I managed a decent race at the Brierman 50-miler on Sunday, October 4. This despite missing the start of the race. I sorta ran a little behind schedule when I took care of some "urgent business" that required my wetsuit to be removed. I've never squeezed into that neoprene body suit on so fast... The entire field was already out to sea before I had a chance to put it on! Somehow I still managed the 7th fastest swim out of 85 starters. Still trying to figure that one out. I basically held my position on the bike and run and managed to finish 8th overall. My season's now over... One month of unstructured exercise before launching an out-of-season plan on November 1. It was a good year: 3 podium finishes (bronze, silver, & a gold), a half marathon PR, and a respectable Ironman 70.3 that included a lousy 3-week lead-up.
And now for my announcement....... With the help of Deeter Gallaher Group (http://www.deetergallahergroup.com/) I've launched a professional blog. Check it out for yourself! http://blog.mcclureco.com/. They used the word "pithy" in our press release. Anyone know what that means? Please follow me if you're so inclined. Should be fun!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Deferred Projects
I've been thinking a lot about my endurance sports time commitment. What would I do with the 500 hours each year dedicated to exercise if I hated exercise or, worse, found myself unable to exercise? Sleep would occupy a significant amount of that time for sure. But there are a number of things on my bucket list that aren't likely to become reality while I remain addicted to the multi-sport lifestyle. Here's what I've come up with:
1. Take a car apart and put it back together. I'm an engineer that doesn't know nearly enough about cars short of theoretical internal combustion engine problems. I love cars and would surely spend way too much money on them if I didn't already do that with bicycles. My bikes are actually worth more than my cars.
2. Learn Spanish. I find it a little embarrassing to be mono-linguistic (I think that's a word. If not, forgive me. I have an engineer's education. See #1 above). I had 3 years of French in high school. When touring France in 1989 I realized how little those 3 years prepared me for actually interacting with the French. Too much time spent on proper sentence structure and ordering from menus, not enough time spent actually learning how to converse in real time. Anyway, there are obvious reasons to learn Spanish while living in America. I think I'd try Rosetta this time.
3. Get life guard certified. I spend a fair amount of time around the water. Some day something bad's gonna happen and I want to be fully prepared. The number of teenie boppers and old men on the life guard chairs scares me. Despite the cost of entry, I might still make this happen some off season.
4. Become a jazz musician, not just a note player. I'm blessed with some genetic gifts for playing the trumpet. It sounds good, but the reality is I just know how to read notes and make a good sound (I'm just an engineer. See #1 above). Learning to play for real takes serious study and commitment. I would love to become a middle aged understudy of a great jazz musician, but am too addicted to endorphins to ever make it happen.
A couple of my college buddies are full professors at Penn State. One of them's on sabbatical. Geez... I can't even imagine. Think I could negotiate a paid sabbatical in my private industry job? :-)
1. Take a car apart and put it back together. I'm an engineer that doesn't know nearly enough about cars short of theoretical internal combustion engine problems. I love cars and would surely spend way too much money on them if I didn't already do that with bicycles. My bikes are actually worth more than my cars.
2. Learn Spanish. I find it a little embarrassing to be mono-linguistic (I think that's a word. If not, forgive me. I have an engineer's education. See #1 above). I had 3 years of French in high school. When touring France in 1989 I realized how little those 3 years prepared me for actually interacting with the French. Too much time spent on proper sentence structure and ordering from menus, not enough time spent actually learning how to converse in real time. Anyway, there are obvious reasons to learn Spanish while living in America. I think I'd try Rosetta this time.
3. Get life guard certified. I spend a fair amount of time around the water. Some day something bad's gonna happen and I want to be fully prepared. The number of teenie boppers and old men on the life guard chairs scares me. Despite the cost of entry, I might still make this happen some off season.
4. Become a jazz musician, not just a note player. I'm blessed with some genetic gifts for playing the trumpet. It sounds good, but the reality is I just know how to read notes and make a good sound (I'm just an engineer. See #1 above). Learning to play for real takes serious study and commitment. I would love to become a middle aged understudy of a great jazz musician, but am too addicted to endorphins to ever make it happen.
A couple of my college buddies are full professors at Penn State. One of them's on sabbatical. Geez... I can't even imagine. Think I could negotiate a paid sabbatical in my private industry job? :-)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Positive Feedback
First off, no announcement yet. It's looking like October 6th or so. Stay tuned...
The Lancaster YMCA Speedwell Forge race went really well on Saturday. I raced hard for more than 2 hours without any AFIB and FINALLY broke through for a podium spot by finishing 2nd in my age group and 15th overall. My tri club showed up in force, earning 5 podium positions - and 6 if you count local pro Andrew Yoder as part of the club (a stretch, for sure!).
Of note: I raced without a watch. The gun went off and I just went. My strategy? Get out front and stay there. It worked and was a blast! My fastest swim pace EVER. A solid ride, too, during which I averaged riding at 95% of my guesstimated threshold pace. The run hurt from the first few steps but I kept it going & put together my fastest tri run pace EVER. This no watch thing is the bomb for short course racing... Was totally focused on perceived effort.
I never thought I'd race shorter distances like this again. Soooo thankful and so fun! My '09 summary: 2 podium spots, a half marathon PR, and a solid IM70.3. I'd say the Endurance Nation training & execution philosophy is working out just fine.
A wince as I make my way thru the mud in front of the finish line!
Training buddy Ryan approaching the finish.
Training buddy Shane.
Training buddy Don.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
It's Been a While
I'm still here but concentrating my blogging energies in a new & more appropriate direction. Hopefully I'll have an announcement in a little over a week!
Semi-structured training of 9 to 10 hours a week these days (I know what I plan to do but don't write it down). Getting prep'd for the Lancaster YMCA olympic distance triathlon on Sept 12th. I love that race and am excited to do it again in '09!
Semi-structured training of 9 to 10 hours a week these days (I know what I plan to do but don't write it down). Getting prep'd for the Lancaster YMCA olympic distance triathlon on Sept 12th. I love that race and am excited to do it again in '09!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Ironman Lake Placid 2009
Spent four days completely unplugged from the grid with multisport-minded friends in
Lake Placid. Here are Steph, Jen, Ryan and I at Marcy Dam a few hours before reaching the summit of Mount Marcy. On Saturday I joined Patrick McCrann, Rich Strauss, and another EN athlete for an epic 105 mile ride looping from Lake Placid to Lake Champlain and back.
Sunday arrived early after that ride (& a few beers by the campfire)! Our training buddy Joe Ruiz had a great, great day, as you can tell from this photo. At that point he had only swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and ran 14 miles... Still 12 miles to go!
It's looking like another run at Lake Placid for me in 2011. Hard to watch that race and not get the fever!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Rhode Island 70.3
Finish Time 5:13:15
This was my first “big” race in two years and I was anxious to see how my body would respond after dealing with training with Afib. Based on my training metrics and evaluation of the race course, I expected to finish in about 5:10. Perfect execution would have gotten me there. My previous HIM best is 5:05 on a flat course. So, unfortunately, no PR to report, but I still had a solid day.
On The Swim… (31:21)
• The swim was delayed 25-minutes due to rough seas (!) and the buoys coming untethered. I lit a few matches in the first 400 meters of fighting the surf. I settled down by finding a good swimmer’s feet. The swim back into shore was much, much easier & I found a nice rhythm. Body surfing into the beach was an unexpected bonus.
On The Bike… (2:47:44)
• It is very difficult to maintain a low VI (for “variability index,” a measure of consistent riding in which the goal is a metric of 1.0) on a rolling hill course when you start in the 12th wave. Given the amount of blocking from folks recovering down hill, I was pleased with a VI of 1.06 (I was able to do race rehearsals at 1.04 on more difficult courses).
