Be There

A friend was kind enough to send me an email telling me where "Wherever you are, be there" comes from. It is the title of an essay/speech from Jim Rohn: a successful business philosopher. I almost feel a bit foolish having not known that given his extensive success and influence. At any rate, you can find the full text if you do any google search with the title and the author's name. I won't paste it here since I'm not sure if he appreciates that, but here is a direct link where you can read it yourself.

http://www.appleseeds.org/rohn_be-there.htm

Its an interesting (and short, go read it now if you haven't already) read and it can likely be helpful with nearly everything we want do well. I immediately tried to evaluate whether or not I have applied his philosophies in the past and whether I apply them today.

I think its a common misconception to assume that complete obsession is essential to success in athletics or otherwise. I suppose I've known some pretty damn successful obsessive people so I might not always be right, but I've known far more that have crashed and burned from hitting it too hard in their respective fields (mostly in athletics).

I think these burnout victims never had the ability to turn their minds off from sport. When obsession leads to negligence in an athlete's life outside of sport they will feel overwhelmed and, ironically, it will be this aspect, and not sport itself, that leads to their exit.

I believe there have to be moments in an athlete's day, week, month, and year when they allow themselves to just "be a dude" (or dudette). Great athletes need great breaks.

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Another component that Rohn comments on is the ability to focus specifically on the moment and/or task at hand. In sport, this is probably the greatest skill an athlete can possess.

When people ask me what I think about when swimming, biking, or running I simply tell them that I think about swimming, biking, and running.

"Don't you get bored?"

No. Except maybe when I swim 500s.

But seriously, I've spent thousands of hours doing all three so that would be a lot of time to be bored. It has served as "focused fun" for me. (An expression from G Byrn that I have always liked).

This was not always the case and I'm not immune to falling back into seeking distractions.

A few years ago I was dealing with a lot in my personal life while trying to train and race successfully. I found myself with a mind that was working overtime to solve problems (out of my control, no less) in my personal life no matter what time of day it was and no matter what I was doing. It peaked when I was sitting at a convenience store in Whitewright, Texas with a thousand yard stare on my face. I was totally focused on the wrong things at the wrong time. There was nothing I could do about my personal life while perched on a curb 40 miles from home.

For whatever reason I made a deal with myself that day. Essentially the conversation in my head sounded something like this:

"For the next 40 miles you are going to focus on nothing, but riding this bike. When you get home you can worry yourself sick with things out of your control; just not know."

Its impossible for me to completely avoid outside thoughts from creeping into my mind, but I always revert back to that day when they do. I do my best to focus solely on the task at hand and when the session is over I refocus on other aspects of my life.

Be "all there," as Rohn says; no matter what you are doing.

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The warm weather came out in Boulder this past week and I rode outside for the first time since IMFL. Nice to have a break from staring at the wall.

Bring on February,

jd

Read more on Jim Rohn at http://www.jimrohn.com/

Early Season Training

The Aggies lost back-to-back games on the road this week to unranked opponents. I don't have a (huge) problem with that (except losing to TECH), but the average margin of victory for the other team was circa 20 points.

That is not ok when you are ranked 9/10 in the AP/coaches poll.

Mark Turgeon has been highly praised as a coach and as a person after his arrival in TAMU. This will be his first test as a coach (he' s done well as a person). He did a lot with limited talent while coaching at Wichita State so I hope he can fire up a team that likely didn't expect to lose last week; let alone lose in an extreme fashion.

We play Baylor this week and Baylor is the (new) darling child of the Big 12. The AGs can make a statement with a solid victory this week or they can dig themselves a bit deeper. Its on ESPN on January 23 at 8 EST for interested parties.

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Ok, enough on that.

This past week was the first fully structured week of the year for me. I had workouts actually written down in a plan and then I... ...get this... ...did them.

It can be very tempting to try to jump right back in where you left off from last year, but is that really necessary?

Training is placed to take you beyond where you currently are. I would assume that most of you are not where you left off from last season. Your power numbers are low, you feel slow on the run, and swimming just annoys you.

"Wherever you are, be there"

I don't know who originally said that phrase, but I heard it (or read it) from Kevin Purcell some time ago. Whoever said it gave some solid advice. If you are aware of where your fitness stands at the beginning of the season then I think it would be hard to get overly frustrated with your progression.

My HR improved over seven beats at the same power output from one week's session to the next. Don't know about you guys, but that doesn't happen in the peak of my season. Granted, the number are much lower than last year, but it would be foolish to subjectively judge my training based on my peak from last year. All I want is progress and progress was achieved by simply getting the ball rolling again. No fancy overload, just the simply act of doing. Nice to get things so easily for once.

