First "Build" Mesocycle - Time to Get Serious! March 1-March 28

The first "Build" 4 week mesocycle is here. The theme is to get to handle the increased volume of all 3 disciplines. If successful, the second build mesocycle in April will bring the run volume up seriously while scaling back the swim and bike portions. This should allow the proper time to rest while getting the necessary mileage needed in the run. Remember that I am focusing on the Vermont 100 mile ultra this July. The move from general training to specific training needs to be done here. Any triathlons that I do during this 3 month build will be secondary to this goal.

But first, lets increase the volume on all 3 disciplines:



The first week is the peak swim. 10k of swimming next week. Here is the bike:



Bike peak is the second week of the mesocycle with 100 miles:



Run peak is 60 miles on the third week of the mesocycle. The 4th week is a relatively easy recovery before moving on to the second "Build" mesocycle. I can never say this enough, but rest needs to be built in to each cycle, no matter what to allow for balance and recovery.

On to next week!

February 24-28 - A Weak Week

Yeah, literally. A week weak, or a weak week...or something like it. You understand, right?

Well, instead of going through the trials and tribulations of each day, it's best to group all the low points into one easy to see package (so I can take it out and put it into the trash).

Well, after my "delightful" 6 mile run, things started to go downhill. I developed a runny nose and a burning throat. I decided on Wednesday to go to the swim, the toughest swim workout of the week in 3600 meters.

The featured set was the 3x800 meter swim with a 1 minute rest in between reps. The first one was not bad, 12:07. The second was even better at 11:59. But things tend to go wrong at bizarre times, and when I completed the third 800, my watch registered a blank. I guess it decided to quit on me as I was doing the most important rep of the most important workout of the week. So what can I do but to register, "did well, watch died" in my training log instead of a time.

Coming home from swimming, I got extremely tired. "The workout was tough but it shouldn't have knocked me out like that." was resonating through my head. I decided to take a small nap before I started doing some work for the day. That "small" nap lasted 3 hours and I woke up to a world of hurt with a full blown cold. Everything was sore, my energy was drained, and my nose was running a marathon.

I don't take over-the-counter medication for my colds. I think it impedes my body to fight colds. Yes, the symptoms might knock me out, but most of the time, the majority of the symptoms blow over after 2 days, with complete recovery in a week.

Thursday I took completely off and relaxed as the cold raged on. It was tough to even focus and concentrate; my head felt as swollen as an overstuffed sausage.

Friday I felt a little better as the cold abated a bit, but I didn't do any training. I wanted to make sure the cold was still on the run.

Saturday I felt still better, but still had a runny nose and a wicked cough. I decided I was well enough to do 26 miles of cycling on the Computrainer. Total Time for the workout was 1:23:44, went pretty hard at 210 watts. It was a key workout on my original schedule, and I did it. I wanted to run, but nature decided to dump about 20 inches at my doorstep and did about 2 hours of shovelling before all is said and done. And I'm listing that as a workout!!! :-)

Today I decided to finish with another key workout, 2400 meters of swimming total. All specialized strokes. Featuring 5x100 IMs (Individual Medleys are in this order: fly, back, breast, free) on 2:30. Did them in 1:31, 1:33, 1:33, 1:33, 1:31. Then did 5x100 Reverse IMs, which are much tougher as the butterfly is at the end of each rep. Did them better, at 1:29, 1:31, 1:31, 1:30, 1:29. Finished up with a 100 meter sprint at 1:09, which is 3 seconds faster than the sprint I did 3-4 weeks ago. Nice.

This was not the week I expected, but I did manage to get 3 of the 4 key workouts done under the circumstances. This 4 week base mesocycle is over. Overall, base is done, now the "build" period starts. This is where the volume increases to serious levels. I have 3 build mesocycle periods planned in the season that should take me to the end of May. After that, let the season begin!

