April Fool's splits

The numbers tell of a not so flat course. And also of perhaps a slight loss of focus from 15k-17k.

4:23
3:49
3:58
4:18
4:36

5k in 21:06

4:24
4:39
4:04
3:56
4:30

10k in 42:38

4:21
4:19
4:19
4:16
4:48

5:04
4:47
4:17
3:54
3:58
4:41 for the final 1.2k

I was third in the 45-49 age group which is cool given that I'm about to age up. However, I shouldn't rush as I would have been fourth in the 50-54 age group today. Sheesh.

April Fool's half marathon

Well, another half marathon and another solid effort. I ran 1:31:06 today at the Sunshine Coast April Fool's half.


2002 Lake Macquarie 1:31:21 4:21/km

2003 Sydney (Homebush) 1:31:17 4:20.9/km

2005 Sydney ½ marathon 1:32:48 4:25.2/km

2005 Sydney (Opera House) 1:32:57 4:25.7/km

2006 Sydney (Sept) 1:30:15 4:17.9/km

2006 Sydney 1:33:19 4:26.7/km

2006 Lake Mac 1:30.25 4:18.4/km

2007 Sydney (May) 1:31:39 4:21.9/km

2008 Gibsons (April) 1.31.06

2008 Vancouver (June) 1.30.17

2009 Vancouver First Half 1.29.06

2012 First Half half (Feb) 1:33:30

Everson, WA half (Mar) 1:32:09

Gibsons half (Apr) 1:30:10 - 3rd in my age group

2013 First Half half (Feb) 1:31:14

Gibsons half (Apr) 1:31:06  - 3rd in my age group

Quitting is underrated

http://www.insightoftheday.com/quote.asp

Some time ago I signed up for 'insight of the day'. It's a quote, usually motivational and on Friday's I receive a 'story' in my inbox. Today's story is about the power and necessity of quitting.

Here are a few excerpts.

****

I think quitting is underrated.

... I was more afraid of what other people would think about my "quitting" than I was about wasting more moments of my life.

And so I happily wasted a portion of my life in exchange for avoiding the criticisms and opinions of others.

The bottom line is that I didn't quit because I was scared. It's fear that kept me paralyzed for years and years.

***

•              I am going to quit making decisions based on fear. (Obvious exceptions include any scenario involving hungry wild animals chasing me.)

•              I am going to quit shielding my talents, my skills and my power.

•              I'm going to quit using the trick of "playing small" and downplaying my talents as a way to win approval, validation and attention from others.

•              I am going to quit looking for answers in places outside myself.

•              I am going to quit making "realistic" decisions that steer me away from making a powerful impact on the world.

•              I am going to quit thinking that extreme success is reserved for "other people."

•              And I'm going to quit letting the thoughts, opinions, or insecurities of others direct decisions about my life.

****

"Do you have the courage to quit NOW?"

*****

I've come to view quitting as an important virtue. Quitting something that doesn't belong in your life means that you value your commitment to you above most everything else.

If we all did that, I'm afraid we'd unleash an epidemic of happy and well-adjusted people unlike the world has ever seen.

In an effort to jumpstart such an "epidemic," here's something else I'm suggesting we all quit:

The idea that quitting is in some way a bad thing.

Most people you ask on the street would probably say "quitting" is a bad thing. That's because they've been taught that "Winners never quit and quitters never win."

The type of quitting I'm talking about has nothing to do with what you actually want to achieve in your life. There's no sane reason anyone would quit the pursuit of that.

The quitting I'm recommending applies to all of the other things you feel are standing in your way of pursuing what you want.

******

So when's the right time to QUIT?

You quit as soon as you realize that your time could be better spent in another way. You quit the minute it becomes clear that you're living your life for someone or something else instead of living it for you.

In my experience, doing this on a regular basis is one of the scariest things you can do. It brings you right up to the edge of your comfort zone where you're forced to make a choice:

Do you live your life based on how you want to live it? Or do you live your life based on how you think others want you to live it?

Do yourself a favor. Do the world a favor. QUIT something.

Jason Leister

Motivational quotes

Margreet came across this list:

http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/12-great-motivational-quotes-for-2013.html?nav=next


I particularly like this one:

"A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided."
Tony Robbins

24 Weeks to an Ironman

Six months. 24 weeks. That's what lies between yesterday and August 25th.

The title of this post was inspired from what I consider to be one of the top triathlon training resources in our home library:  “Start to Finish: 24 Weeks to an Endurance Triathlon” written by Paul Huddle and Roch Frey.

Whenever someone asks for advice and makes it clear they don’t want to hire a coach despite our encouragement, Margreet and I direct them to this book.

It’s simple. If you’re serious about finishing an Ironman, you need to know what’s involved and you must have a plan.

