DIALING IT IN FOR KONA

The Kona IM is 6 weeks away and the summer training is paying off. I hit a PR in the Culpeper Olympic by over 40 minutes. I attribute this to good coaching and training discipline.

@ Culpeper ready for the ride

Following the Culpeper race I took a week to train in Upstate NY - Finger Lakes. Canandaigua named by the Seneca Indians that settled the area and means "the chosen spot." The lake is 1.5 miles wide, 15.5 miles long, and 276 feet deep. The lake size allows the water to warm up perfectly in August for great training in open water. I was able to get in several long swims. The longest 2.4 miles along the west side. One day the waves were kicking up and I persuaded Katherine to shadow me for a swim. I wanted to feel the waves and the current. I had no problem and actually enjoyed the challenge. However, I paused at about 30 minutes in the water to see Katherine riding the waves like one of the rodeo rides they show in the movies. She was not happy... needless to say it was easier to swim than maneuver a kayak in the turbulent water. We headed back to the cottage where I was informed of the sacrificial effort on her part...

The top of Bopple Hill - Canandaigua Lake, NY 

In addition to the great open water swim challenges, the lake area proved challenging for biking. The lakes are surrounded by steep grades to the water lines having been created by retreating glaciers. It is very... important that you know where you are going before initiating a long ride. There is one ride nicknamed by locals as the "death ride".  Bopple Hill is a vertical climb that few would dare charge. However, according to the local bike shop guru - there are a few locals that can charge the hill and take the top without walking or dramatic zig zaging. The view from the top is interesting - there is a cemetery at the top, which might have given way to the nick name. Nonetheless, like most high perch points around the lake, the views are stunning. The local fruit stands made great stops along the way. Fresh peaches for fuel during a long ride are a favorite.

Jim & Katherine on race day

We were able to take advantage of the annual Riesling Festival 5K run the day before coming back to Culpeper. This race was the first time that the kids, Katherine, and I ran together. I had a PR having run for 2 hours the day before?Though I had hopes of taking the family trophy for the 5k, my 16 year old beat me by a few seconds. I saw him pass me at the beginning. As I stayed on a strong pace coming into the finish, I eased up to pace behind him. I was not sure what he had left in the tank and made my move at 1/8 mile from the finish line. When he saw me he took off like he was being chased by a lion. I think that I would have beaten him if I had waited to make my move to a few steps before the finish line. He has the family trophy and bragging rights for now.

Luray - The swim frenzy begins 

Training at Canandaigua paid off for the Luray race the following weekend. The Luray community is one of the best at making the Athlete experience exceptional. The temps are always puzzling. August in Virginia is usually hot and humid. The week before the race cooled things down so much that the water was actually wetsuit legal in August. I choose not to use a wet suit and probably lost a few minutes in the swim that I made up in the bike. The water was warmer than the outside temps placing a blanket of fog on the water surface. This made the multi turn course more interesting.

The bike was one of my best. Riding the glacier carved hills of the Finger Lakes had prepared my legs for the hills around Luray. The views in this course are magnificent. The Town of Luray even swept the course with a street sweeper to make it more ride friendly. This was a good thing with the fast down hills and sharp turns to keep me focused.

Jim - Team Orange - GO!!!

I love testing the training to see how it is going. So far we are "solid" and improving every week. Kona is a great goal and it is nice to have fun along the way. No more races from now on in. "Time to keep the eye on the prize" - Breath... just breath... Kona next month!!!

Coiled Up Snake Strikes

The pace picked up this week. I had asked for more work and... as they say... be careful what you ask for. Amping up the training load feels like carrying around 30 extra pounds. My body is constantly in this tug of war with energy challenged by recovery. Never fully recovered before the next workout, building one day on the next, requires more patience. The coach recommended Powerbar Perform sports drink for electrolyte replensihment. So I bought three tubs - one for home, one for office, and one for my SUV.... that should do it...

Mid week was steady and yet I knew that I had a big Saturday ahead. My fellow triathletes have nick-named the Saturday swim in the TURTTLE pool the "EPIC SWIM". We start between 6 and 6:30 am and keep swimming until 8:30 AM. The first hour is at a high current rate of approximately 2 MPH and the last hour is at approximately 1 MPH. A good two hours of swim against the current. I was able to squeeze in a 2.4 mile swim on Saturday. I love knowing this is the full Ironman distance and that I was able to complete it in well under the 2:20 Kona cutoff while against the current. Coincidentally, many of the UCANDOIT team are at IM Lake Placid racing as I type this post. Their swim times were incredible... right around 60 minutes for 2.4 Miles... Once again it is good to know that the coaching comes from a foundation of recent experience.

