You can't swim fast if you don't know how to swim!!

As I am finding out, swimming is not like cycling & running where fitness is the main player for performance. Swimming is not about power, not about fitness, although they do contribute.....Swimming is about technique and efficiency.



I decided to go back to basics and learn how to swim, yes swimming lessons (I have felt like I am 10 years old going to learn to swim). For those that know my back round, I did swim as a youngster, however let it slip by in my twenties. With having the back round that I have had in swimming in my early years, I didn't think that it would be long to get my technique back from the "early" days. Yeah right, the first realisation was how bad my technique is. Obviously, fitness was what got me my 57 min swim at Ironman, not technique!! After a few session, Coach Paul decided to give me an insight of what my stroke looked like and how to fix it. WOW!!! A long way to go.



So in saying this, Paul has totally pulled my stroke apart and started with the basics again to get me to get a "feel" for the water again. Following the black line during training is boring and hard enough, let alone doing sculling drills to try and help out (and I suck at drills). Another thing I have found with swimming is that you might be fit, but when you swim efficiently and effectively, the fitness you thought you had does not exist as the muscle group used was the wrong one to get maximum benefits!!



With 2 sessions per week, pumping out a massive 1.5k for each session, I am feeling the benefit of these sessions already with my technique improving and my times becoming some what faster. Even though the distance is short, my times are decreasing. The "new regime" has been very refreshing and I am reaping the benefits with both my swimming and running to date.



Gone are the days of just swimming along the black line slapping and splashing my way through the water, with the investment of a swim coach (who, mind you has national swimmers on his books) I am looking forward to shaving minutes of my swim times.



With drills & technique it is a long slow process, however the benefits at the end of it are far greater than your everyday swim squads/sessions that make you "red line" for most part. I am looking forward to the journey of improvements ever if I am no good at the drills for now.



My running is also seeing some improvements, which I expect that it should with a smart program to follow. Unlike last year where I ran when I felt and for how long that suited me, I am on a structure that has enabled me to build to over 70+k's per week and with the forecast being close enough to 100k's per week in the near future it is not daunting. Previous training has seen me tackle sessions that took me 2-3days to recover from, as I was unaware on how important a build was to get the body used to running consistently (especially important when you are 95kgs).



The time in the saddle is about to increase from the 4 hours per weeks currently to something that I have been more familiar with. I am hoping that the riding will no take away from my running, with the effect that one will compliment the other.



My first race for the season is a mere 8 weeks away, which has snuck up on me, however this race will just be a gauge on how everything is going. I have no expectations for Yeppoon except a solid performance that will be the stepping stone for bigger things to come.



For now...



X-Man

Role Reversal

So, I am a week later posting than what I would have liked, however, as they say better late than never!!

Even though I am happy writing this blog, this particular topic is one where I would thought I would never write about.

A few weeks back a mate of mine, Jason (uber mtb'er) suggested that we do a team offroad duathlon. Now if you read between the lines here, you know where I am going.....if you can't here it is:

Offroad = Mountain Bike

Jason = Uber Mtb'er

This leaves me, having to do the run!!! I don't know if he was desperate to race and needed someone to partake in the running or he actually thought that we would be a chance of being competitive with me running for him?!?!?!

So after agreeing to race with him, and knowing that I had been doing a little bit of run training as this is my focus right now, we discussed the race with another couple of mates who also agreed to team up and have a crack at it.

With entries done, the banter started. Random emails and text flying back and forth and round abouts between the four of us. Race tactics were discussed and sledges were discovered. (And yes we were just taking the piss as it was only ever designed to have a fun day with some mates, and not racing for sheep stations)

That was until race morning. The abuse and sledging started as soon as we formed our convoy down to race HQ. Mind you the weather was a refreshing 1 degree Celsius when we arrived at our destination, Lyseterfield. Jas and Stormy (the mtb'ers) didn't understand the whole idea of transition and both complained that they would get cold waiting for Benny & I to drag our sorry arses around the run course....pfffftt, they were dreaming!!

Check in done and bikes into T1. I was under strict instructions to ease into the run and then wind up in the later stages. Obviously coach didn't know what we were racing for....bragging rights between mates, this being way more important than the final placings!!! A few weeks earlier Jason & I were also reminded that there would be others in the race. From memory our response was; doesn't matter where we finish as long as we beat Ben & Stormy!!

So, trying to keep with coaches orders, but not let Benny have to much lead after the first run, I started mid pack. Of course I ran hard from the get go, which I almost missed due to nature calling way to close to the start of the race. Had a good warm up getting back before the horn sounded. So, my mid pack start, in my mind meant I wasn't going as hard as I would if I was up the front. Yeah right, I looked down, only to see sub 3.30min k pace to start. This is going to hurt. I managed to lead Benny to the half way mark but once we turned, the old fox surged on me and I couldn't go with him. (He still didn't look like he was trying).

