The Trials and Tribulations of Life on the Road

I think every triathlon training schedule ever published is designed around the Mon-Fri nine to fiver. I'm sure that works for the majority of the population but for me it couldn't be any worst.

Except for a brief two year period in my late teens when I was disenchanted with post-secondary education, and not sure of my "life direction" I lifeguarded and instructed swimming lessons full time. It was a 9-5, sometimes 7-5 job. The pool had no windows, and in the winter there were days when I went to work in the dark, and came home in the dark.

After that my career in aviation took off(pun intended) and it hasn't been "normal" since. During my first Ironman in 2000 I was flying for a regional airline, and worked pretty much every weekend, and it consisted of what we call a 4 or 5 day pairing. Leave on Thursday come back on Monday or Tuesday. So needless to say except for the odd time, most of my long runs and rides were solo affairs during the middle of the week.

For the last 13 years I have flown a corporate jet for a large family owned business. I have more time at home, but it involves a LOT of on call with frequent schedule changes. Thus making it hard to plan a week of training.

For example this week. I have been essentially off all week, however I found out yesterday I have a day trip on Saturday (long bike day), leave at 7am, get home around 4pm.  Then I leave again Sunday  (long run day) at 1:30pm get home on Thursday, to leave again on Friday for seven days.

Being involved in a sport that requires a 25m pool and a bicycle, air travel to places your boss wants to go to can make training a bit of challenge.

So I have some juggling to do. I know on Saturday I will not feel like sitting on the bike trainer for 2 hours after working all day. So I'll move long ride day to Friday, and easy run day to Saturday.

Sunday I'll get my long run in before work.

Next week will be a write off for swimming. I'm in hotels all week (White Plains, NY, and Washington DC), and lets face it the only thing you can do in hotel pool is practice flip turns, or tread water. As long as I don't have to do a long ride on hotel gym exercise bike. I can suffer an hour on one, but after that it just sucks. If I'm lucky some will actually have spin bike with clips. (Hotel Saskatchewan has two spin bikes with clipless pedals)

The good news....... on Friday I head to Fort Lauderdale, and Miami for a week. Can you say company paid training camp.  There's a 50m pool behind our hotel (Swimming Hall of Fame), and there is a Trek dealer that rents bikes in Lauderdale. So that week is covered.

my hotel is tall building on the left 

I actually have two trips to Florida, the second trip has us sitting in Lauderdale for a few days, so if there's not too much luggage I'll throw my bike in for that one.

Unfortunately these Florida trips are kinda rare. I mean once every two or three years does this happen. Usually it's drop the boss and family off, and if we are lucky get a night or two in the south before heading back to the frozen wasteland we call Canada. #wintersucks

Oh, and the best part.......this could all change the day of departure, and I could end up out in North Dakota or heaven knows where. So I have learned it's best to pack for all four seasons. Then the juggling of the training sched starts all over again.

Most of our trips are rather mundane, exotic destinations like Auburn, Maine, Bedford, Mass, North Dakota, Minnesota, Toronto, etc, etc. Airport hotels begin to look the same after awhile. It's pretty bad when you pick your hotel based on the quality of fitness centre, or available outdoor running areas.

Wait a minute, we do get the odd European trip. In the winter. I mean Finland in December is awesome. Five hours of daylight, wet, cold, windy and dreary. Not to mention the 6hr time zone change. Trying to drag your arse out of bed for breakfast when your brain is screaming, "hey it's f'ing 2am!"

So this will be a constant process of juggling workouts around, not unlike some of you in the same boat, or plane.

You do a lot of reflecting and daydreaming when your boss is 3 hours late showing up.

Despite everything, I'll take this office any day over a cubicle and 9 to 5 hours.

It's still early in my training program, and my coach says if I get in 85% of the planned workouts, especially the key ones I'm good to go. I'm not too worried, it's pretty typical to have a pile of trips come up all together. There will be weeks when I'm hardly doing anything, and training will actually go as planned.

