Five things that I got right

Here are the top five that I want to think about when I prepare for my next Ironman.

First, I had realistic expectations heading into the race. 

As much as a Sub 10 finish drives me, I hadn’t put in enough training to earn it. I didn’t, as I have in the past, over think swim, bike and run splits or an end time. I opted for a simplified race strategy. I expected a 1:05 swim, I did 1:06. I expected a 5:30 bike, I rode 5:35. I expected at 3:30-3:45 run, I ran 4:13. Two out of three were bang on target. I know where I made mistakes.

In terms of time, I always have two: realistic and stretch. I give myself a window within which to work. The stretch time is marginally better than the realistic one. For example, in this race, I believed 10:30 was realistic. The stretch was 10:15. I finished in 11:02. I was on target through 15k of the run when I lost the plot.

Second, I bought into high cadence on the bike.

’ve seen the light. It’s how I trained and it’s how I raced. I also resisted the urge to ride faster than necessary, in particular during the first 60k, yet still took advantage of the course.

As soon as I entered the race in early July, I reached out to one friend, Peter McLean, and he wrote me a cycling program; it worked perfectly for me. I’ll detail what I did in a separate post.

Third, I took care of myself well in the weeks ahead of the race. 

I ate better than ever. I set aside my comfort foods. I focused on being as fit as I could be with the short time I had to work with. I got seven hours of sleep a night. I took the occasional nap. I began hot/cold contrasting recovery showers/baths after my longest training sessions. I made Bikram a regular training session: once a week.

I had an ear infection about 10 days prior to Sunday and went to my doctor twice. It stressed me a bit but I got it sorted fast.

I also made sure to get treated with ART and massage as I deemed necessary. The added bonus was having my ART therapist, Leah, at the expo in Penticton for two late treatments.

Fourth, I opted for a very low key approach. 

I didn't enter the race until early July. I kept it off the radar. I didn't want to let my expectations get ahead of my training.

I also was super organized as always. I ordered my race nutrition six weeks out. I ordered new tires four weeks out. I made sure that I had everything on my checklist a week in advance and I had all my gear ready two days before we drove away from home. We dropped Luka at day care (for dogs) the previous afternoon so we could be on the road at daylight. 

Finding a crack in one of my race wheels two days before leaving for Penticton barely pushed my heart rate higher. I found a solution and checked it off my list.

Fifth, I was never been more relaxed ahead of an Ironman.

I had a great book to read which had nothing to do with triathlon. 

Once I registered and zipped through the expo, we got some fresh groceries and settled into our temporary home. And then we relaxed. We mostly fell off the grid. I took my taper very seriously; in all, I took three days off training race week. Not everyone would agree with that but it worked for me.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how you prepare. I have spent a solid year training for a single 'A' race. Stuff happens when you least expect and you need to be able to adapt and retain an even keel. Sunday wasn't a perfect race and I'll next detail what didn't go right. But I'm convinced that I did the best I could to put myself into a position to succeed.

Ten times - and counting

Ten Ironmans, six countries, one decade. Those are my Iron stats. I am proud of all that I have accomplished to date. Not every race has been perfect - Sunday's wasn't - but I've had some superb ones. I am determined to have a few more of those too.

I've often read stories about the importance of failing, in that it's the best way to learn and move forward. Ahead of this race I was powering through Steve Jobs' biography - I still have about half of the book to complete. There's not much that I identify with Jobs. He was his own person. That said, his ability to focus was impressive. I could learn from that.

Executing on race day has challenged me. Still does in many ways. The more racing I do, the more aware of my weaknesses that I become.

Reaching 10 Ironmen wasn't something that I set out to do until 2010 when I dropped out for the first time in an Ironman - about 160k into the bike at Canada: dispirited, soaked and as cold as I've ever been. I climbed off my bike and into the back of an ambulance. There's nothing positive about finishing in the medical tent.

Even though I knew then and know now it was the right decision for me at that time, I was disappointed in not having finished in 2010. The DNF bothered me - I was so ready to race that year as I had been the previous one when I crashed at the 60k mark of the bike. I had huge expectations both years. I had trained hard for eight to 10 months each year. I was super motivated.

The disappointment from both of those two races led me to 'take a break' from Ironman in 2011 - which I filled by writing my book.

I returned to structured training - running - in January this year. I have run three half marathons, several 5ks, a 10k and then prepared for two half iron distance and one Olympic distance triathlons in addition to IMC this past weekend. I have been a bit less focused on finishing times this season but no less determined to finish as fast I can. 

