Run Focus

It was a fantastic week of run focused training, I managed to tick off 58kms during a week when the wind was averaging 40kms/hr and the snow returned on Friday and Saturday. I had to be a bit flexible with my schedule but Amber and Ryder were away from Wednesday to Sunday so I had quite a bit of free time. I missed them terribly but I fell into a groove of training and taking care of Harley and the time passed really quickly. This was the first time I felt like my run shape was starting to come back and I was really excited to see what fitness gains this would bring.

I started off the week a little conservative a 10k run with Harley in about 40mins, then 5k Tuesday with 2x1kms intervals thrown in there- it was extremely difficult with the wind blasting you in the face and that's why I kept it to 5k. By Wednesday I couldn't handle another fight with the wind so I did a tempo 8k on the treadmill and held 10.5M/hr so I was feeling pretty good about how things were progressing. Thursday I met Robert at his work for some more 1km intervals and he was doing the same run focus but instead of feeling stronger as the week went on he was starting to break down. We managed to bang out 3x1km at about 3:33-3:39 mins/km pace for a total of 7k and I was feeling so good I took Harley out for another 5k with a couple more intervals thrown in there. On Friday I couldn't believe how good I felt and I probably overdid it a little bit, seeing that the week was almost over I decided to do the regular Friday swim 20x50m, bike 40k at a tempo pace, then run 8kms on the treadmill. By the time I was done all of it, I was DONE... I laid around trying to think how I was going to recover for tomorrow's run. I was hoping to do a 13 miler but there was no way feeling like this.

Saturday I woke up still feeling a bit rough but decided to meet Bart at the Multiplex for a treadmill run at 8am. If I was still going to run I would rather get it over with early. I hopped on the treadmill and tried to ease into it but I could tell my legs were absolutely toast. I know it was from the bike the day before and I should have just kept it to running and swimming but my ego got the best of me and I caved to the desire to try to keep doing all 3 sports at once. I managed to slug out 15kms in an hour but it was not pretty and afterwards I felt like death. I laid around for the rest of the day and just recovered.

All in all however I'm really pleased with my week, I'll do one more run focused week at the end of April and hopefully that will get me into race readiness. I'd like to do a couple 'race pace' kms on the actual course so I don't go out too hard like I always seem to do. If I can nail down that 3:43 mins/km pace and hold it I should have an excellent result, if not it'll be another 10 mile sufferfest.

Back in the Groove

Well after the never ending winter, the weather stayed in the -20'c to -25'c for the entire month of March it seems like it's finally broken. It's starting to feel like spring again and the snow is very slowly melting away. Ryder and Amber were very sick for the past week and there wasn't a lot of sleep going on in our house but Amber's recovered and Ryder is just a little stuffy. Training has gone pretty well for me under the circumstances and I've had some solid swims, 1/2 decent indoor rides and some tough runs. The running is the toughest to take because I've been feeling invincible on the treadmill and did a 1:18.03 21k the last week of March but as soon as I got outside WOW, it was tough. True the trails are still icy and the wind has been howling but I thought running 4:00/km would feel a lot easier. It's not that I don't feel like I could do it but when I do have an outdoor run my legs feel like I just finished a marathon. I know I just need more outdoor runs and I'll adapt but it's tough to take mentally when I'm gearing up for a race in 5 weeks. I'll get there I'm very confident of that but I need to put in a couple run focused weeks to jump start it, that will be this week and the last week of April, first week of May. The Brian Harms 10 miler is on May 11th and it's a new course this year so I think I can break my 2010 PR of 58:45 and finish around 58:00. It's a flatter and faster course and I need the confidence for the upcoming race season, this year is shorter faster racing so to get a good start would set me up for a great year. A week later is the Jasper training camp and the following week is the Press run 1/2 marathon so if things go well and I prepare properly I should have an excellent May. I think it would be tough to break 1:16 in the 1/2 but to do a sub-1:20 would be a fantastic result for me, post injury. We'll see how training goes in April and if I can have some solid runs, paced properly then I'll have an excellent season.

March Training

Suffering in the basement still...