• Peeing in the tuck position at 38 MPH brings a smile to my face. It’s a skill, just like anything else.
On The Run… (1:48:48)
• My primary goal in this race was to run a negative split and a sub-1:45. Darn!
• I was focused until that massive hill on the second loop (mile 7+), which felt like a Mike Tyson body blow. Then my will to race began to evaporate & I battled the internal negotiation of walking & easing the pain versus pushing to the end. Ultimately my “one thing” (my main mental / verbal cue to keep me moving) paid off. I kept reminding myself that I wouldn’t forgive myself in the morning if I stopped running. I also knew that the fastest way to end the suffering was to push harder. Regardless, I was not able to negative split the run as I had hoped.
• I bought Chris G’s (an EN athlete) concept of painting parts of my feet with NuSkin in lieu of wearing socks. As the post race photo of my bloodied shoe clearly illustrates, this falls into the category of THINK FOR YOURSELF! I look at my torn up feet and can hear the voice of my wicked second grade teacher resonating in my head, “If somebody else jumped off a bridge…” But, hey, it saved like 15 seconds in transition!
On Nutrition…
• I owe the coaches and several EN athletes a beer for giving me a race nutrition wake-up call. This was the first long distance triathlon (7th at HIM distance or longer) in which I didn’t experience some form of GI issues. They’ve never been completely debilitating, but I never knew what a clear / clean system felt like during a race. I just assumed it was a sort of occupational hazard. Not so!
On Sanctioned Ironman Events…
• The level of competition at the sanctioned races is humbling.
• I really like the 70.3 distance and will hold on full IM sign-up until the stars appear aligned for another attempt. I achieved great personal / work / training balance this season & HIM provides enough of a challenge to keep me happy.
On Continued Improvement…• I need to determine if going sub-5 on a hilly course is truly enough of a motivator to elevate my cycling discipline. Focused, consistent, and hard riding is the only way I’ll get there. I can easily set a goal of getting to 4W/kg sitting at this computer… then comes the 4 am wake up call in mid-February.
• My watts are lower this year than last for good reason. I skimped on many of the bread & butter threshold repeats. Basically, if I had to do the workout on the trainer I cut it short. If it was on the road I got it done. I tried to compensate by building in two 250+ mile weeks. Those weeks helped, but the results speak for themselves – lower FTP in 2009 as compared to the consistent effort in 2008.
• That said, I think I’m still going to blame on my bike and buy a new one. Seriously, I’ve been saving my allowances and might pull the trigger this fall!
In Summary…• Racing to the best of my abilities is very cathartic, regardless of AG placing, split times, etc.
• This training season and race have provided clarity on how to deal with my on-going health issue. There’s absolutely no reason for me to hang it up. For that, I’m deeply grateful.
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Early Summer Vacation
You'd never guess we're in a recession down here. Chalk this trip up as "never say never." It was actually (mostly) fun!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Training Part 2
Predictably the endorphin euphoria wore off on day #3. Joe and I covered 54 miles on our road bikes through many of the climbs in Manor Township. We climbed pretty hard, which is a necessity when the grades start exceeding 8%. I'd like to see Joe's power data as I have none. We pushed way over power threshold several times and managed to torch ourselves. Joe started to pull away from me later in the ride and would graciously slow down on the downhills. He's going to be ready for Ironman, for sure.
When I got home it was family time to eat, so I bagged my brick run. From a human perspective it was the right decision... from a training perspective it was a mistake. I tried to run later in the day and my muscles just said, "NO!" I shuffled around the neighborhood for 1/2 hour and called it a day.
Joe wanted to start at 5:30 am on Memorial Day. I had no intention of opening my eyes before 7:00, so we decided to go solo. I rolled out the door at 9:15 on my tri bike. My goal was to ride 50 miles at my half Ironman target wattages knowing that, if I could hit them while extremely fatigued, race day would be an exercise in holding back. I did great for about 40 miles... then started falling off the tracks. At first my attention span started to evaporate. This was followed by pain in my right calf. When I hopped off the bike for a short run, my calf started to rebel. I stopped and walked back into the kitchen... End of training block!
There's no way I'm going to try to push through that pain. Injury is the worst case scenario. Instead of doing my long run this morning, I did an easy swim and went back to work.
It was a great session... 254 miles in 4 days. I had hoped to compile more swimming and running hours but can't say I have any regrets. The week will surely prove a success. I'll know for sure in a couple weeks when I'm ready to test functional threshold power again.
For elites / pro / unmarried & uncommitted athletes, my four days were hardly "epic." (As an example, I've read of one particular camp that includes 14 century rides in 15 days... Heck, why don't they just ride the Tour de France instead? Not my league!) But, for me, much more training would have served only to pile drive my health and well being.
Training at home was a positive experience. I slept more, ate better, and didn't miss my family & friends so much. I do wish more folks would have joined us. It got a little lonely out there. There was also the disadvantage of feeling guilty for not getting more done around the house. I thank my family for being so incredibly supportive.
My season continues to trend in the right direction... A half marathon PR, a solid middle distance triathlon, and two big cycling weeks. Six weeks to go!
When I got home it was family time to eat, so I bagged my brick run. From a human perspective it was the right decision... from a training perspective it was a mistake. I tried to run later in the day and my muscles just said, "NO!" I shuffled around the neighborhood for 1/2 hour and called it a day.
Joe wanted to start at 5:30 am on Memorial Day. I had no intention of opening my eyes before 7:00, so we decided to go solo. I rolled out the door at 9:15 on my tri bike. My goal was to ride 50 miles at my half Ironman target wattages knowing that, if I could hit them while extremely fatigued, race day would be an exercise in holding back. I did great for about 40 miles... then started falling off the tracks. At first my attention span started to evaporate. This was followed by pain in my right calf. When I hopped off the bike for a short run, my calf started to rebel. I stopped and walked back into the kitchen... End of training block!
There's no way I'm going to try to push through that pain. Injury is the worst case scenario. Instead of doing my long run this morning, I did an easy swim and went back to work.
It was a great session... 254 miles in 4 days. I had hoped to compile more swimming and running hours but can't say I have any regrets. The week will surely prove a success. I'll know for sure in a couple weeks when I'm ready to test functional threshold power again.
For elites / pro / unmarried & uncommitted athletes, my four days were hardly "epic." (As an example, I've read of one particular camp that includes 14 century rides in 15 days... Heck, why don't they just ride the Tour de France instead? Not my league!) But, for me, much more training would have served only to pile drive my health and well being.
Training at home was a positive experience. I slept more, ate better, and didn't miss my family & friends so much. I do wish more folks would have joined us. It got a little lonely out there. There was also the disadvantage of feeling guilty for not getting more done around the house. I thank my family for being so incredibly supportive.
My season continues to trend in the right direction... A half marathon PR, a solid middle distance triathlon, and two big cycling weeks. Six weeks to go!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Epic Training in Amish Country, Report #1
Day 1: The Prologue
• Early morning swim, 1-mile.
• Group breakfast with friends from the Tri Club.
• 45 mile moderate ride with Joe and Jen. Average speed 18.5 mph on road bikes.
What an incredible day! Breakfast with my friends had its fair share of laughs. We had an amazing morning to ride, with the highlight being a tour of the Nissley Vineyards. We set up a beautiful pace line that held together the entire ride. It felt so easy, and was so enjoyable! I don’t do enough group riding!
