2020 Season Starts Now!

New Years Day is two days away, but the 2020 season starts today for me!  Let's get this party started!  

Since November 7th, I have recovered from sinus surgery and simply done a slow build back to structured training.  I have felt like a caged bull the last few weeks and am so motivated and ready to get going again.  That is exactly what I hoped would happen with the longest layoff I have taken since starting triathlon five years ago.  Today, I began with a 3,500 meter swim session of broken 300s.  After a six-week layoff from swimming during my sinus recovery, I have been slowly building back my swim fitness the last few weeks.  This workout felt fairly normal and I finally feel like I am ready to do some quality swim sets.

Below is what I have on tap for 2020, so far:

3/15/2020 - Annapolis Striders - B&A Trail Half Marathon

6/21/2020 - Kinetic Multisports - Lums Pond Olympic Triathlon

07/11/2020 - Kinetic Multisports - Diamond in the Rough Olympic Triathlon

08/23/2020 - ITU Age Group Standard Distance World Championships 

I have my eye on a few other races, but they will likely be some tune-up 5k and 10k runs and maybe a duathlon or one more olympic in May.  These will all be determined by the kids sports schedule which we won't know for a few more weeks/months.  I would also like to participate in a couple of cycling time trials near my home, as long as they fit in with my training sessions.

As I have noted before, I work with my coach Sierra Snyder, using a platform called TriDot.  I have been an ambassador for them now for three years and totally trust their process.  Sierra helps me fine tune everything as needed and gives me the insights on how to race.  Ultimately though, the artificial intelligence driving the TriDot system optimizes my training load to me specifically based on my regular assessments and how well I complete each week's training.  Every work out is given a "TrainX" score and gives me immediate feedback on how well I performed to the intent and purpose of the workout.  

In parallel, to fuel my engineering brain, I track my progress in Training Peaks.  I also like to compare TP's annual training plan and periodization to my actual results that TriDot prescribes.  They tend to be pretty different.  I don't worry because I know TriDot is optimized for me specifically.  Below is a screen capture of the training plan for 2020.  

Just for comparison's sake, below is a screen capture of 2019's season with my actual results using TriDot.  You can see that I reached a far higher CTL with TriDot than Training Peaks prescribed.  No injuries, plenty of podiums, and qualification for Team USA speaks loudly for TriDot's methods!

Lastly, I am proud to represent as an ambassador this year for a couple of brands and will be racing for a few teams this year.  Looking forward to seeing my teammates out there crushing it!

Well, here we go, let's "get after it!"

Baby It’s Cold Outside - Winter 5k TT

One thing I love about training is the frequent assessments to ascertain where my fitness is at the current time.  Since I have joined TriDot, they record every assessment for you and you can really get a sense of your peaks and valleys regarding your fitness.  Since my surgery in November, I really have not run much.  I set me personal record in a small 5k in San Diego on a super flat and super fast course the week before the knife.  This PR is going to be tough to beat.  But here we are almost eight weeks later and I landed fourth overall in my last six assessments.  I am not disappointed at all because I know once I return to regular training, I’ll be back into form rather quickly and my next assessment will be much improved!  Embrace the training and make it happen!

Gearing Up for 2020 Season

I have not started my 2020 preseason training yet, though I am still getting up every day to do something.  Since my surgery in November, I decided to take November and December and only do what I feel like and limit any structured training.  I was cleared to start swimming on December 6th so I have started some structured swim workouts just to start regaining some fitness in the pool.   It is amazing how quickly you lose your feel for the water and I will be swimming three days per week until the start of my preseason on January 1st.

However, I did notice that TriDot scheduled an assessment week this week and I figured this was a good time to go ahead and determine where I am fitness wise and establish my zones.  The key to assessments is to treat it like a scientific experiment and repeat the same conditions as much as possible so you can closely compare your current results to prior results.  Additionally, you want to perform the assessments as if you are racing.  Therefore a bike FTP test should be done in race position.  Train like you race, race like you train!

