Going Primal

I read The Primal Blueprint (Sissin 2009)  about two years ago and it was very thought provoking book.  So much so that nearly every time I sit down to eat, I can gauge the ‘primal-ness ’of my meal.  Now that’s not to say I often eat ‘primally’ but I at least think about it.

Sissin’s mixed narrative of storytelling and the science behind his primal theory kept me turning pages as I continued to hear his argument on how far we (society) have strayed from eating what our bodies were designed to eat and process.

I’m no expert book reviewer so I’ll keep his theory summary short and to the point.   

Epic Camp!

Triathlon training camps are springing up all over the place as the latest craze for athletes who want to “take it to the next level”!  These camps, while boosting fitness, are also a great way to spend more time away from your family and incur more credit debit (does my sarcasm come across in text?). 

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to spend 3 weeks swimming, riding and running around New Zeeland with a bunch of endurance freaks, but with a family and a ‘realistic’ triathlon budget, I’ll have to continue living vicariously through Gordo and his crew.

This is me in the off-season.  Seriously.

What I have been able to manage though is Training Camp - Cocoa Beach.  I'm spending a week down here and there’ll be a lot of running, mixed with tons of family time at the beach and pool.  Highlights will likely include chasing seagulls, beach soccer, wave jumping and cannon ball contests!

I’m hoping to get my run miles up near 50 for the week, avoid sunburn and generally just enjoy a little winter get-away with the fam!

Train Smart

El Lobo - El Blanco Del Norte

I’ve never been into naming bikes but I figured what the hell.  Besides, it's so much easier than naming our next child.

The cool thing about naming a bike...a week from now, when I realize how ridiculous naming a bike is, I can just forget it even happened, which is much unlike naming Junior or some of these terrible tattoos I see out there!

So without further ado, here’s the new ride - El Lobo.

The Offer He Couldn't Refuse

I started shopping for bikes back in November and the guys at Fraser Bike in Fitness are basically the one-stop-shop for all things tri in SE Michigan.  I had an idea what bike I wanted but I wasn’t sure if the geometry style would be the right fit.  With the help of Ron Schmid and Chris Goddard, they were able to measure me on their fit bike and determine which bike geometry would be ideal for me.  After some precise measuring, they were able to tell me that the Long and Low geometry that I was looking for would work, but the harder decision was still to come.

An Uphill Battle

Time for another update.  The good news - I finally got a new bike! (more on the bike later).  The bad news, training, especially on the bike, has been struggling.

For about a month things have been a bit stagnate, regressing even.   I want to train so these don't qualify as excuses, rather potential justification on why I suck lately.

1.  Christmas - events, food, drinks, sweets, schedule changes (etc) all threw me out of whack.  Struggling to get back in the rhythm.
2.  Work - new project, new stress, loss of lunch time workout, etc has thrown me off.  I'm a creature of habit, I'm not going to lie, this has been a hard change.
3.  Running - I'm started training for a Spring 1/2 marathon and am running more than ever before this time of year.  I'm running well, but dammit if it hasn't been zapping my bike legs.

Last years winter focus was solely on the bike and I saw big gains.  This year I'm incorporating more running and maybe I shouldn't be surprised that I can't hit the bike as hard as I have in the past.  Nonetheless, it's discouraging to fail FTP workouts, so in an attempt to get back on track, or adjust my schedule to better frame what I'm capable of, I'm going to back off a bit on the bike (FTP).  This will allow me to get used to my new position on my bike but still get in some solid bike workouts to supplement my running (not the other way around).

After all, this is all just an experiment to find out what is and isn't possible, right?  

BTW:
1. There is a mild overtraining concern and I've put up a flag on that risk and it will continue to be monitored.
 
2. I've signed up for 2 half iron distance races (Grand Rapids, Muncie).  It's a new race distance for me, so I'm looking forward to see if I can find some speed!
 
3. Stay tuned for BAMF bike pics.

Hope all is great!

Lance says….

It’s Not About The Bike and I agree with him (to an extent). 

In 2004 after I did my first triathlon I quickly rushed out and bought a tri bike.  It was the end of the season, it was the only one the shop and it was on sale.  I bought it.  $1100 dollars later, I was the proud owner of a ’04 Trek Equinox 7.  Entry level frame (aluminum), entry level components (Shimano 105), entry level triathlete.  A perfect “fit”!