Hopefully I'll be writing you from the Sunshine State after a couple of days of great workouts in the heat and sun.

Cheers.

Time to Get Serious and Why the Name Change for the Blog

Ah yes, the Newfie Bullet. I'm sure there at least one of the two people that actually read this blog are wondering what or whom is a Newfie Bullet. If you grew up in Newfoundland and Labrador chances are you already know. If not, follow along dear readers.

The Newfie Bullet was a nickname given to the train that operated in Newfoundland on it's 900km route across the island. It was in service from around 1898 to the 60's when the Trans Canada Highway was opened.

There is a lot of sarcasm in Newfoundland humour, the train was so slow it was referred to as "The Newfie Bullet" My father said it was so slow that on some of the hills, you could jump off the train, pick a bucket of berries and jump back on again before it made the crest.

Being a proud Newfoundlander, and the fact that I am not very fast (mid-packer at best) I thought the term Newfie Bullet was fitting. I'm even going to give my new bike the name.

"Did he say new bike???"

Oh ya, finally pulled the trigger. Dropped into our local shop, Bikes and Beans (they make coffee too) and told them I wanted that nice Cannondale Slice 105 that was in the window. Of course as luck would have it I was called into work and had to leave. Steve the owner of the shop said he'd put a sold sign on it, and we'd get the fitting done later in the week. They are the only
Serotta International Cycling Institute fit specialist in the Maritimes. So I know I'll have a great bike setup, which makes a huge difference.

I'll do a follow up post on how the fitting goes. Looking forward to that since I've never had one before.

Today marks the end of week 19 of my training, and the beginning of my "structured" training. Tomorrow I start my 24-week Ironman plan by David Glover of Endurance Works 

The plan is Ironman Mont-Tremblant 2018 24 -week Experienced plan. I know there are plenty of "free" training plans out there, but after trading emails with David this one seemed to work with my lifestyle. I shied away from a beginner plan because I want to do more than just finish. I know it's been 18 years since the last Ironman, but after the last 19 weeks my workouts have been as good or better than where I was in 2000. Glad I kept my old training diary to reflect back on.

The one surprise has been my swimming, I can't believe how well that's going. Running is on par or slightly better. I have eased back into and have kept the mileage down, running nothing longer than 70mins. 

I did change up my sneakers this month. I have been using Hoka One One for quite awhile, but I just could not get the new models to fit right. I switched back to New Balance, which is better fit for my fat feet, and I couldn't be happier.

I've seen gains in my biking, but the real test will be when I get back outdoors again. Hopefully that will be very soon. At least on the cross bike. 

I do have an upcoming work trip to Florida. I'll be in Lauderdale for a few days and plan to rent a bike and get in some nice long rides. The swimming pool hall of fame is next to our hotel which has 50m lap swimming, and there is a nice ocean for some open water training. Can't wait to get in some heat and sun.

Looking forward to those Florida breakfast smoothies watching the sun come up.

Kona? Well I think that is every triathletes dream. Whether or not I have what it takes to get there is the question. Of course if you don't try you'll never know. I know for a fact that the competition for those rare slots is at a level I am nowhere near. I have to pretty much win my age group, and that means going 10hrs or better. I'm giving myself a solid 5 years to see if I have what it takes. 

If not, well I'll have another 10 Ironman races to do and I qualify for the legacy program, and I might get a shot at it then as an old man.

Welcome to 2018

February is here, the days are getting longer and the thought of riding on the roads again is starting to become a reality again. Only another month or so to go........hopefully.

I had hoped to update the blog shortly after I returned from my trip to Florida in December. Writers block maybe. Just never felt like writing I guess. Plus it was the lead up to the silly season, and it was busy.

Ironman training is going well. I did take a few days off over Christmas just to recharge the batteries. I drank and ate too much as usual, but for the past five weeks have been back on track. Dropped 5lbs of Xmas weight, and have stopped drinking alcohol. How long that will last is anyones guess.