In the afternoon I shook my legs out by taking a solo hike in Mount Gretna, then poked around town looking at real estate. Kyle played a home game at 6 pm. They lost but it was a very competitive game and… well… my son’s quite a player. He walked, singled, and doubled with the bases loaded. He pitched in relief, inheriting the bases loaded with one out in the third. He finished the game with 3-2/3 innings pitched and no earned runs. Sorry for the digression… I can’t help myself!
Nice swim, fun with friends, incredible ride, several hours of introspection, a great baseball game with my son… no e-mail, no internet, no cell phone. Pretty much the definition of a perfect day!
Day 2: The Century
• 105 mile ride with Joe on tri bikes. 5-1/2 hours, 19 mph average, 270 TSS points.
• 2 mile brick “run” on the HARC treadmill (‘cause they gots air conditioning in thar).
• 45 minutes of stretching and yoga-ing.
This day was characterized by the heat (“The heat was hot,” he sang as he crossed the desert on a Horse with No Name). When I got home and downloaded my power data I was a little surprised it said TSS = 270. I sort of expected to see something higher given my level of ouch-ed-ness (MS Word doesn’t like that word, even with hyphens added). I suppose a benefit of riding relatively fast is a lower total training stress. We’ll see how 270 points translates tomorrow when I’m ready to mount up and ride again.
I tried to nap when I got home but my body was too keyed up to settle down. I stopped fighting it and went out to cut the grass. We’re now in the car heading to my sister’s in Harrisburg (no, I’m not driving). My brother’s visiting from Pittsburgh. A picnic and a Penguins game in my very near future. These two days have been a little slice of heaven…
Will report back when able!
• Early morning swim, 1-mile.
• Group breakfast with friends from the Tri Club.
• 45 mile moderate ride with Joe and Jen. Average speed 18.5 mph on road bikes.
What an incredible day! Breakfast with my friends had its fair share of laughs. We had an amazing morning to ride, with the highlight being a tour of the Nissley Vineyards. We set up a beautiful pace line that held together the entire ride. It felt so easy, and was so enjoyable! I don’t do enough group riding!
In the afternoon I shook my legs out by taking a solo hike in Mount Gretna, then poked around town looking at real estate. Kyle played a home game at 6 pm. They lost but it was a very competitive game and… well… my son’s quite a player. He walked, singled, and doubled with the bases loaded. He pitched in relief, inheriting the bases loaded with one out in the third. He finished the game with 3-2/3 innings pitched and no earned runs. Sorry for the digression… I can’t help myself!
Nice swim, fun with friends, incredible ride, several hours of introspection, a great baseball game with my son… no e-mail, no internet, no cell phone. Pretty much the definition of a perfect day!
Day 2: The Century
• 105 mile ride with Joe on tri bikes. 5-1/2 hours, 19 mph average, 270 TSS points.
• 2 mile brick “run” on the HARC treadmill (‘cause they gots air conditioning in thar).
• 45 minutes of stretching and yoga-ing.
This day was characterized by the heat (“The heat was hot,” he sang as he crossed the desert on a Horse with No Name). When I got home and downloaded my power data I was a little surprised it said TSS = 270. I sort of expected to see something higher given my level of ouch-ed-ness (MS Word doesn’t like that word, even with hyphens added). I suppose a benefit of riding relatively fast is a lower total training stress. We’ll see how 270 points translates tomorrow when I’m ready to mount up and ride again.
I tried to nap when I got home but my body was too keyed up to settle down. I stopped fighting it and went out to cut the grass. We’re now in the car heading to my sister’s in Harrisburg (no, I’m not driving). My brother’s visiting from Pittsburgh. A picnic and a Penguins game in my very near future. These two days have been a little slice of heaven…
Will report back when able!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
NJ Devilman 2009
May 9. 0.9 mile swim, 40.3 mile bike, 8.8 mile run.
Yes, this is the heart rate profile from the New Jersey Devilman “half lite” triathlon last Saturday. I’m skeptical of the high readings during the swim. I think they might have been caused by interference from other HRMs on the athletes surrounding me. It was a crowded swim. I got pushed back early and couldn’t get clear of the pack.
The couple of blips during the bike and the nearly continuous 190+ BPM readings during the run were very real, though. The sensation is one of my chest rattling. It doesn’t affect my stride. There’s no shortness of breath, dizziness, pain, etc, only the buzzing plus a slight sense of anxiety. You can see, late in the race, where I walked aid stations. My heart would settle back into a normal rhythm and then - boing! - Back to the arrhythmia as I picked up the pace again. Most unusual is how the rhythm settled into a normal rate during my final 3 miles, as I pushed the hardest. Very odd!
The arrhythmia was probably induced by some pretty bad indigestion, which was caused by a thoughtless nutrition plan. I drank 1,000 Calories while riding - far too much for a 40 mile intense ride.
Despite my trials with palpitations and a sick gut I managed to score 3rd place in my age group, “losing” to first place by a mere 58 seconds. I did the race almost on a whim at the tail end of my first three week training block. It was my first triathlon finish in 22 months and my first real race specific fitness test since signing on to Endurance Nation. I’d say the EN philosophy’s working out just fine for me, thank you!
While placing is gratifying, I’m most pleased with my pacing execution & mental toughness. I managed to negative split the bike and run legs. Despite some serious self-doubt early on that run (during which I said to myself, “I can’t possibly race 70.3 Rhode Island in July”) I rigidly STUCK. TO. PLAN.
There’s a lot of room for improvement in other aspects of my racing, too.
I made my aero position much, much more aggressive last fall. But notice here that my forearms are dipping downward. That’s not good and is probably inducing more drag. I’ll be adjusting the aero bars before my Saturday ride. Also notice that I’m wasting the benefits of my dorky aero helmet by sticking my head up too high and tiling my head down. Those two adjustments could speed me up with zero additional fitness… “Free speed.”
Check out this AWFUL running form! This is early in the run. Check out my hand position… I’m fatigued and just not thinking.
OK, this is much better as I approach the finish line. Funny how running faster tends to improve form.
A final note is that I wasted gobs of time in transition. Gotta make them more efficient for my key race!
Onward. So pleased to be back among the racing... I love this stuff…
Yes, this is the heart rate profile from the New Jersey Devilman “half lite” triathlon last Saturday. I’m skeptical of the high readings during the swim. I think they might have been caused by interference from other HRMs on the athletes surrounding me. It was a crowded swim. I got pushed back early and couldn’t get clear of the pack.
The couple of blips during the bike and the nearly continuous 190+ BPM readings during the run were very real, though. The sensation is one of my chest rattling. It doesn’t affect my stride. There’s no shortness of breath, dizziness, pain, etc, only the buzzing plus a slight sense of anxiety. You can see, late in the race, where I walked aid stations. My heart would settle back into a normal rhythm and then - boing! - Back to the arrhythmia as I picked up the pace again. Most unusual is how the rhythm settled into a normal rate during my final 3 miles, as I pushed the hardest. Very odd!
The arrhythmia was probably induced by some pretty bad indigestion, which was caused by a thoughtless nutrition plan. I drank 1,000 Calories while riding - far too much for a 40 mile intense ride.
Despite my trials with palpitations and a sick gut I managed to score 3rd place in my age group, “losing” to first place by a mere 58 seconds. I did the race almost on a whim at the tail end of my first three week training block. It was my first triathlon finish in 22 months and my first real race specific fitness test since signing on to Endurance Nation. I’d say the EN philosophy’s working out just fine for me, thank you!
While placing is gratifying, I’m most pleased with my pacing execution & mental toughness. I managed to negative split the bike and run legs. Despite some serious self-doubt early on that run (during which I said to myself, “I can’t possibly race 70.3 Rhode Island in July”) I rigidly STUCK. TO. PLAN.
