OHP - one hour postal swim

This past Saturday was the National USMS one hour postal swim (actually you can do it any day in the month of January, but entries have to be in by 1/31).  Basically it's a timed race where you swim as far as you can in a pool in an hour.  It hurts like hell....I am the postal coordinator for the Rochester Area Masters Swimmers (RAMS) and with that comes the inevitable headache of organizing who is swimming in what lane and who is volunteering for whom...sounds easy, but not when you have to juggle 20+ people and work their schedules.  Regardless, it went fairly smoothly.

Saturday was my day to swim and I had done this race in 2009 and managed to struggle thru 4,650 yards or so which averaged out to 1:17.X/100yard pace.  This year I know I'm swimming faster and I set a fairly loft goal up there of 4800 yards in an hour.  (1:15 pace)  We had done a 10 x 10's on 1:15 workout set earlier in the year and I got thru it, but it was painful and I really wasn't sure how I was going to do in this one. 

So, Saturday.  We start and I took the first 500 out in 6:00.00 - exactly 1:12 pace.....a TAD too quick, but I was settling in.  At about the 2,000 yard mark I had amassed about a 20-30 second buffer of time faster than the predicted 1:15pace that I wanted to go. I really thought I was doing the first 2k fairly comfortably.  At about the 3k mark, I had seen that buffer completely vanish and I hit a really low point in the hour of pain that I was going thru.  I kind of lost count (good thing we have counters on deck!) and started day dreaming a bit.  Once I saw that the clock read about 10 mintues left, I started to pick it up and push it....a lot.

By the time I hit the wall, I honestly only thought I had gone about 4650 or 4700 yards total and was shocked to hear that as the whistle blew, my hand hit the wall for a total of 4,800 yards in an hour! I was dead-nuts on my pace of 1:15 pace.  Not too shabby for this time in the year. So this squirrelly kid managed to shock himself and pull off a decent swim and breakfast at Charbroil afterwards too.  (I think that was Kim's favorite part!) Next up this weekend is the always fun Cast-a-shadow 6 hour snowshoe relay at Black Creek Park and that should be a blast.  I've been training hard and I have much to say about that, so until next time, see you on the roads and trails (or spinning in my basement) Cheers!

J.F.T. - "Just........Train"

I made the conscious decision (with a little help from some folks poking and prodding me) to not do a bike test today. I know that may come as a surprise for those who know me well, but it’s a decision that I’m sticking by and one that I ultimately know will make me better. As a numbers guru, I’ve always been one to stick to the numbers. So this year with me riding with specific wattage goals and an intensely accurate gauge of how to test and/or complete workouts is extremely beneficial. I’m not going to say I’m a slave to the numbers, but when you put an accurate reflection of my effort in front of me, the “type A” personality takes over and my competitiveness strives me to constantly try and best my prior efforts.

So, I’m of the mindset that the watt-o-meter has made me a more mature athlete (because Lord knows, I’m rarely mature in any other aspect of my life!) I’m actually sticking to my plan that I’ve set out this year (hours per week, when workouts are, etc) and completing a basic week to build on week over week. I actually feel like I have a plan for this year, as opposed to just kind of following a loosely structured outline of a plan. This will be my 7th season of long course racing and I feel like I almost know what the hell I’m doing. With that being said I want to point out an awesome article written by a triathlete in Minnesota about the differences between being self-coached and un-coached.

Coached vs. Uncoached

Honestly, this article pretty much sums my training up to a “tee” before I realized what I was doing. The points that he makes about him changing training rides mid-ride and not really doing too much interval work and just generally being completely unfocused and scatter brained with his training resonated with me. I think we’ve all fallen into the trap of heading out for a moderate ride and feeling good, so upping the tempo into a fast paced ride and then having another workout later on in the week suffer. It’s a vicious cycle and not a good one to fall prey to.

 
So, today I will not be testing. As my own coach, and hopefully being SELF coached and not UN coached, I know that the zones that I have set up are not too far out of whack right now. Additionally the recovery from testing highly outweighs the fine tweaking of my zones for the time being. (that’s not to say after another 3-4 week build, I won’t be ready to change) But for now, I’m going to focus on just getting the miles in, introducing some tempo styled efforts and having the vast majority of my ride be in that endurance zone so that I can grow my aerobic base and be more than ready for the 2011 season. There is no doubt in my mind that my bike will be where it needs to be come July. And if I train the way I know I should on the run, that marathon that I know I am capable of is well within reach. So as the title and picture depicts, JFT my friends, just get out there and train. Cheers.

Frozen Assets 5k snowshoe report

Saturday marked the opening of the winter snowshoe season for me with the jaunt down route 65 to Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation area for the 10th anniversary of this wonderful little 5k called Frozen Assets.  This was the 5th time I've done this race and it was a brisk day out and there were rumours that this was going to be a trail race due to lack of snow, but Mother Nature prevailed and dumped JUST enough on us the day or two before that there was snow cover to race with the shoes on.  Winds were light and the main "highway" thru the park that we share with the XC skiiers had a pretty solid base, so the conditions were ideal. 