I will say though that ever since I stopped drinking I have been sleeping better, feeling better, and saving money, especially when I'm on the road. Craft beer is almost $10 a pint.

This month I purchased my training plan for Mont Tremblant, forever to be known as IMMT from here on in.

I stumbled on the plan through Training Peaks. They have quite a selection of plans for 70.3's and 140.6, for just about everyone from the beginner to the more advanced. The plan I chose was from David Glover of Endurance Works. It's 24 weeks in length and is not too high in volume. In other words it leaves time to have a life. After trading emails with David prior to purchase, he seemed like a great guy, easy to connect with and willing to share his knowledge.

I wanted to keep the plan fairly simple to execute (ie no complicated workouts with HR, wattage, zones to worry about. RPE, rate of perceived effort was easy to follow.), and flexible to fit my erratic schedule. Some weeks I'll have to load up on the biking and swimming while I am home, and when I'm away for a length of time do all my running.

I'm happy with the plan, it includes everything I'll need, all my workouts, plus strength training. David includes the exercises and how to do them. Best part, they don't require a weight room. Couple of dumbbells and an exercise ball.

The plan starts March 4th, just less than a month away, and I am very excited to get going on it. My base-base training is going very well. Getting 7-8hrs a week of training in.

Out of the three sports my swimming has improved the most in just a short period of time. I'm consistently able to churn out a 1:40/100m now. I did a 1000m swim test this week in 16min. It's only a minute off of what I was able to do as a teenager. If all goes well, that will translate into a 60-65min IM swim. Pretty stoked about that. 10-15min faster than IMFL 2000.

Biking and running are coming along, just a little slower. I won't really know how my biking is until I hit the road again. On Zwift I am getting faster and can hold higher wattage for longer. On the run...... My HR is staying fairly low, and I can get through 10km in less than an hour feeling strong. I am incorporating speed and hill work each week, with faster intervals mixed into my longer runs. Thanks to some tips from Dave Scott. Love that guy.

Oh, I did my first Zwift stage event last week. The Cervelo Canada Cup. It was a 5 stage event. That was a lot fun, and made me work real hard.

That's it for now. I am working on a post about my last IM in 2000. It's tough trying to remember back that far and put thoughts to paper. Looking back through photos has helped. Anyway I hope to get that finished soon to share with you.

Starting From Scratch

After a post season lasting almost eighteen years, it would be safe to say I'm starting from scratch again. At least that is the way I'm going to approach this upcoming year. A newbie. When I came up with this crazy idea of doing another Ironman, I initially thought, well......I have most of the gear, all I need is a new bike, and I am good to go. The more I thought about it, and got up to speed again, I realized I was lacking more than I thought.

Without a doubt I need a new bike. To resurrect the old Cannondale would be costly and pointless. It needs a full overhaul, and then I am still dealing with 650c wheels, and a 20 year old shifting system. To upgrade those would not be cheap.

My local shop has a 2011 Specialized Transition Comp on sale for $1999........out the door. It sold for $3499 back in it's hay day. That maybe my best, most economical bet. More than enough bike for me. Honestly the $15K Cervelo P5X will not make me any faster, just more in debt.

I pulled my old Orca wetsuit out of the closet.......ya, that's not gonna work anymore. Time has not been kind to the neoprene. Sneaking another wetsuit into the house should be easy. I just hate to have to pay for another one, since I just updated all my rubber for surfing this year with a new 3/2 summer suit, and 5/4 winter suit, and booties.

So I figure that's gonna be $250-$350 for a decent wetsuit.

Runners. Both my road and trail Hoka's are nearing the end of their life expectancy. Mind you I haven't bought a new pair since 2014. I did take all of last year off from running, and just used them for hiking in the woods. Not too concerned about my trail shoes, since the forest floor is cushy.

Another 200 buckets for a pair of Clifton 4's.

