Saturday, January 14, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
2012 Starts, Winter Comes, Mountains Bikes?
Okay so here we are in 2012. And so far the year has be starting much the way the last one ended. I hit the pool, I run when I get the chance and I commute to work by bike come snow (rain) or sun, warm or cold.
I did just attend the first 2012 Tri Nova Scotia Triathlon training camp. These are great sessions that I rather enjoyed last year. I wasn't going to be able to stick around for the full day, but as the bike portion was held last I was okay with that. The track sessions and pool session are the best for me. And this year they filmed our stroke in the pool and will give an analysis of that. Can't wait.
Anyway, I signed up for the first triathlon of the year. This one is being held in February and is a 5 km skate on our local outdoor long track speed skating oval, followed by a 6 km mountain bike ride, and a 4.2 km run. Now my skating is rather poor, though once I get used to it with a few sessions I will be adequate at that portion. And with the oval open I plan on hitting that bad boy more than a few times to get my skating legs (and muscles) are ready. So that is taken care of.
Winter running on snow and ice is tricky, but I have trail shoes, it is in the city on cleared sidewalks mostly, and I can train for that any day. Again it is just getting some winter running legs under yourself.
Mountain bike? Well I don't own a mountain bike so training just got a little tougher. Also racing as well, as you must use a mountain bike to race. So I checked in at Sportwheels and my good friend Mike Phillips. He said, no problem and lent me his great 2011 Devinci Desperado.
What a fancy nice bike it is . 26 inch wheels with hydrolic brakes and SRAM drive train, not to mention that awesome shock up front and the fact that it is white. But now how do I actually ride this beast with any confidence.
Well Sportwheels does a group mountain bike ride weekly, so last night I joined up and headed out to Shubie Park. Everyone's first group mountain bike ride should be in pitch darkness with a headlamp, snow and ice covered ground and unfamiliar terrain. Seriously though, it was a blast. We went out for close to 1.5 hours and when through hills, loose gravel, single track, tight corners you name it. I definitely want more. So for the next few weeks, at least, I will be throwing this beast of a bike into my car and heading out to these fun rides to get the hang of riding fast on a mountain bike on rough and uneven terrain.
If you check out Mike's bike you may see the 29 inch front wheel and 26 inch rear. Way to go on that setup. Mike realized after loaning me his bike that he didn't have a suitable winter bike to take out on the ride so through the Kona together. Awesome.
And yes, it was dark.
So maybe I will see you all on the trails sometime soon. Trust me, the cold goes away quickly once you get riding. And for those competing against me at Tri-the-Oval, well you better get a good head start on your skates, ha ha.
I did just attend the first 2012 Tri Nova Scotia Triathlon training camp. These are great sessions that I rather enjoyed last year. I wasn't going to be able to stick around for the full day, but as the bike portion was held last I was okay with that. The track sessions and pool session are the best for me. And this year they filmed our stroke in the pool and will give an analysis of that. Can't wait.
Anyway, I signed up for the first triathlon of the year. This one is being held in February and is a 5 km skate on our local outdoor long track speed skating oval, followed by a 6 km mountain bike ride, and a 4.2 km run. Now my skating is rather poor, though once I get used to it with a few sessions I will be adequate at that portion. And with the oval open I plan on hitting that bad boy more than a few times to get my skating legs (and muscles) are ready. So that is taken care of.
Winter running on snow and ice is tricky, but I have trail shoes, it is in the city on cleared sidewalks mostly, and I can train for that any day. Again it is just getting some winter running legs under yourself.
Mountain bike? Well I don't own a mountain bike so training just got a little tougher. Also racing as well, as you must use a mountain bike to race. So I checked in at Sportwheels and my good friend Mike Phillips. He said, no problem and lent me his great 2011 Devinci Desperado.
(You can tell I was the roadie as no one else put a water bottle on their bike)
What a fancy nice bike it is . 26 inch wheels with hydrolic brakes and SRAM drive train, not to mention that awesome shock up front and the fact that it is white. But now how do I actually ride this beast with any confidence.
Well Sportwheels does a group mountain bike ride weekly, so last night I joined up and headed out to Shubie Park. Everyone's first group mountain bike ride should be in pitch darkness with a headlamp, snow and ice covered ground and unfamiliar terrain. Seriously though, it was a blast. We went out for close to 1.5 hours and when through hills, loose gravel, single track, tight corners you name it. I definitely want more. So for the next few weeks, at least, I will be throwing this beast of a bike into my car and heading out to these fun rides to get the hang of riding fast on a mountain bike on rough and uneven terrain.
