October 2013: Everything in moderation, even moderation.....

I know I'm late this month, so maybe there will be two blogs this month....
I wanted to share with you a saying of mine and then share an example - and challenge you
"Everything in moderation, even moderation"
If you read this blog regularly, you will know that I'm a pretty 'moderation' kind of guy in most areas of my life.  e.g. I don't do massive miles (except when I need to). I not that good at putting in 10 beers, being on the dance floor at 4am etc. Also, my PhD studies in exercise physiology taught me that 'extreme-sim' in diet is not great either (e.g high-fat, high-protein, starvation, lemon detox, [insert latest fad]).  But what I learnt that sometimes you need to mix it up a bit and throw away the 'moderation' element.

For example, Kings has a powerful story about embarking on his fitness journey.  As well as riding more regularly, Kings decided he needed to change it up a bit on the diet front - so he went lemon detox for a few days - this kickstarted his new approach to food.  Lemon detox is not moderation - but it helped Kings to get started.... that was a couple of years ago and the rest is history....

Now, I want to explain why I was missing from the Dendy Special on Thursday morning.....

My workmates came up with a bit of an out-there idea: A double ascent of Mt Donna Buang, at night, on a school night (Wednesday).
So, on Wednesday, we did the work day, left the office at 6:45pm by car, arrived at the base of the mountain at 8:20pm and we were on our way.  Six of us took up the challenge of the first ascent.....

It is hard to climb a mountain all together, so we paired off and I rode with my 105kg mate Laurence who can generate 400w for an hour on the watt-bike and is a regular front-rider on my Saturday morning bunch (ie can ride)
We rode the first ascent in 1:04 at a tempo pace - at the top at about 9:20pm
We turned and rolled down and then rode up to the summit with the back-markers and then descended together.

Then, there was 'the split' (a bit like the move from the party to the after-party...) and three of us stayed for the second climb.  We started the climb at 10:20pm.
This was agreed to be 'hardish'.  we all rode solo after the first couple of km.  (for the time-focused I did a 58 min climb.... and worked pretty hard).  I summited at 11:20 pm (!!)

We got back the the cars about mid-night, home (after "dinner" at 7/11) at 1:45pm and into bed at 2am....For people on Strava, you can see the climbs, HR, splits etc.... (enjoy!).  3:09 ride time, 73km. 2200m climbing (and descending).

Some thoughts on the whole thing....

It was a hard, out-there experience.  We nailed the night - it was warm.  There were basically no cars - and we were alone on a beautiful climb.  But, it is a very extreme way to spend a Wednesday night!   we had dinner at 7/11(!!)

but, memorable, bonding, hard, exhilarating - a wednesday night I will not forget.  And very little impact on the family (e.g. not really different to having a (very late) work dinner).

If you want a try this... a few thoughts:  when deviating outside of moderation - you have to prepare.....

- clear sun glasses are important - to keep the bugs out who are attracted to the lights
- try to pick a good weather evening - makes a massive difference
- have two lights.  I climbed just with a small low-powered flasher (but on steady) - all you need and makes it more beautiful
- for the way down, I had a 500 lumen, bar-mounted light - just fine.
- nutrition important (as always) used 1 bidon of Gatorade and a Torq gel at the top of the second climb to be OK for concentrating on the decent
- carried arm warmers and vest for the way down - would recommend a light full arm jacket - I got a bit cold, even on a warmish night.
- I was in no mood to push the descent.  Pretty dangerous at night - plus wallabys out and I did not want to hit one.
- also, hard to PB after a day at work, no proper dinner etc - (but that was not the point...).  I had never climbed it before - so was a PB for me :)
- there was a 'balancing item' e.g. tired on Thursday, did not train properly today etc... but happy to trade that for a very interesting Wednesday.
- if there was a next time, would probably try to get away from work early at 4:30pm (not 6:45pm)  - this would get the first climb down in the twilight and then be home 2 hr earlier!!
- thanks to the PwC crew.  Pretty amazing to have 6 workmates who came up with the idea for a 'team-buiding' event (!!) a great place to work... & Laurence who was the instigator.

So, there is my slice of "everything in moderation, even moderation" for a little while..... what could you try that pushes you out of 'moderation' for a short time?

Until next time, see you on the road,
Danger

September 2013: Being 40+

Dendy Riders.
I am writing this blog because sometimes life just sucks....I now have two close friends who are fighting cancer and I want to tell you about it and make three suggestions

Nick Auden.
He and I worked at Bain together - we lived in Korea for 7 months.  I taught him how to run and he taught me how to use excel.  He is 40.  He has 3 kids, loves football.  And he currently lives in the USA.  He is a Brighton lad - his house is almost opposite yours, Giles....
But, he has Stage 4 Melanoma.  He has literally thrown everything at this fight - but he is not winning.... he wants access to an experimental drug and he has launched a social media campaign.  In a little over one week, he has been on TV and in newspapers in the USA and Australia and he has 150,000 signatures on his petition.
Check out:
http://www.savelockysdad.com/
Watch the video to see a beautifully crafted piece of creative communications.  Warning - it may make you cry....

