Mental Recovery Needed Soon

Yesterday I wrote about that "Window Of Opportunity" that exists for each athlete during the racing season. Once that window closes, athletes need to take steps to scale back everything about their training to allow their bodies to recover from all the hard training it had to deal with in the previous 6-8 months.

I'm getting those subtle reminders that that goes for the mind too.

 I've only got about 9 days until my biggest and most gruelling race of my racing season, the Vermont 100 Mile Ultra. And in the back of my mind, the weariness of the hard work of the last 7 or so months is starting to make itself known.

I still have only 3 more days before I taper for this race in earnest. My body is actually doing great, but my mind cannot wait until I see that down time, both before and after that race. My Window of Opportunity is closing at this point.

I don't think it'll affect the race, my mental focus for that race is as acute as ever. The mental focus for the daily training, however, has been blunted a bit.

But I have only 3 days left. That's the good part. I timed my training very well this year to have done as well as I did.

But you have to understand the mental weariness. Remember that I worked hard this spring, especially when losing 20+ pounds in the early going. To get from 205 to 182 pounds can be quite mentally taxing while getting in shape for the season.

In the past, I used to neglect the larger downtime that the body and mind sorely needs after a period of hard training. After my last race of the season I used to just right into next year's training.

After 5 years without a rest, I mentally burned out. Big time!

The result was about 5 years without doing a triathlon.

It wasn't fun any more. The endless laps in the pool, the constant hard mileage on the bike and the run...my mind finally said "no mas."

What I know now, in my increased wisdom, is that during the year, the mind and body need some serious downtime from the constant rigours of training. I definitely build that into every single athlete's training plan.

Active rest. Just what the doctor ordered.

So, after this 100 mile trek that I have on July 21, that downtime begins. Yes, I have the Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon in September, but I should still be very good shape to complete that race in a good time without all that training.

Plus, if I get a month in of active rest early, I might get that ability to refocus on a fall marathon this November. Maybe...

But I'm not pressuring myself. But we'll see. :-)

In-Season Training - Dos and Don'ts

I had an interesting little conversation with someone the other day about training. And it has to do with training during the racing season.

To give you a background, most triathletes will have a multitude of triathlons during the summer months because these are the only months when we can swim comfortably outdoors.

The problem comes when triathletes try to train through the racing season. Most are still trying to either build up their mileage or their speed through this season.

In most cases, it doesn't work.

When I tell people this, the next question is, "But Pete, how am I supposed to gear up for this race at the end of the triathlon season if you're saying I can't be in peak condition for it?"

And I respond, "Well I didn't say that you couldn't be in peak shape, did I?"

And then they look at me like I have 2 heads or something...

Listen, racing is great. I love this season when you have races coming up either this week or next week, and you have another race coming up the week after that. It makes you feel so alive, knowing that the fruits of your training labor are about to be realized.

But races are a major disruption to any training that you do.

Think about it. Every time you go out there and lay it out there 120% on the line and finish these races, you will need at least 3 days or more to recover from it. With long course events like 70.3 triathlons or other races that take 3 or more hours to do? Definitely more than 3 days of recovery. Maybe even more than a week! By the time you're ready to train at 100% again, most of the week has already past. And if you have another race coming the next weekend, well, your training regularity is thrown out the window.

Listen, I know you want to really build up toward your big races. But building volume and speed doesn't happen at this time. It's supposed to happen during the 4 to 5 months BEFORE the season starts. THAT is where your big gains are going to be, not now, during the season.

That is why I emphasize that the Base Phase is THE most important part of your training plan. There are little or no races in the way of your volume build-up and that is where the most gains will be. Your Build Phase, in which speed is incorporated into your training, is the next important. The Build Phase happens after the Base Phase in the 2 months preceding your first race in which speed is incorporated into your training. It finishes your build up and gets you ready for your big race and your racing season.

"So why do I train at all during the racing season". you might ask.

Simply put, the Racing Phase is just there to try to maintain your peak fitness as long as possible. What I find is that if done properly, you can get a good 8-10 weeks of peak racing done during this phase before you start to see evidence of de-training.

And when the de-training happens, you'll need to back off the volume and the speed for a little while before you can start to build back up again. At that point the body is tired. Any hard training is only inviting injury. And you will never see any gains at that point. The body needs a bit of time to recover before you see any gains again.

