If I get bored on September 2nd this year and can organise logistics may have to give this a crack!
Jeremy Hopwood
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
KitsMan & KitsWoman - A Potential Route
So with the future of IM distance racing in the Pacific northwest somewhat up in the air at the moment and a bit of a Facebook discussion going on in my feed thought why not create a challenge route (definitely not a race!) of the Iron Distance in Vancouver.
If I get bored on September 2nd this year and can organise logistics may have to give this a crack!
If I get bored on September 2nd this year and can organise logistics may have to give this a crack!
Friday, January 20, 2017
Metrics I am tracking in 2017
In 2017 I have decided to track some metrics in regards to life and training. Given my career is in the space of business intelligence it made sense to track some things in my day to day life to provide some insights throughout the year.
Sleep
How much sleep do you get a night - most people can give you an answer but depending on their beliefs it may be less or more than reality. I think I have generally over estimated how much sleep I get and as someone who believes in its magic qualities is good to see the real number.
Thus far 20 days into 2017 I am averaging 9hrs and 6 minutes of sleep.
Sleep Notes
Capturing everyday subjectively how I felt I slept. Last night incan say the 6.5 hours I got were horrible due to some activity in the house from the little ones.
AM Energy
I am at best a "low" energy morning person. Maybe that is why I am good at racing patiently I. Triathlon as normally are only really waking up at about 10am which is often at the 70km point of the bike!
However on a scale of 1-5 I have been rating my morning energy. With 1 being roll out of bed, fall on floor then go back to sleep to the mythical 5 which means waking up and jumping out of my bed singing a song (nooneach needs to hear me sing!)
AM Stress
How "stressed" did I feel waking up in the am on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being as relaxed as Zoolander and 5 being very stressed.
Sick Report
Capturing if I felt sick or not that day. With kids in the house this will be a interesting one to see how many days of full health I have in 2017.
End of Day Rating
Another 1-5 rating of my day with 5 being awesome fabulous and 1 being may that day not be repeated!
Other Stuff
I am tracking some other stuff as well including commute modes and times along with some training and exercise stats as well. However the above is the daily core of how I am tracking my day to day.
Sleep
How much sleep do you get a night - most people can give you an answer but depending on their beliefs it may be less or more than reality. I think I have generally over estimated how much sleep I get and as someone who believes in its magic qualities is good to see the real number.
Thus far 20 days into 2017 I am averaging 9hrs and 6 minutes of sleep.
Sleep Notes
Capturing everyday subjectively how I felt I slept. Last night incan say the 6.5 hours I got were horrible due to some activity in the house from the little ones.
AM Energy
I am at best a "low" energy morning person. Maybe that is why I am good at racing patiently I. Triathlon as normally are only really waking up at about 10am which is often at the 70km point of the bike!
However on a scale of 1-5 I have been rating my morning energy. With 1 being roll out of bed, fall on floor then go back to sleep to the mythical 5 which means waking up and jumping out of my bed singing a song (nooneach needs to hear me sing!)
AM Stress
How "stressed" did I feel waking up in the am on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being as relaxed as Zoolander and 5 being very stressed.
Sick Report
Capturing if I felt sick or not that day. With kids in the house this will be a interesting one to see how many days of full health I have in 2017.
End of Day Rating
Another 1-5 rating of my day with 5 being awesome fabulous and 1 being may that day not be repeated!
Other Stuff
I am tracking some other stuff as well including commute modes and times along with some training and exercise stats as well. However the above is the daily core of how I am tracking my day to day.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
16 Things from 2016 in 16 Minutes
So year end is approaching and want to go to bed to get a early easy run in (as my one new years resolution for 2017 is to go to bed earlier - as many good things happen from that) so here are 16 things that I did in 2016.
In somewhat chronological order.
1 - Ran a Lot Early On
Especially with Bagel Chase in February I ran in excess of 42km 4 times in the first 4 months of 2016 with the longest being 63km after a 45km day. No real purpose have fun and do things in just because!
2 - Went to the IM Talk 10th Anniversary Camp
This was awesome - wasn't really trained for anything except the running but a 4km swim essentially straight of the plane followed a 180km ride through the port hills near christchurch with a final day 46km hilly run made for a fun weekend.
3 - Visited my Parents in Australia and Took the to King Island
Hadn't been there for a long while and place is stunning. If you are in Aus for more than the standard 2 weeks do yourself a favour and make your way there for 3 days - especially if you play golf. Managed to play on one of the most stunning golf courses in the world at Cape Wickham not to mention got to drive a 4x4 around the island for 4 days.
4- Did my first Park Run in Hobart, Tas.
Is actually still the only Park Run I have run, however are now involved at Park Run Richmond Olympic and have helped volunteer at the first 10 events with my running debut due next week.
5- Raced the Bare Bones Duathlon / Peach Blossom 10 Miler Double
Its awesome - come do it in 2017. Its awesome and grass roots.
6 - Helped out a couple people by having them stay at the house while they got things sorted in Vancouver
We are lucky enough to have some space so happy to help people out and share our space with people to help them out
7- Rode a Long Way to meet a buddy, rode a 100km with him then rode home
Did a awesome ride to the Mission, met a mate who was riding to horseshoe bay form penticton, hooked up for 100km. Had a beer at horseshoe bay then rode home for a 260km day.
8 - Went to New York City and saw the Copa America Final
That was fun and checked out parts of brooklyn as well and rode citi bikes at speed around town.
9 - Raced a lot
Need to add it up but approximately 31 start lines for 2017. was awesome to just race a lot and catch up with a lot of the running community. Favourite had to be a non official event in the Festive Half Marathon
10 - Bike and Ran Commuted a Lot
Its basically the core of my training to fit some stuff in and it leaves me much happier than transit.
11 - Had a Surprisingly good weekend at Canadian National Multisport Festival
National Duathlon M35-39 AG Champion and Silver in M35-39 Long Course Champs
12 - Dropped the kids of at school (by foot) a good number of times
Nice to have the flexibility to do a few drop-offs with the kiddos when I can
13 - Fall Classic Trifecta
RAn the Half - 10km and 5km at the Fall Classic in the same day. Why - well just because.
14 - Worked A Lot
More than I would have liked but we got some good stuff done and lucky enough to work with some good people at a good company
15 - Run Rudolph Run
Well that idiocy took of more than I had expected! Great to have fellow rudolph's out there and enjoying the challenge
16 - Watched TV
With Les and did some other stuff as well. Been married now 10 years and going out nearly 15 so we survived another year with two little crazies running around the house, the eldest starting kindergarten and me thinking up crazy running challenges!
May have gone like 16 seconds over in typing that list but there it is. Off to bed and onwards to 2017 with my motto;
" Do Less"
But more on that another day.
In somewhat chronological order.
1 - Ran a Lot Early On
Especially with Bagel Chase in February I ran in excess of 42km 4 times in the first 4 months of 2016 with the longest being 63km after a 45km day. No real purpose have fun and do things in just because!