My objective for IMC was to be ready to race as hard as I could from start to finish. I can say that I was as fit as I ever have been and as lean/light as I have been in more than eight years. I put in one solid month of Iron training which was great but which I also know isn't enough to be the best I can be.

Still, Sunday's race restored my confidence in my ability to race this distance. It has renewed everything that I love about being able to say that I am an 'Ironman'. And it has refreshed all of my enthusiasm for wanting to go faster. 

**

I will review some stats because, well, that is so often what I look at. I have started the last three Ironmans, each of them here in Canada, with one objective - to finish in less than 10 hours.

Sunday was no different though this time I realized a Sub 10 was far less likely. I simply hadn't done enough months of work to prepare. But I still had thought about that time - albeit fleetingly - this past week, as in, wouldn't it be cool to do it when I least expect it?

More realistically I was aiming for a 10:30 finish.

I set out for a sub 1:05 swim - I went 1:06. No hassles in the water, just a bit more chop than in the pool or Brohm Lake. I suppose it might be time to train a little bit in Howe Sound on a windy day, dodging the surfers.

I was aiming to ride sub 5:30. I rode 5:35. I rode the first 60k in about 1:35 and it seemed easy. I was riding with a cadence above 90 and cruising, aware of not pushing too hard, too early. My mantra was save my legs for a killer run split. My average cadence on the day was 88. Perfect.

From about 130-150k on the bike, I was hurting. First mistake - I had made my nutrition too concentrated. Just a bit too concentrated but enough that I wasn't taking in as much as I did on my long training spins. I came good though with about 30k remaining. 

(After the race I saw that I had a flat rear tire; I have no idea whether I was riding on it or if it deflated as it sat in T2. I think the latter. At some point, the smallest piece of metal, the size of one side of a staple, had pierced the tire.)

As I started the run I had one key issue. My watch was dead. I hadn't noticed until that point. I wasn't excited at having no splits but I ran on feel, finding my cadence and for the first 15k it worked well. The rest of the way was another story. I had no idea of the overall time until I turned for the final 2k and heard there was 7 1/2 minutes left for a Sub 11 finish. I accelerated but I simply had too far to go and not enough time.

I set myself a 3:30 marathon target - aggressive but within my ability. I ran 4:13. No excuses. I never had the sense of urgency, the one I had in Malaysia in 2007 that kept me running hard through to the finishing chute.

Sunday was neither my best nor my worst race. It wasn't my A race for the season. Nor was it a training day. I take Ironman seriously and with the greatest of respect. I finished in 11:02. Two days later, and with some perspective, I think I should have easily been half an hour faster - all on the run. I'm more than capable of a 3:45 Ironman marathon given that I have run a standalone one in 3:10.

Three starts at Canada, two finishes in the medical tent. One bike crash, one case of hypothermia. One DNF. Long days not representative of my potential. Doubts. Struggles.

Ironman never gets easier. That is OK. I wouldn't want it to be easy as that would diminish it for me. I like that it hammers me a bit, that it pushes me and that it leaves me smashed.

Next year I will be in a new age group and I am already looking forward to that. My competitiveness has been renewed. My Sub 10 finish is out there and i will reach for it - yet again.

Ten Ironman Finishes - The Stats

                        Total        Swim          Bike       Run   

Forster 02      10:37:30    1:07:29      5:32:07    3:57:53

Forster 03      10:09:12     1:03:24     5:26:16    3:39:36 

Forster 04      10:18:28     1:11:59     5:20:00    3:46:28

Germany 04   10:09:32    1:06.11     5:20:37    3:37:54

NZ 05            10:51:25    1:03:03     5:46:56    3:53:36

Malay 06       11:33:02    1:15:34     5:48:41    4:28:47

Malay 07       10:29:49    1:11:01     5:21:17    3:51:18

Kona 07        11:08:30    1:13:19     5:50:48     3:56:51

Canada 09     11:21:05    1:05:18     5:43:32    4:24:21

Canada 10      DNF         1:04:19

Canada 12     11:02:16    1:06:26     5:35:11    4:13:39

****

Toughest race: Malaysia 2006

Best race: Malaysia 2007

Most disappointing: Canada 2009, 2010

Most satisfying finish: Canada 2012 

Vancouver half ironman

The Subaru Western Triathlon Series held its Vancouver half ironman on Sunday. It was the fourth year in a row in which I competed. It remains my favourite race. There's enough competitive athletes and yet not too many athletes overall. I highly recommend you check it out for next season. Here's my assessment of the day.