There’s a lot of room for improvement in other aspects of my racing, too.
I made my aero position much, much more aggressive last fall. But notice here that my forearms are dipping downward. That’s not good and is probably inducing more drag. I’ll be adjusting the aero bars before my Saturday ride. Also notice that I’m wasting the benefits of my dorky aero helmet by sticking my head up too high and tiling my head down. Those two adjustments could speed me up with zero additional fitness… “Free speed.”
Check out this AWFUL running form! This is early in the run. Check out my hand position… I’m fatigued and just not thinking.
OK, this is much better as I approach the finish line. Funny how running faster tends to improve form.
A final note is that I wasted gobs of time in transition. Gotta make them more efficient for my key race!
Onward. So pleased to be back among the racing... I love this stuff…
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Visit with the Doc
I met with Dr. Pulliam today - the cardiologist that would conduct the radiofrequency ablation procedure if I decide to have it done. I really liked him. He's a direct communicator that's able to pull it off without being rude. He has a sense of humor. He listened to me. He explained EXACTLY what he would be doing, what the risks are, what the chances of success are, etc, etc. His track record is great. I suppose if I'm ever going to have this thing done, he's the guy I would want to do it.
That said, I'm no closer to making a decision. We decided to wait until the fall.
Lots to consider:
PROS: (1) The younger you are, the greater the chance of success. He said my chance for a "once and done" success is greater than 80%. (2) Recovery is amazingly fast... like a couple of days fast. (3) He's certain we could get the insurance company to cover the procedure... Good thing, because it costs about the same as a new BMW 500 series.
CONS: (1) 80% chance of success means 20% chance of failure (yes, thinking like the engineer that I am). (2) A 1% to 2% chance of complications, which is roughly equivalent to the same odds as open heart surgery. (3) The potential complications are really, really bad - death from rupturing my heart or esophagus (sp?), or stroke from blood clotting. (4) I'd be on blood thinners for 6 months post surgery.
That's the facts. Wishing for some great epiphany, but not really hopeful the decision will come that easily!
That said, I'm no closer to making a decision. We decided to wait until the fall.
Lots to consider:
PROS: (1) The younger you are, the greater the chance of success. He said my chance for a "once and done" success is greater than 80%. (2) Recovery is amazingly fast... like a couple of days fast. (3) He's certain we could get the insurance company to cover the procedure... Good thing, because it costs about the same as a new BMW 500 series.
CONS: (1) 80% chance of success means 20% chance of failure (yes, thinking like the engineer that I am). (2) A 1% to 2% chance of complications, which is roughly equivalent to the same odds as open heart surgery. (3) The potential complications are really, really bad - death from rupturing my heart or esophagus (sp?), or stroke from blood clotting. (4) I'd be on blood thinners for 6 months post surgery.
That's the facts. Wishing for some great epiphany, but not really hopeful the decision will come that easily!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Epic Week, Lancaster
We're planning an epic "week" of triathlon training around the Memorial Day holiday weekend - Thursday, May 21 through Tuesday, May 26. The week will be geared for athletes training for long distance triathlons, but will have a distinct cycling focus. Think 50 to 100 mile rides with short brick runs and maybe a longer run or two thrown in. Maybe also a trip to Mt Gretna for group open water swimming.
Please let me know if interested in joining us. As of today we have up to four athletes training the entire time with a few others joining on random days. If you're not from Lancaster we can hook you up with a home stay if you're nice. :-)
These weeks are exhausting, but they work! They don't just build physical fitness, but also the "mental six pack" (think abs, not beer) you'll need to thrive on race day.
Please let me know if interested in joining us. As of today we have up to four athletes training the entire time with a few others joining on random days. If you're not from Lancaster we can hook you up with a home stay if you're nice. :-)
These weeks are exhausting, but they work! They don't just build physical fitness, but also the "mental six pack" (think abs, not beer) you'll need to thrive on race day.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
12 Weeks Out
If I want to have a good race on July 12 in Providence, it’s really time for me to knuckle down and take my training a little more seriously. My 12-week training plan kicks off Monday morning. That said I plan to remain committed to my 2009 mantra of “triathlon is supposed to be fun.” There’s simply no need to pile drive myself!
Despite feeling an absence of training discipline, a glance at the ’09 scoreboard leaves me feeling optimistic - one PR and one epic week already in the bag. Maybe I needed to step back a bit. I did, after all, end up peaking way too early last year. I am enjoying myself this year, for sure!
This week was supposed to be one of recovery but I managed to cook myself mentally. Playing for Easter services last weekend wasn’t exactly restful. I headed into a difficult week – one that held the promise of two evening board presentations – already tired. Then my mom found herself in the hospital, again, and my fabulous don’t-worry-about-it-I-got-mom-covered sister took a golfing vacation to Myrtle Beach. So I got a taste of being primary caregiver this week, too. My eyes are burning! There’s a lot more activity in the works this weekend between Kyle’s season-opening baseball tourney and our Tri for Life Sunday morning. I’ll need to sneak a nap and long bike ride sometime this weekend to keep mentally stable. :-)
It’s all good. A little insane, but good.
Despite feeling an absence of training discipline, a glance at the ’09 scoreboard leaves me feeling optimistic - one PR and one epic week already in the bag. Maybe I needed to step back a bit. I did, after all, end up peaking way too early last year. I am enjoying myself this year, for sure!
This week was supposed to be one of recovery but I managed to cook myself mentally. Playing for Easter services last weekend wasn’t exactly restful. I headed into a difficult week – one that held the promise of two evening board presentations – already tired. Then my mom found herself in the hospital, again, and my fabulous don’t-worry-about-it-I-got-mom-covered sister took a golfing vacation to Myrtle Beach. So I got a taste of being primary caregiver this week, too. My eyes are burning! There’s a lot more activity in the works this weekend between Kyle’s season-opening baseball tourney and our Tri for Life Sunday morning. I’ll need to sneak a nap and long bike ride sometime this weekend to keep mentally stable. :-)
It’s all good. A little insane, but good.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Deep Breaths
Since recovering from my big bike week, I’m back to training like a triathlete. I’ve put together three consecutive “basic weeks,” which have included four runs, three rides, and two swims each. My discipline is improving from the off season, but I’m fighting my OCD urge to get too geeked out about training. This is plenty. I’m enjoying my sleep and hope to enjoy my fitness.
The rain has done a nice job of slowing things down today. I needed this. It was a tough week – work deadlines, mom in hospital, an emerging adolescent in the house, and preparing the play for Easter services. Burn-out is lurking… I’m wound a little tight!
The rain has done a nice job of slowing things down today. I needed this. It was a tough week – work deadlines, mom in hospital, an emerging adolescent in the house, and preparing the play for Easter services. Burn-out is lurking… I’m wound a little tight!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Elective Heart Burn
I had a good appointment with the EP on Monday. In summary, my ECG looked good and my health is very good. I shared a mini-report of how things have been going over the past 14 months. She asked me to consider, again, having a radiofrequency ablation procedure. See link: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4682. This article indicates a 90% chance of success. My EP says it’s more like 75% to 80%. The risks are stroke (about 3 in 1,000) or catastrophic failure.
I’ve now lived with atrial fibrillation for 17 months. It isn’t going to permanently go away. Physical fitness is an essential component to my quality of life. It clears my head and makes me a better father, husband, engineer, manager, citizen, etc. I now can’t give my “training” 100% effort. It’s very frustrating. I can accept that I’m getting older. I can accept that I’m not the most gifted of endurance athletes. I struggle mightily to accept the cloud of doubt that heart arrhythmia has cast over my life – especially with a 75% chance of complete cure.
