I'm now a brand & I set a monthly training record...

It's official, I'm over trained and putting to much pressure on myself to do well, according to the professionals. Hence my irritability.

My online coach also said I should use my triathlon bike for the race in Florida, so I went and got a new fitting for it by a very experienced triathlon bike fitter. It did feel better afterwards.

I used the bike tonight for my speed bike workout. I was in a rush, as I decided to coach Reid's 3 on 3 hockey team this year and they had a coaches orientation at 7:00 pm. I started my ride at 5:15 pm and had a 75 minute session, I just made it to the rink on time.

I had a decent ride, but the bike is still very new to me and I don't have a good comfort level yet. I'm also finding the gears are slipping and the derailers are rubbing because of cable stretch, which is normal. I'm going to ride about 300 more kilometers and then go get them adjusted prior to my Florida race.

Also, today my "Training Payne" tee shirt arrived. I made it online for only $20. I'm now a brand. I'm now accepting orders and will provide discounts for volume. I'm also still waiting for my shirt with Reid's awesome custom logo design.

Watch out Nike!

April was a record setting month for me.

Totals for month
Swim 31.92 miles
Bike 517.63 miles
Run 126.12 miles

Total Miles all sports 675.67
Total Calories Burnt 55,138

On the edge...

I was going to swim this morning, but decided to sleep in for recovery purposes. I figure from now until the race, I'm going to try and maximize the amount of sleep I get.

For the past month and especially today, I'm so irritable and I don't know specifically why. I can speculate, but I don't know for certain. It could be over training, it could be the pressure I'm putting on myself to due well at the Florida 1/2 Ironman, it could be that I'm not as fast as I thought I'd be at this point, it could be that I'm about 5 - 7 lbs heavier than I want to be for the race, it could be the amount and complexity of time sensitive work that I'm doing at the office, it could be a physical issue, or it could be a combination of them all.

In either event, I need to figure out why I'm irritable and fix it. I don't like being irritable and I'm sure those around me do not like me being irritable, as I'm very impatient and short with them. I've got an appointment with my doctor tomorrow morning to see if it is something physical.

After work, I went for an hour run at an easy heart rate pace. Strangely, I had a great run and averaged 8:05 per mile for 7.5 miles. I don't get it, on Sunday, I was gassed doing a 9:00 minute mile and today it was almost a minute faster and effortless.

At 8:00 pm I did a 4.5 km swim, I really wasn't looking forward to it, but it was my last long swim on the program before my race in May. The pool was only open for 90 minutes, so I had to swim FAST. For 1500 meters I used my fins to help speed things along. A really good swimmer I know said that using fins help improve your kick, so I decided to try them.

One thing I did notice using the fins, surprisingly, was that my heart rate got pretty high. Normally it is hard for me to get my heart rate up in the pool, but not with the fins on. After I took the fins off, my kick did feel stronger and my heart rate lowered, but was still higher than usual.

On the whole, my swim was not that fast, around 2:03 per 100. Although , with the fins it was in the 1:38 per 100 range.

I keep telling myself not to worry about my current times, my online coach is telling me my performance is going to be poor during this phase, but my body will be ready to do well on race day.

In "Mark Allen Online" coaching I reluctantly trust!

P.S. My daughter got a full time job, washing and cleaning party rental supplies. She came home so tired and her body was sore all over. As she was trying to get my sympathy, she realized that I'm the guy who training 18 hours a week and she then told me she shouldn't be complaining.

From 22 to 6...

Last night I took it easy, I had a huge Sunday roast dinner, beers and lots of chocolate cake and ice cream. Too much really. I'm sure it was more calories than I burnt all weekend!

Today it was rainy in the morning and cold all day. By the time I got home the rain stopped, but it was only 6 C with 30 km winds. You wouldn't believe that yesterday it got up to 22 C.

I bundled up with 4 layers of clothing, plus a jacket, gloves and booties to cover my shoes. I was a little nervous because my hamstring was tender yesterday. Once I got started I wasn't sure if my hamstring was still sore or if it was phantom pains.

I rode really slow and averaged 26.4 kph for 1 hour and 50 minutes. I focused on spinning over 90 rpm's for the entire ride, without exerting myself to much. My energy is low and my legs are flat, but according to my online coach, that is normal 2 weeks prior to the race. He says that will change and I'll feel better for my race, that this is all part of the peaking process. I hope he's right.

Feeling the Hamstring...

I was on the road by 9:00 am for my 1 hour 45 minute run. It was only supposed to be an hour and 40 minute run, but I went by yesterday's memory instead of looking at the workout schedule for today before I started.

Once I started running, I could feel a slight tightness in my left hamstring. I noticed it a week ago on the bike when I was going hard up hills. Then on yesterday's ride I noticed the odd twinge in my hamstring going up some hills after the 2 hour mark of riding.

