Moving forward, moving better

First off, I am going to be doing a podcast with Bobby McGee (the coach, not the song) next Monday. Bobby has helped many of the world's best runners to... ...run their best. If you have any quetions that you would like to have answered feel free to email me (through the "Contact" link above) and I will do my best to incorporate your questions into our discussion. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Many people ask me how I approach training for my key races. First off, all my key races are Long Course (3.8K swim, 180K bike, 42.2K run) races and I have only tackled a couple (at most) each year. My point in saying that is that I don't simply train to do a series of racing, but rather, I train specifically for one event, and one event only.

The first IM I did this season was Ironman Canada and the second is Ironman Arizona taking place in a little over 8 weeks in Tempe, AZ. The two races are the same distance, but the demands of the courses themselves are what force change in my training.

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Canada has these specific demands to keep in mind:

Standing/water start for the swim. One loop course.

A bike course consisting of 40 miles flat, climb a pass, a series of rollers and flat terrain, another climb and a finish with a 15K descent before 4 miles of flat into town.

A run course with flat 1/3, a hilly 1/3, and a flat 1/3 (all relative of course).

The temperature is usually temperate (but can be hot), the air is dry, and wind can play a real factor in shaping the day.

Ironman Arizona has these challenges:

A one loop swim with a water (treading) start. Harsh sun glare in the opening half.

A flat bike course with direction changes and the potential for lots of wind (at any rate there will be some wind).

A run course very similar to the bike course as far as a description is concerned

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While training for IMC I focused my long rides on having the ability to do some climbing at a slightly higher intensity than what I was putting out in the flats. I did this knowing that the descents on the course would allow me to back way off and recover. For a course like AZ I need to be able to stay on top of big gear riding in the aero positition at a constant intensity. Ironman Canada had much more diversification, both in terms of the intensity I planned to ride, as well as riding the bike in the aero position, sitting up, and standing. IMAZ is all about aero riding with a solid, constant output of power.

The run training won't differ too greatly with the exception that my long runs won't incorporate as many hills in the middle of the session. Instead, I will be working at improving my steady state stamina in the flats.

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When I finish a race I sit back and try to think about what parts of the race I found overly challenging or under-prepared (even the races that go very well). In the case of IMC I found that I faded a bit in the final 1000 meters of the swim and got boxed into a position that I did not care for. This likely cost me 30-60 seconds when the group split in the home stretch.

Secondly, I felt that I just didn't feel quite right for the first 60-90 minutes of the ride. I kept telling myself that I would come right (and I did), but I felt I lost another 60-120 seconds in here from not being able to crank early on.

Therefore I am doing sessions in the water that train for the demands of the last K of the 3800 meter swim as well as doing sessions that help me transfer from the swim to bike more smoothly.

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Finally, I like to look back on the key training weeks that I had for my last race and try to assess when I was the most tired and whether it was "worth it." What I mean by that is: could I have placed the stress causing the fatigue in a better place. I don't necessarily look for ways to train 'more', but I do look for ways to train 'better.' Can I raise the quality of the week by taking a different recovery approach? A different weekly schedule? etc.

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After four moderate weeks of training I am starting to feel more like Summer jd and my training is starting to get a bit more serious. The weather is Boulder is great and I'm looking forward to trying to achieve something new in 8+ weeks time.

cheers,

jd

Brooke Davison Podcast

This past weekend Brooke Davison won Age Group Nationals (Short Course) in Portland, Oregon by four minutes. She has been the top overall Female Age Grouper in every race she has entered this year. She does all of it while still looking after three kids (ages 2-7). Yesterday Gordo and I sat down to talk with her about her success and how she gets it done. Check it out here.

She even brought the kids along to keep it real,

JD

Chris McDonald Podcast

Chris McDonald recently placed 2nd at Ironman Louisville and 1st (with a new course record) at Ironman Wisconsin.  These two races were one week apart.

Today I sat down and chatted with Chris about his double on Endurance Corner Radio. You can download the podcast here.

