martygaalblog

Key Workouts - January 2012 newsletter article

2012-02-13T16:16:00.000-05:00

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Understanding Key Workouts

Marty Gaal, CSCS

A key workout, sometimes called a breakthrough workout, is a training session in which you are pushing the boundaries of your current ability (raw speed, endurance, lactate threshold (LT), functional threshold power (FTP), race specific pacing). Pushing and testing your limits is a critically important component of improving your total athletic ability. Other components include but are not limited to: Overall endurance and durability, skills development, mental toughness, core/specific strength, body composition, and 'discomfort' tolerance, some of which may be taken on in a key workout session.

A key workout does not have to be a super-hard interval session designed to boost your current lactate threshold, however. For a long distance triathlete, a key workout could be an over-distance ride in the buildup to a long distance triathlon. If an athlete has never ridden over 90 miles, riding 120 miles is pushing past that current distance threshold.

Once you are out of the early developmental or base building phase of training - the phase where you are just putting some time in to get your body prepared for more specific training - each week of training should include at least one key workout. Younger athletes can generally handle a higher total workload per week, meaning younger athletes can handle more key workouts. Each athlete is different, so plan accordingly.

To repeat, the purpose of a key workout is to challenge some current limit on your ability.

Some examples:

If you have never run a 5k at 6:00 pace (18:38), a key workout could be 3 x 1 miles at 5:55-6:00 pace with 1 minute or less rest between. This trains your body to hold the goal pace with minimal rest between intervals. You may see this penned as a race specific preparation session.

In the swimming world we call this a 'broken' swim. An example would be doing 4 x 50 at your goal 200 pace with just 5-10 seconds rest. So if you wanted to swim a 2:20 200, you would hold :35 or faster per 50 with just a few seconds rest.

If your current cycling lactate threshold heart rate is 160 or FTP 250, you could do 15-25 minutes total of intervals at an effort level higher than this. (Less experienced athletes should do less total interval times when starting out.) An example is 6 x 3 minutes at over-threshold with 2-3 minute easy spinning between. While one session is not going to boost the number immediately, consistent and persistent returns to that level will. Once you have nearly maximized this level then you are working on maintaining it, which is just as important from a performance standpoint.

A long distance athlete will need to consistently attack their endurance ability limiters. We all deal with bio-mechanical fatigue at some point (where your body just no longer responds as well). If you grow tired after 2 hours riding at a steady aerobic pace, and your race includes 5-6 hours of riding, you need to improve that ability. So your key sessions are going to include a lot of long rides - 2.5 hours, then 3 hours, and so on.

Typically, you will want an easy or an off day after a key workout. This depends on your total training volume, your ability to recover, and other factors, but if in doubt, take it easy. Your body needs to rebuild and refuel in a deeper fashion after key training sessions like we're discussing.

You can read more in-depth thoughts on training processes on the article page of our website.

Krispy Kreme run 2012

2012-02-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I participated in the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh. This is an event started a few years ago by NC State students. You run 2 (now 2.5) miles to Krispy Kreme, eat 12 doughnuts, then run back to the NC State Belltower.

This year the event had 7,700 runners/eaters.

I had several friends who ate all 12 doughnuts, but that is jut not my bag. So I participated in the "casual" division, meaning I could eat 0-12 but not be scored. So I ate one doughnut as part of my all-day fueling strategy. ;)

It was a lot of fun, we started a few miles away from the start to turn it into a long run day. Here are pictures.

My time was a respectable 36:21, or about 7 minute / mile accounting for the doughnut stop. This put me into 10th place in the casual division. Yay for me! My season is complete!

The winner, who ate all the doughnuts, finished in 28 minutes. Which is just sick on many levels.

TV time with baby

2012-02-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

When you are bouncing, feeding, and singing to a baby, you are not able to do much else. So here is a list of movies that I have watched or mostly watched in the past few weeks while hanging with Logan. There are plenty more as well as a bunch of History Channel and Discovery Channel shows that don't qualify.

The list is noteworthy because in the course of a normal week I might watch 6-8 hours of television total including Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and 30 Rock. I catch up with Showtime / HBO shows when possible. I am pulling the evening shift with baby from about 730 to 1130 (sometimes earlier, sometimes later).

2012
Real Steel
I, Robot
Dirty Dozen
Kill Bill, Volume I and II (same night, this was a doozy, he didn't want to sleep)
Warrior
Moneyball
The Sopranos, Season I (movie-like)
Donnie Darko
Lord of the Rings, Return of the King
The Italian Job
The Eagle
Gladiator
The Sum of all Fears
Killer Elite
Amytville Horror (new)

In case you forgot, this blog is all about me me me.

