times this year in a 50m pool are the same as what they were last year in a 25m pool, happy about that.
Bike: The k's are a lot more consistent this year and the way the program is going it is really working for me. Including some more intensity, a few races (nothing special to report here as a finish is a victory) and a lot further in front of last year. Looking on track to tick off the box here.
Run: It is just going along well, nothing flash, no top end speed, but could not be happier with where it is at. Being able to run 3min 30's for a good period of time means that my leg strength is there and that is all that I am after. I don't need leg speed right now. My 1k efforts are about 3min 25sec per k and my 5 k efforts are 3min 30sec per k, not much difference there!
Overall everything is on track. Having a recovery week last week was actually refreshing although I feel like I lost a little bit of motivation, so just getting back on top of that now.
Coaching: Well, this is just going from strength to strength. Understanding and learning more and more everyday about my athletes is giving me a lot of drive and motivation. I just cannot fault the athletes that I coach. The challenges, the results and the conversations just makes me tick. I am looking forward to post Kona where things will get even more exciting for all!
On a more exciting subject... SPONSORS!!
I am very very excited to be part of the SHOTZ Sports Global nutrition Team. Darryl and Steph have already been fantastic to work along side and the education that they have been giving me is World Class.
You can check out all the GREAT nutritional products here. I just have to get Darryl to include my profile on the team, along with fellow TMC athlete and training partner Greg Farrell and things will be perfect!
Of course CBD Cycles are on board, not just with myself, but also with the entire TMC team. Another exciting partnership for everyone.
A recent new partnership has been formed, nothing quite "official" yet, however it is with a company that I already use their products so I am very excited to be associated further with them. When everyone is formalised, I will be more than happy to announce them.
These 3 brands along with my current sponsors will ensure another successful lead in/race/ season for me moving forward.
I have already locked in a few races post Hawaii and am looking forward to enjoying my final year in the 30-34 a/g.
For Now...
X-Man
A lot has happened and improvements are also happening. I won't bore you with everything just a quick summary.
Swim: My swim times this year in a 50m pool are the same as what they were last year in a 25m pool, happy about that.
Bike: The k's are a lot more consistent this year and the way the program is going it is really working for me. Including some more intensity, a few races (nothing special to report here as a finish is a victory) and a lot further in front of last year. Looking on track to tick off the box here.
Run: It is just going along well, nothing flash, no top end speed, but could not be happier with where it is at. Being able to run 3min 30's for a good period of time means that my leg strength is there and that is all that I am after. I don't need leg speed right now. My 1k efforts are about 3min 25sec per k and my 5 k efforts are 3min 30sec per k, not much difference there!
Overall everything is on track. Having a recovery week last week was actually refreshing although I feel like I lost a little bit of motivation, so just getting back on top of that now.
Coaching: Well, this is just going from strength to strength. Understanding and learning more and more everyday about my athletes is giving me a lot of drive and motivation. I just cannot fault the athletes that I coach. The challenges, the results and the conversations just makes me tick. I am looking forward to post Kona where things will get even more exciting for all!
On a more exciting subject... SPONSORS!!
I am very very excited to be part of the SHOTZ Sports Global nutrition Team. Darryl and Steph have already been fantastic to work along side and the education that they have been giving me is World Class.
You can check out all the GREAT nutritional products here. I just have to get Darryl to include my profile on the team, along with fellow TMC athlete and training partner Greg Farrell and things will be perfect!
Of course CBD Cycles are on board, not just with myself, but also with the entire TMC team. Another exciting partnership for everyone.
These 3 brands along with my current sponsors will ensure another successful lead in/race/ season for me moving forward.
I have already locked in a few races post Hawaii and am looking forward to enjoying my final year in the 30-34 a/g.
For Now...
X-Man
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
How I fit it all in...
I have been asked over and over recently how I fit everything in form training, coaching and working Full Time, so I thought that I would give everyone an insight into my standard week in an Ironman build. Comment where you see fit.
Overall it comes down to time management (which I have finally learnt!) and no really procrastinating ever!
Every day i am in the office until 5pm, so no shortcuts there.
Monday - My favourite day of the week. Just swim squad in the morning.
Swim squad 6am - 7.30am
work 8am - 5pm
Monday evenings off
Tuesday - The beginning of a tough week ahead.
Swim Squad 6am - 7am
Run home from swim approx 40min easy
work 8am - 5pm
Run 5.15 - 5.45 easy
Bike 6pm - 8pm ish some intensity
Wednesday - Legs usually starting to feel the pinch at end of this day
Swim Squad 6am - 7am
Run home from squad up to 1 hr easy
Work 8.30am - 5pm
Run Squad 6pm - 7pm or whatever time applicable according to program
Thursday - Sleep in day - love this day!!