2012  - 32nd overall, 7th in AG  4:45:33     31:15   2:41:48   1:29:37
2011  - 47th overall, 4th in AG   4:53:59     32:49   2:43:14   1:34:37
2010  - 30th overall, 3rd in AG   4:50:22     32:35   2:41:28   1:32:35
2009  - 24th overall, 2nd in AG  4:42:01     33:37   2:35:15   1:29:53

For the first time in several years, I was calm through race week and on race morning. I think it reflects a conscious effort to focus on being consistent and to getting into the zone - and remaining in it. That’s where I think Bikram Yoga Sea to Sky has helped.

Confidence also comes from training and I’ve been slowly building for the last six months. Three half marathons, three club 5ks, a 10k, two club 20k bike TTs and last month’s half ironman in Oliver.

And in the last four weeks a real push to train including going to Bikram at least once a week and tacking it onto either a bike or a long run. Thanks to ultrarunner Jason Loutitt for his advice. It’s still early days for Bikram and me but it has helped with my ability to focus - and maintain it - as well as cope with both the cold and heat of the day. Yesterday's heat - low 30s C - wasn't an issue for me.

My swimming and running are both at near their highest levels ever. I have leapt forward in the pool with some simple advice from Coach Roseline Grimm. The key changes have been about putting my energy into the catch and pull - and using my length to glide more. It’s paying huge dividends. We did a race simulation session two weeks ago that cemented my strategy for yesterday. (Thanks also to Yi-khy Saw, my Olympic 1500m training partner!)

In yesterday’s swim I found a good starting position and I swam with effort to the first buoy, about 400m, before turning left and getting into my power rhythm, taking advantage of the current and then turning left after about 200m, sighting back to shore on the shortest line. Then repeat. I think it was the most complete swim I’ve done in a race in a long time - perhaps since Ironman New Zealand in 2005.

I’ve too often held back in the swim, not keen to get hammered and reluctant to expend too much energy, and once that time is lost, it’s gone. There was a bit of banging around yesterday but it was relatively mild in comparison to even a month ago in Oliver, and that's where positioning is critical.

Both my transitions yesterday were fast - I was second in my age group in T1 and first in T2. That goes back to training in Sydney with John Hill and his no nonsense approach to keeping these super simple. And practicing them too. It also helped that the weather was perfect yesterday - so there was no need for a dry jersey or arm warmers or gloves or socks.

I have been very focused on cadence the last year when it comes to cycling, a tip from Coach Scott Jones at IMJ Coaching. It’s cost me some time on the bike - both in Oliver and yesterday, but it’s kept my legs fresher for the run. As much as I’d like to hammer the bike - and I enjoy grinding my gears - it’s not strategically smart for me.

I also know from running over the past two years and working with Coach Kristian Manietta at TriSpecific that changing cadence requires patience and time. It took me almost a year to accelerate my foot speed - with repeated intervals of 30 seconds fast and 30 seconds slow at the start of most brick runs - and lots of time on the treadmill too. Now I can hit a higher cadence as if it's second nature.

My top speed is there for the bike as the recent 20k TTs have shown me. Now I need a bit more time in the saddle to find some fresh power at a higher cadence.

As I prepare to do some training over the next few months, I’ll look to do some longer higher paced tempo bike rides in a slightly lower cadence than I plan to race, so that at my next race I will have an extra gear to tap. Advice from good friend Pete McLean, who's heading to Kona for the Big Dance for a second time this October after a stellar 9:21 half hour PB at Ironman Melbourne earlier this year.

Heading onto the run yesterday I was determined to go sub 1:30 - because, well - just because. 

I was taking km splits through 8k but they were all over the map. Granted the first 4km isn’t flat but it was annoying me as it appeared I wasn’t going to hit the pace I wanted: 4:20s. So I stopped looking at my watch and taking splits. Instead I focused on - as you might have bet - my cadence.

Cadence is my key word this summer. Timothy John 'Cadence' Moore. Ha!

It’s something that local run Coach John Hill - yes, there are two of them and there are some similarities - has instilled in me. Find my cadence and run on feel. It’s the key reason for the weekly tempo and interval sessions he’s had me running. These have been 'work' at times but high quality work: running 13k at 4:15-4:20 pace, running 400m track laps in the 70s, all out 200s, hard 600s etc and lots of 1-mile (6:06-6:10 pace), 1.5-mile and 2-mile road repeats.

The Vancouver half ironman run course is really two courses: the first 4k has one steady 1km climb and then another 1km of twisting, sharp downhill trails. And the second 6k is almost dead flat out and back along the shore. I decided ahead of time that I’d be running hard on both the 6k sections.

