Even though I haven't posted for a very (verrrrrry) long time... I'm still alive and still training for my next events. So a quick update: netx race is half IM in Italy on June 12th,2011 and then on August 7th, IM in Germany. I will try to post a bit more often...
September
06
Gerardmer Triathlon under 3 hours
I have finished the Gerardmer Triathlon (olympic distance) in 2h59 (62nd place in my category). Last year I did 3h21 so it's definitely better, but not as good as I was going for.
It's funny because before starting I knew 3 hours was more or less what I could do even though my goal was to be under 2h45 and I ended up exactly where I knew I would be and not where I wanted.
So I'm a bit disappointed (well actually more than a bit) that's why I should not set my goals too high and not finish disappointed.
September
04
New cassette for my bike
Sunday I'll be racing the Gerardmer Triathlon for the second time. Last year I had my old bike with triple rings on the front but my new bike has only two rings on the front and the biggest cog on the back has only 23 sprockets. Trying the course the other day confirmed that my 39/23 lowest gear was a still a bit too much for the very steep climbs that this course has to offer. This is why I replaced the 11/23 cassette I had with a 11/28 cassette to make it easier on those crazy climbs. We checked the chain at the same time to realize that it was beyond normal wear, so I had it changed too.
I went for a little ride this evening on some climbs to test the new setting and it was much easier on steep climbs, beside another fall while getting to a stop (I was climbing with the wrong gear and when I changed it the chain got stuck since I was going very slow, I had no choice that getting to a stop and could not unclip my shoes from my pedals). So I'm pretty happy with the choice and I guess that those 18% climbs I will have to face during Sunday race won't seem that scary.
My bike came with the high end Red version of SRAM groupset but because I might not use this new cassette that often and because of the cost of a Red cassette, I went for the cheaper Force model (which was more than 2,5 times cheaper). You can feel that it is not as smooth and stiff as the Red version but it is still a very nice cassette. We'll see if that really helps me on Sunday.
September
01
Change of date for Ironman Zurich 2010
It was supposed to be held on the 1st of August 2010, but I just got an email that the date has now been changed to the 25th of July. That's one week less of training for me...
August
30
Training for speed
With the help of Fred, my "coach", leading the way, we went for a 45km ride going as fast as possible the whole way. Once we left the city and before we got back; it was a 40km ride with no stop and that we did at 37.5kph. Hard on the legs but ultimatley so good. Now if I could do that for 180km (Ironman distance), I would finish the bike leg in less than 5 hours. 40km was alreday a lot for my legs, so I'm not ready to do the entire 180km at that speed... but I still have 11 months to train for it.
I'm not sure I'll be that fit, even in a year, but maybe at a little lower speed I could do it. I feel that only 1 or 2kph below that, the effort would be much less intense and be sustained for a much longer time.
... oh, did I mention, that the 40km were completly flat?...
Not so far away doing more than 30kph was hard if not impossible and now I"m even getting closer to 40kph (even though gaining an extra 2.5kph over 40km is HUGE). Just to say, that performances are really getting better over time and that training as much as I have has not be completely unuseful.
August
18
Zurich, here I come...
You might have noticed a new countdown and a new event that just popped up on the right hand side... That's it, I just registered for Ironman Zurich 2010.
I'm back in training to increase the performances. My goal (even if it seems totally unatainable) is now to qualify for Kona! I know it's probably really out of reach, but I remember just a year ago, doing an Ironamn seemed unbelievable for me at the time. I know that Kona is another story, but I might as well set my hopes high and even if it seems crazy right now, we'll see in a year how I feel about it. I'll know before racing if I'm capable of doing it or not, so I won't be disapointed if I cross the line not going to Hawaii.
For those not familiar with the Ironman, Kona (which is in Hawaii) is the most prestigious Ironman of all. This is where It all began more than 30 years ago and this is where they hold the world championship every year.