The usual suspects all come out for this race on the snowshoe circuit, in addition to some new faces (always nice to see) Tim Dwyer even ventured out into the tundra for his 2nd time on snowshoes and did remarkably well for his virgin race! I'm not gonna lie, one of the main reasons I do this race is because they hold the awards at "the Brewery" in Honeyoye Falls and we all stick around, tell stupid stories and have a  few beers.  Not a bad way to spend a Saturday in January with friends....and the beer selection is solid as well!

Anyway, gun goes off and I really don't have the "killer instinct" that I've had in races in the past.  I don't know what it is, but I'm just not feeling like pushing myself to the edge and beyond today. (now don't get me wrong, I was still going to run hard, just wasn't willing to turn myself inside out for this race...) We hit the single track a little later than normal (because they had to re-route the course due to the apparent lack of snow) and I was right behind Jeff Beck (not really the position you want to be in if you are going to "cruise" a race) and we made the climb up Little Marcy and into a little more powder. 

5k's are pretty hard for me because as soon as you find your groove and place to run, the race is over.  I've been doing a lot more slower stuff this year since Chicago and I wasn't in the mood to red line it today.  I kinda raced a LOT last year and wanted to take some time off of running really hard to focus on the bike.  But anyway, we got some scenic views in during the race of Hemlock Lake, I got passed a few times in the woods and I held off Nate Huckle coming down the final stretch for 6th place overall.  It was a good race and I was pleased with the result.  I even nabbed a nice black fleece Mountain Hardwear beanie in the give-aways at the award ceremony.  But for some reason when I race in the winter time I sneeze a TON afterwards.  Not sure if it is because my sinuses were opened up, or just the exertion or what, but I'm talking about uncontrollable and violent sneezes. These seemed to last for about 2 days as well and didn't put me into the nicest of moods that evening.  I apologize to anyone that I grossed out at the Brewery by sneezing so much and having to blow my nose every two seconds...

But, I got over the sneezesm and it's on to a rest week for me now.  Which means only recovery rides and runs and some EASY peasy training over the next few days.  I'm starting tempo and strength training (big gear) work on the bike next week and want to be as rested as possible for that.  I'm signed up for the Mendon Winterfest 10k snowshoe on Sunday, but I'm just planning on casually running that one, not really racing it.  Just maybe using it as a tempo effort run and adding a long warm up and cool down too to call it a day. 

I'll be on the trails this weekend at MPP and I've got some other good plans in the works in the near future, so stay tuned!  Good stuff all around.  So get those base miles in friends and get out there and have some fun.  Now's the time to get those fun runs in with people that you normally don't get to train with.  (I've had the pleasure to cruise the roads with Mr. Matt Curbeau and Steve Gonser in the recent weeks, on separate runs) Enjoy it while it lasts, the base phase is gone as quick as it comes! See you on the snowy roads and trails friends, cheers!

2010 Year in Review

So I’ve felt the need to get a 2010 “year in review” post up for a while. This was the first year since 2005 where I didn’t race an Ironman (that was a decision on my part that was put into effect LONG before I crashed up in Placid in 2009) and it was a pretty solid year and one where I thought overall volume would be decreased without the presence of a weekly long bike/run. Turns out I was wrong, my total number of workout hours was just 13 hours shy of their 2009 value. I don’t know if that means that I took off a lot of time after IMLP 2009 or if I just kept a constant pace of hourage throughout the year in 2010. Either way, I had some good ups and downs this year in the multi sport world

I started the year running strong several local races and I truly felt like I got my running legs back. There was a stretch that ended in July where every time I raced on roads, I was going sub-6 minute miles. That was definitely not a bad streak to hold! I teamed up with my buddy Tim for my first adventure race and we stole the win away on that one. I got the chance to mix it up on a national level for the USSRA Snowshoe National Championship race. I bested my college PR for the 5 mile distance in a road race at the Johnny’s Running of the Green. One of my goals this year was to get faster on the bike and I don’t know if I did that or not, but I hopped in a few cycling races here and there and had a blast. I podiumed at my first time back racing bikes since 2006 and got an opportunity to test out the TT legs at 2 different time trials this year (including a TTT, loads of fun)

One of my A races I had marked was the Buffalo Half Marathon and I finally got a solid PR in the Half Marathon Distance. Of the three triathlons that I did this year, I won two of them (Keuka Lake Intermediate, and Summer Sizzler formula one), I bagged 6 more peaks putting me up to the twenties on the way to all 46 in the ADK’s, raced another really hot half IM (got a small PR) and even lowered my beer mile PR on a trail course that was a little long. It was a good season and I made the trek with some friends to Hell, Michigan again for a blast of a time, and then raced the Chicago Marathon on 10-10-10. Chicago was not the day to get a best time, but it was still a fun trip.