I keep running, but had a slow run. I ran at a 8:56 pace, which was my slowest long run since February 17th. I didn't want to go hard because of my leg and I just didn't have it in me today.

After the run, I went to the pool and did 4000 meters. I really wasn't looking forward to it, but I pushed through. Physiologically, I focus on the first drill only, then the next, and usually by the halfway point, I'm in trance and can finish with a sense of enjoyment.

My swim was also very slow, around 2:10 per 100, and my heart rate averaged 106. Even during the swim I could feel the tenderness of the hamstring.

I think the problem with my hamstring is because I'm going much harder in order to get faster. I thought with all the training I've done, I'd be faster than I currently am. Then today I realized that I'm as fast as I'm going to be for the 1/2 Ironman in May, and if I go to harder, I'll just injury myself. Which would be a shame considering that I have trained so hard and not missed a workout since I started on the Mark Allen Online program on January 11th.

Today I made a conscious decision that from this point forward, I'm going to take it easy. Even on my speed work day's I'm going to go hard, but not too hard. The key for me right now is to recover and let my body heal from all the workouts. My goal right now is to be at the start line, feeling healthy.

For the rest of the day I'm going to take it easy, hang out with the family, ice my hamstring and take some Advil, and maybe a beer or two!

Successful Spinning...

Today was my long bike, 3 hours 40 minutes. I made sure I had a good, long sleep, 10.5 hours.

After watching Reid's tryouts, I got on the bike. I decided to keep it in the small ring for the entire ride and make sure my rpm's were at 90 or above. I decided to follow the same plan I did last year, training in the small ring, racing in the large ring.

I rode easy, my heart rate averaged around 120 bpm for the entire ride and I averaged 28.9 kph, which was amazing. I ended up doing just over 107 km and the wind was blowing at 31 kph.

On the sixth line hill, I decided to pedal down it and my speed got up to 77.6 kph. When I got home I felt great, my legs feel pumped but not overly sore.

Speed work with a sore head...

Last night was party night, just Alice, the kids and I. What started with a few beers, ended in way to many. I'm not sure when I got to bed, but I know it was after 2:00 am.

I was hungry for a burger at around 1:00 am, so I had Alyssa drive me around looking for a burger joint that was open. No luck. So we went to a take out pizza place and had a slice of pizza. Afterwards we went to a 24 hour supermarket so I could pick up some ice cream.

While at the store, I saw a display promoting "goldfish crackers" which included a gold fish inflatable. So...I decided to take it, I actually had my eye on it last weekend when we were grocery shopping. I paid for my ice cream at the checkout with the fish under my arm, I asked the cashier if she minded if I take it and she said "go ahead, I don't care".

Today was a little rough as I was semi hungover with an all day gnawing headache. It always seems so fun to party hard at the time, but then you pay for it the next day.

I met John after work for our Friday night speed run and was more than a little concerned. On the way to the track I was envisioning myself having to "throw up" during the workout. Surprisingly I did okay and felt pretty good. We ran faster this week than the previous weeks, around 1:33 per 400, although John was able to do a 1:29, leaving me behind. This week was his week.

Feeling not as Gnarly...

I decided not to swim this morning and get more recovery sleep. It helped...for the first time in 2 weeks, I was feeling back to normal. I had no irritability and was motivated.

Reid had a Rep hockey tryout at 7 pm that I wanted to watch it, even though it is painful, as he is the worst player on the ice.

I decided to swim my 3500 meter speed work session at lunch time and after work I did my weight lifting session so I could be there to watch it.

The swim was great. I swam 12 x 100's and the fastest I did it in was 1:39 p/100 and the slowest was 1:42 p/100, it was the fastest I think I've ever swam in my life. At some points I was going so fast I couldn't catch my breath and my chest seemed tight, it couldn't expand enough. (It's a far cry from my 2:25 p/100 I did last year racing).

It felt great to be at the rink by 7:10 pm with a cool beer in my hand, workouts over and watching my son try out for Rep. (The rink has a bar overlooking the ice. It's a wonderful thing!)

Even though he is the worst player out there, he is still 75% as good as the other guys, which is pretty awesome considering he couldn't skate 9 months ago. We gave him a "Red Bull" before the tryout to help get his energy up. I think it worked because it looked like he was skating harder.

Tonight, every time the phone rang, Reid was nervous, as he thought it was the coaches calling to "cut" him (I told him that is how they cut you). What I haven't told him is that I found out no one is going to get cut this year, but I love keeping him on the "edge".

Windy Wednesday Speed Work...

I got a good 8.5 hours of recovery sleep last night and didn't wake up as irritable. Still irritable, but just not as irritable as this past couple of weeks.

This evening was my bike speed work session, which lasted an hour. The main workout was a 20 minute time trial. I rode it hard into a 41 km head wind, with gusts up to 52 km.

