On top of that there was no assistance or guidance with monitoring progress and dissecting the training and race performances with (or without) TrainingPeaks.  It was time for a change.  I started looking for a coach.

TrainingPeaks has a Find a Coach utility and Endurance Corner had a great article on Selecting A Coach that I read and added some of my own criteria too to help me select a coach.

1. They must use TrainingPeaks – for me this is a no brainer.  Even if I wasn’t a TrainingPeaks Athlete Ambassador this was top of the list.  I love the tools they provide and need a coach that uses and understands these tools
2. I have to know and like the coach – after all it is all about trust.  If you don’t trust the program, trust the coach then neither of you will be successful.  Yes you will question that person (often) but trusting that they know what’s best if key.
3. I wanted someone local – the online thing worked and with TrainingPeaks it works even better.  But aside from the coaching there is a lot to be learned from other athletes under the same coach, shared race strategy, course information, group workouts.  You can’t get a lot of that online.
4. Flexibility – I need it.  Sometimes I want to ride to work, join a group run, go mountain biking, whatever.  Heck sometimes I even have to work!  I need someone to rearrange training around these things and incorporate them into the plan.
5. Experience – I want someone who has been there, done that. 

I looked at a few different coaches but didn’t have to look far.  I already knew of a local coaching program that has coaches I know, they are local and they use TrainingPeaks.  I also know quite a few of their athletes and they all say good things.

As of today I am starting to train with JJ Neely, whom I know from the Kelso Open Water Swimming group (and who offered some fantastic free advice before IMLP last year), from NRGPT.

NRGPT is a group of coaches led by former pro triathlete Nigel Gray and also includes a mix of other pro triathletes as coaches.  I spent some time with them in April performing Lactate Threshold tests and got along with all the coaches I met.

Race schedule has been set, plan is in motion, time to do the work!

Swim – 30:33 1:31/100M

There is no drafting in triathlon outside of specific draft legal races, however in the swim drafting is legal and I used it to my advantage to crush my 70.3 swim PR.  The water was cool but not cold like last year and also unlike last year the water was calmer.  After a relaxing morning setting up transition and chatting with fellow TrainingPeaks teammate Chris I checked out the bike and run exit before walking to the swim start.  I missed the pro start and was left with about 20 minutes to get ready.  Plenty of time to slip on the wetsuit, swim cap, ear plugs and goggles.  I did break one rule by not trying something new on race day.  At the expo I bought a new pair of goggles.  The exact same ones I have now.  But I didn’t get them adjusted and ended up swimming with one eye full of water but it didn’t affect anything.

I hopped into the water as soon as the previous wave was out of the way so I could do my mandatory pre-race pee.  With that done and my body nicely warmed it was time to move up to the front of the line.  My wave was all 40+ males and went with my belief that all the good swimmers get up on the line.  They are good so they can avoid me and they are fast so I can draft them.  The horn went off and we all started swimming.  It was a fast but relaxed pace to start.  I was feeling great and had no problem holding on and even started to pass a few swimmers after the first 250M.  Hitting the first turn was slow as it was crowded but for the long swim to the exit it was wide open and I was on the feet of one guy and the hips of another.  We were moving fast, I could feel it and see it as I took breaths, but I was hardly putting out any effort.  It was a great swim.

Before I knew it I was out of the water and running to T1.  It was a longer run, 600Mish, to T1 but not a bad one.  T1 was in a covered parkade that was well lit and had smooth floors.  I was out of my wetsuit, helmet on and heading to the mount line with shoes clipped in ready to ride!

Bike – 2:43:03 33.3KM/hr 195W

I took my dad and brother on a drive of the bike course the day before so they could see it and so I could get a refresher.  I had my notes taped to the basebar but it was good to see it again.  I knew it was hilly and I was more concerned with a review of the downhill sections that the long climbs.

I hopped on the bike and within the first few KM I spotted my TrainingPeaks buddy.  He went on to win his AG (M20-24) and was looking good on the bike.  I thought I might have started hard but when I checked my power I was only averaging 205W and as long as I wasn’t going higher than 210W I would be OK.  I ended up finishing with a 195W average as I eased off the gas as it started to get hotter. 