Overall, I think my fitness on the run and swim portions increased and I took an emotional win in a triathlon by racing the right way, very smartly (Keuka I was 6th out of the water, 4th after the bike and won it on the run) in my first go in a triathlon since the accident. I’m hoping those lessons and fitness carry over to 2011 because I’m gearing up to have another great year. This year the big goal is IMLP 2011 and getting down that descent from Keene to Jay in one piece. Basically I just want to get a chance to start the run this year, because I know I can run a good marathon there. The idea is to run the marathon that I know I am capable of. I’m sure the brand spanking new P3 frameset that I bought in order to build up and spawn the Lunar Phoenix won’t hurt with that goal.

But you all ask about the numbers so as the year broke down, here were the total numbers for the 2010 calendar year:

Swimming – 214 miles of swimming for a total of 113 hours
Cycling – 3,506 miles of cycling for a total of 183 hours
Running – 1,457 miles of running for a total of 172.5 hours
Core (sit-ups and push-ups) 19 hours of that

And that all comes together for a grand total of 487 hours of working out in 2011. I’m a little anal about my training log and here is a screen shot of the hours by week for 2010. Another season is in the books friends and January started my 7th full season of multisport racing.

So there you have it, 2010 is in the books and the training log has been locked for editing. Now starts a brand new year of racing, training, and just getting out there and having fun with friends. So if you see me out there on the roads or trails stop by and say HI. 2011 is looking like a bright year and lets hope that lucky season #7 of long course racing will live up to it’s hopes and dreams. Train hard my friends, and build a HUGE base right now. But more importantly, get out there and have some fun! Cheers.

Why I'm racing IMLP in 2011

This was what I sent in to Active.com when I filled out the registration for 2011.  I wonder if they'll even notice... I'm training this winter with a fire in my belly as I have unfinished business on this course.  So watch out Lake Placid.  I'm coming for you....

WATTS UP?!?! - Power is here...

I had hinted a while back that the Lunar Phoenix was getting some new additions and more upgrades this season, but I hadn't gotten around to posting anything about it yet. (probably had something to do with my solidification of my "top-10" list in the post prior!...I had to sample them all again JUST to make sure they were worthy, heh heh!) 

Well this year I broke down and had one of those you-can't-really-pass-this-up type of deals put in front of me and I had to jump on it!  Many thanks to my buddy Turbeau Curbeau who was the one getting rid of a spiffy new-to-me wireless PowerTap SL+ hub.  Here it is installed on a brand new rim that I just got back the other night.  It's a 32 hole hub and it was originally installed on a 16 spoke rim (actually a Bontrager Race X Lite rim) but being that I am about 155-160lbs, I got a little sketched out with it being on such a light rim that I had it swapped over to a sturdier one. 

I've been riding for about a month now in the dungeon and been racking up the base mileage.  I have a Tacx trainer for the time being and that's giving me a really good and accurate depiction of my current level of fitness.  I'm also reading "Training and Racing with a power meter" by Allen Cogan and Hunter Allen as suggested over a few beers up in Lake Placid by my buddy Ryan.  (he just got back from Kona for the 2nd year in a row...so I listen extra careful to what he has to say - all the while trying to weed out the uber metro-sexual dribble that he often injects into his conversations!) But he's more than legit, so I listen.  This book should be the freaking power-bible, it's got so much information. Honestly, I knew that power=watts when I started riding and that was a fun little factoid, but this is written in a very scientific, easy to read approach that kind of spells out how to use and interpret data from power files in order to make you a more complete rider.  It's just great and I feel like I'm learning a lot about myself as a rider and where I can improve mainly. 

Normally, when I bike (or run) I have a tendency to go out MUCH too hard and fade over the course of the race. I mean, I hang on for dear life, but it's not always the most effective way to pace a race. With a powermeter, I feel like I can almost keep myself in check and make sure I have the much needed gas left in the tank for the latter stages of the marathon and the latter stages of the bike. I have a feeling this will be a very valuable tool as my fastest stand alone marathon is a 2:53 and my fastest Ironman marathon is only a 3:41. Ideally these should be MUCH closer together and I feel like if I pace the bike a little better, I can run the marathon that I know that I am capable of.

Plus as a bonus, it’s really cool to see your wattage displayed on a screen and when you ease up on the pedals, your watts INSTANTLY decrease. There is virtually no lag time. I am so used to racing with heart rate, which always keeps me in check, but the lag time is about 30-45 seconds and your heart rate can be influenced by a variety of other factors (wind, temperature, hydration, etc) Have you ever had a ride into a headwind and been pushing on the pedals all ride long, only to come home, enter it into your training log and then forget that it was windy that day when you look at the ride 3 weeks later? A powermeter will eliminate that, because as a head wind increases, so do your watts and it’s just a more accurate depiction of your ride.

