Race Season Planning

Now that we're well into the holiday season, and the racing season is pretty much done for the year it's time to reflect on your past season, and begin planning for next year. From a reflection perspective, I like to look at what went right and what are some of the opportunities I want to focus on improving for next year. How was the spacing of my races, did I do too many, not enough? Could I have made any tweaks to my training plan? I also like to re-evaluate pre-race nutrition and race nutrition and understand which was the best combination.
For race season planning, I evaluate what other things are going on in my life - baby, wife, job, vacations planned, other possible factors that could effect my races. Every year responsibilities evolve, and goals change. As I'm planning my season, I'm going to set my season goals first, then plan my races (as far as dates/location, and feasibility), then rank the races as either A, B, or C. A means it's a race I want to PR, where B and C races are more preparatory for the a races.
How do you plan your races?

Running with the Dogs

Whenever I have a recovery run or a semi-endurance run (4-8) miles I try and take my two dogs with me. Unfortunately the dogs don't get too many opportunities to go on runs anymore so they start off at a fast pace while still trying to smell everything around them. After a few blocks they get into a rhythm and all is fine and good - relaxing, calm, and peaceful. All of the sudden, for no apparent reason, one of the dogs will just stop by digging his paws into the ground, causing my arm to jerk backwards. He'll walk around, sniff, and then off we go again. This will happen at least 4-5 times between the two dogs on the run. Typically I have one dog leash in each hand, but there has been times when the dogs think it would be a good idea to go over to the other side, which causes the leashes to tangle, and then I face plant into the ground falling over the leashes. Good times - looking back it's pretty funny. One of my favorites is when we're running in the Greenbelt and Bailey, the more observant dog, spots a rabbit or other critter in the woods and darts directly into that direction, which pulls us off the path. It is often a challenge to take them for a run, but they love to get out and enjoy the fall running days.

Rae Gene Burger

On Saturday my wife and I attended the Annual DSMTri Clubdinner. One of the featured speakers of the evening was Rae Gene Burger. She began her endurance career by doing marathons - she did 35 by the age of 40. She decided that she wanted to give triathlons a try - she didn't even know how to swim, but she joined the YMCA and learned to swim - soon afterwards, she did her first Ironman. She has done Ironmans in Brazil, Japan, Europe, and made 10+ races in Kona - the World Championship for the Ironmans. By the end of her career - ~ 65 years old she completed 39 total Ironmans. Rae is also a dedicated mom and grandma.
The reason I bring this story up is because, a) it is a testament to how absolutely amazing the human body is, and b) anyone can accomplish their dream and goals if they are willing to put forth the effort, and make the sacrifices necessary. If you set the goal, put in the work, have the support system, and wake up everyday reaching for that goal, you can do absolutely anything.

For my birthday, I got a new aero helmet. Some studies have shown that wearing an aero helmet can increase your speed by 1 mph. There are a lot of unknown variables in validating the study, but 1 mph can be pretty significant in the longer races. For example, going 1 mph faster can save about 5 minutes off your biking time in an Olympic triathlon, which is pretty signficant. I hope to get an opportunity to take a ride this weekend to try it out. Below is a picture.

Outdoor Biking vs Spinning

As the winter approaches it is harder and harder to get motivated to ride outside - it's cold, windy, and not as enjoyable as the summer. An excellent alternative is taking a spinning class. Spinning classes are offered at most gyms and will help improve your aerobic base, improve strength, hill climbing, and overall bike strength. Typically classes are offered in 45-60 minute sessions.

I do want to point out that spinning should not replace biking when the season nears for a few reasons.
1) Spinning is in a controlled environment - it's important to get outside to learn to adjust to the natural elements (heat, wind, rain, etc)
2) Riding a normal/tri bike will work more of your quads and hip flexors then spinning. Spin class will work slightly different muscles, including the hamstrings. Spinning will tax your cardiovascular system more and you will feel like you're working a lot harder than you normally would on a typical bike. Some spinning classes promote standing while riding, while racing triathlons you want to stay seated as much as possible and keep your heart rate in check.
3) It is important to include outdoor rides so you can work on steering, braking, and gear shifting. Outdoor riding will also encourage you to learn how to change a flat tire or fix common mechanical issues on the fly.
4) Triathlon training is based on periodization and many spinning instructors won't take that into account while conducting a class. Make sure you find an instructor that specifies in triathlon training and fits into your training heart rate zones.

Speaking of which, I will be conducting triathlon classes at 7 Flags beginning January 5th. Contact me for more information. More detailed information will be coming in the near future

I really like running at night during the fall - I enjoy the cool weather and dark streets that allows the worries and complexities of the day to fall by the wayside and I can just run, allowing myself to be free, hear myself breathing, and relish in the ambiance of the night.

Occasionally over the course of my blog I will post my workouts just to give you an idea of what I'm doing for training.
I had a lifting session over the lunch hour focusing on chest, back, triceps, and back.
Tonight's run:
1.15 mile warm-up (distance to a steep a$$ hill)
6 X 150 yard hill runs *45 second walking recovery, 30 second jog to start
1.15 mile jog back home
Total distance: 3.41 miles, total time 35 minutes

Stress

Stress impacts everyone in one way or another, often times in more ways than one. There are many ways to deal with stress, some good, and some that aren't good (eating, not getting enough sleep). For a lot of people exercise can be a great outlet for stress, whether hitting the weights as a release, or doing cardiovascular activities At the same time, stress can also hinder an athletes performance in training and racing. I read a study once about stress and cardiovascular activities - when using both the right side of your body and the left it helps create a calming equilibrium in the brain and makes thinking more clear and creates a calming effect. (The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body). For me personally, running, biking, and swimming helps me alleviate stress by helping me think more clearly, "escape" for a while, and re-energize my mind and body. Do you use exercise to deal with stress? What kind of impact does stress have on your workouts?