The Road 2 Hope half marathon was my final race of the year. It was a busy year with 8 races (4 triathlons, and 4 running races) so I would say it was a culmination of a year of solid training.
Race Week
I had some left hip and back tightness early in the week. I kept the training fairly easy, but had a hard swim on Tuesday and a treadmill run. The run seemed to irritate my left glute as it was even more sore on Wednesday - I had to take the entire day mostly off of training, as even an easy spin on the trainer seemed to make it worse. I also stretched a bit Wednesday evening, but it was still tight Thursday morning. I decided to switch it up an run outside on Thursday - my hip felt okay but still not as great as I would have liked. I decided to keep things really easy on Friday and Saturday to allow for some additional recovery time, while still remaining fairly active (I got my 10K steps both days).
My diet was pretty good for the week and I didn't have any GI abnormalities.
Pre-race
Was up at 6:00 (new time after the change) and had breakfast shortly thereafter. Aim was for 400-500 calories as I can typically digest 200-250 cal/hr pre-race. I had 2 packs of oatmeal (plain/maple) with maybe 1/4 scoop of protein powder, and then a cranberry almond granola bar. Est. cal 450. Arrived at the race right around 7 am. It was about 12C with some light rain and a decent wind from the SE (probably 25-30K). I headed straight to the community centre and dropped my bag off and did some light stretching. Probably around 730 I did my first bathroom break - I thought I had to do a PRP but I decided for #1 only. Maybe 10 min later I started to jog outside (740) and knew for sure I had to use the portapotty before the race. I headed to the outside toilets as it was super busy inside. Around 7:45 the skies opened up and it poured on us. With the wind it was quite chilly as I was down to a tri top and shorts. Luckily the line moved quickly and by 750 I was heading inside to warm up and dry off before the run. Finally at 757 I headed back outside for another quick warm-up jog before the race start at 0800.
Race- Upper Mountain
The rain had let up once the race started, but the first 2K were into a fairly strong headwind. I tried to stay in the pack to cut the wind, but it still slowed me down a bit and I wasn't quite fully warmed up yet. I hit the 2K mark in about 8:15, roughly 15s behind my 4:00 pace. Luckily we hit the turn at that point and were mostly out of the wind. My stride felt good for the next few K as I brought the pace down under 4:00. Sipped some Nuun at 3K and continued to maintain my stride until 6.5K, when was hit the parkway. Had another quick sip of Nuun at 7K and then headed down the parkway with a tail wind.
Red Hill Valley Parkway
The combination of the downhill parkway and tailwind allowed me to get down into the high 3:40s for the next few K and I felt pretty good. I found someone to pace with that was running roughly the same pace, and we slowly passed a few runners. At 10K I had another sip of Nuun. I hit the 10K mark in the low 39s, quite happy that I was banking some time that I would definitely lose later on. At 11K the terrain was leveling out as everyone was getting back to the 4:00 pace, and I could feel some fatigue for the first time. I decided to take my first shot blok prior to the aid station around 13K. It seemed to sit well, which is always an issue during my running races. It was at this point that we headed off the parkway and onto the trails.
Trails
From 13.5K until about 15.5K the course was a gravel trail with many ups, downs, twists and turns. It was wet because of the rain but the gravel kept it from getting too muddy. My trail running paid off here as I was able to drop the group I had been running with and even pass a few runners. I kept the pace at about 4:10 for this stretch - I knew from last year that I would definitely lose some of the time I had banked on the downhill portion. Once I was back on the paved trail, I was running fairly solo and had to pace myself. For the first portion (16-18K) we had a tailwind so I could keep the pace close to 4:00. I also had another shot block and sip of nuun (around 16.5K). I was still feeling pretty good at this point so I was confident I would be somewhere in the 1:24-1:25 range. Once I hit the turn around at 18.5K, the final stretch was into the head wind again. This was definitely the most challenging portion of the race as my legs felt the fatigue for the first time. At 18K I just had to run the final 3K in 13 min to hit 1:25. As I was running 4:10-4:15 into the wind at point I knew it would be close. I still managed to have a final kick, but it really only served to keep me from slowing down. I crossed the line in 1:25:07! Not quite under 1:25 but over a minute faster than last year and under my goal of 1:26. It was also my fastest 21.1K time since 2007 (when I set my PB of 1:22). Felt good at the end too!
Nutrition recap
Nuun at 3K, 7K, 10K, 13.5K, 17K, 19K
Shot blok at 12.5K and 16.5K (60 cal)
Sunday, November 5, 2017
October Recap
Swim: 23.5K/10h55 (1st)
Bike: 219K/7h19 (7th)
Run: 126K/10h (5th)
Strength/Other: 5h15m
Total: 34h02m (7th)
October was a busy month. I haven't been keeping up my weekly blog posts, so I'm trying to write monthly updates at the least. I'm still in the "off-season" which for new means my training is less race-focused an more on base fitness. My running volume was actually up in preparation for the Road 2 Hope Half-Marathon, swim volume was a bit higher and bike volume was relatively low. Overall I'm feeling good, minus some slight left hip pain (ITB, hip flexor, glute tightness) and some left posterior shoulder pain (possible return of my impingement).
Swimming
Continued with the Ancaster Masters - started to notice improvement with the non-free strokes and drills. My freestyle is likely improved as well, but there has been less tempo work so it's hard to know for sure. I added some easy swims on Mondays to work on technique and loosen up prior to the Tues/Thurs Masters swims. I also did a trial swim with the Hamilton Hammerheads and may consider swimming with them. They seem to have much more of a triathlon focus.
Cycling
Overall I didn't spend a lot of time on the trainer this month. After 6 months of cycling-focus, I decided to put it on the back burner and focus on running this month. I also noticed that the trainer was amplifying the L hip pain, so I'm hoping some time off will help with recovery. I've also got a bike fit planned for the first week of Nov to look at my fit - it's been a least 3.5 years since my last fit (maybe 4+) and no doubt my body has changed since then.
Running
The most significant aspect of my training in October was running. I hit my largest volume since the spring and felt good doing it. There was a long trail run (16K) that was a great experience and helped to balance out my road running. I also ran 2 races > a 10K at McMaster and 7K in Stoney Creek. While my times weren't super fast, I felt great during both races, which is promising for my upcoming off season. I have a great base and just need to add on a bit of speed. I'm feeling good heading into the Road 2 Hope Half, thinking I can at least run the 1:26:15 from last year and possibly run sub 1:26.
Strength
Starting to build up a strength again, but less aggressive with the total volume.
Bike: 219K/7h19 (7th)
Run: 126K/10h (5th)
Strength/Other: 5h15m
Total: 34h02m (7th)
October was a busy month. I haven't been keeping up my weekly blog posts, so I'm trying to write monthly updates at the least. I'm still in the "off-season" which for new means my training is less race-focused an more on base fitness. My running volume was actually up in preparation for the Road 2 Hope Half-Marathon, swim volume was a bit higher and bike volume was relatively low. Overall I'm feeling good, minus some slight left hip pain (ITB, hip flexor, glute tightness) and some left posterior shoulder pain (possible return of my impingement).
Swimming
Continued with the Ancaster Masters - started to notice improvement with the non-free strokes and drills. My freestyle is likely improved as well, but there has been less tempo work so it's hard to know for sure. I added some easy swims on Mondays to work on technique and loosen up prior to the Tues/Thurs Masters swims. I also did a trial swim with the Hamilton Hammerheads and may consider swimming with them. They seem to have much more of a triathlon focus.
Cycling
Overall I didn't spend a lot of time on the trainer this month. After 6 months of cycling-focus, I decided to put it on the back burner and focus on running this month. I also noticed that the trainer was amplifying the L hip pain, so I'm hoping some time off will help with recovery. I've also got a bike fit planned for the first week of Nov to look at my fit - it's been a least 3.5 years since my last fit (maybe 4+) and no doubt my body has changed since then.
Running
The most significant aspect of my training in October was running. I hit my largest volume since the spring and felt good doing it. There was a long trail run (16K) that was a great experience and helped to balance out my road running. I also ran 2 races > a 10K at McMaster and 7K in Stoney Creek. While my times weren't super fast, I felt great during both races, which is promising for my upcoming off season. I have a great base and just need to add on a bit of speed. I'm feeling good heading into the Road 2 Hope Half, thinking I can at least run the 1:26:15 from last year and possibly run sub 1:26.
Strength
Starting to build up a strength again, but less aggressive with the total volume.
Monday, October 30, 2017
September Recap
I didn't do a post-Barrelman week training post, so I decided to skip it and go straight to a September training summary. With the exception of the race itself, the second half of September was a fairly light training load. Here are the numbers:
Swim: 18.9K/6h47 (6th)
Bike: 377K/13h19 (2nd)
Run: 81.9K/6h53 (8th)
Strength/Other: 4h58m
Total: 31h58m (7th)
September was my lowest-volume month since January. It's also the busiest month I've had in a while with school (and life). So total "life stress" was probably constant. It's nice to have a recovery month that is planned and not forced by injury. I'm heading into October feeling fairly good, minus some minor low back pain (I've had it before, just need to keep up my mobility).
Swimming
I started swimming with the Ancaster Masters this month. The plan is to continue swmming with them 2X per week until at least December, and re-evaluate. I hit my fastest times in the pool in years this summer, but I also didn't break any open water personal bests. I also did almost no open water swim training so that might be a factor. Nonetheless I'm feeling strong in the pool, but also know that I need some swim coaching to get much faster.
Cycling
I ended the month with an FTP test on the trainer. I've only had the power meter on my bike for one season, but training with it has definitely made a difference. I hit a personal best FTP of 256W (3.76W/kg at my current weight). I don't have a lot of previous data to compare it to, other than virtual power numbers from my trainer, but I would say I'm up about 10W for the year. I've been able to get some short rides in daily (about 2K to/from school) which I've been finding helps keep me loose on the bike. I'll keep riding as into the year as I can and probably train 2X on the trainer into the fall.
Running
My running volume was way down in Sept, but I'm feeling good going into a run-focused fall training session. I haven't really focused much on running since I hurt myself in June, but I feel like I'm healthy enough to some speed work and some fall races. I'm going to start adding weekly speed session and do more trail running leading into the fall race season.
Strength
This is the other aspect of my training I'm going to slightly increase my load. I've been fairly consistent with my strength work, but now I might up the weights a bit.
Swim: 18.9K/6h47 (6th)
Bike: 377K/13h19 (2nd)
Run: 81.9K/6h53 (8th)
Strength/Other: 4h58m
Total: 31h58m (7th)
September was my lowest-volume month since January. It's also the busiest month I've had in a while with school (and life). So total "life stress" was probably constant. It's nice to have a recovery month that is planned and not forced by injury. I'm heading into October feeling fairly good, minus some minor low back pain (I've had it before, just need to keep up my mobility).
Swimming
I started swimming with the Ancaster Masters this month. The plan is to continue swmming with them 2X per week until at least December, and re-evaluate. I hit my fastest times in the pool in years this summer, but I also didn't break any open water personal bests. I also did almost no open water swim training so that might be a factor. Nonetheless I'm feeling strong in the pool, but also know that I need some swim coaching to get much faster.
Cycling
I ended the month with an FTP test on the trainer. I've only had the power meter on my bike for one season, but training with it has definitely made a difference. I hit a personal best FTP of 256W (3.76W/kg at my current weight). I don't have a lot of previous data to compare it to, other than virtual power numbers from my trainer, but I would say I'm up about 10W for the year. I've been able to get some short rides in daily (about 2K to/from school) which I've been finding helps keep me loose on the bike. I'll keep riding as into the year as I can and probably train 2X on the trainer into the fall.
Running
My running volume was way down in Sept, but I'm feeling good going into a run-focused fall training session. I haven't really focused much on running since I hurt myself in June, but I feel like I'm healthy enough to some speed work and some fall races. I'm going to start adding weekly speed session and do more trail running leading into the fall race season.
Strength
This is the other aspect of my training I'm going to slightly increase my load. I've been fairly consistent with my strength work, but now I might up the weights a bit.
Barrelman Triathlon Race Report
Swim (2K+): 35:14 (1:39-1:45, GPS vs )
T1: 2:14
Bike (86K): 2:25:10 (35.5k/h)
T2: 2:40
Run (21.1K): 1:45:32
Total: 4:50:51
This is the first race report I've typed up in a while, so it'll probably be long. This past weekend I completed the Barrleman Half-Iron Triathlon in the Niagara Region. It was my second half-iron of the year (after Muskoka in July), 7th 70.3 overall and 3rd time I've done 2 long-distance tris in the same year (in 2007 and 2015 I did the half-full iron combo). As well, it was my 4th triathlon - the first time I've ever finished 4 tris in the same season (in 2011 I entered 4 but didn't finish the Canadian half-iron).