During the ride, my legs felt like lead, although I pushed hard I just didn't seem to have a rhythm. My cardio must be getting better because I couldn't get the heart rate over 151 bpm. For the 20 minute ride into the head wind I rode between 27 - 33 km per hour.

On the way back, even with relaxed spinning, I flew! I was hitting speeds around 51 kph on slight declines. Overall I averaged 30.8 kph for the entire ride.

A fun part of the ride was that another cyclist came up behind me on my easy warm down and my competitive juices came over me, so I picked it up and eventually lost sight of him or her (I couldn't tell, I only saw their shadow). I'm not sure if I out rode them or they turned down another side road or if the shadow was mine.

It's amazing how another person (or perceived person) can push you to push harder!

A 5000 meter recovery swim...

I woke up at 6:00 am, only had 6.5 hours of sleep, was tired, but left to the pool anyways.

Today was my long swim, 5 km. My pace was slow, I couldn't get my heart rate up, my arms, legs and core were so tired and weak. My average heart rate for the 2 hours was only 108 bpm. It was mentally tough, but I finished. I figured going slow was better than not doing anything and decided it was going to be a recovery swim, like walking.

After dinner I went for my 65 minute run. My average heart rate was 126 bpm and I ran 7.7 miles at an 8:22 pace. I was really pleased with the run, it felt effortless and was fast for such a slow heart rate.

I finished the run by 8:00 pm and then went to Reid's hockey tryouts. He is trying out for Rep. It was tough to watch, he is the weakest player on the ice, but I keep needing to remind myself that he wasn't able to skate 9 months ago. I'm really proud of his courage and determination.

I really think I screwed myself up by going so hard on the bike last Saturday. I can tell it is effecting my recovery and all I want to do is eat. I've realized that for the foreseeable future, unless it is a speed workout, I'm going to go easier.

I only have another 1 1/2 weeks of higher mileage and then for the following 2 weeks it gets easier, as I'll be tapering for the race.

Overall, I've really noticed my fitness increase in the last 3 weeks, since I started speed work.

Rest Day...NOT!!!

Today's training was not meant to be.

Last night my left inner hip joint was a little tender, not much but enough that I iced it just to be safe.

When I woke up this morning, my legs and left Achilles were a little tight and although I was worried about injury, I went to the YMCA anyways.

Once I got to the YMCA I realized I forgot my workout bag. My intuition then told me that it was not meant to be and I'd do the workout this evening.

When I got home from work, I felt so tired and my legs were flat. My program had me doing a 2 hour 5 minute bike ride and 45 minutes of weights this evening. On the schedule it said the importance of these workouts were medium, so I decided, for the first time since I started the program to take today off, rest and recover. I'm starting to feel a little burnt out. Hopefully one day off is all I need.

THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED!!

My daughter gave me a verbal "shot", she wondered if the other people I'd be competing with would be training today?

For some reason that got me motivated and I got on my bike and went for my 125 minute bike ride. I figured if I felt bad after I got going I'd just come home. It turned out I had a great ride. My average heart rate was 119 bpm and I averaged 29.4 kph for 61.47 Km. I couldn't believe it! It was only .6kph slower than Saturday, but I felt great today and was bagged on Saturday.

After the ride, I hustled to the YMCA and blasted through my weight workout.

I got home at 9:15 pm. I feel okay, but I still feel a little tired.

Long hilly run with a low heart rate...

I relaxed last night and had about 8 pints of beer, 3 large ice cream cones, some ripple chips and onion dip and watched UFC, then got to bed around 1:30 am.

I was up at 7:30 am and wanted to get my 1 hour and 50 minute long run done as early as possible, so Alice and I had the day to hang out together. I didn't think the run was going to be very good because my resting heart rate was in the 60's.

I started on the run slow, I felt the weight of the fuel belt and my legs didn't feel stable. But after the first 2 km I started to get back into the groove.

I noticed that it was very difficult for me to increase my heart rate. The rule for the long run is not to exceed 139 bpm and I was having trouble getting it over 129 bpm. For the first time, it was my legs and not my heart rate that was holding me back from going faster.

I ended up running 13.25 miles and averaged 8:22 per mile, which was awesome for me and 12 seconds per mile faster than last week on the same route. The route was on "hilly" Number 1 side road. No matter how hard I would run, the heart rate stayed under 139 bpm. In the end, my average heart rate for the run was 131 bpm.

I'm really surprised with the quality and time of the run, especially after yesterday's hard work outs and only 6 hours of sleep, plus the unhealthy "carbo" loading.

The tank was emptied and I'm humbled and scared...

Today the weather was scheduled to get in to the 20's C.

My first workout session was a 4 hour bike ride, followed by a 30 minute brick run. Then later in the day a 3000 meter swim.