February 23 - A Delightful 6 Mile Run in the Rain

AM Workout: 6 Mile Run (Easy Paced)

Course: Travis
Time: 58:06 (9:41 pace)
Weather: 37F, Light Rain, Moderate Wind

Anytime in recent memory I get to run in weather in the upper 30s or above, I get to smile. Why? Because I know I will not be a frozen popsicle on the way back. And today I found it even more delightful in the rain. I'm not sure why, but I feel that I'm starting to sense a bit of Spring in the air. I also did notice the earlier dawn today, and longer daylight = approaching Spring.

Oh yeah, bring Spring on. :-)

February 22 - 2000 Meters of Swimming - Preparation for Rest of Week

AM Workout: 200 Meters of Swimming

500 Meters Warmup
2x500 Easy Swim with Paddles
5X100 Swim with Snorkels Easy

Total: 2000 Meters

My shoulder is about 90% recovered from the fall it sustained last week. Only a little stiffness remains and this workout addresses it before I start swimming hard the rest of the week. The paddles provided a good final test for my shoulder, and I passed with flying colors. Some snorkel work was also done to address some symmetry issues.

I'm confident I'll be ready for the hard swim workouts to come.

Week of February 22 - 28 - Focus on Swimming

This is the last of the current 4 week cycle. The way things are going, the next mesocycle will be much higher in volume.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. This last week will be focused on swimming. Swimming basically was kept on the back burner last week, which was largely by design but also with an injured shoulder mixed in. The shoulder is recovered enough for some good workouts and it's full speed ahead!

The target mileage for the 3 disciplines.

8000 Meters of Swimming
80 Miles of Cycling
35 Miles of Running

Running takes the back seat here, after going 50 miles last week.

The Key Workouts are as follows: 2 Key Workouts for Swimming, 1 Key Workout for Cycling, and 1 Key Workout for Running (4 in all).

The Key Workouts are the following:

1) Swim - 3x800 meters of swimming with 1 minute rest in between.
2) Swim - 10x100 Individual Medleys (Fly, Back, Breast, Free) on 2:30.
3) Bike - 26 Miles on the Computrainer, Columbia Course, Wattage over 210.
4) Run - 8 Miles over Bayonne Bridge, Zone 2 hard aerobic pace.

On paper, this seems to be a slightly easier week than this past week. But, who knows?

Note: I am currently working on some pages that will show on charts the overview of my training. That should make it easier to follow along and see how I design my training plans. I am crossing my fingers and hope to have it up by this week.

February 21 - 10 Mile Run

AM Workout: 10 Mile Run - Easy, untimed
Course: Mall Run
Temps: 31F, light winds

I went for the 10 mile run today, but I didn't want to exhaust much energy because a), it is not a key workout, and b)I need to be set up nicely for next week. A little discipline is required to keep slow, and I aided that discipline by keeping my watch at home. I set out to enjoy the serenity of an early run (started 5:15AM) with no cars on the road. It was beautiful, I kept it probably around 10 minutes per mile pace and soaked up the crisp air as I ran.

This makes 50 miles of running this week. I did 65 miles of cycling and 3000 miles of swimming this week, so this week was about a 98% success!

Time to develop the plan for next week. In focus is swimming!

February 20 - 1500 meter swim and 6 mile run

AM Workout 2: 1600 meter swim

1x500 Meters Warmup
1x1000 Meters Easy Paced Swim
1x100 Warmdown
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1600 meters total

My arm has been recovering remarkably well, and after the hard bike I wandered over to the pool to see if I can handle a longish set. The 1000 meters was untimed, to keep it easy. I was very comfortable in the water, and actually did a few pickups within the long set to test the shoulder further. Everything looks fine. Good. Next week I have to do 8000 meters of swimming with 2 key workouts; I need my arm in good shape to pull it off.

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PM Workout: 6 mile run, easy paced
Time: 52:47 (8:48 min/mile pace)
Course: Travis Run
Temp: 43F, no winds

The third workout of the day, I set out to go easy. I went a little faster than that, probably because there was so much traffic on the roads that I might have picked up the pace to either get across the street, avoid traffic while crossing roads, etc. The result is a little too fast for my liking, but this puts the total run mileage of the week to 40. If I am to make 50 miles tomorrow, then I either have to do a 10 miler or two 5 milers. I'll see how I'll feel tomorrow before making a decision.