Margreet repeatedly reminded me to keep my focus - a theme for me for the last few years. It's something that she’s developed as a real skill herself. In addition, all of the running success that she’s had so far this year - PBs for the 10k, half marathon and marathon - has really helped renew my training discipline.

I was super focused on my run at Oliver at month ago when I ran 1:37:00 for 21km - a 4:36 pace. Yesterday I ran 1:29:37 for 20km - a 4:29 pace. There’s definitely more speed to be tapped here - I know it.

As the morning progressed, I sort of lost track of time and didn’t really know it until a few metres from crossing the finish what my final time would be. It wasn’t until a bit later that I saw the detailed splits. A PB on the swim and one on the run. Luka was just happy to see me stopped.

One of the keys to this race for me was deliberately taking it easy last week. I did a minimum of training and slept in most days - that is getting up at 7am or 8am instead of six. I had all my ‘gear’ ready early. I held back on doing things around the house too (lots of good recovery chores in the next few days!). And I was very careful what I ate and didn't.

It takes effort to do nothing both physically and also mentally. I know that I need that inner peace so I have that energy for racing as new agey as that sounds.

I reviewed the course maps several days in advance and took some time to think about where I’d position myself, visualizing how I would be racing.

And I knew in advance what my race day nutrition would be.

Breakfast was 320 cals of Hammer Sustained, a few sips of tea and then a caf gel 15 mins from the swim start. On the bike, I had 3 hours of Sustained and one caf gel in a super mix, plus a can and a bit of Red Bull. I downed a caf gel in T2 and then carried one gel flask with two caf gels mixed with water and one gel flask filled with Red Bull. After polishing off both flasks, I reached for coke at the aid stations. I felt my energy level was consistent.

There’s no doubt it helps knowing the course and also having a record of good performances at this event too. Yesterday’s race was a reminder why I love being a triathlete.

Thanks to Margreet for rising at 4am, driving back and forth to the city and for her encouragement, and photographic efforts too.

Oliver half

The first triathlon of the season is always a bit of a reawakening. I see it as the natural order of things. The more you race, the more the little things falls into place. 

Simple things like confidence in where to start the swim, timing in transitions and knowing when it's OK to push a bit harder in the water, on the bike or during the run.

I was very happy with my overall day in Oliver. I knew heading into the race that I was fit but I needed a race to better assess my current strengths and weaknesses. 

While I slept great the night before the race, I woke with a sense of dread. I can't yet say why. I wasn't looking forward to racing. 

I struggled to take in my prerace calories, and took in far less than planned. But I couldn't force any more in - at least I chose not to do so. 


Margreet - my race photographer - was able to park close to T1 and so I was able to put on my wetsuit and then lie back into our Pathfinder for a few minutes.

While Margreet knew that something wasn't right, she told me that I was going to have a great race. We both try to reinforce the positives ahead of races; everyone has enough doubts and there's nothing to gain from shining the spotlight on them.

After getting set up in transition and going down to the lake, I was still debating whether I really wanted to race. Part of it I think is pre-race nerves, but part of it seemed more than that. 

In the last few years, I've felt comfortable starting at the front of the pack. For some reason, my confidence wasn't there on Sunday and so I started several rows back and it was a mistake. I knew it instantly. I had no room. I had to pull up several times. It wasn't a huge mass start but when there's nowhere to go, there's nowhere to go.

So a reminder: I need a bit more intensity at the start. I am a stronger than average swimmer and I can go hard - almost all out - for the first few hundred metres before settling down into a rhythm.

In Oliver, it's a long T1, about 500m. One benefit was the two very efficient wetsuit strippers. I was superbly impressed by how fast my suit was off. Volker and I exited the water at about the same time and he was running ahead of me towards his bike.

Onto the bike, I was clumsy with my new shoes. I need to thread the strap into place. I had this down to an art on my previous shoes. Still, I got moving. (The race was only the second time I've spun outside this calendar year. I'll have my shoes dialed in next month.)

I felt good on the bike. I have been training indoors with Coach Troy for months. I believe I could have ridden harder and therefore a bit faster but I chose as much as I could to keep my cadence in the 80-90 range. 

I was prepared to give up a few minutes on the bike to have fresh legs for the run because I've been running so much the last four months and really wanted to give it a go in this race. 

The bike course in Oliver fits me like a glove. It's mostly rolling, flat. One longish hill up and two long downhills. The road is well designed and most of it is in great condition. After the first 15km, I was on my own and that was OK. I reeled in a few people which always helps me keep my focus.