I was pretty excited last night about doing today's bike workout. I figured I was going to keep my heart rate at the 139 bpm limit for the entire ride and see how fast I could go. I was really hoping and dreaming that I could average at least 30 kph for the entire ride.

When I woke up this morning I didn't feel that great. I still have a cold and I forgot to take my medicine last night. After my oatmeal and coffee, I was out the door just before 10:00 am and headed for the very "hilly" escarpment. It is really hard riding terrain.

I went as hard as I could. Many times my heart rate shot up in the 140's and the odd time into the 150's. It was hilly and started getting windy as the time went on. 

The result of the ride was that I got to 90km (1/2 Ironman distance ride) in 2:58:30. I ended up finishing the complete 4 hour ride averaging 30 kph on the nose, it ended up being 121.33 km (75.22 miles). My average heart rate, including the brick run was 136 bpm, which is high considering I stopped at a gas station to get some Gatorade.

The ride being "hard" is an understatement. After 2 1/2 hours, I was spent. My legs were rubber and I still had a lot of miles to go. With 15 minutes to go till the end of the ride, my average was 29.9 mph, so I put the pedal down and "hammered" as best as I could, I was so close to 30 kph, I wanted to hit it.

By the time I got home, I felt like I was in the Ironman, my legs were so sore and then I had to put my running gear on and go for a 30 minute brick run. I was "suffering", but pushed my self out the door. 

Once the run started, memories of my Ironman came back. It was hard, my legs were "spent" and I was on the shuffle. I realized that as much as I've been training, it's not enough to take away the "pain" when you giver. I was just imaging how hard the 1/2 Ironman and Full Ironman may be. Earlier this week I was thinking I might have a good 1/2 Ironman time in Florida, and during my run I wasn't so sure anymore. 

My goals started to change, I was thinking they should be to finish in one piece as opposed to trying to race it. I ended up doing the run in a surprisingly quick 8:45, I thought I was running a 9:30 plus pace.

When I finished and stretched, I felt like I had just raced today. I was starting to cough from my lungs being exerted. I needed to eat, then sleep, or at least that was my plan until Alice realized my phone was missing.

I took my phone with me on my ride and lost it at the gas station where I stopped. Eventually someone called me and I had to get off the couch and drive 20 minutes away to pick it up. Quite frankly, I was almost prepared to tell them to keep it, I was so sore and tired I didn't want to drive there, I just wanted to lie on the couch.

After I picked it up, I relaxed on the couch and watched TV, unfortunately I was not able to sleep. I was trying to get my energy back because I had a 3 Km swim at 6:00 pm.

It was tough to get off the couch to go swim, although I was looking forward to get to the pool. Whenever I'm sore, I find the cool water is therapeutic on my legs and body. It really seems to speed up my recovery.

The swim was great, I started feeling like a new man. By the time I got out, I didn't feel like I had a mega bike / run workout. I even swam fast for what was to be a moderate swim workout. I was swimming in the low 1:50's per 100 meters and I was passing one of the guys who used to be similar to my speed.

I'm so glad to be done with today's 5 hours and 40 minutes of training. I'm very humbled and very scared about my upcoming races. 

Anyways, tonight is relaxation and as a family we are going to watch the UFC on pay per view. Go George St. Pierre Go!

I finally had some gas in the tank...

Today was a good day.

649 sent me a check for my $5 win, whoo hoo. Then I decided to take a lunch to work and used Reid's Kiss lunch kit, the guys at work laughed and even asked if I had a "wagon wheel" in it, which I did. They laughed again.

After work, John and I met for our Friday night running speed work session. It is not something I look forward to, as there is "pain" and "suffering" involved. Also, I was tired tonight, but I know once I get going I wake up.

Tonight was a little different, as I felt strong and the workout suited my strengths. Most of the workout was long fast runs and we were running 1:40 per 400 meters, our lowest was 1:36 per 400. I knew I was feeling good near the end because John didn't pass me. He normally passes me on the last couple of sets, just to keep me humble, but not today.

He tried, but was denied!

Swimming so hard I can feel it...

I got up to swim this morning, but with my cold I decided to go back to bed, I figured getting sleep was more important.

My cold got worst as the day went on. I had a Kleenex in my hand all day.

At the end of the day, Johnny and I went out for a few beers after work, just like last week. This time I left by 6:15 pm and got to the pool just before 7:00 am. I did a 3000 meter speed swim workout.

Again, the beer gave me extra strength and I just went as hard as I could. My best is typically 1:52 per 100 meters, but today I was going as fast as 1:43 per 100 meters. I was going so hard, my heart rate got as high as 151 bpm, which is very high for swimming.

When I did my turnarounds and kicked off the wall, I could feel my calf's starting to cramp. The main set was 20 x 100 and I left nothing in the "tank". The swim, with rests, took me 68 minutes.

