Embrace the TREADMILL...

Let me preface this with the fact that I used to HATE the treadmill. It was the dreadmill. I would do anything NOT to go on the treadmill. I would run in rain, sleet, snow, icy sidewalks, just about killing myself to make it out the door. I am tough, right? In the winter, I would throw on my yak traks, and run through anything. I remember running on sheer ice, 2 feet of snow (yes, it was up past my knees- I use the term 'run' pretty loosely in this instance), and rainy downpour in the cold and dark. I would go to an indoor track before even thinking about stepping on a gerbil wheel. I would run around in circles smelling that odor of recycled tires that is only reminiscent of the horror days of P.E The only time I went on a treadmill was when I got paid to do it. Literally.

Last winter I started using the treadmill out of sheer pragmatics. It was quicker, and I got the time in that I needed to. It worked, but I still didn't like it. It was meerly time in the bank.

This week, I realized what has happened since the cold, dark, days of winter has set in... I have fallen in love with treadmill running.


The treadmill has offered me something that I could never get outside... THE PERFECT WORKOUT.

I write this after completing my long run after I got into town from Madison and traveling/ interviewing all day. I headed to the trusty north town YMCA, walk past all of the 12 year olds playing guitar hero in the lounge (sitting on a couch, mind you, I give them a negative 100 in style points) and set up my 'home' for the next 100 minutes. Water, heart rate, towel, tunes, TV, fans, MPH, calories, time, lap spits- its all there. I proceed to perfectly execute my run for the evening. Everything was timed down to the second- warm up, main run/ workout (8x10m M pace), cool down. Flawless. Pace was spot on. No fading, no excuses. No ice to say you slowed down for, no traffic lights to give you those unplanned rest breaks, no exhaust fumes to breathe. The treadmill does not lie. It is the cold, hard, facts staring you right back in your face. Just saying 'I dare you.' During my last push to the end, I knew that I had met my goal for the preceeding 100 minutes. I know for a fact that I am running faster, longer, and at a lower heart rate than I ever have before.

And I have this all to thank to, my reconciled friend, the treadmill.

Home again...

Back in good 'ol 'sconny for a few days. Interviewing for jobs in Madison, training, seeing friends, and finishing up my Christmas shopping are about the only things that I need to worry about. Life is good.

I am all done with my Christmas shopping except for finding my brother's christmas gift. A long time ago, we started finding gifts for each other that were borderline mean, but still useable. Think disgusting foodstuffs that you need to eat out of courtesy, a coffee mug that has cheap refills at a gas station, but I don't live anywhere near those gas stations to get any benefit out of the mug, etc. I think it may have started when he 'gave' me a toy one year, and then proceeded to run away with it and play with it himself. (if you are interested, it was the 'Real Power Tool Shop'- one of those 9v battery operated saws that one can cut all kinds of shapes in balsa wood- it was actually pretty sweet- I believe it was circa early 90s), I'd like to say that he was the one that chose this path of doom for our Christmas gifts to each other.

So anyways, I am trying to top the bright red 'Hawaiian Punch' flavored bundt cake that I got him last year. After checking the junk areas at the truck stops that I stopped at during my travels resulted in nothing. I naturally travel to a local gas station to find the finest in foods that will remain completely fresh until Christmas (2008). Nothing of worthiness. Not even a pickled polish sausage to be seen. I was thinking Chuck E. Cheese tokens, so that he NEEDS to take his kids there and watch robots play styrofoam guitars, but that might be too mean. The search continues...

Some thoughts on mediocrity...

A lot on my mind lately. This being one of them. Nothing novel, just thoughts. Likely influenced by being on break and the clearing of the academic clutter from my mind coupled with much time on the trainer, treadmill, and driving solo in the car.

Athleticly, What makes the great people great, the ordinary people extraordinary? Does it hurt just as much for everyone to run an 8 minute mile, and the fast ones can just HTFU and bear the pain better to manage 6 min miles. Or, is it true that 'it doesn't get any easier, you just get faster.' Am I just a wuss? Possibly. I guess Dr. J. Daniels, has a few thoughts on what we are given genetically and what we do with it:

He divides people up into:
AA - Those with great genes and great commitment
AB - Those with great genes and less commitment
BA - Those without the great genes and great comitment

BA can defeat AB in a race. But BA cannot defeat AA.

