Remembering A Fallen Comrade

Michael left us yesterday. He will be fondly remembered as a valued member of triathlon team, Crazy2Tri; an Ironman triathlon finisher; and a very good person. Instead of asking about how he left us, we could ask: How did he live his life? He lived a very rich life, enriched with experiences, strong and sustained relationships, and a plethora of achievements and accomplishments. In other words, Michael lived a successful life. We honour you today, Michael!

I was proud to race, side-by-side, with Michael 'Macca' in Ironman Malaysia 2007 - every step a tough competitor and determined athlete in life. Every ounce a Gentleman! You will be missed, my Friend.

Updates and Up-enders

It has been a physically challenging second week of Ironman preparation in my second meso-cycle. A meso-cycle, in my case, is a month’s load of triathlon-specific training. Each week, I have three sessions each for swimming, cycling and running. I have a heavier workload over my weekends, as this reserved for long rides and runs. It has been three weeks since my flu-troubled Singapore Marathon; I only registered a dismal 3:41, nowhere near the revised Boston Qualifier time of 3:24:59.

It is supposed to be an off-season, and in my personal design I am thick in my racing season. 3 March, in Taupo, New Zealand will be my 12^th assault for an Ironman finish. This will be my third time in Auckland to attempt a personal record for an Ironman course. After my PB plan was up-ended with last year’s pre-Ironman road accident, I had to refocus. I have the numbers to improve on. Numbers do not lie, and plans can be tweaked. Because my weaknesses lie in climbing (and rolling courses) and headwinds, I have dedicated my training towards strength development: time-trials, intervals, and sprints. I am aiming for fresher legs at T2, holding steady for 180K, before the marathon in nine weeks’ time.

Disease and acute fatigue can up-end a well-designed, comprehensive race program. Rest is something I factored in deliberately in recent weeks. I aim for 6-8 hours each night of quality sleep. I am also flexible (with my coach, Fox) with how I attend to my training sessions. For a time-crunched triathlete, you need to be able to shift sessions around without bogging yourself down. You have to be decisive in changing plans and altering your goals. The monsoon season is predictable for its abundant and ubiquitous rainfall. Sometimes, you may miss a session or two, and you move on. It may be useless to recover it like lost sleep. Instead, you could focus your efforts on the next workout/s, or do something else like focus on building your core stability and strength, run on a treadmill, or ride a stationary-bike. Never allow your body to be too clever in adapting to routine. After all, triathletes love routine and structure to their madness.

My nutritional changes include: higher antioxidant-laden foods (mainly unprocessed nuts, tart cherry juice and pomegranate juice); more vegetables, water, vitamin C (with zinc) and protein (including two Muscle Milk whey protein drinks daily).

I am reading ‘Ironstruck’ (2006) by Ray Fauteux, which I bought online as an e-book. He describes his fascination with marathons, ultra-marathons and his 14 Ironman triathlon finishes. John Cooke wrote about his reflection and perspective on preparing for Ironman races. How do you restore balance when this sport is skewed towards a 10-15 hour training week? How can we reduce its impact as an indulgent sport? How do we position it as a sane sport when many perceive it as extreme from the insanely long hours we spend training? When this bolt of lightning strikes you from out of the blue, you can bet your last cup of Kona coffee that life will never be the same again.

Have a very good Christmas weekend!

Visualising Run Styles

12-time Ironman Clifford Lee has told me, frequently, that I am recognizable during a race by my running style. I tend to adopt the puffed-up chest posture of Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack. Interestingly, that is my mental picture of my running style during training and races. Focusing on my running gait directs my attention to useful things instead of physical discomfort.

This evening, I opted to assume the running style of Ironman world champion, Mirinda ‘Rinny’ Carfrae. She has wide strides during a marathoner, which suggests very strong legs. My friend, Wilson Low (a 70.3 & Ironman world’s finisher, and adventure racer) also runs like that, with gazelle-like strides.

Here is a video analysis of Rinny during the Rev3 Half race in 2009. This is her mechanics of her run at Eagleman 2011.'

During last night’s run, I had an epiphany. I thought I would like to compete in next year’s 70.3 Ironman World Championships. The last time I competed in this series were in 2008 and 2009. I scored my PB in 2008, and then focused my efforts on the full Ironman triathlon. I would enjoy racing in the new competition venue of Las Vegas in 2012, as the previous venue was in Clearwater, Florida.

My ‘tapering run’ was a useful one; actually I am not tapering as I am in the midst of my 12-week Ironman training. It was just after a downpour, with occasional flashes of lightning in the sky. I think I am regaining my marathon mojo, so next weekend’s marathon should be an interesting one. Already, I have arranged for an unofficial 3:20 pacer (Melvin How, who has done 3:19 in 2008) as the official pacers end at 3:45. I will use my watch as a guide, although I will run by ‘feel’, intuition, RPE and breathing. As Adam ‘One-Armed Runner’ would say, ‘Toes crossed!’