After the swim, I did weights. After I did some leg curls, the front side of my right calf got sore. When I point my toes down, it hurts. It didn't stop me from working out, but it is definitely tender. I don't think it will effect my running or biking, but I'm not certain until my speed run tomorrow.

The only thing I can attribute it to, is the swimming.

When I got home, I got some ice, wrapped it in a tensor bandage, which I hope will help heal it quicker. I never would have thought I could get an injury from swimming.

Speedy Paynegolas...

I slept a good 8 hours today.

As the day went on, a runny nose started to turn into something more, almost a cold. I didn't know if I should rest or train. I decided to train through it.

I had a bike speed work session scheduled for tonight. The session took 1 hour and 45 minutes. The weather was great, it was 19 C. For the first time this year I was able to wear cycling shorts.

I had a good ride, I averaged 29.2 kph and did 50.69 Km. I was about 2 kph faster on my Trek than the Quintana Roo. I pushed it and at one point got the bike up to 61 kph. The highlight of the workout was riding for 3 minutes into a head wind and maintaining a 40 kph pace.

When I got back, I felt awesome and my nose wasn't running as much. Oops, I take that back...I just "sneezed"!

I can't figure it out...

Today I was up at 5:36 am and at the pool by 6:15 am for my 4 km long swim.

For some reason, the swim was much slower than my last swim. Whereas my last swim I averaged 1:52 per 100, today I was around 2:00 per 100, and I don't have any idea why. It took me over 90 minutes to finish the workout.

I had to finish my workout early because my daughter and I were going to a motivational seminar that started at 9:00 am. The speaker was Jack Canfield, he co-wrote the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series. It was a good seminar about things you need to do to be successful. Most of it is things I've learnt before, but it is always good to hear them again. I find these types of seminars open your mind to positive thoughts and possibilities.

When I got home I was "bagged". I planned on sleeping, but ended up checking emails, then dinner, then a long discussion on "diet" with Reid, and before I knew it, it was 8:00 pm and I was unmotivated to run. All I wanted to do was relax.

But I pushed myself out the door and did a 70 minute run at moderate speed. It was a great run, most of the run my heart rate was under 130 bpm, and I ran an 8:37 pace. By the time I finished, I felt great, the endorphins were a "bubbling" and I had a big bowl of yogurt, banana's and whey powder to help my body recover.

It's strange how my swim was a poor performance workout and my run was the opposite.

Enjoying my old friend...

I was at the gym at 7:00 am to do my weights workout. Today was the start of the "chisel" phase. It was high reps and quick movements to exhaustion.

After work I decided to take my old bike for my 2 hour and 15 minute ride. It was a scheduled moderate ride and the heart rate was to stay under 134 bpm. My legs were a little sore from all the training, and the route I took had 3 major hills, and I mean MAJOR.

The first was Bell School line, then Sixth Line and then Appleby line. On those hills the heart rate got up to 151 bpm, but came down very quickly once I got to the tops. I ended up averaging 28.3 kph on the Trek and the bike felt superior to the Quintana Roo.

I guess that shouldn't be a surprise, as the Trek is the exact same model that Lance Armstrong used to win the 2002 Tour de France. It was the only time Trek manufactured Lance's bike as a production model.

Riding my Trek felt great. It is so light and responsive. It can go up hills like nothing and it is perfectly suited to my body. In addition, the Trek retailed at over $8000 and the Quintana Roo retails at $2500, there must be a difference just based on the price differences.

I think I'm going to sell the Quintana Roo on Ebay and use the money to maybe buy a Compu trainer, or a wet suit, or if Alice has her choice it will be landscaping.

It was good to try a "tri" bike, it showed me how good my old bike performs.

The best of both worlds...

For the past week I've been tired, even to the point where I was wondering if I was over training.

Today I woke up and had sore legs. I took it easy all morning, played a little street hockey with Reid, then went to the pool for my 4 km moderate swim.

From the start of the swim I was unmotivated. My breathing was off and it felt that I hadn't swam in a long time. 15 minutes into the swim, I felt like quiting. Then something interesting happened.

I had a 30 x 100 meter drill on a 10 second rest. I got my second wind, started feeling good and averaged 1:52 per hundred meters, at a 120 bpm heart rate. By the end of the swim I felt great and motivated. The 4 km, with easy warm ups and drills, only took me 1 hour and 23 minutes.

When I got home, Alice, Reid and I decided to go to the movie "Run Fat Boy, Run". It was a good movie and I filled up on salty popcorn.

Afterwards, at 6:00 pm I decided to go for my 2 hour run in the escarpment. It is a really hilly run and I couldn't believe how good I felt. Going up hills, it was hard to get my heart rate over 134 bpm. I ended up running over 14 miles at an 8:34 pace. Which is amazing, considering the hills. It looks like the speed work is starting to pay off.

