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Coach Rich's Training Update

Coach RichCoach Rich
in Races & Places 🏁⛺

So...

I guess it's time for me to set expectations for Ironman Lake Placid and Kona 

Short Story

Last September, 6 days after qualifying for Kona at Ironman Wisconsin, I broke my fibula by dropping a motorcycle in my leg. I hadn't ridden anything with two wheels an engine since that February but...the moto gods were angry, I guess. Anyway, no boot, no surgery, just instructions to not be stupid and to listen to the leg with regards to when to start back. So I began running tentatively in February and everything was going swimmingly by early April when I put up a rather standard 30 mile run week, inching back to the 40-50mi weeks I was putting in last summer getting ready for Wisconsin. 

At the same time I had a good bit of friction in my life, with a divorce, the sudden downturn in Riley's health and caring for him 24/7 for about 6wks in Jan and Feb. I was decently cycling fit, getting my run back slowly and not stressing too much about body composition. But, like a jackass, I put up 2 very hilly back to back runs the week after ^that^ 30 mile run week and injured something. This injury happened right at a funky place with my health insurance (I was under Joanne's insurance with United, with the divorce being settled on 4/16) so rather than risk $$$$ for a doctors visit I just stayed off of it and listened to the leg.

Tour of California was a GREAT week of cycling and an awesome fitness boost...then I went to Atlanta for a week to be the Good/Bad Uncle for my sister's kids. She's going through a very messy divorce herself so I needed to get back to Atlanta to help her with the sale of her house, have some good conversations with the kids and set up a long distance mentoring relationship with my nephew. Throughout all of ^this^, from about 1.5wks before ToC, through the camp, and afterwards, my house was being painted inside and out. So between the painting, ToC, Atlanta, and more travel last weekend, I'm finally home with the house about 90% put back together after living out of suitcase for nearly a month. And this morning I got on the scale for the first time in a month...and I've got some work to do, as I'm a long way away from the crazy fit 152lb I raced at in September. 

So after all of that, these are the bullets points of where my body and head is at right now:

  • I absolutely crushed myself last year, going 110% all-in for my effort to qualify again at IMWI'15, getting within 2' of my time from 2002. While I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to duplicate that focus and effort for '16, the events of the last 8mo have certainly taken my head and body to a much different place...and I'm ok with that. This is all just a game and Ironman will always be there.
  • I'm 48, will be 50 in 2018. So my ~2yr plan is to have a good race at Kona this year, with "good" defined as fitting within the box of fitness and headspace I can create for myself between now and October. But I'm really targeting 2018 as the year I push all of my chips into the center of the table again, like I did in 2015. That means '17 will be a year to do cool stuff with my fitness, pick up mountain biking, do some epic training for fun, and generally just enjoy myself. 
  • So, having said that, I'm looking at IMLP as a fun training weekend with my team and an opportunity to introduce Kandi, my new GF, to you guys and this life that all of us enjoy so much. Today was my second 3mi run in 3 days. While not pain free, it was 100% better than a test run I did in early May. So I'm going to be crazy smart and conservative with the comeback of my run and see where I'm at for Lake Placid. Oh, and today was also my first ride on my new-to-me P3 .

At LP one of three scenarios will take place, as a function of where my leg is at by then:

  1. I do a straight up aquabike, going right from T2 to the run course to cheer everyone on.
  2. I do the swim, bike, and run one loop
  3. I do the swim, bike, and some flavor of marathon, likely a run/walk exercise IF I feel confident that (1) I'm not injuring myself and (2) I feel I can bounce back to mostly normal training by about 2wks after LP. 
Again, enjoying (and surviving) Kona is the goal. LP is just another training day with cool peeps.

In summary, I'm viewing the remainder of my 2016 opportunity to practice what we teach you here. That is:

  • Triathlon, and Ironman racing, is all just a game. 
  • You can still have a successful race or season as long as you redefine successful to fit within the new reality of your current situation. 
For example, I could say "I'm racing Lake Placid and Kona, but I'm injured," or I can say "I'm racing Lake Placid and Kona, AND I'm injured." The former creates a limiting relationship between the two statements. That is, it implies that I can't race, that my performance won't be what I had envisioned, etc. But by replacing "but" with "and," being injured simply becomes a condition that has no inherent relationship to the fact that I'm racing. I can get crazy swim and bike fit, get light, dial myself more into training and racing in the heat, etc. AND establishes a relationship between the two statements that creates the possibility of learning more, trying new stuff, and turning my Kona experience into something unique and different...rather than piss and moan all summer about coulda shoulda woulda 

Comments

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Yah, there's been some crazy cyclone of anti-racing  juju running through EN the past 8 months. Our coaches, Matt A, Tim C, Juan V, me, and others having to take major time off and deal with multiple physical (and sometimes other) issues which preclude a laser focus on the sport. And then coming out the other side with a new, better perspective on it all. A reset of the dial between "getting fit" and "having fun".