Here is a new picture of me laddie and me lady.

My triathlon list for the year as we have finalized my schedule a bit:

White Lake Sprint May 5
Aquathons/Swims/Local Race only as possible in June July
Lake Logan Sprint August 5
Mayo Lake Sprint August 11
Wilmington YMCA Sprint September 22

That is it.

tax time

2012-01-19T17:02:00.000-05:00

It is tax time again here at OSB world headquarters. The quarterly taxes are easy, the fun stuff is working through the various paperwork for annual corporate filing. North Carolina requires a balance sheet to be submitted while the federal return does not. If you are not always on top of processing transactions via Quickbooks or another accounting program, or heavens forbid you have your tax-lines mapped incorrectly, or if Quickbooks made some updates that have funked up your previous lines for some reason, what should/could be a mostly seamless process between Quickbooks and Turbotax instead takes a full day or two to work out. Good times.

This also is the time of year I sit down and realize how many costs are associated with operating a corporation vs a sole proprietorship. If business stuff bores you, stop reading now. A corporation provides some level of protection between the individuals that operate the business and the business itself, while a sole proprietorship does not. A corporation can also have multiple investors, while a sole proprietorship by definition, can not. A corp can grow into different operations; SP is somewhat limited to what the individual can do.

However, for a small business there are a number of basic costs that you have to factor in right off the top: articles of incorporation (1-time), annual filing fee (yearly), city/county filing (yearly), some sort of advanced accounting service (ongoing), payroll service (ongoing), and employer tax contributions to FUTA & State unemployment insurance (ongoing). There is also the labor cost of all the paperwork.

This is all essentially unrelated to the operation of the business - the coaching, training, clinics, and so on. I keep telling myself, accounting is fun.

But then I get to post stuff like this. ;)

Sponsored by:

Internet censorship

2012-01-18T19:18:00.000-05:00

Borrowed without permission from The Daily Reckoning (there is some irony here).

You can also read Google's opinion on this.

updates

2012-01-16T10:57:00.001-05:00

Had a good weekend of group training workouts with One Step Beyond athletes. It was frigid here in the Triangle but we persevered and got it done.

On Saturday we did a 10.5 mile out and back run on the American Tobacco Trail. This is a hard packed dirt trail that runs from Apex in the south up through Durham in the north on the outskirts of civilization. It is great for running or easy bike rides on a mountain bike.

On Sunday, we met near Cafe Caturra (a nice wine bar/restaurant) for a 40+ bike ride with several tough hill repeats in the middle. There is a road named Lystra in this part of the world that has a 280 foot climb in the space of about 1/2 mile, for an average grade somewhere over 12%.

After that we tempo'd for another 8 miles then spun in easy the rest of the way home.

We were able to meet up with friends both nights of the weekend, since my Mom is in town for baby-watching duties, and had a lot of fun. Mom leaves tomorrow so it is back to the new, new normal.

Make 2012 your best year yet

2012-01-12T20:04:00.000-05:00

In case you don't receive the Next Level Newsletter:

There are plenty of choices you can make every day of the year that will help you be a better athlete. None of us are perfect and some days will be better than others. However, if you consistently make more good choices than poor choices, you will consistently perform better than worse. This advice holds true no matter what walk of life we're talking about. From an endurance athlete standpoint, here are ten points (no particular order) to consider as you start the new year. May 2012 be your best yet!

Go to sleep early and sleep eight hours or close to it each night. Turn off the TV, the random internet surfing, the mindless dithering - just pack it in and hit the sack. You need sleep to perform well, stay sharp, and feel good.

Train with partners and friends. Nothing motivates us like avoiding the disapproving phone call we might receive after missing a session with a buddy. Friends are also more fun to talk to than the voices in your head.

Choose better meals. Some of you have a great breadth of knowledge when it comes to nutrition; others don't have a clue about micronutrients and good vs bad fats. A little education goes a long way here, but in general if you are eating out, choose lean meat (chicken, fish) over fatty meats (burgers), healthier sides (steamed veggies or sweet potato fries) over less healthy sides (french fries, buttery mashed potatoes).

Train on a set schedule. A ten day periodized plan is fine for a professional athlete, but most of us need to adhere to a realistic seven day program. The easiest way to stay on track is to create a mostly set plan that repeats each week (the intensity and duration can change). Re: Monday swim, Tuesday run, Wednesday ride, and so on.