While I’m convinced that most people are capable of becoming an Ironman, it’s disconcerting that so few are willing to do the work because that’s what I enjoy the most. I love to train. 

Ironman - unfortunately - has become for many participants a one-time, check-it-off-the-list event. But that’s never been how I’ve seen it.

To me Ironman is about being healthy, day in and day out, week in and week out. It’s a life long focus on being fit. 

I've never started an Ironman thinking: I hope I finish; I've always thought: What will I accomplish today. One reality is that you can't control all that happens during a race but that's a topic for another post.

When Margreet and I first entered long-distance triathlon we did so in Sydney with a coach, John Hill, and a group of motivated, like-minded athletes. We were a real mix in terms of level of experience and technical expertise. What set us apart and brought us together was the commitment we made to be better year in and year out - emphasis on year.

The importance of consistency was hammered into us; and the results more often that not bore that out. 

Another reality of the sport, however, is that Ironman can be cruel no matter one's training - so you better be in it for something other than race day. 

Back then - a decade ago, we had to qualify at a half ironman in order to get a chance to start Ironman Australia. It's too bad that's no longer the case.

Having to qualify was frustrating because it was hard. It also was ideal because it reinforced the work ethic necessary to succeed in getting to the start line.

I take triathlon seriously in that I set aside a considerable amount of time and energy - and money - to compete. I now say compete because I set out to be competitive. It's about me challenging me. 

I don't start an Ironman simply to finish. That's because I embrace the joy of training and the fitness that emerges from it; I want to excel on race day. I'm all in.

What’s important about the next 24 weeks? Well, this is where my focus must and will be sharper. It starts now. Not tomorrow, not next week. From here on in, I will do all that I can to convince myself that I'm ready. That conviction is based in swim, bike and run. It's simple.

I’ve been preparing for this ‘24-week block’ by training to train. That’s a phrase I saw on an Endurance Corner post where I’ve been sifting through a slew of coaching advice. There’s a great series of ‘How to qualify for Kona’ columns on the site that I highly recommend - whether Kona is an objective or not.

What I like most about Huddle, Frey and the Endurance Corner coaches - including Gordo Byrne - is that they are immersed in long-distance triathlon. The same was true of the two key coaches I've worked with in the past. To me this is critically important if you seek a sense of achievement within the sport.

These past two months have been a time to build a base in the pool, on the trainer and on the treadmill as well as tweak my bike position. I’ve done that. Now I’m ready for the next level.

It’s not about volume per se, though there will be a slow increase in volume and/or time spent in each of the three disciplines. It’s much more about making each workout the highest value it can be. Like everyone else, there are endless demands on my time. Ironman is great at helping me prioritize.

As Randy Jackson says to competitors on American Idol, I’m in it to win it. Figuratively that is. For me, it's all about being as focused as I can on my effort and commitment to training. 

Qualifying times

For me, there is something to be said for swimming frequently. Tonight I felt awesome in the water, hours after debating whether to take the evening off. I'm very happy I didn't.

The coach - without advanced warning and without calling them anything out of the ordinary - had us swim a consecutive series of all-out 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m. We also had a super easy repetition of each distance in between with lots of recovery time too.

Whatever was in the water worked for everyone else too. Times dropped across the four lanes.

I swam a mid-30 50m, a 1:22 100m, a 2:44 200m and my first Sub 6 400m: 5:58. There's something to be said about swimming fast regularly.

It's a sign - yet another reminder - that being focused with training and consistent with it does translate into improvement, sometimes unexpectedly, even when you think you're having a low energy day.

I swam hard and I know that I can swim with still greater effort.

The 200m time is a personal best and it's beneath the 2:47 that I would need to have in a meet to qualify for that event at the Montreal Worlds 2014. I swam a 3:09 in this event at the swim meet at UBC in the fall.

As for the 400m, it's what I consider to be my first real Sub 6 effort. About a month ago we did a 400m TT to start the year and I swam 6:52. I wasn't impressed and I let the coach know that I wanted some additional advice. To her credit, I got it.

I had two years ago swum a 6:18 and then got stuck.

What do I think I've done to improve:

I've slowed down my arm rotation. I've stopped trying to teach the water a lesson with each stoke. My reach is significantly more extended. I'm actually catching and pulling myself through the water. I'm flip turning and streamlining. I'm 'trying' to breathe every third stroke. I'm doing all that I can to be aero in the water. I am swimming in the 'box' that a previous coach sketched for me.

While I've been thinking of a Sub 6 for more than a year, I hadn't expected to achieve it this week. I swam a second TT in late January of 6:32 and at the meet on Sunday I swam 6:30 (with a goggles malfunction).

