Preamble

I struggled with putting this up. Initially, I was worried about giving away too many training secrets. Then I realized that nobody would want to train like this. I am a bit tired of the inferences that I have no plan, that I just “go hard” all the time. There is a plan, it just does not look like any pre-packaged base-miles-followed-by-intensity plans that anyone can nail together. The “plan” is more like a vast, nebulous cobweb of logical functions in an borderless excel spreadsheet taking into consideration time, work, sleep, weather, family, health, level of fitness, time before next race, peer pressure, whimsy and the position of Saturn relative to Jupiter. I may find that updating this may be a cathartic experience. I may find it to be a pain.

I don't want to fall into the trap of, "those who cannot write, scan." I can write, really.


Maybe this quote from the Australian miler, Herb Elliot, will put things in perspective. "I believe you must train intensely. There's been a tendency these days to be overawed by the scientific explanations of why long slow running or interval training is the answer. Both are probably physiologically and biologically defensible but what they neglect is the spiritual and mental side of a person. If you emphasise the physical side of training you may become superbly conditioned but mentally not advanced at all. On the other hand, if you concentrate on the mental aspect it is inevitable that the physical side will follow. My golden rule is to train for the mental toughness and don't train for the development. I used to have one day off a week but four of my other six runs would be excruciatingly intense and challenging. About half-way in each of the runs your body would be telling you to ease off, slow down or even stop and you've got to confront and grapple with that challenge."

A note on abbreviations

WT= windtrainer. A bike thing. Ok, it is technically a mag trainer where resistance from the magnets has replaced resistance from fans. It is quiet, has 7 levels of resistance, and doesn’t eat tires. These workouts are done inside, usually in the basement, with headphones on, not watching TV, usually appallingly early in the morning, beside a stack of CDs, tapes, and vinyl. I spent a lot of time riding indoors. Why? There are no distractions and I can spend dedicated time at the required heart rate. Anywho, as some of my training friends will say, “it puts hair on yer arse”, and, with 3 children, this is about the only time I can listen to music. Hot, sweaty, raw, ugly…I love these.

Road = you guessed it, cycling, outside on the road.

WTS = weights….in the basement, again. Nothing very fancy and upper body only, Bench presses, standing curls, shoulder shrugs, crunches, occasionally something else such as military presses, butterfly presses, preacher curls. Usually 3 set of 10 per exercise with a minute rest between each 10. Pressed for time, which is often, I often find myself doing a set of another exercise as I’m resting from another one. Then it becomes more of a circuit, I guess. I shoot for 200 crunches per workout but will settle for 160. I think I’m bench pressing about 120lbs…I should really check…it’s obviously not an ego thing…and curl 60lbs. Weights are often just an afterthought.

AT = Anaerobic threshold. You know that magical point where everything starts to hurt.

AT HR = Anaerobic threshold heart rate. This is about 165-170 beats per minute. Maximum is about 190 (I’ve been there and it is no fun) although I swear I saw 201 once. I could have been delirious, however. I wear a heart rate monitor when biking. I never wear a monitor running. I run at pace.

While I’m on a roll, let’s talk about miles and kilometers. I train mostly in miles. Why? My target races are in the US. This could change, however. Parts of run workouts show up in k’s or m’s. I swim in kilometers even if I’m in a pool measured in yards just to confuse myself. It’s working.

Tempo = it’s a running thing… 200m on the track. I’ve heard a vast array of definitions of what “tempo 200” means. “Tempo” is anywhere from 5k race pace to slightly slower than an all out sprint. It depends who you are running with. The recovery between, however, is always short: a minute or less. I run on the track with 18 and 19 year olds. I guess it is good for me to have my spirit crushed at least twice a week, anyway, no one my age will play with me.

Dirt = another running thing. It means running in the dirt. It is supposed to make one stronger by utilizing more peripheral muscles. This just means it hurts more.

Hill Loop = another running thing, 2.5k: 700m of dirt, then asphalt, then a 200m hill, then more asphalt followed by 700m of more dirt. This loop is out-right nasty. There is nowhere to recover, nowhere to find a rhythm…just 2.5k of misery. I feel like a god if I can go under 9 minutes.

MB = mountain bike. My daily commute to work and home and occasionally lengthened by other errands. It is about 3 miles so 3MB means I commuted to work. Yes, I ride all winter. No, I don’t have studded tires. No, it is impossible to freeze my lungs and yes, I am insane.

Kick = running thing. Usually, the last piece of a work-out. After 8-10 minutes of rest, a kick is an all out assault on the given distance against the watch. Usually it is 400m. This is to prepare me for the lung-searing pace of the doubleironman.

Swim = I don’t swim very much.

Tran = another truly nasty experience…not for the faint of heart or loose of sphincter. The workout consists of lugging bike and mag trainer to the track and riding hard for 5mins (up to the 165-170 bpm range in the last 2-3 minutes followed immediately by 800m on the track. There is no recovery between. 6 of these is about all I can handle. Sometimes it might be 25 minutes at AT on the mag trainer followed by 5k AT run.

Zowie = a remarkably good performance.

Noon = running thing. The lunch-hour run around the lake with wifey-poo.