I love the bike course here.  Long steady climbs and fast sweeping downhill sections.  You have to really pay attention or you can crash on the technical downhills or go to hard on the long uphills.  Having the notes on my basebar as well as a power meter really allowed me to pace the bike well.  I knew exactly where I could go hard and how hard to go as well as where I should ease off and how much I should ease off.  All that thinking made the time fly by as well.  Before I knew it I was at the spot.

I highlighted only one section on the whole bike and was sure to share that with other people I knew racing.  It sneaks up on you.  It snuck up on my last year.  Knowing exactly where it was I was ready and on the brakes easing my way around the tight corner.  I was happy.  Good swim and finished the bike without crashing.  It was a good day already!  I got into T2, hopped off the bike and was slipping into my Five Fingers in no time.  I really like the new SeeYah as they are super easy to put on.

Run – 2:15:46 6:22/KM

I started the run and felt good.  My first 3KM were decent as I tried to settle into a pace.  But it was hot and there was little shade.  It was hot.  Did I mention it was hot?

I knew it was going to be hot but wasn’t expecting it to be 32C with a blazing sun.  I did 12 days of training indoors to try and get used to the hotter temperatures but it had little effect.  There is a big difference between 22C on a treadmill in the gym and 32C in the blazing sun on a hilly run.  I took 6 salt tabs on the bike as I was expecting it to be hot but at mile 2 my quads were cramping.  I had 4 salt tabs in my Fuel Belt so I took 2 and soon the cramping went away.

For a mile or so.

Running up hills was hard.  I was a little bloated from taking in water and coke and going up made the cramping worse.  After the killer wall climb there is a longer downhill trending section that has some shade.  When I got into that area I started feeling better but as soon as I started to up the pace my HR skyrocketed.  I was still hoping for a 70.3 PR but it was going to be close.  I was practically showering at each aid station in a effort to keep me cool.  If the station had ice I was putting it in my cap, down my shorts, anywhere to cool me off. 

At the turnaround I started to pick it up and started feeling better.  I kept taking salt and coke to keep the cramping at bay and as long as the hill wasn’t too bad I could run them but I did walk the bigger hills.  Soon enough I was back near the start with a mile to go.  I saw JJ (who managed a 5:08 in the heat), Heather O. (who was suffering the same as me) and then the finish area.  I was glad to cross the line.

No doubt the hardest 70.3 I’ve ever done.  The hills, the heat, I was done.  I wasn’t totally happy with the run.  I had PR’d my swim and bike all while holding things in control, saving myself for the run.  The sun, heat and humidity had other plans though.

Post race I saw Chris again and we chatted for a bit.  At one point I saw the finish line crew go by with a new box of Gatorade towels so I grabbed one, dunked it in the tub of ice water and draped it over my shoulders.  Finally something to cool me down :)

Finish – 5:37:27 19/69 M40-44AG

All told it was a good race.  Yeah I would have liked a PR but I know that on a cooler day I would have had it.  Here is hoping June 24th is either cooler, or it is real hot between then and now so I can properly acclimatize myself :)

Race weight wise I ate a metric shit load but still dropped the right weight leading up to the race.  While the body fat percentage is just what my scale tells me and I doubt it’s accuracy I do believe the trend down is correct as I see it in the mirror.  From a high of 80.5KG down to this mornings weigh in of 75.2KG I feel slim, fit and strong.  Who knew you could lose weight on a 2100+ calorie a day diet ;)  But damn, 302,000 calories CONSUMED?  Hahaha, that is awesome :)

But the most telling graphic is the Performance Management Chart.  From start of training to (predicted) race day it is pretty evident to see the fitness gains.  There is a small reset in the start of March as I switched to power based training on the bike and the zones shifted but overall the trend is up.  In reality CTL shot up too fast at the start due to incorrect HR zones as discovered during my Lactate Threshold testing.  CTL peaked at 143 just before taper, just like it is supposed too.  The last two weeks of full training I just felt stronger and faster with every workout.

The hard part is done.  The training is over.  It’s go time!