I always want to go faster. It's part of who I am, though I realize that it's not something that can be rushed.

The Sub 6 though is huge and here's why. If I can - over the next few months - swim that pace at a slightly easier level of effort then a 1-hour Ironman swim comes squarely into focus. I'd be seriously impressed with myself in reaching that level.

I would see a 1-hour Ironman swim split as a sign that I've reached a new level in the sport. My fastest swim split is 1:03. I've dreamt of a 1-hour or slightly faster time for a decade.

And so now I'm more motivated than ever.

In addition, I've now moved within reach of the qualifying standard of 5:50 that I would need to enter this event at the Montreal Worlds. Four days ago that time seemed so far out of reach that I'd put it out of my mind. Now, it's front and centre.

Love to Swim? Yes

After my third indoor swimming competition, I'm a little wiser and also know that there's still a lot more to learn. Yesterday was the English Bay Swim Club's Love to Swim meet at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre.

For some reason I swam most of my events goggles-optional, though that doesn't mean 'intentional'. I recommend swimming with goggles - perhaps double-capped too - and I'll focus on that for the next meet - Provincials April 26-28 in Vancouver.

At the next Titans Flippin' Tuesday session on March 5th, I will look to practice my diving skills along with perfecting my turns. I flip turned every time at yesterday's meet; a year ago I didn't know how to flip.

What did I get from this latest meet? First and foremost, I have some early season benchmarks, in particular for the 1500m. It's the fastest 1500m that I have swum in recent years - and as best I know ever.

Yesterday I swam 25:26.76 - which made me 1st among one in my age group. Ha! Once relegated to the slowest lane where I swam with fins in a losing effort to keep up with superswift kids, I now have a 'gold' medal performance :)

What I've learned most over the years is to celebrate my successes - with a grain of salt.

My objective for the 1500m was to start slower than I knew I could swim and then build. It was a good strategy though I might revise it a bit for the next meet. I might opt for a fast start and then ease into a rhythm that is 'comfortably uncomfortable' - in other words, a half ironman or ironman pace.

I am usually good at counting laps but not yesterday. I lost count of the 60 x 25m laps very early and so practiced my sighting skills - keen to see a bell ringing for me, the signal for the final 50m. Apparently I was sighting a lot. Perhaps that's because it seemed to take a lot longer than I expected - though my anticipation of the bell and some frantic on-deck signals from Titans teammate Simon encouraged me to swim the last few hundred metres as fast as I could.

I was ecstatic to finally see the bell and hammered the last 50m. I don't think I had much left in the tank so I'll look to expand the tank a bit ahead of April.

For comparison, I looked up my swim times from some recent triathlons.

I rarely do Olympic distance events, which start with a 1500m swim. The one exception has been the Squamish Triathlon which I have raced the last three years.

In 2012: I swam 25:29. In 2011, it was 26:20. And in 2010, I clocked 25:56. Last year I 'sort' of tapered ahead of the race and so I was fresh; the previous year I had completed a massive training day on the Saturday and had nothing.

The key change for me has been to swim calmer for which I credit Coach Roseline Mondor-Grimm.

So yesterday's time is a positive one, in particular given that it's so early in the year. I am convinced that a Sub 25 swim is within my reach and I intend to get it this season.

What will that mean for a longer distance swim? Ideally it will translate into a faster, more efficient one. And the intent of a faster swim as a triathlete is to exit the water with a stronger group of competitors. If challenging yourself is an objective, as it is for me, then you want athletes at least as fit as yourself either chasing you or in the near 'legal' distance.

I have done seven half ironmans (mostly starting with 1900m in the water) in the last four years: Vancouver four times, Oliver twice and Sooke once. (And I have three Ironman Canada swims in those four years too but I won't look at those results today.)

My times in Vancouver have steadily fallen: 31:15 (2012), 32:49 (2011), 32:35 (2010) and 33:32 (2009). My target for this year: Sub 31.

In Oliver - which is a 2k course - I swam 38:32 (2012*) and 34:16 (2010). *The course last year wasn't accurate, I know that because I was in great form and swam very well. Others agreed. That said, everyone does the same course so it didn't alter the overall results - though it gave me pause for thought as I ran for my bike. Learning to compartmentalize is a great skill for a triathlete, one that I continue to develop.

In Sooke I took 32:09 (2011).

The progression in my swim times is positive. In both the 1500m and the 1900m, I am stopping the clock faster and faster. That's all I can ask for. Well, I can ask for still faster times :) and I do.

***

As for the swim meet itself, I did four events.

In the first - the 400m, I lost my goggles immediately after diving off the blocks and stopped as immediately to reset them. So much for the starting momentum. Coach Roseline says the start/stop cost me 5-10 seconds. The disturbance did fire me up and I swam hard to recatch the swimmers in the adjacent lanes. It ended up being my fastest 400m in recent months but not what I think is an accurate  reflection of my fitness at the moment.

