Numbers Game

4/27/08: Pre-Comp Phase Over! Just finished up my last major 4 week block of Pre-Comp training today and things are looking good. I'm happy to report that I'm ahead of where I was at this time last year on all fronts and the numbers are right where I was hoping they'd be by this stage of the game. Although the average weekly training volume this past month was nothing out of the ordinary, the key sessions (and there were LOT'S of them) were frequent and intense. Time to give the body a one week break before ramping back up and doing what needs to be done to ensure that I'm ready to roll at Eagleman on 6/8.

In the mean time, a sample of the critical numbers from this past 4 week block that clearly indicate that it's time to race:

Average Weekly Training Volume:

• 12,500 yards swimming
• 9.5 hours cycling
• 41 miles running

Key Swim Set:

• 25 x 100 @ 1:12 - 1:13 (open turns - still can't do a flip turn!)

Key Bike Session:

• 25 miles on the ECV TT course in 1 hour @ 70.3 goal wattage: 308 avg/311 norm (thank you PowerTap). Not bad considering high state of fatigue.

Key Run Sessions:

• Around the Cape Course, 25k, progressive effort, executed 2 min. faster than fastest performance from 2007. You know you're getting fit when sub 6 min. mile pace for 10+ miles, over hilly terrain, doesn't seem very hard. Must have something to do with...
• Track workouts/economy sets (started inserting into the mix this year): 16 x 1/4 mile float @ 72 on 2 min. I want to get this set down to 20 x 1/4 @ 67 on 1:45 by season's end.

And last but not least....

Fighting Weight:

• 153 lbs. I'm skinny again.

Okay. Time for bed. Big week of business and teaching coming up. 8 weeks to go and then I'm a free man: Completely self employed, able to train like a full time Pro and living the dream!

Janda

The Home Stretch

10 weeks to go.

I entered the final quarter of the school year, and my teaching career as a whole, yesterday. I won't hide the fact that it's been a very stressful Spring. My coaching operation has blossomed into a full time job; one that I desperately need to find more time for. I'm extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many dedicated, talented athletes. Slowly but surely my vision of coaching a well rounded mix of age group, elite age group and pro/elite athletes is coming to fruition. I find myself both inspired and motivated by the work and results that my crew continues to turn in and am very excited about all that the '08 season holds in store for them. It's going to be a great year!

In addition to training over 30 athletes, I'm honoring the commitment I made to the Manchester-Essex school district and am finishing out my time there as a P.E./Health teacher. The 50 - 60 hour per week combo of full time coaching and part time teaching (60%) doesn't leave me with a lot of free time, but I continue to pound out 18 - 20 hours per week of training as I prepare for the 2008 tri season and my real debut on the Pro circuit. Thankfully, I have a very supportive girlfriend and partner in Michelle, as she's taken on the brunt of the household chores (cooking, shopping, cleaning, etc.) and has never once complained about my having to work late into the night, 7 days per week, including Saturday and Sunday nights (our social life is basically non-existent these days!).

But... I'm getting it done. Life is nothing more than training and working at the moment, but I fully realize just how lucky I am to be completely immersed in work that I truly love. I'm thankful that I won't have to attempt to keep this pace up much longer, but when I feel as though I'm at wit's end trying to hold it all together, I think about the thousands of soldiers over in Iraq and Afghanistan; Any amount of work or training related stress that I experience is completely insignificant compared to what these men and women must face on a daily basis. Here I am, safe and sound, fretting over the fact that I have to cram 6 hours of training and another 6 hours of work into a Saturday, while our servicemen and servicewomen are worrying about IEDs, snipers and suicide bombers every second of the day. Kind of keeps things in perspective.

After completing Sunday's long ride with my brother Corey, I spent the afternoon bouncing back and forth between work and live updates from ironmanlive.com's coverage of IronMan Arizona. It was a great thrill to watch Jordan Rapp secure a 3rd place overall finish in what turned out to be the closest 4 man finish in IronMan history (top 4 men all finished within 1:20 of each other)! I'm currently planning on capping my '08 season with the Fall running of IMAZ, so watching Jordan finish so high up really motivated me to pull the trigger and do what needs to be done on the training front between the months of late September and mid November.

But until that time, I have to make sure that I stay focused upon the task at hand: Whipping myself into shape for my early season events. I figure that I'll be at about 95% of peak fitness by Eagleman come June 8th. Realistically, there's no way that I can beat the guys who are able to focus 100% of their time and energy on training and recovery. I have to accept the fact that the best that I can do is all that I can do between now and the time that school ends. From there on in however, race prep will be a cake walk! I'm already dreaming about 4 hour training days and a more relaxed work schedule. Just have to "soldier on" for 10 more weeks...