I am an advisor and a solver.... and it is hard to do nothing.  I've lent on my contacts in the pharma industy in Australia to see if we can get access here.  We ex-Bain strategy consultants have applied game theory to the options and developed a negotiation strategy with Nick.... but in the end, he is simply running out of time..............

The other is my closest collague at PwC.  He was diagnosed this week with bowel cancer.  He is 41,  3 kids.  He is staring into 5 months of intensive chemo, radio and a big operation to remove his bowel - with serious and permermant ongoing issues...  He is the fittest I've seen him.  He rides 200k per week - and his wife wanted to bid for me to be his domestique at this week's GF.  In just five days, his world has been turned upside down - from an all conquering partner at PwC, leading a global initiative within the firm and plotting his trip to Europe for the Rapha ride next year - to a very different outlook....

So - what, if anything can come of this?  Here are three suggestions to consider:

1. Live a full life - and take your opportunities.
 Because things can happen - even to very good people, who are fit and healthy.

2. Go to the doctor.
We ~40 year old blokes, in general are not that good of taking care of ourselves. We should be going to the doctor once per year for a check-up at a mimimum.... and if you sense that anything is not right - then it is best to get it checked out.  the "she will be right mate" attitude that served us so well in our 20's is not that good for us now....

3.  Make sure you have good insurance.
 And not just health insurance (that should be a given), but life insurance, income protection and trauma.  As any financial planner will tell you - their first task is usually to protect what you have.  And what about for your significant other?  The DR have experts that you could talk to about this (e.g. Kings and McQueen Wealth Management)

I know this is a tough topic.  The next post will be all cycling, promise...
See you on the weekend at Lorne...
Danger

August 2013 - Danger Dendy Thoughts: Preparation for the Grand Fondo....
Given that the Grand Fondo is <6 weeks away, this month's post is dedicated to the Grand Fondo.
I've split this blog into a couple of sections:
- Things to do now:
- The week before
- The day before
- Ride day
And, the DR committee helpfully suggested a couple of variations:
- advice for the Clydesdale
- advice for 'cramming' (ie the untrained)

To do now:
1. Ride your bike: preferably twice of more during the week and go for a longer ride on the weekend. It is not rocket science - but it is not easy either. Especially in the cold, wet and dark.  As DR we should be trying to get in one Dendy Special per week and doing this plus a longer ride on the weekend should get you through at a minimum.
2. Service your bike: if it is not running well or you have been pushing it through winter.  Now is the time to replace a worn chain / cluster or to buy a new tyre.
3. Sign up for the Dendy Rider bike skills training and long ride - scheduled for Saturday 17 and 24 August.  We will have Kevin Ford as our coach - and he will check our bike position, your pedalling style and we will get out on the road to practise on a long ride or two
4.  On your longer ride, practise your nutrition strategy for the GF - see the July post on what to eat on a long ride for some ideas: www.dangerdt.blogspot.com

The week before:
With a week to go, you need to do a taper - of sorts...
Try to get out for a ride early in the week, say Tuesday's Dendy Special
Fine to go out on Thursday as well - just go by feel and don't smack it if you don't feel 100%
With 1 week to go, it is more about taking it easy and saving your legs for the ride, rather than trying to smack down one more hard session
But do make sure you lay out your gear.  Think through all the clothing requirements you might need - for wet, windy, or warmer conditions.  Think through your nutrition plan for the ride; and make sure you pack enough gels, sports drink, bidons etc... as an example, refer back to the Ironman report in my blog - with the picture of all my stuff laid out for the day.... - as they say:  preparation prevents piss poor performance.

The day before:
- buy me! - I'll be auctioning my domestique services for the day, the evening before the ride.  All monies will be donated to charity (tax deductible!)  Ask Lethers about his experience last year.... he rode beautifully and way above himself - it was awesome to see.  He also was never alone through the day and I was directive (when required) about when to put in a bit of extra carb / fluids.  He donated $500 to charity for my services.  If you say it is tax detuctible, then for 4 hours - I am a much cheper domestique than a healthcare consultant (!!) - what a bargin!
- get off the legs.  You will ride better if you have a rest day.  I'm constantly astounded that people go out and ride and ride hard the day before an event.  I made this mistake at the 1996 World University Triathlon Championships - held in Prague.  I got there 5 days early and had really nothing else to do - so I went an trained with the pros - I swam with Greg Bennet, rode up mountains to ski fields and ran intervals around a beautiful lake.  When race day came around, I was a spent force... Learn from my mistake!
- eat some carbs for lunch and dinner.  The day before a 4 hour ride is not the time to go Atkins / primal etc.   Yes, your muscles can burn fat as a fuel source - and it is super efficient - but, if you want to push hard - then your body needs carbs.  You don't need to go crazy, but pass on the steak and go for the pasta...
- don't go crazy on the beers.  None is probably best, a light beer better (but I've been castigated by the DR before for even suggesting light beer!), 1-2 beers is probably fine... but, save your drinking boots for Sunday night....