I was, however, particularly happy with both my 100m and 50m efforts - and times. I enjoy these timetrial efforts: head down, breathing deeply and as little as I can, kicking and reaching long for the timing mat.

As it turns out my 50m split was very close to the qualifying time that I would need to attend the FINA World Championships in Montreal in 2014: 33.54 ME vs 33.0 FINA.

I also believe I can make the 100m standard, given that yesterday I was somewhat slowed by having to pull my goggles out of my mouth as I was in motion: 1:21.19 ME vs 1:15.30 FINA.

400m .. 47.92, 1:35.50, 2:25.73, 6:30.28  (6th)

100m .. 1:21.19  (39.43)  (7th)

50m .. 33.54 (5th)

1500m .. 25:26.76 (1st)

Other targets for Montreal, I would need to swim 5:50.00 in the 400m and 12:20.00 for the 800m. I did swim Sub 6 once in training last summer.

See you at the pool.

Half marathon stats

2002 Lake Macquarie 1:31:21 4:21/km

2003 Sydney (Homebush) 1:31:17 4:20.9/km

2005 Sydney ½ marathon 1:32:48 4:25.2/km

2005 Sydney (Opera House) 1:32:57 4:25.7/km

2006 Sydney (Sept) 1:30:15 4:17.9/km

2006 Sydney 1:33:19 4:26.7/km

2006 Lake Mac 1:30.25 4:18.4/km

2007 Sydney (May) 1:31:39 4:21.9/km

2008 Gibsons (April) 1.31.06

2008 Vancouver (June) 1.30.17

2009 Vancouver First Half 1.29.06

2012 First Half half (Feb) 1:33:30

Everson, WA half (Mar) 1:32:09

Gibsons half (Apr) 1:30:10

2013 First Half half (Feb) 1:31:14

*I'm impressed with my consistency :)

Five things

The following is the end result of a bit of introspection and reading on how to refocus myself for the year ahead.


Strengthen my strengths
- The success I have now and the potential for more of it lies in taking advantage of my natural strengths and making them stronger. As an athlete, that means trust in my training.

Be more self-aware
- The best thing I can do to improve my effectiveness is to become more aware of what motivates me and my decision-making. Transparency is critical.

Have more enduring faith in myself and others
 - Be more confident in my abilities, knowledge and expertise. Be more open to seeing good in others. Pause first, breathe second and then - maybe - respond.

De-personalize
 - Establish a conflict-free zone and put myself in the middle.  Find a way to challenge others to be better.

Make a conscious decision to focus on the positives
 - See the sun through the rain.

Tweaking my swim

I’ve been swimming regularly and have had many coaches over the last decade. Yet I’ve been frustrated that I’m not getting much faster.

At times in recent years I’ve pulled off faster sprints over 25m, 50m and 100m.

Endurance isn’t an issue - at least not in the sense that I can get in the water and swim continuously for a solid hour or longer with few breaks.

And so I recently told Coach Roseline that I wasn’t happy with my swim. I’m investing too much time for too little return. The purpose of my comment was: what do I need to do to swim faster?

Coach Roseline had a simple starting point: Stop fighting the water. 

And then, after a video review a few other tweaks were relayed to me:

Extend the forward entry arm/hand just a bit more.

Slow down my arms. It’s not a race to see how fast I can throw my arms forward.

Pull with focus. Anchor my hand, pull the water and then push it. Do this with effort when speed is the objective. But keep my arms moving forward above the water at the same speed.

Glide a little longer. In other words, increase the distance that I cover with each stroke.

Breathe less often. When I accelerate or when I get tired, I breathe every stroke.

And voila. 

I did an unexpected 400m TT on Friday and knocked 20 secs off the time I set about 10 days ago - which prompted my initial - recent - frustration.

I’m still not where I want to be in terms of swimming with less effort and generating more speed but it’s early in the season and now I have some concrete things to focus on in the water.

Cervelo P2k for sale

I have a Cervelo P2k – 54 inch aluminum frame, white and blue colouring – that is looking for a new athlete.

Price: $1500.

54" aluminum frame, Ultega/Durace parts

Profile Design aero bars

Ora carbon cranks, Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels

One of the key strengths of Cervelo is that they make bikes that are very neutral positioned, and therefore they fit a wide range of people. Check out Cervelo's website for more on its triathlon bikes.

The Kona bike count 2012: Cervelo was again at the top. Here is the Lava magazine story.

All of the parts on this particular bike represent an upgrade as I bought the frame on its own.

