From my BB
Good Thursday morning everybody and what a beauty we have going!
Enjoy the day and if you can, step out into the warm sun but stay covered up! ; )
I'm sitting down here at the Boogie Box enjoying the weather but my real job is to get it in order for or next outing.
I have a whole conversation system worked out that takes less than an hour depending on what we are doing next.
After our swim/bike on Saturday we'll start putting all the nicer interior living bits and pieces back in, to prepare for our trip to Lake Placid.
It hard to believe the Ironman is just days away now after such a long training lead up.
I must say that I'm happy with all of my extreme athletes who are competing in Lake Placid. All we have to do now is be really good on race day!
I have said it for years, that we must be good on one certain day and when that day is twelve months away it makes you wonder if it's possible.
You train and train for months on end and it all boils down to being really good on one predetermined race day!
Not the day before, not the day after because that won't help.
The key here is to chill it!
Just allow the days to move on as they will anyway and rely on all the honest work you have put into it, to deserve that special day!
Yes, when the work is done you deserve to have a really good race day and you will!
Allow it to happen, this is where a skilled and well trained athlete can tell the difference between jitters and worries!
They can summon a calmness from within when it seems that all around them everyone is wrong about everything! : )
Yes, feelings and emotions run high as race day gets closer and that is perfectly normal.
I tell my athletes that you must add a little humour to your day and pick your fights carefully.
Wrap yourself in bubble wrap, you don't pick up anything, you stay away from high places and you do no new activities period!
No skipping like a young girl, stay away from opening doors, no back packs with emergency release straps!
What you say?
The incidents above are significant to certain athletes who will remain nameless here but they know who they are. ; )
As the big day closes in it's like being cornered because any injury has no hope of repair in time, sorry!
Being really good on the big day is vital, so be smart everybody and think before you move!
At least until after you have crossed the finish line! : )
We had a great swim last night, one of our best yet and that leads us to this coming weekend where many of our group will be racing.
Racing in New York state half Ironman, Bellwood Lake in Fergus (where I was born) has a very good sprint race with a 30 km bike, and Gravenhurst will see a few of our triathletes chasing the finish line.
I hope I mentioned the ones I should have and didn't leave a race out. If I did I will soon be told about it.
Good luck to all of our racers this weekend!
For the rest of us on Saturday we will do another swim/bike up at the lake just to hold down the fort and have a few laughs!
Have a great day everyone and shoot a smile at someone who needs it!
You never know what can come of it?
Here is my example of that!
About ten or more years ago while changing in the locker room at my local gym I witnessed an older gentleman try to stand up while he was sitting under an open half locker door! Ouch!
It was painful for me to see never mind for the head of this fine gentleman and needless to say he didn't think much of the whole incident! : (
Personally I thought he should have moved the door first and there would have been no problem, but he didn't and we now had one!
Not knowing the gentleman at the time and not being fast enough to tell him to" watch out" I almost felt it was my fault that he nailed it and looked so silly! : (
So, this is where my smile came in!
Yes I didn't know what to say so I just smiled at him and for some reason he smiled back.
I guess sensing the humour in it!
"Shit" I said, "did that hurt?"
And from then on my new buddy Larry and I have been good friends, talking and just passing the time of day when we meet.
See, you never know what a smile can bring!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Triathlon Rider Vs Road Rider
Good Tuesday afternoon everybody!
Yes I know it's late the day to be sending out this blog but you know ....!
Hey we had a great time up at the DRTC track workout last night!
It was (as usual) nice to have such an energetic group of willing participants just waiting to see what I could dream up for them to try next! : )
Happily everyone survived and we had a few good laughs along the way.
I think I deeked them out at least one time, when I said our next drill would be at full speed so give ourselves lots of room!
We got set and ready to go, but it was a drill to see who could get their front wheel off and up over their head the fastest! : (
Yes there were some groaners from that one but it was fun just the same, until I said the next race was to put it back on fast and then ride away! : )
As you can tell from my track workout reports as irregular as they are, that we do have a pretty good workout but bike skills have certainly come to the forefront of what we do there.
I have noticed for many years the different riding patterns between the road bike riders and we triathletes and it's pretty obvious that we are singled out.