Overall I was happy with my race. I felt good at the start of the swim - I decided literally minutes before the start to squeeze down half a gel, as in the past I remember losing steam towards the end of the swim. I had my garmin 905 in my swim cap to help me track swim distance, although the course was well-marked. After the start, I quickly surged to near the front of my wave (M/W 35-39). It only took a few hundred m before I was hitting the slowest swimmers of the wave earlier. Around that time I discovered there was a line down the buoys that you could see underwater! This really helped me stay on course, and I realized I have a tendency to drift left when I swim open water. I stayed on course with another woman in a pink cap as we kept passing swimmers from the earlier wave (literally dozens). I had no idea of my pace but I knew I was keeping my effort low, which was intentional. When I got to the final tur (maybe 100m left) my watch beeped that we were at 2K > so I probably ended up swimming close to 2.1K in around 35. A tad slow, but if you count the extra distance it makes sense (goal was 33). My transition was reasonable and I was on my bike in about 2 minutes. (17th in my AG out of the water)
At the start f the bike my quads were cramping> I might have overkicked in the swim? Either way, I was having trouble holding aero for long periods and had to take frequent breaks. I was managing about 35K/h though without much of a wind, so I just kept trucking. I was passed by a ton of guys with disc wheels, although most were from the wave behind me. I only recalled one guy from the 35-39 passing me. I caught up to a guy from the earlier wave and we ended up riding together, although at a legal distance *unlike many other riders). At around 30K we started to turn back to Niagara falls and my legs were feeling better. We started to get a slight tail wind and I bumped my speed to around 36-37. I was eating and drinking exactly as planned, but it was getting hot. Around 56K we hit the final water station on the bike> I calculated that for 30K left I should have enough water (rough 50-55 min) so I didn't bother to grab another bottle. Well I clearly miscalculated, because shortley after that we hit the few hills of the course, and with the heat my water use went up. With about 10-15K left I was basically out of water. I was still feeling good though, and there wasn't anything I could do, so I jsut kept on trucking while conserving energy a bit (and my legs for the run). Nonetheless my times/speed were the fastest I've ever done in a race of that length, actually close to a PB for 40K as well (around 1:07) and finishing the 86K in 2:25 (equivalent to about 2:32 for 90K). I definitely had a tail wind for at least half the race, so that might have helped, but oh well. I came off the bike in 16th in my AG.
During T2 I stopped for a quick pee and then downed some water. I started off great, going out the first 5K in 22:44 (close to 4:30/k). It started to get hot then and I slowed down slightly, but still was around 47 for 10K. The second loop was significantly harder as I started to slow down to 5:00per k, and then 5:30s. My carb intake for the second loop was probably too low as I didnt want t risk GI issues. I probably should have tried out some of the on course nutrition. My salt intake was good as I didn't cramp at all. Overall I finished in 1:45, losing nearly 5 min in the final 5K of the run or so. Going into the run I was hoping to run sub 1:40 and finish in 4:45, but considering the heat I'll take the 4:50. Even factoring in the short bike course, I would have come in sub 5:00hrs which was my goal!
I was happy with this as it was only my 2nd race sub 5 hrs ever (last was in 2008) and this run course was HOT.
T1: 2:14
Bike (86K): 2:25:10 (35.5k/h)
T2: 2:40
Run (21.1K): 1:45:32
Total: 4:50:51
This is the first race report I've typed up in a while, so it'll probably be long. This past weekend I completed the Barrleman Half-Iron Triathlon in the Niagara Region. It was my second half-iron of the year (after Muskoka in July), 7th 70.3 overall and 3rd time I've done 2 long-distance tris in the same year (in 2007 and 2015 I did the half-full iron combo). As well, it was my 4th triathlon - the first time I've ever finished 4 tris in the same season (in 2011 I entered 4 but didn't finish the Canadian half-iron).
Overall I was happy with my race. I felt good at the start of the swim - I decided literally minutes before the start to squeeze down half a gel, as in the past I remember losing steam towards the end of the swim. I had my garmin 905 in my swim cap to help me track swim distance, although the course was well-marked. After the start, I quickly surged to near the front of my wave (M/W 35-39). It only took a few hundred m before I was hitting the slowest swimmers of the wave earlier. Around that time I discovered there was a line down the buoys that you could see underwater! This really helped me stay on course, and I realized I have a tendency to drift left when I swim open water. I stayed on course with another woman in a pink cap as we kept passing swimmers from the earlier wave (literally dozens). I had no idea of my pace but I knew I was keeping my effort low, which was intentional. When I got to the final tur (maybe 100m left) my watch beeped that we were at 2K > so I probably ended up swimming close to 2.1K in around 35. A tad slow, but if you count the extra distance it makes sense (goal was 33). My transition was reasonable and I was on my bike in about 2 minutes. (17th in my AG out of the water)
At the start f the bike my quads were cramping> I might have overkicked in the swim? Either way, I was having trouble holding aero for long periods and had to take frequent breaks. I was managing about 35K/h though without much of a wind, so I just kept trucking. I was passed by a ton of guys with disc wheels, although most were from the wave behind me. I only recalled one guy from the 35-39 passing me. I caught up to a guy from the earlier wave and we ended up riding together, although at a legal distance *unlike many other riders). At around 30K we started to turn back to Niagara falls and my legs were feeling better. We started to get a slight tail wind and I bumped my speed to around 36-37. I was eating and drinking exactly as planned, but it was getting hot. Around 56K we hit the final water station on the bike> I calculated that for 30K left I should have enough water (rough 50-55 min) so I didn't bother to grab another bottle. Well I clearly miscalculated, because shortley after that we hit the few hills of the course, and with the heat my water use went up. With about 10-15K left I was basically out of water. I was still feeling good though, and there wasn't anything I could do, so I jsut kept on trucking while conserving energy a bit (and my legs for the run). Nonetheless my times/speed were the fastest I've ever done in a race of that length, actually close to a PB for 40K as well (around 1:07) and finishing the 86K in 2:25 (equivalent to about 2:32 for 90K). I definitely had a tail wind for at least half the race, so that might have helped, but oh well. I came off the bike in 16th in my AG.
During T2 I stopped for a quick pee and then downed some water. I started off great, going out the first 5K in 22:44 (close to 4:30/k). It started to get hot then and I slowed down slightly, but still was around 47 for 10K. The second loop was significantly harder as I started to slow down to 5:00per k, and then 5:30s. My carb intake for the second loop was probably too low as I didnt want t risk GI issues. I probably should have tried out some of the on course nutrition. My salt intake was good as I didn't cramp at all. Overall I finished in 1:45, losing nearly 5 min in the final 5K of the run or so. Going into the run I was hoping to run sub 1:40 and finish in 4:45, but considering the heat I'll take the 4:50. Even factoring in the short bike course, I would have come in sub 5:00hrs which was my goal!
I was happy with this as it was only my 2nd race sub 5 hrs ever (last was in 2008) and this run course was HOT.
Barrelman Race Week
Training Summary: Sep 11 - 16
2-1 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 1h29m/
Bike: 2h56m/ (40 min bike commute)
Run: 1h50/
Weights: 1h06m
Other:
Total:
Summary
Swimming:
Tuesday AM: 53m/2K Q7 I7
Did 2X swims this week. First was the practice with the Ancaster Masters. Had a good swim experience, the first workout was straightforward with a lot of drills and kicking (which I need to work on)
Thursday AM: 39m/1.5K
Second swim was a lot of backstroke and kick drills. I stopped after 39min because I didn't want to overdo it before the race. I think it'll be good for me to practice the various drills.
Cycling:
Wednesday AM: 35m/16K Q8I8 (trainer)
Did my regular short bike commute this week for a total of 50 min of riding. Also did a tune-up ride on my tri bike on Tues to sort out the rear derailleur. Felt like I had it sorted and tried another ride on Thursday.
Running:
Tuesday AM: 25m/5.1K Q7I7
Easy run though Westdale. Kept the pace easy, started with 5:22 and dropped to around 4:50 by the end.
Weights/Mobility:
Monday PM: 35m Q8I8
Did a light workout with weights on Monday morning (Sq, DL, BP). Wednesday morning I did some body weight exercises with focus on mobility.
Wednesday
Did some body weight exercises and light stretching, as well as mobility drills.
Pre-Race
Race Nutrition plan
Breakfast: 500-600 cal (600-630AM); hydration 250-500mL
Pre-Race: 0.5-1 gel + 250 mL of water (salt tab if hot?)
Ride: gel post-swim within 5-10 mins on the bike. drink 250 mL of combined fluid. Will carry 700mL of E-load (3 scoops) + 300-600mL of water (depending on temp?). Water refill at 30 and 60K (approx) of an extra 1-1.3L. Gels at 35-40 min, 65-70m, 95-100m, 2h05-2h10 (last gel)
Run 2 gels + 2 scoops of e-load
2-1 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 1h29m/
Bike: 2h56m/ (40 min bike commute)
Run: 1h50/
Weights: 1h06m
Other:
Total:
Summary
Swimming:
Tuesday AM: 53m/2K Q7 I7
Did 2X swims this week. First was the practice with the Ancaster Masters. Had a good swim experience, the first workout was straightforward with a lot of drills and kicking (which I need to work on)
Thursday AM: 39m/1.5K
Second swim was a lot of backstroke and kick drills. I stopped after 39min because I didn't want to overdo it before the race. I think it'll be good for me to practice the various drills.
Cycling:
Wednesday AM: 35m/16K Q8I8 (trainer)
Did my regular short bike commute this week for a total of 50 min of riding. Also did a tune-up ride on my tri bike on Tues to sort out the rear derailleur. Felt like I had it sorted and tried another ride on Thursday.
Running:
Tuesday AM: 25m/5.1K Q7I7
Easy run though Westdale. Kept the pace easy, started with 5:22 and dropped to around 4:50 by the end.
Weights/Mobility:
Monday PM: 35m Q8I8
Did a light workout with weights on Monday morning (Sq, DL, BP). Wednesday morning I did some body weight exercises with focus on mobility.
Wednesday
Did some body weight exercises and light stretching, as well as mobility drills.
Pre-Race
Race Nutrition plan
Breakfast: 500-600 cal (600-630AM); hydration 250-500mL
Pre-Race: 0.5-1 gel + 250 mL of water (salt tab if hot?)
Ride: gel post-swim within 5-10 mins on the bike. drink 250 mL of combined fluid. Will carry 700mL of E-load (3 scoops) + 300-600mL of water (depending on temp?). Water refill at 30 and 60K (approx) of an extra 1-1.3L. Gels at 35-40 min, 65-70m, 95-100m, 2h05-2h10 (last gel)
Run 2 gels + 2 scoops of e-load
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
August Training Summary: Gearing up For Barrelman
Aug 2017
Total Training Volume
Swim: 21.8K/7h03m (3rd)
Bike: 426K/14h32m (1st)
Run: 124.1K/10h28m(3rd)
Weights/Other: 6h53m
Total: 38h58 (1st)
Aug was my busiest training month in the last year except for May. After an injury in mid-June and Muskoka in July, I took most of July off recovering. Both months were the least I've ran in over a year (probably since Aug 2016). August I bounced back with my highest bike volume of the year and 3rd highest swim volume. My running bounced back, although I was still running significantly more volume back in the spring.
Swim: I didn't do any OW swimming (except for the very end of the month), but thanks to being in Hamilton I was able to swim in a pool all summer (first time in probably 9 years). As a result my swimming is the fastest it's ever been. I didn't do as much volume due to the business of my school schedule, but I felt like I was able to maintain the improvements I made during the June/July time period. I know Sept will likely be less swimming due to school and tapering for the race. But I am starting Masters swimming so I will be able to get 2 good sessions per week in for the off season.
Bike: Continued to work on volume after not doing as much in June and July. The course is going to be long and flat I wanted to train some long sessions in aero and work on sustaining power output. Did a little less speed/power work in this month and focused more on volume, as I felt that I fatigued in the later stages of Muskoka. I also worked a lot on nutrition on the bike. Knowing that in Sept my volume will drop significantly and I'll continue to mostly work on power until next spring.
Run: Focused on building up the mileage after not doing a lot the past few months. I haven't done much speed work but I feel like I've got enough for a 70.3 which is really about not dying on the run. Once the fall hits my focus will be more on speed and getting ready for Road2Hope and Around the Bay. I know my fall running volume will increase as it usually does.
Strength: Re-focused on strength during the summer months. I normally taper off the weights during the summer but this year that led to a glute injury in June. As a result I continued to do dead lifts and squats every week, although the total load was low (60-70% 1RPM). Once the biking volume starts to drop I will add more weight volume into my trg plan.
Total Training Volume
Swim: 21.8K/7h03m (3rd)
Bike: 426K/14h32m (1st)
Run: 124.1K/10h28m(3rd)
Weights/Other: 6h53m
Total: 38h58 (1st)
Aug was my busiest training month in the last year except for May. After an injury in mid-June and Muskoka in July, I took most of July off recovering. Both months were the least I've ran in over a year (probably since Aug 2016). August I bounced back with my highest bike volume of the year and 3rd highest swim volume. My running bounced back, although I was still running significantly more volume back in the spring.
Swim: I didn't do any OW swimming (except for the very end of the month), but thanks to being in Hamilton I was able to swim in a pool all summer (first time in probably 9 years). As a result my swimming is the fastest it's ever been. I didn't do as much volume due to the business of my school schedule, but I felt like I was able to maintain the improvements I made during the June/July time period. I know Sept will likely be less swimming due to school and tapering for the race. But I am starting Masters swimming so I will be able to get 2 good sessions per week in for the off season.