PM = evening workout. PM runs are always with Little M. (we are in the same track club….pretty cool scam…evening workouts are always considered “family time”)

Little M. = daughter, Marit. She’s 10, now. I swear I will update the children page.

Dr.Steve = run coach. He is also my dentist.

VG = a bike thing. For lack of a better term, it stands for variable gearing. To prevent a complete mental meltdown while biking on the mag trainer I break each half hour into this: minutes 1-4, 6-9, 11-14, and 16-20 HR is 120-130, minutes 5,10,15 and 20-30 HR is 140-150. The advantage of this is it can be repeated for 1,2,3 or even 4 hours. Fun! I revisited my training log from preparing for the triple ironman (I was in scary condition although I hardly had the results to justify it) and noted that I rarely topped 150 bpm on these rides. I thought it was higher for some reason....just another example of thinking that I was faster than I was.

Rest = you’re joking!!! Every fourth week is easier. I’ll rest when I’m dead.

Errata: I may meander. Bear with me. My choice in music sucks. I know.

Like it? Hate it? Just want me to shut the hell up?Email.

ARCHIVE
June 12, 2000 to September 17, 2000
November 13, 2000 to November 26, 2000
November 27, 2000 to December 10, 2000
December 11, 2000 to December 24, 2000
December 25, 2000 to January 7, 2001
January 8, 2001 to February 4, 2001
February 5, 2001 to March 4, 2001
March 5, 2001 to April 1, 2001
April 2, 2001 to May 6, 2001

May 7, 2001
Last easy week before things get really stupid. Bike 3miles MB, WTS. Run 4miles.

May 8, 2001
Bike 15 miles (3MB. 12WT incl.10 mins. up to HR 168). Run 7miles incl. 5k in the dirt in… get this… 18:17! Zowie! This includes a 2.5k hill loop in the middle in 9:08. I don’t know where this run came from but I will gladly take it. WTS.

May 9, 2001
Bike 30miles (3MB 27 road easy. Dr.Bob is in town and we road the loop. For the 300th time I lost the sprint for the speed limit sign at the end. Rather than making my patented 1km suicide move, I cagily made a 500m suicide move...and still was handed my head.) Run 2 miles with Mary in her painful post-marathon shuffle.

May 10, 2001
Bike 20miles (3MB 17 WT incl. 30 mins at HR 150-155) Run 9 miles (4noon 5pm incl. 4x200m (3,35,34,34) and 1x1.25k (dirt) in 3:57….an “easy” day) Little M. ran a 5:30.7 1500m time trial on the track. I fear her.

May 11, 2001
Bike 36miles road easy. Swim 1k. WTS. Run 4 miles….all before 10am. This an easy week? Drove a van full of teenagers to the track club retreat/training camp.

May 12, 2001
Run 11 miles (5 am and 6pm). I ducked. I bobbed. I weaved…but I still was sucked into running the time trial with the club. 2.2k in 7:24. I stayed with the 16 year olds until the last 300m, at which point they promptly dispatched me. Oh, yeah…then we ran 28 hills. Shit.

May 13, 2001
Run 4 miles. This ends my last easy week before the real stupidity begins. 7 weeks of pure hell. This is also known as "The Abyss", "Boot Camp", or the annual "Sleep is for Wimps - Tour of Western Canada". My ankle still hurts. I have a nasty saddle sore. On the upside, my back and hamstrings feel pretty good…or maybe the discomfort is just drowned out by the other pain.

Week
Run: 41 miles
Bike: 106 miles
Swim: 1k

May 14, 2001
Run 5 miles (3noon 2pm) Bike 22 miles (3MB 19WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170). Ouch. I’ve forgotten how much it hurts to stay over threshold for any significant period of time. I thought I might be able to handle 4x10mins given how comfortable I’ve become at HR160-65 but I was ready to spew after the first one…so 3 it is. WTS.

May 15, 2001
Bike 22 miles (3MB 19WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170). Run 11 miles (4noon 7pm incl. 5k at AT dirt, flat in 19:14) WTS

May 16, 2001
Bike 33 miles (3MB 30 road easy HR120-140). Run 6miles(4noon 2pm) WTS

May 17, 2001
Bike 23 miles (3MB 20WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-173). Run 11 miles (4noon 7pm incl. 5k dirt with 2.5k hill loop in middle in 18:25 with hill loop split of 9:17. I am quite content to give up 8 seconds over last week’s time to today’s other workouts and the wind. ) WTS.

May 18, 2001
Swim 1k WTS. Run 5miles with Little M.

May 19, 2001
Bike 80 miles at 18.0 mph despite 2 hours into an 80km/hr wind. This felt too easy…what gives? Run 5miles. Legs still feeling marvey!!!

May 20, 2001
Run 26 miles in 3:55 incl. 5k at AT in 19:51 at the 3:20 point in the run…Dr.Steve’s idea. I’ll go along with it because he is my dentist. Little M’s b’day today. She is now 11 (note to self: update the children page already, will ya!!!). I’m not ready for teenagers. Anywho, this marks the first long run since sometime in March where I haven’t experienced sharp ankle pain. It was more of a dull ache. This ends week one of hell. So far, (touch wood) things are looking rather well: the ankle stabilizing and I haven’t been fired, divorced, or institutionalized.

