Strategic debut

I’m developing a new marathon strategy and I had a superb start with it in Bellingham.

The objective was simply: run as hard as I could for as long as I could, and then run still harder.

Well.

I ran some superb times through the first eight miles. Then my strategy proved a tad ambitious. But as I said at the beginning of this post, Bellingham was the start.

I wanted to race because I hadn’t had the chance to run at Ironman Canada. And I wanted to race this race because I wanted to take advantage of all of the training that I have done this past year before hitting pause for a few weeks or a month.

And so .. the Bellingham marathon appeared on my schedule. (Note: Margreet found it first and was keen to race it until she redirected herself towards the 100km Haney to Harrision in early November.)

The race began as I expected. I ran a bit too fast. The first 1 mile was 6:35. Ha. Take that.

I immediately eased back a touch and settled into a 7:00 to 7:06 pace for the next seven miles.

I was running with three others – two guys and the first woman. The pace was good and it was great to have the others there to help me focus.

One realization from yesterday’s effort was that I think far far far too much. I need to ask some others but I need to find a way to settle my mind more during races. I have often said that I have trouble focusing. I think for me the challenge is narrowing that focus.

We ran as a group for about 7 miles and then one of the lead guys accelerated just a bit as we zoomed by some spectators who were cheering for him. The adrenaline kicked in for him and the two others also accelerated. I chose not to go. I felt the pace I was on was superb and I didn’t see any need to go harder at this point.

My 5km split was about 20:26 and my 10km split was about 43:20. I believed my training ahead of Ironman would have put me in a position to run a standalone marathon of 3:02 to 3:10. I hadn’t trained to run faster and it didn’t make sense for me to try to run too fast too early.

That said, I suppose at the end of the day I can say that I ran too fast too early. But that’s OK. I don’t regret the pace.

Sitting here on the Oregon Coast in Lincoln City the day after the race, I have thought, what if I had gone with those other three – would it have hurt me?

The weather was good for the race. Light rain to start. We got a solid shower at about the 8-mile mark and there was a decent headwind on the return from the first out and back. That wind was there from time to time throughout the rest of the run.

My times drifted further and further from the 7 minute area. I had six caf gels – one mistake was not taking the other two. I also would have ‘appreciated’ the opportunity for some coke. There simply wasn’t any on the course.

I crossed the line in 3:25. My ninth marathon.

Faster times ahead.

Bellingham

Me and Macca

My first thought was .. what the ..

How could it be both cold and raining as hard as it was? A year ago it was sunny and 35-40 degrees. And here we have had the driest and warmest summer on record - or close to it. I had the misfortune of one day of rain for one long training spin.

Race day though is the challenge. And it's a learning curve too.

For the first time in my Ironman 'career' I did not finish a race. I abandoned it and opted for the back of an ambulance at about 160km into the bike. It was the right decision at that moment for me. I was soaked and moving slower and slower and getting colder and colder. I wasn't thinking clearly and I was shivering nonstop.

At least I had the presence of mind to stop and start walking down the hill that I had hammered a year earlier. I didn't have the spirit to smash the final 20km of the bike, which is mostly downhill.

For a second year, I had a disappointing day at Ironman Canada. The idea of not finishing though had never crossed my mind. I expected to be faster than ever.

One of the thoughts that came to me as I realized my day was done was that I'd have to race here again because I know that I have the potential to nail this course. I say that with the knowledge that I've put in two very solid years of training and each year my overall fitness has been at a new high.

I look at my race results the last few months as a sign that I was well prepared, and I believe that I was in a position to be competitive.

In the immediate aftermath of the race, I was disappointed. It was an empty feeling. I wasn't happy with myself.

And - simply because of the huge demand for Ironman races, there is no other race that I can do this year to express my fitness.

One thought that came to mind however was that I was in good company. Ironman is about the journey.

It took Macca six attempts to win in Kona including one DNF.

So really .. perspective is critical.

I'm fit, I'm motivated and I'm looking ahead to 2011.

Meeting with success

"I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours."