Run - 6.30am - whatever program indicates....easy
Work 8am - 5pm
Bike - 6pm - 8pm ish some intensity
Run - 8pm - 8.30pm easy
Friday - Almost the weekend
Swim squad 6am - 7.30am
Work - 8am - 5pm
Swim Squad - 6pm - 7pm
Run home from swim approx 40mins easy
Saturday - Run 6am - til program says easy
Ride - 3-4hrs post run easy
PM ride - bike race up to 2.5hrs
Saturday evenings are very non eventful as the body is pretty well stuffed after this day and sleep is high on my list of priorities!
Sunday - Run as program specifies approx 2-3hrs easy
PM - run approx 1hr easy
Sometimes a sneaky Sunday afternoon nap enters the schedule here.... I usually wake up worse from these naps :(
This training comes with a carefully planned build and getting the body prepared to go through the hours upon hours week in week out. Without this planning and preparation, I wouldn't be capable of even attempting this as I would either burn out, become sick or injured.
Along with the above I am in regular contact with my athletes, both doing programs for them, training with them or just generally catching up for a coffee. By having the ability to train with the majority of my athletes gives me a great indication of where they are at and how they cope under certain circumstances
The body gets tired at times, however knowing that I can have a sleep in Thursdays and Sundays makes getting up at 5.15am most mornings possible.
For Now...
X-Man
Overall it comes down to time management (which I have finally learnt!) and no really procrastinating ever!
Every day i am in the office until 5pm, so no shortcuts there.
Monday - My favourite day of the week. Just swim squad in the morning.
Swim squad 6am - 7.30am
work 8am - 5pm
Monday evenings off
Tuesday - The beginning of a tough week ahead.
Swim Squad 6am - 7am
Run home from swim approx 40min easy
work 8am - 5pm
Run 5.15 - 5.45 easy
Bike 6pm - 8pm ish some intensity
Wednesday - Legs usually starting to feel the pinch at end of this day
Swim Squad 6am - 7am
Run home from squad up to 1 hr easy
Work 8.30am - 5pm
Run Squad 6pm - 7pm or whatever time applicable according to program
Thursday - Sleep in day - love this day!!
Run - 6.30am - whatever program indicates....easy
Work 8am - 5pm
Bike - 6pm - 8pm ish some intensity
Run - 8pm - 8.30pm easy
Friday - Almost the weekend
Swim squad 6am - 7.30am
Work - 8am - 5pm
Swim Squad - 6pm - 7pm
Run home from swim approx 40mins easy
Saturday - Run 6am - til program says easy
Ride - 3-4hrs post run easy
PM ride - bike race up to 2.5hrs
Saturday evenings are very non eventful as the body is pretty well stuffed after this day and sleep is high on my list of priorities!
Sunday - Run as program specifies approx 2-3hrs easy
PM - run approx 1hr easy
Sometimes a sneaky Sunday afternoon nap enters the schedule here.... I usually wake up worse from these naps :(
This training comes with a carefully planned build and getting the body prepared to go through the hours upon hours week in week out. Without this planning and preparation, I wouldn't be capable of even attempting this as I would either burn out, become sick or injured.
Along with the above I am in regular contact with my athletes, both doing programs for them, training with them or just generally catching up for a coffee. By having the ability to train with the majority of my athletes gives me a great indication of where they are at and how they cope under certain circumstances
The body gets tired at times, however knowing that I can have a sleep in Thursdays and Sundays makes getting up at 5.15am most mornings possible.
For Now...
X-Man
A Kona preview...
Following on from my first interview with RossBurrage.com back just after the Asia Pacific Ironman Adam asked me to do another interview in my lead up to Hawaii 2012.
The first interview here, and the most recent interview here.
I would like to thank Adsy, Ross and the team at Racing Tales for there time spent on me.
For now...
X-Man
The first interview here, and the most recent interview here.
I would like to thank Adsy, Ross and the team at Racing Tales for there time spent on me.
For now...
X-Man
Monday, July 16, 2012
24hr MTB race or Ironman??
Which is tougher?
I have the pleasure of being on one side of the debate and have a great mate, Jason Quigley on the other. It is a common discussion between the both of us. It is rare to find someone who is crazy enough to have had a crack at both of them.
An athlete that I coach now, Adam Kelsall, is the man to put the discussion to rest, after reading his interview on http://rossburrage.com/2012/05/17/adam-kelsall-24solo-enduro-mtber-v-ironman-triathlete/ I clearly didn't push him hard enough through training!!
Apart from the biased view from Ross (heheheh) I think the interview gives some good insight about what it takes mentally to complete both events.
Here are some details, I have only cut and pasted some of the article. For the full interview follow the above link:
RB: How many 24 Solos have you done to date?
Adz: I have done four i think mate.
RB: OK mate….let’s get stuck into the workload because that’s what we are here to find out. Describe your 8 week training lead up to a 24solo Worlds. i.e. km’s, hours, cross training etc
Adz: Not very scientific mate. A couple of short, maybe 3 or 4 try to go fast rides up to two hours during the week before or after work with the aim of adapting the body to high heart rates….with the idea then that the low intensity heart rates of 24hr racing will be a piece of piss for the body. Lots of six hour races and maybe a 12hour race to toughen up mentally and get the nutrition/support thing right. Weekends would consist of a long road ride on Saturday to really get the fatigue in the legs then a back up long mountain bike ride on Sunday to practice technical skills with lots of fatigue already in the body.