Choose your races to suit your strengths. If you hate hills, don't make a hilly race your big event for the season. That is setting yourself up for failure. Conversely, you could train in hills until you are so good at them you like them.

Pick at least one key workout each week where you will really put some hard work in. For you younger than ~35 YO pick two or three. (If you are starting from zero, do at least a month or two of easy-moderate training before starting higher intensity.)

Keep up with your strength training and core conditioning. This will help you avoid injury, and in your later years will help maintain power (pedal stroke, swim pull, and run pushoff).

Keep up with your physical therapy exercises and stretching in general. If you have been diagnosed by a PT or Ortho-doc with some imbalances or other localized weakness, it means you need to do these exercises forever to eliminate the weakness.

Hire a good coach for a consult or ongoing coaching. A good coach is both a taskmaster and an educator.

Prioritize your races within your life. If racing is just a way for you to stay fit and have fun, don't spend too much time worrying about race results. If you want to be competitive, you need to move the training and racing up a notch in your order of importance.

Marty Gaal, CSCS, and his wife Brianne, are the co-founders and lead coaches of One Step Beyond (OSB), based in Cary, North Carolina. OSB provides personal coaching & training, group workouts, training camps, and swim clinics throughout the year. They are also the co-founders / co-race directors of both the Triangle Open Water Mile Swim Series and the Old School Aquathon Series. You can visit them on the web at www.osbmultisport.com.

The beginning of the end of liberty?

2012-01-02T16:23:00.002-05:00

2011 in review - top ten list

2011-12-31T16:00:00.000-05:00

10 Owning & working for my own business
9 Beach 2 Battleship weekend
8 Winning the Battle at Buckhorn Triathlon
7 Summer vacation in New England
6 Florida Winter Training camp on the beach!
5 Boone camp!
4 Visiting various family and our nieces
3 Being there when Bri discovered she was pregnant
2 Being there when Bri conceived :)
1 The birth of our son, with both Mom and Baby being healthy!

How is it going and Happy New Year

2011-12-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

Hope you had a good holiday, whatever you celebrate.

You might be wondering how we are adjusting to life with the little guy. We are doing well. His sleep habits are all over the place, which means ours are as well. Bri is doing most of the heavy lifting at the moment since we are breastfeeding and you need to give that a few weeks before offering the bottle or there is something called nipple confusion. I have had that for many years but didn't realize there was a name for it. So in another week or two my sleep habits, which have not been great for several years, will get slightly worse, at least in the short term, as I take over some of the midnight feedings.

Little Man is not a very happy guy from about 7PM until 2AM unless he is suckling at Momma's bosom. This would be fine except that she needs some sleep, so from about 9PM to about 12 I babysit. Which means I try to keep him from screaming bloody murder by bouncing, walking, driving, soothing, sushing, singing (very poorly and out of tune mind you, also I butcher all song lyrics or just insert my own), and other quiet-the-baby things. In between when he nods off I can do a bit of reading or zone out to the television. But there is a limit to how much TV I want to watch. Anyway, many of you have already been there and some of you are one day to follow. It is great but don't expect your baby to be the bestest baby ever gosh golly gurgle giggle. They are all little poopy crying whiny monsters a lot of the time.

I am managing to keep up with a reasonable amount of fitness training (I hesitate to call it triathlon training right now) so should not be too much slower at the occasional race I make it to this season. Local road races (within jogging distance) are my top pick. Amazingly there are about eight that fit that bill. Recently We did the Jingle Bell Run at Wake Med Soccer Park, and the following weekend the Jolly Elf Run at Bond Park. What a great place to live. We love it here.

2012 looks to be another busy year between coaching personal clients, swim clinics, and everything else. I wouldn't have it any other way. Hope you have a great one and see you around sometime!

little man and me

2011-12-22T23:25:00.000-05:00

more baby pictures

2011-12-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

You can see more baby pictures on Bri's latest blog.

the new world order is here

2011-12-14T15:05:00.001-05:00

He already has a favorite football team

Yo baby, wassup?

chillaxin

Adjusting to the new world order

2011-12-08T10:29:00.002-05:00

The new world order being impending fatherhood.

As we go through life we all learn to make adjustments and concessions, while adapting to our new environments. We learn to meet others on common ground and negotiate mutually agreeable solutions rather than issue lonely ultimatums. We learn to grow and change. There will be a lot less of this in my future:

Or we can rage against the world and watch it pass us by from the corner of our bar stool or solitary bike ride to the middle of nowhere.