What do I mean?
Singled out because those are the rules in triathlon racing and we must abide by them!
For example the road riders stay in packs and are typically working together to keep their speed up as the kilometers fly by. They ride shoulder to shoulder and right from the beginning they learn to ride in close quarters with their fellow riders.
Is this good for them and do they learn better handling skills by doing it?
Yes on both counts, they travel much faster in a swarm and if they don't watch what they are doing while in there, they will not be very popular for long! Crash!
As for our triathlon riding techniques we must go it alone and only on occasion during a training ride will you see triathletes temporarily bunching up.
Our sport demands that we keep out of each other's drafting zone and only when passing another rider are you allowed in for a short time.
Do our bike skills suffer because of this "go it alone" type riding?
I'm not convinced it does because many triathletes approach the bike portion in different ways but if you base your opinion merely on our general comfort level in close and unfamiliar quarters it may be so.
So to help all of our club members become more well rounded bike riders I have been implementing some riding drills more tuned to road style riding than Tri riding because in my mind it makes sense.
Better riders are better riders period, and if I can take a page from the road bike folks and apply it to our needs to produce superior triathlon riders, so be it!
I have already applied some very interesting twists and turns to our track workouts and with any luck I will continue to uncover many more, so stay tuned!
Well I better get moving here, so have a great evening and enjoy the nice weather!
Today's picture of a happy John and Dave was taken after they raced in London a few weeks back.
Great job guys!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Staying On It
For my BB
Good Monday afternoon everybody!
Well, its a little cool but the sun is out and life is good!
This past weekend we stuck to our guns and headed up to the lake for our DRTC swim/bike in spite of what the weatherman said!
Although we called the swim just a little bit early because of grumpy skies the bikes were rolling as planned!
Yes a little rain fell as the morning flew by but everybody hung in there and knocked those kilometers down!
Never mind the big runs planned for Sunday!
Just before the Boogie was loaded and ready to go, a nice lady stopped by and was asking about our activities.
As it turns out she was from the local Pefferlaw newspaper and asked if she could come back and see us in action next Saturday so she could write a little something about us.
I must say all the folks up at the lake, including those who work for Georgiana Township have been very helpful to us. It just makes it so much nicer to do new things when we are all pulling in the same direction!
Tonight we are at the track again and its hard to believe we are doing our sixth week there.
I have enjoyed the track workouts because it allows me the opportunity to not only put together solid running challenges but also allows me to bring some interesting bike work to the table.
We have done so much work to improve riding and handling skills that I can actually see how everyone is a lot more confident in their saddle.
That doesn't mean I can't find more challenges to push them a little further because we are only scratching the surface at the moment! : )
Have a great day everyone and make it count!
Good Monday afternoon everybody!
Well, its a little cool but the sun is out and life is good!
This past weekend we stuck to our guns and headed up to the lake for our DRTC swim/bike in spite of what the weatherman said!
Although we called the swim just a little bit early because of grumpy skies the bikes were rolling as planned!
Yes a little rain fell as the morning flew by but everybody hung in there and knocked those kilometers down!
Never mind the big runs planned for Sunday!
Just before the Boogie was loaded and ready to go, a nice lady stopped by and was asking about our activities.
As it turns out she was from the local Pefferlaw newspaper and asked if she could come back and see us in action next Saturday so she could write a little something about us.
I must say all the folks up at the lake, including those who work for Georgiana Township have been very helpful to us. It just makes it so much nicer to do new things when we are all pulling in the same direction!
Tonight we are at the track again and its hard to believe we are doing our sixth week there.
I have enjoyed the track workouts because it allows me the opportunity to not only put together solid running challenges but also allows me to bring some interesting bike work to the table.
We have done so much work to improve riding and handling skills that I can actually see how everyone is a lot more confident in their saddle.
That doesn't mean I can't find more challenges to push them a little further because we are only scratching the surface at the moment! : )
Have a great day everyone and make it count!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Let The Weekend Begin
From my BB
Good Friday morning everybody and what a beauty it is!
I've just finished my swim and now getting ready for the day.
Unfortunately for me I have a lot of computer stuff to work on so I guess I'll have to sit outside to get it done in style.