The first 3.5k done in 13 and 1/2 minutes with and ave HR of 188 and max of 195. I blame Benny on that, trying not to give Stormy too much start at the beginning of the bike. I entered t1 and handed the reigns over to Jas in about 13th position.

The bike was 20km and was more like a sprint for the seasoned riders. Little did Benny and I know that Stormy decided that enough was enough and decided to have a little rest mid race (Yes he crashed). Now depends on who you talk to depends on how major or minor the fall was. Now, I won't let the truth get in the way of a good story and say that he was lucky not break bones at the speed he was travelling!!!

Waiting for the guys to return from the ride was different, as we had no idea the order or the time it would take for them to return. The first 2 riders returned, and unlike the typical bunches that enter t2 in triathlon, there was a good 3 minutes between 1st and 2nd. Then to my shock (only because it meant I had to run like I stole something) Jason returned in 3rd place outright and 1st team. The 2nd team was only 30sec behind which meant I was a monty to lose my place and cope a spray from Jason for letting the team down.

Now, under strict instructions to take the first 2km easy then to "open up" (from coach) was quickly the further est thing from my mind due to pride taking over and the win only a tad over 6k's away. All I had to do was run my arse off!!!

Once again the heart almost pounded straight out of the front of my chest with the 3.30 first k. My mindset was to run the first 2 really hard and then try and settle into some kind of rhythm to hang on. The only thing I could think about was the tongue lashing I would cope if I let the win run by.

I did hold on with a sub 23min 6k with some undulations (once again, depends who you talk to - I thought it was a mountain pass) and held on for 3rd outright and 1st team.

The highlight for Jas & I was receiving the winners cheque, yep one of those fake ones you get. (see photo below).

This race was a really positive as my run focus is now showing some signs of ability albeit a tiny bit. No speed work has been entered into yet and if I can maintain focus and restrict injury, I am very confident of becoming some sort of runner. (I WILL NEVER LOSE MY BIKING THOUGH!!)

For now...

X-Man

Head is a runner, body is a Clydesdale!!

A quick update following on from my previous blog, Ryan Barnett, was pipped on the line in his age group to finish a phenomenal 2nd in his age, only 0.05 sec behind the winner and was very high up on the overall standings. Well done BIG guy.

Why do I care??? Because the guy is a monster who can move....FAST...and is also above the 200pound mark. This gives me hope.

Well, my training has been going really well and the running has been becoming my primary focus, followed very closely by the swim and then the bike. Hang on, that doesn't right for me....and is starting to slowly sink in that this sports in about the run....call me slow, but has taken me a good 3 years to fully get my head around it. Previously, my thoughts were to swim a little, ride a lot and run a little. This did work for me as I feel as if I have had 2 great Ironman Races with this theory, however to get to where I want to go, I HAD to change.

So with gradual builds, my running now is up over 50k's per week and I am having no trouble achieving this. "Back in the day" 50k's was a massive week for me in the legs, or if I accomplished more, I would suffer the following week/s.

A 60min run is "a walk in the park" at the moment and I am actually looking forward to running more. Another thing that has changed with my mindset is that I am actually looking at running calendars instead of riding calendars. For example, I am doing the run leg in a duathlon this upcoming weekend with Great Mate Jason, and we are teaming up against Benny & Stormy in a Teams race for local bragging rights!!! Bring on the Champagne and Podiums ladies!!!

On a serious note, with this mindset change, I no longer can predict my times coming up to a race and Yeppoon 1/2 Ironman in August will be a real eye opener to see where I am at. Another unprecedented occurrences in Australian races this year is that they are all selling out at a rapid race and I am finding that my planning has really had to come into force a lot earlier this year, with all races fully planned and almost booked.

Why have I turned a full circle?? Confidence in a good coach and a realisation of my weaknesses, which mind you, may never become my strength. However if I can become more competitive once the bike is back in the rack during a race, it should enable me to find that elusive podium finish.

Will pen this even thought I am not 100% in doing this. Gold Coast 1/2 Ironman as a Clydesdale??? My coach reckons he can get me under 90kgs, however I am unsure that I will be by the time GCHIM comes around, hoping to by WA, but not too sure earlier. My main concern is that if I enter early which looks inevitable, will I have egg on my face if I slip under the weight. Or is it "cheating" by competing in this category, even though I am eligible, or should I just suck it up and race age group....feel free to throw thoughts my way..