2 - Went to the IM Talk 10th Anniversary Camp
This was awesome - wasn't really trained for anything except the running but a 4km swim essentially straight of the plane followed a 180km ride through the port hills near christchurch with a final day 46km hilly run made for a fun weekend.
3 - Visited my Parents in Australia and Took the to King Island
Hadn't been there for a long while and place is stunning. If you are in Aus for more than the standard 2 weeks do yourself a favour and make your way there for 3 days - especially if you play golf. Managed to play on one of the most stunning golf courses in the world at Cape Wickham not to mention got to drive a 4x4 around the island for 4 days.
4- Did my first Park Run in Hobart, Tas.
Is actually still the only Park Run I have run, however are now involved at Park Run Richmond Olympic and have helped volunteer at the first 10 events with my running debut due next week.
5- Raced the Bare Bones Duathlon / Peach Blossom 10 Miler Double
Its awesome - come do it in 2017. Its awesome and grass roots.
6 - Helped out a couple people by having them stay at the house while they got things sorted in Vancouver
We are lucky enough to have some space so happy to help people out and share our space with people to help them out
7- Rode a Long Way to meet a buddy, rode a 100km with him then rode home
Did a awesome ride to the Mission, met a mate who was riding to horseshoe bay form penticton, hooked up for 100km. Had a beer at horseshoe bay then rode home for a 260km day.
8 - Went to New York City and saw the Copa America Final
That was fun and checked out parts of brooklyn as well and rode citi bikes at speed around town.
9 - Raced a lot
Need to add it up but approximately 31 start lines for 2017. was awesome to just race a lot and catch up with a lot of the running community. Favourite had to be a non official event in the Festive Half Marathon
10 - Bike and Ran Commuted a Lot
Its basically the core of my training to fit some stuff in and it leaves me much happier than transit.
11 - Had a Surprisingly good weekend at Canadian National Multisport Festival
National Duathlon M35-39 AG Champion and Silver in M35-39 Long Course Champs
12 - Dropped the kids of at school (by foot) a good number of times
Nice to have the flexibility to do a few drop-offs with the kiddos when I can
13 - Fall Classic Trifecta
RAn the Half - 10km and 5km at the Fall Classic in the same day. Why - well just because.
14 - Worked A Lot
More than I would have liked but we got some good stuff done and lucky enough to work with some good people at a good company
15 - Run Rudolph Run
Well that idiocy took of more than I had expected! Great to have fellow rudolph's out there and enjoying the challenge
16 - Watched TV
With Les and did some other stuff as well. Been married now 10 years and going out nearly 15 so we survived another year with two little crazies running around the house, the eldest starting kindergarten and me thinking up crazy running challenges!
May have gone like 16 seconds over in typing that list but there it is. Off to bed and onwards to 2017 with my motto;
" Do Less"
But more on that another day.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Challenge Penticton Multisport Festival 2016 - Race Recaps and a Few Things I Learned
Have already done a few "Instagram" Race Reports across the week but thought would add a little more detail on top and a few takeaways.
Part of writing a recap for me is a an ability to "digest" the race and record the experience for in the future. Des Linden put out a good tweet which I took to meaning the importance of looking for ways to improve.
Was working on Tuesday so went for a early swim - trying to make some wetsuit decisions (i.e do I race in my 9 yo wetsuit). Then after a day at the office went for an evening run at race feel along the channel. The big takeaways form the channel run were;
In the end good day and good to get some "final" run work in the legs.
40km of Riding including sme course recon
Got a morning swim, did some work then rode the Duathlon/Long Course bike segment out to Summerland before checking in for the Duathlon. found riding the section to Summerland valuable as allowed me to have a visualisation of how long would be heading out on a road that looks the same for most of the way.
Post race had a pretty relaxed afternoon with some beach time then went and watched the Penticton Vees hockey team play. Part of the highlight of this was the 5 yo getting to go for a ride on the Zamboni!
The instagram race report is below but the day exceeded what I thought would be a best case scenario on on the day. Before the race I normally send a "rough" best case scenario schedule to help family and friends who want to come out and cheer and in the end and as per below I actually finished about 9 minutes ahead
In the end was able to chase down a podium spot in my AG. As mentioned below thought executed my race plan really well - got a good kick in the throat about 1400m into the swim and that seemed to focus me a bit more for the second lap. The good news with my swim is that I feel that with some hard work and speeding a bit of time on coaching has some gains to be made here in the realm of 10 minutes.
Next up was the bike and happy with the ride here - even slightly ahead of what I thought I might be able to execute. As mentioned at the start of this blog have a couple things that I think I can improve on with a winter of focussed work. This year I actually only started riding in Mid March after taking my longest break of the bike in many years over the last winter. Key points to focus on will be overall power and ability to push on the flats combined with ability to attack the climbs going into the red zone but still being able to recover.
Even if the bike course is the same next year, things like weather. road surfaces etc can always have an impact on the day however the aim next year will be to find 10 minutes and bike Sub 3 for the 120km.
The run felt a bit of a slog but managed to hold a rhythm and even though was heating up a bit managed it well and raced the last 7km really well to move up onto the AG podium. Still think have a fair bit of room for improvement here and the aim in 2017 will be to be in 4 min/km shape for the 30km (hopefully course is made to be correct distance as well).
Was great to see the family on the run and made sure to make time for some high 5's at the halfway point
In the end super stoked with the day, executed my first triathlon in 25 months as well as I could have hoped on race day and have lots of room for improvement ahead of the 2017 Penticton ITU Multisport World Championships
Was a fantastic week in Penticton and a great event. From a racing perspective looking forward to being in the best shape possible next year and trying to contest for a good result in the AG Race for both the Duathlon and the Long Distance races.
Thanks to the City and People of Penticton, Summerland, OK Falls for hosting the race, to Challenge Penticton for putting on a great race week and to the family and friends for support on race day and throughout the year,
Also big thanks to my supporters including Powered by Chocolate Milk, Forerunners North Van, Nuun Hydration and Speed Theory Vancouver.
Part of writing a recap for me is a an ability to "digest" the race and record the experience for in the future. Des Linden put out a good tweet which I took to meaning the importance of looking for ways to improve.
Post-race: there's nothing more I could have done.— des_linden (@des_linden) September 1, 2016
Post-downtime: here are 10+ areas I can improve.
Development is not a 4 letter word.
Key Takeaways
Before I do my detailed recap here are my key takeaways;- Swim Training - Need to swim a lot - this is not a surprise as new had underprepared on this as I made the comeback to racing. However this will definitely be a winter focus and some easy hard work gains to be made.
- Dolphin Diving - Need to learn how to do this well - lots of time to be made up in the last 50m or so with some good dolphin diving.
- Hills - Need to run and ride more hills. Being a flatlander out in Steveston this is tough at times but in the duathlon felt the uphill a bit more than I would have liked on the run. For the bike I dint suffer on the climbs but also didn't have the confidence to attack them,
- Riding Fast - Had a good bike but need to practice more really getting on top of the big gears. Had a few times were I was going above 42/3 km/h and felt fine aerobically however couldn't seem to get any more speed going. With the bike courses in Penticton having some flat sections good opportunity to take advantage and ride fast.
