Countdown to the Big Climb

I have not been a big fan of hilly courses, although the former-Ironman Malaysia was a varied one with nice hills thrown in like the idiomatic ‘spanner’.

I have been studying the profile on the ride course of Ironman Switzerland. Three names come to mind, and finishers of the Ironman course in Zurich have uttered their names with respect. They are: Egg, Heartbreak Hill, and The Beast. As poignantly as these sections of the course are christened, those who survived have told the traditional tale of pain and heartbreak.

Having done what was considered one of the more challenging Ironman bike courses in Europe – Ironman Spain a.k.a. Ironman Lanzarote (Canary Islands) – twice, I have grown to respect foreign soil and my own fear. When confronting hills and harsh climbs, it is akin to facing your fears. Interestingly, our fears may reveal little more than anxiety, natural nerves, and an apparent lack of practice and training. In hill-scarce, Singapore sans mountains we can only ride on heavy-gears, up a relatively, pancake-flat island. Our only choices are to take a getaway trip to Desaru or Phuket or Bintan Island, to experience the frustrations and physical challenges of hilly terrain. Until you bravely train on rolling terrain and climb steep hills, then your riding skills and strength is limited only to superbly speedy (and often-times, stupidly fast) time-trials on flat roads. Or else, you can afford time on a Compu-Trainer, or crank it out on a turbo-trainer, indoors on high-gears, at specific heart-rates.

I haven’t done enough time on the hilly terrain of Malaysia or Indonesia, so can only courageously meet with my fate on Sunday with a sane (?) mind and my sound body. I have 16 hours to complete the task, and I await with bated breath my rundown into the finishers' chute.

A Week’s Rundown To Ironman

The tapering week leading to the Ironman triathlon is often mistaken as the time to either do more training, or to rest completely. Neither option is the best. In fact, a blended approach would make more scientific, bodily and intuitive sense.

A proper tapering process, when adhered to closely, is not a cessation of activity but rather a reduction of overall physical workload. You will still swim, ride and run however you will do a fraction of the usual workload. Your overall mileage is reduced gradually, so that your body does not go ‘cold turkey and be shocked into inactivity. You want to rehearse your three disciplines so that your body is primed for the race. The delicate balance is to not do too much as to exhaust and deplete the body before race-day, and not too little as to lead to a loss of fitness. Up to three weeks before the race, get a weekly sports massage to work out the kinks in your muscles. Muscle spasms (knots or cramps) reduce the muscles ability to exert the most power and strength when you need it most. Over-stretch tight muscles during racing and, you may incur the wrath of a painful cramp as retribution.

The mysterious aspects of tapering is that you may experience soreness, potential niggles (injuries), and a sense of frustration that you may be doing too little. This is a risky proposition: to want to do a little more, when you should be repairing your body, nourishing it, and allowing it to fully recuperate from weeks of intense training. My electrolyte intake will be at its highest as I want to infuse water within my muscles (intramuscular fluid).

For my tapering week, my swims are limited to a total of 1.5-2.0K (mostly practising drafting, sighting and some speed work), rides to 2 hours of intervals (short fast bursts with longer recovery sets), and running to 5-10K at race-pace. The day before the race, I will rehearse a short ‘triathlon’ just to keep my muscles attuned, and then I will check my bike in. I will do nothing at all two days before, and get most of my restful sleep. It is hard to get quality sleep the night before, if you spend the night going to the bathroom as you rehydrate on your return. Pre-race nerves also upset your restfulness.

Go over your race gear, and ensure that you carry enough nutrition for your ride and run. If inclement weather prevails, prepare extra attire and warm clothing. Check and test for quality of race-gear. Whenever you can, raise your feet and rest. Keep shopping to after your race, especially when you need to up early to purchase the finisher’s merchandise.

Rebooting 'The Amazing Spiderman'

Spiderman does it again!

In the rebooted version of the human arachnid, ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ cost US$215 million, and redressed and addressed in fresh ways. It is presented in digitalised and in 3D versions with a brand-new cast. Like The Matrix Trilogy that came reloaded and unloaded, this version is rebooted and re-imagined, to varying results and responses. Either the new version pales against the original, or or exceeds it. In recent years, the success with the re-invention of Spiderman, Superman and Ironman bear testament to successful franchises.

The salient changes to Spidey is his costume, and originations; mainly his web-slinging comes in the form of a wrist-wrapped device and genetically-modified protein that is stronger than steel cables. A star-studded ensemble cast fills the non-CGI segments of the 135-minute film. Spoiler Alert: Stay on during the end-credits where there is suggestion of a sequel. Peter Parker, who underwent a tough childhood is transmogrified into the science freak he is known for, harboring dark and foreboding secrets, amazing superhuman powers, and huge responsibilities to bear. Superheroes, appear to be unhappy characters who cannot get close to others (for fear of violent repercussions), and reluctant heroes with a gift/curse. They have to surrender to their good side and help others, or succumb to their dark side and become criminals. Use your power for good, or evil. 