The Triathlon Stuff…….
RB: So where has this triathlon stuff come from Adz? One minute you’re a hard core Enduro bod and now an obsessed triathlete.
Adz: After Canberra Worlds I remember we were having some stupid conversation about which would be tougher, 24hrs or Ironman. I think I said something about maybe finding out. Then Kylie shouted me a trip to watch Lyndon Virgona have a crack at Ironman in Port Macquarie. We chatted a fair bit about it. It’s important to both of us that it’s a team effort and we are both on board. It’s too hard to do an event like this if one side of the team isn’t on board.
RB: Was it an athlete that initiated the challenge or simply the challenge itself?
Adz: ........But I think mostly it is the challenge
RB: Tell us a bit about your triathlon background. I’m not aware of any but maybe I may have missed something.
Adz: Nah nothing really.
RB: I’m generalising.……but can you describe the personality differences between an Enduro Rider and an Ironman athlete?
Adz: Ha ha. I think there are perceptions about Triathletes. Especially from Mountain Bikers. However I have found nothing but friendliness and overwhelming support in the triathlon community.
RB: Tell us a bit about who prepared you for Port Mac Ironman.
Adz: Xavier Coppock is an elite age grouper who I am very fortunate to receive coaching from. I followed his blog for ages and was super impressed with his attitude and knowledge of the sport. Rod Stormonth hooked us up and it’s been fantastic. I can ring/text anytime and he always is positive and supportive.
RB: Back in the 24solo days you seemed to prep yourself, why the need for a coach to prep for Ironman?
Adz: I just felt like with three sports it’s a bit more complex. With Cycling it’s not that hard an equation once you have years of volume in your legs – just ride lots. With the three sports I thought it might be easy to over train. In reflection I think I would have actually under trained. I am amazed at the volume . Especially the run volume.
RB: How far back did you start to prep for Port Mac?
Adz: 6months. That’s a long time for me to concentrate on one thing!!
RB: So let’s get to the race itself. Time?
Adz: 10:37. I like to say about 10:30J
RB: Ever want to quit?
Adz: Nope. There was no chance.
RB: Any plans to do another one and if so what are the plans?
Adz: Probably busso at the end of 2013.
So there are the brief details, Ross then went on to ask the questions we all want the answers to:
THE COMPARISON!
BTW, I love the answer to the first question!!
RB: Let’s start with the mental questions. I know the Port Mac is fresh in your mind but can I ask you to reflect back to your 24solo Worlds and tell us which event was the biggest head f@#$?
Adz: 24hrs for sure. Ironman is tough. But you have breakfast suffer through a swim ride run then go out for some dinner with your mates. Doing the same thing for 24hours is incredibly tough.
RB: Which event do you feel would be easier to front up to and complete with zero training preparation?
Adz: Probably 24. Because you can rock up and do two laps hang out in your pit and party with your support crew then finish. With Ironman you have to get from a to b. Without the training I think it would be really hard to do this in the 17hour cut off.
RB: As you know, I’m a grungy old Enduro rider and I will defend the 24solo riders every day of the week. After all, racing for 24 hours v 10 hours is surely a no brainer. I respect that the Ironman triathletes do it over three disciplines but surely racing one discipline 24solo non-stop is much harder? YES or NO and please explain!!!!
Adz: I think racing three disciplines is harder technically, Good endurance athletes have amazing efficiency of movement.
RB: One word answer Adz, which athlete is the tuffest mentally and physically?
Adz: 24hr.
So there we go, a man that has raced the World 24hr MTB race and completed an Ironman in a pretty handy time.
Your training won't be so easy in future!!
Great Interview!
X-Man
PS, please offer your opinion below about which is tougher... For the record, trying to be good at 3 separate disciplines and finishing within the time limit is definitely harder than racing a race with no criteria to be eligible to be a finisher.
I have the pleasure of being on one side of the debate and have a great mate, Jason Quigley on the other. It is a common discussion between the both of us. It is rare to find someone who is crazy enough to have had a crack at both of them.
An athlete that I coach now, Adam Kelsall, is the man to put the discussion to rest, after reading his interview on http://rossburrage.com/2012/05/17/adam-kelsall-24solo-enduro-mtber-v-ironman-triathlete/ I clearly didn't push him hard enough through training!!
Apart from the biased view from Ross (heheheh) I think the interview gives some good insight about what it takes mentally to complete both events.
Here are some details, I have only cut and pasted some of the article. For the full interview follow the above link:
RB: How many 24 Solos have you done to date?
Adz: I have done four i think mate.