IKE

My hometown (Houston) was hit by Hurricane Ike over the weekend. Some of my family voluntarily evacuated before the storm hit, but the majority of my friends and family stayed to ride the storm out (the local govt did not order an evacuation for central Houston). The storm seems to have knocked down a lot of trees, blown out windows, and left nearly everyone without power. Everyone I have spoken with is OK. My buddy emailed me and told me his entire neighborhood was outside all day working together to clean up the area. Houstonians are compassionate people and I suspect they will work together to get everything back to the status quo as quickly as possible.

I wish you all the best,

jd

Going home and Going forward

Following IMC I had a not-so-laid back week. I traveled from Penticton to Boulder all day Tuesday, moved from my old home to my new home on Wednesday and Thursday, traveled to Houston on Friday and spent the weekend touching with base with family and friends, some of whom I had not seen in almost two years. I got back to Boulder on Monday evening and I was wrecked. There is nothing more exhausting than doing stuff. Upon my return I have started to exercise again. After four days of moving again I am starting to feel more rested (bit of a paradox there) and I'm not as sluggish each morning when I wake up. The weather in Boulder is fantastic and I look forward to training again without carrying 17 bottles on a long ride. I think September and October are the best months in Colorado, by far.

I will be finishing my season at Ironman Arizona on November 23rd. I had originally planned to race in Hawaii, but I have decided I would like to race a late season IM as I will not have the oppurtunity to race early in 2009 (read about the Endurance Corner Camp below). I'm hoping to also toe the line at Longhorn 70.3 in Austin on October 5th, but I'm going to wait to see how in the next couple weeks. Those two races will be all that remains in the 2008 season.

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My buddy Chris McDonald traveled down to Kentucky last weekend and finished 2nd at IM Louisville. He then hopped in a car and drove eight hours north to Madison, Wisconsin where he plans to race IM Wisconsin this weekend. Chris told me he was going to try the double a few weeks ago and I just laughed and shook my head. I told him I was going to buy a ticket to Madison and stand at the 5K mark of the run just so I could ask him how his legs were feeling. I also told him he couldn't travel back to Boulder and complain to me about being tired because I don't want to hear it!

I'm sure he will do fine as nothing ever seems to break him. Best of luck to Chris, Blake, Robert, and Josh this weekend. I look forward to being on the other end of ironman.com this weekend.

JD

p.s. Yes. The Aggie game was depressing.

Ironman Canada 2008

 

Friends:

 

I’d like to start by saying thank you to all my friends and family for the calls, texts, and emails following the race. I was internet-less and (somewhat) phone-less in Canada so I apologize for the tardiness (or complete lack) of my gratitude. Your support is always greatly appreciated.

 

Race Morning.

 

I hopped in a bathroom line at 5:55 a.m. and at 6:35 a.m. I was still standing in it (pro start at 6:45). My chances of making the right swim group seemed to be drifting away because of a variable I had yet to consider. Fortunately, I somehow managed to get to the start line with a couple minutes to go. Missing a warm up was compensated by the anxiety I was experiencing while standing in line. I was alert and ready to roll.

 

I lined up right next to my buddy Gordo and the gun went off. My plan was to stick to the G-man no matter what, but I lost him in about 13 meters so that didn’t work out so well. I kept it rolling and after a few hundred meters it appeared that our group had formed (and interestingly enough, I then found Gordo in front of me). I made my way towards the front as I feared there might be an early break and I did not want to get boxed in. As it were, the group stayed together for quite some time (and was quite large).

 

The pace picked up a bit in the final thousand meters and the group strung out in a single line just like a bike race. The front swimmers took a wide line to the finishing chute in the final minutes of the swim so everyone sort of spread out and made their way to shore. I actually found myself wide of the exit and had to dolphin dive along the shallow water to get to the exit ramp.

 

In and out of T1 and onto the bike.