Laptops and wireless Internet you gotta love'em!
Last night we had a very good swim class if I don't say so myself!
We even got a chance to thump each other with noodles to better simulate swim race conditions. : )
Of course everyone was careful about how hard and where their noodle strikes landed! : (
It was fun anyway!
Tomorrow morning we are heading up to the lake for I hope another good swim but the weather man is saying differently! Crap!
They say rain and possible thunder storms in the early morning then clearing later in the day, ouch!
But like I said the other day with this weather we must stick to our plan and safely work around whatever weather we get.
This is the last big training weekend for my Lake Placid Ironman folks and I'm sure they are thrilled by it! : )
They have every week been working harder and harder since January if you can imagine, and all of that work is about to pay off!
Starting on Monday they will all begin a two week taper period that will gradually take their daily workouts done to a crawl.
Why you ask?
These lesser weeks will allow their bodies to heal, they will top up their tanks, replenish the soul, and generally get hungry for the big day!
A word of advice here, don't underestimate the value of a good taper!
Anyone who has properly trained for an Ironman knows very well how important it is to stay to the plan!
Some will handle the taper better than others and in my own experience the first couple were distasteful but experience later proved them vital!
But let's not get ahead of ourselves here because we have a huge weekend to master and I say "get going and take no prisoners!" : )
For all of our DRTC members it would be great to see you tomorrow, so come on out and join in the fun!
We leave the Whitby Rec parking lot at about 6:30 am or you can meet us at the lake on Holmes Point Rd in Pefferlaw.
If the swim is on, we try to have it rolling by 8:00 am.
As for the riding we have a lot of riders going varied distances so it's easy to match up with someone.
Have a great weekend everyone and remember to play safe! Yahoo!
Good Friday morning everybody and what a beauty it is!
I've just finished my swim and now getting ready for the day.
Unfortunately for me I have a lot of computer stuff to work on so I guess I'll have to sit outside to get it done in style.
Laptops and wireless Internet you gotta love'em!
Last night we had a very good swim class if I don't say so myself!
We even got a chance to thump each other with noodles to better simulate swim race conditions. : )
Of course everyone was careful about how hard and where their noodle strikes landed! : (
It was fun anyway!
Tomorrow morning we are heading up to the lake for I hope another good swim but the weather man is saying differently! Crap!
They say rain and possible thunder storms in the early morning then clearing later in the day, ouch!
But like I said the other day with this weather we must stick to our plan and safely work around whatever weather we get.
This is the last big training weekend for my Lake Placid Ironman folks and I'm sure they are thrilled by it! : )
They have every week been working harder and harder since January if you can imagine, and all of that work is about to pay off!
Starting on Monday they will all begin a two week taper period that will gradually take their daily workouts done to a crawl.
Why you ask?
These lesser weeks will allow their bodies to heal, they will top up their tanks, replenish the soul, and generally get hungry for the big day!
A word of advice here, don't underestimate the value of a good taper!
Anyone who has properly trained for an Ironman knows very well how important it is to stay to the plan!
Some will handle the taper better than others and in my own experience the first couple were distasteful but experience later proved them vital!
But let's not get ahead of ourselves here because we have a huge weekend to master and I say "get going and take no prisoners!" : )
For all of our DRTC members it would be great to see you tomorrow, so come on out and join in the fun!
We leave the Whitby Rec parking lot at about 6:30 am or you can meet us at the lake on Holmes Point Rd in Pefferlaw.
If the swim is on, we try to have it rolling by 8:00 am.
As for the riding we have a lot of riders going varied distances so it's easy to match up with someone.
Have a great weekend everyone and remember to play safe! Yahoo!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Nice Swim Last Night
From my BB
Good Thursday morning everybody!
Hold onto your hats they say its going to be a sunny day!
We had a great swim in the lake last night and I'm sure everyone got enough water under them to sleep well! : )
This weather is very hard to figure and unless there are flashes in the sky it's best to stick to your plan.
When we went into the lake which was fairly calm, there where some gloomy skies nearby that we watched closely but in no time they passed and we were home free.
My plan for our swimmers was to allow them as much non stop swimming time as I could by setting a longer than usual course at 240 metres per loop.
