The Week that Was and the Year to Come

Christmas holidays are always a crazy time of the year and I always say that I'm going to just sit back and relax and not get caught up in it. This started off pretty good as my wife did almost all the shopping, (except her present) all the groceries, and most of the preparation. I didn't have a training update for the week so I thought I would take a couple of days off and enjoy them. This lasted about 5 hours! Christmas Eve I had a couple drinks and a lot of junk food interlaced with vegetables, and I started to feel guilty. I always get up early so Christmas morning, my present to myself, was a 1 hour ride on the trainer. What was going through my head? I didn't sneak downstairs to play with the kids new toys, I snuck downstairs to do a workout! It felt great. My body needed some detoxifying.

The rest of the week was right back on schedule. In total I put in 10.5 hours which included a Bike,Run,Bike,Run brick that lasted 3.5 hours and really made my legs feel like bricks. I also had a couple of easier swims that went really well. I slowed my times down, just took it easy, and tried to concentrate on everything but swimming. This seems to help my relax my breathing. I ended the week off with an Endurance Brick in Zone 2 with a run of 75min followed by a 45 min bike. Its important to get these in to relax the muscles after a long week. The impulse is to always go hard, no pain no gain, but you really want to just take it easy. These are quality miles.

As for Next Year.......This will be the Year of Me!

Triathlon training can be very selfish, and Ironman training takes it to a whole other level. I have 11 more months of training before Ironman Arizona so training will be crazy, I have already spent our next 2 years bonuses on event registrations and accomodations, with more still to come, and a resolution to visit family and friends more doesn't look promising. I am lucky enough to have a family that supports me (so far!), and a wife that doesn't mind trading in a new dining room set for some new shoes and rims. Thats what love is all about! Its not totally about me, my first event, Florida 1/2 Ironman at Disney, will be a great family trip for us and my boys are really excited. They both want to start training so that they can run fast through the finish line with me. You can't ask for much more than that!

Happy New Year!
Scott

Merry Christmas! and Happpy Training!

It is the day before Christmas and I am on a "off day", which means anything goes! I plan on eating a whole lot of everything with chocolate, sugar etc, etc. Also if someone tempts me with beer/rum/Bailey's/anything, thats fair game as well! What would be the point of missing some of the greatest parts of the holidays because you feel bad about your training? I say, work hard then play hard. When I hit the bike or the road next I'll give it a little more to make up for it. I've had a couple morning runs after the "night before", and they always seem to make you feel better. I can no longer handle the alcohol intake of my teenage years and for some reason the next day seems to be worse. I hope everyone who reads this has a great holiday filled with lots of family and friends. Next week is on to the New Year and the New Years Resolution! I haven't decided what I will try for this year, I have always did the "get into better shape" resolution but this year it has been taken care of for me. I'm thinking of being a better employee at work, and if it doesn't work out, oh well!

On to this weeks training.

I made some big improvements in the water this week. I have cut back on my longer swims and added an extra workout and am showing signs of improvement. In the last 3 weeks I have been able to knock-off 10 seconds on my 25m split! I am now at 20 sec/25m which is great for me! This has been accomplished with lots of drills, leg drills and stroke drills. This is helping to relieve some anxiety that I have about a long swim.

I had a nice brick workout on Tuesday with 1 hour bike and a 40 min run. It had snowed quite a bit so the run was equivalent to a beach run, but with layers of clothing. All of our sidewalks had not been cleared so I had to run on the road and this can be a bit unnerving as you are always wondering if the people driving are paying attention to you. Even with good reflectance you're not always sure. I did have a couple treadmill runs that were less than enjoyable. I often have some discomfort when running in the afternoon due to my Crohn's, and this week did not work out very well for me in that respect.

I have started to line up my races for next year, Florida 1/2 Ironman at Disney in May, Muskoka 1/2 Ironman in September, and Ironman Arizona in November. I will throw in a couple of shorter events throughout the summer for fun but if anyone else has signed up for these events send me a note, I would love to hear about your training and if you have any previous knowledge of the courses.

Take care and have a great Holiday Season!
Scott

All I Want for Christmas.......

As we get closer to Christmas I am reminiscing about my childhood: snowy Christmas mornings filled with presents, food, and lots of family. As an adult, I enjoy the same minus the snow as this year we have gotten a ton already! I AM SICK OF THE SNOW! I have been getting used to the last decade where winter didn't really arrive until mid-January, stayed for 4-6 weeks and then nicely transitioned into a warm Spring. This is the first year that I have been actively engaged in Winter training and its been horrible! I don't enjoy fighting cold snowy winds to get in a training workout. But I also don't enjoy long runs on the treadmill either. I have resigned myself to the fact that I have to put the bike on a trainer, but not to running indoors. This week has been filled with bad training days. My letter to Santa asked for a warm spell of about 3 weeks. I know, enough griping already.

This week I put into place my new swim techniques from my training sessions in New York. I am not a great swimmer but I did show some significant improvement. I was able to take off 6-7 seconds per 25m in the pool. Its these types of gains that encourage you and make you want to train more.