Bike: Continued to work on volume after not doing as much in June and July. The course is going to be long and flat I wanted to train some long sessions in aero and work on sustaining power output. Did a little less speed/power work in this month and focused more on volume, as I felt that I fatigued in the later stages of Muskoka. I also worked a lot on nutrition on the bike. Knowing that in Sept my volume will drop significantly and I'll continue to mostly work on power until next spring.
Run: Focused on building up the mileage after not doing a lot the past few months. I haven't done much speed work but I feel like I've got enough for a 70.3 which is really about not dying on the run. Once the fall hits my focus will be more on speed and getting ready for Road2Hope and Around the Bay. I know my fall running volume will increase as it usually does.
Strength: Re-focused on strength during the summer months. I normally taper off the weights during the summer but this year that led to a glute injury in June. As a result I continued to do dead lifts and squats every week, although the total load was low (60-70% 1RPM). Once the biking volume starts to drop I will add more weight volume into my trg plan.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Tapering for Barrelman
Training Summary: Sep 4 -10
2-1 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 1h29m/
Bike: 2h56m/ (40 min bike commute)
Run: 1h50/
Weights: 1h06m
Other:
Total: 7h22m
Summary
Good first week of taper. Did a good long swim in the pool with 800m in a PB time of 12:56. Ended off with a 1h45 brick at a good effort. Trying to hold it for the final week before the race.
Swimming:
Tuesday PM: 20m/1.05K Q7 I7
Quick swim. Pool closed faster than I thought. Only had time for a warm-up and some 50s. Was sore from weights the night before. Will try again tomorrow.
Wednesday PM: 40m/2.15K Q8.5I9
Long swim with a 800m interval. Did regular 800m warmup, followed by 200m of build. Short break <1 min followed by 800m hard. Kept the pace fairly constant, hitting 400m in 6:26 and 800 in 12:56 (1:37 pace). It was my fastest 800 I've ever swam (13:06 was my last PB around 2014-15). I also didn't feel fully rested going into it or given myself much of a break post-warm up, so I think that under race conditions I could definitely go faster. For my upcoming 2K I will still be conservative and aim for sub 1:40 pace (33-34min).
Friday AM: 29m/1.55K Q7I7
Mostly recovery workout.
Cycling:
Wednesday AM: 35m/16K Q8I8 (trainer)
Morning trainer ride. Intervals of 1 min at > FTP (250-300W), followed by 1 min recovery and 1 min moderate (220-230W). Did 7 repeats. Overall legs felt not too bad.
Tues-Fri AM: 40m/14.4K
Daily commute x 4, about 10 min/3.6K per day
Saturday AM: 15m/7K (trainer)
Easy trainer ride.
Sunday AM: 1h16/41K (Q8I9) (brick)
Cool start to the morning (6-7C). Winds light at the start. After 5K warm-up went out in 17:30 for first 10K (235W), then slowed down to 18:00 and 18:40 for the final 20K. Power output maintained, but speed slowed down due to head wind (overall average around 33 Kph). Felt good and drank around 650mL with 1.5 scoops of eload and 1 gel.
Running:
Tuesday AM: 25m/5.1K Q7I7 (treadmill)
Treadmill run. First in a few months. Built up to about 12.6K (4:46). Legs were alright.
Thursday AM: 45m/9.1K (Q7.5I7.5)
Cool morning run. Was stiff, took a while to get going. First K was 5:20s, the next few were 4:50s, and then did a few in the 4:40s. Ended off in the low 4:50s. Didn't feel like I worked hard but legs were sore.
Saturday AM: 10m/2K
Easy run.
Sunday AM: 29m/7K Q8.5I9 (brick)
Run off the bike. Warmed up to maybe 10C. Felt good and went out at 4:22 for the first K, then managed to drop down to 4:10s for the remainder, until the final K (around 4:20 again). Overall was sub 30 with an average pace around 4:12. Drank about 0.5 scoop of eload and 1x gel with maybe 200mL of water
Weights/Mobility:
Monday PM: 35m Q8I8
Did 10 min spin warm-up and then heavy weights after the day of driving. Felt stong and hit 150 on the Sq and DL both. Went up to 160 on BP (4th set). 35 on OHP. Ended with core/mobility work.
Next week
Race prep week. Starting Masters swimming, so I will need to keep it easy. Will do some light weights and short rides to check my bike tuning. Will also do some light runs. Total training time pre-race around 4 hrs.
2-1 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 1h29m/
Bike: 2h56m/ (40 min bike commute)
Run: 1h50/
Weights: 1h06m
Other:
Total: 7h22m
Summary
Good first week of taper. Did a good long swim in the pool with 800m in a PB time of 12:56. Ended off with a 1h45 brick at a good effort. Trying to hold it for the final week before the race.
Swimming:
Tuesday PM: 20m/1.05K Q7 I7
Quick swim. Pool closed faster than I thought. Only had time for a warm-up and some 50s. Was sore from weights the night before. Will try again tomorrow.
Wednesday PM: 40m/2.15K Q8.5I9
Long swim with a 800m interval. Did regular 800m warmup, followed by 200m of build. Short break <1 min followed by 800m hard. Kept the pace fairly constant, hitting 400m in 6:26 and 800 in 12:56 (1:37 pace). It was my fastest 800 I've ever swam (13:06 was my last PB around 2014-15). I also didn't feel fully rested going into it or given myself much of a break post-warm up, so I think that under race conditions I could definitely go faster. For my upcoming 2K I will still be conservative and aim for sub 1:40 pace (33-34min).
Friday AM: 29m/1.55K Q7I7
Mostly recovery workout.
Cycling:
Wednesday AM: 35m/16K Q8I8 (trainer)
Morning trainer ride. Intervals of 1 min at > FTP (250-300W), followed by 1 min recovery and 1 min moderate (220-230W). Did 7 repeats. Overall legs felt not too bad.
Tues-Fri AM: 40m/14.4K
Daily commute x 4, about 10 min/3.6K per day
Saturday AM: 15m/7K (trainer)
Easy trainer ride.
Sunday AM: 1h16/41K (Q8I9) (brick)
Cool start to the morning (6-7C). Winds light at the start. After 5K warm-up went out in 17:30 for first 10K (235W), then slowed down to 18:00 and 18:40 for the final 20K. Power output maintained, but speed slowed down due to head wind (overall average around 33 Kph). Felt good and drank around 650mL with 1.5 scoops of eload and 1 gel.
Running:
Tuesday AM: 25m/5.1K Q7I7 (treadmill)
Treadmill run. First in a few months. Built up to about 12.6K (4:46). Legs were alright.
Thursday AM: 45m/9.1K (Q7.5I7.5)
Cool morning run. Was stiff, took a while to get going. First K was 5:20s, the next few were 4:50s, and then did a few in the 4:40s. Ended off in the low 4:50s. Didn't feel like I worked hard but legs were sore.
Saturday AM: 10m/2K
Easy run.
Sunday AM: 29m/7K Q8.5I9 (brick)
Run off the bike. Warmed up to maybe 10C. Felt good and went out at 4:22 for the first K, then managed to drop down to 4:10s for the remainder, until the final K (around 4:20 again). Overall was sub 30 with an average pace around 4:12. Drank about 0.5 scoop of eload and 1x gel with maybe 200mL of water
Weights/Mobility:
Monday PM: 35m Q8I8
Did 10 min spin warm-up and then heavy weights after the day of driving. Felt stong and hit 150 on the Sq and DL both. Went up to 160 on BP (4th set). 35 on OHP. Ended with core/mobility work.
Next week
Race prep week. Starting Masters swimming, so I will need to keep it easy. Will do some light weights and short rides to check my bike tuning. Will also do some light runs. Total training time pre-race around 4 hrs.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
2 weeks: Back 2 School/Sudbury
Training Summary: Aug 28-Sept 3
3-2 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 3X 1h47m/5.7K
Bike: 3X 3h05m/85K
Run: 3X 2h21m/29K
Weights: 4X 1h25m (2x stretch)
Other: Bike Commute (included with cycling)
Total: 8h39m
Summary
Busy week starting school again, but managed to get most of my training in. Had a decent open water swim at Christie lake (better than last time). It's starting to cool off so not sure if I will get another swim in before the race. I did a 19K long run with a mix of speeds (sub 4:40 overall) and felt fairly decent. Finally, we were travelling so I did a 90min trainer ride at around race pace to simulate a good race pace experience. Some hip tightness from driving on the weekend, but overall felt good.
Swimming:
Monday AM: 35m/1.8K Q7 I7.5
Recovery swim. Was going to swim at Mac but the pool was closed. Went to Westmount. Pool was medium busy, but did 800 WU, some 50s, and then did a few 100s on short rest, followed by 100 hard. Didn't get sub 1:30 for 100 but didn't really push it much more than 85-90% on the 100s.
Wednesday PM: 36m/2.1K (ish) Q8I8
OW swim at Christie Lake. Conditions were better than last time I swam there. Still don't quite know the distance markers, so I counted strokes. It was about 360 strokes upstream and 330 downstream (a little over 5 min one upstream and less than 5 down). I'd probably estimate maybe 280-300m based on Google maps and watch data. I brought my other Garmin and put it in my swim cap to try to get a better estimate, but it still can be off by 20m every time you change direction. Overall I felt pretty good. My one watch said I swam 1.8K in 36m whch is definitely slower than I felt I was going, even if I was slower than I thought I still think that I was closer to 2K overall.
Friday AM: 35m/1.8K Q7,5I8
Mixed swim workout. Regular warm-up, then did some intervals of 50 and 100m. Did a few 100 sub 1:30 and a 50m at 39s.
Cycling:
Tuesday AM: 45m/21K Q8I8.5 (trainer)
Morning trainer ride. Did intervals of 4 min (build) up to 250-270W, followed by 60-90s of recovery and then build again. Overall power was around 200W, speed 28. IF of around 85%. Legs felt fairly strong throughout.
Running:
Tuesday PM: 30m/5.4K Q7.5I7
Easy trail run through Cootes. Legs were fairly stiff, kept the pace easy. Did first 2.5K through the trails and final 3K was mostly on flat pavement. Felt fairly good at the end.
Thursday AM: 88m/19K Q8I8.5
Cool morning. Ran laps around the neighbourhood because I wanted close access to water for a long tempo run. I was originally hoping for about 20K in 1h30 (4:30 pace) but as soon as I started my warm-up I knew my legs probably wouldn't be able to do it. Started off fairly strong though, stopping at 7K (32:30) for a bathroom break. Still felt good until about 14K (1:04) when I started to slow down. I hadn't taken a gel by that point because my stomach felt good and I didn't want to throw it off. But my legs were slowing down to 4:40s (I was comfortably running around 4:30 before that) so I decided to take my gel around 14.5K. I only took maybe 1/3 of it though. I took a little bit each K until 16.5K, when I had an emergency GI stop. After that I felt signfiicantly better, but my legs were very stiff. I ran the last 2K at around 4:45 pace, slowing my overall pace to 4:38 (I had been sub 4:35 most of the way). Drank a total of 900mL, 1 salt tab, 1 gel, and a little over 1 scoop of eload. 2 bathroom stops.
Weights/Mobility:
Monday AM: 37m Q7.5I7.5
Morning weights, legs felt not bad. Built up to 150 x 6 on the Sq, but kept the DL light at 100. Same with BP, didn;t go above 150. Did some core work as well and mobility.
Wednesday AM: 27m Q7I6.5
Mostly light weight exercises. Did full body with OHP (25, 30), Rows (25, 30), chest flyes, ham curls.
Did some recovery sessions on Fri/Sun to keep my hip mobile.
Next week
Final 2 weeks to go. I plan to do a long tempo swim n the pool (maybe 750-800m) to see how I feel, and hopefully keep a sub 1:40 pace. My final race prep will be a brick outside (hopefully). Plan to do maybe 60min on the bike (maybe 40K total) and 30 min run off the bike.
3-2 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 3X 1h47m/5.7K
Bike: 3X 3h05m/85K
Run: 3X 2h21m/29K
Weights: 4X 1h25m (2x stretch)
Other: Bike Commute (included with cycling)
Total: 8h39m
Summary
Busy week starting school again, but managed to get most of my training in. Had a decent open water swim at Christie lake (better than last time). It's starting to cool off so not sure if I will get another swim in before the race. I did a 19K long run with a mix of speeds (sub 4:40 overall) and felt fairly decent. Finally, we were travelling so I did a 90min trainer ride at around race pace to simulate a good race pace experience. Some hip tightness from driving on the weekend, but overall felt good.
Swimming:
Monday AM: 35m/1.8K Q7 I7.5
Recovery swim. Was going to swim at Mac but the pool was closed. Went to Westmount. Pool was medium busy, but did 800 WU, some 50s, and then did a few 100s on short rest, followed by 100 hard. Didn't get sub 1:30 for 100 but didn't really push it much more than 85-90% on the 100s.