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Heart Rate Caps in the Early Season

I have always used a heart rate cap throughout my early season training. I think its useless to pump out high heart rates when you are not moving very quickly to begin with.

Think about it; if you were running 7:00/mile at 150 HR last year and right now you are running 8:30s then what is the point of pushing the heart rate up to simply run 8:00s. Your body can do it, its just not quite ready to do it yet. Give it a few weeks and see how things are going. If you are improving with this protocol then keep it rolling until you are not.

What heart rate cap should you use?

It really depends.

If you have Friel zones then I would suggest the top of zone 2 for the run and the top of zone 3 for the bike. For me, that equates to 20-22 beats below functional threshold for the run and 10-12 below functional threshold for the bike. It should be a number that makes you feel like you are crawling early in the season, but holding it late in the season would you have you crankin'.

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Steady State Aerobic Threshold Riding

During the base period of my training Joe has me do long steady state rides on flat terrain. He asks me to hold a heart rate of 150-155 (top end of zone 2) continuously for as long as three hours. This replaces the old model of LSD (long, slow distance) riding in the base period that he used to endorse.

We start by riding 1.5 hours and watching how my power fades as the ride continues. If it fades (decouples) by less that 5% then we will add another thirty minutes of duration and move on.

If you are new to this style of riding then I would begin by simply including a 30-45 minute continuous main set to begin with. Download your power file and check your beginning power versus your finishing power. How far off did you fade? What was your average power for the first half of the set compared to the second? If it is within 5% then add time. If it is not, then repeat the same duration for your next planned session. Achieve your goal before you move on.

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Happy January,

JD

The Season Begins

The last ten weeks have been fun, hard, tiring, rewarding, and even sad. I took trips to Michigan, Sweden, Colorado Springs, Crested Butte, Colorado Springs (again), and Breckenridge. I don’t think I spent more than 7 consecutive days in Boulder over the last ten weeks and was gone about 50% of the time. I did spend 120+ hours in classrooms, started working with Endurance Corner, completed a two week course on bike mechanics, and attended a USAT certification course for coaching. I progressed as a person while my life as an athlete was on hold to allow for that.

No worries though; it is a long year and my race season will not even begin until the middle of April. Until then I will be doing what I can during the Boulder winter with some intermittent breaks for training camps in California and Arizona. Next year I will be utilizing the winter a little more for my goals, but this year will be more traditional with less cross training in the snow. (I simply don’t have the gear yet).

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My 2008 season will include the following:

April 13 Playtri Half Ironman (Irving, Texas)

May 3 Wildflower Half Ironman (SLO, California)

May 26 BB 10K (Boulder, Colorado)

June 8 Eagleman 70.3, US Long Course Champs (Maryland)

June 29 Buffalo Springs or West Virginia Mountaineer Man HIM (Lubbock, Tx or Morgantown, WV)

July 20 Boulder Peak or Spirit of Racine (Boulder or Racine, Wisconsin)

August 24 Ironman Canada (Penticton, BC; CAN)

October 11 Ironman World Championship (Kona, Hawaii)

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A few comments on the above:

I will likely race Buffalo Springs over West Virginia depending on the wetsuit ruling for the 2008 season. 70.3 and IM have gone back and forth as to whether everyone wears wetsuits (because of a “mass start”) or if the pros have different rules than the Age Groupers (a la USAT races). The Buffalo Springs swim is WARM and if they allow wetsuits I’ll likely pass on that race. Overheating in the swim is not fun for me and I’d rather race elsewhere.

On July 20th I’ll race Boulder Peak if I’m less fit or Racine if I’m fit. Essentially, if my form is coming along nicely for IMC I’ll go race Racine and I’ll continue training with a moderate approach for IMC. If I’m behind where I want to be then I will race Boulder Peak within a training block with no additional rest. Some of you might ask: why race at all then? I like to support the local triathlon races when it fits into the schedule (especially 5430 Sports) and it would essentially just be a harder training day for me. The race has such a large pro field that you can treat it however you want. I’d like to improve on my finish last year as well, considering the heat pretty much governed my run effort to a hard jog at most.

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Until later,

JD

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone.

Even though the holidays have passed and the new year has come it is still... ...January. I, for one, certainly want to get the ball rolling towards a new fitness level and I'm sure many of you are looking at your frozen windows and_thinking_the same thing. There might even be some extra pressure on those of you with resolutions hanging over your head. Resolutions are difficult; at least the ones that I often created for myself. In the past, my resolutions were often lofty goals or outcomes with little course of action to go along with it. Today, when I make a goal I often establish what outcome I want and work backwards to establish a course of action to make it happen. Otherwise, those goals are lost just as my resolutions of old are lost. Best of Luck to all of you in 2008 (and beyond). Hang in there.