Last year the prospect of a heart procedure took me off guard. I wasn’t ready to deal with that decision. I wasn’t sure I really had a long term issue with my heart. Now I’m more afraid of living with the condition and its effect on my quality of life. Over time, the condition will likely become more dangerous.
The prospect of healing is exciting.
I’m meeting with the surgeon later this month. I’ll make a decision sometime after that. Know anyone who's had an ablation? Please let me know. Peace…
I’ve now lived with atrial fibrillation for 17 months. It isn’t going to permanently go away. Physical fitness is an essential component to my quality of life. It clears my head and makes me a better father, husband, engineer, manager, citizen, etc. I now can’t give my “training” 100% effort. It’s very frustrating. I can accept that I’m getting older. I can accept that I’m not the most gifted of endurance athletes. I struggle mightily to accept the cloud of doubt that heart arrhythmia has cast over my life – especially with a 75% chance of complete cure.
Last year the prospect of a heart procedure took me off guard. I wasn’t ready to deal with that decision. I wasn’t sure I really had a long term issue with my heart. Now I’m more afraid of living with the condition and its effect on my quality of life. Over time, the condition will likely become more dangerous.
The prospect of healing is exciting.
I’m meeting with the surgeon later this month. I’ll make a decision sometime after that. Know anyone who's had an ablation? Please let me know. Peace…
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Time to Ride!
I wasn't nearly as disciplined on the bike this off season as I was on the run. Seeing some nice running gains I decided it's time to get in my first big biking week. The numbers aren't huge like the Lake Placid camps, but I'm sure big enough to give me a significant boost in aerobic fitness and functional power. Here's a snapshot of my week:
Saturday: 40+ miles with Joe R (who's training for Ironman). It was supposed to be an easy aerobic prologue. It turned into a Joe and Dan ego-fest! Why does that always seem to happen? :-) Something like 2,500 feet of climbing as Joe & I took turns pounding each other.
Sunday: 65-ish miles with Joe. He started out fast again! I stayed with him for the first 25 miles and then slowly started to melt down. I limped in the last 10 miles. 4,000 feet of climbing.
Monday: 50 miles with Joe. Punishing head and cross winds, but what a difference a day makes! I convinced Joe to ride slowly for the first 25, then we tempo'd it home. How could I be so strong after bonking the previous day? Funny thing about these epic weeks...
Tuesday: Drive to work in AM and work 'til 3:30, then bike it home! 42 very easy recovery miles. Ahhhhh!!!
Tomorrow I'll end the week with my commute to work in the AM. Hope to split it as 21 miles easy & 21 tempo.
So I'll get something like 15 hours of cycling in 5 days. That after riding an hour or so per week for 3 weeks! Of course I'm a little sore and tired, but I had enough reserve fitness to pull this off.
Annual visit to the electro-physiologist next Monday... Keeping fingers crossed!
Saturday: 40+ miles with Joe R (who's training for Ironman). It was supposed to be an easy aerobic prologue. It turned into a Joe and Dan ego-fest! Why does that always seem to happen? :-) Something like 2,500 feet of climbing as Joe & I took turns pounding each other.
Sunday: 65-ish miles with Joe. He started out fast again! I stayed with him for the first 25 miles and then slowly started to melt down. I limped in the last 10 miles. 4,000 feet of climbing.
Monday: 50 miles with Joe. Punishing head and cross winds, but what a difference a day makes! I convinced Joe to ride slowly for the first 25, then we tempo'd it home. How could I be so strong after bonking the previous day? Funny thing about these epic weeks...
Tuesday: Drive to work in AM and work 'til 3:30, then bike it home! 42 very easy recovery miles. Ahhhhh!!!
Tomorrow I'll end the week with my commute to work in the AM. Hope to split it as 21 miles easy & 21 tempo.
So I'll get something like 15 hours of cycling in 5 days. That after riding an hour or so per week for 3 weeks! Of course I'm a little sore and tired, but I had enough reserve fitness to pull this off.
Annual visit to the electro-physiologist next Monday... Keeping fingers crossed!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Say Goodbye, Mr. Monkey
I finally knocked the monkey off my back by completing the Caesar Rodney half marathon this morning – my first race finish of any kind since July 2007. It was a good day, indeed.
I was afraid it wasn’t going to work out. Saturday morning I took my time waking up before an easy three mile run. I ate a small breakfast and downed a nice big mug-and-a-half of what was intended to be decaffeinated coffee. I headed out on my run feeling a little edgy. Though jogging easily I was battling heart palpitations. When home I went straight to the pantry and pulled the coffee off the shelf. It read, “Starbucks Cafee Verona Bold.” DOH!!! I thought that stuff was gone! I felt like I was on speed! It’s funny now, but I spent the day trying to flush my system of the toxin.
So I showed up this morning with three goals, depending on how things played out:
• Primary goal: Finish the darn race! Don’t take finishing for granted.
• Goal #2: If the first goal is in the bag, dial in a PR. For me a PR would constitute a pace of less than 7:30 per mile.
• Goal #3: If I’m having a spectacular day, dial in a sub 1:35:00. A stretch goal, for sure, but my speed work indicated it was within the realm of possibility.
I didn’t wear a heart rate strap this morning because I just didn’t want to fixate on my heart. My sense of pacing is good and I was more comfortable just hitting the “lap” button at each mile split.
As in two years ago I wanted to establish a relatively comfortable pace and treat the race as a 10 mile run followed by a hard 5k. It went exactly as I had hoped. Mile 1 @ 7:30, miles 2 thru 5 at 7:34, mile 6 @ 7:18, etc. I was comfortable and my heart rate was in perfect equilibrium. I reached the 10 mile marker, with most of the major climbing behind me, at 1:15:29 (7:33/mile pace) and knew my PR was within reach if I could kick it in. I did – running the final 5k at a 6:57/mile pace. Final time = 1:37:04, or a 7:25/mile pace. Goal #2 achieved!
Nobody will ever mistake me for Alberto Salazar but, nevertheless, I’m a happy man today. I PR’d at age 41… on a hilly course… in March… while managing a heart arrhythmia. Maybe that caffeine jolt did me some good! Thanks to the Hempfield Tri Club folks (14 of us!) who were evidently very happy for me today. Also thanks to my friends at Endurance Nation - for a great “out season” plan and providing the camaraderie necessary to push hard through the winter months.
I was afraid it wasn’t going to work out. Saturday morning I took my time waking up before an easy three mile run. I ate a small breakfast and downed a nice big mug-and-a-half of what was intended to be decaffeinated coffee. I headed out on my run feeling a little edgy. Though jogging easily I was battling heart palpitations. When home I went straight to the pantry and pulled the coffee off the shelf. It read, “Starbucks Cafee Verona Bold.” DOH!!! I thought that stuff was gone! I felt like I was on speed! It’s funny now, but I spent the day trying to flush my system of the toxin.
So I showed up this morning with three goals, depending on how things played out:
• Primary goal: Finish the darn race! Don’t take finishing for granted.
• Goal #2: If the first goal is in the bag, dial in a PR. For me a PR would constitute a pace of less than 7:30 per mile.
• Goal #3: If I’m having a spectacular day, dial in a sub 1:35:00. A stretch goal, for sure, but my speed work indicated it was within the realm of possibility.
I didn’t wear a heart rate strap this morning because I just didn’t want to fixate on my heart. My sense of pacing is good and I was more comfortable just hitting the “lap” button at each mile split.