Prioritizing Your Cycling Equipment Investments

I've been very fortunate to have established a professional relationship with elite triathlete, cycling phenom and FitWerx 2 co-owner Dean Phillips. I have learned more from Dean about the application of all things aero and power oriented over the course of the past year or so than I have in the 12+ years that I have been involved in the sport of triathlon. I have benefited, and continue to benefit tremendously from Dean's technical advice and I'd like to pass on a few key points that I've picked up on as you begin gearing up (literally) for the 2008 triathlon and/or cycling season.

First off, believe it or not, aero wheel selection should constitute one of your secondary priorities when trying to figure out which gear you should invest in. The amount of drag generated by your rotating wheels is a relatively small fraction of the total drag you create when riding your bike.

Now don't get me wrong; you won't find me toeing the line of a major event, or any event for that matter, without my Zipp's, but the reality of the situation is this: The differences between the various aero wheels on the market are so slight that it really doesn't matter whether you're riding a set of 404s or 808s. In all actuality, for you smaller riders, the deeper wheel set might be more of a hindrance than benefit, especially when the cross winds really start to kick up.

Most people will find a wheel set like the Zipp 606 (404 front, 808 rear) to be about as good as it gets. For those of you who weigh in on the heavier side (160+ lbs) and can handle your bike well in cross winds (very important when you're screaming down a hill @ 30+ mph!), consider an 808 set up or even the Zipp 999 (808 front, rear disc).

See the following article by Zipp for a very informative discussion on the relationship between yaw angles, wheel design and drag.

Yes, I am a very big fan of Zipp wheels. I firmly believe that they are the best wheels on the market today, both from a quality and aerodynamic standpoint, and would ride them no matter if the company supported me or not.

Worried about wheel weight??? Don't be. There's a reason that you're going to start seeing more and more pros riding clincher wheels these days, regardless of the fact that they weigh up to 1lb. more than their carbon/tubular rim counterparts. The reason: Crr, otherwise known as the coefficient of rolling resistance.

I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to do your homework before you invest in a particular set of race tires. Believe it or not, your tire selection can prove to be MUCH more important than your wheel selection. Case in point: the wrong set of tires can cost you SIGNIFICANT amounts of time during a 40k, 90k or 180k TT. To put things in perspective, I rode a particular set of tubulars at last year's Eagleman 70.3 and based off of their Crr (when compared to the fastest tires on the market) I ADDED about 90 seconds to my 90k bike split! Shaving 90 sec. would have moved me up from 8th place overall to 5th place overall - just in front of Australian triathlete and 2007 IM Louisville champion Chris McDonald!

Please review the list of tires found HERE and their various Crrs/Crr related information. Take a close look at the number of watts required to move EACH tire (when mounted to a wheel). Double that number when you consider the fact that, unless you ride a uni-cycle, your bike has 2 wheels. You may very well be surprised to note that your current tire selection is costing you MINUTES in a long course race! The goal is to find the optimal balance between a tire that offers a low Crr and HIGH puncture resistance. Dean can help you with this critical decision.

As for the tubular vs. clincher debate, you'll notice that the top clinchers do in fact roll slightly faster than the top tubulars. However... Keep in mind that there are trade offs.

A tubular will pinch flat far less often than a clincher, so you're rolling the dice just a little more often when you race on clinchers (the way that I do). If I were a short course athlete, I wouldn't worry about puncture resistance and would opt for the fastest tire on the market, i.e. the Michelin Pro2Race lite or the new Pro3Race lite which has yet to be released.

For the long course athletes who ride clinchers, the Michelin Pro2Race (my tire choice) offers solid puncture protection, but will cost you a few watts. Tubular riders would do well on the Vittoria Corsa EVO CX or the Zipp Tangente. However, MAKE SURE that you have a Pro like Mark at Fitwerx 2 glue your tires on for you, as improperly mounted/glued tubulars can greatly increase your Crr and slow you down big time!

Rider position: I won't harp on this one. This is, by far, the most important factor when looking at the relationship between power output and drag. Your goal: Get as aero as possible (i.e. reduce drag) while maintaining or improving (for those of you on bikes that just don't fit!) power output. For the long course athletes in attendance, comfort while in the aero position in another key concern, so be prepared to sacrifice a bit of drag reduction for a higher degree of comfort and a lower back that's still in one piece after 90 - 180k of hard riding.