Ride day:
- Get up early and get organised.  No need to stress / rush / forget something pre-ride
- Have breakfast.  Something you are familiar with - not the time to try spelt porridge...
- It is a long ride - so don't go crazy early on.  The ride along the Great Ocean Road was amazing last year - but there are other riders who are going way too fast, and passing too close.  Also, we had great weather last year, but it is a very exposed part of the course - so if it is cold / windy - you will need your warm gear.
- The climb is pretty hard.  It is a solid 30-40 min effort and it get steeper nearer the top and it is more exposed to the wind.  Last year the "1km to go sign" was at about 1.7km to go - and that really added an extgra dimension!  I expect we will re-group at the top of the climb.  By all means, have a good crack up the climb - but the climb comes just 40km into the 120k ride - so there is a lot more time in the saddle after the summit....
- Take care decending off the mountain into Forrest.  The roads can be wet, and the centre and edges of the road often is covered with wet bark.  I saw (non-DR) riders scream past me, with really no idea what they were doing and literally only just hanging on.  You will definitely not enjoy Sundey night beers if you are in Geelong hospital.... so, ride within yourself.
- For the big guys.  Yes, climbing is all about your power / weight ratio.  And you are penalised on the climb - no question.... So my advice is to find a comfortable, seated cycling pace and settle into a rhythm - pretend you are climbing with the other sprinters in the Tour de France.  They don't try to chase the whippets, they don't waste energy and they don't try to start climbing too hard... so, ease into it and you will be fine
- for the unprepared.... you can still have a good time - but you just have to re-set expectations.  Don't try to climb with Kings, don't pull massive turns on the front, keep your nutrition and fluids up.  Find another DR to ride with and enjoy the day.  There will be plenty of beer at the pub, irrespective of if you do 3:25, 3:45, 4:00, 4:20 or 5 hours... (and really, no-one cares that much anyway) - the important thing is that your ride, have a crack, finish and enjoy the day with the DR crew.

OK - I'll see you on the road, at the Kevin Ford skills training sessions on Saturday 17 and 24, and, of course - at the Grand Fondo.  & happy bidding if you want to experience a domestique for the day....

Danger

July 2013: Long ride nutrition: What do you eat and why?

Danger Dendy Thoughts - July 2013.
One of the topics that was requested was that I write about diet / nutrition.  It is a big topic - so, I'll focus on a single, cycling related topic at a time.  For July; long ride nutrition.

You will know from a previous post (the perfect long ride), that my standard Saturday morning long ride to Mt Elisa return is about ~100-115km and takes from 2:45 to 3:20, depending on speed and how feisty the lads are!  (Incidentally, I've also got onto Strava - so you can see the details of those rides...).

So, here is the run-down for this ride and then I'll follow-up with why....

Friday night:
I lay out my stuff (see the picture below)
(why: I don't like getting up any earlier than I have to and I don't want to forget anything....)

Saturday morning:
6:15am get up
6:30am leave the house
6:45am get to Cafe Racer
6:50am drink one strong latte with 1 sugar - (as an aside, they have really got their mojo back at Cafe Racer on Saturday mornings. The coffee comes hot, strong and fast!).
7:00am depart Cafe Racer
During this first part of the ride, bidon contains Nuun - a no sugar, pleasant tasting, electrolyte replacement drink - you drop one tablet into 1 bidon of water... too easy.
7:50am get to Patterson River - eat one small muesli bar
go through Frankston, up hard through the hills of Mt Elisa and then back to Frankston
8:40am get to BP in Frankston - eat another small muesli bar and fill empty bidon with water from the tap and pour in Gatorade powder to make a bidon of Gatorade
For the ride back to Melbourne, drink the bidon of Gatorade, as needed
9:45-10am - get home.  Eat 2 bowls of breakfast cereal & turn on the coffee machine!

See the photo below of the night before.

Additional points:

I also carry some extra cash, just in case

I also carry a spare gel - again, just in case I'm feeling terrible, or something goes wrong.

So, I really don't consume that many calories / carbs on this long ride.   If I roughly add it up, it would be about 130g of carbohydrate for the morning (50g from Gatorade and 60g from the muesli bars plus the pre-ride coffee (say, 25g)).  