There are four ways to compete in Kona, which is famous for its infamous winds, high temperatures and humidity which makes it one of the most difficult Ironman to race. You can either:
- finish among the first of your age category in any of the Ironman worldwide (there are 24 Ironman in the world, one of which being Kona). Every Ironman has slots for the first finishers in each age category. The number of slots vary depeding on the number of competitors in that category. For Zurich, there are 13 slots in my age category (there were 13 slots in 2009, could be different in 2010), meaning that if I finish among the 13 first finishers, I'll qualify for Kona. If any of the 13 top finisher decides not to go to Hawaii (beacuse he can't, doesn't want to or because he already has a slot he won from another Ironman) then the slot goes to the following contender. So you might get a slot even if you are 15th or 16th, if enough contenders turn down their slots.
- win a slot in a lottery that takes place every year for which you can buy tickets.
- buy a charity entry. They usually sell those on eBay, most of the time they cost more than $10 000.
- win Kona which automatically qualifies you for the next year (but obviously you'd have to have gone through one of the previous options before)
I'm usually not that lucky, won't (can't) fork out $10 000 for an entry and as you might know, I didn't win Kona this year. So my only option left is the first one: be among the 13 top finishers at Zurich next year. To put things in perspective, even though Zurich will be an easier race that Bolton that I did this year (bike and run courses are flatter), I will need to improve my perforances by around 30% to consider that I'm able to qualify for Kona. Like I said, pretty thin but since I have been only doing sports for a year I have no exact idea of how much I can improve myself over a year.
I know that a 30% progression in performances is probably not possible in only a year, so I'm very aware that the chances of ending on the beaches of Hawaii next year are close to none. Over the last year, my performances have increased by more than 30%, but then again starting from scratch, it couldn't have been any ohter way and the figures don't really mean something.
Endurance was my main goal over the last year and now my training is more focused toward performance. I guess we'll see before the end of this year how much I can improve my performances and try to figure out how impossible (or possible) my Hawaian dream is. Not to forget, that this is the dream of most triathletes competing in an Ironman, so the competition will be fierce.
So for now, I can say: "Zurich, here I come...", and maybe I'll say one day: "Kona, here I come..."
PS: Lance Armstrong (who has began his career as a triathlete by the way) has recently announced that he might do Kona... it would be fun to run with him (I won't say against him...). We know he'll probably fly through the bike leg and in 2008 he ran the New York Marathon in 2h46 which is more than a decent time...
August
03
Racing the Ironman UK 2009
4am, time to wake up and quickly get some carb filled high calorie breakfast and off to the race area. The parking has been quite a problem since the start of the week, since it got very muddy because of the rain and the roads around are very narrow. So we decided that my wife would drop me as close as we could drive to the place. That adds some stress since I don’t know how far I will have to walk and exactly at what time I will be there. We manage to drive pretty close after all, so it’s a short walk to the transition area for a last check of the bike.
I put my bottles on the bike and make sure everything is fine. I have taken my cell phone so I put it in my small bag bike.
August
02
13h30 - I am an Ironman!
I have waited 12 months to say that: I am an Ironman. It took me 12 months of training, over 200km of swimming, close to 4500km of biking and 2500km of running to get through my first Ironman.
More about the race later!
July
30
First place at the Ironman UK...
... at the registration desk! I got first this morning at the parking lot, then first at the registration desk... I got everything needed for the race. I also got a bunch of stickers to put on everything from transition bags to wetsuit and helmet. The only problem is that it did not stick on the swim cap they given me, and I'm not sure it'll stick on the wetsuit either.
Aside from that, I met a guy from Spain at the registration (we were actually the two only ones there at 9 this morning). Since he didn't really speak english, I helped him with the translation between spanish and english. We decided to go over the bike route together in the afternoon which we did. We went off course (again) after only less than a km (that's a new record), so I still was not able to see the hardest part of the course. We went uphill at some point and though we were on that famous (or infamous) tough part and went through it quite easilly. So I was quite happy that the tough part was not so tough after all... but it turns out this was not the tough part!