Bottom line: Spend the money and get yourself dialed in to your optimal aero position before you drop a cent on any gear (tires excluded given their relative low cost!).

Power Meter: Along with the majority of my client base, I am training and will be racing with a power meter this year. In 5 short weeks, I have seen unprecedented gains in my cycling fitness thanks to the use of my PowerTap 2.4 wireless. Simply put, if you're not using a power meter, you are at a major disadvantage during both training and racing.

Through field testing, a power meter allows you to clearly establish your precise training zones and, as a result, expedite your rate of physiological adaptation. By pinpointing critical sustainable power outputs such as your power at 100% of VO2max (i.e. average of max 6 min. effort power), power at high end of threshold (i.e. avg. of max 20 min. power) and MLSS power (avg. power for max 60 min. effort) you not only attain a blue print of your current aerobic profile, but can distinctly determine the EXACT efforts that you will need to work at in order to improve your cycling performances!

A power meter removes all of the variables from the training equation. No matter what the course grade, wind conditions, temperatures, road surface, tire Crr, etc. etc. you'll know exactly what you need to do every time you step out the door or onto your trainer.

In a race, you'll be able to pace yourself precisely to ensure that your effort remains steady throughout and that your legs are ready to roll as soon as you dismount and hit the run course (this statement takes into account the assumption that you've kept up with your run training!).

Outside of optimizing your TT position, training and racing with a PM is by far the best investment you can make. SRM, PowerTap and Ergomo are the brands to reach for.

Other considerations

Frame design: Yes, a properly designed areo frame will help to reduce total drag, but not nearly to the same degree that proper rider position will. Aero frames do help, but the time savings are pretty minimal. Priority should be placed upon how well YOUR body fits a particular frame, not the other way around. Once again, Dean can help here.

Aero helmet: Another relatively inexpensive means of reducing total drag. All things being equal, a good aero helmet will probably shave about as much time off your 40k TT as a set of aero wheels when yaw angles are really low (i.e. <2 degrees). As the yaw angle increases however, so do the benefits of your aero wheels.

In closing, if I could rank the importance of the issues mentioned above, and help you to prioritize what and where you should spend your money when it comes to racing and training cycling gear, it would be this:

1. Aero/TT Position
2. Tire selection
3. Power Meter
4. Aero Wheels
5. Aero Helmet
6. Aero Frame

Last but not least, always remember that the best gear/position in the world is close to useless if your engine isn't strong! I find it very "amusing" to watch people on $7,000 bikes traveling down the road at 13 or 14 mph. during big races. I think that they forgot somewhere along the way that fitness, above all else, reigns supreme!

-JRM

Back in Business

Please excuse my absence... I've been busy!

I'm happy to report that I just capped an excellent 4 week block of intensive training today! Despite the snow, cold, work related stress, Norwalk virus that's hitting everyone I know, etc. I've been able to "get r' done" on the training front and have attained a notable jump in fitness as a result. Knock on wood, but based off of the key workouts I've been laying down, I think that this is the fittest I've ever been in the month of February. I feel as though I'm 2 training cycles (8 - 9 weeks) away from being 100% ready to roll.

First off, thanks to CycleOps, I am the proud new owner of a PowerTap SL 2.4 wireless power meter and CycleOps Mag+ trainer. Let's just say that I have put both to VERY good use this month. I'm tempted to divulge some of the numbers that I've been laying down as of late during key workouts, but I'll keep it on the DL. You'll have to try to pull the specifics from Dean "the machine" Phillips over at Fitwerx2, as he and I share training tips and power files from time to time. For those of you not in the know, Dean is, hands down, the fastest short course cyclist and one of the very best elite triathletes in all of NE. He set the new course record at the Charlie Baker TT (Concord, MA) this past summer, averaging JUST under 30 mph for the 9.9 or 9.8 mile course. To put things further into perspective, the old record was held by professional cyclist and former US Pro Champion Mark McCormack. I'll also note that Dean broke Tyler Hamilton's old mark over at the ECV TT this summer as well. If you're looking for help with your TT position and gear selection, look no further than Dean. I trust him, Marty and Mark over at Fit Werx2 in Peabody, MA with ALL of my cycling/TT related needs.

Anyway, I enjoyed a very consistent and progressive 4 weeks of training and am looking forward to an active recovery week (on the cycling and run fronts at least!) this coming week (2/25 - 3/2).

