Super Day...

Today's training included workouts called a "super run" and "super bike". It's the first time I've ever done these types of training sessions.

Right after I qualified for Kona, coach Luis of MAO suggested I do these sessions and put together a custom training program for me.

I felt so special and was looking forward to trying something new. Chad Holderbaum, another MAO athlete and Kona qualifier does them and told me they're not fun.

The premise behind them it they are essentially tempo rides and runs that incorporate speed work sessions near the end. Luis felt my heart rate is so low and my aerobic base so strong, that "super runs and super bikes" would help me race faster. This new program is less hours of training and more intensity.

I was busy with work all morning and around 1 pm John Fortin came by and dropped of my indoor bike trainer. I now have no excuse to not ride if it's dark out. He hung around for a bit and talked. I couldn't even get him to drink a beer. He's in the monastery until after IMWI.

I finally got out the door for my ride around 2 pm and just over an hour later, one of the risers on my aero bars broke off as I rode over a bumpy road. My first reaction was to quit, my second reaction was to persevere and just ride sitting upright. Which I ended up doing. The only downside was it was tough to "hammer" during the intervals.

When I got home I immediately called Wheels of Bloor. They were closing at 7:30 pm and told me to bring the bike down ASAP. Along the way, I picked up Jamie's bike and took it as well, his gears weren't working properly and it would save him a drive. Wheels is not nearby, it's in Toronto, and took me over an hour to drive there in busy traffic.

I got to Wheels less than 30 minutes before closing. When they looked at my bars, they didn't see it as an easy fix. The screw was lodged in the bar and they had no way of "tapping" it out. Instead, they put new ones on.

It was quite a sight to watch my bike get fixed. With the time pressure of the store closing shortly, they had 3 guys working on it. It looked like an operating room. One was taking off the old bars, while another was changing cables and another was putting on the new ones as the old ones came off. Jamie's bike was on another rack and they were adjusting his gears.

In the end, the "aero surgery" cost me $175. All from a screw shearing off and me having no time for them to keep the bike and try to tap it out. The moment I brought it in I told them I have to do a long ride tomorrow and I can't leave it with them.

As I was leaving, I offered them an extra $20 to buy the guys beers for fitting me in and doing it right away, they wouldn't take it. They said, "that's what we get paid to do, it's no big deal". I can't speak highly enough about these guys.

I dropped Jamie's bike off and he tried to convince me to hang around the back yard. It was "Rambo" movie watching night. As tempting as it was, I couldn't. I still had a "super run" to do.

I got home and as I was taking off the bike rack, my neighbour Giles came over to say hi. We spoke for a while and he mentioned he's just started reading my blog. He really enjoyed the recent C.C. posts.

Giles congratulated me on my Kona qualification and mentioned that it didn't seem that long ago that I was at his house in my "fat glory" telling him I was more of an endurance type of guy and him laughing to himself, thinking, "yeah right, endurance athlete?" He told me "little did he know at the time that inside that fat body there really was an endurance athlete". Giles said, "feel free to mention that story on your blog".

Tonight was my first run in the dark in a long time and it was cooler than I'm used to, I even ran in long sleeves. During the run, it hit me that Summers coming to an end. The minute I started running I felt STRONG. It never fails, the more training and the less rest I get, the faster I get.

I was speaking with my unofficial coach Gord Brauer on the way to the bike shop. I was telling him that I wished the coaches had let me continue with my regular Ironman training right after IMLP.

I didn't feel I needed the break. Gord agreed. He's known me for a long time and said, "you're not a regular guy, your body doesn't need time off, you do better without rest". He's right. For future, I'm going to make my own decision on how long my active recovery needs to be.

The speed run was enjoyable. I liked the intervals at race pace. My last one was my best. I finished my last 2 minute interval at a 4:04 per kilometer pace after 75 minutes of running. When I got home, my stomach was "grumbling", it was porta-pottie time. The cause was the McDonald's ice cream cone I had on the way back from the bike shop.

It's going to be an early morning for me tomorrow. I need to be up at 5 am to be on the road for 6 am. I've got a meeting at 2:30 pm with an important client and I need to get my long ride and brick run in before hand. Saturday is the Beer Run and I can't do it then.

It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow morning. I'm riding with Shaw again, I hope I'm stronger on the bike than last weekend. I'd hate to slow him up a second week in a row.

Super Bike - 3:06:16 / 95.11 km / 30.6 kph average

Super Run - 1:20:09 / 17.46 km / 4:35 pkm average

Below is a video from @skdickey on twitter. It's kind of fun, for those that have or plan on doing an Ironman, the questions from non-triathletes are ALL the same. Below is a conversation that seems all to familiar.