 

I honestly felt pretty wiped from the swim and I found myself struggling to get a rhythm as we rolled through town. After I found my legs, I decided to ride quickly to the base of Richter as the winds were coming from the South. This meant that we would have favorable winds on the backside of Richter Pass and I felt there would be a good time return to ride a bit harder through the first section of the course.

 

Getting up and over Richter Pass was a nice relief as the descent allowed for some recovery (and it was welcomed). The section after Richter Pass is really the meat of the course and, from what I have been told, the out-and-back often shakes up the race considerably. At the turnaround (mile 75 or so) I could see a big group up the road, but the time gap didn’t seem too great so I had hope of reeling some of those athletes in as the day wore on.

 

I did manage to start catching some athletes as I approached and climbed to Yellow Lake. At the top of the climb I got a split of “three minutes to third” and it really sparked some new life in me. I really wanted to be on that podium.

 

The descent from Yellow Lake was FANTASTIC and being able to soft pedal at high speeds did wonders for my legs. I rolled into town, got my run shoes on, and headed out for a marathon.

 

It might be odd to hear, but the start of the run is always such a relief to me. The swim and bike legs of an IM have such a wide variety of intensities and variables, but the run is pretty basic. Although, this time it was a bit different because I was feeling a little on edge and low on energy. I decided that I would take in a gel at every aid station until I started to feel better and that came out to taking one in for the first 7-8 miles.

 

The Ironman Canada run course can be a lonely venture to the turnaround, but I have had the good fortune for the past two years of having a run partner for the first half. This year it was Canada’s Kyle Marcotte (who has had plenty of success at IMC over the years). We ran together to the turnaround and we helped motivate one another to move up in the field. As we rounded the turnaround we were running in 6th and 7th with 5th place shortly up the road.

 

I got a split to third place. It was two minutes. I really, really wanted to finish on the podium.

 

The way back into town was one of the best efforts I have yet to give in this sport. I found myself in 5th place at mile 15 or so (taking the position from Marky V; my friend who raced very well off the front for most of the day) and at mile 19 I caught Andrey (who looked totally cooked) and moved into 4th. I kept plugging along, pushing myself to try to make a go at the podium, but it appeared that Jasper was just too strong and the split would not come down. At this point I was merely running for myself, or so I thought.

 

As I neared the mile 25 marker I heard someone say “50 meters.” I looked over my shoulder and saw Andrey charging down Main Street. I started to mentally prepare for a race to the finish, but my response to Andrey’s pace was not enough. I lifted my effort by nearly 20 seconds/mile, but that would not do. I gave one more go in the final mile, but he had the legs and I had to concede 4th place and finish up 23 seconds back. I had nothing left. I did everything I could on Sunday; finishing 5th in 8:37:34.

 

I have really enjoyed racing in Penticton the last couple years and I’m very pleased to have set a new Ironman PR on such a challenging course. I had ten family members in town to watch me race and they carried me from the start to the finish. You guys mean the world to me.

 

Until next time,

 

JD

 

My support team:

 

EAS www.eas.com

Trainingbible Coaching www.trainingbible.com

Javelin Bikes www.javbike.com

Fuel Belt www.fuelbelt.com

Jaggad www.jaggad.com

 

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A few days to the show

I'm taking off for Penticton tomorrow to race Ironman Canada. It looks like we are going to seasonal weather and a great pro field. Hopefully both those variables will bring out the best in me. You can follow along at www.ironman.com. Just log onto the site and click on the "live coverage" link for Ironman Canada (on Sunday, the 24th, beginning at 6:45 Pacific Standard Time). From there you can read updates and see photos/videos all day long as we grind away.

I'll update the site Monday from Penticton.

JD

Endurance Corner Tucson Camp 2009

Its raining and 50 degrees in Boulder. Quite a swing from my last post where I was complaining about the 104 degree heat. Endurance Corner is going to be hosting a triathlon camp in Tucson, Arizona next spring. The dates will be from March 29th to April 5th (six days of training from the 30th to the 4th). This camp will be geared towards Ironman and Half Ironman athletes looking to complete a solid (and appropriate) amount of training across a six-day block. The camp is geared towards higher volume cycling with opportunities to run and swim every day (with one day allotted to longer sessions for each discipline during the week).