I averaged 35km/hr, down from 35.9km/hr two seasons ago when I was going full out to get an Ironman Canada spot.

My nutrition on the bike was perfect. I got in my Hammer Sustained - I had three hours worth. I also had two Powerbar caf gels and I had a can of Red Bull. Perhaps that sounds a bit over the top but it worked for me.

T2 was efficient. I had a fast pit stop and got running. Splits were a bit all over the map - as fast as 4:13 and as slow as 4:40. I kept a close eye for the first lap and then simply ran hard for the second.

I didn’t see the overall time until I was heading into the finishing chute. I’m already looking forward to the Vancouver half iron next month.

**

Oliver results

Here are a few stats. 

In 2010, there were five guys who finished faster than the winner on Sunday. As for the women, there were eight who would have finished faster than this year's winner.

In my age group, 45-49 I was ninth in 2010 when I stopped the clock at 4:53. That was 59th overall.  On Sunday, I was fifth in my age group in 5:00 and 53rd overall. 

2012   5th in age group

5:00:56      38:32    3:59   2:39:21   1:47  1:37:18

2010   9th in age group

4:53:54      34:16    3:21   2:35:34   1:39  1:39:06

Margreet's marathon

Margreet ran a massive personal best today at the Vancouver marathon .. 3 hours flat ..

She's been running almost every day for the past four months and her fitness has leapt forward. Hard work does pay off.

http://www.margreetdietz.com/2012/05/3-hour-marathon.html

Yonge St 10k

I ran a 10k PB this morning in cool, overcast weather finishing in 38:42. That's an average of 3:53 per km. It put me 13th in my age group.

I chose this race in order to have a fast time. It worked.


*This is how the race bills itself:

Canada's EASIEST and one of the fastest downhill 10k's, the course runs right down the middle of Canada's most famous street—Yonge Street!


http://www.canadarunningseries.com/toronto10k/index.htm

Athletes who inspire me

Here in Squamish we are fortunate to have many top elite and age group athletes wandering around. You divide lanes with them at the pool, dodge each other on the trails or nod your head, wave your hand from opposite sides of the highway.

No doubt it's similar to what happens in other small cities or towns where being healthy means being active.

What really inspires me as an athlete is seeing pros and peers choosing tough races to challenge themselves.

And so yesterday's half marathon was inspiring for me. There was no chance that any of us were going to win or even come close to winning. Yet each of us was determined to go fast. It was personal; it wasn't about trying to smash each other or anyone else.

The BMO Sunshine Coast April Fool's half marathon draws some of the best runners in the Lower Mainland. The top male went 1:10:57; top woman went 1:21:56. Ten guys finished faster than 1:20. Five women finished faster than 1:25. This was no walk in the park, though the finish line this year was in a park!

Still, two of the four of us set Personal Bests. The two women as it happened. The other two of us - the men - went faster than we had for some years. That's what competition - real competition - offers. The opportunity to push yourself. It's also the value that comes from having friends in races too. Rivalry is at its most positive when it brings out the best in everyone.

Often I think competition is seen as a four-letter word, especially among novice or intermediate athletes. The lesson instead should be about how to tap the energy of the others on race day to lift you faster and higher than ever. To motivate you to eat better, train better and take better overall care of your health.

Speed takes time, a lot of time and effort to achieve. It's learned from consistent, hard work. There is no short cut. If some coach says he/she can make you fast in a short period of time, run away!

For me, as the numbers beneath this post show, I ran my second fastest half marathon ever in 90:10. While I love to run my numbers, I spent some time searching for this list. I don't have it taped to my desk. I didn't review it on Saturday night. I keep the list because I like numbers. I like to remind myself of the positives that come from being consistent.

My immediate reaction in seeing the clock as I turned into the finishing chute was disappointment. Ten seconds. That's less than half a second per kilometre. Crikey mate!

That said I'm perfectly happy with the result. It's a 2 minute improvement from the previous month and more than 3 minutes faster than in mid February. It's not a measure of how good a person I am or how fast I can be. It's simply a measure of my current level of fitness. And I like the direction in which it is headed.

As I was recently reminded in reading a training article, there's no need to peak too early in the season. My 'A' races are in early June and early July - at least the ones for the first half of this year.

Having the three others with whom I traveled to the race yesterday finish ahead of me was OK. I'm stoked to see them running so fast. That inspires me as much as my own performance.

***

This is the quote of the day that was in my mail box this morning:

"When you affirm big, believe big, and pray big, big things happen."