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The Endurance Corner Spring Training Camps are nearly full with a few spots still remaining. These camps are a great oppurtunity for training (obviously), but their real impact comes from the knowledge you gain by exchanging thoughts with experienced athletes and coaches. The downtime on these camps often yields a great return for your future training and racing. It also often lays the foundation for some great friendships. I know I am going to walk away with more than I went in with.

Endurance Corner will be hosting two Arizona camps in Tuscon on the following dates:

March 22-30

April 19-27

Please contact me at justin at endurancecorner dot com or Gordo Byrn at gordon at endurancecorner dot com if you are interested.

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More later,

jd

I hope everyone had a nice holiday this week. I spent a few days in Crested Butte with my family before heading back to Boulder on the 26th. I was fortunate enough to miss the heavy snow on the way home, but I did see a number of folks off the road and I hope everyone managed to make it home safely; even if their car did not.

While I was in CB I was rummaging through a drawer of photos and memorabilia when I came across my training journals from 2002. They contained notes and stats jotted down in those black and white composition books which I often associate with high school science class (Chemistry, I think) more than anything else.

The interesting aspect of the first journal is that it came from my first summer in Boulder in 2002. My venture to Boulder that summer was not for training, but for an internship with Inside Communication Inc. (Inside Triathlon, Velonews, Velopress, Velogear, etc) in the editorial department. I don't think that they, or I, knew exactly what I was originally coming there to do, but I eventually found myself working primarily with Charles Pelkey, and secondarily with Cam Elford (Cam is with Triathlete last I saw. Pelkey still writes for VELO). My primary duties pretty much involved content update on the website, some editing, press release posting and an occasional race report/story/summary written by myself (though that was quite seldom). I occasionally did some stuff on the VELO site as well, but my understanding of bike racing was rather limited at the time (its better today, but there is so much to follow its hard to say that I'm on top of it).

At the time I was heading into my senior in college (at Texas A&M) and I normally spent my entire summers working at Camp Longhorn near Austin, Texas. My decision to not return that summer was a very difficult and emotional one for me. I had been working there since I was 17 and it was more than a job to me since some of my closest friends (to this day) worked alongside me. That, and I loved the job. However, triathlon had a growing presence in my life and I thought that perhaps I could find a career that was related to it. Racing professionally was not on my mind at all at the time, but a job involving sport, I believed, could be.

The internship itself went well, but the entire experience of Boulder was probably the most educational aspect of the summer. I was renting a tiny basement room in North Boulder that had nothing more than a mattress on the floor and my radio. The house did not have cable or Internet either so I had little option other than working or riding my bike. It was fun to look back in the journal this past weekend and read some of the comments and stats I provided. I recalled getting absolutely crushed at my first Master's session, unclipping on some climbs, freezing my butt off in Ward, and totally burying myself on a long mountain ride with Kevin Reinsch (which I still recall as being the most tired I've ever been on one single day).

I still keep a training journal, but its not quite as exciting as the early days. These days they are online (trainingpeaks.com) and involve more numbers and stats so that my coach and I can track progression more closely. They don't include jokes I heard that day on a ride or a line I thought of from the Simpsons when I was bumming around the Boulder county roads. Its just the results of the day now.

I encourage all of you, especially those starting out, to keep a training journal. Its certainly great to look back on your past performances and training numbers (especially when comparing to today), but its even better when they help you relive some memories that you might have otherwise forgotten.

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Additionally, I wanted to mention that I recently did another photo shoot for EAS a week before Christmas down in Denver. The shot is one of me running and I assume it should be out some time this Spring where you normally see the ads run. I think it came out really well and hopefully everyone else felt that same way.

For those that are interested, the company behind the EAS ads is called Mighty Karma www.mightykarma.com.

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See you in 2008,

JD

Our Generation, Mechanics, Kenny G and more.

I wish I could have followed up more quickly on my commentary related to the Millennium Generation, but the Barnett Bicycle Institute (more below) in Co Springs had me slammed for two straight weeks.

However, I should mention a few things.

I got a number of emails and feedback from friends about my blog. In several cases, my buddies gave me specific examples of their own feelings/needs in the working world as well as the vocal opinions of their older colleagues. In addition to that I received a number of emails that asked whether or not I was trying to pass myself off as being "lazy."

First off, anything that I consider to be an achievement in my life has taken a lot of work. In fact, I imagine that anything that came to me easily probably doesn't even make my list of accomplishments. I'm not saying I'm lazy, but I am saying that my outlook on life and goals differ from tradition (as I see it).