- Run Race Pace - Dialling in race pace for the Long Course run. For a few reason wasn't fully happy with my final run buildup and although had good run on the day need to train more at the uncomfortable race pace for long tempo's.
- Be Adaptable - Thought I did a great job of this during the week around basing my training/prep sessions based on how I felt. Have always been pretty good at this but was super happy how I took the week and race days from this perspective.
- Some Bike tech - Few takeaways around my bike for next year - racing with power I think would be handy along with some aero improvement's which maybe include front brake and potentially a new wheelset along with evaluating my bike position, helmets etc.
Race Week - 5 Races in 3 Days
Racing this year was a return to Triathlon and Multisport with the focus being on getting a spot to the 2017 Penticton ITU Multisport World Championships specifically in the Long Course but also hopefully in the duathlon. The schedule this year was a bit more compressed than it will be for Worlds in 2017 however the gap between the Duathlon and the Long Course (Wed to Sunday) didn't worry me that much as often have a hard workout 5 days before a race.
Sunday - Penticton Arrival
Run 5.6km in 29 minutes
Arrived in Penticton Sunday Afternoon. Have taken to driving up during the day vs trying to slam in the 5 hour drive after work. Part of this is the reality of driving with Kids but another factor is I feel travelling after a work day/packing then driving tends to increase the risk of getting sick
Arrived in Penticton Sunday Afternoon. Have taken to driving up during the day vs trying to slam in the 5 hour drive after work. Part of this is the reality of driving with Kids but another factor is I feel travelling after a work day/packing then driving tends to increase the risk of getting sick
After arriving at our friend's house and having one of many great meals through the week (staying with a Registered Dietician has its advantages - check out nutrition360.ca) headed down to the beach with the kiddos to have some fun. Post some "fun in the sun" ran home for an "easy" run which included some scrambling up some hills!
Monday - Getting Settled and Work to Do
Was working on Tuesday so went for a early swim - trying to make some wetsuit decisions (i.e do I race in my 9 yo wetsuit). Then after a day at the office went for an evening run at race feel along the channel. The big takeaways form the channel run were;
- More pavement to run on than I had anticipated
- It had the potential to be very hot, boring, windy and isolated out there
In the end good day and good to get some "final" run work in the legs.
Tuesday- Getting Settled and Work to Do
1.7km Swim40km of Riding including sme course recon
Got a morning swim, did some work then rode the Duathlon/Long Course bike segment out to Summerland before checking in for the Duathlon. found riding the section to Summerland valuable as allowed me to have a visualisation of how long would be heading out on a road that looks the same for most of the way.
Canadian Standard Duathlon AG Nationals - 6th Overall - 1st M35-39 - 1:56:29
10km Run 37:39 T1 0:43 40km Bike 58:59 T2 0:39 5km Run 18:29
Wednesday brought race day 1 of the week and the Duathlon Nationals. Instagram race report below tells most of the story however if want to be in the mix for this at worlds next year will need to be a good run shape with the ability to run a 33 minute 10km then hammer the bike. Have never raced the 10/40/5 format before and it was fun although in the back of my head especially on the first run was saving a bit for later in the week, Recovered pretty good from this one which means I didn't absolutely limit the runs.
Really stoked with this result and it put me in a good mindset for the race on the weekend.
Post race had a pretty relaxed afternoon with some beach time then went and watched the Penticton Vees hockey team play. Part of the highlight of this was the 5 yo getting to go for a ride on the Zamboni!
 |
| Always time for some beach time |
 |
| Fun at the Hockey |
Canadian Aquathon Championships - 33rd Overall - 11th M35-39 - 41:06
1km Swim 23:21 T1 0:26 5km Run (measured about 4.8km) 17:11
Thursday was a bit of rest day for me, The morning however presented a unique opportunity as was luck enough to meet Bob Babbitt a legend of Triathlon and be on Breakfast with Bob and talk AG Racing, Penticton, Family and Triathlon.
After this and some breakfast I got a "new" wetsuit sorted (ex demo suit from the expo) and had a massage from the fine folks at Melt Mineral Spa.
Come the evening was time for the Aquathon which is a 1km Swim and a 5km run. Having not raced a tri in 26 months wanted to get a "race swim" in and also good to get another run in.
Water temp had this one as a non wetsuit swim. To be honest had a pretty ordinary swim, felt like I was swimming ok (given lack of training) however think key takeaway was didn't work hard enough and settled into a pace/group that was a bit to easy. Looking at Strava Flyby looks like I lost my rhythm/group at the first turn and that cost me a couple minutes. Add to this also lost a fair bit of time with my lack of dolphin diving ability.
Then came the run - didn't smash the run and it was about 200m short but had a solid run with a 17:11 (which I work out to about a 17:54 adjusted) this included a few high 5 stops for the kiddos and didn't feel like I was going full gas so surprised at the speed that was in the legs.
After the Aquathon came the most important race of the week - The Kids Run!. Had a great time running with the kids who did awesome in the 1km fun run.
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| Ada running down the red carpet |
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| Tori making her race debut with the help of Mom |
Friday - Registration Day
Had a bit of work to do this day, so took the early am easy then after work rode down to meet the family, grabbed the car and went and checked in for Sunday and went for an easy swim to test out the new wetsuit.
This day was followed by a nice family dinner with a couple beers and catching up with all the family in Penticton.
Saturday - Race Prep and Bike Check-In
The day before a long distance triathlon is always about getting what you need to get done without exerting to much energy. sPen the am getting the race rig ready and hanging out with the kids. After getting every sorted head out for the easy roll down the hill transition and checking in before going to the pre race meeting.
then hung our cousins house while the kids played in the afternoon before having a nice relaxed dinner. The only real workout for the day was my running activation workout with 1 min above race pace and 4 x 20 second strides to wake the legs up a little.
Canadian Long Distance Championships - 8th Age Grouper - 2nd M35-39 - 6:18:05
3km Swim 58:25 T1 1:44 120km Bike 3:10:10 T2 1:47 30km Run 2:05:59 (Actual Dist about 28.5km)
In the end was able to chase down a podium spot in my AG. As mentioned below thought executed my race plan really well - got a good kick in the throat about 1400m into the swim and that seemed to focus me a bit more for the second lap. The good news with my swim is that I feel that with some hard work and speeding a bit of time on coaching has some gains to be made here in the realm of 10 minutes.
Next up was the bike and happy with the ride here - even slightly ahead of what I thought I might be able to execute. As mentioned at the start of this blog have a couple things that I think I can improve on with a winter of focussed work. This year I actually only started riding in Mid March after taking my longest break of the bike in many years over the last winter. Key points to focus on will be overall power and ability to push on the flats combined with ability to attack the climbs going into the red zone but still being able to recover.
Even if the bike course is the same next year, things like weather. road surfaces etc can always have an impact on the day however the aim next year will be to find 10 minutes and bike Sub 3 for the 120km.