Anyway, has been a while since my last blog and things are ticking along just fine and dandy, with nothing major to report. Although I should have some positive news moving forward about my training which is exciting however not confirmed to date.

For Now...

X-Man

Everything is new...

As I sit here and follow fellow blogger (and clydesdale) Ryan Barnett at Ironman St. George, who at the time of writing this blog is in the lead of the 35-39 age group. I realise that Ironman WA 2010 is still 7 months away. Why is this strange??? Because the race has already sold out and I am in no physical shape to race. I am one who usually leaves my entry until late so that I know if I am in good enough shape or not.

With the trust that I have with me new coach and the direction we are headed I am very confident that he will get me in the shape I need to be in in 7 months time. I am loving the new direction, things didn't quite make sense for me at the the start, but he explained them to me so that I understood what I was doing.

All facets of my training are going along well with all easy sessions at this time, with no distance or speed associated to them. Occasionally a "hard" session in the pool is on the program or some small efforts on the bike, however none of them are daunting at this stage and I am already seeing improvements in my swim times in the 3 weeks that I have been under the new tutor ledge.

The quantity of sessions is a lot higher than I would have thought so early in the preparation, however they are very manageable and for the first time in 3 years in this sport I can say that I have been able to complete every single session as required. My training partners are the ones who are suffering as I having a "no flexibility" approach in this lead up. This is a BIG plus for me as I haved loved the first three weeks and look forward to my next program which I am due to receive next week.

Any way, just a small update, and am off to watch "White Hot" finish his race.

For now...

X-Man

Converting foes into friends!!

Foe = Swimming, Running & Hills

Friends = Cycling & Flat

Since NZ Ironman, under a little bit reflection, this is what I am going to do. My mind set is going to change, I am going to become a runner!!

I have found myself a new coach, yes a COACH, not a program writer, someone who wants to see the athletes succeed, not one who is only about lining their own pockets.

Under a bit of research and investigation, I am happy with my choice of coaches and after meeting with him to discuss my 1st program, I walked away very satisfied that we were both on the same page wanting to head in the same direction.

With this in mind, we are going to hang the bike up and run. This is going to be my focus over the winter months, which I know will be hard to get my head around to start with however with the trust that I am putting in him, I am confident that my goals with be achieved by following the advice that will come my way.

With doing a little bit of training over the last week on the bike, and looking over the forthcoming weeks program, I am going to miss the bike, however I also know in the long run that my bike will not drop off, just my swim and run will improve. Everything is starting from basics, yep 1 hour rides, 1 km swims and 30 min runs.

I am going to enjoy the early "easy" training and then look forward to the "hard" times. For now, cycling is a recreational activity for me with running and swimming being the focus.

The running starts today and swimming tomorrow, interesting times ahead.

For now...

X-Man

2 perfect.....1 not so perfect.

Well, after a weeks r&r from a not so perfect NZ Ironman 2010, I thought I should recap the race and jot down very important lessons that I learnt.


The brief summary goes like this:


Was very complacent in my swim training which meant I gave the swimmers a start that I could not bridge the gap too. 59 odd min


Totally punished myself on the bike trying to get across to the leaders, underestimated the course, conditions and competitors. 5hr 7 min


Took the run very easy as after I knew I was not going to achieve my goals, I set about enjoying the remaining of the race and finished with Carla. (Something that I will never regret doing). 4hr 25min


Total time: 10hr 40min (give or take a minute)


The extended version:


I had the perfect position as the start of the swim, front row, very wide. With a straight 1700m before the first turning buoy, I was very happy with where I was situated. This was the calmest swim that I have done, hardly any contesting of position. I found myself swimming very comfortably and was able to push from the turning buoy to the finish. I didn't feel like I faded at all. Was very happy with my swim. (59 odd min with only 3 swims in the lead up).







Little did I know that the 30-34 age group was a star studded field and by swimming a couple of mins slower, it cost me a chance of even being competitive, let alone get the slot I went there for!!





So, with the long (400 odd metre) run up to transition, I was fresh and ready to get cracking on the bike to get myself into a position similar to Western Australia. So after heading out the first part of the bike, passing the usual swimmers on the way out, I was happy with how I was going. This quickly changed as I approached the turn around and counted no fewer than 8 athletes in my age group in the lead pack. Throw in another 1-2 just off the back, I found myself in around 15th - 20th position (hard to get exact spot on course) So at the turn around, my plan was to keep driving hard and bridge the gap by the start of the second lap.