Wednesday PM: 36m/2.1K (ish) Q8I8
OW swim at Christie Lake. Conditions were better than last time I swam there. Still don't quite know the distance markers, so I counted strokes. It was about 360 strokes upstream and 330 downstream (a little over 5 min one upstream and less than 5 down). I'd probably estimate maybe 280-300m based on Google maps and watch data. I brought my other Garmin and put it in my swim cap to try to get a better estimate, but it still can be off by 20m every time you change direction. Overall I felt pretty good. My one watch said I swam 1.8K in 36m whch is definitely slower than I felt I was going, even if I was slower than I thought I still think that I was closer to 2K overall.
Friday AM: 35m/1.8K Q7,5I8
Mixed swim workout. Regular warm-up, then did some intervals of 50 and 100m. Did a few 100 sub 1:30 and a 50m at 39s.
Cycling:
Tuesday AM: 45m/21K Q8I8.5 (trainer)
Morning trainer ride. Did intervals of 4 min (build) up to 250-270W, followed by 60-90s of recovery and then build again. Overall power was around 200W, speed 28. IF of around 85%. Legs felt fairly strong throughout.
Running:
Tuesday PM: 30m/5.4K Q7.5I7
Easy trail run through Cootes. Legs were fairly stiff, kept the pace easy. Did first 2.5K through the trails and final 3K was mostly on flat pavement. Felt fairly good at the end.
Thursday AM: 88m/19K Q8I8.5
Cool morning. Ran laps around the neighbourhood because I wanted close access to water for a long tempo run. I was originally hoping for about 20K in 1h30 (4:30 pace) but as soon as I started my warm-up I knew my legs probably wouldn't be able to do it. Started off fairly strong though, stopping at 7K (32:30) for a bathroom break. Still felt good until about 14K (1:04) when I started to slow down. I hadn't taken a gel by that point because my stomach felt good and I didn't want to throw it off. But my legs were slowing down to 4:40s (I was comfortably running around 4:30 before that) so I decided to take my gel around 14.5K. I only took maybe 1/3 of it though. I took a little bit each K until 16.5K, when I had an emergency GI stop. After that I felt signfiicantly better, but my legs were very stiff. I ran the last 2K at around 4:45 pace, slowing my overall pace to 4:38 (I had been sub 4:35 most of the way). Drank a total of 900mL, 1 salt tab, 1 gel, and a little over 1 scoop of eload. 2 bathroom stops.
Weights/Mobility:
Monday AM: 37m Q7.5I7.5
Morning weights, legs felt not bad. Built up to 150 x 6 on the Sq, but kept the DL light at 100. Same with BP, didn;t go above 150. Did some core work as well and mobility.
Wednesday AM: 27m Q7I6.5
Mostly light weight exercises. Did full body with OHP (25, 30), Rows (25, 30), chest flyes, ham curls.
Did some recovery sessions on Fri/Sun to keep my hip mobile.
Next week
Final 2 weeks to go. I plan to do a long tempo swim n the pool (maybe 750-800m) to see how I feel, and hopefully keep a sub 1:40 pace. My final race prep will be a brick outside (hopefully). Plan to do maybe 60min on the bike (maybe 40K total) and 30 min run off the bike.
Monday, August 28, 2017
3 weeks: Happy Birthday
Training Summary: Aug 21-28
3 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 3X 1h47m/5.45K
Bike: 3X 3h44m/114.5K
Run: 4X 2h11.5m/25.9K
Weights: 3X 1h14m
Other
Total: 9h01m
Summary
Swimming:
Monday AM: 32m/1.6K Q7 I7
Pretty much a recovery swim. Did a normal warm-up and then tossed in a mix of strokes, including back and breast. Figure I should attempt them somewhat before I start Masters swimming in Sept.
Tuesday PM: 45m/2.35K Q8I8.5
Long swim in a busy pool. DEcided to do an evening swim, but the pool was packed and they didn't have the lanes set up properly. Still managed to squeeze in some longer intervals. Did a 500m warm-up, followed by 100, 200 pdl, 300 (4:42), 400pdl, 400 (6:20). Bf oth the 300 and 400 were PBs despite the business of the lanes. Overall was a fairly long swim getting over 2K in. Was happy with my interval time and know I could drop a few s per 100 if the pool was quieter.
Friday AM: 30m/1.5K Q7I7
Recovery swim after the long run on Thursday. Did a long warm-up and then did some 50m intervals. Fastest pace was low 40s and did 100 in 1:26-1:27.
Cycling:
Tuesday AM: 20m/9K Q7I7.5 (trainer)
Part of a brick workout. Started off fairly stiff (legs the day before) but warmed-up fairly well so the 2nd 10min my power was between 190-200W (overall 180W). Quick transition to run and legs felt good.
Wednesday AM: 35m/16.5K Q7.5I8 (trainer)
Morning ride on the trainer. Did some FTP intervals (270W). Felt pretty good, but held back due to the upcoming long run the next day.
Saturday AM: 2h48m/89K Q8I8.5
Left before sunrise. It was very cold (maybe 8C) when I left, but it wasn't too bad in the city. Winds were quiet. Once I got out of the city, the temp dropped and my hands started to get cold. Even with sunrise it took over an hour for them to thaw. It definitely slowed me down a bit. Power output was good between 215-220 most of the first half. Went down the Grand River and turned around around 44K. The way back was a bit tougher as there was a headwind most of the way. I had an average speed of 32.4 for the first half and thought it would get faster on the way home as I didn't really have a tail wind on the way out. Instead there was a tail wind. Also, ue to the cold temps in the start of the ride I probably drank too much fluid and had to pee at 44K, then twice more on the way back. Winds got stronger at the end and pace dropped to 30K/h, although power was maintained. Overall was happy with how I felt. Took 4 gels (23K/44m, 1h20, 1h55, 2h30), drank about 675 of 750 mL of eload (3 scoops), drank most of the 650-700mL of water and another 50mL or so from a second bottle of water. Would need to adjust for cooler weather on race day.
Running:
Monday PM: 10m/2K Q6I6
Warm-up run before my weights. Pace was 5:22/5:02 range, fairly slow. Legs felt okay. Wore new Kinvaras (4K total)
Tuesday AM: 15m/3.2K Q8I9
Brick run after 20min spin. Decided to make this a short speed workout as I will miss my regular speed sessions. First km dropped to about 4:15, then 4:02, then 3:52. Did a short walk (repeats on 5:00) in between each. Legs felt fairly good.
Thursday AM: 1h26m/18K Q8.5I7.5
Morning long run. Was a cool morning (13-14C), felt pretty good at the start. Run was mostly downhill for the first few K so as able to get under 5:00/k by the 2nd km. Next few K were around the edge of the escarpment (flat) so got down to high 4:30s. By 8K started to head back to Mohawk (iphill), had some GI issues and stopped at Tim Hortons around 9K. Refilled water there. Next few K legs didn't feel great as it was mostly uphill (gradual incline) and ran low 4:50s (slower than expected). Took 1/2 gel at 11K and 13K, by 14K was close to Wentworth and started to feel better. Last 4K were pretty good and managed to hold low 4:40s. Average pace 4:46. Drank 17oz water, 13oz sports drink (1.5 scoops eload) 1 salt tab at 8K and 1/2 gel at 11/13K.
Weights/Mobility:
Monday PM: 34m Q7.5I8
Legs were sore from the long ride on Sunday. Started with Sq (120 x 8, 140 x 8), DL (120, 140X8x8), BP (160x7, 170x4) and DBSP (35x8). Did some mobility work and stretching at the end.
Wednesday 12m
Thursday PM: 30m
Mostly upper body strength
Next week
Starting to taper off the training. Still need to do a long tempo ride (~50K) and tempo run (~90m) as well as an OW swim. I'll be starting school so I need to adjust my schedule.
3 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 3X 1h47m/5.45K
Bike: 3X 3h44m/114.5K
Run: 4X 2h11.5m/25.9K
Weights: 3X 1h14m
Other
Total: 9h01m
Summary
Swimming:
Monday AM: 32m/1.6K Q7 I7
Pretty much a recovery swim. Did a normal warm-up and then tossed in a mix of strokes, including back and breast. Figure I should attempt them somewhat before I start Masters swimming in Sept.
Tuesday PM: 45m/2.35K Q8I8.5
Long swim in a busy pool. DEcided to do an evening swim, but the pool was packed and they didn't have the lanes set up properly. Still managed to squeeze in some longer intervals. Did a 500m warm-up, followed by 100, 200 pdl, 300 (4:42), 400pdl, 400 (6:20). Bf oth the 300 and 400 were PBs despite the business of the lanes. Overall was a fairly long swim getting over 2K in. Was happy with my interval time and know I could drop a few s per 100 if the pool was quieter.
Friday AM: 30m/1.5K Q7I7
Recovery swim after the long run on Thursday. Did a long warm-up and then did some 50m intervals. Fastest pace was low 40s and did 100 in 1:26-1:27.
Cycling:
Tuesday AM: 20m/9K Q7I7.5 (trainer)
Part of a brick workout. Started off fairly stiff (legs the day before) but warmed-up fairly well so the 2nd 10min my power was between 190-200W (overall 180W). Quick transition to run and legs felt good.
Wednesday AM: 35m/16.5K Q7.5I8 (trainer)
Morning ride on the trainer. Did some FTP intervals (270W). Felt pretty good, but held back due to the upcoming long run the next day.
Saturday AM: 2h48m/89K Q8I8.5
Left before sunrise. It was very cold (maybe 8C) when I left, but it wasn't too bad in the city. Winds were quiet. Once I got out of the city, the temp dropped and my hands started to get cold. Even with sunrise it took over an hour for them to thaw. It definitely slowed me down a bit. Power output was good between 215-220 most of the first half. Went down the Grand River and turned around around 44K. The way back was a bit tougher as there was a headwind most of the way. I had an average speed of 32.4 for the first half and thought it would get faster on the way home as I didn't really have a tail wind on the way out. Instead there was a tail wind. Also, ue to the cold temps in the start of the ride I probably drank too much fluid and had to pee at 44K, then twice more on the way back. Winds got stronger at the end and pace dropped to 30K/h, although power was maintained. Overall was happy with how I felt. Took 4 gels (23K/44m, 1h20, 1h55, 2h30), drank about 675 of 750 mL of eload (3 scoops), drank most of the 650-700mL of water and another 50mL or so from a second bottle of water. Would need to adjust for cooler weather on race day.
Running:
Monday PM: 10m/2K Q6I6
Warm-up run before my weights. Pace was 5:22/5:02 range, fairly slow. Legs felt okay. Wore new Kinvaras (4K total)
Tuesday AM: 15m/3.2K Q8I9
Brick run after 20min spin. Decided to make this a short speed workout as I will miss my regular speed sessions. First km dropped to about 4:15, then 4:02, then 3:52. Did a short walk (repeats on 5:00) in between each. Legs felt fairly good.
Thursday AM: 1h26m/18K Q8.5I7.5
Morning long run. Was a cool morning (13-14C), felt pretty good at the start. Run was mostly downhill for the first few K so as able to get under 5:00/k by the 2nd km. Next few K were around the edge of the escarpment (flat) so got down to high 4:30s. By 8K started to head back to Mohawk (iphill), had some GI issues and stopped at Tim Hortons around 9K. Refilled water there. Next few K legs didn't feel great as it was mostly uphill (gradual incline) and ran low 4:50s (slower than expected). Took 1/2 gel at 11K and 13K, by 14K was close to Wentworth and started to feel better. Last 4K were pretty good and managed to hold low 4:40s. Average pace 4:46. Drank 17oz water, 13oz sports drink (1.5 scoops eload) 1 salt tab at 8K and 1/2 gel at 11/13K.
Weights/Mobility:
Monday PM: 34m Q7.5I8
Legs were sore from the long ride on Sunday. Started with Sq (120 x 8, 140 x 8), DL (120, 140X8x8), BP (160x7, 170x4) and DBSP (35x8). Did some mobility work and stretching at the end.
Wednesday 12m
Thursday PM: 30m
Mostly upper body strength
Next week
Starting to taper off the training. Still need to do a long tempo ride (~50K) and tempo run (~90m) as well as an OW swim. I'll be starting school so I need to adjust my schedule.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
4 weeks: Most volume in a few months
Training Summary: Aug 14-20
4 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 3X 2h06m/ 6.2K
Bike: 3X 3h20m/104K
Run: 3X 1h57m/25K
Weights: 3X/ 1h23m
Other:
Total: 8h57m
Summary
Busy week at work and tried to up the training volume as well. Had a strong swim with a group in a new pool, leading to my longest workout in a few months. Did my long run in the pouring rain on Thursday night, but it felt relatively good. Ended off the week with my longest ride (75K) on Sunday morning and was able to felt pretty good and nail my nutrition.
Swimming:
Monday AM: 41m/2.1K Q8 I7.5
Good swim after not doing much volume last week. Felt stiff at the beginning and did a long warm-up. Mostly kept the pace easy although I did do some 100s in sub 1:30 towards the end without pushing too hard, which is a good sign. Felt strong at the end of the swim which is also a good sign for my endurance.