Now, that aside; most emails asked whether or not I believe that the "laziness" of my generation will ultimately be met by the reality of the "real world." I suppose most of us believe that idealism is slowly whithered away by the realities of the real world.

Here is what I probably did not quite get across in my last blog. I_believe_that the underlying theme amongst this generation is the pursuit of happiness. Youngsters today are deciding to be more happy than their parents as opposed to just having more "stuff" than them. Its their way of defining a "better life" than their parents'.

Personally, I actually believe that if people can stick to this ideal then they might actually be more financially successful as well. That's an irony that the cynical will not allow as they often believe that money and security work inversely with happiness (in my opinion).

I'm generally an optimist so I'm going to keep believing that our generation will change (the world) for the better by reorganizing their priorities.

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I spent the past two weeks attending a course called Bicycle Repair and Overhaul which was hosted by the Barnett Bicycle Institute in Colorado Springs. The majority of the class was made up of folks who work on bikes, or folks who plan to work on bikes, for a living. I was the only one there who desired this knowledge to try to get the most out of my equipment for training and racing purposes.

Triathlon has always stimulated my need for knowledge when it comes to training, physiology, etc., but I have never been particularly turned on by "the gear." When I started triathlon I had little money for fancy gear, but I had time to train so I felt that investing time in the knowledge of my body (and training that body) was the number one priority. I figured that there was always time for fancy gear, but the engine had to come first.

I still believe this. Good nutrition, massage, etc are always budgeted before investments in gear. Gear will always be replaced.

Nevertheless, the time has come where small percentages of improvements add up to big gains on race day.

And so I spent over 100 hours in two weeks working on bikes. I gained knowledge and respect for the machines that propel me (and for the folks that have worked on them for me over the years).

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Its a week before Xmas.

I think half of the US is covered in snow right now and I doubt many of you are feeling entirely motivated for many more reasons than just that. I found myself at the Manitou Springs pool the other day and the the aqua aerobics class was rocking out to Kenny G's Christmas album.

This is hardly the environment to get wicked fit in.

And that's ok. We all need some down time every now and then, but it is important to keep moving despite all the distractions, adverse weather conditions, etc. I was exceptionally busy for the past six weeks and the only goal I made was to average one hour of aerobic exercise per day per week amidst all the commotion. I managed to meet that goal and even slightly exceed it on a couple occasions. That is only 25% (or less) of my "normal" training load and yet I was totally satisfied.

What I find interesting is that if I trained 8 hours/week when I wanted to train 30 then I would certainly see myself as a failure (in a microcosmic sense). However, training 8 hours when I wanted 7 makes me a success and makes me feel that progress was made.

Its important that we take into account what we can and cannot achieve at any given moment within a day, week, month or season. Its also important that we do what we can with what we have. It should never be assumed that a few minutes of training (or anything else) is ineffective because its so minuscule in comparison to what we want.

It all matters. Every single footstep, pedal stroke, and swim stroke matter.

Move More.

JD

Sverige and the Millennium Generation

This is a picture of a flag (obviously) from Halmstad, Sweden. I took a trip there with Brooke and my mother over the Thanksgiving holiday and I simply wanted to point out the fact that Halmstad is old. 700 years old this year to be exact.

Plenty happened on my trip overseas, but one consistent conversation addressed the Millennium generation which I may, or may not, be a part of depending on where you are reading about it. Some folks use 1976 as the starting point, while others begin as late as 1980-1982 (I was born in 1981). In any case, I am pretty close to the end of one generation (Generation X) and the beginning of another (Millennium generation).

Generation X was originally touted as the apathetic generation that had a rather pessimistic outlook on like (think grunge music), but obviously things change as these Xers grow old(er) and are no longer in the spotlight. Their priorities, in effect, change for the better it seems. However, I really want to speak about the Millennium generation.

The Millennium generation (MILL G) is starting to really enter the workforce and I think this is the first time that the world is starting to take notice of a generation that is exceptionally different from folks in our past.

The MILL G expects to be: paid more, promoted frequently (and within their first year of work), get more vacation, and have major flexibility when they are actually working. Additionally, and above all else, they want to be happy.

If you are well into your own career you might laugh and say "these guys and gals need to get real." You might well say that every day about everything depending on your level of cynicism. However, if enough people want something then who will be the one who's line of thinking is off?

I should add that this is what our new work force expects, not what they will get.

I really think the more important question is "why they expect this?" What makes them think that they can be happy, healthy and working 15 hours a week whenever the mood strikes?

I cannot answer that, but I can make my own observations.