Back into town, 90km down in 2hr 20min, REAL happy with how i was feeling and how i was going. Surely I had shortened the gap!?!?! (history shows, not even close!!!) So, I headed back out to the turn around (135km) and with the wind picking up, I decided to try and conserve a little bit of energy knowing that I still had to get back in reasonable shape. Being a little more reserved and not seeing many athletes along the way, except the odd straggler (which I became one) I realised that my dream of Kona 2010 was over. The lead bunch of age groupers were now putting considerable time into me, which is understandable with 1 rider trying to get across to a bunch of 15 or so.


Hit the turn around and tired to keep a constant tempo right til the end. This was going well and managed to get myself into a group of 4-5, not at my ideal speed, however, still some reprieve for a few minutes. This was going fine until I heard an almighty squeal from my rear wheel, WTF was that?? After coming to a screaming halt, I looked down and noticed that my spare had rattled loose and jammed between my frame and wheel. So, as if I needed anything else to make my job harder I had to dismount and TRY to remove the single, after about 1 min (yes not that much!!) I got the spare out and had to put it down my top to ride back. I then spent WAY too much energy trying to get back to the group and expended a fair amount of energy doing so.


Back into town and off the bike in 5hr 7min, about 10 min slower than what I wanted at the start. So, after doing too much on the bike, I took my time in Transition and walked the exit getting some nutrition down before I headed out for the run. As I knew my race was technically over (getting a Kona slot, going near my PB) I decided to take the run really easy to enjoy what was a tough day for me. The run was at a very moderate pace (slow!!) and after the first lap, I decided that I would wait for Carla and finish the run/race with her. So, with 10kms to go, I was heading home, still trying to get an idea how far she was behind me. I managed to convince 5 locals that they were holding my beer (after running the hill for the last time) and once they realised I would enjoy a beverage with them, handed over an icy cold beer (the label escapes me), but at the stage, the beer tasted great.









This was the order for the remaining part of the run and with 5km to go, I found another group of local lads and enjoyed another one of their finest beers, along with some biscuits & cheese whilst I waited for Carla. I may have sat down for too long because as she rounded the corner I got out the the most comfortable seat for the day and got a head start back to the finish line. Once the legs got mobile again, we managed to get into a good rhythm and ran the final 5k's in under 25 mins.....(maybe I am learning to run, or was it the extended rest I had?!?!)


Into the finish chute, finishing with Carla was one decision that I will never regret, nor forget. As many endurance athletes know, emotions run high during a race and finishing with her was a great moment (even if I was over 1 hour behind where I wanted to be!!).




Overall, I learnt a lot from the race - I CANNOT solely rely on my bike leg to get me near the front, I have to get back into the pool.









The atmosphere for the day was outstanding and is a race that I will be going back to.


From here, triathlon is the furthest thing from my mind. I am going to run the Geelong 1/2 Marathon in 4 weeks and hopefully improve on my time from 2 years ago and then head to Coleraine for the Tour of Coleraine over ANZAC weekend.


Anyway, as they say, 2 outta 3 ain't bad!!!


For now...


X-Man

Ps...The Erox wheels were fantastic and wheels that I will be using again in the future and wearing the Compressport gear was also great and very comfortable. Thanks Florian & Rudy for helping me out with these products. Will be passing on my thoughts to everyone!!! Unfortunately I was unable to wear the NEW Degani race suit due to a few technical issues for Ironman racing. I look forward to the release of the Ironman suit later in the year.

1 more sleep....

Well, as I sit here in front of the computer, the weather is absolute magic outside. Clear blue skies, minimal wind and temperature around 22 deg Celsius. Yesterday was a different story, as tomorrow will be. The wind is forecast to be a southeasterly with chance of rain in the afternoon. As for the race, this means that there will be a tailwind for the outward journey on the bike and naturally a headwind on the return.

I have had a swim in the lake, tasted it also in the chop yesterday and thankfully, it is freshwater, so no spew if I cop a mouthful tomorrow!!! I also ride the first section of the bike with the only step incline on it and am very comfortable with this. (Must be the riding with Jas in the hills many many Saturdays in a row!!!) And also the run only has one incline which I am also confident with (thanks Arch & Trav!!).

So, for now I have to finalise my things to check into transition as everything else has been checked off my list. Fingers crossed that the race plan goes well and I have a "happy" race report post race.

For now...

X-Man

Beauty....

With one week to go before Ironman NZ and well and truely into my taper period, which to date has gone well and has not affected me with the traditional "taper blues". Thanks to Florian at Erox for supplying my wheels, this will be my look for the race. I have ridden these wheels a few times in the recent weeks and have found them to be equivelant to my former disc wheel. The real test will ofcourse be on race day. However in saying this, if you are not comfortable with your wheels you will make excuses for not riding well on them.

THE BEAST...