 7 years later, I’m still rollin’ on the same bike.  It’s been sweat on, snot on and peed on rained on.  Its’ probably seen 20,000 miles!  It has round tubes and not a gram of carbon but ….

 

Body Movin'

Maybe these guys can kick start the New Year!

“The velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted upon by an external force”

Consistency is key when it comes to endurance sports, and I doubt this is what Newton had in mind, but once you get into a nice consistent training pattern, it's tough to break out of it. Consequently, the same can be said about a body at rest…and it’s been a bitch getting my ass off the couch lately.

After two solid months of training, I gotten a bit out of my rhythm.  Between a new assignment at work, a bit of a chest cold and a calendar full of holiday commitments, I’m pretty much writing the last few weeks of December off.

Training Update

 

It's been a while, time for an update.  Training is going well.  I'm 2 months into my 'base' phase.  After a pretty disappointing FTP test in early Oct, I'm slowly climbing back up to where I was last winter.  I tested 242 in Oct, which is 30W higher than…

Product Review – Xtenex Laces

I was originally selected on slowtwich.com to test and review Xtenex Laces.  I was pumped to be picked, it felt like I won the lottery.  I was given three different pair to try.  The x200s, x300 and x400s.  In the past I had used Yanks and Quick Laces so I had something to compare to.

On their website www.xtenex.com they have a Tips section about how to lace your shoes.  I must have missed these tips because at first because getting these laces in was major pain in the ass.  And then I realized that it was advised to put your shoe on and stretch the lace upon install.  I then was amazed at the simplicity and the ability to adjust each knot to create the perfect custom fit.

The Return of Caption Kick-Ass

Captain Kick-Ass was a fellow partier from my college days. Come to think about he could have been a figment of my imagination (college was that rough on me!). Nevertheless, as I recall, Captain Kick-Ass was 6’3”, 250lbs. He had a shaved head with a full goatee. He probably grew up on a farm, bailed hay for fun and swallowed his chew spit. He had a terrible temper and always had beer on his breath. He was loud, obnoxious and if he wanted to, he could flat out beat the snot out of anyone he chose.

Now, flash-forward 6 years, post graduation.  I’m out training with one of my good college buddies who used to treat his body as poorly as I did.

1.21 Gigawatts!

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) – average power during your highest possible effort in a 60-minute race.  Your FTP is used to gauge proper race intensity so you can still run well off the bike.

I created a firestorm of debate on slowtwitch.com last spring by starting the post “25% Increase in FTP!” . While the debate went round and round, I will offer up the following...

Top Shelf Triathlon!?!?!

“Whoa, now wait a minute!  Top Shelf Triathlon!  Who does this guy think he is!  Oh great, just what we need, another pretentious, self-absorbed, egotistical triathlete blogging on and on about himself.” 

Before you judge, let me explain.

How We Did IT - '09 vs '11

Note to self: delete cookies after web search

While there is a direct correlation with the number of Ironman summer’s I’ve had and the number of times my wife and I have conceived a child, that’s not the “it” I’m talking about.  Perhaps another day.  The “it” that I’m referring to is how I qualified for Kona in 2009.

While there are a lot of things that actually go into it, much more than what can be covered in one blog post...here's a summary of my training volumes.

Three's Company

My wife and I are expecting our 3^rd child.  He or she will be here in April!

 “Jack, are you nuts!” - RF

Never trust a guy that drinks Bud 'Heavy' in the off-season!

 “He no nuts, he crazy” – Short Round

Massive Fall Out

Not the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Detroit!

Little did I know when I moved to Metro Detroit 10 years ago, there would be such an abundance of mountain biking trails.  Like many other big cities full of concrete, they (we) take our Green Spaces very seriously!

The Massive Fall Out is an annual fall group ride (MTBs) usually consisting of about 100+ riders.  It's very casual, free event  and a great way to get outside and spend the day.  The description of the ride is about 60 miles through 5 different county parks and state recreation areas.  Paved, Dirt, Double Track, Single Track.

The Off Season

Get In My Belly

The off season has been underway now since IMLP.  I typically use the time to unwind and do nothing.  Here’s an example of what “nothing” is to me.

As with many dedicated athletes, loosening the reins on the diet usually comes first.  Unrestricted eating sounds much too humane.  Imagine if Jim Henson wasn’t quite feeling the Cookie Monster that day and instead went with Brownie Monster, Nacho Nightmare or the Pizza Marauder …you can see where this is going (and why I’m not a creator)!