The run felt a bit of a slog but managed to hold a rhythm and even though was heating up a bit managed it well and raced the last 7km really well to move up onto the AG podium. Still think have a fair bit of room for improvement here and the aim in 2017 will be to be in 4 min/km shape for the 30km (hopefully course is made to be correct distance as well).
Was great to see the family on the run and made sure to make time for some high 5's at the halfway point
In the end super stoked with the day, executed my first triathlon in 25 months as well as I could have hoped on race day and have lots of room for improvement ahead of the 2017 Penticton ITU Multisport World Championships
Looking Forward
Was a fantastic week in Penticton and a great event. From a racing perspective looking forward to being in the best shape possible next year and trying to contest for a good result in the AG Race for both the Duathlon and the Long Distance races.
Thanks to the City and People of Penticton, Summerland, OK Falls for hosting the race, to Challenge Penticton for putting on a great race week and to the family and friends for support on race day and throughout the year,
Also big thanks to my supporters including Powered by Chocolate Milk, Forerunners North Van, Nuun Hydration and Speed Theory Vancouver.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Dad Bod Racing
Been a while since I have posted anything more than 140 char or with a square picture and #hashtag or three. It has been nearly 3 years since I have taken to a start line of a triathlon any serious intent at the inaugural Challenge Penticton in 2013.
2017 ITU Long Course World Championships
The announcement that 2017 Challenge Penticton that would be the host of the ITU Long Course World Championships combined with the youngest of our two daughters being well on her way to turning three means it was good timing from a life perspective to set some goals towards and event in a place that I love to race.
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| Adelaide and Victoria allowing Dad to escort them out to a Saturday Brunch |
So with that goal in mind the last months have been starting to ramp up some “pre training” with the view to getting back to some structured training for an extended period of time. Part of this has involved hitting up frequent start lines in 2016, 14 thus far in order to get some hard hit outs and build up some base fitness.
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| Getting some “pre training” in on the dykes of Richmond |
2016 Goals
So with the 2017 goal somewhat being set it means a return to Triathlon racing in 2016 in order to get a spot for worlds in the M35–39 group. So the plan in that regard is to race the test event at Challenge Penticton this year which is also Canadian National Long Course championships this August.
As well as the long course race (3k Swim / 120km Bike / 30km Run) going to jump in the Duathlon (10km Run / 40km Bike / 5km Run) and the Aquathon (1km Swim / 5km Run) as part of the week festivities.
2016 Race Schedule
On top of Challenge Penticton also have a few more races planned as build toward late August along with those I have already toed the line on in 2016. All of this combined should hopefully mean the Dad Bod is not to rounded come both August and the start of 2017!
As you can see 2016 is the year of racing lots!
The Resolution Race — 8km Cross County
31:02–8th Overall
31:02–8th Overall
Aldegrove Mud Run — 8km Cross Country
30:13–4th Overall
30:13–4th Overall
IceBreaker 8km
28:46–10th Overall
28:46–10th Overall
First Half Half Marathon
1:17:52–32nd Overall
1:17:52–32nd Overall
Bagel Chase 2016
21 Laps in 2 Days (109.2km) — 1st Overall (Most Laps)
21 Laps in 2 Days (109.2km) — 1st Overall (Most Laps)
St Patricks Day 5km (BC Champs)
16:44 -42nd Overall
16:44 -42nd Overall
Modo Spring Run-Off 8km
28:15 -18th Overall
28:15 -18th Overall
BMO Sunshine Coast April Fools Half Marathon
1:18:31 -4th Overall
1:18:31 -4th Overall
IM Talk 10th Anniversary Camp
Fri 4km Swim / Sat 182km Ride / Sun 46km Run
Fri 4km Swim / Sat 182km Ride / Sun 46km Run
Hobart Park Run #86–5km
17:31 -1st Overall
17:31 -1st Overall
BMO Vancouver Half Marathon (BC Champs)
1:17:55 -28th Overall
1:17:55 -28th Overall
Bare Bones Duathlon (5km/32km/5km)
1:35:43 -8th Overall
1:35:43 -8th Overall
Peach Blossom 10 Miler
1:01:31 -5th Overall
1:01:31 -5th Overall
Oasis Shaugnessy 8km
28:21 -8th Overall
28:21 -8th Overall
MEC Half Marathon (Steveston)
June 5th
June 5th
UBC Longest Day 5km
June 10th
June 10th
Vic Gran Fondo — The Doppio — 260km Ride
June 18th
June 18th
New York Summer Series 10km
June 26th
June 26th
Peach Classic Olympic Triathlon
July 17th
July 17th
Canadian National Duathlon Championships
August 24th
August 24th
Canadian National Aquathon Championships
August 25th
August 25th
Canadian National Long Course Triathlon Championships
August 28th
August 28th
Eastside 10km (BC Champs)
Sept 17th
Sept 17th
MEC Marathon (Steveston)
October 2nd
October 2nd
Granville Island Turkey Trot 10km
October 10th
October 10th
Fall Classic Half Marathon
November 13th
November 13th
Gunner Shaw XC (10km)
December 3rd
December 3rd
Monday, November 17, 2014
MEC Steveston Marathon - 2:52:57 and 1st Overall
Raced the MEC Marathon in Steveston this past weekend and came in 1st with a 2:52:57. The short version of this race report was stayed relaxed, tried not to run to fast early, said hi to people going the other way and had a nice long run keeping an even tempo and effort level.
Having said that have a bit more detail below. I am a big believer in racing as part of a training program and not needing to be 100% focussed on a specific race in terms of peak fitness. This one is in this category for me and really enjoy getting out there experiencing the energy of a race environment.
Was great to see a lot of people I knew out there and thanks to those who called
d out my name, apologies if I didn't yell back in time. Hope everyone had a great day and hope to see you out on a race course again soon.
Thanks to Powered By Chocolate Milk, Speed Theory Vancouver and Forerunners North Vancouver for the continued support.
A specific shout out to my good friend to my Jerry Ziak who is co-owner of Forerunners North Vancouver and has been helping me out with the run aspect of my training, If you can get out to the clinics at the store they are definitely worth the time.
Why a Marathon?
The last few months I have been taking training in 6 weeks blocks or so. About 6 weeks ago looking ahead I decided that it was a good time to do a marathon and with the opportunity to do one the doorstop with a start and finish in Steveston the fit was perfect.
Having a target to train for as winter starts to envelop Vancouver is always nice as the Fall to Winter season change is one I always struggle with.
Racing close means it can be a family event as well. Les ran the 5km and had a PR!!!! Adelaide and Victoria came out watch and do some cheering with Grandma and Grandpa while Mommy and Daddy ran.
The Build Up
I talked about my leadup to the event last week - http://opensourcetriathlon.blogspot.ca/2014/11/race-week-and-open-262.html.
In terms of long runs and mileage haven't been cranking out crazy mileage and have been averaging about 80 to 90km a week over 5-6 runs. My longest session in the build up was 32km which involved 28km alternating above and below Marathon Pace.
So coming into racing had a few questions about how I would feel in the last 10km and took that account into race planning.
The "tables" which you can enter other race performances to give potential results at other distances based on your calculated vDot (http://www.runbayou.com/jackd.htm) indicated I was in around 2:45 shape.