February 20 - 20 Mile Bike - Hammer Hard!

AM Workout:

KEY WORKOUT - 20 mile Zone 2 Bike

Course: First 20 miles of Ironman Canada
Total Time: 1:05:08
MPH: 18.4
Watts: 214

Not bad here. I basically put the hammer down here and gave a solid performance on the bike, putting out over 210 watts of power over the entire course, which was my primary goal. What was nice that I actually felt comfortable most of the time at the more intense pace.

Key workout #4 of 4 done. Now to finish off the week with some easy sessions.

February 19 - 10 Mile Run - The Planets Align

AM Workout:

KEY WORKOUT - 10 Mile Run - Bayonne (moderately hilly)
Total Time: 1:19:40 (7:58 min/mile pace)
Temperature: 37F
Weather: Clear, little winds

Wow, going under 8 minutes per mile pace over 10 miles. I achieved this goal sooner than expected! The planets really did align themselves right today. The rest day yesterday allowed me to fully recover from the hard training early in the week. The mild temps also allowed for the usage of lighter, looser clothes, as well as eliminate all the black ice that I saw 2 days ago when the temps were in the 20s. My legs were bouncing like springs throughout the run, but I never would have thought I would trump the time I did on a less hilly course on Tuesday. The Bayonne Bridge is an imposing hill in itself, both going and coming back; I'm just glad that I was never in danger of fading out when I crossed that bridge twice.

That's a great standard I set today. Boy, that is going to be tough to beat in the coming days. :-)

Key Workout #3 of 4 done. The last key workout is a hard 20 miles on the bike and will probably be set for tomorrow if all goes as expected.

February 17 - Easy 8 Mile Run - Black Ice

AM Workout: 8 mile run - easy pace

Course: Victory Blvd. East (moderately hilly)
Time 1:18:50 (9:51 min/mile pace)
Temperature: 24F
Weather - Clear, little wind

Can you say "black ice" three times?

I must have muttered it a lot more than three times on this run, and usually preceded by an expletive, like "oh sh-t, black ice."

The stuff was everywhere. On the roads, on the sidewalks; you name it, it was covered. I had to mind every step on this run because it got pretty scary at times, especially with the heavy Staten Island traffic. But since safety was a concern, if I had to stop to let a car through, then so be it. I'd rather wait a little than be a pancake on the side of the road.

Of course, this implies that it got cold again. This winter is really wearing on me now and I long for the warmth again.

1500 meters swim - First Swim since the Shoulder Mishap

PM Workout - Swim: 1500 meters

500 Meters Warmup
4x(4x50 fly, back, breast, free) easy and untimed
200 Meters Warmdown

It was time to test the shoulder. It was recovering, and I needed to know where the recovery was. So I decided to go to the pool today and test the shoulder.

It was very stiff through the warmup, and I questioned whether to keep going. It did loosen a bit at the end of the warmup and I tried all 4 competitive strokes. It was not perfect, but the strokes actually happened to work OK. It is nice to see that improvement; I'll know I'll live to be completely healed. ;-)

Tomorrow is a mandatory easy day after two hard days. And after that tough 10 miler this morning, I know I'll be sleeping well tonight!

February 16 - 10 Mile Run - Getting Tougher...And Faster

AM Workout:

KEY WORKOUT - 10 Mile Run - Zone 2 Intense Aerobic

Course: Richmond Avenue (slightly hilly)
Total Time: 1:24:34 (8:27 min/mile pace}
Temperature - 32F
Weather: Wintry Mix, sloppy conditions

I originally was going to do 8 easy miles today, but with wind and cooler temps in the forecast tomorrow, I decided I was well enough to go harder and longer today. The arm felt stiff but a tad better than yesterday, so I went for it.

Despite the sloppy conditions of the streets and sidewalks with slush and snow, I did very well here. Going sub 8:30 per mile in these conditions wearing heavy layers is definitely acceptable. The run did exhaust me a bit, so I'll be going easy the rest of today and all day tomorrow.