So I don't really feel good right now, because I still wonder how hard it climbs. I guess I'll try again tomorrow, I should now be able to find the right directions. I won't feel good until I will actually have ridden this climb.
Plus I fell from the bike, coming to a stop (again). I felt like a didn't want to remove the shoe from the pedal (for some reason I just got lazy). This was of course a bad idea since I was on the ground a second later. Nothing serious, I just left some skin from my knee on the ground. Let say, that feeling the british ground is part of my needed training. So that is done.
July
29
First day in the UK
I have arrived today in the UK.
When I got off the ferry, I was asked out of the lane, to go for a custom search (seems like I was the only one). They asked le where I was going and what I was going to do. So I told them that I was going to race a triathlon, they checked my trunk and the bike and let me go without a problem. I then drove for about 2 hours from Hull, the point where the ferry dropped me, to my final destination which is Chorley, near Bolton where the IronMan is taking place this Sunday.
I had planned to walk the bike course this afternoon on the bike, but since it was raining, I decided to go for lunch first, driving to Bolton. Since the bike route wasn’t passing too far away from where the hotel is, I made a little detour to get into the route. I followed it for a while, especially until the part that seems to be the hardest, so I could try to feel how hard it would be to climb it (it’s not the hardest climb I’ve seen, but it still will a be a tough part to get through).
I was inspired to go by car since it started really pouring after a while, so much that the road was almost completely flooded at some spots along the way. I could barely go through with the car, I don’t know what I would have done if I had been on the bike (go back, or walk through the water…)
I crossed a guy on the bike. Actually I crossed him twice. Once this morning while I was driving from Hull and once in the afternoon while I was on the bike course. I don’t know if he’ll race the IronMan too, but the first time I saw him, he wasn’t on the actual bike course and the second time he was on the wrong way (but maybe he had to go back, since the road was flooded a bit after the place I saw him).
Later on the day, it stopped raining, so I decided to go for a bike ride. I followed some of the bike route, but I kind of got lost after a while, so I didn’t stay on the exact route. The road is kind of going up and down all the time. The up part is not very steep so I could maintain a good average speed. The down part is not very steep either, so you don’t have to hit the brakes. Overall, it’s a pretty fast road, except for some part where it gets a bit steeper. The only problem is that the road is in poor condition and as much as I love my bike, it’s not very comfortable to ride when the road is not clean. But it’s nothing to serious; I just hope it doesn’t rain too much, because if that road gets wet, I’m afraid, it might call for a disaster.
I rode about 30km and got back after an hour. Then I went to the hotel gym where I ran on the treadmill for 4km. The gym is quite nice here, so I used a couple of machines before hitting the pool for a quick swim.
I was quite happy that I could bike, run and swim after all, because I was a bit desperate when it started to rain a lot and driving around with the car was a bit exhausting, especially that I had driven so much since yesterday.
I seems that tomorrow, we’ll have some sun in the afternoon. I’ll try to go through the entire bike course then. It’s 60km, so it should take me about 2 hours, especially that I need to stop at almost every turn, to make sure I’m still on the course.
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Last Comments
Good job David. Give it another few weeks and you should be in the 'Excellent' catagory!!
You can now follow trispace on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Trispace
Thanks Jeff... I think I'll need more than a few weeks, but I'll try to improve my time.
Wrap 'em in a bag so your sweetie doesn't see them, IronDave! You know how she feels about all of those Euros supporting your "habits...."
Train Smart! Get some new Zoots! (I bought some Brooks Beasts---and it has made ALL of the difference!)
I guess you're right... it's not worth damaging my knees and legs. I'll check if they have the new models around here.
Careful, SuperDave: those wiley Brits are watching: they might try to recruit you! Today! I can assure you that you are already performing in the "elite" category of soldier!