By way of comparison, in 3 hours of racing in an Ironman / half Ironman, I would target about 80g of carbohydrate ingested per hour (so, 240g in total).

Why:

On this ride, I want to train my body to get by on the minimum carbohydrates to still be able to push the watts required and not bonk, but to also teach my body to burn fat at high levels of output.
So: I don't have that much energy in the early / mid parts of the ride (just 25g of carbs for the first hour or more of riding - and I'm drinking Nuun - a no-energy electrolyte replacement during this time)
Not having many carbs early in the ride, I'm teaching my body / muscles to burn fat more efficiently and to conserve the stores of muscle glycogen.  I will then give my body Gatorade in the third hour of riding to ensure that when my muscle glycogen is running lower, I will top up my blood glucose and avoid bonking.  It is a fine balance.  I have had a few Saturday rides where I've stuffed it up.  I remember one distinctly where I did not have enough carbs and I bonked outside the Mentone hotel and it was a solo ride home.  I've also (often) absolutely limped home over the last 5/10km and I've finished the ride completely spent and absolutely on the metabolic knife edge of bonking.  It is these efforts that help to make me a better competitor on race day and also teach me to have a good mind-body connection to monitor the early warning signals of when I'm starting to run low on gas and I can take action before it is too late...

Hence why I also carry the gel - and I'm not afraid to use it if the pace is extra high, or I've been doing a disproportionate amount of work on the front.  I can also afford to get away with a very limited amount of nutrition in my pockets, because I'm going on the same ride every week and I know the distance, pace and duration pretty well.  If I was heading off into the hills, for example, I would carry extra...

It has taken me a while to be able to go for a long ride with no breakfast.  I know some people that have a full breakfast before they leave the house... but we have found, over a period of trial and error, that leaving the breakfast out (and the long stops in the middle of the ride) produces the best training conditions to be able to ride long and fast on race day......

Variations for Summer / longer rides / closer to race day....
So, what I'm describing above is the standard, winter long ride.
A few variations that I have for Summer....On the rare occasion I go to Portsea return - it is a massive day and just to get through, I need many more carbs - especially in the last 2 hours of the ride.  So, I buy a Gatorade in Portsea and drink that all the way home.  And at the Frankston BP, we get a 600m Coke..... you deserve a black magic at that point and the caffeine helps...  I would definitely be targeting 80g per hour of carbs and training my gut to be able to ride with a full belly and also with a full load of carbs - this is excellent, specific training for the Ironman.  Because gut training and being comfortable while riding / running is a key part of the success...

So, what could you try....
1. If you always eat breakfast before you ride, you could try going without for some time before putting in carbs.  You could start out by trying to ride for 20 min before having a snack or a sports drink and then extend this by 5 min per week and see if it works for you
2. make a note of what you are eating / drinking and when and how you are feeling on the bike... can you feel a low patch coming on?
3. in the final part of your long ride, if you are slowing down and generally feeling bad, you may not be having enough carbs - so try to put a bit more in at the end of the ride - it could be in a solid or a liquid form - work out what works best for you
4. if you like going organic / natural: dried figs / apricots work well or those apricot delights
5. as you can see in the picture, I really like the kids muesli bars - they are a good size and usually a bit healthier - so, raid the kids lunchbox treats and give them a go....

Good luck and see you on the road,

Danger.

Danger Dendy Thoughts - June

June 2013 - Training 101 - The basic week
Well - winter is here - and we are in one of the toughest phases of the year.  Cold, dark, windy and wet. Colds and coughs about.  For me, this time of the year is all about just keeping it ticking over.  I revert to "the basic week".

When someone asks the standard, overachieving triathlete / cyclist / runner: "how much training do you do each week?" - the usual answer is not the average week, but the best week they have completed in the last two years - with ridiculous volumes.  What I'm sharing with you is the week that keeps it all ticking over and it is a great base from which to build.  Winter is not about trying to do your best week - it is just too hard.  So, lets focus on "the basic week"

This is what mine looks like - and I'll explain why and then you can have a think about your basic week.

Monday:  Commute to work - 34km

Tuesday:

Wednesday: Run 12km

Thursday:

Friday:  Commute to work - 34km

Saturday: Mt Elisa return: 95km

Sunday: Run: 18km

Total week:  155km of cycling (5hr, 40min), and 30km of running (2hr 20min), 8hr of training

Some reactions to this basic week:
1. it is really not much....
2. where is the swimming?
3. where is the Dendy Special?
4. what are you doing?
5. why does this work?

This is not a great training week - but it is a basic week - and it is pretty representative of my last 6 weeks of training... there are some crucial elements in here.  Let me explain....