If you check out Mike's bike you may see the 29 inch front wheel and 26 inch rear. Way to go on that setup. Mike realized after loaning me his bike that he didn't have a suitable winter bike to take out on the ride so through the Kona together. Awesome.
So maybe I will see you all on the trails sometime soon. Trust me, the cold goes away quickly once you get riding. And for those competing against me at Tri-the-Oval, well you better get a good head start on your skates, ha ha.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
2011 By the Numbers
So here is is January 1, 2012. Today I went for a 10km run at a balmy 2C. While I was running I thought about 2011 a bit and what I may wish to do with my 2012 season.
Well I know that race-wise I will probably end up doing many of the events I have done the last few seasons. They have been fun, and I have done well at them. At least one new challenge for me will be the Tri-the-Oval winter triathlon this February. I am a bad skater and who knows how good at Mountain Biking, but it should be fun anyway.
As for training I am probably going to stick to a not too dissimilar plan that I had last year as well. My goal then was to get a whole bunch of good base endurance with a little bit of speed work. That, of course, was up and down as I had some nagging injuries that I was dealing with. But they weren't serious and hopefully this year I have a better handle on them.
So how did I do last year? And what can I do to better that?
Swimming: Well this was probably the first year going into swimming for me, where I could actually swim. Not well, and not far. But still, I could at least do it. the swimming portion of my races was mediocre, but I didn't die, so hooray! Last year I managed to swim (or at least log) 126650 meters of swimming. I like it in meters so it seems huge. Some of that was drills, some open water but an awful lot was just plain old laps. So what is up for next season? Well more open water for sure, which will include swimming with others, but also just more laps. In the last few months I have gone from an average swim session of 1500 m to 2000 m. Endurance is my weak point in swimming (well speed as well). I can get my speed up a bit but cannot hold it for any length of time. So here's 2 more twice a week sessions this winter, but many more laps in total.
Cycling: Well I cycle a lot. Much of that is "short" 16-18 km trips to work or about 32 km a day round trip. I tend to ride long or hard on the weekend, as the thought of a bike ride after cycling home from work is rather odd. I managed around 6058 km of cycling last year. Not too bad. But this season I would love to get a few more long endurance style rides in. The one century ride I did last year left me very worn out. And while I don't race at those distances, I would like to be able to complete long rides feeling more refreshed and maybe a little faster. I was so focused last season on my half marathon that I neglected early season bike training other than commuting. I hope to get out a little earlier this year and get some solid long rides in.
Running: Well here is where I had really hoped to make gains. With my first half marathon planned I had wanted to get loads of easy long runs in to build my endurance. And I did start out with that in mind. But alas, some form issues and bad weather reduced my long runs to medium, then short runs and a lot more rest than I had hoped for. I did get that half marathon in, but trying to keep my weekly totals up over 30 kms did not happen most weeks. I did manage to get about 1027 km in of decent run training which I was happy with. This coming season with a new running gait I am working on, better info about my shoes and access to the Dalplex indoor track I am ready to go. At this point I have been getting a few medium runs outdoors at a moderate pace with 2 speed session indoors prior to my swims. Currently the total mileage isn't super high, but as I adjust to a more forefoot running style I don't want to push myself too hard too fast. I am already adapting quite well and hope that soon I will be getting back above 10 km runs, especially with this super easy winter weather we have been having.
Well back to my rest on this great day. We will see where 2012 brings us. And maybe soon I may post about my goals for the year.
Well I know that race-wise I will probably end up doing many of the events I have done the last few seasons. They have been fun, and I have done well at them. At least one new challenge for me will be the Tri-the-Oval winter triathlon this February. I am a bad skater and who knows how good at Mountain Biking, but it should be fun anyway.
As for training I am probably going to stick to a not too dissimilar plan that I had last year as well. My goal then was to get a whole bunch of good base endurance with a little bit of speed work. That, of course, was up and down as I had some nagging injuries that I was dealing with. But they weren't serious and hopefully this year I have a better handle on them.
So how did I do last year? And what can I do to better that?
Swimming: Well this was probably the first year going into swimming for me, where I could actually swim. Not well, and not far. But still, I could at least do it. the swimming portion of my races was mediocre, but I didn't die, so hooray! Last year I managed to swim (or at least log) 126650 meters of swimming. I like it in meters so it seems huge. Some of that was drills, some open water but an awful lot was just plain old laps. So what is up for next season? Well more open water for sure, which will include swimming with others, but also just more laps. In the last few months I have gone from an average swim session of 1500 m to 2000 m. Endurance is my weak point in swimming (well speed as well). I can get my speed up a bit but cannot hold it for any length of time. So here's 2 more twice a week sessions this winter, but many more laps in total.