My bike workouts went really well and I am actually enjoying being indors on the trainer. I tend to take less breaks than I would if I was out on the road. I am really focusing on a smooth pedal stroke and staying in my aero bars.

As I have already said previuosly, my runs on the treadmill have been less than exhilarating. The treadmill is great for drills, but not for endurance runs. I tend to look at the clock every 30 secs and an hour seems like an eternity.

Getting closer to the holidays is bringing some other challenges as well, FOOD! It seems that everytime I turn around there are cookies, squares and chips. I am not one to turn down a dessert so this is "biting" at my conscious. I am taking it in stride, although I know the ultimate goal is to be as prepared as I possibly can, I also know that you have to live in moderation....however my coach Diana may disagree with my concept of "moderation" over the next few weeks.

Hope everyone who reads this has a Happy Holiday, filled with many friends and family.

Take Care,
Scott

A Little Canadian Humor

I believe this is from Jeff Foxworthy. Some of these MAY be generalizations, but I did identify with a few of them.

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May,
you may live in Canada.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they
don't work there, you may live in Canada.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in
Canada

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who
dialed a wrong number, you may live in Canada

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Muncie for the weekend,
you may live in Canada.

If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Canada

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you
may live in Canada

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back
again, you may live in Canada

If you can drive 90 kms/hr through 2 feet of snow during a raging
blizzard without flinching, you may live in Canada

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave
both unlocked, you may live in Canada

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use
them, you may live in Canada

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit,
you may live in Canada

If the speed limit on the highway is 80km -- you're going 90 and
everybody is passing you, you may live in Canada

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled
with snow, you may live in Canada

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and
road construction, you may live in Canada

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may
live in Canada.

If you find 2 degrees 'a little chilly', you may live in Canada.

Vacation? What Vacation?

I decided a couple of weeks ago that I would take a weeks vacation to get some things done around the house before the Christmas Holidays. We are going to start renovating our basement so this would be a perfect opportunity with the kids in school to get some work done. At the last minute I decided this would also be a perfect time to go back to New York for a couple of days and see Dianna for some much needed instruction on swim technique as well as doing a run and bike analysis.

The week started off nice with only a relaxing Infusion for my Crohn's on the monday. I actually enjoy these days even though I have an IV in my arm for 3-4 hours. Its quiet and peaceful. Mondays are days off from training so this really worked out well.

Tuesday turned out to be a little crazy. I decided to keep my youngest Caleb home from pre-school to spend the day with me. I thought I could get some running around done with him and then hit the basement for a couple of hours, do my workout, pack for New York and then to bed early for a good nights sleep. That was the plan. What actually happened was that after we were out for the morning, Caleb was grouchy so I put him in his bed and read some stories to him so that he would go to sleep. 2 1/2 hours later when WE woke up, I realized we just had enough time to go get his brother off the bus. I struggled to get my workout in, never made it to the basement, and was up late because I could not fall asleep.

Wednesday started really early, 3:30am, a quick grab of my things and I was off to New York by 4am. Its a 6 hour drive from Kingston so I arrived around 10:30 and by noon was in full swing. I realized that I was a beginner swimmer, but I didn't realize how much of a beginner I really was. Dianna was very patient with me and we went over a lot of drills that I will be working on in the next few months until I get better. It all makes perfect sense when she explains it, but for some reason my brain and my body are in disagreement as to what I should be doing. Next, on to the bike. If you ever have a chance to do a spin scan, do it! Its amazing to see what the impact of small changes to your pedal stroke can do. How much more efficient the legs can be with slight changes. Like everything else, its new and a bit uncomfortable, but the benefits are real and well worth it. Dianna also watched me on the treadmill and made some suggestions to my form. Little things that could help you to finish an Ironman running instead walking. After my workouts it was off to a bar in Hoboken with E-Dubs (Elizabeth Wittemack)! If your ever in Hoboken, go to Marghueritas (?) for Italian cuisine. They have the best Mozzarella salad I've ever had! It literally melts in your mouth. I ate way too much!

Thursaday was supposed to start at 6am with a spin class, "supposed to". Too much beer and mozzarella cancelled that. I did make it in for 9am and it was back to the pool, followed by more treadmill work and then the dreaded core workout. A core workout to me typically involved Ruffles chips and french onion dip, the gut wrenching pains afterwards actually strengthens the abdominals (so I thought). I was way, way out of my comfort zone! I am very inflexible and I felt like I was on one of those torture tables from the middle ages. Follow that up with 6 hours of driving back to Canada and you've got a recipe for one lazy, sore friday.

Friday....lazy and sore! Spent the day explaining to the kids why daddy couldn't use all of his muscles.

Saturday wasn't a whole lot better so I decided to take it easy with a light swim to work on some techniques and I had a light ride of 50 min.