Finishing the Swim on Saturday I faced a 4 hour bike ride. I transitioned from the swim and made it to my departure base camp ready to leave by 9 AM. Not too bad since I was out of the water and across town in 20 minutes. I had not looked at the weather assuming that it was ok. I glanced at my Iphone and saw that there was a storm coming our way. I had to make a calculated decision. It looked like the storm was set to arrive at around 3 PM and yet there were already dark clouds and the wind was picking up. Trusting the weatherman - I left for a 4 our sail. The course that I have been training on winds through eastern Culpeper. As I faced west the winds held steady making the return part of the ride smooth with the wind at my back.

Horse Country,  Culpeper County - Bike Route 

I made the first loop in 2 hours and rechecked the weather. The time had moved up and now the storm would be here by 2 PM... It would be close to get in the second loop putting me back to base camp at around 1 PM. I refilled my Speedfil hydration reservoir which was empty.  It takes two 1/2 bottles of water to fill. A pretty good hydration rate for 35 miles. I ate 1/2 of a Power Bar protein bar and took off. The wind was stronger this loop. I was surprised as I turned onto one of the west facing roads. I saw something in the road ahead of me. A car passed and it looked like there was what I thought was a dead squirrel in the road. The car passed and the wake of the car in the wind looked liked it had blown the tail in the wind. As I approached and went by, I realized what it really was, A coiled up snake that was striking at the tire of the car as it went by. It coiled up and watched me go by without striking. I was within striking distance. Country riding in rural Virginia can be interesting.

As I headed west the skies became darker and the wind increased. I was 15 minutes from my turnaround point and I had to evaluate the clouds. It looked like some of the low hills ahead were foggy and could be getting rain. I pressed forward to get a better look. At each crest I could see that there was no rain yet. I made it to the turn around and now to beat it back. I was moderately concerned...

Rain clouds over Culpeper 

 My seat began to feel hard and one of my shoes needed to be adjusted. My mind was wandering as I rode toward base camp. I had let it begin to think negative thoughts. I was thinking of pains and problems. Things changed.. I looked west as I found a clearing and the sky was dark with what looked like rain in the distance. What had been moderate interest in getting to base camp became a serious motivation. I was surprised at the reserve that I had to move through the hills with power and speed. I felt a slight increase in my heart rate but not breathless. This felt great. I crossed Mt. Pony and made it back to base camp. I lifted my bike into my SUV and closed the gate, jumped into the drivers seat and the rain came down. I had just made it. I went back to Powell Wellness Center to run the final brick of 45 minutes. A great day of work 6:30 - 2:30 and I felt like I could keep going.

The lesson this week: Training is physical and mental. I had the physical training reserves to pull from when I needed them. I needed a mental training adjustment. I had the luxury to allow a few negative thoughts drift into my thinking. I realize now that it was a waste of energy and unchecked could be a bad habit. The rain taught me a great lesson in mental discipline. I will need it at Kona.

October in July

Iwo Jima Memorial at dusk
Sight seeing in NOVA 

Some weeks are designed for recovery and this was that week. I had two days off which worked well since I was at a conference with LEAD Virginia in Northern Virginia for three days. The conference was Thursday, Friday, and Saturday which makes it difficult to keep continuity in the workout. This is especially true when the days begin at 7 Am and end at 10 PM. The long days take their toll and thus my longer workout for the week felt long...

My Saturday workout was a two hour bike with a short run for an easy brick. However, I did not get started until 3 PM and the temperature was 90 degrees. The humidity was almost suffocating and yet there was a steady breeze out of the west. The weather report showed possible thundershowers which is common in this type of weather in Virginia. Keeping an eye on the clouds I debarked from my normal starting location. There were moments along the river beds that the temps felt cool offering a strange contrast.  The breeze was welcome but showed up in my my Garmin 910XT Training Peaks report. My speed was slightly slower and it felt like it on the road. I was not sure if it was more from sitting in a conference for 3 days or the heat... probably both. 