As in two years ago I wanted to establish a relatively comfortable pace and treat the race as a 10 mile run followed by a hard 5k. It went exactly as I had hoped. Mile 1 @ 7:30, miles 2 thru 5 at 7:34, mile 6 @ 7:18, etc. I was comfortable and my heart rate was in perfect equilibrium. I reached the 10 mile marker, with most of the major climbing behind me, at 1:15:29 (7:33/mile pace) and knew my PR was within reach if I could kick it in. I did – running the final 5k at a 6:57/mile pace. Final time = 1:37:04, or a 7:25/mile pace. Goal #2 achieved!
Nobody will ever mistake me for Alberto Salazar but, nevertheless, I’m a happy man today. I PR’d at age 41… on a hilly course… in March… while managing a heart arrhythmia. Maybe that caffeine jolt did me some good! Thanks to the Hempfield Tri Club folks (14 of us!) who were evidently very happy for me today. Also thanks to my friends at Endurance Nation - for a great “out season” plan and providing the camaraderie necessary to push hard through the winter months.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tri for Life 09
Local athletes, please sign up for the Hempfield Triathlon Club's "Tri for Life," on Sunday, April 19. New this year... a duathlon for the hydrophobic! Also new... Chip timing! As a recovering manual timing captain all I can say about the chip timing is IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! Manual timing and triathlons are not made for each other. Let me know if you have any questions about the race. This will be our fourth year - long enough for us to call it an "annual" event!
http://www.hempfieldtri.com/
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Recommended Reading
Endurance Nation's having a membership drive. They're closing the doors for '09 membership on May 1. Here's a free download... http://216.153.181.230/owa/redir.aspx?URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.endurancenation.us%2fnews%2fpwrbook1.html
Monday, March 9, 2009
Lenten Discipline
I'm sticking to my goals two weeks into Lent, so am thinking it's safe to share what's up...
First off, I have more free time on my hands now than at any time in the past several years. No kids' sports until later this month and basketball has been over for a while. What a huge difference this makes!
With evenings available I'm a little surprised that I haven't had to fight the temptation to fill time with hard training. Instead I've been sticking to a steady diet of 5 runs per week with a few core training sessions and a bike ride or two. I peaked at about 40 miles per week and have been taking my resolution to take ample recovery time seriously. I'm tapering this week for Sunday's half marathon.
So what have I been doing? For one - dusting off my trumpet. I've been playing every night with the goal of rehearsing 40 times through Lent. Playing the horn is very similar to athletic training - you're just training trumpet playing muscles instead of running & cycling muscles. I really want to be strong for Easter services this year. It has been a great outlet. I'm definitely a more gifted trumpeter than endurance athlete!
Time with the boys, reading, and working... those are my other activities these days. You won't hear me complaining about work. Better to be working 50+ hour weeks than none at all.
My other vows are alcohol and caffeine abstinence. Alcohol is pretty easy anymore... I allow myself one drink per week - usually in a social situation. Caffeine is going well, too. I had three "no caffeine" days last week. At first I struggled with caffeine withdrawal, but seem to be past that barrier now. The most I've had in two weeks is half a cup of real coffee in the AM and a Diet Coke in the PM. I'm definitely not as high strung without the caffeine... Those closest to me are hoping I give it up for good!
First off, I have more free time on my hands now than at any time in the past several years. No kids' sports until later this month and basketball has been over for a while. What a huge difference this makes!
With evenings available I'm a little surprised that I haven't had to fight the temptation to fill time with hard training. Instead I've been sticking to a steady diet of 5 runs per week with a few core training sessions and a bike ride or two. I peaked at about 40 miles per week and have been taking my resolution to take ample recovery time seriously. I'm tapering this week for Sunday's half marathon.
So what have I been doing? For one - dusting off my trumpet. I've been playing every night with the goal of rehearsing 40 times through Lent. Playing the horn is very similar to athletic training - you're just training trumpet playing muscles instead of running & cycling muscles. I really want to be strong for Easter services this year. It has been a great outlet. I'm definitely a more gifted trumpeter than endurance athlete!
Time with the boys, reading, and working... those are my other activities these days. You won't hear me complaining about work. Better to be working 50+ hour weeks than none at all.
My other vows are alcohol and caffeine abstinence. Alcohol is pretty easy anymore... I allow myself one drink per week - usually in a social situation. Caffeine is going well, too. I had three "no caffeine" days last week. At first I struggled with caffeine withdrawal, but seem to be past that barrier now. The most I've had in two weeks is half a cup of real coffee in the AM and a Diet Coke in the PM. I'm definitely not as high strung without the caffeine... Those closest to me are hoping I give it up for good!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Mixed Outlook
OK, I’ve wrapped up my off season training plan and am on cruise control for my target half marathon on March 15. Very different results from the OS plan this year than last. In short, I had no patience for my bike trainer this year. I never found my cycling legs and I just sort of faked my way through. After two years of Ironman training, I’m finding myself fairly burned out on trainer workouts. The killer instinct is gone!
In contrast my running has never been stronger. Something just clicked this off season. My VDot has jumped to somewhere between 49 and 50. Considering my preseason goal was to reach a 50 VDot by mid-summer, I’m pretty happy! (I thought it was a “stretch” goal)
According to my metrics, I should be able to crush my half marathon PR by something like six minutes. Unfortunately that is not my target. In the cold & wind, there’s a very high probability that a race situation will induce my Afib if I push anywhere near threshold. The wind, especially, seems to be a trigger.
I still intend on toeing the line, but with the goal of simply finishing the stupid race. I haven’t finished a race since Ironman Lake Placid in July 2007! Last year was a total bust from a racing perspective.
So we’ll have to see what Mother Nature has in store for March 15 in Wilmington, DE. I’ll start out at long run pace and adapt on the fly. I need to check my ego that day and just be content with my fitness (and get the monkey off my back!). Hopefully the coming spring weather will allow my symptoms to disappear, just like last year.
In contrast my running has never been stronger. Something just clicked this off season. My VDot has jumped to somewhere between 49 and 50. Considering my preseason goal was to reach a 50 VDot by mid-summer, I’m pretty happy! (I thought it was a “stretch” goal)
According to my metrics, I should be able to crush my half marathon PR by something like six minutes. Unfortunately that is not my target. In the cold & wind, there’s a very high probability that a race situation will induce my Afib if I push anywhere near threshold. The wind, especially, seems to be a trigger.
I still intend on toeing the line, but with the goal of simply finishing the stupid race. I haven’t finished a race since Ironman Lake Placid in July 2007! Last year was a total bust from a racing perspective.
So we’ll have to see what Mother Nature has in store for March 15 in Wilmington, DE. I’ll start out at long run pace and adapt on the fly. I need to check my ego that day and just be content with my fitness (and get the monkey off my back!). Hopefully the coming spring weather will allow my symptoms to disappear, just like last year.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
American Heart Month
It’s Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month, so I’ve just got to write something about hearts today.
To all endurance athletes reading this blog, repeat after me… “I am not invincible. I know that I must still take care of my heart.”
About Eating…
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times – Some geek endurance athlete says that all of their hard training gives them license to eat whatever they want. So wrong, my friend, so wrong!
Yes, you need more calories than the average person but, if anything, this makes eating even a little more complicated. You still need to make healthy choices, so you have to keep more healthy food around the house. Refueling with high saturated fats is a really bad idea for anyone – endurance athletes included. “You are what you eat” isn’t an old wives’ tale. It’s true. Seemingly perfectly healthy runners have heart attacks & strokes, too. I know of at least three.
