A Different Level of Training

    I've been a little self critical this week for my lack of serious training sessions. As I was climbing the 16' extension ladder up the side of my house for the bazzilionth time this evening, after 2 weeks of scraping, sanding, scraping some more, priming, and caulking I thought back over the last seven days:
    Saturday, after a full day of work, I did a tough endurance swim of descending sets. Then got home, ate a quick, protein packed meal and worked on the house painting until dark. Sunday morning, I was debating a cycling and leg workout, or getting right to work on the house painting, when my pager went off. I spent nearly 6 hours on a structure fire, hauling hose, climbing ladders, raking debris, chucking burnt wood, with only a few quick breaks for water and granola bars. The barn was a total loss, but we saved the house, the trees, and the chickens. I admit, I was a bit tired after that, and had previous plans to deliver a pair of kittens so the rest of the day was shot. Monday I got right to work on the house and spent 8+ hours scraping, sanding, climbing up and down a ladder, and lifting and moving the ladder. Paint scraping is an amazing upper body and core workout. Tuesday I worked all day, hit the pool for a tough strength building swim, home for a quick meal and a cup of coffee, then painted until sundown. Wednesday, my body rebelled and laid me low with a stomach bug; I slept 28 out of 36 hours. Thursday, feeling under the gun to get caught up on painting the house, I worked pretty solid with more scraping (there has been a damned lot of scraping), sanding, painting, and climbing up and down the damned ladder to the peak of the house. Today, I got home from work, had a cup of coffee, some hummus and crackers, and some fresh fruit, then back out onto the ladder to paint the primer onto the peak. Multiple trips up and down the ladder. Again, painting until sundown.
    The epiphany, as I was climbing the ladder was this: Essentially, I participated in an endurance event Sunday. Anyone who says that firefighting is not an endurance event has not shagged hose for hours, then raked through wet, burned debris hunting for possible hotspots, and finally rolling up and loading all the hoses and gear. You get worn out on the fire grounds, then return to the station and spend another 30-60 minutes washing hose and restoring the rigs. Rolling and hauling 2-1/2" hose when you're already tired takes on a certain air of jocularity, when you feel so damned feeble. Honestly though, what I do is nothing compared to full time firefighters that work in areas with high rise buildings. I can't imagine the fitness level it takes to haul a house bundle up flight after flight, in full gear, with SCBA. It boggles the mind. What I realized, on the ladder this evening, was that I had expended more energy than if I had run a marathon, but without the advantage of a taper, pre-race carb load, or calorie dense race morning breakfast. And, I did not let myself have a recovery week. Instead, my body decided to get sick to force me to get caught up on rest.
    I can be too hard on myself at times. True, I am not training to anywhere near the level that I was last summer. But I am expending energy in different arenas, such as house painting and construction, not to mention the occasional emergency call. I have been riding my own ass because my weight is up 4 pounds from my race day weight last summer. 4 pounds... that is nothing.  Nothing. I could lose that in a few weeks of just eating fewer chocolate chips at night. But I choose to not cut myself too much slack because it is all too easy to fall into slovenly habits, regain weight, lose conditioning, skip a workout or two or three.
    But this week, I deserved a bit of rest that I didn't really allow myself. Partly because I am running out of dry weather and the house has to get painted. But largely because it is not easy for me to allow myself to take it easy. I want to push myself. I enjoy the challenges I put in front of myself. Besides, if I don't push me, who will? Endurance swim tomorrow after work, by the way, then more painting.
 