RB: OK mate….let’s get stuck into the workload because that’s what we are here to find out. Describe your 8 week training lead up to a 24solo Worlds. i.e. km’s, hours, cross training etc
Adz: Not very scientific mate. A couple of short, maybe 3 or 4 try to go fast rides up to two hours during the week before or after work with the aim of adapting the body to high heart rates….with the idea then that the low intensity heart rates of 24hr racing will be a piece of piss for the body. Lots of six hour races and maybe a 12hour race to toughen up mentally and get the nutrition/support thing right. Weekends would consist of a long road ride on Saturday to really get the fatigue in the legs then a back up long mountain bike ride on Sunday to practice technical skills with lots of fatigue already in the body.
The Triathlon Stuff…….
RB: So where has this triathlon stuff come from Adz? One minute you’re a hard core Enduro bod and now an obsessed triathlete.
Adz: After Canberra Worlds I remember we were having some stupid conversation about which would be tougher, 24hrs or Ironman. I think I said something about maybe finding out. Then Kylie shouted me a trip to watch Lyndon Virgona have a crack at Ironman in Port Macquarie. We chatted a fair bit about it. It’s important to both of us that it’s a team effort and we are both on board. It’s too hard to do an event like this if one side of the team isn’t on board.
RB: Was it an athlete that initiated the challenge or simply the challenge itself?
Adz: ........But I think mostly it is the challenge
RB: Tell us a bit about your triathlon background. I’m not aware of any but maybe I may have missed something.
Adz: Nah nothing really.
RB: I’m generalising.……but can you describe the personality differences between an Enduro Rider and an Ironman athlete?
Adz: Ha ha. I think there are perceptions about Triathletes. Especially from Mountain Bikers. However I have found nothing but friendliness and overwhelming support in the triathlon community.
RB: Tell us a bit about who prepared you for Port Mac Ironman.
Adz: Xavier Coppock is an elite age grouper who I am very fortunate to receive coaching from. I followed his blog for ages and was super impressed with his attitude and knowledge of the sport. Rod Stormonth hooked us up and it’s been fantastic. I can ring/text anytime and he always is positive and supportive.
RB: Back in the 24solo days you seemed to prep yourself, why the need for a coach to prep for Ironman?
Adz: I just felt like with three sports it’s a bit more complex. With Cycling it’s not that hard an equation once you have years of volume in your legs – just ride lots. With the three sports I thought it might be easy to over train. In reflection I think I would have actually under trained. I am amazed at the volume . Especially the run volume.
RB: How far back did you start to prep for Port Mac?
Adz: 6months. That’s a long time for me to concentrate on one thing!!
RB: So let’s get to the race itself. Time?
Adz: 10:37. I like to say about 10:30J
RB: Ever want to quit?
Adz: Nope. There was no chance.
RB: Any plans to do another one and if so what are the plans?
Adz: Probably busso at the end of 2013.
So there are the brief details, Ross then went on to ask the questions we all want the answers to:
THE COMPARISON!
BTW, I love the answer to the first question!!
RB: Let’s start with the mental questions. I know the Port Mac is fresh in your mind but can I ask you to reflect back to your 24solo Worlds and tell us which event was the biggest head f@#$?
Adz: 24hrs for sure. Ironman is tough. But you have breakfast suffer through a swim ride run then go out for some dinner with your mates. Doing the same thing for 24hours is incredibly tough.
RB: Which event do you feel would be easier to front up to and complete with zero training preparation?
Adz: Probably 24. Because you can rock up and do two laps hang out in your pit and party with your support crew then finish. With Ironman you have to get from a to b. Without the training I think it would be really hard to do this in the 17hour cut off.
RB: As you know, I’m a grungy old Enduro rider and I will defend the 24solo riders every day of the week. After all, racing for 24 hours v 10 hours is surely a no brainer. I respect that the Ironman triathletes do it over three disciplines but surely racing one discipline 24solo non-stop is much harder? YES or NO and please explain!!!!
Adz: I think racing three disciplines is harder technically, Good endurance athletes have amazing efficiency of movement.
RB: One word answer Adz, which athlete is the tuffest mentally and physically?
Adz: 24hr.
So there we go, a man that has raced the World 24hr MTB race and completed an Ironman in a pretty handy time.
Your training won't be so easy in future!!
Great Interview!
X-Man
PS, please offer your opinion below about which is tougher... For the record, trying to be good at 3 separate disciplines and finishing within the time limit is definitely harder than racing a race with no criteria to be eligible to be a finisher.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Another week down, another week closer!
Well, it has been some weeks since my last post!
Haven't things changed since. I am head down, bum up training, coaching and working, doing my best to combine all three.
And everything is going good as gold, the athletes are back into full swing, more new athletes coming on board and some still just recovering and enjoying the good life.
Unfortunately something has had to give.....For me this is the blog & Tour de France. My normal July entertainment, but not this year. The closet that I am getting is reading the write up in the mornings or watching the replay that evening. The blog will be back going on a more regular basis also, so hoping to add some more resourceful things, so if you want to know anything about my training, coaching or random things, feel free to ask.
