Training in the Winter

Some of you may be wondering how you train for swimming, biking, and running in the late fall, winter, and early spring.  Don’t let the low temperatures, minimal daylight hours, or the potential for rain, snow and ice be your excuse to further mold a butt-print on your sofa. It is easy to get de-motivated in the winter months, but instead you can use this time to add some valuable base-training or intensity to your work outs.   

For the swim, things are pretty easy - the local Y has a pool. It's warmer than most lakes, treated chemically to try to kill the nasties that get in from people who don't shower before jumping in, and has a black stripe along the bottom. Granted, it's not the ideal training ground for open water swimming, but it does have the benefit of a pace clock and the certain knowledge that there's a 99% chance we won't freeze to death, and we won’t get arrested for trespassing, unlike the local lakes. It definitely helps to swim with a partner or group (like a masters swim class) to keep motivated.

For the bike, you can always move to the deep south, like Florida or southern California, and ride every day of the year!  But if that doesn’t work out, then there are other fun options for your consideration.  If your roads are clear of snow and ice, then you can still ride outside using “snivel” gear.  Lots of companies sell cold-weather cycling clothes to keep your core and extremities (especially toes, fingers, and head) warm.  Still, on some days the cold is just too much to bear, so there are multiple indoor options.  We use a “trainer” parked in our living room in front of the TV.  You mount your rear wheel on and it provides enough resistance to allow you to pedal your way to a respectable puddle of sweat on the floor (so we also suggest rubber mat under it). Our trainer is made by Kurt Kinetic and it's awesome. And by awesome, we mean it would be at home in any torture chamber.  You can pedal your legs to exhaustion while watching cycling workout videos from various companies (we like the “Sufferfest” series), or you can watch whatever’s on the tube.  A half hour on the trainer feels like about an hour of outdoor cycling.  Oh yeah, don't forget to point a fan on yourself!  Other options include exercise bikes (either at home or at the gym) or “spin” bikes like the kind used for spin classes at the gym.  If you’ve never tried a spin class, give it a shot.  They usually last 45 minutes or an hour, are fun while providing a great workout, and unlike zumba or aerobics, don’t require much rhythm or skill. 

For the run, again, put on snivel gear and get outside if the roads are safe.  You definitely don't want to be wearing cotton though - learn a lesson from mountaineers and explorers and stick to the wools or synthetics.  Indoors, the treadmill is the obvious choice and works well as a task master – you can vary the speed, vary the slope, use the buttons to hit your intervals, and watch the improvements build over the winter months, all while keeping current on your favorite Food Network programs!  And, since most treadmills are easier on your joints than running on asphalt, your body may appreciate the softer ride provided by the treadmill. If the TV is too mind-numbing while on the trainer or treadmill, then try listening to an audiobook.  “The Game of Thrones” series of books will give you hundreds of hours of literary listening pleasure and you’ll find yourself looking for ways to exercise so you can listen to more of the story!  

 

Finally, consider using the winter “off season” to bump up your strength and core training.  Multiple options here from simple body weight exercises you can do at home, to dumbbells and gym circuits.  More about this later!

What Hath Odin Wrought

The Norseman Lottery  

We did something a bit crazy and entered the lottery for the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. It seemed like a good idea at the time. That's how most of these things go...very excited at the sign-up, slightly nervous as the days pass and you realize what you've done, terror at opening the email. Add in the horror that the "wrong" one of us got in. Dean was fired up and excited by the challenge; I was a bit hesitant and queasy at the thought of entering. Google Norseman Xtreme Tri (or just go to www.nxtri.com) and you'll see what I mean. No really, go check out the site and watch the video. Back - yeah - it's that epic. I mean, I don't even win scratch off lottery tickets, much less a powerball or megamillions, but sure enough, I had attracted Odin's attention (wrath?) and my name was drawn. 

The kind folks at Norseman put up the odds a day or so in advance of the email notification. For non-Norwegians, the odds were about 17% for the guys and 60% for the gals. While I'm not surprised that there were more guys than gals signed up...I was a bit surprised (concerned) that my odds were 3 times better than Dean's. I was hoping that signing up together (same reservation transaction) might tip the scales of justice. I thought wrong. So, after getting the "you're in" email, while I notionally had a choice - I didn't really have a choice. There's no rolldown - if I passed on the slot, it would go empty. With a total field of about 250 - and enough warnings and other signposts requesting you make *really* sure you want to sign up in advance - wasting a slot seems wrong. Especially a slot as potentially epic as Norseman. So, I'm in. I'm excited to be in, but at the same time - holy crapt. 