Life is a beautiful thing, but it is short and the choices we make are the cause of our pain or pleasure. Make good decisions and you can enjoy everything life has to offer and witness the growth of your friends, family, and community; use poor judgement or allow others to make decisions for you and you can quickly find yourself painted into a corner, with no easy way out.

Try to juggle multiple commitments, or relationships, or lose sight of your priorities; follow bad decisions through the downward spiral and find yourself where you don't want to be.

(been there, done that)

I have thoroughly enjoyed most of my life and plan to enjoy the 2nd half as much as the first. Being a good endurance athlete has been fun, but it has also taken a great deal of time and energy.

So, what I'm saying is, beyond the "get your priorities in order" gestalt of this post, if I get a little slower and a little pudgier over the next few years, I'm not going to sweat it. Thirty years of slugging it out has been fun. I'm not going to be an absentee parent. I will be the happiest slow pudgy guy you know. My beautiful lady Bri gets to train and race as much as she wants for the foreseeable future since she is the better athlete anyway.

I will be happy to stand around and tell people to swim faster.

(points if you know where this pool is!)

Random Wednesday laughs from someecards

2011-12-07T14:55:00.001-05:00

My 2011 thankful list

2011-11-24T11:30:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for:

The Big Bang
Sunshine and gravity, quantum mechanics and DNA and RNA, and perhaps a wink from God, without which none of us would be here
Brianne
Our soon to be son
My parents for having me
My sister for loving me
My in-laws for tolerating me :)
Tassie because she rocks!
Health
Great Friends
Cognition, logic, self-awareness
Science and all related science-stuff
Pizza
Baked chicken wings
The Ancient Egyptian who discovered fermentation
The Industrial Revolution
Microprocessors
Foo Fighters
Medical care better than the previous generations
The freedom my country still provides, despite lots and lots of problems
Athletics, triathlon, running, swimming, and good coaches through the years
My awesome job and great clients
Science fiction writers and multiple universe fantasy epics
The endless possibilities of the future

Have a great Thanksgiving!

not much new

2011-11-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

I am now 40 years old so you have to listen to my sage advice.

We had a good time at the Foo Fighters concert. I would post pictures but am lazy.

Swam a masters swim meet last weekend. Fun but tiring.
100 IM - 1.03.8
500 free - 5.24
50 free relay split - 25.1
100 free - 55.8

100 fly - 1.01.8

Getting back into a bit of running and cycling but keeping everything pretty easy for a while.

2012 race plans:
February - training camp
March - Tobacco road half-marathon
April - maybe the Triangle Ortho Centennial campus sprint
May - local race maybe
June - training camp
July - maybe Battle at Buckhorn sprint
August - local race maybe
September - Wilmington Y to cheer on Bri
October - nada

That's it for now, hope to jump in a few other events as possible!

random survey Nov 2011 results

2011-11-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

1. The last book you read was about:
	answered question		21
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Vampires		0.0%	0
Werewolves		0.0%	0
Science fiction		9.5%	2
Non-fiction		47.6%	10
Economics		4.8%	1
Detectives and or cowboys		14.3%	3
I don't read books		4.8%	1
Teen angst		14.3%	3
Adult romance		4.8%	1
Other (please specify) Show Responses			4

running

11/4/2011 11:12 PMView Responses

parenting

11/3/2011 10:18 PMView Responses

rob lowe's way awesome life

11/3/2011 3:05 PMView Responses

I think it was the tattoo lady thingy books. They are good btw.

2. Your primary savings vehicle is:
	answered question		21
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
401k		33.3%	7
403b		9.5%	2
IRA		19.0%	4
SEP-IRA		0.0%	0
Corporate bonds		0.0%	0
These things are foreign language to me		14.3%	3
Traditional bank account		14.3%	3
Muni bonds		0.0%	0
FOREX speculation		4.8%	1
Hard assets like real estate, gold, oil		4.8%	1
Primary business investments (partnerships, franchisee, etc)		0.0%	0
Other (please specify) Show Responses			2

My wallet

11/6/2011 11:26 PMView Responses

Put options on the whole European union

11/3/2011 9:40 PMView Responses

3. My favorite current type of TV show is:
	answered question		18
	skipped question		3
		Response Percent	Response Count
I don't watch TV (or less than 20 minutes a day)		22.2%	4
Discovery/History type shows		0.0%	0
Showtime/HBO series - Dexter, Weeds, Sopranos, etc		11.1%	2
Drama		27.8%	5
Reality		5.6%	1
Dancing with the Stars		0.0%	0
Comedy		33.3%	6
Animation		0.0%	0
Other (please specify) Show Responses			3

Daily Show (Fake News)

11/7/2011 8:53 AMView Responses

Last man standing

11/3/2011 6:03 PMView Responses

sports really, some comedy during dinner. Seinfeld and such.