Henry David Thoreau
1817-1862, Writer and Poet

Harrison to Haney

No .. I'm not going to run 100km anytime soon. But Margreet is.

Check out her post from earlier today: here.

IMJ Coaching

Two good friends and superbly fit triathletes.

Scott Jones won his age group at Ironman Canada on Sunday. The first - no doubt - of many such wins ahead.

Teresa Rider added yet another age group win - and massive new course record - to her race history also at IMC.

This dynamic duo are based in Boulder, Co and recently have begun offering camps for athletes looking to push themselves to a new level.

Here's the link for their site: IMJ Coaching.

Early on the bike at IMC

Two new TMC articles

During the expo at IMC, I met the publisher of Triathlon Magazine Canada - Sam Cohen.

In the latest September & October 2010 issue of the magazine, I have two stories:

Profile - Team TriLife and its head coach Angie Anderson

Finish line podium - Paul Tichelaar, who talks about his decision to move to longer distance racing

Catch up

I'm going to fill in a few events and results so I can find them easier.

I'm now in the heart of Ironman training and it's going well. I really love the feeling of being and becoming Iron Fit.

I had almost a week off after the Squamish tri and began my return to cycling with another spin to the top of Cypress from here. The spin was cut a bit short about I got one flat and then when I blew one spare - there is a maximum amount of air that a tube will take.

I've also been adding more speed to my run workouts both outside and on the treadmill.

I'm looking forward to another solid spin - this time to Whistler and back this pending weekend. Before then I hope to fall into Brohm Lake for a swim or two.

I'm watching more carefully what I'm consuming - mostly not buying the food that I find far too tempting.

That's the update for now.

Lake Placid

Some superb news from Lake Placid .. my brother has signed up to race there in 2011. It will be his first Ironman.

John was there in Forster, Australia when Margreet and I finished our first Ironman in 2002 and we'll make every effort to be there to support him.

It's a decision you won't regret little brother. Ironman has changed my life. There's nothing that I can't fathom trying and that's what life is all about.

Believe in yourself and you can achieve greatness.

**

Another bit of good news from Lake Placid was that Lisa Marangon came in third overall and got a spot to Kona. She last raced there as an age grouper, this year will be her first appearance as a pro.

We've watched her develop as an athlete and the challenges of life that she's accepted with a fierce determination and endless enthusiasm.

Lisa is an inspirational athlete and mom. A very well grounded person who's worked very hard for her successes in the sport.

Here is a link to Lisa's site.

Inspiration

"You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind."

Dale Carnegie

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"One difference between successful people and all the rest is that successful people take action."

Bob Proctor

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"Each indecision brings its own delays and days are lost lamenting over lost days. What you can do or think you can do, begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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"Doubt, of whatever kind, can be ended by action alone."

Thomas Carlyle

Recent articles

A profile that I wrote on Jordan Bryden can be found online at Triathlon Magazine Canada. I think it's a good read on an articulate athlete.

Here's the link.

I recently filed two other stories to the magazine - for future issues - including a Q&A with former Olympian Paul Tichelaar, a real ambassador for the sport.

Squamish Olympic

Solid day. I opted to enter this just last night - 10 minutes before entry closed. Ha.

The main reason I wanted to race is that I found at the Vancouver Half a week ago that I was a bit race rusty. I hadn't thought about it much but the warning I got for starting to take my helmet off before my bike was fully racked was a reminder.

In Australia, we used to race more and also we used to practice transitions. I definitely view transitions as free time and I want all of it.

I knew that today might be a challenge after having gone for a near 6 hour bike ride yesterday - Squamish to the top of Cypress, up 1/3 again, then back home. It was a superb spin on a spectacular summer day.

I was optimistic of winning my age group and while I was near the front after the swim and at about half way through the bike, two went past me on the steady uphill and I couldn't respond. Oh well.

I continued to spin as fast as I could and really hammered the downslope. I felt great.

My legs weren't turning over as fast as I'd hoped the first 2-3km - though after the race I was 'told' that was the uphill section. Sometimes the obvious isn't so.