There is much to learn from animated series, previously known as cartoons in a former-era. Comic-books filled the void of hope during major world events and conflicts. Director, Night Shyamalan did a great job with ‘Unbreakable’ where the world’s most fragile man meets the world’s most indestructible person. The plot is plausible, where the polarity of 'opposites' means the yin and yang of human character. When science meets fantasy, a new genre is born which invites many interesting questions regarding our status as humankind.

How will you reboot yourself? Two legs good, four sticky limbs better.

Listening To Your List

We have written about using lists and even designing our own Bucket List. What else do we need to know about the listing of important tasks and priorities? Even Santa Claus’s list has been audited annually for any inconsistencies and miscreants. Do the crime, and do the time.

Have you considered your internal list? That is the list that we all subscribe to, now and then. This list includes our: dreams, aspirations, wishes, values, doubts, worries, unhappiness, and suspicions. We need to manage this internal list, which can upset our equilibrium of our mental health, confidence, spirit, and trust in our world. What bothers you most in life? What are you struggling with? Which aspects of your achievements are you most proud of?

Listen closely to your list. Sometimes, our mind reminds us to listen in to our ‘list of demands’. It is natural to be selfish for some moments in your life, and take care of yourself. Even caregivers, parents and nurturers need to take good care of themselves. Submit, occasionally, to your list of TLC and WIIFM and you may be in a heightened state of capability and performance. Celebrate your success. Learn from your defeats, failures and disappointments. Develop wisdom. Write your philosophy and wisdom out, and articulate with others.

Have a private chat with yourself, and review your list. And, listen closely to it.

Nagging Feeling and Niggles

It is about a week from the big race. I am now in my tapering stage of preparing from Ironman Switzerland. It is, mostly, packing right, eating well, sticking to the tapering plan, and recovering well. However, I discovered a serious, nagging pain in my left foot and am taking care of it now. I may have incurred it when I running up the beach, after swimming in the lagoon last Saturday. Or, I could have earned it while doing my fitness testing last Saturday afternoon (with poor technique on the treadmill). Or, I may have injured my foot while riding on the indoor-trainer.

The symptoms are serious: I have mild pain on the top of my foot, and I diagnosed it as strain/sprain of my metatarsals (and associated tendons). I could not put much weight on it yesterday, so abandoned my rainy day short run. I am actively applying RICES to it as a means of reducing my discomfort, and reducing the inflammation and pain. Not really addressing the organic source. This evening's 25 X 100m pull-buoy sets in the public pool was relatively pain-free, but I cannot put too much weight on the foot as it is still sore.

I am left with a few major decisions. Do my main race next weekend, however skip this Sunday’s 21K race. Also, I will have to focus on active recovery like swim and ride (depending on how my foot feels), sports massage, and absolutely no running. Passive recovery would mean eating very well, and resting/sleeping as generously as I can. Moreover, I will have to stay vigilantly positive and optimistic that I have the base fitness and it will sustain me through despite a less than precise tapering stage.

I have prepared too long to toss this A-race away. I will, therefore, deal with it one thing at a time, and one discipline at a time. If I have to walk the marathon, so be it. The Big Picture is to complete my thirteenth Ironman triathlon. Toes crossed.

Races As Training (A Review)

Mount Faber 10K Run (PB of 2 minutes) which really tested my run-legs. Pleased with my improvement (annoyingly close to a podium finish) even though I did not train specifically for hills.

A PB for the  TRI-Factor 60K ride (bike fit was comfortable, and race pace was spot on); bike is now beautifully painted.

A midnight half-marathon (sub-1:40) that indicated my training was on-track and on-target. One more 21K race (hopefully another sub-1 hour 40 minutes) this Sunday before packing for Zurich.

The Respite From Rest & Recovery

I have rested thoroughly for continuous two days: not even the slightest hint of active recovery, just an absence of training for triathlons. After Monday’s deep tissue massage, my muscles are slightly sore and recovering. The weeks of extended and intense training and racing have proven its toll on my body. 10 days out to Ironman Switzerland, and the tapering work is critical to my performance on 15 July.

It is interesting to note that it is during rest days that you feel restless and sore. This suggests that our muscles and tissues are recovering. The pain that you may experience involves actual repair of muscle fibres, reconstructing, and becoming stronger. When you continue training, residual hormones like adrenaline and cortisol in the bloodstream masks injuries. When the pain dissipates on your rest days, you begin to lose all pain-killing effects. The process of recovery and recuperation can be painful.