1. the most important session of the week is the long ride.  This three hour long ride (which I've dedicated an entire earlier post to) is the backbone / foundation of my training.  It is my long ride, my hard ride, my threshold ride, my social time all rolled into one tight three hour package.  I try not to miss them, because without this foundation, the whole thing falls apart.  This one ride maintains my base fitness and delivers intensity through the hills - which keeps me fit and allows me to then ramp up in summer.  It is also very efficient (good training return for minimum time away from the family)

2. the second most important session of the week is the Sunday run.  I run for 80 min - to the beach and then along the sandy trails to black rock and return - it is 18km round trip and I sit on 4:15 per km pace.  Again, it is a tempo run and it is a solid workout.  It is important that this run follows the long ride the day before, so my legs are still a bit glycogen depleted.  In a triathlon, the run always follows the bike, so it is important to train on glycogen depleted legs - so it better replicates race conditions.  Sadly, this run is almost always solo because of 2 reasons.  1. it is much harder to find a running partner who is the same speed as me.  e.g. Sam Hume wants to run on the road and not on the trails and he like to run at 3:55 pace (!!).  2. I am always trying to jam in my 80 min run at some point on Sunday - and I take the opportunity whenever it presents itself - so it is hard to organise a specific time.

3. and all the other sessions are just bonus sessions - especially in winter.  I try to commute a couple of days a week - I aim for 3 - but work and meetings get in the way ..... so you just have to adapt

4. I love going on the Dendy Special.  But I'm often working late and 6am is a hard start for me.  I try to go once per week - but if things are getting tough and I'm up late - I'll take some extra sleep and try to commute instead.  I must say that the intensity of a ride back in Group B is a bonus.  But I have to be careful not to over-reach mid-week.

5. I try to run once per week during the week - no real focus besides just getting out the door and hitting the pavement.  Efforts / intensity not crucial - but great when it happens.

6. Swimming: I like to swim - but it is very inefficient (ie lots of stuffing around changing / getting to / from the pool etc) so, in the middle of winter, it goes.  I would love to add one swim per week - but it is a bonus, and not central to the basic week.

7.  If you don't aim too high - then it is easier to do better than the basic week.... but at this time of year, just getting a basic week done feels like a good achievement.

8. Bonus / random racing.... During winter, about once per month, I like to get out there and have a race.  I don't like doing triathlons in winter (e.g. going up to QLD to race) because I'm not swim fit.  I'm happy to do some cross-training / interesting races.  For example, today I did the Stadium Stomp with my consulting team at PwC.  It involved running 7500 stairs of the MCG - every step on level 1 and on the top level..... I can tell you that they are very steep.  The event took me 41min and 30 sec. and I averaged 157hr and I got a good, hard workout.  Not something I would do every day - but a good winter hit-out and something different....

So, there you go.  Remember, my basic week is geared around doing an Ironman triathlon in Summer.  That's why my two most important sessions are the long ride and long run.  I'm hoping that for many of you, the Dendy Special is a critical component of your basic week....

See you on the road....

Danger

May 1013: Ironman Melbourne race report trilogy

May: Melbourne Ironman 2013 - the race report trilogy 

This report is for Greeny and for all the DR that want to see the other side of doing the Ironman - I'll also try to pause the report and add some thoughts that might be relevant to you.... Ok - let's go..

Part 1: Race prep and swim
I'll cover the training part in another post in more detail - but I was pleased with my preparation.  I had done three rides of 170+ km and these were solid and intense rides. (think >36km/h average speed on the TT bike with few stops).  I had also done three runs of 32km (sub 2:20 time) and some speed work.  I'm still amazed that IM Melbourne goes ahead each year; the effort to close off all that road and the disruption for just 2200 people in a major city is pretty surprising....
The big talk in the days beforehand was the wind.... but you cannot change the conditions...

The day before the race is all about staying relaxed and also packing the race bags.  The little decisions that you make here can have a big impact.  I like to lay it all out and think through the whole race and ideally cross-check with another IM athlete.  In the Hawaii IM a little volunteer grannie inspects all your bags to make sure you have the essentials, which is very reassuring...

See the photo above of all the equipment.  I also now take a photo of the gear and the race bike so that I can remember what I did for next time.  It also helps to think through the race and all the elements.  You will notice that I don't have that much nutrition in the picture - and that is simply because in a well organised Ironman, there are aid stations every 10km on the bike and every 2km on the run and they are well stocked with everything you could possibly need - so why carry what you can pick up...

Race morning dawned.  Two Sustagens and then I was picked up for the drive down to Frankston.  We are organised and early and it is all about conserving energy.  Sit and relax whenever possible.... don't rush and don't waste energy for the long day ahead.

Then the delays began.  They announced that race start would be postponed by 30 min, then the swim course would be halved.  It is still pretty dark and I could not really see what the water looks like, but it was windy and I knew that it would be a tough day irrespective.