Finally the end of the week! A 2.5 hour brick workout with 90 min on the bike and 60 min out running. My bike workouts are on the trainer as it is freezing cold with about a foot of snow outside, so I was able to watch TV uninterupted for the hour and a half. This may sound boring but when you usually only get to watch kids shows, this is very enjoyable. That hard part is then going out for a run. When your hot and sweaty and you have to go out to minus 8 Celsuis, it poses some challenges. What to wear is the most important. You don't feel like putting too much on because your already hot, but you cool down quickly, so you need layers. The next big challenge is finding a good running line away from ice. The last thing you need is to slip break something. Even losing your footing can pull a groin muscle so you have to be careful.

All in all it was a very good week, but not much of a vacation. My basement is still a mess, my driveway needs shovelling, and there are still toys covered in snow on the back deck and I feel like I need to get back to work for a rest!

Welcome To My World

I'm going to use my first Blog entry to expand on my personal profile as well as update everyone on my first 3 weeks of training.

I decided to start running in May of 2006 to lose some excess weight. It was tough at first. Run for a couple of minutes, walk for a couple. I set a goal of running a competitive 5K by the fall. Through the summer I bought a used road bike and decided to do some riding as well. My new goal was to do a Sprint Duathlon. I completed one in August 2006 and was hooked. What would be even better? Triathlon! I continued to run and bike through the winter and taught myself how to swim as well. In 2007, I competed in 4 triathlons and 1 half marathon and have lost 45lbs in the process! After this first season I needed to set another goal over the winter months to keep me motivated, so I registered for Ironman Muskoka 70.3 in September 2008. I thought that I should be able to train and prepare for a 70.3 event in 12 months. Then came the Cadence Kona Challenge. I vaguely remember entering this contest in August, I was on the computer and had the Triathlete magazine on the desk, seeing the add I thought "OOHH, A new bike!" So I entered. It hadn't crossed my mind until they called and said I was 1 of 100 to be chosen to go to New York to compete to be one of six finalists. My wife and I went and made a 10th Anniversary trip out of it as well. The weekend was unforgettable. Hard to explain in words, as it seemed very surreal. I was lucky to be chosen as 1 of the 6 finalists that received the full training package and prizes to help me compete in an Ironman. It was funny to think that just a couple weeks before I was setting a goal of completing an Ironman 70.3, and now I was looking at how I could qualify for Kona. What a difference two days can make!

What do I find as inspiration as I go on with my training? My two boys. My oldest son has left side Hemipaleagia, a condition that gives him only limited use of his left hand and foot. Alexander at the age of 5 tried to organize a cul-de-sac Duathlon with the neighborhood kids. He had different divisions for the older kids and one for the babies (2 year olds). He was disappointed that riding 5 houses down the street did not equal 5km but still went ahead anyways, on his training wheels. When we went to New York for the Cadence Kona Challenge, the only thing he asked us to bring him back was a workout shirt to run in. Thanks to Mikael and Dianna for the Cadence shirt, he loves it! Caleb at 3 years old is a natural athlete already. He has no fear and his balance and agility are amazing! He tries to do everything that the older kids do and usually succeeds. We are more afraid of what he will do, rather than what he can't do. When I started out in triathlons it was to get into shape, but along the way I became a role model to my sons. They both want to run and bike all the time. It was then that I realized that what I was doing had a positive impact on those around me, especially my children who mean the world to me. When I'm having a difficult ride, or don't feel like training at all, this is what gets me through. My wife Amy is a huge supporter and has taken on the role of "Nutritional Manager", to make sure I'm eating properly and at the right times. This has been a lifestyle change not only to me but also to our whole family.

I'm sure that you've read enough about that, now on to my first three weeks of training!

Wow, what a change from my normal routine! Dianna Ineman is coaching me from Cadence's New York facility. Dianna is a podium finisher at Kona so I couldn't ask for a better coach or mentor. I typically swam, biked and ran twice a week, about 5-7 hours of training in total. My first week brought that up to 8.5 hours. At first it didn't seem like a big deal but the real change was in the quality and frequency. Two workouts a day usually with very specific goals for each. This required some planning beforehand as I now have to do a workout before I go to work and then one after. With two young children this has required us to do some juggling of schedules. The first week helped me to get used to training more often, shorter workouts but more of them to get my body used to my new schedule, and we are slowly building as the week’s progress. I need to build some endurance and some strength in my legs and upper body before I can tackle the longer workouts. I'm seeing muscles in my body that I never knew I had, and this is encouraging. The swim has definitely been the most challenging. I have never been a good swimmer, and until this summer had never been able to swim with my head in the water. This is where expert coaching is essential. I have read that you can't win a triathlon on the swim, but you can lose one. I'm not looking to be fast right now, I want to be efficient, and speed will come later.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the first 3 weeks of training and the challenges it has brought. I feel more energized and motivated in all aspects of my life. It really has been a life changing experience. I will write a weekly update with more in depth analysis of my training as well as some other updates as they occur. I hope you find it interesting and helpful to whatever you are trying to achieve.