Week
Run: 69 miles
Bike: 180 miles
Swim: 1k

May 21, 2001
Bike 20 miles WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170). Run 5 miles. WTS.

May 22, 2001
Bike 20 miles (3MB 17WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170). Run 10 miles (3noon, 7pm incl. 2x2.5k flat dirt loops in 9:07, 8:47 Zowie!! Not because these were remarkably fast but because these came so soon after my weekend of abuse.) WTS.

May 23, 2001
Bike 23 miles (3MB 20WT easy). Run 6 miles (4noon, 2pm)WTS.

May 24, 2001
Bike 24 miles (3MB 21WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170….Iggy Pop and dry heaves). Run 9 miles (4noon, 5pm incl. 6x200m(36,35,34,34,34,32) and 2x600m (1:51 with 300m splits in 57,54 and 1:47 with 200m splits in 36,34,36) Dr.Steve was lonely because the high school kids had a meet today. This meant that we were the centre of his attention. Accordingly, we did something called a “pace-injector” workout: surging in and around 1500m pace. My training for a double ironman needs 1500m workouts. Really, it does. Anywho, the workout left me a babbling piece of jello at the edge of the track….so this is a good thing.) Saw Nashville Pussy tonight. Hee, hee.

May 25, 2001
Run 4miles. I’m a mess. No sleep, hungover, and my ears still ringing from “Gonna Hitch Hike Down to Cincinatti and Kick the Shit Outta Yer Drunk Daddy”. Sure, I still staggered down the street at coffee time and bought their disc. We had great fun reading aloud the song titles in the shop. Went to sleep at 7pm.

May 26, 2001
I have managed to wring all the beer out of system from 2 nights ago. Bike 97 miles road easy at 18.6mph HR up to 168 on hills…mostly around 120 on the flats. Run 4miles. Interesting day. Street fair today, Marit was painting faces, Erik and Stuey, with the attention spans appropriate for boys their age, went to a friend’s house. I was supposed to be watching them while Mary shopped. Marit wanted me to go away so I set out to find Mary in a big crowd…..figuring that if I wander around with a blank, post-long ride expression on my face WITHOUT the children I was supposed to be watching, Mary would find me in short order. I was right.

May 27, 2001
Run 26 miles incl. 5k at AT in 19:30 at the 3:20 point in the run…same as last Sunday except the 5k was faster. This ends week two of hell. Not much change from last week: still married, employed, and still have at least a tenuous grip on reality.

Week
Run: 64 miles
Bike: 184 miles
Swim: 0

May 28, 2001
Run 5 miles. WTS. Bike 10 miles MB. There was no way I could do bike intervals this morning. I was offered a new job today. No interview, just one question: “What do you want?”. I was typed up an offer as I waited with better $, same benefits, better work environment, an employer with demonstrated ability to make decisions…I’m taking it.

May 29, 2001
Run 10 miles. (4noon, 6pm incl.5x200m (36-38) and 1x2.5k dirt, flat loop in 9:01. Crap weather today: wind and torrential downpour. The 3lbs of mud on my shoes slowed me on the 2.5k loop. Little M. wanted nothing to do with working out today. I had to tell her the “story”. It was day like this a few years ago. We were warming up in the rain and noticed a newspaper reporter waiting for someone. We asked who he was waiting for….it was a sprinter or a jumper. We giggled all the way through our workout in the rain. Sprinters/jumpers don’t workout in that kind of shit. Bike 23 miles (3MB 20WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-175. Zowie! 170 felt like I was spinning a low gear to warmup. The Nashville Pussy probably helped.) WTS

May 30, 2001
Bike 52miles (9MB 20WT am incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-173 not quite as easy as yesterday. 23 road pm easy at 17.0 mph) Run 4 miles.

May 31, 2001
Bike 3miles MB Run 11 miles (4am 7noon incl.5k @ AT in 18:33 (road))

June 1, 2001
Bike 15miles WT incl. 2x10 mins. at HR 165-170. Run 5 miles WTS Swim 1k

June 2, 2001
Bike 120miles at 17.5 mph –easy but windy as all fuck. Run 2 miles.

June 3, 2001
Run 26 miles incl. 5k at AT in 19:23 at the 3:20 point in the run…same as last Sunday except the 5k was 7 seconds faster.

Week
Run: 63 miles
Bike: 223 miles
Swim: 1k

June 4, 2001
Bike 3 miles MB. Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm). WTS. Still no way I can do bike intervals on a Monday morning.

June 5, 2001
Bike 3 miles MB. Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm). WTS. Apparently, I can’t do bike intervals on a Tuesday morning either.

June 6, 2001
Bike 31 miles (3MB and 18WT am incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-172 and 10WT pm incl. 1x10mins up to HR 168 ….feeling guilty. ) Run 8 miles (4am: transition run from the bike incl. 5k in 19:48 and 4noon) WTS.