Service is the major commodity in the U.S. No one is planning to work in a factory for 30 years with the same security that was provided some 30-50 years ago. Nor do they assume that they can have the same quality of life their parents provided them by doing the same things their parents did. The only way (they believe) to give their children the same life their parents provided them is to seek out more education, work more hours, and ultimately make more sacrifices.

I don't know that this is what will ultimately be required of everyone, but I do think it is a safe bet to assume that the status quo for most folks requires more input despite a static output. This leads most to start thinking primarily of themselves and less of everyone else. In other words, they can keep_their_quality of life so long as they avoid kids, wives/husbands, families, etc (especially if they love debt like most people in the generation seem to). Its the ME generation if nothing else. You are going to hear a lot of "What's in it for me?" questions for the next ten years. Relationships will ultimately be dependent on what "the other person is doing for me" instead what "I can do for them."

Triathlon does not only consume a lot of my time through training (and training prep time), it consumes all my time since my training is ultimately affected by how well I recover when not training. Essentially I am the peak of the ME generation.

Fortunately I'm fairly self-aware.

I figure that my own success generally relies on stopping myself from ever thinking that life is dependent on how fast I go (which is ironic in some ways). That can honestly be hard at times because it always clouds my mind no matter how far I try to separate myself from those thoughts. If I have to constantly worry about me, then its hard for me to give to others that need my support. Instead, I need to constantly ask myself how I can make my relationships better with my family, girlfriend, friends, employer, and sponsors. "What can I do for them?" instead of wondering what "they do for me."

Ultimately the people who are close to me in my life are what really matter. That is true even if it sounds painfully trite (and cheesy as far as I'm concerned).

I want to be happy like all the other MILL Gers and fortunately I found a line of work that brings me happiness even when its hard. Perhaps this is the compromise that will come about amongst the MILL Gers. A happy worker will be a hard worker. All human resource folks should take note. We could be the greatest thing to ever happen to the U.S. (and international) economy.

Or maybe we'll be the reason that the U.S. economy collapses. Whatever.

JD

Ryan Shay

Yesterday more than a thousand people gathered in East Jordan, Michigan to say good bye to Ryan Shay. Some wore their emtions on their sleeves while others likely found it hard to hold them back. For myself, it was a chance to show my respect to someone I merely crossed paths with in my own life. I felt compelled to travel across the country to say farewell.

We all sat for over three hours listening to his coaches, families, friends, and preachers genuinely speak about such a wonderful athlete and person.

The common theme seemed to address his tenacity, focus, and compassion. He loved what he did and he loved the people in his life.

I don't really know how to correctly put it, but I felt a sense of "satisfaction" (or ease?) at hearing all of these people speak of him. I don't know that many of us can look back upon our own lives and know that our direction was always towards the goals we laid out before ourselves. For Ryan though; it really seemed to be the case. He never wasted a moment on the wrong path.

Here are some things from yesterday that you all should know:

*More than one thousand people showed up to a funeral in upstate Michigan. This was not a funeral where people "made a showing." It was their destination.

*The State of Michigan recognized Ryan and a State Legislator came to the funeral to present his family with a seal from the state.

*The US Olympic Team delivered an OLY flag to Ryan's family.

*Ryan is survived by his wife, Alicia; his mother and father; and seven siblings (4 brothers and 3 sisters).

*The Ryan Shay Memorial fund has been created and I will provide more information about it shortly.

-JD

IMFL 2007 report

Friends:

I managed to have a big breakthrough performance on Saturday, but it was put into a different perspective with the tragic news of Ryan Shay’s sudden death on the same day. Ryan was an athlete competing in Saturday’s Olympic Trials Marathon in NYC. He collapsed shortly after the five mile marker and was later pronounced dead.

He was 28 years old.

Ryan was a highly decorated runner throughout his life and his focus never deviated from making the U.S. Olympic team and winning the Olympic Marathon. I first met Ryan in 2005 when EAS was putting together a team of endurance athletes from a variety of sports. Ryan was the type of athlete that we all strive to be: hard-working, intelligent, meticulous, and talented.

I was not close to Ryan, but having any connection or insight to such a tragedy has left it hard for me to not say something. As athletes, we often associate happiness with success in competition, but our supporters have a much better perspective. At the end of the day our families, friends, and partners only want to see us come home safely. Their pride and happiness is not hindered by record times or podium finishes.

And it is for this reason that my heart goes out to Shay’s family and friends. They all knew that Ryan may or may not have realized his goals by day’s end, but I know that they never believed that their final “good luck” wishes would be their last words to him.

I believed in Ryan. I knew he was a man that would give his all; both in racing and life.

Rest in Peace.

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I initially passed on the idea of writing much of a report. It seems hard to find motivation to talk about my own day after hearing this news. However, many folks have written to me asking about my day and I feel that it would be selfish to not let my supporters know what happened down in PCB, Florida.