There is a mix of Ultegra and Durace. The cranks are ORA carbon spider. The aero bars are Profile Design. The wheels are Mavic Kysrium Elite and the tires are Continental Gatorskins.

The bike is in excellent condition and has been very well maintained.

If interested you can drop by Corsa Cycles for a ‘viewing’ or ‘test spin’. Fit is the most important part of a bike. Ask for Pat. Click here for directions to Corsa.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at  triathlete_tim AT yahoo.com

Managing myself

I started here:

 http://www.endurancecorner.com/self_awareness_and_facilitation

 found this:

 http://blogs.hbr.org/tjan/2012/07/how-leaders-become-self-aware.html

 while looking for this:

 http://hbr.org/2005/01/managing-oneself/ar/1

*You can a register for free access to the Harvard Business Review - three free articles a month.

Titans President 2013

I've opened a new chapter in the sport. After two years on the Titans board, I was acclaimed president earlier this month for 2013.

Tim Moore, President

Steep pitch

My best friend this week wrote that life is as simple or as complicated as one chooses. In racing as in life there are times when you can't deny results. Doubts emerge, whether warranted or not. Am I doing the right thing? Why am I doing what I am doing? Should I be doing something else?

I can only speak for myself. My fastest Ironman came in 2003 and my second fastest in 2004. That is an increasingly longer time ago. I can't deny the reality that my pursuit of a Sub 10 finish seems further and further from reach. Perhaps I have lost it? (That is rhetorical!)

My pursuit of that Sub 10 is as legitimate to me now as ever. I believe it is not only within reach but that it is easily within my potential. I am far fitter now than ever. I am far more ready when race day arrives. I just haven't - for some reason that remains elusive and I am determined to uncover - achieved it, yet. (I think the key is within my mind, to trust myself, to relax and let it happen.)

My Ironman dream is more alive each day. I don't constantly think about it but it is never far from my present thoughts. It is more vivid. It is more real to me. It is a sign of how much I love being a triathlete. Reading this might suggest I have lost perspective but I can assure you that I am fierecly grounded. Ironman is simply a part of my life, not even close to being the most important.

Each of us set objectives for ourselves, most not sport focused. For some the objective is very low and for others very high. My advice to anyone who is interested, reach as high as you can and then climb up the tallest ladder you can beg, borrow or steal (temporarily). Push yourself or find someone who can push you. Challenge yourself to be the absolute best you can be. never give in, never give up. Be open to constructive criticism. Be honest about your effort. Be willing to rethink, reasses and to reach out for help.

We at times doggedly pursue our objectives. I say doggedly after being reminded again this week by our Luka that the pursuit of happiness - in his case chasing a tennis ball on the beach - is worth a few sand blisters. It is similar to how I felt, in a way, with the soreness that comes while, and after, racing. You learn to embrace it and accept it. Walking awkwardly for a few days after a race is a sign I put in a solid effort.

A week ago I ran a marathon. It was a challenging day with crazy wind and heavy rain. I had the option of not starting. I wasn't alone. There were about 9300 entered, more than 2000 chose not to start and several hundred others did not finish. As I said, the weather was crazy.

My silent objective was to run Sub 3. I was confident that I would finish faster than 3:10 and reset my personal best. Somewhere along the road I lost my focus and while I recovered, I left myself with too little road to stop the clock as fast as I would have liked. I ran 3:14.

In terms of the numbers, the race was neither my best, nor my worse. At the moment it ranks as my third fastest, my fastest in five years. I always look for context - the result of more than 12 years of writing nut graphs at Bloomberg News in Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney.

The day that I stop loving what I do or the day that I stop trying to improve is the day that it is time to do something else. Until then it is 110 percent about moving forward on the paths I have chosen, with the people who I connect with.

This week I pared back some friends on Facebook. I have a simple rule: if you can't be bothered to even 'Like' something that I post once in a while, then we aren't really friends. That is OK.

The things that I do with my life and the people I want in my life must be like-minded. Just because the road ahead is steep is no reason to look for an alternative. Failure is a positive because we learn far more from adversity, I think.

As we prepare to drive north this weekend we are in reflective moods. It has been a week of highs and lows, not unlike the past year. We were blessed with three stunning late autumn days, ocean breezes, sand on our boots and some breathtaking views.

I was awake early this morning, long before daylight. Margreet followed. And now Luka has arrived, smiling, tail wagging, eager for another run on the beach.

In review and ahead

I hadn't planned to train or race as much as I have this calendar year. As the New Year begins to approach I can say that I have had a superb year. I still love to train, in many ways I have had that renewed this year. I love the feeling that comes from being fit.

My year began with the First Half half marathon in February and it came to a close yesterday on the approach to the State Capitol building in Sacramento at the end of the CIM or California International Marathon. I ran 3:14:10. That was my fastest marathon in more than five years and my third Sub 3:15 finish.