June 7, 2001
Bike 22 miles (3MB and 18WT am incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170 ) Run 10 miles (3am: easy and 7pm incl. what Dr.Steve calls “tired surges” 1x5k dirt in 18:59 followed by 800m on the track in 2:30 and 200m (short recovery) in 33. I was “tired”. I didn’t really “surge” so much as stumble and almost barf.)

June 8, 2001
Bike 30 miles (13MB and 17WT am incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170….I’m trashed..11 hours is probably not enough recovery between hard efforts (no shit)) Run 4miles noon. Swim 1k.

June 9, 2001
Bike 90 miles at 17.9mph. Easy HR<130. The highlight of today’s ride was seeing Rob pass an entire fig newton through his nose. Run 2 miles.

June 10, 2001
Run 26 miles incl. 5k in 18:48 at 2:50 into run. Little M. ran a 2:45 800m and is now the Pee Wee girls provincial outdoor champ. Big deal…I ran an 18:48 5k.

Week
Run: 62 miles
Bike: 179 miles
Swim: 1k

June 11, 2001
Run 4 miles. WTS. Bike 21 miles WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170. I’m racing in 6 days and need to do all of my bike intervals early in the week so I can rest up just a bit. I am shrewdly counting racing as a bike interval workout so I only have suffer on the WT twice this week. Sneaky, huh?

June 12, 2001
Bike 21 miles (4MB (start new job today and I am far enough away from the Y to justify riding there at lunch, rather than walking, to run with wifey-poo) 17WT incl. 3x10mins at HR 165-170)Run 11 miles (4noon 7pm incl. 4x1.25k dirt in 4:15,4:07,4:09,4:07….I feel like death.

June 13, 2001
Bike 10 miles MB (bike in shop getting new fancy-schmancy carbon fiber forks) Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm)WTS. Swim 1k.

June 14, 2001
Bike 10 miles MB. Run 11miles (4noon 7pm (Dr.Steve said, “OK, you have 72 hours before you race. The perfect thing for you to do is…” “A nap?” “An easy jog and a round of golf?” Nope. A 5k time trial in the dirt. Fuck. The upside is I did it in 17:53..Zowie!!

June 15, 2001
Bike 20miles MB. Swim 1k. WTS. Run 26 miles (4noon 2pm and 20pm on June 18…it was my weekly long run and I had to fit it in somewhere this week. This will suffice.

June 16, 2001
Bike 60miles road easy. Run 2 miles.

June 17, 2001
Swim 1.5k (25:15) Bike 40k 61-62 minutes (bike computer crapped out in the rain) plus 2 very cold and slow transitions gives me a total bike time of 66 minutes. Run 6.2 miles in 40:08 (fastest run split of the day…nobody was moving fast today.) 4th place in provincial championships in 2:12:36. To sum up it was a pool swim. I seeded my self as a 24 min swimmer (wishful thinking) and spent the first 750m drafting behind someone who seeded himself as a 23 minute swimmer. It turned out that he was a great, big, fat liar. Shit, it was cold and wet. I froze. I had to knuckle down my lace locks to start the run because my fingers did not work at all. My feet were numb on the start of the run. Lemme see…I started the run in about 8th place and ran my self into 2nd place by 7.5k. Unfortunately, I worked too hard to get there, couldn’t drop 3rd and 4th places and had nothing left for the sprint at the end.

Week
Run: 66 miles
Bike: 167 miles
Swim: 3.5k

June 18, 2001
Run 2 miles.

June 19, 2001
Bike 25 miles 10 MB 15 WT incl. 30 mins atAT, HR >165 for last 20 mins – feel strong) Run 14 miles (3noon, 11pm incl. 2x2.5k dirt, flat loops in 9:30, 8:56) WTS.

June 20, 2001
Bike 21 miles (3 MB 18 WT incl. 3x10 mins at HR 165-172) Run 8 miles WTS.

June 21, 2001
Bike 20 miles (4 MB 16 WT) Run 8 miles (4am (transition with 5k at AT in 19:28) and 4noon).

June 22, 2001
Run 8 miles swim 1.5k (open water)

June 23, 2001
Bike 140 miles (20WT easy and 120 road in @16.1mph (very tired…the wheels are beginning to come off… but only one more week. Yuck, 7 hours of heat and wind and 2 big, fucking climbs. I barely held onto Rob’s wheel…is he riding really well or have just I just pummeled myself too thoroughly in the last few weeks? I can’t believe there are switchbacks in this part of the world. The last 30k made me cry. I was moving so slowly, I was in danger of tipping over. Run 2 miles.

June 24, 2001
Run 25 miles.

Week
Run: 67 miles
Bike: 206 miles
Swim: 1.5k

June 25, 2001
Bike 22 miles (3 MB 19 WT incl. 3x10 mins at HR 165-170…I am very near the end, now) Run 3 miles. WTS.

June 26, 2001
Bike 22 miles (4 MB 18 WT incl. 3x10 mins at HR 165-166…dying to stay 165+ ) Run 10 miles (3noon, 7pm incl. 6k at AT in 22:45 – split 5k at 18:46…feeling good despite this morning’s spanking) WTS.

June 27, 2001
Bike 22 miles (3 MB 19 WT incl. 3x10 mins at HR 165-172…had legs again!!!) Run 4 miles WTS.