We will provide airport pickup (on the 29th and 5th), accomodations (double occupancy at Hotel Arizona), all meals, two massages, daily bike cleaning and servicing (provided by www.wheelsonwheels.com), sag support, training nutrition and evening presentations on training, racing, and otherwise. And we'll do it all with a smile.

Ok, that might be an adequate pitch for advertising avenues, but let me tell you what I really think about these training camps.

I personally think they are one of the best ways for you to improve as an athlete. Its not that six days of training is going to change your physiology for the remainder of the season, but it might change your perspective on what is possible.

These camps are one of the greatest opportunities to mix and mingle with experienced (and possibly faster) athletes and coaches. Everyone learns from everyone. The downtime between training brings out some of the best discussions, questions, and debates. They are the highlight of the week for me.

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The athletes for this camp range from 13 hour IM (or 6 hour HIM) and faster (i.e. sub 8:30 IM) so the ability ranges are wide. Pure cyclists are also welcome as all running and swimming are optional. The camp tuition is $2350.00 with a $500 deposit needed to secure your spot until January 1.

If you would like to sign up please send an email to admin at endurancecorner dot com. If you have any questions please feel free to email me through the contact link on the homepage of this website.

Be well,

JD

Heat

Most people (especially Texans and Okies) come to Colorado in the summer to beat the heat. However, if you decided to stop over in Boulder in the lovely month of July you might have assumed that you actually never left the blast furnace heat of the Texas Panhandle. Boulder gets HOT in the months of July and August and if we fall behind in moisture (like right now) it really compounds day after day. The lows don't get (as) low and the air gets warmer and warmer; dropping the humidity to the single digits. A lot of folks might believe that the single digit humiditymakes 95-104 degrees more tolerable. I would definitely agree as it relates to simply "hanging out." However, in the case of exercising, I find the lack of water vapor makes labored breathing feel as if someone is blowing a hair dryer into my mouth. Having said that, its been a while since I trained in South Texas and I'm sure I complained endlessly about the humidity in those days. When I trained through the summers in College Station, Texas I had to do ALL of my quality runs indoors on a treadmill and I started my weekday rides at 4:30-5:00 (or later) in the afternoon (and slept from 2-3:30 every day).

Ok, so I have complained for you all. Perhaps I can offer some tips on coping with it.

1. Training early. I don't particularly care for getting up early on a regular basis, but the quality of all my training is dramatically improved based on lower temperatures. Keep in mind that training when it is warm forces blood to the surface of your skin and away from the muscles. Less blood to the muscles equates to less training you successfully accomplish.

2. Hydration. You cannot expect to train with the same amount of fluids that you consume in temperate climates. I start my long ride with 3-4 bottles on me (two in cages; one or two in jersey) and refill at 2 hours, and 3.25 hours (during a 4.5-5 hour ride). There is nothing gained by riding "longer" segments if it means dehydration. If you fall behind with your fluids you will lose the session. You don't have to hang out just because you stop. Just hope off, refill you bottles (or buy some sports drink), and take off. It can be done in less than five minutes both times.

3. Lowering you Core Temperature after training. After doing long, challenging sessions in the heat I often find myself kicking it on the couch feeling uncomfortably warm. This is because of the training heat from the day and my super-charged metabolism. There was a great article on Velonews during the tour that demonstrated how Garmin-Chipotle was addressing this very issue. You can read it here. What I personally do is place cooling/ice packs on my neck as well as holding them in my hands for 5-10 minutes at a time. After 5-10 minutes I feel much better and I repeat the process every 45 minutes or so (as needed).