Looking forward, March will be a very interesting month. As it stands, I'm feeling absolutely sensational in training and the wattage meter is confirming the fact I'm well ahead of schedule fitness wise. I have a couple of key cycling sessions lined up for next month that will really allow me to gauge where things stand and what I'm capable of on "the battle field." If the engine is firing the way I think it will be, then I might have to book a round trip ticket out to California to kick my long course season off a little earlier than expected.

As for the sponsorship front, I hope to announce the specifics of my new team, "Craft USA" within the next week or 2. Also, for those of you who were wondering, yes, I turned down a spot on the 2008 Team Timex pro squad and went with Craft instead. The Timex offer was a very, very generous one, and I'm still hoping that I made the right decision, but ultimately, family is most important (my brother Corey is the marketing manager at Craft).

PowerBar, my sponsor of nearly 12 years, is back on board for 2008 and 2009! As is the case with every sponsor/supporter I associate myself with, I would never utilize or promote a product that I did not firmly believe increased my chances for success on race day. I rely heavily upon PowerBar products during both training and racing and truly appreciate their grass roots support.

I'm also extremely excited about the fact that I'm receiving some great support from Zipp this year. I've always known that Zipps were the fastest wheels on the market... I just haven't always been able to afford them!!! I rode a set of their 808s to a very high degree of success in the second half of 2007, and have decided to stick to what works and roll on a set of their 808 PowerTap clinchers this season. I'm also looking forward to putting the new Zipp PowerTap disc to good use when it's available sometime later this Summer. If things continue to go as well as they are on the training front, I'm very confident that these wheels, when coupled with a correct pacing strategy (thank you PowerTap!) will lead to some pretty nasty bike splits out on the North American 70.3/long course circuit.

That'll do it for now.

See you out on the roads soon. Spring is right around the corner!

JRM

Sometimes, Less is More

I try to avoid the message boards as I'm not a big fan of smack talk and bravado, but lately, I've been scrolling through the forum on SlowTwitch in order to catch a glimpse at what's going on "out there" in regards to long and short course triathlon training.

Living in Gloucester, MA has plenty of advantages, one of which is that, besides my friend Christina Robeson, who lives right up the street from me (and just narrowly missed breaking the 10 hour barrier at the 2007 Ironman Florida!), there are very few triathletes in my neck of the woods. I enjoy the fact that I'm out here at the very end of the continent, on my own little island, and don't have to face down a slew of tri-geeks every time I hit the roads or pool. I don't think that I could hack living in San Diego or Boulder. The saying "ignorance is bliss" is something that I can definitely relate to. I'm so far removed to what everyone else is doing that I don't spend any time worrying about how my workouts stack up, who looks fitter, etc. I can simply operate freely: Set a goal, design a training plan that will allow me to achieve it, and then get to work.

Last year, I had a couple of key objectives: Break 4 hours for the half I.M. distance and win the overall amateur title at the 70.3 World Championship.

Well, I broke 4 hours twice and did in fact capture the overall amateur title at Clearwater. I accomplished every objective that I set for myself last year, and see no reason why I can't do so again in 2008, although this time, there's only one goal that I'll be chasing: Breaking 3:50 for the half Ironman/70.3 distance.

To date, I've been working 2 jobs while doing my best to effectively prep for long course events. Things are going to get a lot easier come June when I finally end my teaching career and will be free to focus 100% of my efforts upon my coaching business (I'm currently training 30 athletes) and my own training & racing. However, the success that I've experienced athletically despite my juggling act and limited training time has reinforced something that I've always believed to be true about training for triathlon: Sometimes, less is more.

I could ramble on and on about how important it is to find the optimal balance between stress (hard training) and recovery (active or passive) and how this balance, ultimately, will vary from individual to individual. There's no disputing the fact that in order to compete with a high degree of success, you have to consistently get out there and bust your ass week in, week out for months on end. However... when scrolling through the message boards and reading up on what some age group and elite triathletes lay down training wise on a daily/week-to-week basis, I begin to ask myself whether the majority of triathletes out there are in this sport to see how fast they can get or to simply see how much training they can subject their bodies to on a weekly basis.

I look back to the 1996 running of the Hawaii Ironman. On that day, we saw Luc Van Lierde, a man who had never run further than 30k in training or racing, catch uber biker Thomas Hellriegel in the late stages of the marathon. Luc not only won the race that day, but set the new course record (formerly held by the legendary Mark Allen) in his first attempt at the Ironman. Less than 1 year later, he went on to set the "world best" mark for the Ironman distance: 7:50; a mark that still stands to this day. Luc's record at Roth, Germany in 1997 included the fastest swim (44 min) and run (2:36) splits ever recorded.