June 28, 2001
Bike 3miles MB. Run 10 miles (4noon 6pm incl. 1x2.5k flat dirt in 8:30 and 1k track in 3:14 (died a horrible death).

June 29, 2001
Swim 1k. Run 4miles. Bike 3miles MB.

June 30, 2001
Death weekend day 1. Bike 170 miles (20WT to warm up, 130 road incl. 100 mile TT in 4:49 (HR 130-140 no legs to ride at true death ride pace of 145-55) and 20 WT to cool down). Run 2miles.

July 1, 2001
Death weekend day 2. Run 38 miles incl 5k in 19:12 at the 5 hour mark. I would say “Zowie” but it hurts too much. In the distance, I hear the faint sound of a beer can opening…yes, it is taper time.

Week
Run: 71 miles
Bike: 242 miles
Swim: 1k

July 2, 2001
Run 7 miles incl 5k in 17:56 (Zowie!).

July 3, 2001
Run 5 miles incl 5x200m with Little M. (36-40) WTS Bike 3 miles MB.

July 4, 2001
Run 6 miles (2am 4noon) WTS Bike 30 miles (4MB 26 road incl. 2 surges up to HR 164)

July 5, 2001
Swim 1k Bike 18 miles (Bike 3MB 15 WT incl. 20 mins at HR 150-55) Run 7 miles incl. 5k in 18:52 with 2.5k hill loop in 9:24…easing back…I was at the point where I thought “I can go with Terry and run 18:30 but nahhhh.” I am taper boy. I must embrace the taper. WTS.

July 6, 2001
Swim 3k open water. I guess I should take this swimming thing a bit more seriously. Run 6 miles. Bike 3 miles MB.

July 7, 2001
Run 3 miles. Bike 21 miles WT easy.

July 8, 2001
Race day: swim 1.5k (26 something), Bike 25 miles (63 (?) HR 165-71) Run 6 miles (46 something. Hilly, hot, sticky, and miserable. Fuck, I came off the bike 2 minutes down on first place (someone who I took 9 minutes out of on the run in June) and a minute out of second. I could taste first place. For whatever reason, I can’t run in stifling humidity anymore. Heat is fine. I like heat. I can’t breathe in humidity. So, in third place I stayed…..gasping, weazing, staggering through a 46 minute 10k. Maybe I need to lose some weight. In short: wonderful bike legs, no running legs today.

Week
Run: 40 miles
Bike: 100 miles
Swim: 5.5k

July 9, 2001
Run 15 miles. Bike 4 miles MB. WTS.

July 10, 2001
Run 6 miles incl. 1x800m with Marit and 2.5k dirt in 9:50 (easy) Bike 16 miles (13WT incl. 25mins at HR 150-160 and 3MB).

July 11, 2001
Run 4 miles WTS Swim 1.5k Bike 3miles MB).

July 12, 2001
Bike 18 miles (15WT incl. 25mins at HR 150-160 and 3MB). Run 5 miles incl. 3x1.25k dirt in 4:14, 4:10, 4:29 (easy).

July 13, 2001
Swim 4k open water Run 4 miles.

July 14, 2001
Bike 59 miles road easy except for 30 mins at HR 145-155 Run 4 miles.

July 15, 2001
Run 15 miles incl. 5k in 20:01 (hot and sticky)

Week
Run: 53 miles
Bike: 100 miles
Swim: 5.5k

July 16, 2001
Run 4 miles WTS Swim 1.5k Bike 17miles (7MB 10wt incl 10mins at At HR> 165 for last 6mins).

July 17, 2001
Run 5 miles incl. 20x100m grass strides WTS Swim 1k Bike 13miles (3MB 10wt incl 10mins at At HR> 165 for last 6mins ).

July 18, 2001
Run 2 miles (travel day).

July 19, 2001
Run 4 miles bike 25 miles road easy. Ducked the press conference. No medical examination, thankfully. The race org. will now never know that my dentist signed off of my medical certificate.

July 20, 2001
Run 2 miles.

July 21-22, 2001
Swim 7.6k bike 224 miles run 52.4 miles. 23:06 splits including transitions were 1:33:47 (strong current) 12:01:55 and 9:31:00. 3rd place again but rec’d a 750 whole dollars for my efforts. This brings my lifetime earnings up to about minus $20,000. Observations: 159 laps of the bike course is a bit tiresome, no bike legs at all (Hr 140-160 for first 4 hours and 120-130 for last 4 hours, the middle 4 hours were a blank), ate donuts, ham sandwiches, chocolate cookies, bananas, squeezies, tortilla chips, rice pudding, chocolate covered expresso beans, drank water, ice tea, mountain dew, coke, carbo drinks, and coffee, I have no bike handling skills, it was hot and windy, hit a false flat into the wind where my Hr hit 160+ every 4.5 minutes, split 100 miles in 4:55 which bites, off the bike in 5th place, had wonderful running legs, first marathon in 4:35, closed to within 6 minutes of 2nd place and 14 minutes of first with 20k to go but could get no closer, can run and vomit at the same time, and I lost 3 toenails.