Cycling: Well I cycle a lot. Much of that is "short" 16-18 km trips to work or about 32 km a day round trip. I tend to ride long or hard on the weekend, as the thought of a bike ride after cycling home from work is rather odd. I managed around 6058 km of cycling last year. Not too bad. But this season I would love to get a few more long endurance style rides in. The one century ride I did last year left me very worn out. And while I don't race at those distances, I would like to be able to complete long rides feeling more refreshed and maybe a little faster. I was so focused last season on my half marathon that I neglected early season bike training other than commuting. I hope to get out a little earlier this year and get some solid long rides in.
Running: Well here is where I had really hoped to make gains. With my first half marathon planned I had wanted to get loads of easy long runs in to build my endurance. And I did start out with that in mind. But alas, some form issues and bad weather reduced my long runs to medium, then short runs and a lot more rest than I had hoped for. I did get that half marathon in, but trying to keep my weekly totals up over 30 kms did not happen most weeks. I did manage to get about 1027 km in of decent run training which I was happy with. This coming season with a new running gait I am working on, better info about my shoes and access to the Dalplex indoor track I am ready to go. At this point I have been getting a few medium runs outdoors at a moderate pace with 2 speed session indoors prior to my swims. Currently the total mileage isn't super high, but as I adjust to a more forefoot running style I don't want to push myself too hard too fast. I am already adapting quite well and hope that soon I will be getting back above 10 km runs, especially with this super easy winter weather we have been having.
Well back to my rest on this great day. We will see where 2012 brings us. And maybe soon I may post about my goals for the year.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Know When to Hold 'em, Know When to Fold 'em
So Kenny Rogers sang a great song that really is a life lesson.
Sometimes you have to know when is the right time to stop and walk away.
Well I had been doing so well on my base training run plan. I was getting out each day for a decent run. Nothing too fast, and often just a short distance (5 km or so). After 2 weeks I had banked almost 95 km of easy running.
Now let's turn back time a bit (and not in that Cher kind of way). Before I began this Odyssey of mine, I had been running less frequently but greater distances. Two weeks before starting I ran 21.3 km followed 2 days later by a 16 km run. This is the point where I noticed perhaps my shoes were done. I had developed during the second long run a bit of pain in my shin. So off to Aerobics 1st I went for some new New Balances (see a couple of posts back). I got these shoes but then went on a business trip where running wasn't easily doable. So I figured a little rest before base training wouldn't be a bad thing.
Once back from the trip I began running and as I said, 14 days later I managed a decent 95 ish km. But on the last run I did (13 km), that shin began to hurt a bit again. Now this isn't the type of pain that makes you scream out loud, nor does it persist. But you can tell it is there. And you just know that it has the chance to get worse. And frankly stress fractures or long term shin splints are not where I want to be. Running needs to be fun as much as training.
So I took my cue and called a halt to my daily running experiment. And now 4 days later I still haven't run. Instead I have made my bike commutes more challenging, and upped my swim distance the other night. And I have been getting back into yoga and my stretch/ strengthen routine that I received from my Chiropractor. Now my shins and ankles are still slightly sore, but more in a tired muscles kind of way and not an injury kind of way.
I think that I may try a run maybe this weekend and see where things are. And if it feels good, I will go back to the drawing board and rethink my running plan. Perhaps if I hadn't run on worn out shoes a month ago, things might be better. But I can't fix that past problem, and can only fix what I do going forward. I'll let you know what I come up with.
Well I had been doing so well on my base training run plan. I was getting out each day for a decent run. Nothing too fast, and often just a short distance (5 km or so). After 2 weeks I had banked almost 95 km of easy running.
Now let's turn back time a bit (and not in that Cher kind of way). Before I began this Odyssey of mine, I had been running less frequently but greater distances. Two weeks before starting I ran 21.3 km followed 2 days later by a 16 km run. This is the point where I noticed perhaps my shoes were done. I had developed during the second long run a bit of pain in my shin. So off to Aerobics 1st I went for some new New Balances (see a couple of posts back). I got these shoes but then went on a business trip where running wasn't easily doable. So I figured a little rest before base training wouldn't be a bad thing.
Once back from the trip I began running and as I said, 14 days later I managed a decent 95 ish km. But on the last run I did (13 km), that shin began to hurt a bit again. Now this isn't the type of pain that makes you scream out loud, nor does it persist. But you can tell it is there. And you just know that it has the chance to get worse. And frankly stress fractures or long term shin splints are not where I want to be. Running needs to be fun as much as training.