However knowing that
Went with a plan to start out at around 4:10 per km pace (approx 2:55) then adjust as required throughout the day with the aim to have a good solid run.
4 Sections
With the race being 2 out and backs I broke it down into four sections each 10.55km long.
Section 1 (0k to 10.55km) - Garry Point to Turnaround 43:13 (4:06 pace)
Start of the race - just tried to run smooth and relaxed. Had the runner who ended up coming in 4th with me for most of this section but ran at the front so could focus on my own tempo. It all felt pretty relaxed but hopefully that should be the case early on in a race!
Looking at splits was a little bit faster than planned but effort felt fine so was not to worried as had aimed to be through this first section between 43 and 44 minutes.
Section 2 (10.55km to 21.1km) - Turnaround to Garry Point - 42:48 (4:03 pace)
What wind there was slightly behind me at this point. Was pretty solo for this and had to negotiate the other races going outbound. Was good to see lots of people I knew doing the 5,10 or Half marathon. Started getting in some nutrition at this point through a couple Gels in this section.
Section 3 (21.1km to 31.15km) - Garry Point to Turnaround 43:24 (4:07 pace)
A little slower going out but I think I can put this down to drinking some electrolyte at the turn (you could leave bottles at halfway) and not being able to run perfect tangents as needed to run through some of the other races that started after the marathon. The effort felt consistent and just focussed on running smooth through this part.
Section 4 (31.15km top 42.2km) - Turnaround to Garry Point 43:32 (4:08 pace)
Time to run home.At the turnaround I had 4+ minutes on the next runners so from a race perspective knew just had to run steady. From a body perspective hadn't run past this distance in the lead up and was scared of a brick wall being erected at km 35 on the dyke!
At 32km would have had to drop a sub 39 min 10km to go sub 2:50 and although i was tempted to give it a shot I decided to stick to the plan a run solid home. Legs got a little tight with about 5km to go a splits slipped a little but decided to just keep effort steady vs pushing harder. Asides from making sure I ate my last Gel and staying relaxed it was pretty uneventful run home.
Getting the W
So in the end finished in 2:52:57 and got the Win. The win wasn't as big a factor for me as having a good solid run. If I had had company in the last half I am pretty sure I could have stepped it up a little but getting a good solid consistent paced run was the key achievement as it is knowledge and confidence I can take into my 2015 training and racing.
Other Notes
Nutrition
For those interested in nutrition for this race I kept it pretty simple with;
4 below Celsius is cold for someone who grew up in the heat. As a result I went with some capri tights (fluro yellow for some early am brightness) and gloves for the first 10 miles or so. The main thing I have learned about racing and training in the cold is you still need to eat even though you may not feel like it. That is why my nutrition above was pretty structured.
Why Wear a Puprle Headband?
I like to run with headbands as keeps the sweat out of my eyes and Ada likes purple. So chose that color so are a little easier to spot out on course.
Mistakes I Made
Forgot to set my watch to autolap before racing which meant going through the menu settings while after 1km to turn it on
Key Learnings
The Fast Guys are Really Fast
Always humbling to know that the fast marathoners are running 1 min a km (25%) faster than your pace.
What is Next
So next up is a pretty easy week then some planning for the first part of 2015. I have soem fun racing coming up with the Gunner Shaw Cross Country at Jericho Beach on Dec 6th and a couple Time Trial (Mile and 5km) events with Forerunners North Vancovuer.
In 2015 the Tentative Plan is Pioneer 8km on the Island, Steveston Icebreaker 8km followed up by the PRR First Half - Half Marathon.
Having said that have a bit more detail below. I am a big believer in racing as part of a training program and not needing to be 100% focussed on a specific race in terms of peak fitness. This one is in this category for me and really enjoy getting out there experiencing the energy of a race environment.
Was great to see a lot of people I knew out there and thanks to those who called
d out my name, apologies if I didn't yell back in time. Hope everyone had a great day and hope to see you out on a race course again soon.
Thanks to Powered By Chocolate Milk, Speed Theory Vancouver and Forerunners North Vancouver for the continued support.
A specific shout out to my good friend to my Jerry Ziak who is co-owner of Forerunners North Vancouver and has been helping me out with the run aspect of my training, If you can get out to the clinics at the store they are definitely worth the time.
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| Neck Beards add Warmth on Cold Days! Photo Credit: MEC |
Why a Marathon?
The last few months I have been taking training in 6 weeks blocks or so. About 6 weeks ago looking ahead I decided that it was a good time to do a marathon and with the opportunity to do one the doorstop with a start and finish in Steveston the fit was perfect.
Having a target to train for as winter starts to envelop Vancouver is always nice as the Fall to Winter season change is one I always struggle with.
Racing close means it can be a family event as well. Les ran the 5km and had a PR!!!! Adelaide and Victoria came out watch and do some cheering with Grandma and Grandpa while Mommy and Daddy ran.
 |
| Ada post Cheering Duties Photo Credit MEC |
The Build Up
I talked about my leadup to the event last week - http://opensourcetriathlon.blogspot.ca/2014/11/race-week-and-open-262.html.
In terms of long runs and mileage haven't been cranking out crazy mileage and have been averaging about 80 to 90km a week over 5-6 runs. My longest session in the build up was 32km which involved 28km alternating above and below Marathon Pace.
So coming into racing had a few questions about how I would feel in the last 10km and took that account into race planning.
Race Day - Executing the Plan
The "tables" which you can enter other race performances to give potential results at other distances based on your calculated vDot (http://www.runbayou.com/jackd.htm) indicated I was in around 2:45 shape.
However knowing that
- I hadn't had a huge base of mileage
- wasn't totally tapered
- race was predominately on gravel (is a couple seconds a km slower than the road)
- I didn't want to bury myself for the next month (or blow up)
Went with a plan to start out at around 4:10 per km pace (approx 2:55) then adjust as required throughout the day with the aim to have a good solid run.
4 Sections
With the race being 2 out and backs I broke it down into four sections each 10.55km long.
Section 1 (0k to 10.55km) - Garry Point to Turnaround 43:13 (4:06 pace)
Start of the race - just tried to run smooth and relaxed. Had the runner who ended up coming in 4th with me for most of this section but ran at the front so could focus on my own tempo. It all felt pretty relaxed but hopefully that should be the case early on in a race!
Looking at splits was a little bit faster than planned but effort felt fine so was not to worried as had aimed to be through this first section between 43 and 44 minutes.
Section 2 (10.55km to 21.1km) - Turnaround to Garry Point - 42:48 (4:03 pace)
What wind there was slightly behind me at this point. Was pretty solo for this and had to negotiate the other races going outbound. Was good to see lots of people I knew doing the 5,10 or Half marathon. Started getting in some nutrition at this point through a couple Gels in this section.
 |
| Action Shot thanks to @runcandicerun who raced the day before doing a full marathon! Fluro Capri Tights came out with the -4 starting temperature. |
A little slower going out but I think I can put this down to drinking some electrolyte at the turn (you could leave bottles at halfway) and not being able to run perfect tangents as needed to run through some of the other races that started after the marathon. The effort felt consistent and just focussed on running smooth through this part.