Wednesday PM: 55m/2.6K Q9I9
This swim didn't go as planned, possibly for the better. Went to westmount to swim, but they only had one lane open and it was fairly slow. Did 500m at a fairly slow pace (around 10min) then had to get out because of a pool fouling. I decided to look for another pool that was open and headed down the mountain to a pool on Duke St (forget the name). There must be a regular Masters group there because there was 5-10 swimmers there looking fairly fast. I jumped into the fastest lane with 2 other women and did another 500m to get myself warm-uped again. I noticed that I was keeping pace with the women and maybe even a little faster. They asked if I wanted to swim with them 16 x 100. I wasn't sure if I could handle a set thatlong but I decided to go for it - I really haven't challenged myself like that in a while in the pool. I led the set and managed to keep it under 1:30 (2:00 interval) for the first 4, around 1:30 for the 2nd 4, and flipped between 1:29-1:31 for the third set. By that point I was done since I really haven't done much tempo work that like lately. It was a good sign for the fall that I'm ready to swim with a group again as I was surprised I held the pace as long as I did.
Friday AM: 30m/1.5K Q7I6.5
Recovery swim. Fairly stiff from the swim and run the days prior, so had an easy swim. Standard warm-up, and then did some 50s at moderate pace (46-48s). Felt not too bad at the end.
Cycling:
Tuesday PM: 30m/15K Q7I7
Did a quick loop around the city and did some power work (sub-threshold) for some short stints. Everything was good except I blew my rear brake cable making a sudden stop. I'll have to do an emergency repair before my next planned big ride.
Friday PM: 30m/14K Q7I7.5
Didn't have my bike for a few days due to the brake repair. Finally got it back Friday afternoon and did a quick trainer spin to loosen up.
Sunday AM: 2h20m/75K Q9I8.5
Left at the crack of dawn (6:28AM). Winds were light and it was comfortable (15-16C). Was a bit stiff at the beginning but loosened up after by about 10K. There was a very slight headwind on the way down but still kept the speed in the low 30s. Once I turned to the SE I had a bit of tail wind and bumped the speed to around 33kph. First gel at 45m/23K. Salt tab at 60m. Kept the pace and rode down to grand river and turned around at 39K. The wind picked up slightly on the way home (SW) which helped when I was heading north but slowed me down as I headed back W. Took gels at 1h20 and 1h55. Overall drank 2.5 scoops of eload (in 750mL), 3 gells, 650mL H2O, 1 salt tab. Average power 206W. Did a 10 min transition run and legs felt good minus some tighteness in the R hip.
Running:
Tuesday AM: 28m/5.6K Q7I6.5
Easy run after doing heavy legs the night before. Very stiff to begin, but got down to 4:40s (downhill) and 4:50s on flat. Right glute started to tighten up over last K but stride felt okay.
Thursday AM/PM: 68m/15K Q9I9 (++2K/10min)
Started off with 2K in the morning after the strength workout. In the evening, did a tempo-style Fartlek run in the pouring rain. Started off easy, then built to sub 4:30 pace, took some rests of roughly 500m after a few surges. After 2 loops (7K) stopped to use the washroom at home. Took a salt tab. At 9K took a gel and had some more mild GI issues. Took in extra water (around 17-18oz) an had second salt tab at 1:00 (13K). Overall legs felt good, no cramping, only GI upset. Probably didn't need both the full gel and full drink of e-load. Finally pace was 4:34/K with closer to 4:28-4:29 not counting warm-up or cool-down. Longest run in several months, not counting the HIM.
Weights:
Monday PM: 36m Q8I8
Good weight session in the basement. Started with Sq (120, 140 x 8), DL (120, 140, 150X6), BP (160x7) and DBSP (stopped at 30, back was tight). Did some mobility work as well, but overall felt strong.
Wednesday AM: 23m Q7I5
Mobility work, mostly just did glute exercises and some body weight upper body.
Thursday AM: 24m Q7.5I8
Quick session in the morning. Started with light sq (120 x 8) DL (120x8,10) and then moved to BP (160x6, 170x4) and OHDP (30x10, 35x8). Followed with a 10min run.
Next week
Biggest build week to come. Have to do another long swim (2.5K), a long run (18-19K) and my peak ride (90K). It's getting busy so I need to squeeze these all in with everything else. May shorten my other workouts to fit these all in.
4 weeks until Barrelman
Swim: 3X 2h06m/ 6.2K
Bike: 3X 3h20m/104K
Run: 3X 1h57m/25K
Weights: 3X/ 1h23m
Other:
Total: 8h57m
Summary
Busy week at work and tried to up the training volume as well. Had a strong swim with a group in a new pool, leading to my longest workout in a few months. Did my long run in the pouring rain on Thursday night, but it felt relatively good. Ended off the week with my longest ride (75K) on Sunday morning and was able to felt pretty good and nail my nutrition.
Swimming:
Monday AM: 41m/2.1K Q8 I7.5
Good swim after not doing much volume last week. Felt stiff at the beginning and did a long warm-up. Mostly kept the pace easy although I did do some 100s in sub 1:30 towards the end without pushing too hard, which is a good sign. Felt strong at the end of the swim which is also a good sign for my endurance.
Wednesday PM: 55m/2.6K Q9I9
This swim didn't go as planned, possibly for the better. Went to westmount to swim, but they only had one lane open and it was fairly slow. Did 500m at a fairly slow pace (around 10min) then had to get out because of a pool fouling. I decided to look for another pool that was open and headed down the mountain to a pool on Duke St (forget the name). There must be a regular Masters group there because there was 5-10 swimmers there looking fairly fast. I jumped into the fastest lane with 2 other women and did another 500m to get myself warm-uped again. I noticed that I was keeping pace with the women and maybe even a little faster. They asked if I wanted to swim with them 16 x 100. I wasn't sure if I could handle a set thatlong but I decided to go for it - I really haven't challenged myself like that in a while in the pool. I led the set and managed to keep it under 1:30 (2:00 interval) for the first 4, around 1:30 for the 2nd 4, and flipped between 1:29-1:31 for the third set. By that point I was done since I really haven't done much tempo work that like lately. It was a good sign for the fall that I'm ready to swim with a group again as I was surprised I held the pace as long as I did.
Friday AM: 30m/1.5K Q7I6.5
Recovery swim. Fairly stiff from the swim and run the days prior, so had an easy swim. Standard warm-up, and then did some 50s at moderate pace (46-48s). Felt not too bad at the end.
Cycling:
Tuesday PM: 30m/15K Q7I7
Did a quick loop around the city and did some power work (sub-threshold) for some short stints. Everything was good except I blew my rear brake cable making a sudden stop. I'll have to do an emergency repair before my next planned big ride.
Friday PM: 30m/14K Q7I7.5
Didn't have my bike for a few days due to the brake repair. Finally got it back Friday afternoon and did a quick trainer spin to loosen up.
Sunday AM: 2h20m/75K Q9I8.5
Left at the crack of dawn (6:28AM). Winds were light and it was comfortable (15-16C). Was a bit stiff at the beginning but loosened up after by about 10K. There was a very slight headwind on the way down but still kept the speed in the low 30s. Once I turned to the SE I had a bit of tail wind and bumped the speed to around 33kph. First gel at 45m/23K. Salt tab at 60m. Kept the pace and rode down to grand river and turned around at 39K. The wind picked up slightly on the way home (SW) which helped when I was heading north but slowed me down as I headed back W. Took gels at 1h20 and 1h55. Overall drank 2.5 scoops of eload (in 750mL), 3 gells, 650mL H2O, 1 salt tab. Average power 206W. Did a 10 min transition run and legs felt good minus some tighteness in the R hip.
Running:
Tuesday AM: 28m/5.6K Q7I6.5
Easy run after doing heavy legs the night before. Very stiff to begin, but got down to 4:40s (downhill) and 4:50s on flat. Right glute started to tighten up over last K but stride felt okay.
Thursday AM/PM: 68m/15K Q9I9 (++2K/10min)
Started off with 2K in the morning after the strength workout. In the evening, did a tempo-style Fartlek run in the pouring rain. Started off easy, then built to sub 4:30 pace, took some rests of roughly 500m after a few surges. After 2 loops (7K) stopped to use the washroom at home. Took a salt tab. At 9K took a gel and had some more mild GI issues. Took in extra water (around 17-18oz) an had second salt tab at 1:00 (13K). Overall legs felt good, no cramping, only GI upset. Probably didn't need both the full gel and full drink of e-load. Finally pace was 4:34/K with closer to 4:28-4:29 not counting warm-up or cool-down. Longest run in several months, not counting the HIM.
Weights:
Monday PM: 36m Q8I8
Good weight session in the basement. Started with Sq (120, 140 x 8), DL (120, 140, 150X6), BP (160x7) and DBSP (stopped at 30, back was tight). Did some mobility work as well, but overall felt strong.
Wednesday AM: 23m Q7I5
Mobility work, mostly just did glute exercises and some body weight upper body.
Thursday AM: 24m Q7.5I8
Quick session in the morning. Started with light sq (120 x 8) DL (120x8,10) and then moved to BP (160x6, 170x4) and OHDP (30x10, 35x8). Followed with a 10min run.
Next week
Biggest build week to come. Have to do another long swim (2.5K), a long run (18-19K) and my peak ride (90K). It's getting busy so I need to squeeze these all in with everything else. May shorten my other workouts to fit these all in.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
5 Weeks to go: Blue Mountains
Training Summary: Aug 7 - 13
Swim: 2X 3.5K/1h01m
Bike: 3X 81K/3h02
Run: 4X 25K/2h13
Weights: 3X (1X recovery) 1h17
Other: 1X 51m
Total: 8h30
Spent the week in Collingwood for a rural elective. Overall training volume was slightly down (swimming mostly, and had to cut down the bike time) but I did do some extra hikes so I was still active. Did a 50K ride in the Blue Mountains before work which was pretty good, and had a ~14K run on the weekend that was my longest run since Muskoka.
Swimming:
Tuesday PM: 35m 1.9K (ish) Q8 I8
YMCA in Collingwood, short pool. Not sure of the exact distance but guessing around 25y (23m) or possibly even 22m. Still felt strong and did a few sprints. Hard to compare relative times without knowing the distance.
Thursday PM: 25m/1.5K Q7.5 I8.5
Second swim, this one was even shorter. Pretty much just did sprints (biked earlier in the day, and had a long day in the ER). Times were a little faster than Tuesday, hitting about 32s for 1 lap (44-46m?) and 1:12-1:13 for 2 laps.
Cycling:
Tuesday PM: 30m/15K Q7I6.5
Easy ride in Collingwood. First half was very slow (into a head wind) and ddn't realize it was mostly uphill (about 55m of elevation over 6.5K) until I turned around and had an excellent tailwind down the hill. Legs were stiff.
Thursday AM:1h42/51K Q8I8
Tough ride i the Blue Mountains. Like the Tuesday ride, it was uphill with a headwind most of the first half of the ride. Climbed from around 195m to 500m over some fairly steep sections and about 24K before it flattened out a bit. Next section was a nice 8K on good hghways with a tailwind and some downhill. Next 5-6K was the climb back up the mountain (although it was only another 50-75m) and not too steep. The 5K decent was a bit of a challenge as there was a strong cross and tail-wind, making it difficult to control the bike once I hit 70kph. Overall I was happy wth my power output for the 50K. Nutrition: Drank 0.55/0.65L of water with 1x salt tab, 0.6/0.7L of 2x eload, 1x granola bar (30m) and 1X gel (1h10)
Sunday AM: 50m/16K Q5I4
Family ride towing the girls on my tribike. Mostly easy riding (Z1), some Z2 efforts.
Running:
Monday AM: 32m/4.1K Q6.5 I2
Did an easy run with Crystal, legs felt pretty good overall.
Wednesday AM: 25m/5.2K Q7I6
Easy run in Collingwood. Mostly flat, was running in the 4:50s.
Friday PM: 10m/2KQ5I6
Treadmill warm-up for some steps.
Saturday AM: 1h05/13.7K Q8 I7.5
Long run in Hamilton around midday. Temp was probably 22-24C. There was a bit of a headwind on the first few K (headed south on Wellington) but got down to the 4:50s. Once I turned down Rymal and Sherman I was running around 4:40, getting my average around 4:45 for the first 9Kish. The last 4 K was mostly uphill and the heat was increasing. Slowed down to 4:50s again. Drank 1x eload in 10 oz and 10oz with a salt tab. Had half a gel with about 1K to go, probably could have used another 4 oz of water or so as I felt myself start to slow down as the 1h mark passed.
Weights:
Monday AM: 31m Q7 I8
Quick weight session after the run. Slight increase. Sq 120, 140, 150 x 5, DL 120, 140, BP 120, 140, 160x6, 170x5, 160x6, OHP 30-35 x 5, some core work and stability.
Wednesday PM: 32m Q7.5 I7
Weights at the YMCA in Collingwood. Did some glute stuff (SDLs, SLSq) but nothing heavy. Did some inclinE CP, pull-ups, and OHP to work the upperbody. Some core stuff throughout and at the end as well.
Other:
Was an active week, did 3 "hikes" on Wed, Thurs, and Fri. The hardest one was about an hour up and down Blue Mountain (tracked). Thurs was a long walk through town (probably almost an hour, maybe 5K?) which I mistakenly wore flip flops for. Friday was much shorter through the scenic caves. These definitely contributed to overall fatigue though.