Norman Vincent Peale
1898-1993, Minister and Author

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

How fast can Chrissie Wellington run?

“Chrissie has done it. Chrissie has done it. Chrissie Wellington - who won in her debut at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii five years ago - has won Gold in the marathon at the London Olympic Games!”

Wellington, still without a hat sponsor, smiles a little wider.

*****

Ok, that isn't going to happen - as far as we know. But what if she had chosen first to qualify for the Olympics and then, compete at them.

While winning a gold medal at the Games has proved beyond the reach of many of the world's greatest athletes, here's a case for why it would have been exciting to see Wellington test herself this summer.

Wellington last month told the Guardian that she'd be keen to run “2:20 something” at the London marathon.

http://sub-nine.blogspot.ca/2012/03/how-fast-can-chrissie-wellington-run.html

Threes

Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen is mentioned in the latest issue of Triathlon Magazine Canada in a story on triathletes who write, has been included in the March edition of BC BookWorld's sports reviews and has been entered in its first publishing award, Writer's Digest.

Early season check

I have a reasonably good sense of my level of fitness most of the time. And today is no exception.

Yesterday was the First Half half marathon. While it has been three years since I last ran a half marathon - on its own, it was the 12th time that I've run the distance - at least as best I can determine.

When I ran this particular race in 2009, I was about 10 weeks into training for Ironman Canada and I was becoming race fit. I was super motivated. I was working hard on the treadmill to increase my foot speed. I had just run a super fast 10k and I ended up running a PB of 89:06. It was a huge confirmation of the direction I was heading.

In the intervening years, I've focused on triathlon for the most part and adding some year end marathons (Bellingham in 2010 and Victoria, plus the Whistler 50 miler, in 2011).

I still haven't found the key to success at the half marathon distance. Consistency, yes. But I struggle to get faster in part because I haven't really focused on it I suppose.

I wasn't expecting to set any records yesterday. I am fit but I don't feel anywhere near race fit. In my case, it's not just a question of confidence. I took weeks off training after the Whistler 50 and I eased back into training with 12 sessions of Bikram yoga in December. And I'm slowly becoming a triathlete again. Today marks my return to structured sessions.

My objective was to take it out slow and build mile through mile. I'll run the splits here in a moment. I knew I wasn't going to set a PB but of course I always eye the 90-minute mark as a solid read on where I am at. I was thinking 91-92 was more realistic.

7:21, 7:04, 6:58 (some downhill), 7:05, 7:04, 7:08, 7:04, 7:07, 7:07, 7:10, 7:21 (those hills in reverse), 7:11, 7:10 and then 39 secs for the final dash.

My net time was 93:30.

My analysis is that I need to train more. Ha!

And so I will. I'm happy with my level of fitness. I am fit. But I also know that I want to be MORE fit and it's time for me to invest the time and effort to become so.

***

The guy who won my age group ran 1:12. I was 22nd out of 123. My pace was 4:26 per kilometre. It took me 11 seconds to cross the start line.

***

Margreet ran a superb race. Not unexpected and yet you never know until you cross the finish line. She's been logging some huge volume the last six weeks and her endurance shows.

We were chatting about it on the way home after the race - she ran a PB of 87:27 and came second in her age group.

Pro women's field

In the wake of Chrissie Wellington's decision to take a year off Ironman - this year, I wrote two columns for ironman.com

**

End of an era

Chrissie Wellington’s decision to take a year off from Ironman racing marks the end of an era.

Wellington races with an intensity few athletes, women or men, match. By all accounts, she trains the same way. That’s how elite athletes become elite; you can’t race at 110 percent if you train at 55 percent.

The end result of being the world’s fastest, and most dominant, woman Iron-triathlete these past five years is that there is little time or energy for anything else.

Taking a break from that regimented life could help extend her career. Or it could confirm to her that it’s time to move on. It’s a decision that all athletes must eventually take. And it’s an intensely personal one.

Originally from: http://ironman.com/profiles/timothy-moores-reflects-on-chrissie-wellingtons-retirement-and-a-lava-magazine-preview-that-includes-an-i#ixzz1lQgSDCKB

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Record(s) to fall

It's early, very early in the season and yet the dynamics for the pro women's field have been significantly altered. Chrissie Wellington opened the door the last few years for a rush of personal best performances by the elite of the elite with a sub-nine performance in Frankfurt in July 2008. Since then, 17 women have surged into the group.

The majority of those athletes are keen to show that their performances over the last four years weren’t a fluke.

