60min recovery spin today, just out trying to find some half decent climbs around London. 5 minutes from home I was intentionally run off the road by an 18 wheeler, who promptly skidded his trailer through the gravel...just in case I was still upright.
Any cyclist in Ontario knows this is just part of the routine on training rides, and between reading the news and considering my own experience it seems to be getting worse. But this time it especially bugged me; not just because no less that five cyclists have been victims of vehicular homicide in the past two weeks in Canada.
Three years ago to the day I was having dinner with one of my best friends, who upon arriving home found that his mother had been struck and killed by a motorist on her bicycle. His tragedy was a shock to everyone, but especially hit home for me as I'm on my bike 12 hours a week, just trying to do something productive with my life, and have experienced countless examples of people who would rather risk murdering someone than add an extra six feet to their driving distance.
There is one single reason why cyclists are killed on the road. Drivers who are so stupid that their ignorance ends another person's life. Actually there is another reason: the provincial government is too busy with the largest tax increase in the history of Canada (despite being elected on the platform of no tax increases) to hear a bill that proposes a measly three-foot berth given to cyclists on the road.
It is probably those same unfathomably ignorant idiots who voted Liberal in the first place.
So today's angry ranting message is two-fold:
1. Dear drivers everywhere: contrary to popular belief, you do not own the road. Your ignorance kills, and by all accounts your idiocy is on the rise.
2. EVERYONE start giving a s**t about politics
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Switching Gears
So I had my fun pretending to be a long course athlete for the past 4 months and traveling to an unforgettable race, now it's time to get serious. The last two weeks have been spent transitioning from base/strength training to prepping for the equally insane world of short course and my debut in elite racing.
As with most high-intensity training blocks, I felt superhuman for the first 10 days...until the residual fatigue sets in and all confidence is shattered. But after a few days of heavy legs and sluggish training I'm moving along well again. I was lucky enough to get a few workouts in with RTC Guelph (new name, same great squad) before they flew off to Ixtapa Mexico for Junior Patco/Cont. Cup. Good luck to everyone racing tomorrow!
In preparation for draft-legal racing I had a 400m swim time trial this week and learned two things: #1 I am getting faster, #2 I still suck. But I'm riding well and running is getting there too. Today's training was 2hr ride with 15k hard, then straight into 3km at 10k goal run pace, 10k easy. I negative split each km for a pretty effortless 9:48 3k...faster than my 10k pace but I'll take it!
Training alone for draft-legal racing can be quite tedious, but has forced me to develop a higher level of focus and accountability. And every new training block I start with Coach James forces me to rethink my idea of smart training and proper recovery. If triathlon incorporated recovery into competition I would be nationally carded. I've got my routine down to a science, it looks something like this:
1. Don't have a job
2. After every PM workout - stretch+core stability, ice bath, compression socks + Crocs recovery sandals, roll out the calves (some people spend money on TriggerPoint, "The Stick" and the like, I'm sure they work but due to step #1 I have no money, thus use a Nalgene bottle)
3. Eat a crapload of yummy food
There you have it, my recovery secrets. And so far its working well. Tomorrow is a well deserved day off after a solid week and my next race is Woodstock in two weeks.
As with most high-intensity training blocks, I felt superhuman for the first 10 days...until the residual fatigue sets in and all confidence is shattered. But after a few days of heavy legs and sluggish training I'm moving along well again. I was lucky enough to get a few workouts in with RTC Guelph (new name, same great squad) before they flew off to Ixtapa Mexico for Junior Patco/Cont. Cup. Good luck to everyone racing tomorrow!
In preparation for draft-legal racing I had a 400m swim time trial this week and learned two things: #1 I am getting faster, #2 I still suck. But I'm riding well and running is getting there too. Today's training was 2hr ride with 15k hard, then straight into 3km at 10k goal run pace, 10k easy. I negative split each km for a pretty effortless 9:48 3k...faster than my 10k pace but I'll take it!