This way I could still regularly check on each of them by limiting the number of loops before a stop and they could still feel the long swim effects.
Of course the folks heading for the Ironman in a couple of weeks were given a pass and allowed to swim non stop for the whole session. Yahoo!
We had a lot of fun and it was time well spent.
We did have one unusual situation that involved a distressed boat.
Here we are doing our swim session and about half way through a good sized boat say 20 feet or so started to beep his horn and flash his bow light.
The boat appeared to be stationary and was some distance away so I didn't know what they were doing.
They was no smoke and the water was fairly calm so I didn't sense there was an emergency.
Well our distant boat kept it up long enough for me to have to make the journey across the bay in my kayak to see what was up.
Christine and Patty took control of the now ending session and I headed over to the boat.
So I'm rowing and rowing but now they seem to be heading away from me and I was just about to turn back when a young man jumped up on the front of the boat waving at me.
Once at the boat I realized there were three very concerned teenagers who had a parent's boat out and with little water safety training!
They had run out of gas and had no idea what to do!
Seriously they didn't even know they were drifting on the lake! : (
I told them how to set an anchor properly so they would stop bobbing all over the place and that helped them settle down.
I called back to Patty on shore with my walkie and then Ursula headed to the marina to see if they would come out and get the boys.
I made sure they were fine and said not to worry we would make sure they would be picked up!
They were much relived but must have had second thoughts as I paddled away back to shore. Ha Ha!
As I came past one cottage there were a group of people there so I stopped in and we chatted about the boat.
They told me they had already called the police and they were on the way. Yahoo!
Off I went and as we were pulling out of the parking lot a large boat was now pulling up beside the boys and they were I'm sure, very happy!
Just another day on the water for us, not for them!
Safety is for everybody!
Have a great day and enjoy the weather! : )
Good Thursday morning everybody!
Hold onto your hats they say its going to be a sunny day!
We had a great swim in the lake last night and I'm sure everyone got enough water under them to sleep well! : )
This weather is very hard to figure and unless there are flashes in the sky it's best to stick to your plan.
When we went into the lake which was fairly calm, there where some gloomy skies nearby that we watched closely but in no time they passed and we were home free.
My plan for our swimmers was to allow them as much non stop swimming time as I could by setting a longer than usual course at 240 metres per loop.
This way I could still regularly check on each of them by limiting the number of loops before a stop and they could still feel the long swim effects.
Of course the folks heading for the Ironman in a couple of weeks were given a pass and allowed to swim non stop for the whole session. Yahoo!
We had a lot of fun and it was time well spent.
We did have one unusual situation that involved a distressed boat.
Here we are doing our swim session and about half way through a good sized boat say 20 feet or so started to beep his horn and flash his bow light.
The boat appeared to be stationary and was some distance away so I didn't know what they were doing.
They was no smoke and the water was fairly calm so I didn't sense there was an emergency.
Well our distant boat kept it up long enough for me to have to make the journey across the bay in my kayak to see what was up.
Christine and Patty took control of the now ending session and I headed over to the boat.
So I'm rowing and rowing but now they seem to be heading away from me and I was just about to turn back when a young man jumped up on the front of the boat waving at me.
Once at the boat I realized there were three very concerned teenagers who had a parent's boat out and with little water safety training!
They had run out of gas and had no idea what to do!
Seriously they didn't even know they were drifting on the lake! : (
I told them how to set an anchor properly so they would stop bobbing all over the place and that helped them settle down.
I called back to Patty on shore with my walkie and then Ursula headed to the marina to see if they would come out and get the boys.
I made sure they were fine and said not to worry we would make sure they would be picked up!
They were much relived but must have had second thoughts as I paddled away back to shore. Ha Ha!
As I came past one cottage there were a group of people there so I stopped in and we chatted about the boat.
They told me they had already called the police and they were on the way. Yahoo!
Off I went and as we were pulling out of the parking lot a large boat was now pulling up beside the boys and they were I'm sure, very happy!
Just another day on the water for us, not for them!
Safety is for everybody!
Have a great day and enjoy the weather! : )
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Catch Me Up
From my BB.