Everything's falling into place for a great competitive experience for you. You are clearly putting some precise thought into the program and visualizing yourself within the context of the race. If there's a better way than you're going at it, I don't know it!
Go, Dave, go!
PS: Thinking about being pushy (apologies) and asking you to track & post your sleep! What do you think?
Thanks for your comment!
I don't have a pro account on Gyminee so I can't track my sleep there. But I could do it on this blog...
Looking forward to the debrief, SuperDave!
I've been looking (Google Earth) at the adjacent cities to see within which "green zones" or open areas you might be riding long-distance on your bike. (Ultimately decided that you were staying pretty close to home, within 15km, on a looped/overlapping circuit --- was I right?)
While a 2.2/10k is hardly a "warm up" for your caliber of athlete, I'm certain that you'll benefit from the "group mentality" exposure, pre-run excitement, and the challenge of maintaining focus in the midst of the distraction of a chaotic starting line, etc.
And when you find a pearl of wisdom to share, please do so!!
Quick update: got a cup for third place in my age category (probably around 8th or 10th overall) with a time of 37:20 which is way more than the 34 minutes I was going for. More about it later on!
About the longer rides that you asked about, well I usually don't loop and go to the near mountains (Vosges). Here you can find an example of a 125km ride with a couple of climbs: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/...
Well done, Sir!
That had to feel good! Plus, wasn't this a qualifying event for other duathalon/triathalon activities down the road?
I see you opted for the new Nike socks with the Zoots! I wear a "Dri Fit" variety of the same, but yours appear to be thicker/more padded!
Well, again, well done, Super Dave!
Can't wait for the next "Victory Lap!"
Thanks! It was not a qualifying event. It was actually quite a small event (this is why I came out 3rd place). I picked a smaller event so I had a chance to finish at a decent place...
The Nike socks are great, the padding is indeed quite nice but they seem to wear out quite fast.
Sexy attire! ;-) I like it! Besides...
If David's comfy, David focuses better! When David focuses, he sees the winner's podium. And when David sees that podium, he figures he might as well be the one standing on top of it --- so he rides: and he rides FAST!
David looks good on that podium!
Watch David win! He's focused!
How has this trainer worked for you thus far?
Did I overlook your comments on your "preferred" biking shoes? Apologies, if so....
I use from time to time and now that the weather is better and the days are longer, I don't use it as much (sometimes when I run out of time and still want to squeeze 10 or 20km, it's still faster to use the trainer). So far I've logged about 450km on it (in about 2 months as opposed to over 1000km on the road for the same period), it's great and really help with the pedaling. The only downside, is that it gets really (really!) hot while using it, so I have to mop the floor each time I use it because of the sweat.
It's also a bit boring, so more than 45 minutes is really hard. I try to watch TV while on it, but I lose some focus over my work out so it is not as intense (but get by faster).
I wouldn't give it away, because I don't know how I could do my biking while it's cold, snowy and slippery outside. So it's a definite must have if you want to ride all year long (unless you live in a place where it's sunny all year long).
Well... that is indedd a good question, since I haven't really got any pair yet. I'm still using my old MTB shoes (with laces, I let you imagine how that translates during transitions). Still looking for those perfet shoes. I might go for the Shimano TR51, but I haven't been able to try them on before buying them. I guess because they are so specific to Triathlons and so expensive, most stores can't carry them because they wouldn't be selling them that easily.
Last year during the winter sales, I almost bought a pair of Specialized shoes (dedicated to Triathlons), but I hesitated too long before the sales were over. I initally bough some SIDI triathlon shoes with the bike last year, but really didn't like them, so I returned them. I have been searching since (not very actively, but still looking).
I'll write a full post about those shoes once I figure which one I'll go for.
Well, thanks Jon! But honestly I just wish I can get through the race, the podium is really a bit out of reach for me...