For a day that did not start of great, it sure ended great. Both my swim and run were probably the best of the year so far.

Cold, Wet and Hard...

Reid had his house league hockey championship today at 1 pm and I had to get in a 3 1/2 hour bike ride, followed by a 30 minute brick run.

I woke up early, it took me a while to get ready. It was 3 C outside and cold. I ended up with 5 layers of clothing.

Once I got out the door I was a little frustrated as the bike computer did not seem to be working properly, but then I determined it was "operator" error.

The ride was hard. I tried to attack every hill, and there is "lots" of hills, while trying to keep my heart rate in check. My legs were flat and I'm sure it was from yesterday's running speed work session.

As I rode, it started to rain, I had to take my glasses off because they were fogging and full of rain drops. My hands and feet were also wet and cold. I found my ride to be slow. I was giving everything I had and my speed was only averaging 17.2 mph for 98 km, I also seemed to have trouble going up hills, I'm not sure if it is because of the new bikes gearing or my legs are spent.

At the end of the ride I was so frustrated, I decided I'm going to go back to my old bike for a while. The new bike has not "wowed" me and I don't feel as strong. In a way, going on the new bike felt like I was "cheating" on the old bike.

When I got home, my bike was "filthy", it needs a good cleaning.

During the bike to run transition, I noticed many of my toes had froze from the bike ride. The 30 minute brick run after the ride went well. I ran at an 8:39 pace, which felt slower, and keep my heart rate under 134 bpm fairly easily. I guess the speed work is working.

I got back from the run 13 minutes before Reid's game, I had a quick shower and made it to the rink only missing 5 minutes of the first period. Reid's team lost 3 -1. After the game, there was a team get together at Filthy McNasty's, it was fun.

I'm pretty tired and wasn't looking forward to the swim to much, but was prepared to do it. Then when I got home, the Florida Ironman 70.3 world championship was on TV until 6 pm, which means I'd miss my swim if I watch it.

I guess I'm swimming tomorrow!

Thank God for John...

Another good night's sleep, 8 1/2 hours.

I was still mentally tired by the end of the work day and left work a little early to get a jump on my speed work run session.

John wasn't sure if he was going to be able to join me this week, but in the end he was able to, which was great. I was so tired before I began and flat during the run, although John pushed me through.

He was fresh and fast. He was even able to talk a little during the speed work. I told him if he can talk, he's not going fast enough. Near the end of the workout, he would take the lead and it helped push me to keep up with him.

I really do not like speed work, but it is a necessary evil. At the end of the run I felt good, I felt refreshed. There is nothing like finishing speed work, there is a sense of accomplishment.

When I got home, I had a hot shower and afterwards had a good stretching session.

John wondered if my family was "cool" with all the training I'm doing. When I got home I asked Alice and she said it doesn't bother her. She said, to her it doesn't feel that I'm not home that much. It's all good...for now anyways.

Now I'm off for dinner with the family and the endorphins are flowing. I hate Friday's work out session and I love Friday's workout session!

I love swimming after a few pints...

Today I was tired.

The alarm went off at 5:30 am and I decided I needed the sleep rather than training, so I went back to sleep until 8:30 am.

My plan was to train after work instead.

Near the end of the work day I was tired. I told one of my co-workers, Johnny, and he invited me out for a beer after work. At first I wasn't going to go, but then I reconsidered and went. I'm glad I did.

We had some laughs and at 6:30 pm I took off to the pool. I did a 3500 meter speed workout, it took me 82 minutes. I told the lifeguard to watch me, as I had a few beers. He laughed.

I swam as hard as I could, but could not get anaerobic. My speed was great, but my heart rate remained under 139 bpm. I'm not sure if that is a good thing because I'm getting in great shape, or a bad thing that I'm getting over trained?

At the pool, it turned out I lost my wedding ring. My ring is now getting too big for my finger. Luckily someone found it on the bottom of the pool and I got it back.

After the swim, I did 1 hour of power weight training. I was still feeling the "good" vibes of the beer, so I was just lifting as much as I could and feeling no pain.

By 9:30 pm I was done and went home for supper. I'm so glad Johnny invited me for beers!

I'm irritable...

I got a good 8 1/2 hours of sleep last night, which I needed.

I don't know why, but for the last few day's I've been so irritable and have very little patience. It is not like me. Today I'm "red lining" on the irritability scale. I haven't felt this way in years.

I'm not sure if it is from over training, brain chemistry or the fact that I'm gaining a little weight and it bothers me.

With all the training I'm doing, I'm gaining weight. I can't believe it! Although, I haven't been eating super healthy, I have been having some muffins, cheese, chips and sweets. But I figured with all the calories I burn during training, it would be no big deal.

My big concern about my weight is that I won't race as well. I was hoping to drop about 7 lbs and race around 170 lbs and now I'm up 3 lbs to 180 lbs. Those extra 10 lbs can make a difference. I was so "pissed off" thinking about it on the bike, that I figured "that's it", I'm going to change to a healthier diet right away.