An interesting point, and gives us "BA" people hope. A recent occurance (or maybe this retrospection is all in the spirit of all of the 'year in review' shows that are yet to come) had me going through past race results and realized that I have made dismal gains in my performance over the past three years. Not a fun thing to realize, but it is unfortunately the truth. After my initial journey from couch to athlete, and the exponential increase that one sees when proceeding with such a change, things have leveled off, and I have been in a solid comfort zone of being a mediocre mid-pack triathlete. One with the masses. My accomplishments and talents in the past three years include perfecting the following:
- training that is perfectly consistent and sporatic at the same time (yes, it can be done)
-dialing in on the best gray zone possible and increasing the volume there over many seasons (yes, I can race any distance that I want in my gray zone)
- figuring out how to get away with 90%
- getting sick
- catastrophic mechanical failures
- having a heck of a lot of fun (to give myself a little credit)

These accomplishments equate to the following:
- I am a mediocre triathlete
- i am a mediocre bike racer
- I am a mediocre runner
- I am a mediocre swimmer


Clearly, based upon the N=1 in my experiment called 'training.' There is no difference from year to year with what I am doing.

Chinese proverb:
"Insanity is dong the same thing over-and-over and expecting a different outcome."

Extraordinarily profound. Nobody wants to be insane. Things have changed and they are changing. It is just refreshing to remind myself exactly why I need a paradigm shift and why change is needed. The new experiment has started. Step by step.

1. figure out how to get well and stay well (almost done, getting over my latest nasty cold)
2. every workout has a purpose and a goal, and it will be met
3. faster= better w/kg (ie: lost weight= instant improvement without even working for it)
4. pay attention to nutrition and hydration in training (break my habit of trying get away with riding until an empty tank= crappy ride)
5. figure out IF and how #3 and #4 can coexist
6. sleep more, and don't feel guilty for it
7. give form and efficiency the time that they need
8. keep my love for swimming (I'm pretty sure my swimming mojo is back after it decided to go on sabbatical )
9. have a heck of a lot of fun
10. it will be harder, it will be tougher, but I am in control and things will get better. Progress happens in small steps.

There it is- the recipe. Let the madness continue.

Happy Thanksgiving!

After traveling and interviewing for the past few days, and thinking I was going to die in the first snowstorm of the season last night while driving, I am glad to be home.

It was great to spend some time in Mad-town with friends, interview, and get a nice long run in with Michelle's dog Brie around lake Monona. I forgot how much fun it is to run with a dog, and it surely made me push the pace to try to get her to 'run' versus a 'fast trot' along side me. I am pretty sure she slept the rest of the day after we ran. good.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. When else can you have a great meal with the people you love with no other obilgations? The day has been great- a 2 hr ride today helped work up the appetite for turkey and all the fixin's. A fun day with the niece and nephew decorating gingerbread houses (they caught on to just eating the frosting pretty quickly) , baking homemade bread (they are awesome at kneading and rolling dough!), and putting up Christmas lights outside. Fun times by all.

Very thankful for everyone and everything in my life...

Training update- Base II- Week I-

Adding in Tempo work and M pace this week. Although dreading starting the 'workouts that hurt' I was eager to see where I am in reference to last season. In other words, how much have I lost over 'hibernation'? If you are wondering why I am adding Tempo work in November, it is because I am racing a half iron in March. I have been getting that question a lot.

I took my pace/ wattage goals at the conservative end of where I was last season, and dove in. Running went well, met all workout goals on my runs this week. Tempo run on Wed, 50m, 5x4mT. Kept up last year's pace well. yay! Tempo ride on Thurs-3 hrs c/ 4x15m T , started outside for the first hour, then daylight restricted me to the trainer. Wattage goals were a bit lower than last year, but i have not used my SRM on the trainer since I got it right when the weather was getting nice outisde last year. However, I am thinking that the trainer should not make the difference of 15-20watts that I was seeing. That whole workout hurt- a lot. I hate to admit this, but I even inadvertently emitted a whimper. I couldn't believe it. It almost caught me off guard that I actually did that, then I told myself to harden the f**k up and finish the workout. I did.

Long run last night 90m, 5x10mM. Went great.

Woke up this morning and was vomiting from 6am to 2pm. (fyi: No, I did not go out drinking last night) Needless to say, no ride. Now feeling a bit better. Bummed, but what can one do?

Bjorn

Yesterday, a 1:59 bike split at Ironman 70.3 Worlds. All I can say is wow.

I respect the guy, not just because he can ride his bike really really fast, but he executes his race on the bike, and just waits to see if he can run after riding the bike portion like a TT. Maybe not the smartest pacing strategy, but gutsy, and it works, sometimes. Not only that, but anyone who can hold that kind of bike position for 56 miles deserves credit.

Let the Madness Begin...
So, it has been 8 weeks since the 'official' start of my training for the 2008 season. Yes, everything is in place.

Volume for the first 8 weeks consisted of buiding enough s-b-r- and lifting to get up to 17hrs last week. This week is a setback to go into my next 8 week block consisting of holding the volume at 17:xx hrs and ramping up intensity.

The deliberation lies in if and what I should make my 2008 goals to be at the races. After the entire racing season of 2007 blowing up into my face, I have come to accept where I was, and to stop making retrospective excuses. They are what they are, the season is done, and it is now time to get ready for next year.

So the the question for 2008 is: what do I want to accomplish?

John Basedow, may you rest in peace.