Section 4 (31.15km top 42.2km) - Turnaround to Garry Point 43:32 (4:08 pace)
Time to run home.At the turnaround I had 4+ minutes on the next runners so from a race perspective knew just had to run steady. From a body perspective hadn't run past this distance in the lead up and was scared of a brick wall being erected at km 35 on the dyke!
At 32km would have had to drop a sub 39 min 10km to go sub 2:50 and although i was tempted to give it a shot I decided to stick to the plan a run solid home. Legs got a little tight with about 5km to go a splits slipped a little but decided to just keep effort steady vs pushing harder. Asides from making sure I ate my last Gel and staying relaxed it was pretty uneventful run home.
Getting the W
So in the end finished in 2:52:57 and got the Win. The win wasn't as big a factor for me as having a good solid run. If I had had company in the last half I am pretty sure I could have stepped it up a little but getting a good solid consistent paced run was the key achievement as it is knowledge and confidence I can take into my 2015 training and racing.
 |
| Podium Shot - Subbing in for 2nd Place Ada decided raising hands up was a little too much! Photo Credit MEC |
Other Notes
Nutrition
For those interested in nutrition for this race I kept it pretty simple with;
- a GU every 40 minutes (approx 90 cal - Gu's are a 100 cal packet but you never get it all) for a total of 360 Cals
- A splash of water at most opportunities (every 4km or so)
- A swig of electrolyte (200ml max at halfway)
Weather
4 below Celsius is cold for someone who grew up in the heat. As a result I went with some capri tights (fluro yellow for some early am brightness) and gloves for the first 10 miles or so. The main thing I have learned about racing and training in the cold is you still need to eat even though you may not feel like it. That is why my nutrition above was pretty structured.
Why Wear a Puprle Headband?
I like to run with headbands as keeps the sweat out of my eyes and Ada likes purple. So chose that color so are a little easier to spot out on course.
Mistakes I Made
Forgot to set my watch to autolap before racing which meant going through the menu settings while after 1km to turn it on
Key Learnings
- Have a few more pounds to lose for sure. No rush on this but there are simple things I can form habits on as I move into 2015.
- Consistency is king. The last few months have been nothing special in terms of training but consistency has been pretty good even though there is still room for improvement. If I can move that to all aspects training life will be good.
- Core strength is a big opportunity for me to make sure I run well when fatigued.
The Fast Guys are Really Fast
Always humbling to know that the fast marathoners are running 1 min a km (25%) faster than your pace.
What is Next
So next up is a pretty easy week then some planning for the first part of 2015. I have soem fun racing coming up with the Gunner Shaw Cross Country at Jericho Beach on Dec 6th and a couple Time Trial (Mile and 5km) events with Forerunners North Vancovuer.
In 2015 the Tentative Plan is Pioneer 8km on the Island, Steveston Icebreaker 8km followed up by the PRR First Half - Half Marathon.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Race Week and a Open 26.2
So firstly what is an Open 26.2. For those who are crazy enough on occasion to Swim and Bike before running a marathon a Open 26.2 is a Straight Marathon.
Coming into this my mental approach is that this is no easier than ironman, just likely going to be a different type of hurt especially in the last 10km as trying to maintain pace.
This Sunday - MEC Marathon in Steveston
Race day is Sunday and it is a pretty low key event I have chosen being the MEC Marathon. The start is about 700m from my front door and the course goes along the dyke trail that a lot of my runs take place on. Familiarity with a race course isn't always a good thing but will be nice to race local. Having said that I sense for the rest of the year my runs will not take me along the race course!
I have only done one open 26.2 before and that was when i was you and stupid and working way too much. If you have ever wondered how doing a marathon with zero training feels I have that memory from 2006 when I went 4:49 at the Vancouver Marathon. So my full 26.2 history goes like this;
2006 - 4:49 (Vancouver Marathon)
2008 - 4:02 (Ironman Canada)
2009 - 3:47 (Ironman Canada)
2010 - 3:11 (Ironman Couer 'd Alene)
2010 - 3:23 (Ironman Hawaii)
2012 - 3:25 (Challenge Penticton)
So Sunday will be race no.7. I definitely haven't peaked specifically for this, vs more just trying to get fitter every week. So instead of going for a absolute best case scenario time my plan is to have a good solid run to use as a base for the start of 2015.
Still working on the plan but the chances of running with someone going for the same pace is pretty low so are focussed on a good solid solo long run. It is definitely not going to be warm on race day and the wind may be up so adapting to the conditions will be key. Another factor is that although it is flat it is on gravel so can be slower vs running on the roads form that perspective.
At the moment I am going to look to start out at between 4:05 and 4:10 per/km pace and look to re-evaluate at every turn around (10.55, 21.1, 31.65) and look to slowly build if all systems are go. That should put me around the 2:50 mark following a 42.2km progression run give or take if all things go well.
Racing in Race Week - Hershey Harriers Remembrance Day XC
Racing the week of a race is not something everyone does but with the XC race in Stanley Park on Tuesday providing the opportunity for a solid hit out on an important day I decided to lace up shoes and have a solid hit out. I have not been doing xc specific work and with a lot of my running being in Steveston hills have not often been on my agenda!
It was beautiful even if chilly day in Vancouver in Tuesday and the wind was definitely up. Started out trying to hold with the main lead pack as we looped around the grass fields. After about a mile or so was had dropped back a little and spent the rest of the run pretty solo with the back of the main group in sight about 300m or so further ahead.
Felt a bit flat coming flat coming in having had a strong tempo two days prior. however it was good to have a strong hit out. Not sure of exact place but somewhere in the top 10 (had to head straight to work after) and is always fun to race cross country
After this weekend
Some recovery then a few fun races to round out the year including Gunner Shaw 10km, A mile race, a staggered start 5km and a festive half marathon with unconventional aid stations.
Coming into this my mental approach is that this is no easier than ironman, just likely going to be a different type of hurt especially in the last 10km as trying to maintain pace.
This Sunday - MEC Marathon in Steveston
Race day is Sunday and it is a pretty low key event I have chosen being the MEC Marathon. The start is about 700m from my front door and the course goes along the dyke trail that a lot of my runs take place on. Familiarity with a race course isn't always a good thing but will be nice to race local. Having said that I sense for the rest of the year my runs will not take me along the race course!
I have only done one open 26.2 before and that was when i was you and stupid and working way too much. If you have ever wondered how doing a marathon with zero training feels I have that memory from 2006 when I went 4:49 at the Vancouver Marathon. So my full 26.2 history goes like this;
2006 - 4:49 (Vancouver Marathon)
2008 - 4:02 (Ironman Canada)
2009 - 3:47 (Ironman Canada)
2010 - 3:11 (Ironman Couer 'd Alene)
2010 - 3:23 (Ironman Hawaii)
2012 - 3:25 (Challenge Penticton)
So Sunday will be race no.7. I definitely haven't peaked specifically for this, vs more just trying to get fitter every week. So instead of going for a absolute best case scenario time my plan is to have a good solid run to use as a base for the start of 2015.