July Harvest Fields in Culpeper 

The run was ok. It took about five minutes to get my feet to move at a decent pace. The temperature had risen to 95 by 5 PM. Needless to say, I was super focused on hydration. I purchased some GU Fizz Electrolyte tabs. I like them because they blend with water almost immediately. Plus they have a slight carbonation which is supposed to be good for offsetting lactic burn. However, In this heat lactic burn is hard to decipher from the heat of the road... 

The Sunday workout was an hour run. Not a big deal but I began at 11AM. The heat and humidity were the same as yesterday and thus this was a tough time of day to get the workout done. The run reminded me of the runs that I used to do in July in preparing for high school football conditioning. I am not sure what to expect in Kona, and I wanted to use the heat as an environmental challenge for mental toughness. Despite the haze of the humidity, you could see the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. They really looked blue today. Perhaps that is why they are called the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Cool Culpeper Rivers along the Bike Route 

I was glad to be finished with this run. I had taken one of those fanny belts with small bottles to carry some hydration. I was very glad to have the small amount of fluid. I finished at Powell Wellness Center. Katherine met me there for her daily water aerobics workout. I used the time for stretching. I find a stair pocket in the pool and use it to stretch legs, and shoulders. A much needed session after all of the sitting at the conference. 

One of my favorite parts of the workout is that I am now using the Garmin 910 to capture data. I was able get a workout in last week at the WARF in Warrenton. They have a great 25 yard pool and I wanted to see the data from that swim compared to the swims in the TURTTLE pool. 

The Garmin 910 will track the distance, speed, and stroke speed among other things related to the swim work out. I do wish that the Garmin 910 would capture the heart rate in the water, a limitation. 

What did I find in the comparison? As you would expect, my stroke speed was slower in the TURRTLE pool since I am always swimming against a current. I was looking for a relative understanding of the real open water condition vs. the TURTTLE pool environment. There is about a 20% difference. I was pleasantly surprised at my speed. I swam 2400 yards, a good workout to benchmark the data. I was 25% faster than I had expected. I credit the TURTTLE pool current with making my strokes very efficient. I also credit the drills given to me by my coach. They have given me a better foundation to build by swim speed. 

Blue Ridge Mountains along Sunday Run 

I have a race in two weeks, The Culpeper Oly by Setup Events. I love this race. In fact we will be using the course as a guide for my indoor cycling classes for the next couple of weeks. Several of the students are preparing for the race and like the mental preparation of following the terrain with coordinated music in class. Setup Events does a great job. The significance of what they do can be seen in the number of first time swim caps that are seen at any given race. We need fitness goals to keep us focused in being fit. Setup events is a gateway to fitness for many, and a gateway to Ironman for me... a bit of October in July 

This week should be interesting. Given that I had a recovery week last week, I anticipate a great KonaFit week ahead. 

90 Days to Kona

It is officially 90 days to Kona. From now to October will be more focused, everything counts, food, workout, stretching, recovery, and sleep. I am very thankful for a great coach who is an active Ironman Triathlete. It makes a difference in my level of trust knowing that more than twenty years of experience in the sport are the basis for her recommendations - www.UCANDOITCoach.com.

My Culpeper MOOve It Fan Club 

This weeks workouts were relentless. Every time that I finished a workout there was another one staring me in the face. I was able to get most of the work out done early in the mornings starting as early as 5 AM. I do a lot from 5 Am - 8 AM. That is a great 3 hour time to get the work out of the day out of the way. It leaves my body ready for protein...

I usually have a large protein shake after the work outs. I have been persuaded try the Island Green Spinach & Kale (tm) from Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Culpeper with 2 scoops of protein. It is really good. I was surprised. My body craves protein and that usually makes me feel good. Oh yea... i ask for 1/2 the sugar - perfect. The persuading force happens to be my new training partner.... My wife Katherine. 

Katherine has joined me in the running workouts this week. She will be ready for a first Triathlon by next season. Watching me for that past few years on the sidelines has fueled a desire to be a part of the action. Sitting on the sidelines is not nearly as fun as crossing the finish line. It is great to have her running next to me. Her outfit is very stylish.... Watermelon Shoes, Lime Green compression socks, and a matching lime green blouse. Oh and a Raleigh Ironman 70.3 cap - she earned it. She carried things for me the entire weekend of the race. I made the mistake of saying that she looked like a sherpa... yes a mistake... The Ironman Raleigh cap was an obvious attempt to change the subject.. She kept the cap. 