Week
Run: 69 miles
Bike: 279 miles
Swim: 10.1k

July 23-August 5, 2001
Active rest: went fishing, drank beer, took Moe to see some of the World’s Athletics Championship in Edmonton. Generally, felt yucky during any training I did. Paced Stuey to a 43 minute 5k, drank more beer. On Mary’s advice (“Plug your sponsors, dumbass!”), I appeared on a local cable sports show and wasn’t terribly sarcastic, cynical, and/or bitter. In fact, I may have only rolled my eyes once or twice at the same old stupid questions. Gosh, I’m just a PR dream.

August 6, 2001
Run 2 miles.

August 7, 2001
Bike 27 miles (11 miles MB 16WT incl. 20 mins @ HR 150-55 …didn’t feel like spewing for a change) Run 9 miles. (4noon 5pm incl. 2.5k hill loop in 9:17 and 1.25k dirt in 4:17 (holding back a bit)) WTS.

August 8, 2001
Bike 20 miles (3 miles MB 17WT incl. 20 mins @ HR 150-55 …still feeling OK) Run 6 miles. (4noon 2pm) WTS.

August 9, 2001
Bike 20 miles (3 miles MB 17WT easy) Run 4 miles. WTS.

August 10, 2001
Run 2 miles.

August 11, 2001
Run 4 miles.

August 12, 2001
Run 15 miles.

Week
Run: 42 miles
Bike: 67 miles
Swim: 0

August 13, 2001
Run 4 miles. WTS, Bike 3 miles MB.

August 14, 2001
Run 5 miles incl. 5k in 19:40. Bike 18 miles (3MB and 15 miles WT incl. 22 mins at HR 150-160)

August 15, 2001
Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm). Bike 18 miles (3MB and 15 miles WT incl. 25 mins at HR 155-160) WTS.

August 16, 2001
Run 10 miles (4noon 6pm incl. 1x2.5k hill loop in 9:11 and 1.25k flat dirt in 4:30 - died). Bike 3 miles MB.

August 17, 2001
Run 4 miles. Bike 19 miles (3MB and 16 miles WT incl. 25 mins at HR 150-155).Swim 1k.

August 18, 2001
Run 3 miles.

August 19, 2001
Brick: Bike 50miles road at 20.1mph HR 145-155 wind SE at 30km/hr. Run 15 miles at 4:40-4:55 mins/km.

Week
Run: 47 miles
Bike: 111 miles
Swim: 1k

August 20, 2001
Run 4 miles. Wts. Bike 3miles MB.

August 21, 2001
Run 5 miles incl. 2x200m (35,36) 3x1.25k dirt (4:09, 4:11, 4:14). I note that I can go mucher “deeper” today without feeling the overwhelming urge to vomit. Bike 18 miles (3MB and 15 miles WT incl. 25 mins at HR 150-160).

August 22, 2001
Run 2 miles. Swim 1k. WTS. Bike 17 miles road incl. 10 mins at HR 145-155).

August 23, 2001
Run 8 miles (3noon 5pm incl.1x2.5k hill loop in 8:47 Zowie!! Felt no pain) Bike 3 miles MB.

August 24, 2001
Run 4 miles. Bike 18 miles (3MB and 15 miles WT incl. 26 mins at HR 155-160). Swim 1k.

August 25, 2001
Bike 72 miles at 20.6mph wind N at 30km/hr HR 145-155 feeling very tired. Run 4 miles. WTS

August 26, 2001
Run 20 miles at 4:40-5:05 mins/km. Felt Ok but very tired afterwards.

Week
Run: 47 miles
Bike: 128 miles
Swim: 2k

August 27, 2001
Run 4 miles. WTS. Bike 3miles MB.

August 28, 2001
Run 8 miles (3noon 5pm incl. 5k dirt hill loop at AT in 20:13) Bike 15 miles (3MB 12 WT incl. 5X1 min surges) Swim 1k.

August 29, 2001
Run 4 miles. WTS. Bike 3miles MB.

August 30, 2001
Run 8 miles (3noon 5pm incl. 5k Time trial in 18:22 incl. 2.5k hill loop in 9:27) Bike 20 miles WT easy. Swim 1k.

August 31, 2001
Bike 20 miles WT easy. Swim 1k. Run 2 miles.

September 1, 2001
Run 4 miles. WTS

September 2, 2001
Bike 40 miles road easy HR< 130 Run 8 miles easy.

Week
Run: 38 miles
Bike: 100 miles
Swim: 2k

September 3, 2001
Run 4 miles. WTS

September 4, 2001
Run 4 miles. Bike 6 miles MB. Swim 2k.

September 5, 2001
Run 4 miles. Bike 13 miles (10WT easy 3MB).

September 6, 2001
Run 2 miles.

September 7, 2001
Bike 10 miles road easy.