First Run in Too Long

    Went on my first run since the race on July 4th. I've been itching to get out and run, but have been waiting until I had at least a week pain free with my knee. Happy to report that there was no knee pain, just my usual aches and pains. Running is not and never will be a pain free endeavor for me, but it is the price I pay to train for triathlon. I got to run in my new Newton running shoes. They are reported to be the best shoes for the "age group athlete" aka those of us past our youth and prime. All the testimonials from older athletes sing the praises of it being the shoe that lets them run with minimal knee, hip, and ankle pain. Time will tell. But, as for yesterday, they seemed to do the trick. They are a zero rise shoe, with a fairly rigid sole. Not the ultra-fluffy, squishy, over padded running shoe that most would think would be the key to pain free running. I like a thin, firm sole that keeps me connected to the ground. Much as I like my own soul to be firm, solid, and well grounded. The Newtons encourage more of a mid-sole strike for me, which I think will be better for me than my natural inclination to a forefoot strike. I think these will be gentler on my calves and Achille's.   The run itself was brief, maybe a mile and a half. My legs and lungs felt good, though I know my endurance is gone. I had planned on running a flat, easy road, but circumstances had me out in Sherwood, near the hospital, with time on my hands. I ran a couple of laps around the hospital, and the road is mostly rolling hills. It did let me test my muscles a bit, and it felt good. I resisted a set of hill repeats on what would have been the perfect little incline. I was behaving myself, running easy, listening to my body. I wanted to run more, was even thinking of running back to the car and getting out my new trail shoes and giving them a spin, but I reined myself in. I finished with plenty of stretching, three sets of standing high knees, a set of split squats, and more stretching. Yes, last night my left foot and ankle hurt like hell, to the point that I wrapped it for a while and took Aleve before bed. But that is an ongoing issue that has little to do with my run, and more to do with standing on a concrete floor all day at work.
    Funny thing, as I was running, and feeling remorse over my lost endurance, I realized that I could run a 5K with minimal discomfort. I could run a 10K, but know I would feel gassed after. That in and of itself tells me that my body is still in better condition than it was 3-1/2 years ago, when a 5K was out of the question. The endurance will return. I remind myself that I am taking the long view. I want to be back to ultra-endurance, long course triathlon next year. I will complete my I.M. distance, I want the 140.6 sticker on my window. So for now, I will rebuild slowly, steadily, carefully, and not neglect my strength training. Okay, not that I ever really neglect my strength training, but when my endurance training increases to a billion hours a week, it is tough to fit in other workouts. For now though: easy runs to regain my legs, increase my cycling time, swim 3 times a week, strength training, and reintroduce some plyometrics. This will take me into winter in good shape, and from there on, it is a matter of staying injury free until the I.M. Anvil at Hagg Lake next July. That will be my A Race in 2016, and I just might try for the half-Iron in September. Just have to stay strong and injury free. Just. Wish me luck.

After MIdnight

    "Wish I hadn't done that workout," said No One. Ever. Here it is, nigh on midnight, and I'm just half hour past finishing dinner. Yes, I ended up doing a 2+ hour workout, finishing up about 11pm. I am carefully easing back into cycling, adding 5 minutes with every session. Tonight was 50 minutes. I got a bit bold and added some higher gearing, keeping a high cadence, but always being mindful of my knee. It was my leg workout that took the bulk of my evening. I added in a few old friends: weighted pendulum squats, and single leg deadlifts. Slowly building the difficulty of my leg work, adding in a bit more quad work now that the knee pain is barely noticeable. Slow and steady wins the race. Or in my case, regains the strength.
    Tomorrow morning I will start my day with another cycling session. Doing back to back training lets me get the benefits of longer rides, without the strain. It is a trick I have been using to great advantage for the last year and a half, now I am going to incorporate it, gently, into my rebuilding.
    Topped it all off with plenty of protein. Smoothie with banana, almond milk, and 20 grams of brown rice protein. Then cooked up a 3 egg omelet with just a little extra sharp, white cheddar, with a side of Sungold tomatoes. A ripe peach, and small bowl of PB Puffins for dessert.
    Just let me say here, I had forgotten how much I like the MLO brand brown rice protein powder. Yes, it is just a little grainy, but it has an easy, neutral flavor, no added sugar, is vegan, and my body digests it well. It is also good bang for the buck. It is about $12 for a 24 oz can. They list it at 24 servings, 14 grams of protein per serving. Most protein powders are more expensive and have half the number of servings. Okay, that is my sales pitch for the evening. Now, it is past midnight, and I need my recovery sleep.