Observations from this week: 

Swim - 90 Minutes against the current - 30 at 2 MPH - 60 at 1 MPH. The sun came up and from behind the clouds at around 7:45 AM - I had been in the water for about 45 minutes by then. At that point I realized that everyone that said they would be there to train had rolled over on the alarm clock. It was just me and another regular swimmer. It was also at that point that I noticed that as I placed my hand in the water that the sun illuminated the bubbles created in the motion. They looked like golden diamonds. Too bad for the others - they missed an element of God's creation this morning. 

Culpeper VA Farms and Pastures 

Earlier in the week I had used a lunch break to swim. There were more swimmers in the pool than normal. I like this because the Turttle Pool forces a simulated open water environment. I was forced to strategize to pass two swimmers. Normally the unwritten rule is to swim to the outside of the oval shape and pass to the inside. This makes passing easier. However, the swimmers were hugging the inside lane and forced me to speed up and use some very precious oxygen to pass them. It took a lap to regain my breathing and get back to a normal pace. This was great open water training. Swimming next to others in the Triathlon can be one of the most "interesting" parts of the race. Knowing how to manage your mind and your heart rate / breathing is advantageous... 

Run  - As I mentioned, having my wife and now running partner is great. I feel my speed and sense of pace improving. As much as I want to run fast, I realize that the Ironman is about distance. My training is about slow and steady for a long time. This takes patience and discipline. 

Bike - I teach 3 indoor Cycling Classes per week, I have a great time with the classes. Many of the members of the facilities are weekend athletes as well. They are training for Triathlon, Marathon, and some of the newer rogue events. Fitness goals are contagious. I even have a new fan club - I call them the MOOve It Fan Club. 

Culpeper Mountain Vistas 

On Saturday I had a scheduled 4 hour ride. I began the ride at 9 AM after the 90 minute swim. My goal was a low heart rate and a steady ride. This takes some planning with hydration and nutrition. Especially since I was planning  a short run afterwards. As i rode the back roads of Culpeper County, I was forced to remove myself from the noise of life... No social media, no music, no one to talk with... just me and the road. It took about two hours to clear out the thoughts about work, relationships, and goals... and then as I turned a corner and saw one of the mountain vistas, I realized how amazing it was to be in that moment. The view was amazing, the air that I was breathing was filtered by the Blue Ridge Mountains, the roads were paved through pastures and forest, the green vegetation was producing healthy and energizing oxygen, and there were few cars to disrupt the sounds of the wind. My Saturday workout started at 6:30 and finished at 2:30 - a good day of training. 

July 4th Lessons in Training

A favorite scene along the Mt. Pony Bike Route Culpeper VA

When my triathlon coach said that it would get tougher after the early June Raleigh IM 70.3, I know what she meant. At first glance the workouts in Training Peaks look ok. It is when they land one right after the other that they begin to add up. On Friday I put in about 4 hours of work. On Saturday, I put in about 8 hours. An on Sunday, another 4 hours. Some of the time was for stretch and foam rolling. I added some to a few workouts which accounted for some of the volume. Nonetheless, the weekend was a constant workout with one thing in mind.... Kona will be tough and now is the time to train...

Saturday was loaded with great work. I began the day swimming against the current in the continuous swim TURTTLE pool at Powell Wellness Center in Culpeper. I swam the first 45 minutes against a two mph current and then another hour against a one mph current. The pool is one of the best tri-swim environments. It enables a continuous swim forcing very efficient strokes against the current while swimming next to fellow swimmers. A great triathlon training asset.

At the entrance to one of the many farms along the
Mt. Pony Bike route in Culpeper VA 

I had invited some of my fellow triathletes to join me for a 50 mile bike ride afterwards. No takers, but a great ride. We call the course Mt. Pony for one of the "hills" on the ride. The roads and mountain views are almost hypnotic enough to forget that the temps were on the rise @ 80 degrees by the 9 am start. On my second loop the ride seemed especially smooth. As I turned around, it was clear why - the wind was at my back. I faced the wind back to home base for the last 10 miles. A quick 20 minute run brick and the main part of the work out were over. I returned to Powell Wellness Center for a stretch and foam roller cool down. The day started at 6:30 am and concluded at 2:30 pm.