I predict that you'll be happy you made this move! Just don't let the ladies distract you "too much!" (Plus, you know how jealous your sweety can get!)
Ironically, this will be the time when most gyms start to report a lower census --- just as the weather improves. So even better for you! (We are enjoying18-20 C. days, so I'm already seeing here.)
I'll look for your re-assessment looking back 30 days!
I like what I see. And I'm reminded that I don't find my workouts nearly as meaningful and/or worthwhile when I forget to set my HRM! Your system really makes for a nice, smooth presentation.
Good trends, SuperDave!
Stay strong!
JJ
Hi!
I found your website last week through gyminee.com. I am way over here in wintery Canada and I am looking for folks to do stuff with over here when I came across you and your site.
My husband and I like to ride and dabble in running (mostly stair climbing) and some swimming (mostly hot-tubbing). Our goal this season is 5000kms. Last year I made 3200 km, while he made 3000 from June until October. We can't ride much in the winter due to all the snow we get, and the gym doesnt do much for us.
Anyway, I love your site, I am 212 lbs and despite my best efforts last year I only lost ten lbs. I feel it is in my eating habits.
I wanted to ask you what your meals are like, how often you eat and such, is there somewhere to find that on your blog?
Also, I don't take many days off either, what do you do for active recovery?
Cheers and all the best from Canada.
Carolyn
Hello Carolyn!
Thanks for your note and for stopping by!
You're right I never talk about nutrition in my blog, I will add a category about it an try to talk about it a bit more, even though I'm not under a very precise diet.
As far as recovery goes, even though I don't ever take a day off, I sometimes tone down my workouts when I feel I need some rest. Most of the time I work out mornings and evenings (sometimes I add a workout at lunch time). To get some recovery, I sometimes work out on the morning only and then not until the next evening.
Je vois que tu es toujours à fond! Bravo et bon courage pour les derniers mois!
Aymeric from Gyminee
Salut Aymeric !
C'est vrai que je te vois moins souvent sur Gyminee ces temps-ci. Tu as moins de temps pour t'entraîner ?
Hello David!
Non, disons tout simplement moins de motivation malheureusement. Je tente de m'y remettre sur une base de 2x par semaine.
A très bientot sur Gyminee et bonne continuation en tout cas. Je passerai de temps en temps pour suivre ton évolution!
Aymeric
Well done IRON DAVE. I had a look at your totals for the year so far on Daily Burn and it is amazing 1722 km Run, 165 km Swim and 3145 km Cycling. WOW. Are you planning to win the Ironman? Great idea about the blog. Have a wonderful tapper period
Hello Kiewiet!
I wish I could plan on winning the IronMan but I'm just hoping to finish it for now. I'd like to get under 12 hours, but I have no idea if I can or not (I'll figure that out probably around mile 50 on the bike).
If I can finish under 12 hours this first one, my next goal will be to go under 10 hours, and maybe try to qualify for Kona (I can always drean, can't I?).
Le lieu idéal pour se détendre! Vous devrez souvent repos dans ce lieu?
C'est en fait ma première fois au Brésil... je découvre.
To borrow a phrase from Woody Allen, "80 percent of success is just showing up!"
Not to worry, your training will take care of the other 20-percent for you, SuperDave!
About 20 minutes in, you will have found your pace, caught your breath, controlled your heart rate, and remembered to relax your upper body! Then, it's steady as she goes!
Cheering from afar, I am your big fan in Spain, Jon
Thanks Jon! So far I'm still relax... so it should be fine.
Adapt, adjust, and overcome! That is just what you did for a very impressive showing Mr. Nguyen! Very impressive, indeed, and the learning experience was surely worth participation! Very well done...and thanks for sharing your journey...!
Congratulations!