11/3/2011 3:00 PMView Responses

4. Your age is:
	answered question		21
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Under 25		9.5%	2
25-35		28.6%	6
35-45		52.4%	11
45-55		9.5%	2
55-65		0.0%	0
66+		0.0%	0

5. Your net worth is:
	answered question		17
	skipped question		4
		Response Percent	Response Count
Negative		5.9%	1
Zero to 50k		23.5%	4
51k to 150k		35.3%	6
151k to 500k		17.6%	3
501k to 1million		17.6%	3
over 1 million		0.0%	0
Other (please specify) Show Responses			4

I'm priceless

11/4/2011 4:16 PMView Responses

Do I Count My LIFE INSURANCE POLICY?. . .I'm Worth Alot More

11/4/2011 1:05 AMView Responses

just like mastercard... i'm priceless :)

11/3/2011 3:05 PMView Responses

I am worth more if I die. Life Insurance. :)

11/3/2011 3:00 PMView Responses

6. I get my news primarily from:
	answered question		21
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
daily paper		4.8%	1
random blogs		9.5%	2
newsites like CNN, Yahoo News, etc		57.1%	12
TV news		19.0%	4
My dog		9.5%	2
Other (please specify) Show Responses			7

Daily Show and Colbert Report

11/6/2011 7:36 PMView Responses

Radio (this is the real answer... I can't select other)

11/4/2011 9:14 AMView Responses

The Economist

11/3/2011 9:40 PMView Responses

The Daily Show

11/3/2011 7:00 PMView Responses

Girlfriend

11/3/2011 6:03 PMView Responses

facebook. no really.

11/3/2011 3:05 PMView Responses

7. Intelligent alien life does exist.
	answered question		21
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		19.0%	4
No		19.0%	4
Maybe		57.1%	12
All reality is an illusion		4.8%	1
Other (please specify) Show Responses			1

8. My favorite type of exercise is:
	answered question		21
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Swimming		9.5%	2
biking		4.8%	1
running		81.0%	17
Weight training		0.0%	0
Yoga		0.0%	0
Pilates		0.0%	0
Skiing, cross-country or downhill		0.0%	0
Rowing		0.0%	0
Butt clenches on the couch while watching TV		4.8%	1
Other (please specify) Show Responses			1

Group cardio classes

9. The martygaalblog is:
	answered question		21
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
One of my favorites		33.3%	7
One of several hundred I visit while wasting time at work		9.5%	2
The best blog ever		19.0%	4
The worst blog ever		0.0%	0
Self-indulgent exercise in narcissism		0.0%	0
Groovy, man		38.1%	8
Other (please specify)			0

10. I live in:
	answered question		21
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Raleigh area of NC		57.1%	12
Southeastern United States		23.8%	5
Elsewhere in United States		19.0%	4
Outside United States		0.0%	0
Other (please specify)			0

Random survey November 2011

2011-11-03T12:48:00.002-04:00

Have fun.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NQQWSJV

B2B race report and other musings

2011-10-31T13:45:00.002-04:00

I finished the 2011 triathlon racing season with the Beach 2 Battleship half-iron triathlon on October 29th. It was windy. It was cold. It was hard.

Of the fifteen half-ironman distance events I've done (just counted on athlinks.com, they are only missing pre-1999 events) , this was tied for hardest/ toughest conditions to deal with. The other one that makes the grade is Gulf Coast in 2003, it was 100+ degrees and humid, which is also difficult.

A windy bike is not so much of a big deal if you have been putting in a lot of time and effort on the bike. It is a different story when your bike fitness is not as deep, and you are hoping to leverage your years of experience to finesse and finagle a decent split and average bike speed. I had a couple solid weeks in the 150-175 bike mile range, but most of them were closer to 100 and there were a couple in the 50 miles only. That's what worked for me though.