Wellington’s decision to take this year off begs a few questions. Will a new world-best be set this season? Will more athletes finish a full-distance race under nine hours? Will more athletes finish sub 8:45? Will another athlete finish sub 8:30? Why not?

Originally from: http://ironman.com/columns/ironmanlife/timothy-moore-looks-forward-to-an-exciting-year-of-racing#ixzz1lQh2Dwmy

My first ultra

50 miles or 80 kilometres is a long way to run/walk.

I never doubted heading into the day that I wouldn’t finish. That confidence comes from years of training and racing. While I believe that more people are capable of completing an ultra than they realize, it still requires doing enough work so that it’s a positive experience.

What I didn’t know was how I would feel on the day, or how I would feel now days later. I was a rookie again - and that’s important in life. (I was ‘sore’ as the race progressed and immediately after. And while ‘tired’ by the effort, I feel far better than I have after a lot of shorter races.)

Training for the Whistler 50 wasn’t what I would consider conventional.

As a triathlete, an Ironman, I’m a very structured athlete. I like the structure. It helps motivate and direct my training and it’s a reflection of who I am. I easily buy into the program.

Less than a month ago I ran the Victoria marathon and I had trained hard for that and ran well. It was an A race for me. I put in a very solid 10 weeks of training for it. Not everything went smoothly on the day but that’s OK.

Racing also should be spontaneous. It’s how I got into triathlon. I’d get a call, from a crazy paddling mate, on a Thursday night and I’d be entered into a race on Saturday.

And so I answered the call of the Whistler 50, making the decision to enter less than a month ago and knowing that I would be taking most of the past four weeks off for recovery. Thanks to Margreet for encouraging me to accept the challenge.

After Victoria, I took two weeks off training. I didn’t swim, spin or run. I had a few walks with Luka but otherwise nothing.

And then, in the 10 days before Whistler, I went for four easy, half hour efforts.

Was I insane?

Apparently not.

My objective wasn’t to be competitive. If it was we would have been in Whistler to run the course in training. We would have taken it easy in Victoria or not raced there.

But every race isn’t meant to be raced. Sometimes a more relaxed approach is the best.

The Whistler 50 was a superb event.

Was it tough? At times, yes.

I made some mistakes and paid the price: hydration and nutrition. No one is immune to making simple mistakes. I know better. I should have been more self-sufficient - at least the initial three hours. That’s constructive criticism for me.

Because my nutrition was poor, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I ended up taking a turn when I shouldn’t have and tacked on a bonus kilometre or two or 20! At least 20, now that I think about it!!

And I walked a bit too much between 45km and 60km - again, because my nutrition was poor, I wasn’t able to keep my mind on the task at hand.

I was able to recover for the fourth lap, in terms of where my focus was and convinced myself to run, albeit slowly, for most of the final 20kms. Ah, sugar and caffeine.

It was great to share my first ultra with Margreet and our friend Dessie, who had made this his A race, traveled half way around the world for it and who now has added a new chapter to his four decades of running.

Will I race another ultra? Without a doubt.

As Robert Frost wrote in his 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' poem:

"And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

Redefining my long run

A day from now I will have begun a new challenge, starting an ultra marathon: the Whistler 50-miler.

Why? Simply because I can.

I am not yet ready to move on from triathlon. It’s still is ‘my’ sport. Running though is one skill that I’d like to develop.

And the reality is that as winter approaches - rather fast I might add - it’s run outside or spin indoors.

The forecast for tomorrow is cold, wintry conditions. A low of minus 7 and a high of plus 2. Little wind and cloudy with sunny breaks. The key will be the lack of wind.

I still haven’t made a final decision on what to wear. However, the four-lap course provides easy access to my ‘special needs’ bag and I’ll be able to swap clothes as the day progresses.

I’ve been encouraged to run this distance by Margreet who has been eyeing this event for months. And by our Aussie mate Dessie who targeted this race in particular and has journeyed here for it.

My objective is to finish. I have some time ideas but it’s uncharted territory. I see it akin to heading out the door without a watch. The first lap is 17km and it will be in the early morning darkness given the 6am start. The 'remaining' three laps are 21km each.

It will be a long run. The farthest I have run so far is a standard marathon.

I am looking for it to redefine what I see as a long effort as Margreet's previous ultras have for her, and to kickstart my training for 2012.

Inspired

I like the idea of trying something new. There are no expectations. It keeps me fresh. And so the idea of running an ultra has appeared. In particular, the Whistler 50 miler (80km).

Keeping life simple is and has been important to me for some time now. That doesn't mean not thinking ahead. For me though, it's about not over thinking whatever it is.