I completed the pre-race ritual of going to the toilet and get into the wetsuit, making sure that all the important parts have Vaseline on them and sun screened up.  Then we headed to the water and the water was rough... there is a biting short chop on the bay, white-caps everywhere and a nice surf rolling into the beach.  I went for a "warm-up" swim and I actually enjoyed it - no issues at all....

But now there is more waiting as the start is delayed again and 2000 people are on the beach and ready to go... an amazing feeling of tension.  Finally the pros are off and then it is our turn.  I don't like to line up on the front row, but I'm happy in rows 2-3 back.  The start is a joke, with no "start line", the front rows just keep creeping forward and everyone follows.  It should be better than this.


And then we are off.  And it was scary.  The waves and chop are fine swimming solo, but with 1150 age groupers it was the trickiest swim I've done.  I had to use all of my swimming skills to avoid being pulled under, to avoid hitting the  Frankston pier pylons and to keep myself above the water and moving forward.


My goggles  become dislodged easily and I had to flip onto my back several times.  I also experienced a tightness in the chest and focus on relaxing and breathing out to restore full function.  In essence, it was the roughest swim I've done in a triathlon in 20 years of racing and I needed to draw on all that experience to ensure I stayed in the race and up the front of the swim.  On the way back in and through the transition - 23 minutes or so - so a distance of more like 1.5km

Swim time:
23:37
out of the water in 79th

Some thoughts from part 1:

* Preparation prevents piss poor performance.  So take the time to get your kit and nutrition laid out and right before a significant event
* Take a photo / write it down - improving is about recording and reproducing what went well and not making the same mistake twice
* Even experienced people make mistakes and need to learn stuff: e.g. I did not get a chance to buy some new goggles before the race - and I was lamenting this when flipping on my back to empty out the water for the third time in the swim.
* It is good practise to train in crappy weather - because every so often, you will be racing in crappy weather and experience counts for a lot in tough conditions

Part 2: The bike

The first transition is always a bit of a blur - pushing high heart rates, running in bare feet, being wet.  The key risks are falling over, getting lost in transition (1500 bikes), dropping important things and generally wasting energy. So, the key is to take it nice and smooth and to have thought about all the
important elements beforehand.  I employed a new idea this time.  I put my sunglasses, nutrition, arm-coolers etc into a plastic snap-lock bag and in the change tent, I simply slipped the plastic bag down the front of my racing suit and ran off.... I figured I had 180km to get my sunglasses on... this worked a
treat and I was dry by the time I got all my stuff out of the bag and did not waste time in
transition.

Onto the bike and it is nice to get out on the course.  I made a small mistake in the opening km of the bike.  I got the call that I was 3 min behind the front of the age group race, so I was pushing to make up some time... and then I took a corner a bit too quickly in the aero position, it ended up being a more than 90 degree turn... I had over-cooked it and I ran off the road, jumped the "road furniture" (as Phil / Paul would say), repositioned and then got going again.  I recovered will - but I kicked myself for being an idiot....

About 17km in I hit the lead group and it was not looking good.  There were a group of about 8 with a few of the lead women in there as well.  I had a laugh to myself at Natasha Badman.  She is a 45 year old Swiss pro.  And in the Hawaii Ironman in 2000 she rode past me like I was standing still on her
aero Cheeta bike with Aero helmet (back then I had a standard road bike, standard helmet and clip on aero-bars.  How things had now changed.  And there was no way I was going to let her sit on my wheel for the next 150km!!

So, into the undulations and I got in the front and then dropped the group through the tunnel the first time.... To give you an indication of the wind, I rode the 45km out in 1:19 and the return journey took just 57 minutes.  The way back into town required a lot of concentration.  Hitting speeds often >50km/h with a disk wheel and a deep front and the occasional cross-wind.  And at these speeds, being aero really matters - so I tried to stay down, smooth and focused on going as fast as possible as smoothly
as possible.

Riding through Frankston is fun - but then onto the second lap and the headwind again.  I'm all alone again and setting my own pace.  Re: nutrition and I'm drinking the supplied Gatorade and also having the occasional gel just to break it up - but having a target of keeping the carbohydrate flowing in at
about 80g per hour.  This equates to drinking about 2-3 x 500m bidons per hour or reducing the fluid a bit and having 1 gel (about 25g of carbs per gel).  Doing some maths helps to pass the time :)

The other "intervention" that I use is caffeine.  I have 500mg of caffeine a bit after 100km.  This is a pretty solid hit of caffeine (maybe equivalent to 3-4 strong coffees at Tuci).  Why? Caffeine helps you to concentrate.  Riding a bike for 180km with no stops is hard work (it is also about 25,000 revolutions of the pedals!)  - and in the last 90 min, it can be hard to stay focused.  The caffeine helps to focus and keep down in the aero position and to keep pushing.  Does it help? I think so, but the greatest effect is probably a placebo effect.  It is great to "take" something to make you feel better.  It is truly a "1%" - but it is something I've practiced in shorter races and in other IM and it seems to work well for me....