Training in March was going so well during the first couple weeks, I was getting in some consistent (but short) workouts in all three disciplines. I had a fantastic brick on the 13th riding 40k on the computrainer in about 1:04 and then knocking off 5k on the treadmill in 17:13, doing 10m/hr for the first mile, 11m/hr for the second, and 12m/hr for the final mile. I was feeling so good about my progress and upcoming season that something had to bring me back to reality. The next day I started to feel that my glands were a little swollen after the swim I was struggling with so I decided to take the weekend off so my body could fight this thing. Unfortunately it was a lot worse than I expected, my throat was raw and sore so I went to the doctor on Monday. She didn't confirm that I had strep throat but Amber and I suspect it so I was put on antibiotics immediately. All this week it has been the worse experience I've ever gone through, I haven't eaten much all week because every time I swallow it feels like an electric shock through my body, if food is involved it's worse. After a few days of not eating much I feel extremely weak and tired and I can't even imagine training again. It's extremely frustrating but it's just something I have to wait out. I have a few races I've signed up for but feeling like this it seems that being on the start line ready to go is about a million steps away. I know I'll get better I just have to wait this one out. With any luck I will get in some solid training in April and be ready for the spring running races in May. I've signed up for the Brian Harms 10 miler, Press Run 1/2 Marathon, Fort St. John Sprint tri, and the GP Olympic tri. That should get me motivated leading into Calgary 70.3 where I hope to have my best race.

Bike Baby Bike

I treated myself to a 41st birthday present and finally got a road bike. Found this baby for $2500 on Pink Bike and it's never been ridden, it was a demo bike for a shop outside of Toronto and it's amazing. 15lbs is under UCI regluation weight so I guess I won't be going pro anytime soon. I just wanted something I could ride in the early spring when it's wet and dirty out that I wouldn't mind getting messed up. Now that I have it I'm not sure I want to get it dirty but I'll have to get over that. I cut the seat post, changed the seat, handlebar tape, put speedplays on it and changed the stem and it's ready to go. It's an incredible ride now I just need the weather to change, one more week of this brutal winter and it should get back to normal for this time of year.

Training in February went surprizingly well, I was pretty consistent except for the week went I was sick. My swimming is feeling really good, I'm not quite ready to 'race' 1500m yet but I'll get there. The biking is coming back I've been consistently doing about 8-9 bikes a month but only for an hour. Yesterday was the first 90 minute bike I've done since September and I felt pretty good, I started to get a little bonky at the end but that is to be expected for this time of year. Running has been fairly good, I haven't been doing as much as I'd like to but a couple runs a week seems to maintain my run fitness and I need to be careful because I did a 10 mile run last weekend and my achillies was hurting again. I'll keep it short for the time being and slowly ramp up the distance again as I move outside.

I'm excited for the season to begin I've signed up for the GP Olympic race already and I heard Calgary is pretty much sold out now. If I can have a great start in June with a couple shorter races I'll work on the endurance I need to have a solid race in Calgary and hopefully qualify for Montreal. There are 5 of us Speed Revolution guys racing in Calgary so it'll be fun to watch. For now I'll watch that I don't get injured and keep building a good base, April and May will be a lot of speed work and June- July more endurance work.

Family Life- One Year Later

Meeting Ryder for the first time

Most of the people I talk to say the biggest change in your life happens after you've had a kid, that is probably the most accurate statement I've ever heard. However I never thought becoming a Dad would fundamentally change who I was, I would still love to train and race, accomplish big goals at work and have time for my family. When Ryder was first born he was very needy, just like any newborn, and there wasn't a lot I could do for him or with him. Amber's life changed immediately and she was now the primary caregiver but I continued to do my thing, all be it with a lot less sleep.

Ryder at 3 months

Me and the Little Man at the end of Calgary 70.3

As the months went by I started to become more fond of the little guy, he was becoming a little less dependent on his Mom and a little more interactive. I loved the fact that he wanted to try to stand up at a very early age and I would try to teach him to walk any chance I could get. Amber would make fun of me because I would show him how to step before he could even crawl. Still I was having a little more fun with him everyday. During this time I was also training for Coeur d'Alene and it was hard on Amber to have to do almost everything. I had a rough Ironman but a very good season of shorter races after that, from there I realized that having a family and Ironman training are not compatible. I enjoyed the rest of the 2013 season, training enough to enjoy racing and racing an excellent 1/2 IM and sprint tri in Peace River.