    Keep going and keep that attitude, and the future will take care of itself. I'm at the tail end of 3+ weeks of "having fun with some friends on our bikes", and I've never felt better.

  • Mariah BridgesMariah Bridges
    Love these updates, thank you coach
  • Julie PfeifleJulie Pfeifle
    I SO needed to read this today (+ Al's comment), and here I thought I was the only one emerging from several months of off time for various reasons! I've had to bail from several races this year and really struggled mentally with the battle of "whatever, it's just play" vs KQ goals that seem to be getting farther and farther out of reach. I also chose to go silent on these forums, not wishing to appear whiny and feeling like I had nothing constructive to contribute. MISTAKE! Gotta know when to ask for help!!

    Anyhow, thanks for the post, CoachR (and Al), and I really look forward to tracking how you safely increase your run (since I'm in the same boat!) I will also take to heart your comments about adjusting your outlook and goals.
  • Brenda RossBrenda Ross
    Wow, our Coaches are human. Who would of thunk it. Thank you for being smart and teaching us that this is just all a game
  • Terry MulveyTerry Mulvey

    Can't thank you enough for posting this. I am a week out from my first race of the season, HIM and was all set to bail out. Struggling with mental focus, thinking I was OK after loss of my husband exactly two years ago...not quite back to myself focus wise. Also had achilles issue that put me in the pool for running for three weeks so I am not confident in my ability to run all 13 miles next weekend. But there it is, I am 58, slightly injured and body comp is not where it needs to be but I can swim bike and run while my peers call walking exercise. And for reasons I have a hard time explaining to many, this is fun, where I find joy at 5:00 watching the sun rise and why I sleep like a stone without alcohol or medications. I am truly grateful to have this life and the support of great folks and coaches...Patriotman...I am all in whatever the outcome. Heres to fun! 

  • thekidduxcthekidduxc

    I love the focus on "and" vs "but." I have made a conscious effort to limit the use of "but" as much as possible and replace it with "and" in its place. For many of the same reasons you have I believe. I enjoyed your explanation, it is a kick ass way to look at things.

  • Francis PicardFrancis Picard
    Thanks for sharing with us ! ... and showing by example the patience it needs to come back!
  • Elizabeth HornakElizabeth Hornak

    Coach,

    Reading this at precisely the right time. Wise words - especially training with in the context of where you are. Patience and discipline. 

    I am racing Louisville and I am injured. I will get crazy fit on the swim and bike and the marathon will be some flavor, hopefully with some whip cream on top.

    I greatly appreciated your post. 

    Beth

  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    Dude, Been there. Remember me at IMMT with the meniscus injury? You guys helped me get my head wrapped around approaching that race the right way so that I could enjoy the day and feel great about my accomplishment no matter what the clock said. Aqua-Velo at IMLP sounds like an excellent plan, save the legs for Kona later this year.
  • Dana BurnsDana Burns
    Wow, did I need to read this one. I am now removing BUT and inserting AND from my vocabulary. Ironically I too am injured and it happens to be the other BUT...or sacrum area. Been out for months and as always appreciate Al's advice and I'm ready to start having fun again. Also agree with Julie, I too went silent from the forums and feel it was a big mistake.
    Thank you so much!



  • Coach RichCoach Rich
    Thanks everyone for the support. Of course I didn't expect anything different. I'm now absolutely 100% sure that I'll do, at most, a half marathon off the bike at LP, as I sit here icing my lower leg after a 4mi run.

    Last week was 3 x 3mi. This week will be 3 x 4mi, then I'll see if I can insert a 4th run into my week, then ramp up each of those, then move to 5x, etc. This isn't my first rodeo and it's nice to see that I'm only in wk4 of my plan to Kona vs wk15 for LP. YIKES!
  • robin sarnerrobin sarner

    thanks for the update.

    sucks having a running injury.

    I have taken my longest break in years.      winding it back up for IM Canada.      and things coming together very well currently.    cross fingers regarding illness/injury between now and end of July.

    nice that I have a couple years at 50+ before you catch up with me.              though would be fun to try to race you someday.

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