I just bought another swimsuit. Call me Speedo boy again, much to the chagrin of my daughters. "ah gross Dad" The North American aversion to the Speedo. Why are we so ashamed of our bodies on this side of the pond. I should have been a European.

Of course I need access to a pool to show off that rockin' Speedo. That's another $400 for six months. All that aquatic fun does come with a fully equipped gym for when I start my strength training.

Ah yes strength training.......I loath it. I hate going to the gym and lifting weights. I know at my age I need it desperately, especially for an Iron distance event. I just hate it.

There is no Masters swim program as such in The Port City, but there is something called a Fit Swim Saturday mornings, which all aspects is a Masters workout utilizing the 50m pool. It's only once a week though, but is included in the price.

What else do I need????????? I think I'm gonna try a tri suit. At least at the half IM I'm doing, and see how that goes. Or I could go old school and do the whole damn thing in a Speedo like the real Iron men of the 80's. That alone would cause my family to vomit and leave me I think.

My last Ironman I wore bike shorts and a sleeveless bike jersey, since that's what I trained in, then did a full change in T2 to running shorts and singlet. I think the change into fresh gear was a slight mental boost on an almost 13 hour day.

I know a race suit will save me precious minutes in transition, and it is a race after all. It is what I call "free" time. I won't have to train to save those minutes. It could mean the difference between going under 12 hours or not. Worst case 16:59 and not 17:01. But that would have to be a very bad day.

Almost forgot, I need a plan, as in training plan. My last one was based on a very loose plan, and because of my wonky work schedule it got a bit mucked up at times. I found what looks like a decent plan on Training Peaks. It's by David Glover of www.enduranceworks.com He actually has a IMMT 2018 24-week plan. I traded emails with him, and he sounds like the kinda coach I'd like to work with, and I like how he structures the plans. 

That is gonna be $197.00 U.S. dollars, but will be invaluable in the long run.

Of course I'm not including small items like water bottles, electrolyte (Tailwind Nutrition is my go to stuff, used it exclusively in the ultra marathon), etc

Saturday I head to Orlando for seven days. It's a work trip, back to school and flight simulator. It's an annual thing. Unfortunately that means no biking for week. However I do get to run in the Florida sun, and depending on the hotel pool, might even get a little swimming in. Unless of course it's about the size of a hot tub, in which case it will be 30mins of flip turn practise.

One other bonus of this trip, is I get to watch the NBC airing of the Ironman World Championships. We don't have TV at home, so I wouldn't be able to watch it until the Youtube bootleg copy appeared.

So I'll be relaxing on the couch Saturday afternoon armed with a couple of Sam Adams, and a box of tissues to watch the finest in Ironman racing. I'll admit it, I'm an emotional guy, and there have been a few tears shed at previous editions of the show. Come on, just the sound of Al Trautwig's voice is enough to get the eyes to well up.

Next post will be from the Sunshine State, let you know what my thoughts were on the Ironman, and how nice it is to run in shorts and t-shirt again.

Let's Try This Again..........

On November 4th, 2000, I accomplished a goal of completing an Ironman. Twelve hours, forty-eight minutes and fifty-two seconds after the gun went off, I swam 3.8km, biked 180km and then ran my first ever marathon of 42.2km and crossed under the finish line banner at Ironman Florida.

It was pretty special and I thought it would be the beginning of many more triathlons and Ironman's. Little did I know at the time it was more or less the end.

After all the hoopla was over and we flew home to Nova Scotia, Canada, the post-Ironman depression kicked in. It was almost winter, I battled IT band issues, and the drive was gone. It was post season and I really didn't know what to do. My wife and I found out shortly afterwards that we were pregnant, and our first child was expected in July. Now life was changing.

Oh, I have to back this up a bit. Part of the deal of doing Ironman was..........it was to the first and last. Ok, I may have had a hand behind my back with crossed fingers when I made that deal. The other was we agreed to start a family afterwards. That was cool, and I was all for that, because now I have two beautiful teenage daughters that I am very proud of, and drive me completely insane at times.