So before you even start planning your races in 2013, you'll need to keep this 8-10 week window in mind as you plan your "A" races. As you plot your "A" races, you can then set your 8-10 week Window of Opportunity to cover as much of those races as you can. Then you can set your whole training schedule around it so that you can build up at the right time toward that Window. Oh, you can still plan "B" races outside this Window of Opportunity, but you'll need to keep that these are your "B" races and that you're just training through these races without the interruption of a taper or a huge recovery (you don't go "all out" on these races).

As for triathlon season in 2012, don't try to build volume now. The best thing to do is to maintain it by slightly lower your weekly volumes from week to week to give your body time to recover from the burden of the races you inflict on it. And don't even think you're going to improve your peak fitness now. That should have been done during the spring.

Maintenance is the key for in-season training. Once you get it through your head that you cannot build any more fitness during this season, you can properly schedule your training so that you have a great season the rest of the way.

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Our Wednesday Night Trail run is tonight, of course, and I'm baaaaaccckk! Moses Mtn. is the goal for today. Come on down to the Carousel at 7PM at Willowbrook Park.

This Saturday is our run at Wolfes Pond Park. Note the new time and location for this Saturday only...7AM at the Wolfes Pond Park Parking lot. There will be an adventure race at 8AM in the same park (Two If By Land, One If By Sea), so it'll be nice to give Matt and NYARA a nice show of support. See you there!

Having Good People To Back You Up / Full Moon Beach Runs

I've seen something very good lately. And I'm very appreciative of it.

This season is full of disruptions. Good ones though, as I'm not complaining.

1) I've been away to do the Tupper Lake Tinman 70.3 Triathlon.

2) I've also been away in the Catskills this week.

3) I'll be away one weekend doing the Vermont 100 race in July.

4) I'll also be away one week in August as we have a family reunion set up.

With the weekly trail runs that I've been coordinating with SIAC, every time I've been covered by someone else within the club to keep the runs going. And yesterday, I find out that with future runs with the club, I'll also be covered also.

As the committee chair of SIAC Xtreme, I'm so glad that I have a great cast of people helping me out with this endeavour. You've made my job much more manageable for me, and I'm taking the time out to say thank you.

I won't use real names here, but initials. While I was away doing Tupper Lake and in the Catskills, I would definitely like to thank NC and AL for their parts in doing the Saturday Morning Trail Runs in my absence. Both of them will also be helping me complete the Vermont 100, so I know I have a solid crew behind me when I attempt that race.

I would also like to thank AL for backing me up with some triathlon results that I didn't get at the SIAC meeting. I'm glad that she's now the Masters Women's Team Captain because she's definitely the right person for the job. Her diligence is definitely noted here.

And lastly, when I announced that most of us won't be on hand for the July 21 Saturday Morning Run because of the race, I was pleasantly surprised when DC stepped up and said he will lead that Saturday. Thank you very much DC.

There are a lot of very good people in SIAC, and most are ready to back other people up when needed. These people provide the strong backbone needed for a truly great club.

And again, I appreciate it greatly. :-)

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OK, the Full Moon Trail Runs! Before the monthly SIAC meeting I scouted the beach course with the president of the club. We both think it looks like a winner course. That being said, running on sand is quite tough! Those 5 miles we did were tougher than I thought! In the end, the course has promise, and the sand will strengthen up the legs for races, so we think it's overall a good thing.

Heck, we have a great stretch of beach in our geographical area. Why not use it to our benefit, right?

People also loved the gold painted brick that I brought to the meeting. Even one of our promising young female runners, AD, expressed interest in winning the brick for an award. She's definitely welcome to it. That is if she's accurate with her pacing, of course. Just like everyone else. :-)

Anyway, the first one of these runs will be on Wednesday August 1 at 8PM. That night will be the next Full Moon. It will be at the jetty on the beach in front of where the Memorial Day Run finish line is. The course is to run toward Midland Beach and Miller Field, then back.

Anyone can join. If you want to compete for the gold brick, you'll need to guess your time for this run. That means you leave the watch behind and hope that your guess is accurate. Whoever comes closest to their prediction wins the brick. :-)

Hope to see you all there!

Vermont 100 Musings - Am I Ready?

Two weeks to go before the Vermont 100.

Am I ready?

Well, that is an interesting question. Two years ago, when I finished the race, I was concentrating on running long and training specifically for these ultras.

I was however, 20 pounds heavier and north of 200 pounds.

Since then, I have went back to my strength, training for triathlons, and it has treated me wonderfully this year. I've gotten my speed back, and have excelled in the 2 triathlons that I've done so far, including a half Ironman race (Tupper Lake). I've actually qualified to go to both National Championships this year (Olympic and long course distances), so this comeback is nothing short of impressive.