Key Workout #2 of 4 done. I'm relaxing now...no, really! :-)

February 15 - 30 mile bike and 6 mile run

When the going get tough, the tough get going. And I aim to be a tough MF this year.

AM Workout:

KEY WORKOUT - 30 mile bike on Computrainer

Course: Ironman Germany - First 30 miles
Total Time: 1:33:18
MPH: 19.3
Watts: 214

One thing I always have a knack for is coming through in a big way when things don't go my way. I got a very sore, stiff, and slightly swollen arm; the best way to deal with pain is to fight fire with fire. So I decided to go big today and knock out the longest ride of the week. I figured, hey, if I can feel some pain of riding the bike hard, it would take the pain away from my shoulder.

I started off averaging 200 watts on the bike, but after 15 miles I started to crank it up big time, finishing the last 5 miles at around 230 watts. I did this in spite of the fact that I couldn't get comfortable in the aero position for a long period of time due to the shoulder.

And the pain actually subsided a bit! Maybe this pain transference thing is real.

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PM Workout: 6 mile run

Course: South Avenue (slightly hilly)
Weather: Light Snow
Temp: 37F
Time: 56:09 (9:21 min/mile pace)

Easy, but decent run today. Shoulder stung a bit, but didn't affect the run. The snow started to fall soon after I started and was increasing in intensity as the run progressed. They predict 2 inches of snow for tomorrow, which shouldn't affect my running if I do decide to run tomorrow.

One key workout done, 3 to go. Tomorrow might be an easier day to allow recovery from the tough bike workout.

Week of February 15-21 - Focus on Bike and Run

This is going to be an interesting week.

With a sore left shoulder, the swimming will be put on the backburner until the end of the week, and only 3000 meters to get the arm moving again. Hopefully it will be well enough to swim hard next week.

The bike and run will be the focus, with 2 key workouts for each (4 total). Instead of putting up a fixed schedule this time, I need this one to be flexible to allow adjustments as my shoulder recovers.

The key workouts are the following:

A 30 mile bike ride at over 200 watts of power on the Computrainer.
A 20 mile bike ride at over 210 watts of power on the Computrainer.
Two 10 mile runs focusing on distance.

And the week begins...

February 14 - Rest Day Today

No, it's not the rest day I wanted, but needed. I didn't sleep well last night and the morning was tough to muster. It is evening when I am writing this, and the pain is starting to subside, although my shoulder is still it bit swollen on the outside.

As for the week's totals? Well, I wanted 7000 meters of swimming, 100 miles of cycling, and 45 miles of running.

Instead, I got 7000 meters of swimming, 55 miles of cycling, and 24 miles of running. I had a good run going into the weekend, so at least I can take that to the bank.

As for the training for next week, I'll be hoping to swim later on in the week when I'm better healed. I will try running and cycling starting tomorrow. The schedule will be posted here when it's done.

February 13 - Shoulder Injury - Black Ice

One thing about life is that it throws all sorts of curve balls at you. Without the unexpected, would you think life would be interesting?

Take today, for instance. On the first turn out of my 15 mile run, my left foot encountered an uneven patch of black ice, slid right and took out my right leg, and made me land on my left shoulder...hard. So hard that I think for a moment that I dislocated it for a couple of seconds before I shifted and went back into its socket. The result was an amazing bruise on the outside and a throbbing pain inside.

Except for a small bruise at the hip, I think only the swim will be interrupted next week. My legs are still OK, so I can probably bike and run next week.

Freak accidents like this are all part of the feedback process in coaching. There are things in which you cannot control; the trick is, when they do happen, you need to roll with the punches and adjust your schedule to reflect the change in your situation.

We'll see how this feels tomorrow and adjust the schedule to fit. Until then, I'll be nursing my wounds. I'm in a world of hurt.

February 12 - 8 Mile Run & 15 Mile Bike

More shuffling of the schedule continues, but everything is still looking good this week...