On a positive note, I picked up my new bike today. It is a "cool" looking bike. The guy at the shop suggested I don't ride it tonight during my speed work bike session, as he thought I may need some time to adjust to the feel of it, and you never know if something is going to come loose, which could be dangerous.

But I decided not to listen to him. I took the bike out tonight for my "speed work" session.

My irritability showed up before my ride; first there was not enough food for dinner; then it is a big production to get dressed for cold weather riding and my shorts didn't fit right; then when I finally got on the bike it was gusting 47 km/h winds and "crappy" outside. My glasses also started fogging during the ride, which was dangerous.

Can you feel my irritability?

Once I started riding, it was a different feel than my regular bike, being down in the aero bars makes it somewhat unstable. I found myself drifting from side to side. I also found that the placement of the speedometer was in a position that made it dangerous to look and ride at the same time. The gear levers are also in a different place and they feel awkward.

Can you feel my irritability?

I rode hard, but was unable to get the heart rate over 154 bpm. I also only averaged 17.1 mph, which is slower than my 3 hour ride. But I'm not sure if it is the bike, the wind or the spinning between intervals?

Can you feel my irritability?

I did buy "blinking" lights for the front and the back of my bike. I figured as I'm going to be riding earlier in the morning and at dusk, it makes sense to take the safety precaution so that drivers will see me more readily.

On a positive note, the bike seems to ride nice, especially on rough areas of the road. The carbon fiber frame makes it a nice firm and shock absorbing ride.

Running break through...

Today was an early morning workout at the YMCA.

I did a 5000 meter swim and it was my fastest ever, I finished in 1 hour 48 minutes. I went hard for the entire swim.

When I got home from work, I was physically and mentally tired, more mentally. My entire body was sore from the past few days, especially my glutes. I think the biking outside is using some muscles that were not used on the wind trainer.

After a nap and dinner, I decided to go for my 75 minute run. It was to be at a moderate pace, under 134 bpm, essentially it is a recovery run. I wasn't sure how the run was going to go because my resting heart rate was high, it was around 70 bpm.

I was semi-warm outside, so I decided to wear shorts for the first time this year. Perhaps that helped because I had a great run. I ran 8.83 miles at an 8:34 pace, it was an awesome, effortless run. I also had negative splits.

I think that this may be the first sign that last Friday's first speed work session is taking effect. It was a great run, it felt good!!!

On the road again...

Today was a double workout, weights before work and a bike ride after work.

Thank goodness for day light savings time, I was out the door by 5:30 pm and did a 2 hour ride, keeping the heart rate under 134 bpm. By the time I got back it was still light out. I was bundled up as it was only 10 C outside.

The ride went well, I averaged about 28 kph and decided to do the "Bell School Line" hill, which is very steep. I went slow, but was unable to keep the heart rate in the zone, I think it maxed out at 154 bpm, although I felt strong going up.

I'm real pleased with my riding so far. There have been some really good moments where I'm getting up to 36 kph and feeling good. Plus, I'm tackling certain hills without even noticing, whereas last year I noticed those hills. Also, I must say, riding outside is much more enjoyable than indoors.

P.S. On the way to the YMCA at 6:45 am, I saw two cyclists coming back from their ride. They had lights on their helmets and it was 5 C. Now that is hard core!

Sunday and the Long Run...

Another late night, but at least I got to sleep in.

I was a little slow getting started today, my head hurt a little and it was the first time I really wasn't looking forward to my long run. Although the weather is better, it is still not ideal. Today it was 8 C and windy, which makes it hard to decided what to wear. I really want to start running in shorts and a tee-shirt, but that wasn't going to happen today.

Today's run was a lot of hills in the Niagara Escarpment and I ran for 1 hour and 45 minutes and covered just over 12 miles. I averaged an 8:45 pace, which wasn't bad considering all the hills. My left calf had a few "twitches" and my left hip was a little sore, I'm hoping it won't go any further, hopefully some massage and anti-inflammatory medicine will work.

According to the calendar, in exactly 6 weeks, I'll be competing in the Florida 1/2 Ironman. That's not that far away!

Finally, the first ride of the year outside...

Today was the day for my first outdoor bike ride of the year, the weatherman said it would be sunny and up to 13 C.

I slept in and had a good 9 1/2 hours of sleep. When I woke up, I had a good sized breakfast in order to prepare for today's 3 hour ride outside.

I was nervous about today's ride. I wasn't sure how I'd feel. My buddy John told me that wind training is not the same as riding outside and it is not uncommon to be slower than you would expect.

I got out the door around 1:00 pm and headed for the Niagara Escarpment "hills". There is hundreds of hills that I rode over today. There was a good wind and even though I was dressed well, it was still a little cold.