In between I ran a half marathon in Washington state, the April Fool's half marathon on the Sunshine Coast, a 10k down Yonge Street in Toronto, a half ironman in Oliver, a half ironman in Vancouver, the Squamish Triathlon and Ironman  Canada.

I am so looking forward to 2013. My race sked is already developing with the First Half, the Victoria half iron in June, the Vancouver half iron in July and Ironman Canada in Whistler. I also will consider the Squamish tri and we may well return to CIM. I want a new marathon PB.

I have so much to be grateful for as the holiday season approaches. First, I have a superbly supportive life partner in Margreet. When it comes to training and racing she inspires, motivates and is my reality check. And she's been challenging me to be a better athlete for 12 years as of this month.

These past 12 months will complete the most productive and also the most frustrating year Margreet has had as an athlete. What put her running on hold in June remains unknown and yet she's swimming and cycling again - after a more than seven year break - in preparation for IMC. She is fearless, a quality that in my opinion is among her greatest strengths.

Second, I am grateful for my health. I don't overthink it but I have been reminded recently of the importance of taking advantage of it. Our days are numbered, our time is limited. Live each day to its fullest. Live in the present as much as one can. Live with less - less stuff, less clutter, less chaos. Focus on right now. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

It is difficult to find one's balance. I struggle with it a lot. It is not that I want more per se, it is that I want better.

Third, I am grateful for all that my Dad does, has done, to care for my Mom. It is about never losing hope despite all the crises and the chaos - and there have been far too many. It is about total commitment.

Fourth, I am grateful for having met a very select group of people who I can tap for advice at the drop of a hat. People who understand the importance of integrity.

I am excited about what lies ahead in 2013 ahletically because it is now firmly part of who I am. Yet I say that my athletic life doesn't define me. I have this blog but I don't have a log book. Being fit is among the most important things in my life because of all the doors that it gives me the potential of opening.

I believe there is still a lot of room for improvement and for me it is increasingly about the little things.

My key focus for 2013 will be 'focus'. I was reminded of it yesterday and I was reminded of it during IMC in late August. I am more determined than ever to get the most out of every training session and every racing opportunity. I will be writing and thinking about it a lot in the pending 12 months.

All the best for the holidays. Merry Christmas!

Fastest marathon in five years

Eventhough I had higher - or rather faster - expectations, on Sunday I ran my fastest marathon in more than five years. I now have three Sub 3:15 finishes, the first two came on the Gold Coast course in Australia.

1998 Portland          4:14:29

1999 NYC               3:49:56  (10k 54:38, 1/2 1:52:17)

2002 Sydney            3:29:40 ish

2003 Gold Coast      3:24:54  (1/2  1:38:21)

2003 Honolulu         3:33:14

2006 Gold Coast      3:13:51  (1:36:19, 1:37:32)

2007 Gold Coast      3:10:38

2008 Victoria            3:22:14  (1:36:17)

2010 Bellingham        3:25:15 (6th in 45-49 age group)

2011 Victoria            3:16:38 (1:34:26 - 10th in age group)

2012 CIM                   3:14:10 (top 10pc of field, of age group)

Swimmin'

On Sunday I 'competed' in my second swim meet - ever. I had an ambitious program, one that would make any Olympian proud: 400m free, 100m free, 50m free, 200m free and 800m free. And then one four x 50m relay, also free.

As with anything in life, it's important - I think - to jump into the deep end every once in a while and see what happens.

That approach comes from when I first moved to Vancouver in the mid 1990s; I didn't know anyone and somehow I found myself a member of an outdoor adventure group called Carpe Diem.

At that point in time I had no real athletic component to my life. As a kid I played either road hockey or put on skates and attempted to hammer the puck into the net, or I was fielding well hit pitches in centre field or trying to smash backhands cross court. I kept active but in hindsight I wasn't at all fit.

One of the first 'adventures' I did with Carpe Diem was a two-day race from Deep Cove to Whistler.  I had volunteered to do one of the easy mountain bike sections but by the time I made it to the pre-race meet-my-teammates meeting, we apparently had decided to complete the entire race - together. What the heck.

And so I held my first paddle moments before we launched from Cates Park to travel 19km up the Burrard Inlet. It wasn't pretty - it's fair to say it was ugly - but we weren't last out of the water either - OK, I think we were the last team out of the water but there was at least one individual behind us.

Completing that race - paddle, mountain bike, white water raft, mountain bike and mountain trail run - opened my mind. And I like to think each fresh adventure opens the door a little wider. I think it's unfortunate when good athletes lose the ability to take risks because that's what living means to me. My current personal best in Ironman came in 2004 and I have made that a target every race that I have since entered.