AM Workout - 8 Mile Easy Run - Victory Blvd East (Moderately Hilly)

Time 1:13:45 (9:13 min/mile pace)

Lots of ice, but the streets were finally manageable after that blizzard. The run continues to feel easier and easier, a good trend to see. I didn't push the pace, and let my body dictate the pace. Tomorrow will be the 15 mile run, and I think I'm ready for it.
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PM Workout: 15 Mile Bike on Computrainer

Course: Ironman New Zealand, first 15 miles
Total Time: 51:15
17.6 MPH
156 Watts

Kept real easy, what with the 15 mile run tomorrow.

This will be a tough weekend, with a key 15 mile run tomorrow and a key 30 mile bike on Sunday. I've fully recovered from the 40 mile bike, so I feel that I'm ready for it. We shall see.

February 11 - 2000 Meter Swim, Snorkels for Symmetry?

Some unexpected work and time for shovelling around my parents' house forced me to work out only once today, a 2000 meter swim focused on symmetry. Here is the workout:

500 meter warmup
4x100 paddles, breathe out left side
4x100 paddles, breathe out right side
5x100 snorkel swims
4x50 bilateral swimming.
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Total swimming - 2000 meters

In case you don't know, the special snorkels for competitive swimming has the tube going up the front of the face, not the side as a diver's snorkel is constructed. This type of snorkel will eliminate turning your body to breathe out your side, hence you concentrate solely on your stroke. Symmetry is a key difference in separating the great swimmers from the good swimmers, it is why I was able to swim my best Ironman in 1998 in 52:03, narrowly beating out Peter Reid by a second out of the water (of course the guy sped away on his bike like a demon, leaving me in the dust). If you can get your weak side as strong as your strong side, you're golden!

I'm finished for swimming this week, with 7000 meters total. The last of this week is concentrated on my running and cycling, starting tomorrow. Lastly, my schedule is basically in flux right now, with the storm creating a lot of uncertainty in my schedule. I will finish all of the training for the week, including the key cycling and running workouts. I will post what I actually did on Sunday when all for the week is done.

February 10 - 40 Mile Bike on Computrainer

PM Workout: Key Workout #2 of 4

Course - Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon - First 40 Miles (moderately hilly)
Total Time - 2:10:38
18.4 MPH
196 Average Watts

A pretty good looking workout, although I did struggle at times to maintain pace. I did feel fatigued afterwards. Adding to the fatigue is the constant shovelling of snow as the blizzard rages through the day.

Tomorrow is up in the air. I'm supposed to do a 15 mile run tomorrow, but the combination of fatigue and the fact that the roads can still be in dangerous condition due to the storm make it real difficult to attempt the 15 miles tomorrow. If that is the case, then there is a possibility I will delay the long run till Friday.

February 10 - 5 mile snow run

AM Workout: 5 Mile Run
Course: South Avenue (mostly flat)
Weather: Snow (2-3 inches on ground at time of run)
Temp: 32F

This run was done very early in the day before the real blizzard hits. I managed to take some pictures of the area while I ran. Snow makes an environment really nice sometimes:







Good stuff. Too bad I'm going to break my butt shovelling it later on today.

February 9 - Pre-Storm Training - 2000 Meter Swim and 6 Mile Run

AM Workout: 2000 meters of swimming

1x500 Warmup
12x100 kicks with fins special (fly, back, breast, free) untimed
1x300 Warmdown
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2000 meters total

My arms felt a little tired from the 1000 meter sets yesterday, so I knew this needed to be easy. I focused primarily on my kicks, making sure I don't overextend myself in the process.

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PM Workout: 6 miles of running

Course: Mall Run (slightly hilly)
Temp: 32F
Time: 54:51 (9:08 pace)

Another easy, enjoyable run. Of all 3 disciplines, it is the run that I enjoy most when I'm doing well with it. I just look forward to them. The feeling of being outside, being free, being away from the daily distractions is just intoxicating. :-)

Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I hope to sneak out early tomorrow morning and get 5 miles or running in before the full brunt of the blizzard hits. The 40 mile Computrainer ride is definitely on the schedule also. The course assigned to the Computrainer is the Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon course, a pretty hilly affair.