So I took my cue and called a halt to my daily running experiment. And now 4 days later I still haven't run. Instead I have made my bike commutes more challenging, and upped my swim distance the other night. And I have been getting back into yoga and my stretch/ strengthen routine that I received from my Chiropractor. Now my shins and ankles are still slightly sore, but more in a tired muscles kind of way and not an injury kind of way.
I think that I may try a run maybe this weekend and see where things are. And if it feels good, I will go back to the drawing board and rethink my running plan. Perhaps if I hadn't run on worn out shoes a month ago, things might be better. But I can't fix that past problem, and can only fix what I do going forward. I'll let you know what I come up with.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Run Base Season and Forming Habits
So November came and went and here we are in December. 'Tis the season for base training to begin I guess as all my races are well and done for the year.
Base training was never my forte. I rode or ran as I saw fit, when I was feeling up to it. That suited me at the time, though it did nothing to help me become a better athlete. Then over the last few seasons I finally gave in.
Last year I learned about long, slow running from Shane MacLeod during a Tri Nova Scotia training camp. For me running slow seemed counter intuitive, but I did it anyway. I began training with runs much slower than race pace and much longer. And I loved it. By the time winter made it too hard for me to continue my long runs I had been up to 17 km. I backed it down to 8 and 10 km runs as I lost my trail and then road side to ice and snow. But as the distance slipped my speed came up. I was actually really happy.
But as usually happens to me, I tend not to like to pull back. So as the snow and ice melted away and I was able to run further again (and I was training at this point for the Bluenose Half Marathon) I started going the distance but with my new found speed.
As one can imagine, I eventually over did it. Leading into the month before the Bluenose, I had to drop my distances back and the speed too, and and also the frequency. And as you can imagine, once you get a little injury and start spending less time running / training and more time on the sofa, the desire to actually head out kinda goes away.
Well a few chiropractor trips and some ART as well as a packed early season of racing cured my desire to stay on the sofa.
So here we are back in the fall and base season. And it is time to try something new. I have loads of time before the Bluenose comes around, and I now know I can make the distance so trying to cram long runs in right now just isn't that appealing to me (darn dark evenings and living outside the city). But I still want to get the sort of distance in that I was before. So my new plan is to try my best to run every day.
Now that seems excessive doesn't it. But my plan is slightly well thought out. Right now I am aiming for light paced runs of varying short distances. Yesterday was in fact my longest run of the week at 12km.
My runs for the last 8 days have been from 4.4 km to 12 km. Some on the trail near my house, some on the road, and one at Dalplex on the inside track (that was not a long one at all). And it is working from many standpoints. I am getting my distance in (actually slightly increased distance) per week, I am enjoying the runs and most of all I am not achy, sore, in pain, hobbling around or waking up stiff. I run just fast enough to give my legs a bit of a workout (around 5 min pace or so) but not enough to cause any need for taking time off. That was a major problem with my long runs in the past. They were long enough that it meant I usually had to rest for a day or 2 in between.
As it stands, I will continue this system until running outdoors just gets too hard / not safe / not convenient. By that point I hope to have formed a good habit. I will slowly increase my mileage at a safe rate and not worry about going particularly long until my body is ready for it, probably by March or so. Of course if I know for soem reason that I won't be able to run the next day, I leave myself the option of going a little harder or a little further that day, knowing I will have a rest.
This all seems smart in my head. We will see if for once I can get into Spring in one piece, with medical need, and still have what it takes for a good hard half marathon, followed by a fast paced Duathlon season.
Base training was never my forte. I rode or ran as I saw fit, when I was feeling up to it. That suited me at the time, though it did nothing to help me become a better athlete. Then over the last few seasons I finally gave in.
Last year I learned about long, slow running from Shane MacLeod during a Tri Nova Scotia training camp. For me running slow seemed counter intuitive, but I did it anyway. I began training with runs much slower than race pace and much longer. And I loved it. By the time winter made it too hard for me to continue my long runs I had been up to 17 km. I backed it down to 8 and 10 km runs as I lost my trail and then road side to ice and snow. But as the distance slipped my speed came up. I was actually really happy.
But as usually happens to me, I tend not to like to pull back. So as the snow and ice melted away and I was able to run further again (and I was training at this point for the Bluenose Half Marathon) I started going the distance but with my new found speed.
As one can imagine, I eventually over did it. Leading into the month before the Bluenose, I had to drop my distances back and the speed too, and and also the frequency. And as you can imagine, once you get a little injury and start spending less time running / training and more time on the sofa, the desire to actually head out kinda goes away.