In a nutshell the next two decades consisted of two marathons, a couple of triathlons, an ultra marathon (never doing that again) heavy involvement in adventure motorcycling, windsurfing, standup paddle boarding, surfing, moving around for jobs, changing diapers, then supporting my girls at dance recitals, soccer, hockey and rugby. In the last four years I've sent more time freezing my arse off at hockey rinks than I have in a pool.

Two years ago I finally bought a new bike. Yup, upgraded from my 1998 Cannonade MS900. Yes, it even had 650c wheels. Rockin' it old school. Mind you that bike cost me $900, and got me through the Ironman with a respectable sub-six hour ride.

I was now the proud owner of a Specialized TriCross. Yes a cyclocross bike. I wanted something comfortable, that I can ride on gravel roads. Not sure if being back on the bike and just riding for the sake of riding led me back to triathlon or not. I did a lot of riding, and it was fun, I had no specific time or speed to shoot for. I remember doing a 180km ride that took all day. I think it was 12hrs with all the stops along the way.

Geared up for a two day ride. 

So in October I was sitting in my Lazy Boy, surfing the net on my laptop and stumbled on the live broadcast of the Ironman World Championships. Watching fellow Canuck, Lionel Sanders come awfully close to winning the whole damn thing set a lightbulb off in my head, just like it had done in 1998.

November 1998, I was a newly minted captain with Air Canada's regional airline, Air Nova (now Air Canada Express/Jazz). I was on a layover in Ottawa, Ontario when I stumbled on NBC's broadcast of IMWC. That year another Canadian, Peter Reid won his first of three world titles, and inspired me to give this triathlon thing a go. Pete has since retired from triathlon, and is now a pilot. 

I initially decided to ease into it, and do a couple of half IM's in 2018, then go for the big one in 2019. The year I turn the big 5-0. Well that was short lived because in November I signed up for IM Mont Tremblant. I figured why wait, I'm in decent shape and I had 9 months to get even better. 

The one thing I was nervous about was getting the nod of approval from the missus. My wife has been awesome, and is used to me coming up with crazy ideas and putting up with them. Two week adventure motorcycle trips to far away places, ultra marathons, surfing trips, etc. But she had been with me through the last Ironman and I knew she would be concerned about the time commitments. 

Too my surprise she said "it sounds like fun" A family Ironman adventure in Mont Tremblant. 

My girls will be 14 and 17 next year, and they have never seen Dad do any kind of race. My oldest was only a infant when I did the two marathons, and they didn't come with me when I did the ultra marathon in 2014.  So a big part of me would like to do this to inspire them. Plus Ironman puts on such a good show it makes for a hell of a fun, inspirational weekend. I've been to Mont Tremblant before and it's a beautiful venue.

Six weeks ago I got back into triathlon specific training. I knew this time I had to be smart about it, and to use my time wisely. I needed a well structured program, and I found a 24-week one for old geezers. A 40+ Masters program. I reached out the creator and coach of the program to find out what I should be doing from now until March, the start of schedule.

This being the off season for most triathletes in the northern hemisphere, I too should be in the off season, mind you mine has been going on for 17 years. I knew without some good direction I would be ramping up the volume as soon as started feeling good. Really do I need to be suffering through two hour runs in January for no reason? I knew I'd be either injured or burned out before April being a slave to my Strava log. 

So far so good, no runs longer than an hour, no bike rides longer than 40km. Swimming.........well I was surprised how well I felt the first day back in the pool. I'll slowly work my back to 3000m workouts before March. I've already done a couple 2200m workouts and felt great afterwards. 

My life is in a good place right now, so it just feels right to be back at this, and I really believe it will be something that will go long past August 18th when I again toe the line at my second Ironman. 

So if you are really bored, need some extra motivation, want to see me struggle, bitch, complain, moan ( I am a pilot and we are really good at complaining) celebrate, and succeed, check back for other posts. I've got 18 years of catching up to do.