Still working on the plan but the chances of running with someone going for the same pace is pretty low so are focussed on a good solid solo long run. It is definitely not going to be warm on race day and the wind may be up so adapting to the conditions will be key. Another factor is that although it is flat it is on gravel so can be slower vs running on the roads form that perspective.
At the moment I am going to look to start out at between 4:05 and 4:10 per/km pace and look to re-evaluate at every turn around (10.55, 21.1, 31.65) and look to slowly build if all systems are go. That should put me around the 2:50 mark following a 42.2km progression run give or take if all things go well.
Racing in Race Week - Hershey Harriers Remembrance Day XC
Racing the week of a race is not something everyone does but with the XC race in Stanley Park on Tuesday providing the opportunity for a solid hit out on an important day I decided to lace up shoes and have a solid hit out. I have not been doing xc specific work and with a lot of my running being in Steveston hills have not often been on my agenda!
It was beautiful even if chilly day in Vancouver in Tuesday and the wind was definitely up. Started out trying to hold with the main lead pack as we looped around the grass fields. After about a mile or so was had dropped back a little and spent the rest of the run pretty solo with the back of the main group in sight about 300m or so further ahead.
 |
| Running Past Brockton Oval Clubhouse with Mountains in the Background Photo Credit: Greg White |
Felt a bit flat coming flat coming in having had a strong tempo two days prior. however it was good to have a strong hit out. Not sure of exact place but somewhere in the top 10 (had to head straight to work after) and is always fun to race cross country
 |
| 600m of solo suffering to go Photo Credit: Greg White |
After this weekend
Some recovery then a few fun races to round out the year including Gunner Shaw 10km, A mile race, a staggered start 5km and a festive half marathon with unconventional aid stations.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Granville Island Turkey Trot - 34:59 and 2nd Overall
Canadian Thanksgiving was this past Monday and after a good couple blocks of training it was time to lace up for a race. The Granville Island Turkey Trot has been around for a few years and winds around the east part of the Vancouver Sea Wall.
After having raced the Eastside 10km while sick 4 weeks prior I was happy to have a opportunity to race feeling healthy and with 4 more weeks of training under the belt. I talked a little bit about my last couple months of training in my last blog post about Building Blocks and running consistently has been a big part of that.
The week leading up to the race had some good quality sessions and on the back of a strong workout on Friday night and a easy weekend I was looking forward to lacing up the shoes.
In the end this is race report about a 10km so not much drama or excitement to be had but have given an overview of how I approached the day for those interested in what I do the day of race.
Pre Race Routine
My plan going into this one was not to race others but have a good solid effort with view to taking hills (both up and down) easy and focussing on rhythm for the rest of the race.
Had a good relaxed warm-up which is now the same warm up I do before all my structured workout runs which is;
Based on GPS the course showed a little short (200m) but with all the turns I likely trust the course measurements over the satellites on this one.
Goals for this One Achieved
My goal was to run sub 36 so sub 35 was nice. Negative split as well which bodes well for current fitness. A few things to take form this like really concentrating on form and relaxing after a couple km's and the need to keep on working on my leg turnover.
What Next
Next up is a few weeks of solid training, potentially a cross country race before jumping in the MEC Marathon on Nov 16th which starts about 500m from my house. Idea for this race will be to have a solid run and hopefully not bury myself too much, but will know a lot more about the plan for that in the coming weeks.
Thanks
Thanks to Granville Island and the Vancouver International Marathon Society for putting those race on that supports the Vancouver Food Bank. Also thanks to all the sponsors including Tenderland Meats from the Granville Island Public Market that were kind enough to supply me with a gift card for post race. Also thanks to the volunteers who stood out there on a cold holiday Monday.
Thanks to Powered by Chocolate Milk, Forerunners North Vancouver and Speed Theory for their continued support.
After having raced the Eastside 10km while sick 4 weeks prior I was happy to have a opportunity to race feeling healthy and with 4 more weeks of training under the belt. I talked a little bit about my last couple months of training in my last blog post about Building Blocks and running consistently has been a big part of that.
The week leading up to the race had some good quality sessions and on the back of a strong workout on Friday night and a easy weekend I was looking forward to lacing up the shoes.
In the end this is race report about a 10km so not much drama or excitement to be had but have given an overview of how I approached the day for those interested in what I do the day of race.
Pre Race Routine
My plan going into this one was not to race others but have a good solid effort with view to taking hills (both up and down) easy and focussing on rhythm for the rest of the race.
Had a good relaxed warm-up which is now the same warm up I do before all my structured workout runs which is;
- 2 to 3km Warm-up run (super super easy - shuffling nearly moving backwards type of easy)
- Followed by drills and strides (I focus on a race pace feel for strides)
- Before a race I ensure getting a longer recovery between strides than sometimes with a workout.
This takes me about 30 to 40 minutes so normally start this about 45 minutes prior to the race start as it gives me time to have a chat and say hello to people I may know racing.
Racing
So then it is time to go. Race morning had promised a good dumping of rain but apart from the odd sprinkle the rain held off for racing. The seawall is a beautiful place to run but racing the east section involves a lot of turns and it can be a bit slippery with moisture.
First km looked to find my own rhythm which meant yoyoing off the back group for the first 500m before ending up pushing the pace a little. after about 2km comes the Burard bridge and as per my plan I backed off on this section both up and down and at as the course returned to the seawall I was in 4th place.
Lost concentration through some of the twisty bits and a group of 5 or so was starting to form at 5km at which point I focused on nice turn over and ended driving ahead of that group. Kirill of West Van Run fame (he is race director) had already established a nice gap at this point after pulling away on the Burrard Bridge. So at this point I was in 2nd and just focussed on having a nice strong run. Could see Kirill in the distance but realistically I was not going to drop a 3 min/km to drop the gap so focussed on a nice strong run. Had to push a bit on the last 100m or so to dip under 35 minutes and was happy to that and have a good solid race and end up with 2nd place.
Based on GPS the course showed a little short (200m) but with all the turns I likely trust the course measurements over the satellites on this one.
Goals for this One Achieved
My goal was to run sub 36 so sub 35 was nice. Negative split as well which bodes well for current fitness. A few things to take form this like really concentrating on form and relaxing after a couple km's and the need to keep on working on my leg turnover.
 |
| M30-39 Podium - Managed to get my AG Win (Photo Credit Stephen P) |
What Next
Next up is a few weeks of solid training, potentially a cross country race before jumping in the MEC Marathon on Nov 16th which starts about 500m from my house. Idea for this race will be to have a solid run and hopefully not bury myself too much, but will know a lot more about the plan for that in the coming weeks.
Thanks
Thanks to Granville Island and the Vancouver International Marathon Society for putting those race on that supports the Vancouver Food Bank. Also thanks to all the sponsors including Tenderland Meats from the Granville Island Public Market that were kind enough to supply me with a gift card for post race. Also thanks to the volunteers who stood out there on a cold holiday Monday.