February 9 - Some Changes to Schedule - Snowstorm Pending

This was the original schedule for this week (key workouts are in red, easy recovery days in green):

	M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
Swim	3000m	Off	2000m	Off	2000m	Off	Off
Bike	Off	40	Off	15	Off	30	15
Run	5	6	5	15	6	Off	8

Here is the revised schedule for the rest of the week:

	M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
Swim	3000m	2000m	Off	Off	2000m	Off	Off
Bike	Off	Off	40	15	Off	30	15
Run	5	6	5	15	6	Off	8

I basically swapped Tuesday's long bike with Wednesday's swim session.

As with every winter, Mother Nature has the uncanny ability to change my training schedule to accommodate her.

And that is fine by me. A good organizer knows when to anticipate changes, reschedule his/her week, and roll with the punches to minimize any missed opportunities. Coaching is no exception. The swim depends on the weather because I have to travel to the pool. So I'll go today when the weather is fine. The bike is indoors on the Computrainer, so it doesn't depend on the weather. So the bike is scheduled for tomorrow when the snow rages. With the run, it's touch and go...I am told blizzard conditions will persist tomorrow but I'll sneak a 5 miler in when the storm is not as strong, probably early Wednesday morning.

There are potential problems with the revised schedule. I'm not particularly happy with the fact that a long bike and a long run are on consecutive days. The bike tomorrow is a given, but if I wake up on Thursday in less than stellar shape, I'll be opting for the easy day on Thursday and moving the 15 mile run to Friday (basically swapping Thursday and Friday workouts). I'll play this one by ear and see how things unfold.

February 8 - 5 Mile Easy Recovery Run

PM Workout: 5 Mile Run - Zone 1 Easy Recovery

Course: South Avenue (slightly hilly)
Time: 46:31 (9:18 min/mile pace)
Temperature: 34F

When finished with a hard swim workout in the morning and facing a hard cycling workout tomorrow morning, an easy run is definitely needed. A good recovery run doesn't tax you; if properly executed, you should be quite energized at the end of the recovery run. Save your energy for when it counts. In my case, the 40 mile bike is planned for tomorrow. Waking up energetic and ready to go is my goal here, so that I can blast this workout and get the most benefit out of it.

February 8 - Distance Swim Set to Die For - 2x1000 Meters with 1 Minute Rest

OK, it's really not to die for, but this is how a distance set is properly done.

AM Workout

Key workout #1 of 4 for this week*:

1) 4x200 Warmup
2) 2x1000 Meters with 1 Minute Rest
3) 1x200 Warmdown
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Total: 3000 meters

Good looking distance set. Talk about consistency, both were done at the same speed; 15:08 was recorded for both reps. If you want to do a distance set properly, you need to keep your pace even over the whole set. That means do NOT go fast in the beginning. Crashing and burning is the last thing you want in a distance set. Take it out smooth and easy and start to build on it while you proceed. This should guarantee you great results.

BTW, the pace comes out to be about 1:30 per 100 meter pace, a projected 22:42 Olympic Triathlon Swim and a projected 57:30 Ironman Swim. I've come along really nicely in the swim since the beginning of this year and hope to improve even more.

*Key workouts will always be in red

Week of February 8-14

Here is the design for the week of February 8-14.

	M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
Swim	3000m	Off	2000m	Off	2000m	Off	Off
Bike	Off	40	Off	15	Off	30	15
Run	5	6	5	15	6	Off	8

Total distances planned for the week are swim:7000m; bike:100 miles; run: 45 miles.

The boxes shaded in red are the key workouts of the week. Since I focus slightly more on the bike this week, there are two key workouts for the bike compared to one for the swim and one for the run.The days shaded in green are where I build in my rest and recovery to get the energy to blast those key workout in red.

Monday's swim is focused on distance, with 2x1000 meter reps separated by 1 minute rest. This will be a good test of my stamina in the swim. I've come very far with the swim in January, and it's time to test it further with the 1000m reps.

Tuesday's bike is the first 40 miler on the Computrainer this year and also tests my stamina. The 30 mile ride last week gives me a lot of confidence to do this one real well.