Training has really stepped up a gear and am consistently hitting 23-25hrs per week and with the new regime, things are going well. The program once again is speaking for itself and all I have to do is just tick boxes.
The count is down under 10 weeks until I leave and I know that I will be in far better shape for this assault on the Big Island.
There is not much else to report on training, however both myself and TMC have had some big things happen.
For myself, I have teamed up with SHOTZ nutrition and also CBD Cycles for the next year and along with my current sponsors Rocket Science Sports, XOSIZE active & SCHNELL Carbon Wheels I know that I am in good hands.
For now...
X-Man
PS. To the anonymous person who left the complimentary comment on my last post. Thanks :)
There are many reasons why you would have done this without leaving your name, to me, most likely jealousy, but whilst you are busy reading and commenting on my things, you are not really worried about your own space, so keep up the great work!! Just hope someone is not paying for your services!!
Haven't things changed since. I am head down, bum up training, coaching and working, doing my best to combine all three.
And everything is going good as gold, the athletes are back into full swing, more new athletes coming on board and some still just recovering and enjoying the good life.
Unfortunately something has had to give.....For me this is the blog & Tour de France. My normal July entertainment, but not this year. The closet that I am getting is reading the write up in the mornings or watching the replay that evening. The blog will be back going on a more regular basis also, so hoping to add some more resourceful things, so if you want to know anything about my training, coaching or random things, feel free to ask.
Training has really stepped up a gear and am consistently hitting 23-25hrs per week and with the new regime, things are going well. The program once again is speaking for itself and all I have to do is just tick boxes.
The count is down under 10 weeks until I leave and I know that I will be in far better shape for this assault on the Big Island.
There is not much else to report on training, however both myself and TMC have had some big things happen.
For myself, I have teamed up with SHOTZ nutrition and also CBD Cycles for the next year and along with my current sponsors Rocket Science Sports, XOSIZE active & SCHNELL Carbon Wheels I know that I am in good hands.
For now...
X-Man
PS. To the anonymous person who left the complimentary comment on my last post. Thanks :)
There are many reasons why you would have done this without leaving your name, to me, most likely jealousy, but whilst you are busy reading and commenting on my things, you are not really worried about your own space, so keep up the great work!! Just hope someone is not paying for your services!!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Starting to get excited!
It has been a few weeks since I blogged and after having a joke with a mate about what my next blog would be about I resisted the "where it all began" blog. Sorry Jas, you were there, you know the story!!
Everything is now stepping up a gear in my 2nd Kona adventure. All my family has booked there flights and accommodation and I even asked Big Boy (aka Ian Scott) if he would like to venture over earlier than his original plan to get some training done in the conditions of the race and on the course. To my delight he accepted my invitation with one criteria....
We don't drink $1 coronas until after the race. Come on mate, are you for real?? Ok, only a few, nothing like the days of Yeppoon! DEAL.
Having great company over there for the weeks leading into the race is going to be great. Not only great athletes, but great people. Greg Farrell and I have started to discuss different options for training (well he has been asking) and I can really see the excitement & nervousness in him already. What has he got to prove?? First Hawaii...to me nothing, just a solid race that he can learn from for future Hawaiian experiences, exactly what I went through.
Matty Burton will be great to train with again, as he is going to defend his title from last year. With the 3 of us (all in different a/g) it will be great fun running along Ali'i Drive and carving up the Queen K both in training and come race day.
I can really see my training take shape and the extra 10 or so kg's I added since Ironman Melbourne are started to fall off. I got back in the pool this week (squad) and got a great reality check. I need some work to get back to where I was, let alone try and improve. My riding was going along ok, until I rode some hills.... Ok, time to get back into them also.. Where is Jason to hand it to me up the hills again?? The run has been sluggish however ticking off the boxes has been my goal.
Just having some speed work introduced shows that I am still a long long way off , however with around 116 days until race day, I know that I will be back in better shape than last year. My run effort last night had a max of 3min 42sec k pace for 1 k. Sounds ok, however when I look back and think that I ran a 1/2 marathon averaging the same pace for the whole thing, well yep.....I am a fair way from it.
I am not concerned at all, as I know with experience to trust the coach and with the base that I have worked hard to build, I will be back somewhere near where I was very soon.
The Planta Fasciitis is starting to come good mainly due the simple things called:
Socks!
By adding heat into my feet and sleeping with socks on the help circulate the blood flow I have been able to get up in the morning and actually walk. It is an amazing feeling again. Fighting through the pain for so long and now having some good relief from it means that I can really push the body again without the pain factor.
I am also re-introducing massages twice weekly to get on top of any injuries before they become something. What I have found and am finding is that athletes are more worried about looking after the chassis and not the engine. We are more likely to go and spend thousands of dollars on our equipment but are too tight to spend $50 - $100 per week getting the body treated so we can get the best out of ourselves come race day.