4. Indoor Training."I thought indoor training was only for the winter?" Well, in some parts of the country/world that might be the case, but in warm climates it makes plenty of sense to crank along inside air conditioned workout studios. Most gyms keep their cardio areas around 68-70 degrees and this can make a world of difference for your key sessions. Treadmill running might not be the same as running outdoors,  but slowing down for the sake of heat doesn't do much good either.

5. Plan your season accordingly. If you live in a place that has excessive heat at some point in the year then take that into consideration when planning for key races. Extreme heat will compromise some portion of you training (just as winters do) so keep that in mind. The more temperate the weather, the more quality training you can achieve. The better the training, the better the race.

Stay Cool,

JD

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Recovery

If I had a choice of knowing how some of the best athletes train or how they recover, I would choose recovery. We can all train ourselves into the ground, but if we cannot bounce back from it then it is a moot conversation. I am always tweaking my own recovery needs, but I will offer up my current course of action(s) here. SLEEP

I don't nap, but I sleep 8-9+ hours every single night and I would sacrifice training hours (or something else) if it meant that I had to cut back in this department. When I first started training in college I only designed training plans that included 8 hours of sleep. If I had a busy schedule with school I cut back on training hours and not on sleep. I only woke up early when I needed to beat the heat.

NUTRITION

It might be fun to train all day and eat cheese enchiladas all night, but eventually the body will break down if it doesn't get its fix of nutrients. There is a paradox in the average Joe's thinking pattern because most folks associate exercise as justification for treats/rewards. Ironically, the harder you force your body to work, the more you need to nourish it with quality nutrition.

I endorse The Paleo Diet for Athletes, written by Dr Cordain and Joe Friel (my coach), as a great starting point, but the underlying issue you need to take away is this:

The foundation of your diet should consist of fruit, vegetables, lean protein, and high quality fats (i.e food that doesn't come in a box). As exercise hours increase you will need to supplement the diet with starches (I like oatmeal, rice, and potatoes) and sports nutrition (while training; not while sedentary). Eat REAL food as often as you can.

Apples are good, EZ cheese is bad.

Think along those lines.

ICE

Following all my key runs I will either 1) sit in the Boulder creek for 15 minutes or 2) sit in a bathtub of ice. Both are not entirely pleasant (especially the ice baths), but they are fantastic for speeding up the recovery in between sessions.

If you choose to take an ice bath I would suggest sitting in cold water (from the faucet) first, then add the ice into it. This will be slightly less shocking than sitting directly into a tub of freezing cold water/ice.

MASSAGE

I have had the same massage therapist here in Boulder for four years. Massage, in and of itself, is a great thing, but developing a solid relationship with your therapist is just as important. Massage is best served as a preventive measure to injury and having someone other than yourself in tune with your body is very beneficial. In addition to a weekly massage I use a foam roller to help keep my leg, back, IT Band, and shoulders from becoming overly tight.

SUPPLEMENTS

I use two products regularly from EAS; Glutamine and Muscle Armour. I typically ingest these products following any strenuous training (even more often with Glutamine; mornings and evenings). I also take EAS' "Athlete's Defense" mutltivitamin and 3-5 grams of Fish Oil (Natural anti-inflammatory) daily.

RECOVERY DAYS

I always place recovery days within my training cycle and the number one priority on these days is to promote recovery. Light exercise, sleeping more, stretching, massage, icing irritated areas, eating well, spending time with friends, listening to music... ....All of these components serve as a means to recovering physically and mentally. Folks that don't take the time to come down from their training will never surpass their previous fitness levels.

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Most of the above points address your physical need to recovery, but don't underestimate how important it is for you to mentally recover. Focusing intensely for hours every week is just as draining as the physical component. It is for this reason that I actually have one day per week where I hardly train or work. I completely regroup and allow myself a break from all my stresses.

Recover well,

JD

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Peaking/Tapering

A friend of mine asked me how he should approach a 4 week taper to an IM (Placid in this case). I responded with an outline of a four week taper block. It should be noted that this is for a well-trained, fit athlete that is accustomed to high volume training. Also, if it seems Friel-esque; that's because it is.