Wednesday afternoon my dad and brother are arriving and Thursday AM we leave for Lexington.  Friday after a stop and the Woodford Reserve Distillery (for post race) and we should arrive mid-afternoon. Check in, pick up my race kit and relax.  Oh and stay hydrated, it is looking to be a SCORCHER!

Yes that needed to be all capitalized.

I’ve been watching the weather and it looked like it was going to be a hot one.  So I’ve been training indoors, riding the trainer with no fans, running the treadmill with long sleeves and leaving puddles of sweat behind.  It might look odd running on the treadmill with long sleeves and sweating a ton but it is all about heat acclimatization.  I don’t know how much of an effect it will have but every little bit helps.  Especially when this is the forecast.

38C with the humidity!  Holy hell that is hot.  The good thing is the race starts at 7:30am so I should be done before the hottest of the hot arrives.   The other good thing is most of the run is shaded.  I’ve got plenty of salt tabs and will run with my Fuel Belt too.  Even with aid stations every mile it will be nice to have a few extra ounces with me.  I’ll go with what I carry and supplement with water from the course.

Until then I’ll just be sure to hydrate, get full doses of electrolytes, eat clean and stay relaxed.  It will end up being a slower race but it will be slower for everyone.  I don’t set time goals, but I have goals set. I know what time I should finish if everything goes right but a lot of shit can happen in 70.3 miles.  I learned that lesson last year.  Heck not crashing my bike would be a massive improvement from last year ;)

I know Rev3 does a great job of online tracking and I’ll be sure to post the relevant info when I have it.  Stay tuned…..

I bought this.

I finished a 70.3

I finished an Ironman

If I can do it, you can.  Find something you like to do and do it; often.

Now the gym is an interesting place, especially if you like people watching.  It is also a place filled with a lot of ego.  At least the one I go to.  There are the dedicated bunch who workout regularly and you can see the weight coming off.  The muscle heads lifting weights that would crush me, literally.  The wannabes who dress well but mostly just hang out.  And there are the select few one uppers trying to out do the person next to them.

I don’t run on treadmills very often but it seems every time I do if there is a guy running next to me a race ensues.  I never start them.  I couldn’t care less how fast, far or hard anyone else is working out.  But today was different.  My workout lent itself to a treadmill race and when the dude started upping his speed every time I upped mine it was on.  Afterall I was wearing my TrainingPeaks running kit and I had to represent!

And it was over sooner than I expected.  12 minutes into the run as I increased the speed from 7.5MPH to 8MPH he tapped out.  I was almost ready to go up to 8.5MPH when he really threw in the towel and slowed to a walk.  Just to nail a point home I upped it to 9MPH and hung on even adding an extra minute.  Take that ;)

In the end I was a puddle.  I definitely noticed the heat.  It felt like last weeks run in the 25C and sun.  While the next 10 days might be boring training wise this should be quite effective in getting my body used to the warmer temperatures!  Genius!

15KM in 25C with no water was a bit dumb but it was a shorter long run and I didn’t realize how hot it really was until I was done.  Lesson learned.  Friday was much of the same weather wise and again I thought about doing my bike and skipping the group ride.  Then the email came in.  Group ride cancelled.  Within 30 minutes I was heading North out of Burlington.  And what a gorgeous day it was!

I took it easy for most of the way but added in lots of climbing up the bigger hills in the area.  14th Sideroad, Bell School, 6th Line and Appleby Line.  The best part about climbing those hills is coming down them :)  I did stop on the way down 14th Sideroad to take a picture.

I rode up to Kelso and from there rode the Milton Sprint Triathlon course.  I am not doing that race this year but it is the course for the first tri I ever did and I haven’t actually ridden the whole course since the race two years ago.  While up on the escarpment I took a short break to chow down on a Bonk Breaker and enjoy the views.

It ended up being a very relaxing 75KM ride and the perfect way to start a taper.  Today is a rest day and a get shit done day.  All this couldn’t come at a more perfect time.  I’ve peaked.  It was apparent in this weeks long workouts that I am trashed.  Mentally I am beat from 18 weeks of training hard.  Physically I am as fit as I am going to get and my body is tired.  It is time to rest and recover and get ready to race Knoxville.

Let the taper madness begin……..