Electrical Issues…
My problems are electrical in nature. There’s debate whether problems like mine are actually caused by high volume / high intensity training, or whether the training simply uncovers a genetic predisposition. My electro-physiologist believes it’s the former. In her opinion I have a case of “athlete’s heart,” in which my heart walls have thickened from training, causing electrical disturbances. I have to say that I disagree with my EP’s opinion. I think it’s the latter with me, that I am predisposed to atrial fibrillation.
Whichever is the case, there’s no denying that arrhythmias can be very dangerous. The American Heart Association says arrhythmias are the number one cause of sudden cardiac death. Many a runner is haunted by the thought of Ryan Shay’s sudden cardiac death at the 2008 Marathon Olympic trials in New York City.
Arrhythmias are also a leading cause of stroke. I am five times more likely to have a stroke than someone without my condition.
Freaked out yet? Good. Go get yourself checked out. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. (That’s not an old wives’ tale either…)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
My Typical Week
'Tis the off season, but I'm still following the general framework of a speed-boosting plan. I'm in week 14 of 16. Here's the structure for week 14 (EN folks, I've modified the runs to suit a target half marathon):
Monday: Day off. Sweat out hangover from Steelers victory.
Tuesday: Bike - 2 x 20 minutes at functional threshold power (FTP)with a 4 minute recovery between. Run - 30 minutes easy with 3 x striders.
Wednesday: Run - 3 x 1.5 miles at 10k pace.
Thursday: Bike - 3 x 10 minutes at FTP with 4 minute recoveries.
Friday: Easy swim / goofing off session with tri club group.
Saturday: Run - 12 miles as 4 @ long run pace (LRP), 4 @ target half marathon pace (HMP), 4 @ LRP.
Sunday: Bike - Hopefully a 2-hour outdoor hill ride. If not, then a "30/30" VO2max session on the trainer, followed by a 30-minute brick run.
That's it... Running late for Colin's game. Gotta go!
Monday: Day off. Sweat out hangover from Steelers victory.
Tuesday: Bike - 2 x 20 minutes at functional threshold power (FTP)with a 4 minute recovery between. Run - 30 minutes easy with 3 x striders.
Wednesday: Run - 3 x 1.5 miles at 10k pace.
Thursday: Bike - 3 x 10 minutes at FTP with 4 minute recoveries.
Friday: Easy swim / goofing off session with tri club group.
Saturday: Run - 12 miles as 4 @ long run pace (LRP), 4 @ target half marathon pace (HMP), 4 @ LRP.
Sunday: Bike - Hopefully a 2-hour outdoor hill ride. If not, then a "30/30" VO2max session on the trainer, followed by a 30-minute brick run.
That's it... Running late for Colin's game. Gotta go!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Fulfilling Potential
There’s a great thread on the Endurance Nation forum right now that has a lot of us, once again, wondering how fast we can get. Typical questions asked… What role does genetics really play? Can hard work overcome physical limitations? Can I run an 18-minute 5k? If so, how many years of training will it take to get me there? Etc, etc…
These questions are frequently followed by someone or several folks telling of dramatic gains over the course of time… Like how one fellow went from a 30-minute 5k to qualifying for Kona in a six or seven year span. Another guy professed to never running for endurance prior to 2004, but through “patient” application of training load, he was able to break a three-hour marathon last year.
While I love reading these stories and am truly happy for those who share them, there’s a flip side to this story as well – the story of those who tried and didn’t get the results they were looking for. Unfortunately this opposing story isn’t frequently told, because most of the folks who would tell it have given up and moved on! Did these guys give up out of impatience? Maybe they set unrealistic expectations and were doomed to failure? Did some of them do the requisite “work” and just not get results due to physical limitations? Of course the answers to these questions are some combination of yes, yes, and yes.
I try to keep a “never say never” attitude, but I’d be a fool to develop some sort of scheme to get myself to a sub-three-hour marathon by year “x.” I used to be that fool! No more fairy tales. At some point over the past two years I turned a corner. There was no distinct epiphany, it’s just happened as an outcome of consistent training, observing, thinking, and living. I’m a slow learner.
So, yes, I’ve stated that getting to Kona is my goal (I’m hardly unique among triathletes!). But I don’t have a distinct road map to get there. The goal is there because striving for it will help me reach my fullest potential. That’s why I love triathlon. It translates well to other aspects of life.
All I can do is control what’s within my grasp. I can work at becoming a faster runner and cyclist. I can work at building the “iron mind” that’s necessary to pull off the goal. Steady, consistent, forward motion. Easier to accomplish when you set an audacious goal! I won’t sacrifice my family or career to get there, either. I only say this because some folks do just that.
I just returned from a business trip to Chicago. It was so very, very cold there and I really wanted to make use of some free time to get a good running load. My goal half marathon is on March 15 and I’m nowhere near where I want to be! I ended up totally trashing my quads by doing back-to-back interval workouts on the hotel treadmill. Saturday was a 4 x 1-mile interval at 10k pace and a 2% incline. It felt great so the next day I did 1-hour at long run pace followed by 20-minutes at my goal half marathon pace. I took Monday off. This morning I woke up with loaded quads. I headed outdoors and ran along Lake Michigan. I felt like there was a parachute tied to my back in that big, windy expanse! Back to my cycling pain cave in the AM...
These questions are frequently followed by someone or several folks telling of dramatic gains over the course of time… Like how one fellow went from a 30-minute 5k to qualifying for Kona in a six or seven year span. Another guy professed to never running for endurance prior to 2004, but through “patient” application of training load, he was able to break a three-hour marathon last year.
While I love reading these stories and am truly happy for those who share them, there’s a flip side to this story as well – the story of those who tried and didn’t get the results they were looking for. Unfortunately this opposing story isn’t frequently told, because most of the folks who would tell it have given up and moved on! Did these guys give up out of impatience? Maybe they set unrealistic expectations and were doomed to failure? Did some of them do the requisite “work” and just not get results due to physical limitations? Of course the answers to these questions are some combination of yes, yes, and yes.
I try to keep a “never say never” attitude, but I’d be a fool to develop some sort of scheme to get myself to a sub-three-hour marathon by year “x.” I used to be that fool! No more fairy tales. At some point over the past two years I turned a corner. There was no distinct epiphany, it’s just happened as an outcome of consistent training, observing, thinking, and living. I’m a slow learner.
So, yes, I’ve stated that getting to Kona is my goal (I’m hardly unique among triathletes!). But I don’t have a distinct road map to get there. The goal is there because striving for it will help me reach my fullest potential. That’s why I love triathlon. It translates well to other aspects of life.
All I can do is control what’s within my grasp. I can work at becoming a faster runner and cyclist. I can work at building the “iron mind” that’s necessary to pull off the goal. Steady, consistent, forward motion. Easier to accomplish when you set an audacious goal! I won’t sacrifice my family or career to get there, either. I only say this because some folks do just that.
I just returned from a business trip to Chicago. It was so very, very cold there and I really wanted to make use of some free time to get a good running load. My goal half marathon is on March 15 and I’m nowhere near where I want to be! I ended up totally trashing my quads by doing back-to-back interval workouts on the hotel treadmill. Saturday was a 4 x 1-mile interval at 10k pace and a 2% incline. It felt great so the next day I did 1-hour at long run pace followed by 20-minutes at my goal half marathon pace. I took Monday off. This morning I woke up with loaded quads. I headed outdoors and ran along Lake Michigan. I felt like there was a parachute tied to my back in that big, windy expanse! Back to my cycling pain cave in the AM...