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A standard four week taper/Peak period for an IM includes key workouts every 72-96 hours while allowing recovery and reducing duration; not intensity; throughout).

Something along the lines of:

Week Four

Monday-Thursday: easy to recover from Build you just completed (in your case; four solid weeks)

Friday: Long run; duration should be the longest you completed during your build (but no more than 2.5 hours). The idea here is to log as much steady state time as possible. It might be a good idea to do a 60-90 minute easy/steady ride to get the most our of your run time. I run nearly the entire duration within my IM HR ranges when  I do this session.

Friday: recovery day

Sunday: Key long ride; 5 hours with 4 hours or work done at IM effort; 15 min run off bike

Week Three:

Monday+Tuesday: Recovery days

Wednesday: 90 min steady ride; 1:45 run off bike; (75 minutes steady; 30 minutes very easy).

Thur and Fri: reco days

Saturday: Good one hour swim with quality; 4 hour long ride with 3 hours of IM work done within; 15 min run off bike

Sunday Recovery

Week Two:

Monday+Tuesday: recovery

Wednesday: 90 min ride with 60 min steady; 75 min run off bike; 45 min steady; 30 min easy

Thur + Fri: Recovery

Saturday: Solid one hour swim; 3 hour ride with 2 hours of IM work done within; 15 min run off bike

Sunday: OFF

Race Week

Monday: Normal duration swim; 60 min ride with 1,2,3,4 minutes @ IM effort on equal rest duration (i.e. one minute off; one min easy).15 min run off bike

Tuesday: 45 min run with 5 x 90 seconds at HIM effort on 3.5 min easy jog recoveries; 45 min recovery spin

Wednesday: Swim only; include 5 x 90 seconds (100s -150s based on fitness) at HIM effort with 3 minutes of easy swimming in between.

Thursday: 30 min easy run. 45 min ride with 1,2,3 minutes at IM effort on equal recovery

Friday: Swim only; very easy

Saturday: Prerace SBR of 15/30/15 with a couple pickups in each sport

Sunday: Win your AG.

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You might be wondering what to day on reco days. Here's what I suggest.

Place the normal frequency of your running, cycling, and swimming within those extra days of the week (peak workouts count for a session in each). The only caveat is that you keep the duration shorter and the intensity lower (swimming excepted). The only times you want to pick it up are on your 'peaking' days (aside from swimming). I would keep your frequency rides in the 60-90 min range and make them spins. The runs I would keep at 40-50 minutes in week three and 30-40 in week two (assuming those are normal durations).

I wouldn't think of your final four weeks as a time to do "speedwork." Your primary goal is to strip away fatigue (by lowering volume) and maintain peak fitness (with peak workouts that don't back off the intensity).

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JD

Out of Buffalo Springs

Its not fun to write the third blog in five weeks that announces me pulling out of another race. Unfortunately that is the case again. I tried to quickly rehab my knee before the race this weekend, but by Thursday it was still not 100% when I lifted the effort when running or cycling. As a result, I decided to pull out of this weekend's event for fear of doing something worse to my knee. I visited several doctors, a PT, and a chiropractor about my knee this past week. The consensus is that I whacked it hard enough to merit a long recovery, but I likely/hopefully didn't do anything "major." The primary risk is if I damaged any cartilage behind the patella because of the direct impact. It was suggested that I take some rest off my legs for a few days and try to build my training back up from there. If I still cannot exercise without pain, the next step would be to get an MRI to see if there is something going on they cannot see (already got X rays and they are cool).

It has been a frustrating six weeks and nearly all of my early season racing has been scratched for reasons that are out of my hands. I have eight weeks until Ironman Canada and right now I'm just focused on getting myself healthy, training smart, and racing fast in August. As long as I don't run in the cold, eat the wrongs things, and watch where my feet land I should be good to go.

Best of luck to everyone in Lubbock this weekend,

JD