Lesson - I had a problem with my Speedfill water resevoir. The angle mount came loose and the reservoir swung loose into my pedaling range. One of the screws was missing and I needed a solution. Fortunately I was near a church and stopped in the parking lot. Inspiration... I had purchased a side mount mirror which did not work at all for my application. However, there was a velcro strap that would work for the Speedfill mount. Tinkering sometimes has unanticipated benefits.

Run route July 6th 2013 Culpeper VA 

I wondered how my Sunday morning ride would
feel after the 50 mile ride on Saturday. The day started meeting a few fellow triathletes for a 6 am ride. The temp was 72 degrees at 6 am. Plus I had about two more hours of run time on the agenda for the day. Getting started early was a good decision. One of the triatletes' planned a 112 bike ride for the day. I would only join him for the first loop of the Mt. Pony course. Tough group....

The temps rose quickly and the air was thick today. Typical July in central Virginia.

Lesson : Buy two pairs of shoes when in training for a Full IM Triathlon. The early am workout will leave the shoes soaked. The afternoon workout is better with dry shoes.

Lesson: Summer endurance training requires upgrading water supply from bottles to gallons.

Journey to Kona

I had just finished the VTS Angel's Tri Sprint in Lynchburg, VA mid-April and took a quick look at my email. What!!!! I had been selected for the Ironman World Championships in Kona in October 2013. Really!!!

Raleigh 70.3 Swim Start 2013

I was surprised to "Lottery In" to the Ironman World Championships in Kona this year. My plan was to build goodwill through the lottery system in hopes of training and opportunity meeting a few years in the future. However... my lottery number came up and I was inspired to accept the challenge.

Fortunately, I had this scenario in mind during my winter training, all be it in the back of my mind. I had been training in some longer cycling classes, and trying to trim down for a busy and "normal" Tri season in Virginia. The Angel's race was the first of the season and had gone very well. I had studied the course and leveraged that and my fitness training for some of my best times. But now it was time to become very serious with a reasonable base to build from.

I contacted Bob Leftwich at the Bike Stop in Culpeper. Bob has been involved with Ironman and I wanted a confirming opinion about the Lottery. Is this the big deal that I think it is? A quick email back was an emphatic YES!!! Bob recommended a coach in King George VA that had done Ironman Kona and would be a good first step.

I contacted Debbie Bernardes of UCANDOIT Coaching. The conversation went something like this:
Hi Deb, I have lottery'd into Kona Ironman and I need a coach. After a few questions to me, I asked - Is it doable? Without hesitation - YES. Great how do we get started.... another green light.

My next goal was to complete a 70.3 IM in order to qualify. I was able to register for the Raleigh, NC race in early June with only 6 weeks to prepare for my first 70.3. At first the training seemed easy. Low HR and long time in the run / bike. It took a while to move past the sprint thinking and get in tune with endurance thinking. There was a time that I thought that a Sprint Tri was endurance. That had changed.

Raleigh 70.3 5AM Jackson Lake June 2, 2013 

To get ready for the Raleigh 70.3, I had signed up for the Marine Corps 13.1 Half Marathon. The distance that I would cover in Raleigh "after" a 1.2 Mi Swim and a 56 Mi Bike. That was a good and bad decision. Only two weeks before the Raleigh race, everything needed to go well. However, I learned some big lessons that would deliver me more successfully to the finish line in Raleigh.

The Marine Corps Half in Fredericksburg, VA was a rainy cold day in May. I had advice from my coach about the race. However, I choose to run a "different" race. In the end, I learned the lesson of taking it slow in the beginning (not fast) and replenishing along the way with abundant intakes of electrolytes. Having not followed these two tips... I cramped up towards the end of the race with a big cramp in the calf after the race that left my calf muscle sore and resistant to running. This was not good with two weeks to go for the real race..

I dug such a deep hole in my muscles during the MC 1/2 that recovery was challenging. Fortunately, I was able to regain my footing and prepare for the Raleigh race. Now, I was ready to listen more attentively to the coach. Her advice meant everything as I made ready for the race. I finished strong and in plenty of time to advance to Kona. I will share my race notes on a later post. I learned more lessons during the race. I must say that the people of Raleigh, The event sponsor - The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, and the Ironman staff we amazing. The Raleigh experience was World Class.

Today - July 4th, I ran a PR in our Freedom 5K in Culpeper VA. The training is working. I am over 2 minutes faster than my April 5K which was 6 minutes faster than last year.

This blog is about my journey to Kona.