September 8, 2001
Swim 4k Bike 112 miles Run 26.2 miles. You know, I really could have ended my season in July and have been perfectly content….but NOOOOO. I had to do another ironman. Splits: 1:12, 5:25, 5:34 14th place 2nd in age group. Total time was 12:19. I was probably one of a handful with a run split longer than my bike split. It was 41C with the humidex but I suppose I left the best part of myself on the double iron-thingie course in July. I stopped twice on the run and thought long and hard about stopping but quitting is bad karma. So much for my plan to do a fast end of season ironman. Anywho, I learned that my travelling companion has an expired drivers’ license, a remarkable lack of tack in dealing with panhandlers, and can’t read a map to save his life. Did we have fun? Sure. Season over, done, kaput!! Got very drunk on Jack Daniel’s at the airport with Rob.

Week
Who cares!!!!

September 9 – September 30 2001
Easy. Very easy. I forced myself to stay off the bike for 3 whole weeks but found myself talking to it/her, “Soon we will be together, my love.” Ran a bit…Ok, more than a bit…paced wifey-poo to a 4:12 marathon and we are still married. Mary “blowed up real good” in the last 5k. I don’t think I’ve ever seen pupils so dilated.

October 1, 2001
Back to the house of pain. Run 5 miles (3noon 2pm) Wts Bike 15 miles (12WT easy and 4x1min up to HR 150, 3MB) So endeth Stimpy’s rutting season for another year.

October 2, 2001
Run 5 miles (3noon 5pm incl. 2.5k dirt flat loop in 8:55) Wts Bike 15 miles (12WT easy and 4x1min up to HR 150, 3MB) WTS Swim 1k.

October 3, 2001
Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm) Wts Bike 21 miles (12WT easy and 5x1min up to HR 150, 9MB) WTS Swim 1k.

October 4, 2001
Run 8 miles (3noon 5pm incl. 2x1.25k dirt flat loop in 4:10, 4:09) Wts Bike 3 miles MB.

October 5, 2001
Run 4 miles Bike 15 miles (12WT easy and 5x1min up to HR 150, 3MB) Swim 1k.

October 6, 2001
Run 4 miles

October 7, 2001
Run 5 miles incl. 5k in 19:48 (died in 2nd half) Bike 31 miles WT easy.

Week
Run: 40 miles
Bike: 100 miles
Swim: 3k

October 8, 2001
Run 2 miles WTS

October 9, 2001
Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm) Bike 17 miles (14WT incl. 5x1min up to HR 150-160, 3MB) WTS.

October 10, 2001
Run 4 miles Bike 22 miles WT easy

October 11, 2001
Run 2 miles

October 12, 2001
Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm) Bike 10 miles WT incl. 10 mins at HR160-170.

October 13, 2001
Run 5 miles Bike 21 miles WT incl. Conconi test. No Eurekas here. My HR to speed line was a strait line to my recorded max of 194 bpm. I suspect my max-max is still about 200 bpm and threshold HR is still about 165 bpm. I wonder why I keep doing these. Nothing changes.

October 14, 2001
Run 15 miles Bike 40 miles WT easy.

Week
Run: 40 miles
Bike: 100 miles
Swim: 1k

October 15, 2001
Run 8 miles (4noon 4pm incl. 5k at AT in 19:37) WTS Bike 34 miles (3MB 31 miles WT VG)

October 16, 2001
Run 8 miles (4noon 4pm incl. 2x2.5k flat dirt loop in 9:16, 9:22) Bike 20 miles (3MB 17 miles WT incl. 30 mins at HR 150-160) Swim 1k.

October 17, 2001
Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm) WTS Bike 17 miles (WT incl. 30 mins at HR 150-160).

October 18, 2001
Run 8miles (4noon 4pm incl. 2.5k flat dirt loop in 9:10, 1x1.25k in 4:16) Bike 3 miles MB. Swim 1k

October 19, 2001
Run 4 miles WTS Bike 34 miles (3MB 31 miles WT VG)

October 20, 2001
Run 4 miles. I note that Little M. is provincial Pee Wee Girls cross-country champion!!!!

October 21, 2001
Run 10 miles

Week
Run: 48 miles
Bike: 108 miles
Swim: 2k

October 22, 2001
Run 8 miles (4noon 4pm incl. 5k at AT in 19:47) WTS Bike 34 miles (3MB 31 miles WT VG)

October 23, 2001
Run 8 miles (4noon 4pm incl. 7x200m hills) WTS Bike 3 miles MB

October 24, 2001
Run 4 miles noon. WTS Bike 20 miles(3 MB 17WT incl. 30 mins at HR 155-160)

October 25, 2001
Run 6 miles incl. 5k at AT in 19:45. WTS Bike 17 miles WT incl. 30 mins at HR 155-160)

October 26, 2001
Bike 31 miles WT VG Run 3 miles. I note that Little M is also provincial cross-country champion in a neighboring province. It is nice to see that one of us is running well.

October 27, 2001
Bike 36 miles WT VG Run 4 miles.

October 28, 2001
Run 15 miles.

Week
Run: 48 miles
Bike: 141 miles
Swim: 0

October 29, 2001
Run 5 miles (3noon 2pm) WTS Bike 20 miles (3 miles MB 17 miles WT easy)

October 30, 2001
Run 8 miles (4noon 4pm incl. 5k at AT in 19:33). WTS Bike 20 miles (3MB 17WT incl. 30 mins at HR 155-160)

October 31, 2001
Run 6 miles (2am 4noon) Bike 19 miles (3MB 16WT incl. 30 mins at HR 150-160)

November 1, 2001
Run 10 miles (4noon 6pm incl. 5k at AT in 19:14). WTS Bike 13 miles (3MB 10WT easy) Swim 1.5k.