Good Wednesday morning everybody!
They are already saying this is the summer that never started but just hang on a little longer and I'm sure we will have our share! : )
After our great adventure to Lake Placid we jumped right to the DRTC track workout for some relay running and bike skills. Then our Wednesday swim wasn't scheduled because of Canada Day : ) and our highly anticipated mini triathlon on Saturday morning was postponed because of the high winds which made the water unusable.
Most of our group still got in a good ride (some 200km) but the lake was far to bumpy to even set the marks.
Safety first you know!
Tonight we will, providing the weather is OK, have another club swim to see how everyone is doing.
I won't give away the workout details but I was on the lake most of yesterday doing some private coaching and the water temperature is no longer an issue.
It could be a long swim night!
Yahoo!
We are now in full swing with our very short triathlon season and the tension is beginning to mount!
Tension you say?
Well let's keep it in perspective but yes the "A" races are closing in and everyone is starting to batten down the hatches! : (
An "A" race for those who don't know, is the athlete's number one race of the season and all of their prerace training including other races revolve around the "A" race.
So as this race gets closer it's common for the athlete to feel the pressure.
Why?
In most cases the "A" race is a step up to higher level. This step up can be from T-A-T to sprint distance or it can be a step up for a skilled triathlete to move into the Ironman arena but either way it involves some good guts.
I have so much respect for all of our triathletes as they move through these challenges so bravely!
Yes there will definitely be times of self doubt and possibly the odd breakdown (perfectly normal) but with a little encouragement these wonderfully determined athletes will get the chance to shine on race day like they were meant to do!
Stay focused and don't get ahead of yourself is good advise right now!
So if you are living with one of these normally good natured folks and have been supportive all the way, now is the time you need to be even more so.
Choose your words, things like "what are you worried about" or "what took you so long" or "I know what you are going through" will probably not go over too well as the days tick past. ; )
Smile everyone,"please" because this is all about having fun, living a darn good life and remember," there will be a Monday"!
Whew!
See you at the lake tonight!
Good Wednesday morning everybody!
They are already saying this is the summer that never started but just hang on a little longer and I'm sure we will have our share! : )
After our great adventure to Lake Placid we jumped right to the DRTC track workout for some relay running and bike skills. Then our Wednesday swim wasn't scheduled because of Canada Day : ) and our highly anticipated mini triathlon on Saturday morning was postponed because of the high winds which made the water unusable.
Most of our group still got in a good ride (some 200km) but the lake was far to bumpy to even set the marks.
Safety first you know!
Tonight we will, providing the weather is OK, have another club swim to see how everyone is doing.
I won't give away the workout details but I was on the lake most of yesterday doing some private coaching and the water temperature is no longer an issue.
It could be a long swim night!
Yahoo!
We are now in full swing with our very short triathlon season and the tension is beginning to mount!
Tension you say?
Well let's keep it in perspective but yes the "A" races are closing in and everyone is starting to batten down the hatches! : (
An "A" race for those who don't know, is the athlete's number one race of the season and all of their prerace training including other races revolve around the "A" race.
So as this race gets closer it's common for the athlete to feel the pressure.
Why?
In most cases the "A" race is a step up to higher level. This step up can be from T-A-T to sprint distance or it can be a step up for a skilled triathlete to move into the Ironman arena but either way it involves some good guts.
I have so much respect for all of our triathletes as they move through these challenges so bravely!
Yes there will definitely be times of self doubt and possibly the odd breakdown (perfectly normal) but with a little encouragement these wonderfully determined athletes will get the chance to shine on race day like they were meant to do!
Stay focused and don't get ahead of yourself is good advise right now!
So if you are living with one of these normally good natured folks and have been supportive all the way, now is the time you need to be even more so.
Choose your words, things like "what are you worried about" or "what took you so long" or "I know what you are going through" will probably not go over too well as the days tick past. ; )
Smile everyone,"please" because this is all about having fun, living a darn good life and remember," there will be a Monday"!
Whew!
See you at the lake tonight!
By Hook Or By Crook
One way or another today I will make a good attempt at catching you up with all the things we have been doing but first I have to get my swim done!
I will be back!
I will be back!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