Next week
With the race getting closer I need to increase the lengths of my swims (haven't done 2+K in a while) and start t think about open water swimming again. I also need to build up my bike distance to around 75K to get used to the long distances in aero. Finally need to increase my run to about 16K as I get close to my peak. The added challenge will be whether there is a family camping trip on the weekend or not!
Swim: 2X 3.5K/1h01m
Bike: 3X 81K/3h02
Run: 4X 25K/2h13
Weights: 3X (1X recovery) 1h17
Other: 1X 51m
Total: 8h30
Spent the week in Collingwood for a rural elective. Overall training volume was slightly down (swimming mostly, and had to cut down the bike time) but I did do some extra hikes so I was still active. Did a 50K ride in the Blue Mountains before work which was pretty good, and had a ~14K run on the weekend that was my longest run since Muskoka.
Swimming:
Tuesday PM: 35m 1.9K (ish) Q8 I8
YMCA in Collingwood, short pool. Not sure of the exact distance but guessing around 25y (23m) or possibly even 22m. Still felt strong and did a few sprints. Hard to compare relative times without knowing the distance.
Thursday PM: 25m/1.5K Q7.5 I8.5
Second swim, this one was even shorter. Pretty much just did sprints (biked earlier in the day, and had a long day in the ER). Times were a little faster than Tuesday, hitting about 32s for 1 lap (44-46m?) and 1:12-1:13 for 2 laps.
Cycling:
Tuesday PM: 30m/15K Q7I6.5
Easy ride in Collingwood. First half was very slow (into a head wind) and ddn't realize it was mostly uphill (about 55m of elevation over 6.5K) until I turned around and had an excellent tailwind down the hill. Legs were stiff.
Thursday AM:1h42/51K Q8I8
Tough ride i the Blue Mountains. Like the Tuesday ride, it was uphill with a headwind most of the first half of the ride. Climbed from around 195m to 500m over some fairly steep sections and about 24K before it flattened out a bit. Next section was a nice 8K on good hghways with a tailwind and some downhill. Next 5-6K was the climb back up the mountain (although it was only another 50-75m) and not too steep. The 5K decent was a bit of a challenge as there was a strong cross and tail-wind, making it difficult to control the bike once I hit 70kph. Overall I was happy wth my power output for the 50K. Nutrition: Drank 0.55/0.65L of water with 1x salt tab, 0.6/0.7L of 2x eload, 1x granola bar (30m) and 1X gel (1h10)
Sunday AM: 50m/16K Q5I4
Family ride towing the girls on my tribike. Mostly easy riding (Z1), some Z2 efforts.
Running:
Monday AM: 32m/4.1K Q6.5 I2
Did an easy run with Crystal, legs felt pretty good overall.
Wednesday AM: 25m/5.2K Q7I6
Easy run in Collingwood. Mostly flat, was running in the 4:50s.
Friday PM: 10m/2KQ5I6
Treadmill warm-up for some steps.
Saturday AM: 1h05/13.7K Q8 I7.5
Long run in Hamilton around midday. Temp was probably 22-24C. There was a bit of a headwind on the first few K (headed south on Wellington) but got down to the 4:50s. Once I turned down Rymal and Sherman I was running around 4:40, getting my average around 4:45 for the first 9Kish. The last 4 K was mostly uphill and the heat was increasing. Slowed down to 4:50s again. Drank 1x eload in 10 oz and 10oz with a salt tab. Had half a gel with about 1K to go, probably could have used another 4 oz of water or so as I felt myself start to slow down as the 1h mark passed.
Weights:
Monday AM: 31m Q7 I8
Quick weight session after the run. Slight increase. Sq 120, 140, 150 x 5, DL 120, 140, BP 120, 140, 160x6, 170x5, 160x6, OHP 30-35 x 5, some core work and stability.
Wednesday PM: 32m Q7.5 I7
Weights at the YMCA in Collingwood. Did some glute stuff (SDLs, SLSq) but nothing heavy. Did some inclinE CP, pull-ups, and OHP to work the upperbody. Some core stuff throughout and at the end as well.
Other:
Was an active week, did 3 "hikes" on Wed, Thurs, and Fri. The hardest one was about an hour up and down Blue Mountain (tracked). Thurs was a long walk through town (probably almost an hour, maybe 5K?) which I mistakenly wore flip flops for. Friday was much shorter through the scenic caves. These definitely contributed to overall fatigue though.
Next week
With the race getting closer I need to increase the lengths of my swims (haven't done 2+K in a while) and start t think about open water swimming again. I also need to build up my bike distance to around 75K to get used to the long distances in aero. Finally need to increase my run to about 16K as I get close to my peak. The added challenge will be whether there is a family camping trip on the weekend or not!
Sunday, August 6, 2017
6 weeks to go: building back up the mileage
Training Summary: July 31 - Aug 6
Swim: 4.6K/1h31
Bike: 105K/3h39
Run: 23.9K/2h6m
Weights: 1h2
Total: 8h21
Started off the week on vacation in Ottawa, so the first few days were mostly easy. Had a great swim early in the week, and then did a tri-club workout on Thursday that was high intensity (but short due to a training injury to another member). Finished off with an 11K LR on Saturday and 64K ride on Sunday that were both low-intensity and in relatively cool weather. Finished off the week feeling good.
Swimming: 3X
Monday AM: 1850m/35m Quality: 9/10 Intensity: 8/10
Started off in Kanata with a quick swim a the Goulbourn Rec Plex. I did my regular 1K warm up, and then did 4 x 100 hard with 50 m recoveries. I started off fairly strong (1:30) and then managed to drop down to 1:21, which is the fastest 100 I've ever swam in practice (that I can recall). So definitely happy with that effort!
Thursday AM: 1700m/35m Quality 7/10 Intensity: 6.5/10
Wasn't feeling well the night before, mostly just stuffed up and tired. Felt stiff in the morning prior to the swim. Did an easy warmup and felt better, so then I just did some tempo 50s and 100s and felt okay. Ended off with a 200m cool down.
Saturday AM: 1100m/21m Q7 I6
Very short, easy recovery swim following my run in the morning. Muscles felt good but body was very fatigued.
Cycling: 4X
Tuesday AM: 21K/1hr Quality 7/10 Intensity: 2/10
My first ride was an easy ride with Crystal (around 21K in 1 hr). Good chance to spin out the legs.
Thursday PM: 9K/16m Q: 7.5/10 Intensity: 9/10
Tri Club brick workout of 3K repeats (including a 500m climb of maybe 25-30m). Didn't really do a warm-up for the first set so I was a bit slow, but then settled into a good pace for the next two. Half way through the third set the workout was halted because a fellow member crashed. Finished the last set with an easy descent.
Friday PM: 11K/22m Q7.5 I6
Did an easy/quick ride through the city to spin out the legs after the intense workout the day before.
Sunday AM: 64K/2h Q8 I7.5
Long ride south of the city, mostly flat with some rolling hills (around 150m of climbing). It was a cool start (13C) with a slight headwind (SW). Felt pretty good but muscles were definitely stiff from the run the day before. Gradually warmed up and the wind didn't really cause any issues. I had to take a different turn because of the construction which threw off my total distance estimate, but in the end I was right around 62K and only had to add an extra 1.5K towards the end. Finished with a tail wind. Overall my power output (not including warm-up/cool down) but was around 210-215 without much variation. I'd like to average around 220W for the 90K but we'll see how training goes. Nutrition was 1 bottle with 2x Eload, 400mL of H2O with 1 salt tab (0.6 tab?) 1x granola bar at 30 min and 1x gel at 1h15.
Running:
Tuesday PM: 5K/25m Quality 6.5/10 Intensity: 5/10
I ran an easy 5K in the heat. Kept it quite easy and brought ice water. Average pace a little over 5:00/km.
Thursday PM: 2.1K/9m Q8 I9
As part of the brick workout there was 700m repeats off the bike with fast transitions. The first repeat was hard at around a 4:05 pace, followed by closer to 4:00 for the second. The third was an easy jog because of the earlier crash described above. Overall, the workout was high intensity but cut short.
Friday AM: 3.7K/25m Q6I5
Recovery run with Crystal (2.2K in 18 min) followed by a short 1.5K at a slow pace. I was orginally planning on doing my 11K run but my legs were very stiff after the Thursday workout, so I decided to postpone it until Saturday (the original plan at the beginning of the week).
Saturday AM: 11.3K/55m Q7.5 I7
Windy and cool morning (15C). First 4K were into the wind and slow, had trouble getting much below 5:00. Finally felt better and dropped down to around 4:50 for the next few K, and then ran down Sherman in the 4:40s. Remaining few K were uphill and slowed down to 4:50s again. Overall, it was a hard run but my R hip didn't bother me. Drank 1 scoop of eload and 1 bottle of water with a salt tab. (20oz)
Weights:
Monday AM: 22m Quality 7/10 Intensity: 6/10
Did a short strength workout at my parents' house on Monday morning.
Wednesday AM/PM: 40m Quality 7.5/10 Intensity: 7/10
Did a treadmill warmup (5 min walk/10min run) and 10 min of mobility exercises. In the evening I did a quick heavy session after driving all day. Started with squats and built to 140x8, DL 150x5, BP, 170 x 5 (2).
Sunday PM: recovery session
Next week
In Collingwood for school, so training volume will be down during the week. Hoping to get in 1-2X swims, a decent ride in the mountains and a decent run while I'm there. Hopefully can do either 1 long run or long ride on Thursday or Friday, depending on timing for school. On the weekend when I'm back I'd like to do another long workout (likely ride).
Swim: 4.6K/1h31
Bike: 105K/3h39
Run: 23.9K/2h6m
Weights: 1h2
Total: 8h21
Started off the week on vacation in Ottawa, so the first few days were mostly easy. Had a great swim early in the week, and then did a tri-club workout on Thursday that was high intensity (but short due to a training injury to another member). Finished off with an 11K LR on Saturday and 64K ride on Sunday that were both low-intensity and in relatively cool weather. Finished off the week feeling good.
Swimming: 3X
Monday AM: 1850m/35m Quality: 9/10 Intensity: 8/10
Started off in Kanata with a quick swim a the Goulbourn Rec Plex. I did my regular 1K warm up, and then did 4 x 100 hard with 50 m recoveries. I started off fairly strong (1:30) and then managed to drop down to 1:21, which is the fastest 100 I've ever swam in practice (that I can recall). So definitely happy with that effort!
Thursday AM: 1700m/35m Quality 7/10 Intensity: 6.5/10
Wasn't feeling well the night before, mostly just stuffed up and tired. Felt stiff in the morning prior to the swim. Did an easy warmup and felt better, so then I just did some tempo 50s and 100s and felt okay. Ended off with a 200m cool down.
Saturday AM: 1100m/21m Q7 I6
Very short, easy recovery swim following my run in the morning. Muscles felt good but body was very fatigued.
Cycling: 4X
Tuesday AM: 21K/1hr Quality 7/10 Intensity: 2/10
My first ride was an easy ride with Crystal (around 21K in 1 hr). Good chance to spin out the legs.
Thursday PM: 9K/16m Q: 7.5/10 Intensity: 9/10
Tri Club brick workout of 3K repeats (including a 500m climb of maybe 25-30m). Didn't really do a warm-up for the first set so I was a bit slow, but then settled into a good pace for the next two. Half way through the third set the workout was halted because a fellow member crashed. Finished the last set with an easy descent.
Friday PM: 11K/22m Q7.5 I6
Did an easy/quick ride through the city to spin out the legs after the intense workout the day before.
Sunday AM: 64K/2h Q8 I7.5
Long ride south of the city, mostly flat with some rolling hills (around 150m of climbing). It was a cool start (13C) with a slight headwind (SW). Felt pretty good but muscles were definitely stiff from the run the day before. Gradually warmed up and the wind didn't really cause any issues. I had to take a different turn because of the construction which threw off my total distance estimate, but in the end I was right around 62K and only had to add an extra 1.5K towards the end. Finished with a tail wind. Overall my power output (not including warm-up/cool down) but was around 210-215 without much variation. I'd like to average around 220W for the 90K but we'll see how training goes. Nutrition was 1 bottle with 2x Eload, 400mL of H2O with 1 salt tab (0.6 tab?) 1x granola bar at 30 min and 1x gel at 1h15.
Running:
Tuesday PM: 5K/25m Quality 6.5/10 Intensity: 5/10
I ran an easy 5K in the heat. Kept it quite easy and brought ice water. Average pace a little over 5:00/km.
Thursday PM: 2.1K/9m Q8 I9
As part of the brick workout there was 700m repeats off the bike with fast transitions. The first repeat was hard at around a 4:05 pace, followed by closer to 4:00 for the second. The third was an easy jog because of the earlier crash described above. Overall, the workout was high intensity but cut short.
Friday AM: 3.7K/25m Q6I5
Recovery run with Crystal (2.2K in 18 min) followed by a short 1.5K at a slow pace. I was orginally planning on doing my 11K run but my legs were very stiff after the Thursday workout, so I decided to postpone it until Saturday (the original plan at the beginning of the week).