So here we go.

The morning after Ironman Canada I felt a definite sense of dissatisfaction. For the first time ever I actually wanted to race the morning after an Ironman. My coach and I had planned to race Hawaii seven weeks after IMC, but I opted out to focus on Florida. I still felt that I could find better form with ten weeks of training. After years and years of training you get a sense of when you aren’t quite tapped out.

The weather cooperated with me and I managed to get through nearly everything I planned to do in those ten weeks. Clearly I finished just in time as I left Boulder with snow on the ground three days before the race.

On race morning I was ready to go. The field was substantially larger and faster than anything I had yet to participate in aside from Kona 2004. I think over 100 pros toed the line to fight for eight money spots. My hope for a pay day was looking bleak, but I wanted one last chance to race hard in 2007 so I was ready to fight for every position.

The gun went off and I found myself feeling rather comfortable in the swim. Unfortunately comfort is secondary to my desire to be fast and while I did exit the water in a new PR of 55:xx it was still further back from where I hoped to be. However, I often tell my colleagues to “never be disappointed with progress” so I’ll take it.

I had a super fast transition which I attribute to the advice from my buddy Chris “the only guy to win an IM in those compression sock things” McDonald. Essentially, you just keep everything simple. Everyone that entered to tent before me exited behind me.

I quickly settled into a groove on the bike and around mile 10-15 a group of 5-10 people began to form. It primarily consisted of Terry Kerrigan, Petr Vabrousek and myself at the front. We were rolling along nicely and reeling in an athlete or two, but unfortunately my head was telling me weird things.

For one reason or another I pulled over to the side of the road because I was certain I had a flat. It turned out that my brake calipers had shifted slightly, but I actually don’t think they were truly rubbing. I was just having a (bad/dumb/whatever) moment. Well that moment saw about 12-15 guys come flying past me. I hopped back on and started rolling again with the group sitting about 20 seconds up the road. The scenery didn’t change much and neither did my position for the next 30+ miles. I could see that Terry was doing almost all (or maybe it was all) of the pace work and no one was going around him.

I slowly started to reel them in and at the mile 50 mark I made a strong surge to get ahead of that entire group. My plan was to try to break from the group and keep things strong until the turnaround (at mile 75 or so) when I could get a look at the way the race was shaping up. However, it was hard to break away from everyone no matter how hard I tried. I figured I would not ride away from Terry or Petr, but it took nearly 30+ miles before we finally left everyone else behind. There were still 20+ people up the road on us, but the time gaps were reasonable. I kept everything (relatively) pinned until mile 105 when I decided to ease off a bit. I had made some big efforts on the ride (even harder than I had expected to ride) and since we had a tailwind to the finish I felt it might be wise to calm down considering the pace was above 40 kph.

I rolled into T2 with a new bike PR of 4:41:xx and made another speedy transition.

I got out onto the run and I felt tired, but reasonably tired. I was sitting in 22nd place so I knew I would have to do some work to break into the top 10, but even more importantly, I wanted to break 3 hours on the run. I had been trying to break 3 hours for past two years. In 2005 (FL) I fell short because I lacked the fitness. In 2006 (FL) and 2007 (Canada), I lacked the execution. It was finally time to change that.

The first loop of the run was pretty uneventful other than some comic relief I offered myself. I was running along around mile 3 or 4 and I thought to myself “why does this have to hurt now? Why can’t it wait until the second half?” I was getting splits to tenth place at either end of the run loop and it appeared that I was not really making up time, but it did not appear I was losing too much either.

To my pleasant surprise I kept up a nice pace to the mile 19.5 turnaround and I could see a handful of pros up the road. I knew the last 10K would be tough, but I would have to commit to a good effort to break 3 and finish in the top 10. Again, to my pleasant surprise, I kept things rolling and even as the wind picked up in my face I appeared to still have something left in me. My stomach was feeling funky, but I knew at this point that every second mattered so I did not ease up. This time I actually did not fall short of what I set out to do. I finished the marathon in 2:59:50 and made the top 10 by a matter of seconds.

Seeing 8:40 on the clock was almost a bit surreal. It has been frustrating to not see an 8 at the beginning of my finishing times for two whole years. I have to admit that I thought that my first 8:40 finish would be higher than 10th place, but I was proud of that 10th place given the talent and efforts of the gentleman around me.

I PRed everything on Saturday and I got some reinforcement that I am making real progression within the sport that is so dear to me. For that I am pleased, but I am already focused on making those times faster and the placing better.

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Thanks to everyone for supporting me this year and beyond. It has been a tough and challenging year.