Thursday's run will be on a hilly course and will be done in ultra style (8 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking).

Saturday returns back to the bike with 30 miles. I will be trying to push out over 210 watts over the entire distance. If I see that I cannot do that, I'll back off to about 200 watts. It's a good test to see whether I can go to the next level on the bike or not.
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Note on the design of workouts:

One of the main reasons for blogging here is to give an insight on how I design my own plans for endurance races such as triathlon and ultramarathon. This also means looking at how to make weekly designs (microcycle), monthly (mesocycle) designs, and even seasonal designs (macrocycle) to keep me focused on the overall plan.

A warning: these workouts are customed only to my races, my lifestyle, and my strengths and are intended only as a guide. If you need detailed help in tailoring your workouts, a personal coach with extensive experience will help you greatly.

The first thing to do is always, always, ALWAYS, develop your macrocycle. This makes sense, because you need to know which races you want to do well in; you need to develop your big picture first before you plan your weekly and daily activities. I will be writing an article on that on my other blog, coachjoegold.blogspot.com and should be finished by the end of the week (February 14).

The next thing to do is develop your first mesocycle. What do you aim to do in the next 4 weeks? Do you want to lose a little weight? Get some distance and volume in? Work on speed as the season approaches? Which weeks are you going to rest; which weeks will be your hardest? I will write a blog on this also, with the tentative publish date on February 21.

Once you have your mesocycle down, finally it's time to develop your day to day activites. Again, it makes sense to develop your easy and hard days (like the easy and hard weeks in your mesocycle). IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO BUILD IN YOUR REST EACH DAY AND EACH WEEK SO THAT YOU DO NOT OVERTRAIN. I cannot emphasize this enough. You don't want to burn out so early in the season.

February 7 - 10 Mile Run (Super!)

AM Workout: 10 Mile Run - Mall Course (Slightly Hilly)

Total Time: 1:24:34

Despite the icy conditions, the wind, and the amount of clothes I had on, this run was strong, and the time showed it. I went below an 8:30 pace and it gives me hope that I could run under 8 minutes per mile comfortably again as I had in the past.

This was a good week. 600 meters of swimming, 80 miles of cycling, and 34 miles of running. I was 6 miles short of the mark on the run due to the complications the snowstorm brought, but I don't think it'll affect me adversely. Full steam ahead to the next week.

February 6 - Snowstorm Change - 15 mile Bike

Looks like a little change is in order. The snowstorm wasn't that bad, but was enough to change some plans. The 10 mile run will be done tomorrow to round out the week. I stood inside and did a 15 mile easy bike to be ready for the run tomorrow.

AM Workout: 15 Mile Bike

Course - 2.5 loops of Central Park (Computrainer)
Time: 58:46
MPH 15.3 MPH
Watts - 153

Due to some prior commitments, I'll be 6 miles short on my weekly mileage on the run, which shouldn't have much influence on my overall training. What counts is the quality of the 10 miler tomorrow.

February 5 - 2100 Meter Swim and Six Mile Run

Easy Day today. Tomorrow is a 10 Mile Run. Need to be ready for it.

AM Workout: 2100 Meter Swim

500 Meter Warmup;

4x50 Fly on 1:20, immediately into (no rest); 4x50 Back on 1:20, immediately into (no rest); 4x50 Breast on 1:20, immediately into (no rest); 4x50 Free on 1:20.

4x100 easy freestyle w/ no paddles (easy, not timed).

4x100 freestyle with fins (easy, not timed).

The butterfly is perhaps the toughest stroke. For me to do 4 of these butterfly reps was not easy. I held 38 seconds until the last set, where I fell aprat and came in at 41 seconds. All sets of the backstroke were 39 seconds. The breaststroke sets were 41-42 seconds, and the freestyle sets were 34-35 seconds. Pretty good sets. Look for more butterfly sets in the future; not because I like to torture myself, but those will make me a faster swimmer in freestyle.
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PM Workout: 6 Mile Run through Travis (flat)

Time: 57:45

Very mindful of the 10 miler coming up in 12 hours, I really kept this easy today, doing around 9:37 intervals.
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Note: A snowstorm is threatening the entire east coast including my area. If this is the case, I will have to postpone the run until Sunday.