Never Enough Time

    It would seem rational that it would be easier to motivate into an after work workout during the summer when the sun is shining. Instead, I feel like I am always in a race with the sun to see how much I can accomplish in the way of home improvements, yard work, or general outdoor chores before darkness falls. Then, I stagger into the house, at 8:30 or later, tired from work, tired from chores, and still facing the knowledge that I need to get in a workout. I tell myself I need to be getting up early so I can get in a good morning training session. But that falls by the wayside since I stay up too late every night, trying to eke out as many minutes as I can from every day. As always, never enough time in the day. Never. So, once again, here it is nearly 8:30, I feel raggedly tired, and yet am sitting here in cycling shorts, planning on getting in a spin and some legwork. I need be consistent with the rehab on the knee, and continue building strength and flexibility. Yes, I will likely be working out until 10:00 or so, as usual. So, why am I wasting time writing? Procrastination, plain and simple. I'm tired, have been on my feet all day, and it feels damned good to sit. I have rejuvenated myself a bit with some strong, black, iced tea. Time to get at it. No rest for the weary.

Hungry. Very, Hungry.

    It was a hungry day. All day. Hungry. I'm not training hard enough to justify feeling like a bottomless pit. Last year at this time, I was a bottomless pit, but I was getting in two training sessions a day, and putting in very long weekend rides. I couldn't seem to eat enough. This year, riding the wave of injuries, my training has had to be much more restrained. And it is making me crazy. Seriously. Yes, I am distracting myself with other, equally obsessive past times. My ongoing construction project is absorbing much of the time that would be spent pounding pavement, or in the saddle. Such is life. Anyway, hunger. Prevalent, overpowering hunger today. So, after a hard swim, I made a gigantic dinner. Stuffed to the gills. But, as with all things, I still maintained my "rocket fuel" approach to nutrition:
From scratch griddle cake made with organic spelt and quinoa flours, corn meal, and fresh local corn. Topped with a sprinkle of extra-sharp white cheddar, 2 over easy eggs, fresh organic spinach, and fresh guacamole. A side of just picked, still warm from the sun, home-grown Sungold tomatoes. Dessert was a drippingly ripe Maryhill peach. And finally, to push me over the edge on the gluttony scale, a bowl of Peanut Butter Puffins cereal with almond milk.
    I should not be so hungry. Maybe I need to increase my training to keep pace with my appetite. G'damn, I miss the intensity of last season's training regiment. With no race at the end of this summer I have floundered. A knee injury early on made me fall even further behind. I just keep telling myself that I am base building for an early season Ironman next year. The Anvil is in July. It will likely be hotter than a pepper sprout, but I do all right in the heat as long as I stay hydrated. Now, to bed to fall into a food induced coma. Hard swim again tomorrow.

The Urge To Race

    The urge to race is burning in my veins. I sit and stare at events, perusing the registration forms, pondering my fitness level. I haven't run a step since July 4th. I am just beginning my cycling training again, taking it slow and steady. There is a triathlon in The Dalles on September 12th that I would love to do. Olympic distance. The swim is in The Columbia River. How awesome would that be?! I want to race. I am burning to race. It is driving me a bit mad that I have no events scheduled. I want to register for the tri in The Dalles, and a duathlon in Champoeg Park at the end of September.
    I do have the Firefighter Stairclimb to look forward to this year. I had to miss it last year, it was the same weekend as the 250K. This year they are allowing districts and stations to have teams. I am hoping to entice a few of my brethren to climb as a unit this year. Last year only one guy from our district did the climb. He called me the night before, asking me to be there for moral support. I had to disappoint him, I was still in Bend, recovering from my race. So I do have one event to look forward to. But it is not quite enough.
    I think this Saturday I will try my first run. I can do a quick run after work, before my swim. Just a half mile, maybe a mile. I won't allow myself to run more than a mile. The Coach in my head knows I must take it slow and steady. But g'damn it, I want to race. I want to Swim Smart, Bike Strong, and Run Tough. It is driving me mad.