I would also like George from Degani for supplying my race suit, so I will be in the Traditional Degani Black & White. With support from people like Erox & Team Degani, it does make competing at the pointy end a lot easier.

The legs are really starting to freshen up and with one more session with Jason, I know they will be in prime condition come race day. Carla & I fly out on Tuesday and no doubt will be inspecting the course to get familiar with it pre-race. I have been getting some really good advice from a few people who either have raced on this course before or have loads of experience in the caper.

I also re-discovered water this week and felt really good doing it. I have only had a handful of swims this year and have found that I have not lost to much fitness in the wet stuff!! Overall I am very happy with my condition and will definately giving it my all to grab that elusive "slot".

Finally, something that I have failed to do with previous races is to thank everyone who has helped me get into the shape that I am.

So, here goes:

Stormy; for all the texts at 4.30am confirming week day rides, and also making sure that every session has been quality and worth while.

Jas; for spending more time with me every weekend on the bike than what we do with our partners!! Also, helping me start to enjoy climbing hills, even if I am still no good at it!!! And no, I am not going to ever do a 24hour MTB race. Ofcourse, Bec his wife for cooking my pancakes post ride, and for TRYING to keep me quiet at 5am after 3 early morning coffees!

Trav & Arch; for really helping with my running, and dragging me to some undulating runs regulary to once again help conquer the hills.

And finally, Carla; When two people in the same household are training for the same significant event, it takes a lot of patience and strong will to both keep going strong and motivating each other.

So, after training solid since June '09, I am going to give it all at New Zealand like previous races. I have set my race plan, which will be slightly different to previous and will see if this pays dividends. Time will tell.

MTR-Racing is really taking off with some great early results and more and more interest from athletes who are interested in joining. Positive breeds positive!!

So with that and leaving ALL the excuses at the door, I might be able to blog once more pre-race but if I don't a in depth race report will be given post race with a heavy unfluence of the amber liquid!!

For now...

X-Man

Playing the averages..

After reveiwing my training this year I have found a common thread with my training. I train better with a consistent weekly average rather than trying to "overload" myself. This theory has been tried in the passed and I have trouble keeping consistent the following week/s.

So with this preparation, I have just trained consisently week in week out with no specific focus on "overlaod" or "strength" training. By doing this I have managed a consistent 20hours per week for the passed 7 weeks with a peak of 26 hours in early January and a trough of 16 1/2 hours in the first week February.

My training has consisted of weekly riding of 450k's average with some racing, some interval training and long rides of a weekend. Once again I peaked at 700k's in 7 days and a low of 303 k's. I have found my happy balance at 450k's and can find that I get that amount in without much hassle.

My running has averaged out at 70k's per week, probably a little lower than I originally planned, however is a lot more than I have done previously. The minor hiccup that I had with the broken crank put a stop to running for a few days at the time, but has had no negative effect on my overall training. Just consistent running has seen my runs time decrease and my overall run fitness improve dramatically. I attribute this to Trav & Archie pushing me not only to get throu all the runs, but also to keep running even on tired legs. (See blog training partners vs training program).

My swim, well this has been on the back burner for a while to concentrate on the other two disciplines. I am not to concerned about my swim, as like many others, my swim times don't vary too much with consistent training vs occasional training (1-2 min over Ironman distance.)

So with all that in mind, I feel like I am in a very good place at the moment and as I have been told and discussed in depth with a few of my training partners. My 20 hours is quality every time, no junk k's!! This I would rather as you feel the benefit every training session as opposed to feeling like you are wasting time.

The garmin has been a very good tool also as I can track every session and will be good to look over once New Zealand is done and dusted. This will be the only way that I can judge how my training time and quality has been.

Next week, as stated in my previous post will be taper time and swim time. I will be well aware of the taper blues this prep and now know how to handle them.

Will post again after the weekend.

For now...

X-Man

The countdown is on!!

Yes I am counting down until the race. I feel like I am in better shape now than what I was pre- WA for the same period. My running is coming along and my cycling is holding firm.

I am really looking forward to post NZ as I have been going solid now since June '09 and am ready for a break to let the hair down.

I would like to shout out a BIG thanks to Florian at EROX for supplying my race wheels for NZ. I look forward to enjoying the setup supplied and posting a fast time. I will post a picture soon of my bike complete with wheels which will propel me for the bike leg.

Also a thanks to George at Degani Cafe & Bakery for supplying my race kit and training kit along the way.

This weekend will be my last BIG weekend of training and then taper will kick in. Fresh legs will be a new thing for me!!!

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten all my training partners who will get a big mention in my next post when I have more time.

For Now...

X-Man