What tenacity ... what courage ... but knowing you, it doesn't surprise me :)
Take care
Hello, SuperDave! Hope that the leg(s) are on the mend and ready to go to the U.K...and I'm betting that they are (at least more ready than the mind is at this point from what I infer by your last post). Stay focused and regain some of your confidence from the many, many hours you've invested in your fitness & readiness. One of the greatest feelings you'll experience is riding on the momentum, energy, and excitement of your hard work---and doing so right on through & beyond the "I'm not sure" that ALL Ironmen experience just before their monumental challenge! Head down! Stay on course! Hang on to the courage that got you this far, buddy!! ~jon
Hi Jon! Thanks, the legs are getting better, so I hope they should be back to optimum performance by the end of the month.
Confidence is coming back, so I should be fine... We'll see that pretty soon!
"Tough part" is the mental game, SuperDave! You'll be fine! Go run, swim, & ride like you know you can!! GOOD LUCK!!
Once again - well done on your excellent time 13hrs 30min to complete your 1st Ironman. YOU DID IT!
Congrats Mr Ironman
Congratulations! Well-deserved!
Congratulations Boss ;)
Ces longs mois d'efforts et d'entrainements ont finis par payer !
Exceptional ! As usual with you ;)
Another job "well done," SuperDave! I am proud of your performance!
You're still "gathering data" on your potential for improvement on your future performance, so don't be too hard on yourself or forget what you've already accomplished...which is "a LOT!"
Yours is an interesting conflict between what you "know" and what you strive for---which is to perform even better than you "know" you can!
That's where a personal coach comes in---someone who can look at the data with you and help you to find where there's room for the improvement you seek. A coach can provide you perspective and perhaps remind you that the 14 total minutes you had hoped to shave off was, after all, a mere 840 seconds....
A few seconds here...a few there. Something to think about, no?
Thanks Dr Jon! I know I can gain a few seconds here and there and get to my goal... I know that my next goal for the same event should be around 2h45 and I pretty much know exacty where I can find some improvement and gain those minutes. The problem is that in my head I have already set up a goal that is more around 2h20 which again is very hard, if not impossible, to attain.
I guess that aiming at 2h45 is a normal conceivable goal which should be mine. But 2h20 is something crazy and it would be amazing and almost impossible to get there but I need my goals to be in the amazing and unatainable category. Normal is just not good enough for me.
It's not always that good, because aiming for the impossible leads you to fail almost all the time (by definition if it's impossible, it can't be done) and be disappointed and eventuallty quit. But I just can't set my goals to something I can do, it needs to be something out of reach.
Hallucinant !!!
Welldone mate, i was told about the 300club at my TAC last night. I got a run time of 8.25. As i'm 19 i need to get 8.15.
How are you training for it?
I'm doing lots of interval work atm.
@Gibbo : 8.25, that's very good! I wish I could go that low (though I haven't tried for a while now, my last attempt was 9.16). I'm trying to include interval work as much as I can (or I should I say whenever I am not too lazy)...
I will plan another test pretty soon, you got me warmed up!
Great post, hope Sunday's triathlon goes great!
I've just started biking. I have a healthy respect for you!
You don't mension the sit ups and press ups which are also part of the 300 test, i did the test last weekend sailed through the sit ups and press ups and was 14 secs over on the run, gutted but the tee shirt has my name all over it. 22years in and still soldiering on! "never give up"
8.39 RIR in october :)
the conclusion is that they are very good shoes for longer runs : I'm not sure to understand...
Well, it's not the more cushionned shoed out there. Depending on your weight and running style, it might not be enough. They are meant to be used for longer runs (marathons for example), but they have little stability. So unless you're a neutral runner, they might not feel that good over long runs.
Regarding shoes, it always hard to recommend shoes because every one runs differently. For me I always found Zoot shoes pretty good. I have now a pair of Adidas Adizero Kona, very light, very dynamic, but close to zero support (even less than the Zoots).
Earlier this week CK Industries launched an offline product inventory for shopping and product search. And this morning the company went live with their latest web portal.
Christmas greetings from all of us at kayla top. We hope you have a great new year.
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