Some ideas capture my imagination. The idea of writing the book that I did, did that. The process of writing it, well, that took some planning and time.

As I prepared for the marathon on Sunday, I thought back to what I read about Steve Jobs. I haven't read that much about him. I never met him. I knew nothing about him other than he was Apple in every sense.

But I read that he often asked himself, what if today was my last day on earth? It was, as I understand, a way for him to simplify and focus on what's important now, as Michael Phelps talks about.

It's an idea that I think is a positive one. It's about not letting all of life's little distractions stop you from moving forward. It's about rolling one's eyes when someone says something that is absurd. It's about taking a breath when someone says the obvious.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs

Superb season ... and it's not over yet

Margreet Dietz is having a superb running season. To be honest, even I struggle at times to remember all that she has accomplished. And so here's a short recap:

First half half marathon, 25th out of 1100, 89:46

Sun Run, 40:09

Vancouver marathon 5th overall, age group winner, master’s champion 3:07:41

Scotiabank half marathon 2nd in age group, 89:44

Squamish 10km, 3rd in age group, top local woman for third year, 40:14

Bellingham Bay marathon winner 3:09:40

Victoria marathon 8th overall, age group winner, master’s champion, PB 3:06:06

*In Victoria yesterday, Margreet was handed her trophies by two running legends: Kathrine Switzer and Bart Yasso.

As the numbers show, Margreet has run three Sub 3:10 marathons within six months.

Age-graded sub three marathoner

Well .. I didn't really think I was going to run Sub Three in Victoria but by one calculation that's exactly what I did.

It's the age-graded calculation.

My actual chip time was 3:16:38, which I'm very happy with, though of course I had planned to run faster. I can't ever think of finishing a race and not having thought I was going to go faster. It's important to be confident.

Victoria was my third fastest marathon and the fastest I have run in four years, when I set my current PB of 3:10 at the Gold Coast in Australia. To be fair, I haven't done much specific marathon training in the last four years but I'm fit and I always believe that I should be able to leverage my triathlon training into success across the sporting spectrum.

One of the stats from Victoria is that I finished 10th in my age group. While I no doubt have so much work to do, I'm encouraged by the prospect of finishing in the top five of a marathon equivalent to Victoria in the near future. I'm not defining 'near' at the moment.

One cool stat from the race is that of my age-graded time: 2:59:17!

Ha. I'm a Sub Three Marathoner.

I found an age-graded calculator at Runner's World and it offers the following explanation:

Your age-graded score is the ratio of the approximate world-record time for your age and gender divided by your actual time.

Age-graded scores have been categorized into these broad achievement levels:
100% = Approximate World Record Level
Over 90% = World Class
Over 80% = National Class
Over 70% = Regional Class
Over 60% = Local Class

To reach 100%, I'd only need to run 2:17. Hmmmmmmm.

Top rating for Sub Nine!

5.0 out of 5 stars

An excellent contribution to collections focusing on women's accomplishments in sports, October 7, 2011

By

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen (Paperback)

Sub Nine: History's Fastest Ironwomen is an anthology profiles of the fastest known female triathlon participants, each of which completed the grueling course in less than nine hours. A handful of pages offer a brief summary of the life and training of each woman, recorded highlights of her career, and her comments in her own words if possible. An extraordinary and inspirational reckoning of women's athletic excellence, Sub Nine is an excellent contribution to collections focusing on women's accomplishments in sports.

Here's the link to the amazon.com page

*As for how the Midwest Book Review works. It's an independent group. I shipped two copies of my book for consideration for a review. I have no idea who did the review nor did I have any input into the review. And I was given no advance notice that it was going to be posted today.

Ready to Run

I've been running a lot the last two months. In fact, I even had one 100km plus week in the mix.

As Margreet has noted in recent posts, the more you run, the more fit you become. I too am feeling fit.

On Sunday I will give it everything that I have at the Victoria marathon. It will be my 10th marathon, standalone one that is.

I am going to wear a Garmin GPS. The first time I have done so. I want to make sure that I don't start too fast as has been an issue for me in the past. And I also want to encourage myself to keep moving fast and faster in the final 10km.

I'm reluctant to set out here my time target, though of course I know the pace that I intend to run based on the training that I've done. I want a PB - so faster than 3.10. I'll leave it at that.

What motivates me a bit more this weekend is what Steve Jobs had to say to students graduating from Stanford in 2005.

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

I take that as go for it. Go for it now. Live in the present.

Jobs also reportedly was motivated by a quote that said, in effect, live today as if it is your last.