Thanks to Powered by Chocolate Milk, Forerunners North Vancouver and Speed Theory for their continued support.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Building Blocks
Had a few people ask what I am training for at the moment. The reality is at the moment is I do not know and it is actually been a fun and refreshing time.
Lots of ideas in my head but at the moment are not committing or focussing on anything long term. Instead I have taken the approach of 4 to 6 weeks at a time and setting mini goals for each of these periods.
This week marks the end of the second of these such blocks and it has been fun to enjoy training again and not being stressed out about my current level of fitness or goals/races many months away.
A recap on these two blocks and some future plans
Block 1 - Creating Routine
One thing I had been struggling with is the creation or routine. So for my First Block form August to Early September I focussed on this with a priority focussed on running. This ended up being 25 runs in August and then 32 runs in September.
Add to this I have now found a workout schedule that works for me. The big part of this for me was moving my long runs from the weekend to Friday's. Fridays I am in control of my schedule and rolling out after work seems to work perfect for me.
The upside of this first block was started to enjoy training again and through a focus on running have got my run rhythm back.
Block 2 - Building Momentum
Block 2 as I have called it ends this Monday with the Turkey Trot 10km. This has once again been focussed on running and really hitting workouts as planned. This has involved learning to suffer on the run again and the last few weeks of this block have been some of my best training since over 4 years ago of BK (Before Kids). Through finding a routine that works in terms of what days to do what workouts - getting out for easy runs when a window opens up and having fun have found a balance which has been nice.
Not expecting anything ground breaking time wise on Monday but feel like are setting a good foundation for future goals and fitness. This last 4 weeks has involved a focus on some consistent running workouts. All my long runs have involved some interval work as well which adds some variety for the 2hr sessions.
What Follows?
If I am successful in this block then block 4 will be focussed on solidifying the above habits and schedule throughout December.
In terms of goals still working through these but at the moment are focusing them on specific times or test sets vs. big A races. Some of these goals are easier to achieve where as some may take over a year. The idea is that once achieved they then can be replaced but a subsequent goal.
These are still tentative and my aim is to form these over the next few weeks. Based on some test sets and current fitness my plan is to create some intermediate goals with the below. Once I have worked this out then I cans tart to organise my blocks to focus towards getting closer to these goals
Run - Sub 33:30 10km or 26:30 8km (VDOT 64)
Swim - Sub 25 min 1500m (LCM)
Bike - FTP of 4.5 W/kg
So the next part of the goal setting will be getting baselines of where I am at and setting intermediary goals whether that be times and/or process related for each training block.
Favourite Photo from the Last Week
So this last week my second daughter turned 1 - Kona race day will fall on her 20th birthday so no pressure form that perspective :) (or for dad trying to qualify in the 50-54 AG)
Been a fun year and now we have a bit more routine going in the household looking forward to building some momentum with my training like I have been doing for the past 10 weeks or so.
Lots of ideas in my head but at the moment are not committing or focussing on anything long term. Instead I have taken the approach of 4 to 6 weeks at a time and setting mini goals for each of these periods.
This week marks the end of the second of these such blocks and it has been fun to enjoy training again and not being stressed out about my current level of fitness or goals/races many months away.
A recap on these two blocks and some future plans
Block 1 - Creating Routine
One thing I had been struggling with is the creation or routine. So for my First Block form August to Early September I focussed on this with a priority focussed on running. This ended up being 25 runs in August and then 32 runs in September.
Add to this I have now found a workout schedule that works for me. The big part of this for me was moving my long runs from the weekend to Friday's. Fridays I am in control of my schedule and rolling out after work seems to work perfect for me.
The upside of this first block was started to enjoy training again and through a focus on running have got my run rhythm back.
Block 2 - Building Momentum
Block 2 as I have called it ends this Monday with the Turkey Trot 10km. This has once again been focussed on running and really hitting workouts as planned. This has involved learning to suffer on the run again and the last few weeks of this block have been some of my best training since over 4 years ago of BK (Before Kids). Through finding a routine that works in terms of what days to do what workouts - getting out for easy runs when a window opens up and having fun have found a balance which has been nice.
Not expecting anything ground breaking time wise on Monday but feel like are setting a good foundation for future goals and fitness. This last 4 weeks has involved a focus on some consistent running workouts. All my long runs have involved some interval work as well which adds some variety for the 2hr sessions.
What's Next Block 3 - Layering
So next up is block 3. This one will be 5 weeks in duration culminating on Nov 16th with the MEC Marathon that starts and finishes 500m from my house in Steveston.
Even though this block concludes with a race my aim is to take the 26.2 as a extended long run so will likely not be trying to go full gas but rather have a strong effort. The race is pretty low key and on the gravel dyke which can be exposed to the wind even though it is pancake flat. Not too mention November could bring any type of weather but it will be good to have a focussed hit out.
Having said that the main goal of this block for me is to start to layer in some consistent swim and bike on top of the run. not looking for perfection on this front but trying to build a schedule that will work for me going forward.
By moving my long runs to Friday's has opened up some more flexibility on weekends for the bike and getting in a long ride. Given I normally commute around 100km a week if I long ride on the weekend and get in another spin at some point getting my mileage up is pretty straightforward. The focus for this block will be getting in the long rides and ensuring most of the work is aerobic to allow for strong run workouts.
The big challenge this block will be layering in the swim. Part of this has already started in terms of focussing of going to bed earlier. I am a big believer in 8-10 hours of sleep as my standard so if I am to swim with a group (which I need to do) I need to be asleep by about 9pm on a consistent basis especially when swimming in the am. My goal by the end of this block is to be swimming 4 times a week with a view to hopefully expand this in coming blocks to 5 or 6 swims a week.
So in short here are the goals for the next 5 weeks;
- Run consistently and maintain momentum around structured sessions.
- By the end of the block be riding long once a week and have a non commute bike session during the week.
- Swim 4 times a week with 2 of these being in a group environment
What Follows?
If I am successful in this block then block 4 will be focussed on solidifying the above habits and schedule throughout December.
In terms of goals still working through these but at the moment are focusing them on specific times or test sets vs. big A races. Some of these goals are easier to achieve where as some may take over a year. The idea is that once achieved they then can be replaced but a subsequent goal.
These are still tentative and my aim is to form these over the next few weeks. Based on some test sets and current fitness my plan is to create some intermediate goals with the below. Once I have worked this out then I cans tart to organise my blocks to focus towards getting closer to these goals
Run - Sub 33:30 10km or 26:30 8km (VDOT 64)
Swim - Sub 25 min 1500m (LCM)
Bike - FTP of 4.5 W/kg
So the next part of the goal setting will be getting baselines of where I am at and setting intermediary goals whether that be times and/or process related for each training block.
Favourite Photo from the Last Week
So this last week my second daughter turned 1 - Kona race day will fall on her 20th birthday so no pressure form that perspective :) (or for dad trying to qualify in the 50-54 AG)
Been a fun year and now we have a bit more routine going in the household looking forward to building some momentum with my training like I have been doing for the past 10 weeks or so.
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