As Fos has told me on many occasions.... prevention is better than cure!
The coaching is hitting a good level and one that still thrills me with every new conversation, every new athlete coming on board and every new challenge that is thrown my way.
For Now...
X-Man
PS. A big shout out to a mate, Brett Carter for packing up his life and chasing his dream! Hope it all works out for you mate and I am still looking forward to lining up against you at Kona this year!
Everything is now stepping up a gear in my 2nd Kona adventure. All my family has booked there flights and accommodation and I even asked Big Boy (aka Ian Scott) if he would like to venture over earlier than his original plan to get some training done in the conditions of the race and on the course. To my delight he accepted my invitation with one criteria....
We don't drink $1 coronas until after the race. Come on mate, are you for real?? Ok, only a few, nothing like the days of Yeppoon! DEAL.
Having great company over there for the weeks leading into the race is going to be great. Not only great athletes, but great people. Greg Farrell and I have started to discuss different options for training (well he has been asking) and I can really see the excitement & nervousness in him already. What has he got to prove?? First Hawaii...to me nothing, just a solid race that he can learn from for future Hawaiian experiences, exactly what I went through.
Matty Burton will be great to train with again, as he is going to defend his title from last year. With the 3 of us (all in different a/g) it will be great fun running along Ali'i Drive and carving up the Queen K both in training and come race day.
I can really see my training take shape and the extra 10 or so kg's I added since Ironman Melbourne are started to fall off. I got back in the pool this week (squad) and got a great reality check. I need some work to get back to where I was, let alone try and improve. My riding was going along ok, until I rode some hills.... Ok, time to get back into them also.. Where is Jason to hand it to me up the hills again?? The run has been sluggish however ticking off the boxes has been my goal.
Just having some speed work introduced shows that I am still a long long way off , however with around 116 days until race day, I know that I will be back in better shape than last year. My run effort last night had a max of 3min 42sec k pace for 1 k. Sounds ok, however when I look back and think that I ran a 1/2 marathon averaging the same pace for the whole thing, well yep.....I am a fair way from it.
I am not concerned at all, as I know with experience to trust the coach and with the base that I have worked hard to build, I will be back somewhere near where I was very soon.
The Planta Fasciitis is starting to come good mainly due the simple things called:
Socks!
By adding heat into my feet and sleeping with socks on the help circulate the blood flow I have been able to get up in the morning and actually walk. It is an amazing feeling again. Fighting through the pain for so long and now having some good relief from it means that I can really push the body again without the pain factor.
I am also re-introducing massages twice weekly to get on top of any injuries before they become something. What I have found and am finding is that athletes are more worried about looking after the chassis and not the engine. We are more likely to go and spend thousands of dollars on our equipment but are too tight to spend $50 - $100 per week getting the body treated so we can get the best out of ourselves come race day.
As Fos has told me on many occasions.... prevention is better than cure!
The coaching is hitting a good level and one that still thrills me with every new conversation, every new athlete coming on board and every new challenge that is thrown my way.
For Now...
X-Man
PS. A big shout out to a mate, Brett Carter for packing up his life and chasing his dream! Hope it all works out for you mate and I am still looking forward to lining up against you at Kona this year!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
The first 2 weeks...
So today was the completion of the first two weeks in my Kona 2012 Preparation. Some good things, some bad things and some learning things!
The good... The legs are starting to come back in both the ride and run. I have broken through the "ugly" phase and am into feeling good again. The running was approx 45k week 1 and 60k's this week. The riding has a similar build and am looking forward to another enjoyable ride with the guys tomorrow.
The learning... A couple of "unnamed" boys learnt a lesson on nutrition yesterday. This simple... 1 bottle of water doesn't get you through 4hrs of training!! Both boys learnt this after "bonking" yesterday and feeling the effects post session.
The bad... The planta fasciitis is back :(. After 2 weeks of getting back into it I am already getting the same pain, if not more to what I was experiencing before Ironman Melbourne. I have been researching "other" ways to help conquer this little issue. I know that I can handle the pain whilst training, however post training, during the night and first thing in the morning is where I suffer the most.
With my research, I am going to investigate alternate options to what I have tried previously with stretching etc. I have to look deeper into this issue to try and get sorted sooner rather than later.
I am also trying a different approach on some of my sessions and started the experiment today. I will be monitoring my results to see if beneficial before I release what I am doing. Exciting times ahead.
Tonight sees the final stage of the Criterium du Dauphine and as per last night I will be cheering on the Aussie boys and am hoping that they dominate the stage like last night.
For now...
X-Man
The good... The legs are starting to come back in both the ride and run. I have broken through the "ugly" phase and am into feeling good again. The running was approx 45k week 1 and 60k's this week. The riding has a similar build and am looking forward to another enjoyable ride with the guys tomorrow.
The learning... A couple of "unnamed" boys learnt a lesson on nutrition yesterday. This simple... 1 bottle of water doesn't get you through 4hrs of training!! Both boys learnt this after "bonking" yesterday and feeling the effects post session.