But how will I fare in a 100 mile ultra?

That was the thesis that I intended to do this year. It's going to be very interesting.

I ran very long this weekend (30 miles). The pace I set for myself then was ideal since I went through the 30 miles without any problems with tired legs. That's a good sign. I just need to remember to stay that pace in the beginning of the Vermont 100. If I can knock off the first 30 miles with an effort that feels like I ran only 10 miles, then I would be well ahead of the game.

Aside from that long run,  the number of long runs done this year is lower than the long runs I've done 2 years ago, when I was training for ultras. That might be a negative.

Still, the 20 pound loss should account for something. We shall see.

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Anyway, I still have both the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim (111th overall) and Tupper Lake Triathlon 70.3 (45th overall) race reports to do.

I did the Tupper Lake report, and after reading it it seemed...boring. I'm going to have to spruce it up a bit. I myself hate reports that are boring; I don't want to be the person making those boring reports.

If I'm finding myself going to sleep reading my own reports, then that is, indeed, a problem.

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Staten Island Athletic Club (SIAC) Monthly Meeting is tonight. If anyone has any reports for me, the siXac Captain, get them in to me immediately or forever hold your peace.

Wednesday is the Evening Trail Run. I want to do Moses Mountain one more time before my 100 mile ultra. Help me fulfill my wish. :-)

Saturday we will be moving the trail run to Wolfes Pond Park because the NYARA race "Two If By Land, One If By Sea" Adventure Race is located there. The Saturday Morning run will start at 7AM at the Wolfes Pond Park parking lot.

For those interested in the adventure race itself, you can register at the NYARA website.

Just a heads up here: due to the fact that Amy, Nancy, and I are not going to be around the following Saturday (July 21; they will be helping me complete the Vermont 100), that run will be canceled. Of course, if you know some of the trails in High Rock, you can still form a group at that time and take the initiative and do it that Saturday.

Lastly, I will be running a 5 mile easy beach run about 90 minutes prior to the SIAC meeting tonight. This is to scout the course for the Full Moon Night Runs that I am looking to start on Wednesday August 3.

I intend on making those runs a "guess your time" run so that anyone has a chance to win one of these lovely gold bricks:

Just think, if you know your pace really well, you can very well build a new wing to your house with enough of these!

Summary of the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Ultra

Summary

Went out very easy in the first 10 miles, but the endless rocks made the run harder than usual. The rocks are so thick for the first 20 miles that I felt I was being challenged every foot of the first 20 miles of the course. After 20 miles I was gassed. But after 20 miles the course finally relented a bit as the rocks were less frequent.

At that point I started getting a bit of energy back as the running got more comfortable. But once I hit the rocks at around mile 30 the wheels finally fell off and I stopped at the mile 34 aid station.

Cons

1) Rocky Terrain - Running in very rocky terrain is the biggest weak point of trail running, especially when the severe stretches go downhill. I am OK when there are some rocks around, but when I find myself in a boulder field, I tend to tense up a lot, which expends a lot of useless energy. So even when the pace was slow I was gassed when I hit the 20 mile mark.

2) Fuel Belt - I had a fuel belt in one of my drop bags and decided to use it. The problem was that I lost both bottles during the run, ending up with nothing for fueling in between the stops. I'll need something a little more robust for running future ultras, especially Vermont.

3) My Back - After taking an embarrassing tumble down a small hill, I tweaked my upper back muscles, probably my rhomboids. It wasn't immediately noticeable, but in the 12 miles since the fall, the area got pretty intolerable. In previous years, I've done back exercises to keep everything strong back there, but I haven't done it this year. I think it's time to invest some time to strengthen up my back again.

Pros

1) Uphills - The downhills were pretty bad, but the uphills were quite good! For the first time ever, I was able to keep up with other runners, or even surpass them up the hillBody weight (or lack of) definitely plays a HUGE part in getting up the hills fast. The loss of 20 pounds is very significant.

2) No Chafing - The duct tape method works. I placed them on both my nipples as well as other likely spots where chafing might happen, and the result was no chafing whatsoever.

3) Minimal Shoes - The more minimal the shoes, the less I twist my ankle. Despite the endless rocks I only had one minor ankle twist in the race, with no pain whatsoever.