My first swim meet was two seasons ago. As best I recall, some 70 year old guy finished ahead of me in the 100m free. (At least I can say he was a former Olympian!) That meet was a great experience. It helped spur my motivation to swim a lot more.

And so I was looking forward to the UBC hosted event yesterday. We had Coach Roseline and a solid crew of Titans.

I hit the water for a warm up and I have to say that immediately I knew the next few hours were going to be challenging. It was as if I had lost an extra hour of sleep rather than having won it.

I have been swimming reasonably consistently the last two months though my main focus the last six weeks has been my preparation for the California International Marathon in early December.

So I didn't exactly taper for the swim meet, never even considered doing so. I know from triathlon that I can have a massive training day on a Saturday and still put in a strong performance at a sprint or Olympic distance event on the Sunday.

That's not what happened yesterday though. I ran or tried to run a hard 9km effort on Friday and then ran a steady 27km on Saturday. The Friday run was a bust but the Saturday run was superb. I felt fast, running felt effortless, it was pouring and yet my spirit was soaring.

I'm fortunate to have a good friend here who is a superb athlete, and a great target: Volker. He's an uber biker who runs three hour marathons and is becoming shark-like in the water too. Thank God he's not in my age group at Ironman Canada!

We lined up in lanes 7 and 8 for the 400m, the first event. We swam a very even first 25m and 50m and then he maintained his pace and I didn't - not for lack of effort on my part. I had nothing. This non pull buoy rule needs to be reassessed!

Needless to say that 400m wasn't an auspicious start to the meet for me. I never really felt like I found my rhythm. That's OK, I had some 'moments' to write home about. I had one speed, which worked in the 800m but that sort of was less helpful in the rest of my events :)

I shook my head a few times but racing is like that. There are days when you have it and days when you don't.

I'm not deterred though. I'm looking forward to the next meet in early February. I'll be in full triathlon training mode by that point and will be determined to sink the season benchmarks I set yesterday.

For now the focus shifts primarily to early December with a few strength sessions and some yoga practices too.

The importance of looking forward

It takes effort - sometimes a massive effort - to stay focused. I'm talking about life here not sport. I believe that focus is a skill. It's one that we acquire over time. It's a reflection of all that we've learned from the people around us.

Focus is what keeps us moving forward - though of course the speed at which we move is individual and that is what makes life interesting. We all have different paths to take and the difference in speed at which we move often is the cause of conflict which isn't necessarily negative.

Much of our behaviour is learned from our parents at least it was in my case. Good people who have always respected others. 

The most simple truth in life I've learned - repeatedly from my Mom and Dad in both words and actions - is to treat others as I want to be treated. Don't take advantage of anyone else. Don't transfer what's my responsibility to someone else.

At times others will take advantage of me, have and will do or try to do so in the future. That's OK in the sense that I can't control how others choose to live. But I don't need to be defined by what defines them. That doesn't make me happy but it provides me with the justification to distance myself from people who don't embrace me as an equal however difficult that is.

It's not complicated. I want people in my life who add value to my life, who enrich my life, who push or challenge me to think differently, people who open my mind, who respect me for who I am and who are interested in what I do, what I think and the potential that I've yet to achieve. I choose to hold closest to me people who share that approach to life.

Of course there are times when I have been tested, by both family and friends. There are times when I've been angered by the words and actions, or non actions, of the people closest to me. I accept that as part of life. And at times I've needed to rethink, reassess, take a step back and look in the mirror. And to take time to do so. Is it me or is it them? If I'm honest, it sometimes is me.

As we've all read at one point: we are defined not by what knocks us down, we are defined by how we respond, by how we pick ourselves up.

Guilt and forgiveness also play two huge roles in my life. I can choose to look at the concept of guilt  positively or negatively - it's easy to do both. I grew up a Catholic in a loving family. We had everything that we needed and then some. We never wanted for anything. Yet my parents also taught us about perspective - a theme that I've blogged about a lot over the years.

Perspective is about balance.

Guilt in and of itself is powerful. It's a double-edged sword. It acts as a limiter, an imaginary line between what's acceptable and what isn't. It does I think help keep me on the straight and narrow. It helps define what's right and what's wrong.

Forgiveness is equally powerful. Forgiveness to me is about letting go, it's about moving forward and it's about looking forward. Learning to forgive isn't easy but I believe it's a key to living a healthy and positive life.

Forgiveness is NOT about who's right or who's wrong. It's far more about acceptance. It's about deciding what's most important. Did I err in rushing to judgement? Can I forgive myself for doing so? Can I find a way forward? Or do I need to let go?

In the standard sense, one forgives someone else for something that they've done or said. There's an element of that in my understanding of forgiveness.