The bad... The planta fasciitis is back :(. After 2 weeks of getting back into it I am already getting the same pain, if not more to what I was experiencing before Ironman Melbourne. I have been researching "other" ways to help conquer this little issue. I know that I can handle the pain whilst training, however post training, during the night and first thing in the morning is where I suffer the most.
With my research, I am going to investigate alternate options to what I have tried previously with stretching etc. I have to look deeper into this issue to try and get sorted sooner rather than later.
I am also trying a different approach on some of my sessions and started the experiment today. I will be monitoring my results to see if beneficial before I release what I am doing. Exciting times ahead.
Tonight sees the final stage of the Criterium du Dauphine and as per last night I will be cheering on the Aussie boys and am hoping that they dominate the stage like last night.
For now...
X-Man
Thursday, June 7, 2012
As the Joker once said....
So, the journey to Hawaii 2012 has begun. Very slowly of course, just ticking the arms and legs over, getting some routine back in the system.
Like with any exercise after a break (mine has been a good 4 weeks of nothing) the first few sessions are ugly, ugly as in everything hurts, the form is poor and the small session feels like forever.
I did a 2k continuous swim last week and was just happy to get the 2k done without stopping, this is how far I have dropped back. Ticking it over in 33min 19sec was a surprise as it felt like a good 40min. At my best I can usually go under 28min for the 2k, so I am a long way off, however it has begun.
Andrew and I have decided to try a few new things this preparation to try and get a few (9) minutes faster than last year. And yes I do believe that I have 9min in me at Kona.
The highlight for me over the last week was following 5 of my athletes at Ironman Cairns and Cairns 70.3.
I had 4 1st timers at Ironman and was very very happy with the result from all of them. Alastair broke 11hrs, Tom 11hr 20min, Jerome 11hr 48min and Rene just over 12hrs. A BIG BIG congrates to all of you.
Jane competed in the 70.3 event and after talking to a few people regarding this, the swim seemed to be a monster battle from the get go. Jane performed exactly as expected and nudged the 6hr mark which puts her in great shape com Western Australia IM in December. For a 45-49 a/g this really places her well to improve on her 7th last year. No pressure Jane ;)
The number of athletes are still growing and the results are starting to speak for themselves. From the first timers to others who want to improve, everything is headed in the right direction, not just for myself, but for TMC also.
As you can tell, I am as excited for my athletes as what I am for my own training/racing plans.
This weekend sees a long weekend in front of us and one that sees my training take the next level. My running has increased from 40k last week to approx 65k this week and will see me back up to the 100k per week mark pretty soon. I love the 100k a week running. Just breaking that barrier week in week out makes me want to get up and train.
I have implemented core/body work and have been able to commit to this 3 sessions per week. I can assure you though that I have not lost my "mud guts" and there is no "6 pack" shining through. Anyway, if I just maintain my consistency with this, it should make me stronger throughout.
From the weekend I want to give a BIG GET WELL SOON to two mates who unfortunately crashed on the bike leg in the 70.3 & the Ironman. Nathan Ashton (raced Kona last year) hit a pot hole in the 70.3 race after he was flying on the bike and Rod Hutchinson who crashed after 100k in the IM. Rod was sitting comfortable in about 6th or 7th at the time and was looking to qualify for Kona this year. I feel for both these guys as they have been working hard and to end a race that way is nothing that I would wish on 99% of the people I know!!
Another Big shout out to Brett Carter who posted a lazy 8hr 40min time, my a/g :(. After a sizzling 49min swim, he backed up with a smoking 4hr 41min ride and then finished with a 3hr 8min run, but who's counting?!?! Congrates mate and I look forward to the battle on the Big Island again!
Anyway time to put the feet up and rest, ready for swim squad tomorrow!
For now...
X-Man
Friday, June 1, 2012
Ironman Cairns Age group Selections
These are my full selections:
First up 18-24... Female - Kassie Alford as she is the only entrant!!
Male - Luke Burton - has..some good recent form
25-29 a/g Female - I think this one will be between Joanna Carmen & Kira Flanagan with the later finding some form at the right time
25-29 Male - I believe Mark Smolonogov will win this after a 9hr 36 IMAustria and then 10hr IMMelb this year. Others to watch are Nick Black, Ryan Milton & Sam Watson
Female 30-34...@kayraft promises me she is going to win this...however Emma Miller might spoil her party after qualifying for Kona at Ironman Melbourne, unsure if she will start thought
Male 30-34@cartz007 should win this one comfortably and is my pick for fastest a/g swimmer. @hutcho10 will be in with a good...Tim Molesworth will just give up to much start in a much stronger field than his last IMWA
Female 35-39... Monica Dalidowicz is my pick here. There are a few others in the mix though including Eliza Brabyn.