Well a few chiropractor trips and some ART as well as a packed early season of racing cured my desire to stay on the sofa.
So here we are back in the fall and base season. And it is time to try something new. I have loads of time before the Bluenose comes around, and I now know I can make the distance so trying to cram long runs in right now just isn't that appealing to me (darn dark evenings and living outside the city). But I still want to get the sort of distance in that I was before. So my new plan is to try my best to run every day.
Now that seems excessive doesn't it. But my plan is slightly well thought out. Right now I am aiming for light paced runs of varying short distances. Yesterday was in fact my longest run of the week at 12km.
My runs for the last 8 days have been from 4.4 km to 12 km. Some on the trail near my house, some on the road, and one at Dalplex on the inside track (that was not a long one at all). And it is working from many standpoints. I am getting my distance in (actually slightly increased distance) per week, I am enjoying the runs and most of all I am not achy, sore, in pain, hobbling around or waking up stiff. I run just fast enough to give my legs a bit of a workout (around 5 min pace or so) but not enough to cause any need for taking time off. That was a major problem with my long runs in the past. They were long enough that it meant I usually had to rest for a day or 2 in between.
As it stands, I will continue this system until running outdoors just gets too hard / not safe / not convenient. By that point I hope to have formed a good habit. I will slowly increase my mileage at a safe rate and not worry about going particularly long until my body is ready for it, probably by March or so. Of course if I know for soem reason that I won't be able to run the next day, I leave myself the option of going a little harder or a little further that day, knowing I will have a rest.
This all seems smart in my head. We will see if for once I can get into Spring in one piece, with medical need, and still have what it takes for a good hard half marathon, followed by a fast paced Duathlon season.
Monday, November 21, 2011
New Shoes - Tis the Season
Last year I had a great time getting used to New Balance 759's. They were a great shoe. Moderately light weight for a trainer, with just the right amount of cushion and support I needed. Then I was transitioning from a Brooks Dyad shoe, which is a giant huge clompy beast with tons of support, but was the shoe I needed after injuring my leg.
As any good company does, New Balance changed the name of its shoe from the 759 to the 880. A natural transition, I guess. Luckily the people at Aerobics First in Halifax new the new names (if they didn't they would be very good at selling shoes I guess).
I new it was time to get new shoes as my old ones had seen far too many miles (kilometers) and I was getting some nagging sore spots in my lower legs that hadn't been there before. I am also in that time of year where I am trying to get as many base miles (kilometers) as possible, prior to the sow falling and making outdoor running slippery and less fun. Sure I will still run outside during the winter, but my local routes are severely shortened.
Well into Aerobics 1st I went this past weekend and met up with Luke MacDonald. One look at my old shoes and he knew I was due. We tried on the 880's and I went for a little run outdoors. I was amazed at how different new shoes felt. You get used to the old ones and don't realize just how worn they are. But this run back and forth on the sidewalk didn't hurt a bit. Sold.
But Luke wanted me to try the 890's. Similar shoe but with less of a heel. This is a shoe headed towards the realm of minimalist. Still it offers some support and cushioning. But I was amazed. All of a sudden it hurt to run again. The shoe felt great, until I went out door. With my current aches and pains, this was not going to work. And as I am ramping into heavily mileage (kilomereatage?) season, a mew style of shoe was not going to cut it. Maybe one day, but not now.
Anyway, I can't wait to get these babies out and some decent runs in. Last week I manged a 21 K run, a 5K run, and a 15 K run. It was the last one that showed how worn out my shoes were and I think now I will take a few days off prior to another run. But I look forward to running without the aches in these new guys.
Moral of the story? Get your old runners checked out and pay attention to your legs.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
2011 Tri NS Awards
Well we had a great awards banquet to close out the season for Triathlon Nova Scotia. Another tasty feast of lasagna, followed by coffee and cake, and a great presentation by sports psychologist Dr Savoy on the use of imagery in helping to reach your goals.
And the photo above? Well that was my Age Group award for being number one in the men aged 35-39 category for duathlons. The top three in each group get a mug, but the jelly beans are the bonus for those of us in the number 1 spot.
There was some great tough competition this past season, and a lot of new faces for duathlon, which is always great. Hopefully next season sees the same growth in the sport.
So what does the off season bring for me? Well a little rest, but right back into training. Cycling usually falls to the level of bike commuting for me come the winter, but running and swimming will be stepping up. Especially swimming, as I make the move to claim a top three age group prize in triathlons next year. Of course the duathlons will still be my favorite.
See you at the races, or maybe running the road. Let me know if you need a running partner on a cold day.
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