Official bike time:
4:41:09
38.4km/h 
off the bike in 19th
HR ave: 144
Cadence ave: 100


Some thoughts from Part 2:
* Even after 12 Ironmans, I'm learning and trying new stuff - and the transition snap-lock bag really works for me
* I still stuffed up the first part of the bike - and running over road furniture is not cool.  Have to control the power until onto the freeway proper
* Very happy with nutrition and pacing and it was great to take the race up the road

Part 3: The run and finish
The transition is a funny place.  On the one hand it is great (really great!) to get off the bike and do something different.  The plastic chairs in the change tent never feel so good.  But, you know you have a marathon to run - it is a daunting feeling, so it is time to get going... you don't want to ponder that fact for too long!

Out onto the run - and it is exciting to be the first age-grouper.  In truth, there were a couple of blokes around me at the very end - One guy rode off on me down-wind and another one slipped by in
the final km through town.  But a smooth and fast transition and I was off in first.

I felt pretty average in the first km.  My legs felt tired and tight, and the boardwark along the Frankston foreshore  is twisty and narrow.  Then through the town was fun and it was great to see Catherine and the kids.  Unlike biking along the freeway, we are going slowly and you can connect with the spectators.... 

Then, I got into a bit of a rhythm, and then the first women ran up.  I frankly got a bit of a surprise.  I was not expecting her to bike so well and she looked like a good runner.  We had a bit of a chat and I asked her what her target marathon time was.  She said "2:56, lets run together".  I told her that the
best I had ever run off the bike was 3:06, so good luck with that and off she went into the distance....(I never saw her again and she ran 2:56 and won the women's race!)

Onto the road back to Mordiallioc.  We all know this road so well and I started to find my rhythm and was really enjoying the challenge of the run now.  A couple of pro males went past me - no issue there.... given I gave them a 10 min head start -  they should be way in front.  At 17km, a 40 y.o. bloke
went past and then another.... and then Sam Hume (my training partner and in my age group).  Frustrating, but there is nothing you can do... he had a spring in his step and I was my spring had turned to autumn.... I was having a flat spot, was starting to eel bloated and low on energy.  It is a tough spot to be in.  Ironman is not a tennis match - and it's important to focus on your own race and try some things when you are in a flat spot.

Sadly, my flat-spot lasted for about 12km.  I was running "OK" about 4:50 per km - but it was not pretty to watch.  I was really working on trying to figure out what was wrong and what to do about it (e.g. too little nutrition, too much nutrition (and bloating), too fast, too slow) etc.    My HR trace shows a pretty sad decline around the 2hr mark that lasts for 40 min.

And, then, I came to home turf.  Just around Brighton I say Kinga and the Fridge on their bikes and I started to feel good (thanks guys!).  I've never 'come good' so quickly before - it was like I was able to run and compete again and put the hammer down (which is a relative term after 8hr of racing!).  

In this photo - I have real spring in my step again.  It is close to the finish line.  Of course, it was also great to have the support of the DR out on the course and other family / friends.  As I rounded Pt Ormond (the 39km mark) there were the kids and the high-5s were on..... a great feeling

The final 3km are a bit of a blur - after such a long day. The crowd and the noise is amazing.  You realise that you are going to make it and that you are also shattered and willing yourself on to the line - it is real mind over matter stuff.  Nutrition and pacing simply don't matter any more - you are in the realm of the 'crazy eyes' and the will within - and that is all that matters....

Marathon time: 3:15:56
Ave pave: 4:39
Ave HR: 133

Total time: 8:24:47
Overall place: 28th overall
35-39 age group: 3rd

Thoughts from the run / post race:
* The Ironman is all about pacing.  In the end, I got off the bike in 19th and ran into 28th place.  I had a bad patch on the run.  I think I biked a bit too hard
* But, it was cool to "take the race up the road".  Sam Hume finished second in my age-group (to my third) and he ran a 3:04 and Barry (winner) ran 2:52 !!  So, I have to get off the bike first, because I'm never going to run as fast as them - but still, I think I biked a bit too hard
* Thinking about a power meter for next year - it is extra hard to dose your effort in big head / tail winds and I think I just over-cooked it a bit
* I want to be looking better when going past Brighton and all my mates :) - will remember to save something extra for running through 3186 next year

If you've got this far - thanks for reading and see you in June.....
Danger

"Productivity isn't everything, but in the long run it is almost everything"
Paul Krugman "The age of diminishing expectations, 1997

I'm late for the April blog - and the feedback was pretty positive on the March edition.
Thanks for all your feedback and for topic suggestions - which I will get to in subsequent months....for example:
- nutrition - what to eat and drink on rides, especially long rides
- training: the basics of a training plan
- preparing for the Grand Fondo
- The ironman triathlon - what it was like / race report.... what do you think about for 9 hours?
- Ironman training - what do you and why?  (and given Steve Green has entered IM Melbourne for 2014 - these IM tips now have special relevance to the DR!!)