November 2, 2001
Run 2 miles Bike 35 miles (3MB 32WT incl. 30 mins at HR 155-160)

November 3, 2001
Run 3 miles Bike 37 miles WT VG

November 4, 2001
Run 17 miles WTS

Week
Run: 49 miles
Bike: 144 miles
Swim: 1.5k

November 5, 2001
Run 4 miles WTS Bike 3 miles MB Swim 2k

November 6, 2001
Back to the indoor track and another epic assault on the elusive 2:10 800m barrier….a year older and wiser and now truly frightened by the prospect of being crushed like a bug by Little M. Run 7 miles (3noon 4pm incl. 8x200m (35,36,34-35) 3x200m (34,32,31) WTS Bike 15 miles (3 miles MB 12WT easy)

November 7, 2001
Run 4 miles easy WTS Bike 13 miles (3MB 10WT incl. 10 mins up to 165)

November 8, 2001
Run 5 miles easy WTS Bike 20 miles (3MB 17WT incl. 10 mins up to 165)

November 9, 2001
Run 5 miles Bike 13 miles (3MB 10WT incl. 10 mins up to 165)

November 10, 2001
Run 5 miles incl. 2x5x200m in 34-35. Bike 36 miles incl. 30mins VG rest easy. Feeling sick.

November 11, 2001
Run 10 miles. Still feeling sick.

Week
Run: 40 miles
Bike: 100 miles
Swim: 2k

November 12, 2001
Swim 2k. Still sick.

November 13, 2001
Run 8 miles (3noon 5pm incl. 8x200m (34,35,34,34,34,33,33,34) 3x400m (74,70,70) kick 200m in 29.12) WTS Bike 24 miles (3 miles MB 21WT easy)

November 14, 2001
Run 8 miles (4noon 2pm) WTS Bike 22 miles (3 miles MB 19WT incl. 40 mins at HR 160-165) I tried to be patient and try to do some dedicated base work on the bike. I really did. However, Stimpy thrives on carnage. I’m back to spending way too much time just below threshold. At least, I am happy here.

November 15, 2001
Run 6 miles incl 5x200(34,34,34,33,33) 3x400long rest (65,65,68) 3x200 (36,32,31) WTS Bike 23 miles (3 miles MB 20WT incl. 40 mins at HR 160-165).

November 16, 2001
Run 4 miles Bike 23 miles (3 miles MB 20WT incl. 40 mins at HR 160-165). Swim 1.2k (incl. 250s in 3:45, 3:42, 3:44)

November 17, 2001
Bike 37 miles WT VG Run 5 miles incl. 8x200 (34,35,34,34,33,34,34,34) 4x400 (71,72,72,70)

November 18, 2001
Run 17 miles – pooped.

Week
Run: 46 miles
Bike: 129 miles
Swim: 3.2k

November 19, 2001
Run 6 miles Bike 22 miles (3 miles MB 19WT incl. 40 mins at HR 160-165). WTS Swim 1.5k (incl.750m in 12:16)

November 20, 2001
Bike 33 miles (3MB, 10WTpm easy 20 miles WT am incl. 40 mins at HR 160-165). Run 7 miles incl. 8x200 (34,35,33,34,34,34,33,34) 200-400x2 (35,71,35,71) WTS

November 21, 2001
Bike 21 miles (3MB, 18 miles WT incl. 36 mins at HR 157-162). Run 4 miles. WTS

November 22, 2001
Run 9 miles incl. 5xBig Mac hill.4th hill in 68 secs.

November 23, 2001
Run 5 miles

November 24, 2001
Bike 37 miles WT VG Run 2 miles

November 25, 2001
Run 17 miles Bike 10 miles WT easy

Week
Run: 50 miles
Bike: 128 miles
Swim: 1.5k

November 26, 2001
Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm) Bike 3 miles MB

November 27, 2001
Bike 22 miles (3MB 20 miles WT am incl. 40 mins at HR 160-165). Run 7 miles (2 noon 5pm incl. 5x200 (35,34,34,35,34) 200-400x3 (34,71,34,70,34,70) WTS

November 28, 2001
Bike 22 miles (3MB 19 miles WT incl. 40 mins at HR 160-165). Run 6 miles (3noon 3pm) WTS Swim 1.5k

November 29, 2001
Bike 25 miles (5MB 20 miles WT incl. 40 mins at HR 160-165). Run 6 miles (incl. 5x200 (35,33,33,34,33) 3x400 (65,67,70) 2x200 (37,33) utterly trashed).

November 30, 2001
Bike 20 miles (3MB 17WTincl. 20 mins at HR 160-165). Run 6 miles (4noon 2pm)WTS

December 1, 2001
Bike 43 miles WT VG Run 2 miles

December 2, 2001
Run 19 miles

Week
Run: 52 miles
Bike: 135 miles
Swim: 1.5k