Please keep Ryan’s family in your thoughts, but don’t simply go about feeling sorry for them. Instead, be grateful for the people in your own lives.

Until next year,

Justin Daerr

http://www.eas.com/
http://www.trainingbible.com/
http://www.descenteathletic.com/
http://www.fuelbelt.com/
http://www.javbike.com/

Gordo's last blog talked about doing small acts that can collectively make a difference. His difference-making act comes from picking up five pieces of trash/day.

Since I was in first grade I have always turned off the water while brushing my teeth (and while shaving, but only since I was in high school). It might not seem like a big deal, but that's a lot of water conserved when you look back over the last twenty years. I imagine Gordo has a similar big-impact-by-a-little-act idea in mind. I encourage you all to do the same. Your actions are important and will not go unnoticed.

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Less than three weeks remain before Ironman Florida and its probably for the best as the seasonal weather changes are trying to force me indoors. I had to laugh when I went out for a ride yesterday. I put a number of layers of clothing on in order to generate lots of heat to simulate_potential_conditions in Florida. Well, I got out riding and realized that I had actually put on the appropriate amount of clothes and that anything less would have me feeling a little chilly!

Nevertheless, I'll be continuing my Bennett-training until race day.

Huh?

I saw Greg Bennett running all summer long in his sweats, gloves, and beanie (even when it was damn toasty out). I don't know if that gave him the edge on his way to earning nearly 500,000 U.S. dollars this summer, but it certainly didn't hurt.

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Another sign of the season ending is the lack of training partners available. Most triathletes are finished with racing and all the cyclists have switched to the their cyclocross gear. I already exploited all my buddies who were training for Hawaii. Fortunately I still have some ITU ladies that will happily hand it to me for the few remaining days of my season.

I'm pretty pleased with all my training since Canada. I don't think there is much more I could have done with these 10 weeks and I can confidently say that I'm as fit as I'm going to get in 2007. Just need a little more tweaking and resting to bring it all together.

Until next week,

jd

Absorbing an Ironman

People often ask me howI can like college football so much more than the NFL. Last Saturday (and Friday) West Virginia, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Florida and Texas were all undefeated top ten teams that lost. If that Oregon receiver had not fumbled the ball for a touchback we might have added Cal to the list.

The NFL will never be able to offer the same kind of action_during_the_regular_season.

South Florida (6) and Kentucky(8) are in the AP Top Ten.

Dude.

DUDE.

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Ok now to talk about real sports. (My passive stab at American Sports Journalists).

My buddy asked me the other day if I thought that an athlete can absorb fitness from an Ironman. Plenty of other athletes use shorter races as training events so why not apply the same concept to an Ironman.

I used to automatically write it off as I could not imagine how any athlete could benefit from such damage. I really think that it depends on the athlete and simply extrapolating my own experiences with IMs won't cut it. However, I cannot say that an athlete benefits more from the race they just did so much as they benefitted from the rest they placed before and after the event itseld. Some people taper as much as four weeks for a key Ironman, but I have_rarely_met anyone that doesn't taper for at least 10-14 days out. Following the event, even the most OCD of folks take a few easy days.

My own personal experience has been that Ironmans beat me up pretty badly and any post race training needs to be approached with caution. If my post-race discomfort was limited to muscle soreness then I might concede that the I could absorb any fitness from this event quickly. The problem is that my discomfort extends to my joints (especially knees) and I feel as though I am acutally nursing a "minor injury."

I lack deep development in any other three disciplines that make up triathlon. Therefore, my progression in each sport has grown alongside the other. I don't know if it applies to others, but this has allowed me to run closer to my open run fitness when racing triathlons than some of my colleagues. As a result, I think I end up beating myself up quite a bit.

My buddies that grew up running seem to bounce back much more quickly because any Ironman running (not the same with short course) does not even come close to what their ligaments, tendons and muscles can handle. I have suffered from dehydration/overheating in some triathlons and I end up running slower than I do in training. As a result I walk away with very little (or no) muscle soreness. This is the best I can do to parallel what they experience after an ultra race like an IM.

Its similar to the swim start for athletes that grew up as swimmer kids. They can handle an aggressive start without compromising the rest of their swim and/or race. Once again, even the fastest of swim starts (in an Ironman) probably doesn't compare to the hardest of hard main sets they did growing up.

Alright, I'm running around a bit with this so let me redirect you back.

Can an Ironman be absorbed for fitness?