One of the quirks of this "race" is that, weather permitting, only the first 160 folks to show up at a mountain checkpoint (really, check the website) get to continue up the course and earn a black t-shirt. Number 161 and down follow an alternate course in search of a white finisher t-shirt. There is obviously no shame in a white t-shirt -- finishing Norseman would be epic enough -- but, oh, the lure of the insanity of the black t-shirt and mountaintop finish. As with all these things, goal 1 is to get to the start line healthy and goal 2 is to finish. But then the other goals creep in, whether it be time related, placement related, or - in a new and magnificently challenging twist - t-shirt related. And goal 3 must be, you guessed it, the black t-shirt. I don't even know if it's realistic. I don't know if it's possible. But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want one. Yeah - going to Norway to do an extreme tri and all I can think about is the t-shirt. Nuts. 

So, what do I have to do between now and then (then being 03 August)? I have to train my arse off, both literally and figuratively.  Looking at my limiters (no particular order): I weigh too much (especially for a hilly bike course), I need to get stronger on the bike, I need to get faster in the water, I need to have enough run fitness to get through 35 kms of the run and rely on mental fortitude to manage the last bit up the mountain, and I need to learn how to descend well on a bike to avoid giving back time that I will desperately need. That's what I need to do in the next 8+ months. And, I need to remember the lessons from IMFL and not become anemic and pay attention to the details of nutrition so I can stay healthy and fueled. 

I've spent the last year working out (as opposed to training for something specific). That's about to change dramatically as my "something" was just set: 03 August 2013 -- Norseman. It seems a long way off, but it's not. I'm going to need help getting there. Dean continues to be the best coach ever and despite his disappointment, he's all in for this adventure. But, I'm going to need some extra mojo help along the way, so the Mortal Man Tri challenges will likely be back. And, there's a really good chance that Broccoli Man, Red Panda, and the Bear will be making some repeat cameos - once I stop hyperventilating, there'll be a video. And, I'll be trying to keep folks updated in various forms and sharing too much information. And, when you get into something like Norseman, there's no option but to hang out the window and beseech Odin. So, for those of you who've requested help from Odin before, give him a shout out your window for Norseman 2013.

ps-no, I didn't give Dean a chance to edit this one. sometimes, you're just stuck with the stream of consciousness. 

Catfish Tri Race Report

Sorry for the delay in posting this. No excuse, Sir!


The good: we successfully proved that sprint tri's can hurt. A lot. Especially when your training focus is on iron distance tri's.

The bad: there are some crazy fast people out there...unfortunately, we're not among them!

The ugly: can the fast people sleep in once in a while? Please?

The excuse:  we did not "taper" at all for this race...just squeezed it into our fairly hefty training schedule as an interval or "speed" workout. We use the word "speed" loosely!  But this is probably not the best way to approach
a race and expect to do well.

The recap: This past Sunday was a beautiful morning in Central Pennsylvania. It was perfect for a day sleeping in, eating a leisurely breakfast, and doing some yard work. It also happened to be perfect for the Catfish Tri (well,
perfect minus the 0445 wake-up alarm...). Got to City Island, checked in, set up transition and walked the mile up to the swim start. A .9 mile swim sounds long for a sprint tri, but it's a fun point-to-point swim with the current. At about 80 degrees the water was warmer than the outside air temps. We opted not to wear the wetsuits figuring that the speed gain would be offset by the increased T1 time. Not sure if our logic was correct, but the fact that we're now pondering stuff like this causes Dawn to wake up in the middle of the night screaming. Dean was sent downstream with the second wave and had a very solid swim. Dawn survived the third wave and got to transition to re-discover the joy of having selected a rack near the guys...no other bikes nearby or
anyone else to compete with space for.

After a couple of speedy-for-us transitions, the fast, flat bike course beckoned. Dean rode the 2nd fastest bike split in his age group and finished it up with a solid run.  The run course must have been a bit short, since Dean's split had him running 6:40 miles which is HIGHLY unlikely.  Dawn crushed her own soul on the bike and had the fastest bike split in her age group, and the 5th fastest overall for the women! Her new bike (aka "the Honey Badger"...watch the hilarious video on you tube for more insight) apparently just does not give a $hit about the run. The Honey Badger just wants to go fast!  Nevertheless, Dawn held on and posted a solid run split with 8 minute miles (again...we think the course is about 1/4 mile short).


Both of us improved our overall times from last year - most noticeably in the swim. And while we admit to some *benefit* to slightly deeper water and more current than last year, we both tried to push during the swim, so it was nice to see the results in the form of faster than expected times.  End result was 3rd place finishes for each of us in our age groups (I know what you're wondering, and yes, there were more than 3 people racing in our age groups!). We may be number 3 but we keep trying!  Next race is likely the Cannonman Half-Iron distance out near Bedford PA in August.

Anyone else racing this year? So far, the race reports are few and far between (hooray for Will Miller!).

Mortal Man Tri Has a New Home!

We want to make sure we give the Mortal Man Tri fun its own home in order to keep folks updated. 

Here's the link to the new site:

http://mortalmantri.blogspot.com/ 

Hope you enjoy the challenge and the chaos! Happy training!