February 4 - 30 Mile Uptempo Bike and 6 Mile Run

AM Workout: 30.43 Mile Bike on Computrainer

Course: Dakau 48k course (slightly hilly)
Time: 1:31:09
MPH: 20.0
Watts: 208

Great Zone 2 Workout. I was strong throughout the ride, and was the best overall power output this year by far. In addition, the recovery afterwards seems to be great.
A nice easy run tonight should help the recovery more.
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PM Workout: 5 Mile Run

Course: South Avenue (flat)
Time: 48:30

I actually had to hold back a little on the run, needing to recover from the ride this morning. Felt good throughout.

February 3 - 2200 Meter Swim

Except for an uptempo 800 meters in the water, this day is mostly recovery for tomorrows long ride on the Computrainer.

AM Workout: 2200 meter swim

1x500 Warmup
1x800 Uptempo aerobic Freestyle Swim
4x200 Freestyle Swim with Fins - easy and untimed
1x100 Warmdown

The 800 meter set was done in 12:08, which is a 3:02 pace per 200 or 1:31 pace per 100. Good set. The 200s were focused on slipstreaming through the water. In essence, the fins enable any swimmer to go faster, magnifying any drag that happens as a result of flaws in ones stroke. The enhanced drag will be noticeable to the swimmer and will give the swimmer a better chance to identify his/her flaws and will try to correct them. Fins are one of the more important swim toys I use to correct my stroke.

February 2 - 8 Mile Run and 15 Mile Bike

AM Workout: 8 Mile Intensive Aerobic Zone 2 Run
Course - Victory Blvd. Easy (moderately hilly)
Temperature - 27F (-3C) with light winds.
Clothing - 3 layers on top, 2 layers on bottom.
Shoes - XC Flats
Total Time - 1:09:31 (8:41 min/mile pace)

Not bad for a cold, hilly uptempo run, especially when bundled up. Now that the hard workout is out of the way, an easy bike should ensure a nice recovery.
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PM: Workout: 15 Mile Easy Computrainer Bike
Course: First 15 miles of Ironman Canada (Moderately Hilly)
Total Time: 1:00:39
MPH: 14.8
Watts: 159

A nice easy ride again to keep legs supple and loose.
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Scheduled for tomorrow are distance swim sets, 2200 meters overall. An easy run is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

February 1 - 20 Mile Bike and 1700 Meter Swim

AM Workout: 20 Miles of Cycling, Computrainer, Ironman Germany (first 20 Miles)

Total Time - 1:09:41
MPH - 17.2
Avg Watts - 159

Nice, easy workout to loosen up the legs for the rest of the week. Felt refreshed afterwards.
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PM Workout: 1700 Meters of Swimming
500 Meters Warmup
4x100 Bilateral Freestyle Drills
4x100 Kicking With Fins (Kickboard)
4x25 Sprints on 1:30 with easy 25 swim in between reps.
2x100 Warmdown

The sprints were quite strong - 14 seconds for all 4 sprints.
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Not a bad start to the week. Now it gets a little tougher.

Week of 2/1 - 2/7 - Concentration on Volume

I basically gave January a B-. Some workouts missed due to lack of organization. I will be concentrating a lot more on February.

One of my basic tenets in my life is to break free of my self-imposed limits, to transcend the bounds that both society and I impose on myself. Doing extraordinary races like 100 mile ultras is an expression of of yearning to break free.

I'll often talk about this transcendence in the near future.

As for my training, I love to train and race, but there are some days that I find my motivation lacking. This is where I need to embrace my fitness the most, to get out there and have fun, no matter what life throws at me.

For the mileage this week, I hope to do 6000 meters of swimming, 80 miles of cycling, and 40 miles of running. Most of the workouts are low intensity, but there are 5 key workouts; 2 in the swim, 1 on the bike, and 2 on the run; that will be higher intensity.

Wish me luck.