So this morning I gave it a go to see where my fitness is on the bike with a new fit including shorter cranks.  I have basically not done any type of interval or power work on the bike since before my surgery so I was really curious how this would go.  First of all, it was harder than I remember to set a wattage that I thought I could hold and follow through.  Of course I over estimated, thinking I was in as good of shape as last season.  Therefore I suffered!  Second, I really struggled to stay in race position and hold power.  This is probably a combination of not being fully acclimated to the new fit and shorter cranks as well as lack of body conditioning to remain in aero position.  As I write this, I should have expected this and am not discouraged by this.

The final results are reasonable and I am in a good place to build.  I averaged 260W for the 20 min test with an average heart rate of 172 bpm.  At 147 pounds, this is 3.8 W / kg.  Here is the data from TrainingPeaks:



TriDot takes this information and sets up my training zones for the next training block.  Here they are:

Rather than compare to my peak last year, I compare to my results before starting my preseason last year.  As long as I am higher than that point, I know I continue to build in fitness year over year.  My November 2, 2018 test resulted in a 252 W average, so I can infer that my fitness carry over is in pretty good position and can expect a gain in my FTP going into my first race beyond that of last year.  This is a good result and I am happy!  Below is a chart of my 20 min W/kg progress since April 2017.  As long as I see that linear trend line increasing, I know that old man time has not beat me yet!

Cheers to 2020, time to “get after it!”

Making Mornings Easier

Finishing my workouts early in the morning frees the rest of my day for everything else.  My morning routine actually starts the evening before.  This includes packing my gym bag, setting my work clothes out, packing my food for the next work day, preparing my workout nutrition (pre and post), putting my hydration bottles in the fridge, getting my breakfast prepared, charging my devices and setting up my equipment for the workout (workout uploaded, charged, calibrated, foot pod in running shoes, towel on trainer, etc.).  I also make sure that my clothes for working out are ready and out of the bedroom.  This way when I wake, I move quickly out of the dark into the light of the new day, albeit is typically artificial light.

Setting my alarm for the next morning is a thought exercise in balancing my needs for sleep as a recovery tool with making sure I have adequate time to get my workout completed without feeling rushed afterwards to meet the demands of the day.  Working backwards from the time in the morning when other people rely on me to my alarm is as critical as the other evening before routines.  I make sure that I provide enough time to wake, pray, prepare, and execute a precise workout to prescribed goals, cool down, and shower before work/weekend events.  Consequently, I rarely need my alarm as this routine seems to provide my mind an automatic wake up within minutes of the plan.  There are always exceptions from time to time, but they are rare.

I completed some genetic testing earlier this year and confirmed that I am wired to sleep “fast” and this is not always a given for others.  I tend to fall asleep within five minutes of lying down around 9 PM each night and find that my deepest sleep occurs between 10 PM and 2 AM (according to my smart watch).  There is no doubt that being wired this way is an advantage to this lifestyle.

What tips do you have to "getting after it" early in the morning?

Wasted $$

Why o’ why am I not more disciplined about making sure my purchases for triathlon gear will work or are the right solution for what I need?  I have been fooled by marketing a fair number of times and it always leaves me with a feeling of being duped!  I have numerous gadgets, gizmos, incorrectly sized pieces of clothing and equipment, and other wasteful purchases.  One of the biggest frustrations and inconveniences is the process of returning these purchases.  The double edged sword of Amazon and online retailers is for the savings, you are banking on the purchase being correct.  Otherwise, you absorb all of that savings and probably result in a net loss when it comes to repackaging and driving to the post office.  Makes you really stop and think about using your local bike shop more often despite the premiums, at least they will help you make the right decision.