Now I really enjoy spending time with Ryder and look forward to seeing him everyday, I still see myself training and racing in 2014 but it feels different this year than every other year. I don't really look forward to 6 hour rides like I used to and I'm not planning on doing any. This year I see myself training for 2-3 hours early in the morning and then having the rest of the day with Amber and Ryder. Having a family definitely changes your outlook on what you see as important and although I would still like to race well, having fun seems a lot more important this year.

Happy Family

Fun in the Sun

Family Time at the Market

After my last post people must have been thinking I'm getting depressed with this long cold winter and that was probably true, what was needed was a nice warm holiday where you live in shorts and t-shirts. Last week the family and I took a much needed vacation to Los Ayala, Mexico about 65kms north of Peurto Vallarta and it was fantastic. Aside from me catching a terrible stomach bug on Tuesday and wiping out one full day of holidays it was a terrific time. The flight took us from GP to Fort MacMurray to Puerto Vallarta in a total of about 8hrs including a 2hr delay in Ft Mac. not easy with a 1yr old who thinks he's a tasmanian devil, spinning in circles all flight long. It was soooo nice to feel the warm Mexican air and sun on our pale white faces that we didn't really care about the travel drama.

I was incredibly stoked to be able to run every morning but the first day I made the mistake of waiting until about 10:30 to go and it nearly killed me. I got home and was wasted after only 40 mins of running. After that I made sure I was back before 9-9:30 before it got too hot. The place we stayed with Amber's parents was fantastic in a little fishing village with calm waters and I managed to get in a couple swims as well.

Mom and Ryder enjoying the Beach

Unfortunately Ryder didn't like the sand or the waves but he had a great time in the pool, his mother was hilarous smearing sunscreen all over him but very smart because we didn't have to deal with a cranky baby. He slept better than I've seen him sleep in a long time and his days were full of fun things to do with us and the Grandparents. A great time was had by all and I'd definitely do it again but probably take something before to prevent getting sick, it's not that I ate anything wrong it's just that there is different bacteria there and us Northerners are going to get sick at some point.


Running Strong!



Dinner Time

The Long Winter

I remember the year Amber and I were training for a 1/2 Ironman in March in Puerto Rico and the fun we would have together riding in our basement dressed in layers of clothes with no fan and riding for 2.5 to 3 hours on a Saturday or Sunday. We had so much fun training for that race and the winter just felt like it flew by. Things are a little different now but still lots of fun, just a different kind of fun. Even though I'm a Dad and I know I have more responsibilities at home I still like to try to train a few times a week. I feel like I'm a more well rounded person and I'm able to be more present with Amber and Ryder when I've taken some time for myself and put in a little training, even if it's just 20 minutes on the treadmill. It hasn't been easy, Ryder is not an easy kid and constantly needs someone there for him which puts a lot of the workload on Amber while I'm working or on the road. That being said I wouldn't change him, he is who he is and when he gets a little older it'll be nice to have a kid with lots of energy who wants to go for a run with his Dad.

I have done a few swim-bike-run sessions with the boys on Saturday morning and I look forward to it every week. They absolutely wipe me out but it's very good training and nice to get together with everyone and work hard once a week. We usually do a steady 1500m in the pool at 6:30-6:45, get on the trainer at 7:15 and try to get in 20 minutes bike, 3kms run on the track. The track is only 200m so there is a lot of turning but I prefer it to the treadmill because I'm able to play catch up with some other guys.

The swim seems to still be pretty good for January, I'm hitting 1:25 100s without completely gassing out but I don't have a lot of endurance right now so I'll have to just build that up slowly over the next few months. The bike is okay, I can only get in 2 rides a week and that's probably all I need right now but it's a challenge for me because I'm used to riding at least 3 times a week. I'm sticking to 40k maximum distance and I think my body appreciates it, some of the other guys are riding 2- 2.5hrs and I just can't do it, nor do I see the point on the trainer. Hopefully in April or May I'll get in a few 3hr rides and be ready for some fast June races and Calgary in July. The running is holding steady, I'm running quick- still able to hold a decent pace but again my endurance is not where it should be and that's okay. I can only run a max of 8 miles and I'm normally running 5-6 miles, just fine for this time of year.

I'm taking the family to Mexico for a week as Amber's parents are there and we only have to pay for our flights so I'm looking forward to running and swimming with Amber everyday and having some live in babysitters for a week. It'll be nice to feel the warm sun on our faces for a short while in the middle of January and come back refreshed and ready to get through the remaining winter.