I seriously doubt that your fitness can gain more from such a day than it would have gained from two-to-four weeks of solid training (instead of your taper). If you could actually go into the event on short rest and bounce back then I think it would certainly work. Heather Gollnick was getting ready for IM Arizona this spring when she decided she was so fit that she should race Ironman NZ (five weeks prior to AZ). She placed second there and found herself to be recovered within a few days. She went on to win IMAZ. I cannot say that IMNZ helped her win IMAZ, but it certainly didn't compromise her goals.

I see people successfully race IMs back-to-back (and beyond), but I find no evidence to suggest that their second or third race was not compromised by the previous one (even if they win like Heather). Sometimes an athlete is so good that he or she does not need to be their best to win or achieve their goals, but making a living in such a sport does not always require you to be your best. You just need to be better than everyone else.

Keep figuring it out,

JD

IM Stacking

It is fairly hard to believe that I am already looking forward to Basketball (NCAA) season.

That Miami game was.... .....well that topic has been beaten to death on texags.com (and everywhere else) so I'll let those yahoos continue to duke it out.

My consensus: Status Quo.

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Big Matty Stein has been asking me about how I approached/am approaching my training in the ten weeks between IM Canada and IM Florida.

First off, I have never done this before so its hard to really know if I am doing things correctly. I can only truly know once the season is over and I can objectively look at my training and racing. Therefore, I find it hard to say whether I am doing the right things as I am currently just "doing things."

Ironman Florida comes very late in the season and many athletes are mentally (probably not as much physically IMO) fried from a long year and I might have been the same way had my year gone differently.

This past year I trained 'half time' in January-March; then I left the country in May for two weeks for personal reasons (so most of my training stopped); then I contracted giardia in June which sidelined me for a few weeks off and on; then I suffered from the aftershock of the antibiotics and the illness itself throughout the month of July.

I only bring this all up because I finished Ironman Canada this year having felt that the season had barely even started for me. I knew the morning after the race that I had a lot of fight left over and so I decided to put togther a bit of a training push to Ironman Florida in hopes of finishing this year on a high note.

The "push" basically lays itself out into the following pattern:

One week with one hour of exercise
One week with 15 hours of light training; but most of the intensity is in zone 1
One week with normal training volume; but intensity is flexible
Three weeks with normal training volume and intensity
One unload week (for first half)
One moderate week including an OLY race and normal swim volume
One moderate week with normal swim volume
Ironman race week

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First off, let me say that I would have been (and will be) entirely willing to back off if my body's response to training was not (or is not) positive. I think I was fortunate to have my coach tell me back in August that I would "likely bounce back pretty quickly" after IMC. I think I was mentally prepared to see that and probably just assumed that it would happen. However, I did less than he actually predicted I could do during the second week after the race and I know I was doing the right thing. After two easy weeks my body seemed to be training instead of recovering.

The first week back made me pretty sleepy and I took naps every day, but I didn't generate much of that "deep fatigue" that I hear about. I don't doubt that I could be exceptionally tired over the course of the next few weeks, but I'm confident in my intuition to do the right thing if rest is needed. I was pretty damn tired after having giardia this summer and I feel a whole lot better now. Its not a very scientific or objective approach to judging training stress and recovery, but it works for my head.

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I'll keep you guys in the know as to how everything is going.

-jd

I often think it is pretty absurd to have conversations about "what I/you would do if I/you won the lottery." Nevertheless, I found myself in the midst of one of those conversations while hiking up to American Lakes with Brooke.

Thing is; when I participate in these conversations its even more absurd because I don't actually buy lottery tickets (and I doubt anyone I read about in Forbes does either). So instead of pondering what I would do if I won the lottery I am actually pondering about what I would do if some random guy came up to me and handed me a ridiculous amount of money. That is truly absurd.

I'm not spinning this into anything. Its simply something I thought about the other day.

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THE SHORT LIFE OF FITNESS

This past Monday I was swimming with Chris at Elks. We weren't particularly moving very fast, but our breathing sure made you think that we were.

I turned to him between a set and said "Can you believe you were an Ironman Champion two weeks ago?"

Remember this: someone who is always fit is never really fit.

Some of the fastest people in the world have wonderful amounts of unrealized potential. It takes guts to back off from your last level of peak fitness to build yourself up again. Some people might have thought Chris was crazy when he took a month off this spring, but I'm willing to bet he didn't look so dumb crossing the finish line first in Kentucky this summer.

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By the way, I'll be racing Ironman Florida this November. It will be the final event of this season and I'm sure it will go well so long as the next month of training goes at it should.

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"GOING GOOD"

If an athlete is racing well, he or she is not "racing well." They are "going good." It has nothing to do with correct or incorrect grammar. Its simply the way it is.

Just thought I would help you guys be more hip. You can laugh to yourself when someone who's not in the know corrects your grammar. Suckas.

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Much love,

JD