One way I have tried to improve here is to participate in online forums and use my network of triathlon contacts to get testimonials and ask questions.  One of my favorites sites is Slowtwitch.com and DCRainmaker.com.  "Slowtwitchers" are some serious triathlon and cycling tech geeks (I use this word affectionately).  The forum is a tremendous resource there that can give you the low down on anything.  Using the search function is paramount because your question has probably already been asked since this forum has been around so long.  DC Rainmaker does thorough product reviews on a lot of products beyond just triathlon and cycling.  His testing is methodical and documented very well giving you a lot of confidence to make a good buying decision.    

What else folks?  I know you all might have some other suggestions on better ways to buy.  Please share them in the comments below.

Year End Training Stats

I officially ended my 2019 season on November 7th when I had surgery to correct some life long sinus problems.  My last race was the Kinetic Multisports - Savageman Challenge back in September.  I kept my typical training routine going all the way up to my surgery date so I entered my recovery in the best possible shape.    I coordinated the scheduling of my surgery with my typical winter layoff which is soon coming to an end.  Below are my stats from TrainingPeaks for the year up to my time off.  I follow a structured training plan created by TriDot Triathlon Training and my coach Sierra Snyder.  It is a great program and they are in their Preseason Project right now.  You can get up to two months of free preseason workouts that are challenging and guaranteed to increase your thresholds in all your disciplines.  Some folks might be a bit surprised at the volumes you see below, maybe you think they are fairly low.  That is the value of Tridot, they claim 30% less time than traditional plans because the training is optimized to you using artificial intelligence, genetic factors, and the analysis of millions of data files from triathletes from all over the world.  I have been using it for three years and every year I have steadily gained and continue to set PR’s every year!  To sum yp TriDot's approach to a season's training plan we say, "strong before long, fast before far."  To see my race resume for this year and years past, go to this link.

Training Lessons Learned (ongoing post)

I am still a relatively new triathlete and am learning with every single training session and race.  I am keeping an ongoing list of lessons learned for my own benefit to be reminded of them as well as the off chance someone reads this post and is helped by one of them.  Please feel free to add to this list in the comments below.

1.  Rest is good.  Be sure you get plenty of it.  Your muscles actually grow stronger in recovery, not during your workout!

2.  You’ll figure out the best way to manage your training data.  Within a couple of weeks it won’t be a big deal when you see the gains you make.  Hang in there!

3.  Go slow when you are to go slow.  It will probably by slower than you are accustomed.  These are critical parts of the workouts!

4.  You don’t need to do more than the plan.  If you are used to doing more, you are going to feel like you are under training, but the beauty is you are staying stronger, fresher, and able to crush your workouts day after day.  This is where the gains come from!

5.  Pacing is a very hard skill to master.  I am still learning how to do it.  Think of it as your swim form or some other technical skill with the disciplines.  Embrace the effort to learn it.

6.  Nutrition is an every changing and evolving fourth discipline.  Be flexible yet organized in your approach to learning what works best for you.  Just trying something and not recording exactly what you did and the result won’t help.  You need a written plan and make incremental changes until you find the right mix (for now.).  As your body changes over the years of training and adaptation, guess what... you will have to make changes again.

7.  Develop an understanding of your perceived exertion compared to your training metrics.  I made a huge leap this year and raced without looking at my metrics and totally by feel.  I had better performances with less pressure on my shoulders about not constantly looking at target power or pace.  By perceived exertion, amazingly I hit or exceeded my targets for the race!

8.  As an adult onset swimmer, swimming is hard.  Never short your technique practice... If you have to sacrifice a workout in the pool due to time, better to do technique than the hard sets.

9.  Golf has it’s vanity metric, handicap.  Some people actually brag about a low handicap and can’t actually play to that level.  Triathlon has the same potentially damaging metrics like watts/kilogram, time per 100m, running pace, etc.  Don’t lie to yourself or others about your capabilities.  We are all on a journey in this sport, we all started at the bottom and celebrate the gains you make.  There is no need to inflate what you can do, it will just lead to embarrassment or missed expectations later.  Your best is good enough at all times!!

10.  When T1 exits into an uphill when you need to mount your bike, consider running your bike to the top of the hill then mount it... doh!  Learned the hard way here!