From SQW's blog.

Two of Canada's best.
Jasper and Simon out for an easy jog.

This is some classic Tri footage.

I love the comment by Molina when asked what his main strength is.

You also have to love the fashions of the era. Pauli Kiuru's hair is simply awesome and check all the 'stashs.

Wooden Bicycle

Check this out.



A customer just sent me the link to this. It is a fully functional wooden bike.

Wooden Bicycle

MAF Test #1

Well I just finished my first MAF run test.
I didn't want to do it at night after working all day but it was the only way to fit it in.
I am a little disappointed in the results but considering the time off over the holidays and the fact that I only have had two since being back I can't expect much.

So here are the results.

Total time for 5km - 29:05
Max HR 158
Avg HR 154
1-5:34 Avg Hr 152
2-5:40 Avg Hr 154
3-5:52 Avg Hr 154
4-5:56 Avg Hr 155
5-6:01 Avg Hr 154

I think my HR should have been a little lower for each one. Something to work on for the next one. This will give me something concrete to compare against every few weeks. No more guessing whether I am improving.

I have also been keeping some baselines for the pool. For all my long swims I am taking split times every 500m.

Dec 13 - 2km
9:36,9:32,9:36,9:42
Total 38:28

Dec 20 - 2km
9:10,9:01,9:12,9:23
Total 36:48

Jan 24 - 1.5km
9:09,9:21,9:32
Total 28:04

It was nice to see I hadn't lost that much in the pool.
I really wish I had recorded more data from my last go at Ironman but at the time I wasn't really into the numbers, I just wanted to finish the thing.
The more I read and learn about training, the more I realize the importance of tracking your progress to make sure the work you are doing is making you faster. You see it all too often. People train hard every year but never get faster from year to year. Now this isn't the only factor but it definitely plays a role.

Must See!

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

This is a link that should be passed around.

Something we all need to think about.

We all need to change our habits.

We as a household of two soon to be three have gotten down to less than one bag of garbage a week and I try to do the same at the bike shop.

It is amazing how much stuff we dispose of everyday. As is mentioned in the video we all need to do our part and reduce our consumption.

Is Red the New Green?

What part of this do people find hard to understand?

A red light means stop.

A yellow light means slow down or stop.

A green light means go.

I don't think a day goes by that I don't see someone blatantly run a red.

What the hell is everyones hurry?

A small change of plans.

As I find myself still trying to get back from my illness I have decided to mix things up a bit with my training. I had a really hard time this past week getting back to my regular routine. I think the lingering effects of my chest cold and having done "nothing" active for two weeks has really set me back.

I am not going to deviate from the planned schedule too much but am going to throw in a block of run/swim focus to coincide with our belated honeymoon. We have booked a trip to the Bahamas in February and since I won't be taking my bike I thought it would be a good idea to try and get my run frequency up and if possible work on my swimming everyday.

The plan is to run everyday we are there keeping the duration between 60-30min. I have located a 25m pool at the local YMCA but haven't heard back about swim times. Em is still keen to exercise daily even with her bulging belly so I should have company in the pool at least. I might even be able to keep up. We are really looking forward to the feeling of sun on our skin.

The above pic is of one of the guys at the Tuscon Training Camp for our National Tri Team. This group always keeps me motivated. I can't wait to watch them in Beijing.

A little intensity.

We just finished the first spin class of the winter at the shop and that little bit of intensity felt pretty good.

We did 5 x 15sec single leg then a 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1 pyramid keeping the intensity moderate. I tried to keep my HR within 10 beats of my AeT which ended up being around 200watts.

I think I am starting to feel better. Time to head home and have a little stretch and get some sleep so I can make it to the pool tomorrow morning.

Not quite ready.

Well after Sundays long run and Mondays long ride I am feeling a little whipped.

Cough not quite gone yet and my legs are feeling the last two days. I have decided to take today of as well. I need to make sure I can lead the spin class tomorrow. If I feel good in the morning I will try and get to the pool for a half hour to loosen up. I really don't want to rush things and end up sick again.

There is still lots of time so I have to keep reminding myself to have patience.

On the mend.

It has almost been two weeks since I last was able to workout. I came down with a nasty chest cold right after Christmas and have been out of commission since. Today was the first day I woke up and didn't have to cough up a lung. I am starting to get really antsy not being able to train but I think tonight might be the right time to give it a go. Physically I haven't felt that bad, other than the sore lower back and abdominal muscles. My core strength shouldn't have lost much over the last two weeks.
I can't wait to get back to my regular routine and start feeling fit again. I am going to start adding some regular testing for all three sports in the coming month and will post the details of the tests soon. It is really important to have some data to compare to as training gets more intense to make sure I am moving forward in my performance gains and not backward.
The race is now 189 days away.