But forgiveness doesn't mean accepting the status quo: I forgive you, hit me again.

In an ideal world, forgiveness helps both you and the person you are forgiving. But in reality, it's far more about forgiving yourself. It is for me - as I said earlier - about letting go.

And yet it doesn't have to be about letting go forever. It's about letting go for now. Sometimes what we need most is distance, a chance to get on with life however mundane though hopefully about focusing on one's potential. Life is short - we hear that phrase all the time and we are reminded of it especially at times of crisis when someone dies suddenly, unexpectedly.

We often are challenged by people who are unhappy at their core. They've made the decision at some point - unconsciously as well as consciously - as children or as adults that they are victims. Nothing makes them happy and they seek to live that way. It's powerful. It's very hard to change. They grant themselves immunity for all that they do, if you don't agree with them that's your problem. They use people.

Their 'half glass empty' approach to life often has been reinforced by friends and family - unconsciously and consciously too. In many ways they are trapped but can't see it, nor do they want to see it and they especially don't appreciate being confronted with it either. It's become who they are and everything in their life reinforces that approach.

The tough part is what to do about it. How to interact with them on any level? How to avoid being caught in their trap?

Do you try to engage them? Do you embrace them? Or do you push them away?

It can be particularly hard to have a rapport with them because if you aren't careful you will be pulled down by them, you will lose your focus and you will wake one morning lost. 

I don't have any answers. But what I do know is that for me it's important that I look forward, that I maintain my focus. I need to compartmentalize and put aside the distraction otherwise it will drag me down too.

Darkness

It was dark this morning, as dark as it is now. Fall is fast flowing towards winter and that means still fewer hours of light. Turning back our clocks this weekend will help but it will be a temporary fix.

The darkness makes it a tough time of the year to be motivated to train. This morning for me was no exception. The alarm sounded and while my new Garmin swim watch is far gentler than my previous Polar watch, it did what it was supposed to do and roused me from a deep sleep.

Unlike Simon Whitfield, I needed to count to more than 10 before I eased myself from beneath the covers.

Half asleep I dressed and turned on the kettle to have a cup of tea to sip on as I made my way to Brennan Park. It's about a 10 minute drive. No traffic!

I was in the water by 6:10 and it was a no nonsense pre weekend meet session from Coach Roseline. Fast and slow 25s, 50s, 100s and 200s. Andrew, Marko and I worked methodically.

Among the most recent tweaks to my freestyle has been hand placement and pull, thanks to Roseline as well as Yi-khy, our resident 1500m Olympian.

I was trying to explain what to do to Margreet Dietz, who's back in the water preparing for Ironman Canada, and opted to look at Youtube for some video examples.

I first went to Sheila Taormina - http://www.sheilat.com - simply because she's an awesome swimmer. Several years ago I had looked at whether we could get her to visit us in Squamish for a weekend training camp - or to see if she might happen to be in Seattle or Vancouver anytime soon, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

But we could, and can, watch a good range of videos she's posted to Youtube. Today we looked at a catch-up drill. Previously I've looked at how to use

Recently via a pro triathlete I know in Australia, Lisa Marangon, we've been tapping Effortless Swimming for advice.

And I came across a video of one of Australia's swimming legends, Ian Thorpe.

Swimming is the most technical of a triathlete's three disciples and one that draws input from all who watch. I've found for me to improve I need to swim a lot, swim distance and tweak my stroke continuously. It's a never ending lane!

CoachesBC

Triathlon is an amazing sport and I've been looking for a fresh way to tap into it. The card above arrived unexpectedly via email earlier today, and it got me thinking.

A few months ago - long before Ironman Canada moved to Whistler - I started to pull together the following site: http://coachtriathletetim.blogspot.ca

Then I tapped several friends who are coaches in Canada, the US and Australia for their advice to help determine whether it was a path for me. And I've mostly been thinking how to move forward.

While I'm keen to coach, I'm as keen to remain an athlete and a competitor. In Penticton in August, I completed my tenth Ironman and it renewed my love for the sport.

I love being a triathlete and that's one reason why I began the coaching certification process a few years ago.

I'm still keen to be certified - I think there is value in being recognized as such but it takes time and there are competing interests.

Among the competing interests: life and my own athletic targets.

I also have chosen to give back to the sport in writing a book - Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen - and in writing several dozen articles for triathlon magazines, and websites, in Canada and the US. I continue to write for Triathlon Magazine Canada and ironman.com.

What draws me to coaching is a desire to motivate others.

Of course with Whistler set to host IMC for the next five years starting in 2013, there's been a surge of interest here in Squamish and I've found myself trying to talk more than a few friends into signing up.

Perhaps there's a future for me in coaching after all.