Saturday AM: 11.3K/55m Q7.5 I7
Windy and cool morning (15C). First 4K were into the wind and slow, had trouble getting much below 5:00. Finally felt better and dropped down to around 4:50 for the next few K, and then ran down Sherman in the 4:40s. Remaining few K were uphill and slowed down to 4:50s again. Overall, it was a hard run but my R hip didn't bother me. Drank 1 scoop of eload and 1 bottle of water with a salt tab. (20oz)
Weights:
Monday AM: 22m Quality 7/10 Intensity: 6/10
Did a short strength workout at my parents' house on Monday morning.
Wednesday AM/PM: 40m Quality 7.5/10 Intensity: 7/10
Did a treadmill warmup (5 min walk/10min run) and 10 min of mobility exercises. In the evening I did a quick heavy session after driving all day. Started with squats and built to 140x8, DL 150x5, BP, 170 x 5 (2).
Sunday PM: recovery session
Next week
In Collingwood for school, so training volume will be down during the week. Hoping to get in 1-2X swims, a decent ride in the mountains and a decent run while I'm there. Hopefully can do either 1 long run or long ride on Thursday or Friday, depending on timing for school. On the weekend when I'm back I'd like to do another long workout (likely ride).
Monday, July 31, 2017
Getting back to training: 7 weeks to Barrelman
Training Summary: July 24-30
Swim: 3X/1h43/5.4K
Bike: 4X/2h56/89K
Run: 4X/1h37/19.8K
Weights: 2X/57m
Total: 7h28
After 2 weeks recovering from Muskoka, this week I started to build up my training volume again. My swimming has been going great lately, my hip is finally feeling stronger on the bike, and I'm very slowly getting back into running.
Swimming:
Swam 3x for the first time in a few weeks. I started off with an easy swim on Monday morning, and then on Wednesday evening I went to the pool for a quick swim. There was only one lane open so I had to battle some slower swimmers. I focused on 200s and managed to go 3:05 and then around 2:58 (even though the lane was congested for that set). This was the second time this month I've gone sub 3 in a 200 and the 3rd time ever (last was 2009). So I'm definitely feeling near the top of the my game in the pool. On Friday, I was still a little sore so I did a long warm-up and then focused on 50s. I managed to get to sub-40 (around 38s) which again is the second time this month (last Friday was the first time). The plus is this was after minimal rest (maybe 100 easy) and I only needed a short break after before I was able to keep swimming. So I'm quite happy with how my swimming has been going this summer.
Cycling:
On Sunday I had my longest ride since the race, so I started off the week sore. Tuesday evening I did a quick spin (20 m) on the trainer to loosen up. On Wednesday morning I did a harder ride and even did some short FTP intervals (aiming for 270-280 watts or so) to test out my hip. They actually felt pretty decent but I kept the ride short since I didn't have a lot of time. On Thursday night I went to the TriClub practice and figured I'd keep it easy and only push it if it felt good. The workout was 5K of fairly hill terrain (around 40m+) followed by 1K transition runs, repeated 3K. I started the first 5K with NP of 252W, and managed to follow it with laps of 256W and 271W. I was quite impressed as I didn't think I'd feel good enough to hold that effort. My final ride was Sunday in Gatineau Park. I was riding with my mom (although we were going at our own paces) so the plan was just to do 1 loop. I knew I'd be faster than her so I would double-pack through the park and do a few extra hills. Overall, I felt quite strong and had my fastest ride through the park ever (most of my PBs were set in 2011 and 2015). I ended up riding 50K in 1h40 with nearly 700m of climbing. For the week I was very happy with how my cycling went.
Running:
I started with an easy 5K on Tuesday morning, which my legs were very sore an stiff for (legs the night before). On Thursday I ran the 3 x 1K off the bike which felt good. Speed was down (average speed 4:20-4:30) but totally acceptable considering I haven't really done any speed work in the past 6 weeks. On Saturday I went out for a "build" run of 40-45min, or 8-9K. The first 2K were 5:15 and 5:00, and then after that I settled into a pace in the high 4:40s. Overall I felt fairly decent and felt my R glute start to get tired around 8K. I ended up running 9K in the high 43s (4:50 pace) and was quite content with the run. I'm hoping to add 10-15 min a week until I'm up to 20K or so before the race.
Weights:
Focused on legs on Monday and a mix of legs (a bit lighter) and upper body on Thursday. Got up to squat of 145 X 5, DL 145 x 5 and BP 165 x 5. Did some stretching and recovery on Friday evening before the drive on Saturday. Hip/glute definitely feeling stronger.
Next week
I'll be in Ottawa for the first part of the week (vacation!), then back in Hamilton for the rest. My training plan is mostly routine, with maybe 1x weight session once we're home, 2-3 swims and 2-3 rides/runs each. I'm hoping to build my long run to 11-12K and my ride to 2h/60K.
Swim: 3X/1h43/5.4K
Bike: 4X/2h56/89K
Run: 4X/1h37/19.8K
Weights: 2X/57m
Total: 7h28
After 2 weeks recovering from Muskoka, this week I started to build up my training volume again. My swimming has been going great lately, my hip is finally feeling stronger on the bike, and I'm very slowly getting back into running.
Swimming:
Swam 3x for the first time in a few weeks. I started off with an easy swim on Monday morning, and then on Wednesday evening I went to the pool for a quick swim. There was only one lane open so I had to battle some slower swimmers. I focused on 200s and managed to go 3:05 and then around 2:58 (even though the lane was congested for that set). This was the second time this month I've gone sub 3 in a 200 and the 3rd time ever (last was 2009). So I'm definitely feeling near the top of the my game in the pool. On Friday, I was still a little sore so I did a long warm-up and then focused on 50s. I managed to get to sub-40 (around 38s) which again is the second time this month (last Friday was the first time). The plus is this was after minimal rest (maybe 100 easy) and I only needed a short break after before I was able to keep swimming. So I'm quite happy with how my swimming has been going this summer.
Cycling:
On Sunday I had my longest ride since the race, so I started off the week sore. Tuesday evening I did a quick spin (20 m) on the trainer to loosen up. On Wednesday morning I did a harder ride and even did some short FTP intervals (aiming for 270-280 watts or so) to test out my hip. They actually felt pretty decent but I kept the ride short since I didn't have a lot of time. On Thursday night I went to the TriClub practice and figured I'd keep it easy and only push it if it felt good. The workout was 5K of fairly hill terrain (around 40m+) followed by 1K transition runs, repeated 3K. I started the first 5K with NP of 252W, and managed to follow it with laps of 256W and 271W. I was quite impressed as I didn't think I'd feel good enough to hold that effort. My final ride was Sunday in Gatineau Park. I was riding with my mom (although we were going at our own paces) so the plan was just to do 1 loop. I knew I'd be faster than her so I would double-pack through the park and do a few extra hills. Overall, I felt quite strong and had my fastest ride through the park ever (most of my PBs were set in 2011 and 2015). I ended up riding 50K in 1h40 with nearly 700m of climbing. For the week I was very happy with how my cycling went.
Running:
I started with an easy 5K on Tuesday morning, which my legs were very sore an stiff for (legs the night before). On Thursday I ran the 3 x 1K off the bike which felt good. Speed was down (average speed 4:20-4:30) but totally acceptable considering I haven't really done any speed work in the past 6 weeks. On Saturday I went out for a "build" run of 40-45min, or 8-9K. The first 2K were 5:15 and 5:00, and then after that I settled into a pace in the high 4:40s. Overall I felt fairly decent and felt my R glute start to get tired around 8K. I ended up running 9K in the high 43s (4:50 pace) and was quite content with the run. I'm hoping to add 10-15 min a week until I'm up to 20K or so before the race.
Weights:
Focused on legs on Monday and a mix of legs (a bit lighter) and upper body on Thursday. Got up to squat of 145 X 5, DL 145 x 5 and BP 165 x 5. Did some stretching and recovery on Friday evening before the drive on Saturday. Hip/glute definitely feeling stronger.
Next week
I'll be in Ottawa for the first part of the week (vacation!), then back in Hamilton for the rest. My training plan is mostly routine, with maybe 1x weight session once we're home, 2-3 swims and 2-3 rides/runs each. I'm hoping to build my long run to 11-12K and my ride to 2h/60K.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Back to blogging - Looking at 12+ years of triathlon racing
I'm restarting this training blog for the first time in several years. I haven't written about my triathlon training since 2014 when I was blogging for Invent Your Fitness. Since then my focus has mostly been on medical school and the family, but I have continued to train and race, most recently doing the 70.3 Ironman Muskoka in July.
My most recent race has pushed me to reflect back on my last 12 years of competing in triathlons. There have been quite a few ups, downs, and injuries. I'm much smarter with both my training and racing now, but I'm still slower than I was at my peak (roughly 9 years ago). My rational side knows this is simply due to aging, but it's still hard to come to grips with. I also reflected on some my injuries and race performance issues. This prompted me to go back over the years and put together a table of all of my results. This should help with consistency in my preparation, which although I am very analytical, I feel like I have made many of the same mistakes throughout the years. Really thinking about what has worked for me, and what has not, will hopefully lead to better performances.
Here is an extensive list of all of the races I have done or planned to do, and the general outcomes:
2005
First year of racing. I was 22 and motivated. Finished my first marathon, sprint, olympic, and half-iron distance triathlons in Ottawa.
Ottawa Marathon - 3:30
Ottawa Riverkeeper Sprint - 1:20
National Capital Olympic - 2:44
Canadian Half Iron - 5:52
Cookie Run 10K - 39:30
2006
I likely overdid it the year before and hurt my back/hip during a training run in February. I had signed up for the Muskoka Long course triathlon (before it became the 70.3) but I wasn't able to recover. I had to take about 6 months off of running before slowly starting again in August, when I moved to Vancouver. I still signed up for Ironman Canada in 2007 to give myself motivation to recover.
2007
At UBC I joined the Triathlon Club and it really helped out my training significantly. I had my busiest racing season (likely to date) and other than one minor R hip injury (IBTS) I stayed healthy. I set several PBs this year and raced Ironman Canada, which was one of the highlights of my racing career at that point.
UBC Olympic Tri - 2:37 (new PB)
Sun Run (10K) - 37:44 (new PB)
Vancouver Marathon - 3:01 (new PB)
Desert Half Iron - 5:42 (new PB)
Ironman Canada - 11:10
Fall Classic Half Marathon - 1:22 (new PB)
2008
I started the year with the goal of doing Ironman Canada again, and hoping for a Kona spot in the men's 25-29AG. I thought I could get down to the 10hr mark with my Ironman time. I continued to get faster in all three sports and set most of my lifetime bests for the bike and run. Unfortunately I was likely overdoing it and had a season-ending injury (L hip) in August that really set me back. As we will see, I struggled with this same injury on and off for several years thereafter.
UBC Olympic Tri - 2:16 (PB)
Sun Run - 35:36 (PB)
Oliver Half Iron - 4:52 (PB)
Vancouver Sprint - 1:15 (PB, finished 3rd overall)
**season ended by L hip injury, missed IM Canada and Victoria Marathon
2009
I spent the first half of the year recovering. I raced the Sun Run although without much training. In May I started basic training, which actually prolonged my recovery as there was different physical challenges and I was unable to do my own PT most of the time. I did some small races in the summer to keep me occupied but the military training and nagging injury made it difficult to get my running speed back.
Sun Run - 36:53 (2nd fastest)
Esquimalt 8K - 31:06
Navy 10K - 38:54
Gagetown Terry Fox Run (finished 2nd)
2010
I had hoped to run the Fredericton marathon, but my L hip injury would bother me once my distance started to go much beyond 15K. I settled for the 10K in May but had a disappointing race. my tri bike had been in storage so I decided to buy a road bike in town so I could race while I was in Gagetown. I ended up doing 2 triathlons and placed fairly well. My running was starting to get faster, and I was again hoping to do a marathon in the fall. But once I got around 20K, my L hip would tighten up so I stayed at the half-marathon distance. I was posted to Petawawa in August and did some fall races in the area. Ultimately it was my busiest year since 2007.
Fredericton 10K - 39:43
Gagetown Sprint Tri - 1:10:28 (sprint PB)
Fredericton Sprint Tri - 1:12:42
Saint John's Half - 1:25:42
Petawawa Terry Fox - finished 2nd (38-39 10K pace)
Army Run - 1:27:06 (L hip issues)
2011
Coming off the previous year, I got my tri bike back and decided to focus on triathlons again. My goal race was the Canadian half-iron. My L hip was feeling the best it had in a while, although this year my races were mired by GI issues.
Minto Run (10K) - 39:06
Pembroke 5K - 17:36 (PB)
Ottawa (10K) - 37:56 (GI, was aiming for sub 37)
Barry's Bay Tri- 1:45 (course PB)
Military Sprint Tri - 1:12:42 (finished 2nd in my category)
Deep River Tri - 1:36 (course PB)
Ottawa Canadian Half-Iron (DNF - 39 swim and 2:44 bike, dehydration on the run)
Army Run - 1:26:29 (stronger but some GI issues)
2012
I was disappointed by my half iron performance and decided to train for the Petawawa Ironman as my main focus. This race consisted of a 32K ruck, 4K portage and 8K canoe. The ruck training brought back my L hip issues that nagged my entire training year. I had to walk the second half of the Minto half marathon and then had mediocre results the rest of the year. I had 2 strong runs (Terry Fox and 10 miler) but an awful Ironman event in the middle.