MortalMan Challenge!

We're cooking up a crazy scheme to get friends and family involved in the triathlon madness. It's looking like it's going to be a lot of fun and we're fired up about it.

Check out the Challenge tab to find out more. We're still pulling the details together but it's going to be a lot of fun.

Race Report - Philly Oly Tri - Courtesy of the CC&BW

     The RDW and I competed in the Philly Olympic Distance Tri this past weekend…wait, competed is a word that conjures up images of speed and podiums.  Rather, the RDW and I compLeted the Philly tri.  Truth is we probably had no business racing at all, since RDW's had a pretty bad summer cold for over a week now, and she graciously passed it to me about 5 days ago.  We debated not going, but at the last minute on Saturday we reluctantly decided to give it a shot.  A big part of the decision was the fact that we made the RDW's brother race sick last year at the Riverstock Tri, so we didn’t want to let down the HTFU banner and suffer the consequences of mockery.  We left for Philadelphia with barely enough time before packet pick-up closed. 

     After a very poor night’s sleep (the Indian restaurant we went to might not have been the best pre-race choice, although it was high on the tasty factor), we got up at 4:15 and began the zombie like motions to get to transition area and eventually the swim start.  Our strategy was to consider this a training event, and accept that we would not be setting any PRs. Unlike the Gulf Coast tri where we both hammered the bike and paid dearly on the run, we thought the best strategy, given our less than ideal health, would be to end up “disappointed” in our bike split, in order to save enough energy to get through the run with a negative split. The strategy ended up working well for both of us.  For the record, it’s much more fun to hammer the bike especially since we do not resemble anything in the gazelle, rabbit, or Fesler/Beck species.

     I was in the first wave after the pros (Andy Potts won the race with a course record).  The swim was a point to point in the Schuylkill River, so we took a bus to the swim start in order to swim back to transition.   Water temp was 78.3, so we missed getting to wear our “water wings” or “personal flotation devices” by 0.3 degrees.  Some of you call those things “wetsuits.” Bummer.  The only true “fail” of the day was the porta-potties.  For the love of all that is holy, race directors, please, please, please, re-stock the TP supply early and often. There was about an hour wait at the swim start location, and no TP after about the 15 minute mark.  

     The Schuylkill looked nasty, but wasn’t too funky, although after having all those TP-less folks jump in the water  -- the quality almost certainly went down.  The swim went ok for both of us, which means we survived to ride!  The bike course was two laps of 12+ miles included a long curve around the Museum of Art where Rocky ran up the steps.  There were several good climbs, but that’s where the RDW and I have a minor advantage over flatlanders after training around Carlisle.  We both held our own on the flat sections, to re-pass all the folks pushing the flats any time the road inclined. Fun.  I think I blew a couple of Schuylkill river monsters out of my nose on the ride, and yes, I checked my back-blast area first.  Since I was in the first swim wave with the old dudes, I was passed by a lot of younger folks, but I really took notice when a set of legs bristling with muscle cycled past me, with a “65” on the back of his leg.  I swear they need to start testing amateurs for steroids!  I eventually overtook my 65 year old friend (whom I nicknamed Mr. “T”) on a hill.  Bike splits and average speeds were slightly disappointing for both the RDW and I, but that was our strategy, after all. 

     The 10K run was along the river and was completely flat.   I would say I felt good on the run, but by this time the mucous monster was death-gripping the back of my throat, and I just didn’t have the extra pep in my stride that I should have felt after a neutral bike ride.  I tried to avoid fellow runners while I hocked up pieces of various internal organs.  Mr. T passed me on the run at about mile 2, but I kept him in sight, and passed him back at about mile 5.  It’s sad when I’m struggling to beat a 65 year old, no matter what he might’ve been pumped up on!  The RDW and I did negative split the run, although there was no glory on the course for either of us. Mr. T beat the rest of his age group by about half an hour…wow. Just wow.

     The effort was respectable enough for a Sunday morning “training event.”  The Philly Tri was a very well organized race, despite the porta-let-down.  It had the energy and vibe of a big (2000-ish racers) event, but the details were well thought out and executed (minus the TP supply).  They even had ice cold chocolate milk at the finish.  Yum!  We might have to return next year to give it a shot!  The next training event masquerading as a race is the Catfish Tri in a couple of weeks at City Island in Harrisburg. Who’s in? 

Episode 8 - The Zombie Hoard

Yeah, it's been a while. We're trying to get back on track with the funny movies. Hope this one scratches that itch...we had fun making it.

And yes, rule #1 is cardio!

As always, these are available through the blog, on out YouTube channel (tri4meremortals) as well as through XtraNormal, the site we use to make 'em.

Have fun watching...and then get out there and do some cardio. And if you are confused about the CDC references...check this out: CDC Zombie Preparedness Awesome work and some great emergency preparedness information!