What impressed me most about Luc Van Lierde was his approach towards training for long course triathlon. In contrast to what athletes like Hellriegel were laying down (i.e. 800 miles per week on the bike + full run and swim loads!!!) his coach, exercise physiologist Jan Olbrect, believed that when it came to training, the goal should be to execute the LEAST amount of training necessary in order to achieve the best possible result on race day.

Genius.

Any moron can go out and hammer themselves into the ground with heavy training volume day in, day out. Do this for a few months on end, taper down for a 3 or 4 weeks, and then presto: As long as you're not overly broken down, injured or sick, you'll cross the finish line and will be able to call yourself an Ironman.

Van Lierde purportedly utilized an Ironman build up that consisted of 20 - 30k swimming, 500k cycling and 90k running each week; totals that are far lower than what most pros, and even some age group triathletes record on a weekly basis when prepping for an Ironman. His total training volume, in hours, was somewhere around 27/week. Key training sessions reflected the exact stress he would subject his body to on race day. All "junk" mileage was removed from the plan. Training intensities were precisely established after blood lactate testing and analysis. His approach was nothing short of perfect.

This scientific/quality over quantity approach to long course training is what initially and continues to inspire me as both coach and athlete. Thanks to the Internet, I've had a chance to compare my own training against that of some of the top pros. Bottom line is that I'm equaling, or out splitting the times being recorded on the bike and run fronts by guys who:

1. Are vastly superior to me, genetically/talent wise


2. Don't have to work/can train all day


3. Train 30 - 50% more than I do
   

I don't live at altitude. I don't have any sponsors paying my way. I don't have the god given talent... But I do have a training plan, and I'm starting to believe that in many ways, it's superior to anything that my competition is following.

We'll see: Less than 4 months until theory and practice collide.

No Thanks

Well, Duathlon Nationals are off the board. After getting all excited about what I figured would have been a perfect early season tune-up event, I just found out that the elite race is draft legal.

No thanks.

Just as well. I could stand to lay down a big block of training that week anyway as it corresponds with my school's April vacation. Maybe I'll head someplace hilly and warm...

Oh Yeah... Now I Remember

Legs are stiff and sore. Energy levels are a bit low. Groggy all morning... Welcome back to the reality of long course prep.

It never gets any easier.

My New Team

A Very Good Problem

The past 2 weeks have been pretty exciting as far as the "business" side of my athletic career is concerned. I've been engaged in an ongoing discussion with the manager of a new professional triathlon team that will most likely make it's debut in 2008. The team will boast an elite crew of no more than 8 long course athletes and is currently in the process of securing a handful of co-sponsors, all of whom are industry leaders.

The problem: This past Thursday I got a call from the manager of yet another team; the (arguably) biggest/most recognized elite tri team in the world. He offered me a spot on their pro squad. The deal includes every piece of gear that you could imagine (free!) + monetary incentive for top performances at the 70.3 and I.M. distances. I'm flattered by the offer and humbled by the caliber of athletes that I'd call my "teammates." The squad is nothing short of world class: Multiple time IronMan champions, national champions, course record holders...

To be honest, I'm still in a state of disbelief. I know that I'm closing in on, and almost ready to start beating, some of the biggest names in the sport, but I don't view myself as anything "special." I know, and am very open about the fact, that I'm not blessed with an extraordinary amount of natural ability. Most of the top Pros out there are genetically gifted and could most likely bounce between running, cycling or any other endurance related sport and experience a high degree of professional athletic success. For me, I have to work my ass off day in, day out and maintain a laser focus in order to compete with these guys. I also have to dig a lot deeper during races, hence my slow recovery times (I'm beat up, mentally and physically, for at least a week after a half IronMan). There's no way in hell that I could ever successfully hit 2 half IronMan races in 2 consecutive weekends the way that someone like Craig Alexander or Chris McCormack can. Bottom line is that I have to pick and choose when I'm going to race, train specifically for the event and then unleash hell on race day in order to have a chance at "pulling it off."

However... it's a great thrill to feel as though all of my hard work and results are finally being recognized by members of the triathlon industry. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the offers that are being extended my way. What a thrill!

So, I have decided to make my decision by this Friday and will announce which team I am signing with at that time. Stay tuned.

In the mean time, we're enjoying yet another snow storm here in Gloucester, MA. No matter, there is work to be done, so looks like I'll be running in a Nor' Easter today.