The course is set up in such a way that our first 37 miles were all headwind or head-crosswind. And the wind was blowing my friends, not like a cool breeze across your forehead but more like a rip the book from your arms and carry it down the street along with all sorts of other debris and tumbleweeds sort of breeze. Like a f**^ you for not training enough to ride into this wind and not feel beat up afterwards, sort of wind. Like a gonna take your time goals and pee on them with my misty wet rain and wind, wind. You get the picture? It was blowing hard, my friends. Literally and figuratively.

So let me back up a second and talk about the weekend and the swim. We had a bunch of training buddies, friends and a few of our OSB athletes racing so it was a grand old time. We rented a house and stayed with a few of them. Had a nice group dinner on Friday where we shared wisdom (yes, pee on the bike and pee in your wetsuit, just don't pee on my wetsuit). Bri was a super trooper and put up with my crankiness for one final race since I am done for a while. Just kidding, I never quit, just get slow and fat from time to time. I am going to start calling Bri, Saint Bri, in homage to Hurricane Bob and his lady-saint wife.

Race morning: Big breakfast! 3 eggs + cheese and toast. Me likey big breakfast, need solid foods for long day. Get stuff to bike, drop stuff at bike. Weather tolerable, 55 degrees but we can see and feel that the wind is howling and the air is misty. Note to self, howling wind is hard to ride into.

Go back to chill at house. Put on swim stuff. Walk to swim start. Oil up. Loosen up a few minutes while they get wave 1 ready (we are in wave 2). Then line up and start! YYARRGHH!

I swam the channel a couple of weeks ago with Without Limits Coach Kristen Smith, so had some good recon info in my head. The current was ripping which was great, but it was foggy which made sighting really tough. I managed to swim mostly the correct direction, and once we hit the big triangle turn buoy the fog was not as bad, making sighting easier. I swam hard but was not killing it since we (the royal We since you are now part of my story) had the rest of the race to get through.

Our swim time was really good, and managed to be the only half-iron swimmer with a swim split under 20 minutes. That sounds great until you take a look at the full racers and see several guys under 40 minutes. :) I would like to tell you I have been working hard in the pool, but that is not true. I have been swimming about 6,000 yards a week. I am one of these people that generally swims faster than equally skilled pool swimmers in open water, and then another level faster than that in open salt water, for reasons that can only be attributed to stroke mechanics, sighting, and buoyancy issues. Check out our open water clinics or Powerstroke technique clinics if you want to learn more about that. :P Swim time 19:53, fastest swim split.

The bike. I spent a few minutes in T1 getting all my stuff on. Then I fought the wind. And fought. And fought. The wind was throwing punches, but I just punched back. Some of my punches were girly-man and ineffectual, but overall they got the job done.

I had passed all but two people from the first wave on the swim, and rode by a couple hundred of the full Iron racers. Once we split off at mile 37, it was lonely ride time, but thankfully there was a solid tailwind on the way back. One young guy (Patrick Farrell I think) zipped by me at mile fifty. Other than riding through some hunting grounds around mile 40 (a bit surreal to see several guys in camouflage with shotguns on their shoulders), it was a lonely ride. Bike time 2:34.10, 10th fastest split.

Onto the run. Back was tight. Slowly loosened up. Ran well for the first half, gave a kiss to Saint Bri at mile 3.5. Tried to enjoy the sights. Two guys ran by me on the way to the turnaround. 6.5 mile split was 45:05, great pace for me. The run has been my best training this year - got back under 19 minutes in the 5k and some solid tempo long runs.

Miles seven and eight were also fine. Got to see many familiar faces running towards me. Then we hit a long straightaway into the wind. Pace slowed, back tightened up again, felt slightly nauseous from the discomfort. Kept trucking. Had miles nine, ten, eleven at 8 minute/mile pace. Kept the turnover up but the stride was short. Then we ran over the bridge (slowly) and had the wind at our back. So that was nice.

There is a long bridge at about mile 12, I just survived that one. In the final .2 miles we wound through the Battleship parking lot. The tide was high and due to the rain, there was some flooding in the finishing area. So after covering 70.2 miles, we had to run through two deep puddles, filling our shoes and warm socks with water. We struggled to keep running fast, but our back locked up and we used our arms to muscle to the finish, hunched over and grimacing. It was humbling and painful. But we crossed the line and Saint Bri was there to greet us with a hug and a smile and a word of concern.

"Are you ok???"

"Blauarghhh puddle grumble back bllaaah."

Run split 1:36.44, 30th fastest split. Overall 4:37.52, 13th overall, 2nd masters.