But first, I was doing some work on healthcare productivity improvement at PwC - specifically how to improve the productivity of a hospital / health network and I came across the quote in the title of this blog - it struck me how relevant this was to cycling / endurance sports....

And given that many of you think about ways to improve productivity in a work / business setting (essentially producing more outputs for a given set of inputs), I thought it would be a concept we could look at applying to cycling....

So, how to be more productive riding?

1. Be more efficient: Bike comfort
- one of the biggest initial problems in getting power from your muscles into your bike is bike fit.  If you are not comfortable and your seat height is not right etc - you will not be efficient

2. Bike fit - aero
- there is no point pushing lots of watts, but then having all that good work diminished by overcoming a large frontal area into the face of the wind..... so, to address bike comfort and being aero, there comes a point where it is good to get a bike fit..... to work on comfort, power generation at the crank and also on being as aero as possible.... there can be a trade-off between aero and power and comfort - (think the superman position) - so it is all about balance..

3. The actual cycling motion: "getting more efficient at pushing the pedals"
I know it seems simple, pushing the pedals around - but there is a skill / art in getting the most power out of the cycle.... things like the optimal neural recruitment pattern (the fancy term for having the smoothest and most efficient pedal stroke) and being in the right gear.  These is a big factor and something that I really focus on.  For example, one of the reasons that my cycling has been stronger this year in triathlons, was listening to Kevin and Paul at our winter bikes skills session talking about a smooth cycling stroke and the importance of high cadence.  All this I know - but it is easy to forget.  Since their talk, I've been really focusing on a smooth, high cadence, especially when I'm commuting on the bike path - and I think this has helped translate to a better bike ride in the races.

4. Bike handling
It is no good having an awesome bike position and pedalling motion and then being in the wrong place in the bunch.  As everyone sees in the bike races on TV, it is not always the strongest / fittest rider who wins the race.... so, knowing where to position yourself in a group, drafting well (and safely), not wasting energy and using your riding watts at the right times...

5. Doing some training / how to train....
I will cover this in a separate post and a big topic certainly.  As you know, one of my big themes is how to get the best training effect from the smallest amount of training hours (ie best productivity from my training time).  I'll just say that it is a fine balance / combination of: volume / intensity / recovery in the right proportions - and it takes a while to work out what is best for you.....

6. Maintenance spending...
You cannot ride efficiently / ride well if your bike is not well looked after or you have a breakdown.  Take your pride and joy in for a service and make sure that everything is running smoothly.  You need a new chain / cluster about every year.  Some oil / WD40 on the chain, new tyres and new batteries in the lights etc.... just like any expensive piece of kit - a little $$ can go a long way.

6. "Throwing $$$ at the problem"
This is a favourite pastime of business people as well as cyclists.  "lets just spend some money on a new IT system / new factory / new xxxx" and the productivity will improve.... well, that is the theory.
In cycling, there is always the latest piece of fancy kit.  And that investment can make a difference.  Basically, you want to go more aero and lighter.... a nice set of light, aero, but still sturdy wheels is a good start.  An aero helmet makes a big difference, but the Jow will have to provide you with advice to make sure that the new aero road helmets are still within "the rules" of cycling cool.  And, investing in a beautiful bike makes you want to go and ride it - so, that is money well spent!

So, what can you do to be more "productive" on the bike?

Get a bike fit:
The Dendy Riders have a deal with our friend at Inspired Orthotic Solutions.  Jason Nichols - he fits Simon Gerrens and is "old school" (no fancy fit computer) - but I trust him that he knows how to fit you to a bike...he is on the beach rd opposite the Brighton yacht club 9592 7000 and tell him you are a DR and I sent you....

Participate in the DR winter technique training with Kevin Ford:
Am working with Kevin to think about some winter technique training sessions.
He wants to have a combination of indoor technique (on the rollers....shudder) and also outdoor training in pacelines etc.  He is in Italy for the next few weeks, so we are targeting June - stay tuned.

Get fitter:
Do more Dendy Specials and Saturday rides :)
And stay tuned for subsequent posts on training and nutrition

Spend $$$:
Start with maintenance and then go and splurge when you can.... we all do it when we can!!

thanks for reading - see you in May, Danger