Minto Half (walked, L hip injury)
Telus 5K - 18:09 (1st)
Cross Base Challenge - off-road triathlon that I finished 10th in
Gatineau Tri - 1:11:58 (better conditions but finished 5th)
Deep River Tri - 1:40:46 - slower race in all three than year before
Terry Fox Run - 37:03 (2nd, fastest 10K in 3 years)
Petawawa Ironman - 7:55 (L Hip, had to walk last 8K of ruck and 6K)
Army 10 miler - 1:05 (felt strong on the run)
2013
I had mostly recovered from my L hip injury through strong therapy and was feeling strong going into the winter. I thought I had put my hip issues behind me and signed up for the Muskoka 70.3 race with my sister in September of that year. Unfortunately I did something to my hip during a run in early March and ended up having to do several months of physio to rehab. As this was my 3rd season-ending injury I was quite depressed. I decided to re-evaluate my entire approach to training and focus more on strength training. At this point I decided to leave the regular force and get my personal training certification.
2014
I was still recovering and focusing on strength training. By June I felt strong enough to race and did the Petawa 5K FundRun and started back into triathlons. Although I did some small races in 2012 I hadn't really trained on my bike since 2011 so my bike speed dropped off significantly. I had a "light" year and just focused on racing for fun.
Petawawa 5K - 18:19
Petawawa Sprint- 1:09 (sprint PB, 3rd overall)
Deep River Tri- 1:37 (strong swim-bike, but lost speed on the run)
Kitchissippi 10K - 39:04 (1st overall)
2015
I finished the race season feeling strong and decided to ramp up the training to do some longer distances for the first time in several years. I signed up for the Muskoka double and Ottawa Marathon as a prep race. My training was going very well until I somehow injured my L achilles 2 weeks before the Ottawa marathon during a training run. I did some emerg physio and attempted the race but could not finish it. I still managed to recover and complete the Muskoka double, for my first long distance races in year.
Ottawa Marathon (DNF - achilles)
Muskoka 70.3 - 5:47 (GI issues on bike/run, lost 20-30 min)
Ironman Muskoka - 10:57 (some minor GI issues, felt strong overall)
2016
After completing the Ironman my focus shifted to getting ready for med school. I knew to improve my triathlon times I would need to get better on the bike and continue to rehab my run. At this point in my career, my swim had become my strongest leg of my training. I continued to emphasize strength training as once I let it go for even a few weeks I notice my glutes get weak and end up with an injury. So I need to focus on two things: glute strengthening an salt intake during longer races. These two factors have limited me in almost every race I've done. So in 2016 I just did "fun" races to keep me fit while thinking ahead to Around the Bay and Muskoka in 2017.
Women's 10K - Prep for the marathon 39:10 (1st overall)
Ottawa Marathon - 3:53 (horrible GI issues)
Barry's Bay - 1:46 (a tad slower than last time)
Deep River - 1:36 (2nd fastest of 4 attempts, best bike split)
Halloween 7K - (fastest pace for several years)
Road2Hope Half - 1:26:13 (fastest half since 2010, 3rd fastest PB)
2017
With medical school my training volume and plan has been adjusted for extremely low volume. My goal was to see how I could do medium-distance races while keeping the training volume low. I felt like I've developed a strong base in the past 3 years since I changed my training focus. I had a decent race ATB although the foot cramps over the last 3K affected me, and then I had a a R hip twinge right before Guelph that has persisted through to Muskoka.
Around the Bay 30K - 2:12 (foot cramp for last 3K)
Milton Sprint Tri - 1:37 (hilly course)
Guelph Lake Olympic - 2:22 (R hip, heat on the run)
Ironman 70.3 Muskoka - 5:24 (tough swim, strong bike overall, cramping on the run)
My focus for the rest of this year is strengthening my R hip/glute and continuing to work on my bike power. My running was going very well as of mid June of this year, so I'm confident that with time I will get my speed back. There is a little over 6 weeks until Barrelman,which should be enough time to recover and feel strong heading into the race.
Planned: Barrelman (Sept), Road2Hope (Nov), Around the Bay (2018)
My most recent race has pushed me to reflect back on my last 12 years of competing in triathlons. There have been quite a few ups, downs, and injuries. I'm much smarter with both my training and racing now, but I'm still slower than I was at my peak (roughly 9 years ago). My rational side knows this is simply due to aging, but it's still hard to come to grips with. I also reflected on some my injuries and race performance issues. This prompted me to go back over the years and put together a table of all of my results. This should help with consistency in my preparation, which although I am very analytical, I feel like I have made many of the same mistakes throughout the years. Really thinking about what has worked for me, and what has not, will hopefully lead to better performances.
Here is an extensive list of all of the races I have done or planned to do, and the general outcomes:
2005
First year of racing. I was 22 and motivated. Finished my first marathon, sprint, olympic, and half-iron distance triathlons in Ottawa.
Ottawa Marathon - 3:30
Ottawa Riverkeeper Sprint - 1:20
National Capital Olympic - 2:44
Canadian Half Iron - 5:52
Cookie Run 10K - 39:30
2006
I likely overdid it the year before and hurt my back/hip during a training run in February. I had signed up for the Muskoka Long course triathlon (before it became the 70.3) but I wasn't able to recover. I had to take about 6 months off of running before slowly starting again in August, when I moved to Vancouver. I still signed up for Ironman Canada in 2007 to give myself motivation to recover.
2007
At UBC I joined the Triathlon Club and it really helped out my training significantly. I had my busiest racing season (likely to date) and other than one minor R hip injury (IBTS) I stayed healthy. I set several PBs this year and raced Ironman Canada, which was one of the highlights of my racing career at that point.
UBC Olympic Tri - 2:37 (new PB)
Sun Run (10K) - 37:44 (new PB)
Vancouver Marathon - 3:01 (new PB)
Desert Half Iron - 5:42 (new PB)
Ironman Canada - 11:10
Fall Classic Half Marathon - 1:22 (new PB)
2008
I started the year with the goal of doing Ironman Canada again, and hoping for a Kona spot in the men's 25-29AG. I thought I could get down to the 10hr mark with my Ironman time. I continued to get faster in all three sports and set most of my lifetime bests for the bike and run. Unfortunately I was likely overdoing it and had a season-ending injury (L hip) in August that really set me back. As we will see, I struggled with this same injury on and off for several years thereafter.
UBC Olympic Tri - 2:16 (PB)
Sun Run - 35:36 (PB)
Oliver Half Iron - 4:52 (PB)
Vancouver Sprint - 1:15 (PB, finished 3rd overall)
**season ended by L hip injury, missed IM Canada and Victoria Marathon
2009
I spent the first half of the year recovering. I raced the Sun Run although without much training. In May I started basic training, which actually prolonged my recovery as there was different physical challenges and I was unable to do my own PT most of the time. I did some small races in the summer to keep me occupied but the military training and nagging injury made it difficult to get my running speed back.
Sun Run - 36:53 (2nd fastest)
Esquimalt 8K - 31:06
Navy 10K - 38:54
Gagetown Terry Fox Run (finished 2nd)
2010
I had hoped to run the Fredericton marathon, but my L hip injury would bother me once my distance started to go much beyond 15K. I settled for the 10K in May but had a disappointing race. my tri bike had been in storage so I decided to buy a road bike in town so I could race while I was in Gagetown. I ended up doing 2 triathlons and placed fairly well. My running was starting to get faster, and I was again hoping to do a marathon in the fall. But once I got around 20K, my L hip would tighten up so I stayed at the half-marathon distance. I was posted to Petawawa in August and did some fall races in the area. Ultimately it was my busiest year since 2007.
Fredericton 10K - 39:43
Gagetown Sprint Tri - 1:10:28 (sprint PB)
Fredericton Sprint Tri - 1:12:42
Saint John's Half - 1:25:42
Petawawa Terry Fox - finished 2nd (38-39 10K pace)
Army Run - 1:27:06 (L hip issues)
2011
Coming off the previous year, I got my tri bike back and decided to focus on triathlons again. My goal race was the Canadian half-iron. My L hip was feeling the best it had in a while, although this year my races were mired by GI issues.
Minto Run (10K) - 39:06
Pembroke 5K - 17:36 (PB)
Ottawa (10K) - 37:56 (GI, was aiming for sub 37)
Barry's Bay Tri- 1:45 (course PB)
Military Sprint Tri - 1:12:42 (finished 2nd in my category)
Deep River Tri - 1:36 (course PB)
Ottawa Canadian Half-Iron (DNF - 39 swim and 2:44 bike, dehydration on the run)
Army Run - 1:26:29 (stronger but some GI issues)
2012
I was disappointed by my half iron performance and decided to train for the Petawawa Ironman as my main focus. This race consisted of a 32K ruck, 4K portage and 8K canoe. The ruck training brought back my L hip issues that nagged my entire training year. I had to walk the second half of the Minto half marathon and then had mediocre results the rest of the year. I had 2 strong runs (Terry Fox and 10 miler) but an awful Ironman event in the middle.
Minto Half (walked, L hip injury)
Telus 5K - 18:09 (1st)
Cross Base Challenge - off-road triathlon that I finished 10th in
Gatineau Tri - 1:11:58 (better conditions but finished 5th)
Deep River Tri - 1:40:46 - slower race in all three than year before
Terry Fox Run - 37:03 (2nd, fastest 10K in 3 years)
Petawawa Ironman - 7:55 (L Hip, had to walk last 8K of ruck and 6K)
Army 10 miler - 1:05 (felt strong on the run)
2013
I had mostly recovered from my L hip injury through strong therapy and was feeling strong going into the winter. I thought I had put my hip issues behind me and signed up for the Muskoka 70.3 race with my sister in September of that year. Unfortunately I did something to my hip during a run in early March and ended up having to do several months of physio to rehab. As this was my 3rd season-ending injury I was quite depressed. I decided to re-evaluate my entire approach to training and focus more on strength training. At this point I decided to leave the regular force and get my personal training certification.
2014
I was still recovering and focusing on strength training. By June I felt strong enough to race and did the Petawa 5K FundRun and started back into triathlons. Although I did some small races in 2012 I hadn't really trained on my bike since 2011 so my bike speed dropped off significantly. I had a "light" year and just focused on racing for fun.
Petawawa 5K - 18:19
Petawawa Sprint- 1:09 (sprint PB, 3rd overall)
Deep River Tri- 1:37 (strong swim-bike, but lost speed on the run)
Kitchissippi 10K - 39:04 (1st overall)
2015
I finished the race season feeling strong and decided to ramp up the training to do some longer distances for the first time in several years. I signed up for the Muskoka double and Ottawa Marathon as a prep race. My training was going very well until I somehow injured my L achilles 2 weeks before the Ottawa marathon during a training run. I did some emerg physio and attempted the race but could not finish it. I still managed to recover and complete the Muskoka double, for my first long distance races in year.
Ottawa Marathon (DNF - achilles)
Muskoka 70.3 - 5:47 (GI issues on bike/run, lost 20-30 min)
Ironman Muskoka - 10:57 (some minor GI issues, felt strong overall)
2016
After completing the Ironman my focus shifted to getting ready for med school. I knew to improve my triathlon times I would need to get better on the bike and continue to rehab my run. At this point in my career, my swim had become my strongest leg of my training. I continued to emphasize strength training as once I let it go for even a few weeks I notice my glutes get weak and end up with an injury. So I need to focus on two things: glute strengthening an salt intake during longer races. These two factors have limited me in almost every race I've done. So in 2016 I just did "fun" races to keep me fit while thinking ahead to Around the Bay and Muskoka in 2017.
Women's 10K - Prep for the marathon 39:10 (1st overall)
Ottawa Marathon - 3:53 (horrible GI issues)
Barry's Bay - 1:46 (a tad slower than last time)
Deep River - 1:36 (2nd fastest of 4 attempts, best bike split)
Halloween 7K - (fastest pace for several years)
Road2Hope Half - 1:26:13 (fastest half since 2010, 3rd fastest PB)
2017
With medical school my training volume and plan has been adjusted for extremely low volume. My goal was to see how I could do medium-distance races while keeping the training volume low. I felt like I've developed a strong base in the past 3 years since I changed my training focus. I had a decent race ATB although the foot cramps over the last 3K affected me, and then I had a a R hip twinge right before Guelph that has persisted through to Muskoka.
Around the Bay 30K - 2:12 (foot cramp for last 3K)
Milton Sprint Tri - 1:37 (hilly course)
Guelph Lake Olympic - 2:22 (R hip, heat on the run)
Ironman 70.3 Muskoka - 5:24 (tough swim, strong bike overall, cramping on the run)
My focus for the rest of this year is strengthening my R hip/glute and continuing to work on my bike power. My running was going very well as of mid June of this year, so I'm confident that with time I will get my speed back. There is a little over 6 weeks until Barrelman,which should be enough time to recover and feel strong heading into the race.
Planned: Barrelman (Sept), Road2Hope (Nov), Around the Bay (2018)
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