So, what next? Little man is sure to change the racing and training landscape. We have no specific racing goals for the next couple of years. General plan is to keep up with a couple Masters swim meets, a few 5/10ks, and a handful of local triathlons next season. I am really just going to stick with staying fit and healthy and have fun, while Saint Bri makes up for lost time on the racing circuit. I will follow something like our hour-twenty training plan next year.

And have fun. Always have some fun.

The end.

Occupy Wall Street translated

2011-10-21T21:30:00.001-04:00

“You may fool all the people some of the time,

you can even fool some of the people all of the time,

but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.”

- Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States of America

"We our the 99% percent."

We have witnessed 10 years of stagnant wages for the middle and lower economic classes while total compensation for executives and CEOs has continued to accelerate. We have witnessed the continued and growing disparity in government employee compensation and private sector compensation. We are aware that the removal of barriers between investment banks and traditional banks allows and encourages moral hazard to consume our financial sector. We are witness to the alliance between financial institutions and our federal government, at the cost of the ordinary taxpayer. We cannot understand how millions of US citizens have lost their homes while Wall Street continues to pay out extraordinary bonuses, and no individuals have been sent to jail despite clear evidence of fraudulent practices at multiple levels and in multiple institutions.

"We want jobs!'

Somehow Washington DC, the center of our federal bureaucracy, has become the most properous city in the nation, while the rest of America goes up in flames. Washington jobd don't create more jobs, they suck off the figurative teat of federally issued debt, which is born on the back of the rest of the country. We have no new job creation for the last ten years but an additional seven million available workers. The 'real' unemployment rate is closer to 16% then 9%.

"Make peace, not war!"

We are ten years deep into two wars, which cost billions of dollars each day, not to mention the human cost in misery and suffering, and have little if anything to show for it. We cannot afford to police the world and all its multiple transgressions. Bring home the troops and let's focus on making us better rather than them worse.

"America, wake up!"

OK, he has me stumped. Perhaps it is a rhetorical statement, since it does appear that the rabble are coming to grips with the existence of a system that favors the haves at the expense of the have-nots. Maybe he is trying to say that most of our federal politicians are charlatans and liars, making promises they can't keep. Or maybe he inherited 100,000 shares of Starbucks and is happy to see that the stock has fully rebounded, and only wants to encourage other angry youths to keep on drinking the dark bean, man, because those dividends are all he ever plans to earn.

Next up: beach ride! Beer fest!

2011-10-13T16:25:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow morning, friend and fellow tri-coach Alysia Lovgren and I are going to ride from Cary to Wilmington. The route is just about 137 miles. I have done this ride twice in the past, it is mostly flat and typically has a prevailing tailwind, although we're going to be going against the wind for the first part of tomorrow. Alysia is preparing for Ironman Arizona, while I am just an overachiever looking to do a long ride prior to the B2B half. No, I am not super prepared for the distance, but yes, I will complete in nonetheless. :0)

We'll finish in downtown Wilmington, where Bri will meet us with running shoes for Alysia and clean clothes for me. The rest of the weekend will be spent hanging out with the rest of our friends and either going to the Lighthouse Beer Festival, or the day spa on Saturday (guess which one I am going to), and then chilling at the beach on Sunday. Hopefully there is some surf going on so I can get one last session in before winter settles in here in NC.

Training for B2B half has been going well and I feel good about the race. I broke down and replaced by old cycling shoes, which were essentially falling apart. I also bought some new lightweight trainers for the race. These sort of purchases should scare you if you are a competitor of mine. Evil laugh.

Last weekend I was forced to attend the Durham Beer Festival. It took a lot of arm twisting. Here are pictures:

Trying to be artistic but I'm not so here is a picture of a random lady

Still trying to be artistic but TOTAL FAIL

The BeerFest Gang: Adam, Jimmy, Kelly, Alex

Also Known as the Sheetz Pig Out Gang after Beerfest

Stay thirsty, my friends.

Duff Man was in the house, beer cans not pictured.

Cool random picture

Who is more interesting than the most interesting man in the world?

We had a good time!