In any event, I caught one guy just before the end of the first loop of the run. I didn't know he was in front. I felt good at that point and pushed it. And a little bit later, on the short out and back section, I saw the two who were in the lead. I was optimistic that I could catch at least one of them.

As it happened, both of them caught a second wind and I never saw them til the race was over.

It was a good day. My second third in two weeks. Margreet was out in the mix and helped pace her all-women relay team to second in their division.

one loop swim, four loops on the bike and two loops on the run
swim 25.56

bike 1.06.43

run 47.22

2.20.00

Vancouver Half Iron

It's a great event and this was the second year in a row in which I have competed. I highly recommend it as it is well organized.

It was an even better day for racing than last year as the sun was hidden most of the day. The water temp was said to be 15.5C but I don't think it was quite so cold - there were some cold pockets in English Bay which helped refocus my effort.

1.9k (2 loops), 90k (4 loops) and 20k (2 loops)

Total time: 4:50:22

swim: 32:35 1:43 avg for 100m

t1 2:12

bike: 2:41:28 33.8km/hr avg

t2: 1:34 (helmet warning!)

run: 1:32:35 4:38/km avg


Last year I was second in the age group .. the guy who won last year was second this year .. he finished in 4.39 ..

The guy who won the age group did 4.26 on a 1.20 run for 20k. Impressive.

So 9th at Oliver a month ago and 3rd today.

Just do it

"You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered-down, occasional hope that you'll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless."

Caroline Myss

One more time

I will be returning to Penticton in late August for another go at Ironman Canada.

I secured my ticket in the rolldown after the Oliver half ironman yesterday. As I type this early on Monday morning, I'm aware that I put in a solid effort. That said, I'm in good stead.

My race went largely as I expected. I had a fair degree of confidence in my fitness heading towards the start line though I was far more nervous than I can recall before any recent race - though since Ironman Canada last August, the one race I have done was a 5k running one in Seattle in late November.

So I was rusty.

I swam 34 and change. I was in the third and final wave - everyone over 45 years of age. I got a great start and swam hard for the first several hundred metres and for the first time in a long time, I found some very helpful feet and with a few surges was able to benefit from them til they pulled away at about the half way mark. I was 10th in my age group.

At Oliver it's a long transition from the beach to T1. I clocked 3.21 and I ran relatively hard, passing a lot of people.

Onto the bike and this for me was going to be the challenge. I wasn't fully confident of what my conditioning was because I haven't been outside on my bike much this season. But I felt good. And I rode 2.35 for 93km, avg speed of 35.9 km/hr. I was very happy with my spin. I had the 10th fastest bike.

The run proved the challenge on this day. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with my final time of 1.39, though the consolation was it was 6th fastest split in the age group. I started slowly and it appears perhaps I started just a tad too slow.

I was confident of a top 10 finish - and felt I could be competitive for a top five too. I was 9th overall. As it turned out I got the second of three spots allocated to my age group.

I'm looking forward to building on the fitness I have now.

Oliver Half Iron

9th in the age group

Swim 34:16 1:43

T1 3:21

Bike 2:35:34 35.9

T2 1:39

Run 1:39:06 4:44

4:53:54

Oliver awaits

As Oliver approaches this weekend, I'm confident.

The last few weeks I've had some good spins on my bike - albeit mostly indoors - and I've had some solid swim/treadmill sessions too.

I know that I have to start to extend my run sessions a bit but I've had some very high quality 1k and 2k all out effort sessions the last few weeks and they have really bolstered my confidence.

I really would like to make my run stronger this summer.

Road warrior

Roadies are simply different than triathletes. And I was reminded of that earlier this evening after participating in the Friday evening hammer session in the valley.

From a training perspective, it was a solid hit out.

From a cycling perspective, it's not something that I will seek to repeat.

It's been several years since I've cycled consistently with a group, and one in which I had a 'feel' for the other riders.

As much as I appreciated the push, I prefer cycling on my own which I've become accustomed to the last two years in particular. And I like my trainer too.

Hedged

While technically not a sport, attacking and whacking a hedge back into some semblance of order is a workout nonetheless. Perhaps it will help me during the swim, somewhere.