Self Coaching

    Self coaching is a two edged sword. On the one hand, your coach is very likely an asshole that gets inside your head, knows all the buttons to push, and goads you on with all the dirty tricks in the book. On the other hand, your client will often come up with ingenious excuses for skipping a workout here and there, or try to short shrift a set when they are tired and whiny.
    Okay, all kidding aside, self coaching is not easy. I don't have anyone waiting for me at the pool, so if I don't show, no one will be the wiser. I run alone, so if I decide to skip the last set of hill repeats it will be my dirty little secret. I cycle alone, so if I decide to just hit cruise control and take a relaxing ride through the countryside, no one is left waiting for me at the first pit stop. This would make it easy enough to slack off. The flip side of this is that I  will know.
    I was thinking of this last night in the pool, as I did a new, grueling endurance set. It is called a Broken Endurance Countdown. It goes like this: Warm up 5 laps; Then 150 yards each pace - - Cruise, Race Pace, Easy at the Wall Sprint between the Flags (cruise the first and last 4 yards of each length, sprint the middle 16 yards), finish with a Build to 90% for one set; Then each set is reduced by 25 yards i.e. 125 yards of each pace, 100 yards, 75 yards, 50 yards, 25 yards. Cool down 250 yards mixed strokes, 300 yards kick drills. It totals 58 laps or 2900 yards, or 1.65 miles Halfway though the first, and longest set, I was already thinking, "Oh dear gods, I am never going to be able to do this." It was tough, a real shoulder burner. But I also have the Coach voice in my head, "You're just warming up, it will start to flow once you are warm. Okay now, longest set is done, it gets easier from here." Yeah, that last part was a total lie, and I bought into it. Much like the people cheering you along on a long race course, "You're almost there, it's all downhill from here," they are always lying. Yes, I did get smoother after I was fully warmed up. I also realized that I was pushing a lot harder than the actual drill called for during the entire first set (my "Cruise" was more like Race Pace, and my Race Pace was more like the 90%). Time and time again I thought, "I can't finish this." And time and time again, I goaded myself along, "Just finish this set. You're a third of the way done, you're halfway done. You're down to the last few laps." I talk to myself, encourage myself. And, most of all, I listen to myself. The funny thing was, as I was getting towards the end, I was already thinking of ways to make the set longer, and a little tougher. Self coaching requires a certain level of sado-masochism.
    I know it is easy to become complacent with training. I do it to a degree with my strength training, relying on a fairly consistent series of sport specific sets. But I mix it up, increase weight and/or duration. I add in new exercises. I am always on the lookout for ways to tweak my routine, but not to the point that I am all over the map with it. I do know that consistency is vital. But I also know that I need to have some variation or my training will become stagnant, and I will plateau.
    For me, one of the hardest aspects of self coaching is not motivation or work ethic, it is forcing myself to rest when I need it. Currently, I'm recovering from a knee injury, and I am having to force myself not to rush back into cycling and running. I am slowly increasing my cycling, adding 5 minutes to each session, and only spinning every other day, instead of nearly every day like I want to. I am up to 45 minutes, as of today, and had to force myself off of the bike. I wanted to keep going, it all felt so good. I have been religious about the leg work I'm doing though, it is basically knee friendly strength training and toning to keep my muscles active and strong, and to help balance my hips and glutes. I'm not sure when I will be running again, but hell, I just bought myself a new pair of trail running shoes (honestly, they are shoes I have been coveting; Vivo Barefoot Neo II, clearance priced at $25, marked down from $120... how could I resist?).
    In a few weeks, if all goes well, I will go to the Eco Park for a gentle trail run. It is an easy trail, a half mile loop, well padded with wood chips, that winds through dense woods. Yes it has some short, steep hills. Very short, and I will be careful. I was going there twice a week, using it as a combo trail run/hill repeat workout. Running laps around the loop, taking it easy on my knees even before the current injury. It is a great place on hot days, since it is heavily shaded.
    I dream of running. Which seems odd, since I don't consider myself to be a rabid runner. But I dream of running through the woods, nimble and quick. Light on my feet. The dreams are so real I can smell the crushed leaves beneath my feet, and feel the dappled sunlight on my shoulders. I do dream of running, and it is so hard for the Coach inside my head to be the hardass, and keep my on track with the rehab.
    Coach says it is a time for base building. Time to reset the training schedule. Take a step back and look at the big picture. If I behave now, heal, keep strong, work on technique, continue to build my base intelligently, then maybe I will be ready for the Ironman next July. I just have to listen to my Coach.