If you have just realized that I went to a Beerfest last weekend, and am going to another next weekend, you get a gold star!

random survey #17 results

2011-10-06T10:23:00.000-04:00

1. You visit this blog because:
	answered question		17
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Regular reader but don't know you		11.8%	2
Stumbled in randomly		5.9%	1
Friend or family		76.5%	13
Work for the government		5.9%	1
We used to date		0.0%	0

Download Create Chart2. Regarding the housing crisis:
	answered question		14
	skipped question		3
		Response Percent	Response Count
We have been evicted / lost the house		0.0%	0
I am a renter (aka a smart person)		28.6%	4
We have lost home equity / are underwater but still making payments on time		57.1%	8
We have missed job opportunities due to mortgage serfdom		14.3%	2
I live at home with mom and dad		0.0%	0

Download Create Chart3. Has the Great Recession affected your family income?
	answered question		17
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes, I/we are unemployed/underemployed		5.9%	1
We are on foodstamps		0.0%	0
No, our industry is rocking		11.8%	2
About the same as before		64.7%	11
Things have improved in our line of work - income is up		11.8%	2
I am a student so does not apply		5.9%	1

Download Create Chart4. Regarding triathlon/endurance sports:
	answered question		15
	skipped question		2
		Response Percent	Response Count
I am debating hiring One Step Beyond for coaching services		20.0%	3
I am going to hire One Step Beyond for coaching services		6.7%	1
I have already hired One Step Beyond for coaching services		53.3%	8
I work for another coaching service and hope to learn from you, great master		6.7%	1
I don't want a coach because I'm a bad listener with poor attitude		13.3%	2

Download Create Chart5. In 2012 I expect the economy will:
	answered question		17
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Get better in the US with less unemployment & higher income		0.0%	0
Continue to stagnate with low wage growth and slow job growth		41.2%	7
China will unload their bonds, driving up US interest rates		5.9%	1
Europe debt crisis will come to fruition, driving down global markets and inducing more contraction		17.6%	3
I can't balance my checkbook, what do I care about the macroeconomic environment, dude.		5.9%	1
Other (please specify) Show Responses		29.4%	5

Download Create Chart6. In 2012 my goal race is a
	answered question		17
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
sprint triathlon		5.9%	1
olympic distance triathlon		17.6%	3
half-IM (70.3) triathlon		23.5%	4
full-IM (Ironman) triathlon		23.5%	4
Marathon		5.9%	1
Half-marathon		5.9%	1
Shorter swim or run event		17.6%	3

Download Create Chart7. You, the reader, are a (pick the best one)
	answered question		17
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Triathlon industry rep		0.0%	0
Triathlon racer		70.6%	12
Friend of family of a triathlete		11.8%	2
Random non-triathlete		0.0%	0
Deranged stranger		17.6%	3
Macro-economist		0.0%	0
Government Zombie-worker		0.0%	0

Comments?

moving where the dough is

10/4/2011 7:07 AMView Responses

Tacos!

10/3/2011 10:59 PMView Responses

If Congress passes the $#&@! jobs bill, then the overall outlook will improve. I will also be ready to laugh at any presidential candidate's (not the incumbent) response to a question about the Europe debt crisis.

10/3/2011 10:00 PMView Responses

zombies will take over

10/3/2011 9:44 PMView Responses

keep me reading websites like E! news and BRIgaal.com so i can avoid hearing about it.

10/3/2011 3:49 PMView Responses

random survey for Oct 2011

2011-10-03T13:27:00.002-04:00

It has been a while, so here is random survey #17, the first of 2011.

Wrightsville Beach sprint report, long workout breakdown

2011-09-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

Combining a few days into this post.

The Wilmington YMCA Sprint Triathlon at Wrightsville Beach sprint went well. I felt solid in everything and finished 6th overall, 1st in the Masters category. I like the race since it has a long saltwater swim followed by a short bike and fast (slightly short of a 5k) run, and is as flat as it gets around North Carolina. Here are pictures.

I like to nap between sports. (4th swim split - 16:23)

My shoes are falling apart. (7th bike split - 29:47)

Where's the food? (33rd run split -19:16)

Last week was uneventful.

This past Saturday I wound up doing a funny super-dork-style triathlon workout. Met my XC kids for a run at 7AM (6 miles). Road with one of my athletes for 24 miles. Stopped at the lake to swim for 1.2 miles. Famished after the swim and having eaten 4 gels already, rode to a nearby store and replenished.

Finished the ride (another 24 total) and then ran 3 miles off the bike. I have a cast iron stomach and this meal did not phase me. Note that I didn't eat all the Doritos.

Throughout the weekend I painted the baby room.

I was covered in paint by the end of the day, hence the shirtless look here.

No more racing until Beach 2 Battleship Half on October 29, just some long training days!

Tomorrow morning I'm going to attend a Dave Ramsey Entreleadership workshop here in Raleigh. A friend's company is sponsoring the event and it looks interesting. I will summarize the session on this blog if I am inspired and have a few minutes to spare.