Male 35-39... The most competitive in my opinion. After running with Danger at IMMelb and Ross Jackson in my first IM, I have a bit of bias towards both. Danger Angus is my tip, however Nathan Fitazackerley, Travis Hickman & Rae could all be vying for Kona spots
Female 40-44 Sam Boag & Susan Crowe by the length of the straight if there recent Long course form is anything to go by.
Male 40-44 a/g@Matty30 (Matt Lewis) is actually my tip 9hr 17min#kona2011 & fellow @XOSIZE athlete. #ourchefbrett (Brett Urwin) to be close behind. This one could go down to the wire.
Female 45-49 - 3 way tussle here b/t Susan Meehan, Frances Edwards & Robyn Gutry.
Male 45-49... My single tip here is Ralph Glatz.
Female 50-54 Julienne Drysdale, has been to Kona, knows how to get the job done.
Male 50-54 Kev Fergusson by an entire week if he pushes hard..
Female 55-59.. only 3 to pick from here. I am going for Sharman Parr who back in 1998 went to#Kona. Long time between drinks but think she should bring home the chocolates.
Male 55-59 Can't choose b/t Stephen Hempel & former sub 10hr IM Tom Valena here....should be a cracking race.
Female 60-64 Shirley Rolston will win unless someone else got a sneaky entry!
Male 60-64 Graham Crocker to take out the mens...
70-74 Male - Shoichiro Ochiai will get his maiden IM win here. There once again could be a sneaky late entrant though.
Pro Male: Could be another Ironwar between@MaccaNow & Cameron Brown unless Macca gets an Olympic spot. Thinking Cam should be able to win this as Macca has been training for the Olympic spot which at the time of writing he missed out. This will mean a cracking race at Kona and one that makes me even ore pumped for.
Pro Women:@rebekahkeat & Jo Lawn should have a battle here also and if @DrMitchA has his way, he might "win" here! Based on his twitter feed recently!
Now as for me I have 5 athletes that I am coaching racing on the weekend and want to give a bit shout out to the following people:
Tom Lazarus 30-34 1st Ironman
Alastair Thomson 35-39 Ironman
Jerome Peyton 40-44 1st Ironman
Rene Rutze 50-54 Ironman
Jane Powell 70.3 (will no disclose her age also though she looks a lot younger than it says!)
Good luck to all of you and am shattered that work prevented me from coming after already booking and paying for everything. Will be following you all closely and cheering you on from afar.
For Now...
X-Man
As far as my training goes, am in week 1 and just getting going again, so nothing really to update at this stage.
...
First up 18-24... Female - Kassie Alford as she is the only entrant!!
Male - Luke Burton - has..some good recent form
25-29 a/g Female - I think this one will be between Joanna Carmen & Kira Flanagan with the later finding some form at the right time
25-29 Male - I believe Mark Smolonogov will win this after a 9hr 36 IMAustria and then 10hr IMMelb this year. Others to watch are Nick Black, Ryan Milton & Sam Watson
Female 30-34...
Male 30-34
Female 35-39... Monica Dalidowicz is my pick here. There are a few others in the mix though including Eliza Brabyn.
Male 35-39... The most competitive in my opinion. After running with Danger at IMMelb and Ross Jackson in my first IM, I have a bit of bias towards both. Danger Angus is my tip, however Nathan Fitazackerley, Travis Hickman & Rae could all be vying for Kona spots
Female 40-44 Sam Boag & Susan Crowe by the length of the straight if there recent Long course form is anything to go by.
Male 40-44 a/g
Female 45-49 - 3 way tussle here b/t Susan Meehan, Frances Edwards & Robyn Gutry.
Male 45-49... My single tip here is Ralph Glatz.
Female 50-54 Julienne Drysdale, has been to Kona, knows how to get the job done.
Male 50-54 Kev Fergusson by an entire week if he pushes hard..
Female 55-59.. only 3 to pick from here. I am going for Sharman Parr who back in 1998 went to
Male 55-59 Can't choose b/t Stephen Hempel & former sub 10hr IM Tom Valena here....should be a cracking race.
Female 60-64 Shirley Rolston will win unless someone else got a sneaky entry!
Male 60-64 Graham Crocker to take out the mens...
70-74 Male - Shoichiro Ochiai will get his maiden IM win here. There once again could be a sneaky late entrant though.
Pro Male: Could be another Ironwar between
Pro Women:
Now as for me I have 5 athletes that I am coaching racing on the weekend and want to give a bit shout out to the following people:
Tom Lazarus 30-34 1st Ironman
Alastair Thomson 35-39 Ironman
Jerome Peyton 40-44 1st Ironman
Rene Rutze 50-54 Ironman
Jane Powell 70.3 (will no disclose her age also though she looks a lot younger than it says!)
Good luck to all of you and am shattered that work prevented me from coming after already booking and paying for everything. Will be following you all closely and cheering you on from afar.
For Now...
X-Man
As far as my training goes, am in week 1 and just getting going again, so nothing really to update at this stage.
...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)