Training alone for draft-legal racing can be quite tedious, but has forced me to develop a higher level of focus and accountability. And every new training block I start with Coach James forces me to rethink my idea of smart training and proper recovery. If triathlon incorporated recovery into competition I would be nationally carded. I've got my routine down to a science, it looks something like this:
1. Don't have a job
2. After every PM workout - stretch+core stability, ice bath, compression socks + Crocs recovery sandals, roll out the calves (some people spend money on TriggerPoint, "The Stick" and the like, I'm sure they work but due to step #1 I have no money, thus use a Nalgene bottle)
3. Eat a crapload of yummy food
There you have it, my recovery secrets. And so far its working well. Tomorrow is a well deserved day off after a solid week and my next race is Woodstock in two weeks.
Monday, May 10, 2010
"I had a job before this..."
Compression socks, ice packs, nap time, smoothies...what's missing? Awesome Canadian music for recovery purposes of course! Without a doubt the most awesome music I've posted.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Back to Work
Between tapering for St. Croix and a few easy days this week I haven't done any heavy training in almost two weeks now. Next week is the start of my training block leading up to my first ITU race at Coteau-du-Lac. I've been anxious to get started with it since about 5 minutes after my last 4-hour brick prior to St. Croix.
I had been hesitant to race Coteau given that its fairly early in the season and I'm unsure if my fitness will be where I want it for my ITU debut. But I've adopted the attitude that the race will be a trial by fire in preparation for national and continental championships later in the year. I have no expectations besides getting on the start line and giving it hell for two hours.
Despite not getting the result I was hoping for in my first attempt at a 70.3, the training leading up to the race went very well and I feel that I have a solid base to build on for the rest of the season. I signed up for it not because I wanted to do well, but because I knew it would be the hardest race I've ever done. I'm going into the next phase of training mentally stronger, more motivated, and with a need to redeem myself by training harder than ever.
Training alone has its drawbacks, but it has also given me focus and a more positive attitude on "the process". The pace clock at the UWO pool has become my best friend, and I'm relying on feedback from random drivers pulling up beside me during my hard intervals to yell "Dude you're doin' 49!!". But I'm far from the ideal training environment here, and I hope to move to Guelph full time this fall in hopes of having a better chance at realizing my potential in the sport.
Unfortunately I'm stuck in the unenviable position in the sport where I'm not yet at the level to attain funding, but the need for part-time work is cutting into my opportunity to train and recover to my fullest potential. The biggest lesson I've learned from St. Croix is a level of perspective and patience I lacked previously (frustrating more than one coach along the way). Success in this sport doesn't just happen, and if I want to make a living as a professional triathlete (thus achieving my life goal of never having a real job) its going to take years of consistent day-to-day hard work before I see a paycheque. But I'm not in this because its easy.
I had been hesitant to race Coteau given that its fairly early in the season and I'm unsure if my fitness will be where I want it for my ITU debut. But I've adopted the attitude that the race will be a trial by fire in preparation for national and continental championships later in the year. I have no expectations besides getting on the start line and giving it hell for two hours.
Despite not getting the result I was hoping for in my first attempt at a 70.3, the training leading up to the race went very well and I feel that I have a solid base to build on for the rest of the season. I signed up for it not because I wanted to do well, but because I knew it would be the hardest race I've ever done. I'm going into the next phase of training mentally stronger, more motivated, and with a need to redeem myself by training harder than ever.
Training alone has its drawbacks, but it has also given me focus and a more positive attitude on "the process". The pace clock at the UWO pool has become my best friend, and I'm relying on feedback from random drivers pulling up beside me during my hard intervals to yell "Dude you're doin' 49!!". But I'm far from the ideal training environment here, and I hope to move to Guelph full time this fall in hopes of having a better chance at realizing my potential in the sport.
Unfortunately I'm stuck in the unenviable position in the sport where I'm not yet at the level to attain funding, but the need for part-time work is cutting into my opportunity to train and recover to my fullest potential. The biggest lesson I've learned from St. Croix is a level of perspective and patience I lacked previously (frustrating more than one coach along the way). Success in this sport doesn't just happen, and if I want to make a living as a professional triathlete (thus achieving my life goal of never having a real job) its going to take years of consistent day-to-day hard work before I see a paycheque. But I'm not in this because its easy.
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