Conclusion

If I am ever to be successful in a rocky ultra, I must learn to use a very relaxed style of running over the rocks. If I can obtain a relaxed form, I will be very efficient, and maybe even more comfortable, running in rocky terrain. The best way to do this is through frequent practice.

Staten Island Convergence/Perimeter Run this Friday!!!

Even as a local runner, you would figure that would be an easy feat to run around the perimeter of Staten Island, right?

What if I told you that notion was wrong?

Running the Perimeter of Staten Island is 43+ miles! A lot of people, runners included, would have thought of running the perimeter would be lot shorter.

Yet it is doable. Depending on certain roads, running the perimeter of Staten Island is approximately 40-45 miles on foot. For ultramarathon training last year I was able to run the whole thing. I was not exactly a model of freshness when finished, but I'm proud that I did it.

Fast forward to this Friday, April 20. Adam G., a local runner who has the capability of running long distances, will be running the perimeter of Staten Island starting at the intersection of Victory Blvd. and Bay Street at precisely 9AM. The Convergence Run will go counter-clockwise (going toward the ferry first) and proceed all the way around, touching Conference House Park on the southern tip before making its way back to Victory Blvd. Here is the exact map of the route. The map is indicating about 43+ miles for the route.

Adam is looking to get as many runners as possible along this route. If you're looking to get a long run in this week, you can definitely let me know and I'll relay that to Adam. If you're located in one of the other boroughs, the start point is only about 3-4 blocks from the Ferry Terminal. And you can basically finish at any point of the route and have public transportation take you back to the ferry terminal as well. It's strongly advised that you bring a Metro Card and some money with you as we will be frequenting some convenience stores along the way for nourishment and hydration.

The pace will be very slow as well, possibly about 15 minutes per mile pace. This non-aggressive pace should help people get their longest runs of the year in without the fear that they will be left behind. After all, the social aspect of this run will make running the miles enjoyable.

If you do express interest, let me know, either here or through my email: ironpete@aol.com. I can help you with the transportation logistics before and after your run so that you can make it to your start point on time, or get back home without getting lost.

So if you want to run 5 miles, 10, 20, or even the whole darn thing, come on down! We will be glad to have you. Weatherwise, it looks like a nice day for it, so there are no excuses! :-)

Beating the Rising Bridge Tolls - A Worthy Project

I've gotten way past the point where I'm done complaining about everything.

One of the best things that you can do is put yourself in a position to bypass the system a bit. In almost every situation, it can be done. Sometimes it takes a bit of planning though in order to pull it off. And most of the time, having a good fitness base helps you...a lot.

Such as the case with the tolls on Staten Island. There are definitely a lot of people here complaining about those tolls. They have a point...on every entry point, we have to pay in order to get onto Staten Island. In other words we're basically hostages to both the Port Authority and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority in order to get back to our homes.

And in spite of all the complaining in the local media, these two outfits keep on jacking up the tolls. And nothing gets done.

I am way past complaining. It's time to do something.

The project involves getting across a body of water in a boat while carrying a bike, then riding the bike in NJ to my destination.

Both the boat and bike have to be portable. In this case, there are bikes that are foldable and there are boats that do deflate into a bag. You can also get oars for the boat that collapse also.

Basically the plan is this. I inflate the boat on the shore on Staten Island, put my collapsible bike on board. I then row over to the NJ side, then deflate the boat and fold the oars and put them both into a bad that I can carry on my back. Then unfold the bike, and then cycle over to my destination.

Anyway, here is a great example of the kayak bag that I can use while riding on my bike. It's only about $60 and looks pretty durable for carrying around...

The link to the bag is here... http://static.altrec.com/images/shop/multiview/NRS/19942.bck.mv_d.jpg .

The inflatable kayaks that can fit usually are in the range of $500-$1000, which isn't bad at all. There are a list of kayaks that can go into this sack here. The folding oars that they have are also in the range of $60, which is great.

Now for the folding bikes. There are several brands that make good, durable folding bikes there is the Bike Friday brand, the Montague brand, and, if cash strapped, the Citizen brand. All look pretty reasonable to get around on the other side of the river.

Although I would not dare cross the length of the Verrazano Bridge using this method as it is too wide and too tidal to cross, but crossing the narrow Arthur Kill is quite reasonable and might be the way to go.

I might have finally figured out a way to stick my middle finger at the Port Authority. It might take several months for my plan to come to fruition, but hey, they are not going to limit my freedom of movement in this country.

As I stated before, I'm through complaining. I'm fit, I'm active, and I can make this possible.