During your rest days, aim to focus on resting both mind and body. Nourish your body with more protein and fats, and moderate amounts of carbohydrates. Achieve as much restful sleep as you can. Distract your mind for endurance sports, and spend time on recreation and pastime. Our mind can suffer fatigue from the repetitive, routine workouts that we tend to do.

Fully commit to your rest and recovery days; treat them as part of your training. The time to do nothing will enhance your potential performance. Train + Rest + Recovery = Performance.

Monday’s Musings

I met up with the mildly jet-lagged, Dr Kua Harn Wei this afternoon. We chatted about ultra-endurance races and how he trained for them. I clarified that his longest indoor session on his bike was 12 hours! He did it while preparing for his Quadruple Ironman assault; he rode from 7.00am-7.00pm with brief pauses for bathroom breaks. He also shared his success (running the Twilight Ultra-marathon and Sundown race) with the Akuna range of sports supplements including the amino acid blend comprising L-carnitine and taurine. The good news is that Mega-Tri series of triathlons are back in November.

My longest session, so far, on the turbo-trainer has been three hours and I did that last weekend. Last week, I did a split session where I rode two hours in the morning and rode (one hour) and ran a 10K tempo run – a two-hour ride-run brick. This was a personal achievement for me, as I accumulated a large puddle of sweat on my Ironman Western Australia beach-towel. Those humungous towels that the volunteers wrap you up in, after you cross the finish-line, are great for both sun-worshipping and turbo-training.

I also completed my maiden experience as a subject in a sports science study. I had my blood lactate and lactate threshold measured, in both compression and non-compression attire. I realized that the h/p/cosmos treadmill could also be used for a bicycle-test. This treadmill is wired up to a computer that measures a battery of indicators that can be useful for training athletes.

Dex Tai completed Ironman Austria successfully in 11:48. By my guesstimates, he is racing conservatively as he has two more triathlons to go. However, I know for a fact that he completed Ironman France and Ironman Austria in 2009 within a week. We wish him a splendid recovery and all the best for this weekend. I look forward to racing with him next weekend in Zurich.

Got washed out by the rain this evening, so wasted an hour commuting. Thankfully, I rode for an hour this morning and got a deep sports massage this afternoon. My legs feel battered and lack the tonus I am used to. Today is recovery day, and tomorrow is a day of rest. 12 days to go to the Big Dance!

Have a good week!

My Tapering Begins

Yesterday, I swam four laps of the 450-470m long, lagoon at Sentosa with about 20 swimmers. Desmond ably led us through our paces with words of assurance between the swim sets. I enjoyed an easy but very good wetsuit taper swim, keeping the lead with Alethea (preparing for the inaugural Ironman Sweden in mid-August) and Bernard ‘The Shark’ (both very good swimmers). I am stoked about my swim in Lake Zurich as my strokes (and race-pace) are gradually coming into place. I also shared with the group (after the third set) about the use of proper lubricants on wetsuit and tri-suits, as well as observing points of chaffing on their skin.

This is my newly painted and freshly serviced, Elite Custom-made Razor bike. I kept my colour scheme of maroon, while retaining the original colour of carbon. I will be collecting it on Tuesday, and spin on it before I pack her into my bike-case.

In the afternoon, I completed the second part of the sub-maximal stress test wearing compression gear. I went through the entire program (conducted by Wilson and Matthew), and experienced a little heating (in my full-body attire) but RPE was about the same. Robert and I completed our second and last test, while Craig and Desmond did their first. They will complete their second test (with compression gear) on Tuesday evening.

Hooked up, and starting my warm-up for the progressively, fast run.

Dex Tai races his first of three Ironmans today in Austria. World-champion Chrissie Wellington penned some powerful words for him. We wish him the very best in his challenge!

The Theatre Behind All Engagements

Theatre can teach us much about how we can live our lives. After all, Shakespeare wrote, ‘All the world’s a stage, and we are the actors…’ Life is full of its moments of drama, and this makes us engaged with them. The dramas involve conflict, relationships, how we relate to each other, and whether we resolve the conflict. In comedy or suspense, tension is followed by relaxation. Taking the director’s blueprint for shooting a film or directing a stage-play, we can cleverly apply it to our athletic pursuits. The four elements listed below describe how you can direct yours session with purpose and premise.

Scene: In the living-room (as per set-up).

Setting: Training for cycling (day or night); mindful that it is not noisy if it is in the late-evening.

Characters: You, the time-crunched athlete. Who else is around you, who may render assistance (get you another towel, fill your water-bottle, or watch out for your safety).

Situation: Training for a triathlon, and the weather is inclement. Need more bang-for-buck for each training session. Your training menu for the session is your script, so stick closely to your script.