The ride went better than expected. I rode fairly hard, the same speed I do for only my one hour rides, and figured I'd let the chips fall were they may regarding my physical and mental state afterwards. By the end of the ride, I felt, surprisingly, pretty strong.

I averaged 17.5 mph for the entire ride and ended up doing just over 53 miles. Until I started the ride, I forgot how many hills there are in the escarpment. Last year, most of my long rides were between 15 - 16.5 mph, which shows I'm already ahead this year. As a matter of fact, most of my 1 hour rides last year were under 17.5 mph.

On the bike I made sure I ate every hour and tried to keep the heart rate under 139 bpm. I find that when riding outside, especially with hills, it is pretty tough to keep it under 139 bpm.

I also ended up seeing a lot of triathletes out on the road today.

After the ride, I ate and watched a little TV, then I started to get tired. I was on the fence as to whether or not I was going to do my 4000 meter swim today or tomorrow. I ended up doing it today and I was glad. I figured that there is a reason that both are on the same day, which totaled over 4 1/2 hours of training today.

After the swim, my inside left calf started to feel a little tight.

Now, to top of a good day of training, Alice and I are going out for dinner.I'm going to have a nice cold beer, after all, you only live once!

Track work...

I finally had a good night sleep, 9 hours.

Last night Reid and I went to the Leafs game, it was fun and Reid got one of Darcy Tucker's old hockey sticks. He was so excited that he actually slept with the stick last night.

Today, John and I got together after work to do a running speed work session on the track.

The workout went well and was tough, but not painful. At the beginning of a few intervals, I lost energy and had a emptiness in my chest, it felt like I needed food. Then after a lap, my energy would come back and the emptiness would go away.

I think it was the trail mix and peanuts I had before the session. I should have had a banana.

It was the first running speed session I've done in years, and on the car ride to the track I was more nervous than before a road race.

I wasn't sure if doing it with a partner was a good or bad thing. It turned out it is a very good thing, we were able to push each other and keep the pace high. It took us just over an hour, with 30 minutes of high intensity running.

The effects of the workout started to show up when I got home. My legs started to feel sore and I could feel my lungs got a good workout, as I started getting a post workout cough from the workout exertion. My face is also red and although I'm not bonking, it is a similar feeling. The last time I felt this was was after the half Ironman in Ottawa.

In a way, I'm glad I'm tired and sore, it means that I pushed myself to my limit, getting the most out of the workout.

Up way to early, again...

Tonight I'm taking Reid to the Leafs game, so I had to do all my training this morning.

I was in the pool by 6:00 am and did a 3500 meter speed swim which took me 90 minutes, then I followed it up with a 1 hour weight training session.

Afterwards, I actually felt pretty good and started to feel much better than yesterday.

I can hardly wait to get a good 8 hours of sleep tonight. I think all I need is a few good sleeps, relaxation and not to many beers.

I'm running on a little less since the race...

I'm starting to understand a little bit more about "racing" and "recovery".

I thought that recovery was the ability to not get hurt and continue training, but I'm starting to realize that recovery from a race is the ability to continue to have "full" energy reserves for training.

Since the race, I've started to feel like I have an "empty chest", or a lack of energy in my chest area, essentially I feel exhausted. I'm a 4 on 10 on the exhaustion meter. I'm finding that I'm more irritable, less patient and do not have the same level of stamina in dealing with day to day things.

Tonight was my speed bike workout. It took around 75 minutes and was intense, with 28 minutes of really "hard" interval riding. I was sweating like "crazy" and it was a tough workout.

I'm glad I started at 6:15 pm, so that I have some time to rest tonight and try to get some energy back in the chest.

My Ironman training is over...

Today I woke up and could not walk. My hip was frozen and I had a massive bruise.

I went to the doctor, they took an Xray and told me I need to stop training for at least 6 - 8 weeks....

April Fools!!!!

What really happened was I got up and was at the pool by 5:30 am. I did a 5 K swim, the longest swim I've ever done. Part of the swim included 900 meters of kicking with the board. To finish the swim it took me 1 hour and 57 minutes.

This evening I had a 70 minute run. I was really nervous because my hip was a little tender after the 30 K race on Sunday. Tonights run was going to tell me if I was recovering well from the race and could I continue my training with confidence.

Overall the run went well, I still had a slight soreness in the hip, but I think it should go away in the next week or so. I don't run again until Friday, so that should help, I hope.

I will say the weather really depressed me. I was hoping I was going to be running in shorts today, but by the end of the day it got cold and windy, it was like I was running in winter. When I got home, I seriously was thinking I should move to a warmer climate.

It turns out that last month my totals were as follows:

494.25 miles of biking
127.67 miles of running
29.37 miles of swimming
73.76 hours of total training in March
18.81 hours of training in my longest week.