Monday, January 19, 2009
No Regrets
What a game, what a game! We had a super time at the AFC Championship last night in Pittsburgh. I'm feeling too lazy to write much of substance tonight, but I'm doing well on my quest to live without regrets. Maybe more on that another time...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Vive Lance
Lance is back. I’m a fan. I don’t care what other folks think of him. I’m a huge fan. I probably like the fact that he’s such a polarizing figure. Despite professional jealousies & so many trying to poke holes in his character he just keeps on winning. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened for cycling in the U.S. End of argument.
That said, I don’t worship him. He’s an imperfect mortal just like the rest of us. I probably like that about him, too. I finally got to read “his” first book in 2008, “It’s Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life.” http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-Bike-Journey/dp/0425179613.
There are two passages in that book that I love…
In talking about his early career, “I still struggled with impatience at times. I would ride smart for a while, and then backslide. I just couldn’t seem to get it through my head that in order to win I had to ride more slowly at first. It took some time to reconcile myself to the notion that being patient was different from being weak, and that racing strategically didn’t mean giving less than all I had.” So true for all of us, regardless of ability or genetic gifts. Here enters the gap between superior fitness and superior race day execution. It takes BOTH! I, like 99% of other age group endurance athletes, have an overwhelming tendency to focus on fitness, fitness, fitness, and under estimate the importance of race execution.
Here’s another, “There is an unthinking simplicity in something so hard, which is why there’s probably some truth to the idea that all world-class athletes are actually running away from something. Once, someone asked me what pleasure I took in riding for so long. ‘Pleasure?’ I said. ‘I don’t understand the question.’ I didn’t do it for pleasure. I did it for pain.” I’d make an edit, Lance. Remove the words “world-class” and insert “ultra endurance.”
That said, I don’t worship him. He’s an imperfect mortal just like the rest of us. I probably like that about him, too. I finally got to read “his” first book in 2008, “It’s Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life.” http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-Bike-Journey/dp/0425179613.
There are two passages in that book that I love…
In talking about his early career, “I still struggled with impatience at times. I would ride smart for a while, and then backslide. I just couldn’t seem to get it through my head that in order to win I had to ride more slowly at first. It took some time to reconcile myself to the notion that being patient was different from being weak, and that racing strategically didn’t mean giving less than all I had.” So true for all of us, regardless of ability or genetic gifts. Here enters the gap between superior fitness and superior race day execution. It takes BOTH! I, like 99% of other age group endurance athletes, have an overwhelming tendency to focus on fitness, fitness, fitness, and under estimate the importance of race execution.
Here’s another, “There is an unthinking simplicity in something so hard, which is why there’s probably some truth to the idea that all world-class athletes are actually running away from something. Once, someone asked me what pleasure I took in riding for so long. ‘Pleasure?’ I said. ‘I don’t understand the question.’ I didn’t do it for pleasure. I did it for pain.” I’d make an edit, Lance. Remove the words “world-class” and insert “ultra endurance.”
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Energy Management
I’m sucking wind with a stressful start to 2009. It’s so much more than just “the economy.” I probably know too much about the energy industry for my own mental well being. I’m seeing the glass as half empty. We’re (i.e. pretty much the entire global economy) living in a state of denial and it is going to bite us very, very hard. The recession, which is very real, is artificially pushing down the cost of energy commodities right now. Don’t get used to less than $2.00 gas unless we have a very protracted and deep recession.
Another stressor this week was learning that our company’s cost for health insurance will climb another 27% this year. It’s been doing that for a long time now… When will it stop?
Professionally I’m going a little radical and intend on focusing almost all of my division’s efforts toward the energy industry. Our local market is in desperate need of real leadership in the form of soap box preaching. I’m in danger of digressing way off the intent of this blog, so I’ll just stop now.
By the way, we finally launched a new website www.mcclureco.com. It’s not easy explaining in just a couple words what I do for a living. The site says it all. From the main page, click the orange “Design Build” section. Also from the main page click “Energy Solutions” to find the sub domain for that piece of our business. I run both of them (I say "both" but it's actually the same group of folks). The site I about 95% complete. I still need to do some editing.
OK, enough on that. I recently shared my triathlon-related New Years’ resolutions with the Endurance Nation forum. Here’s what I said:
• Deliberately plan recovery.
• Self-reliance on bike maintenance.
• Two epic weeks.
Recovery: Easy to say, hard to do. You gain fitness while resting after hard work. Rest is an essential component of peak fitness. At 41 with an inclination toward atrial fibrillation, I need to take recovery more seriously than I have in the past. Self-coached athletes generally work too hard and recover too little. Patrick was very good at opening my eyes to that reality, but it is still hard to convince yourself that less can be more. I vow to do it this year. I exhausted myself last year… Not good.
Bike maintenance: I’m lazy. I take the bike to the shop without investigating very deeply on my own. I only get good service at the shop 50% of the time. It’s annoying. I need to be more self sufficient. Going to happen in ’09.
Two epic weeks: I’ve seen huge gains from my epic weeks in past years. My fitness increases dramatically. My mind also gets very, very strong. I enjoy using vacation time to challenge myself physically and mentally. I’ll do two weeks this year instead of one. Details will follow some day on this blog. If anyone out there has any interest in some big riding this year, drop me a line.
Another stressor this week was learning that our company’s cost for health insurance will climb another 27% this year. It’s been doing that for a long time now… When will it stop?
Professionally I’m going a little radical and intend on focusing almost all of my division’s efforts toward the energy industry. Our local market is in desperate need of real leadership in the form of soap box preaching. I’m in danger of digressing way off the intent of this blog, so I’ll just stop now.
By the way, we finally launched a new website www.mcclureco.com. It’s not easy explaining in just a couple words what I do for a living. The site says it all. From the main page, click the orange “Design Build” section. Also from the main page click “Energy Solutions” to find the sub domain for that piece of our business. I run both of them (I say "both" but it's actually the same group of folks). The site I about 95% complete. I still need to do some editing.
OK, enough on that. I recently shared my triathlon-related New Years’ resolutions with the Endurance Nation forum. Here’s what I said:
• Deliberately plan recovery.
• Self-reliance on bike maintenance.
• Two epic weeks.
Recovery: Easy to say, hard to do. You gain fitness while resting after hard work. Rest is an essential component of peak fitness. At 41 with an inclination toward atrial fibrillation, I need to take recovery more seriously than I have in the past. Self-coached athletes generally work too hard and recover too little. Patrick was very good at opening my eyes to that reality, but it is still hard to convince yourself that less can be more. I vow to do it this year. I exhausted myself last year… Not good.
Bike maintenance: I’m lazy. I take the bike to the shop without investigating very deeply on my own. I only get good service at the shop 50% of the time. It’s annoying. I need to be more self sufficient. Going to happen in ’09.
Two epic weeks: I’ve seen huge gains from my epic weeks in past years. My fitness increases dramatically. My mind also gets very, very strong. I enjoy using vacation time to challenge myself physically and mentally. I’ll do two weeks this year instead of one. Details will follow some day on this blog. If anyone out there has any interest in some big riding this year, drop me a line.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Years Day Run
An easy 5 mile trot this morning with a few hardy Hempfield Triathlon Club souls. Lousy cell phone photo, but I'm wearing a Penn State football jersey & Stephanie's wearing a "Happy New Year" sign and party streamers. We turned a few heads in our 2F wind chilled weather.
So ends my Endurance Nation Holiday Run Challenge. 48 miles in 8 days. Not extreme mileage, but a good early season strength-builder. I alternated easy days with hard track interval sessions. My speed is actually better than it was in the middle of the summer. No more running for a few days... It's back to the cycling "pain cave" for a little while!
Happy New Year!
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