All in all, I’m stoked to do my FTP testing at the end of this weekend and get my base zones so I can gauge fitness levels and gains over the course of the season. After all, I’m kind of a numbers guy and I’m just pretty excited to have the ability to coach myself more accurately and remove another x-factor from my self made training plan.

So, a new blog entry will be written in the near future about seasonal beer offerings (since there was an over whelming response to the top 10 list) but I just wanted to get a new one up about the watt-o-meter and my newfound accuracy of bike training this season. Watch out friends, I’m coming for you in 2011. See you down in the dungeon while I’m crushing cranks! Cheers.

Top 10 beer list

I've talked of this post for a while now and casually mention it whenever I have a really good beer.  (DISCLAIMER: this is an ever fluctuating list and nothing is written in stone with it.  It is all personal opinion and probably will change by the time I finish my final edit)

The basis of this list was to create a virual "top ten" list of beers.  The concept came about because over my years, I've gleaned a lot of knowledge about the beverage industry and have come to appreciate the finer brews out there.  Slowly I realized that this post might become enormous and I would have to split it into seasonal beers there as well because most breweries offer limited release beers that coincide with the seasons that sometimes are better tasting than their flagship offerings. However on the flip side of things, those seasonal offerings are very strong and not always a standard normal drinking beer.  That's why I have split out the seasonal section (it will follow in another post).  But anyway, without further adieu, here is my rendition of my top-10 all time drinkability beers:

#1 - Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde

Literally translating to "the end of the world", if you have too many of these special beers, you might feel like doomsday is near the next morning.  This beer is probably my absolute all time favorite brew.  It's brewed by a company in Canada called Unibroue and their offerings are all supreme in my books.  All of these beers are bottle fermented which means that when you pour it, the fizzy head is exhorbent and you get a small amount of sediment in the bottom of your glass/bottle.  It's sold in 4 packs because the alcohol content is up around 9% ABV and it is a little bit pricey.  It's a belgian white beer, so the head is tiny compact bubbles and the appearance is cloudy in nature.  To anyone that I tell this well kept secret about, I always tell them it's comparable to a stronger version of Blue Moon or Shock Top (without the overpowering citrus aftertaste to it) All in all, this one tops out my list.

#2 - Ommegang Brewery - Rare Vos

This amazing creation is bottled and brewed right down the Thruway from our hometown here in Rochester in nearby Syracuse at the Ommegang Brewery.  A rich amber beer in color, Rare Vos is a middle of the road drinkable beer for me. I originally sampled this for the first time at the Flour City Brewers fest back in 2005 or 2006.  It was in Fronteir Field at the time and the guy that was pouring samples at the Ommegang table told me I was going to need a "frequent flyer" card because I was coming back so often for a refill!  I thought it would just be a regular amber ale, but there is some distinct characteristic that I can't place my finger on that makes this one special. So it snuck up on my list after years and years of going back and trying it.  Rare Vos scores very high on my list and I would recommend it to anyone.

#3 - Lake Placid Brewery - Ubu Ale

Lake Placid holds a special place in my heart as most of you know.  Their flagship beer is no different.  With a rich malty flavor and an exceptionally dark color, once I was introduced to the "nectar of the gods" as it is referred to in several circles, I was hooked.  Combine this beer with the relaxing atmosphere of Lake Placid and the fact that usually when it is consumed, I'm up there doing what I love (training for triathlons, hiking high peaks, etc) this beer has risen to a high ranking on my top ten list.  Recently pushing it up into a higher ranking has been my appreciation for this fine concoction during the winter months (typically when real malty beers should be appreciated, but I don't discriminate) after snowshoe races.  My rule of thumb is that "the darker the better" for beers and the Brew Pub got it right.  Tipping the scales at a stout (no pun intended) 7% ABV, this beer was named after the breweries Chocolate Lab that is depicted on the 6-pack case.  Great beer.

#4 Franziskaner - Weissbier

I suppose with all of the talk of hefty malty beers, we should lighten the load a little bit.  I definitely don't discriminate between malty or hoppy, but this beer is one that I kind of stumbled upon and grew to love. First off it has a taste kind of like a more dry Blue Moon (only without the fruity overpowering aftertaste) and to boot in most bars that you can find it on draft, it's served in those 22oz glasses as depicted on the left.  It's a great drinkable beer that you can have 5 of and still be okay with the taste after you're done. 

#5 Warsteiner - Dunkel

I came across this beer when at a trail race in Hell, Michigan many many moons ago.  Well not exactly the Warsteiner brand of beer, but the Dunkel brewing style was discovered for me then.  Something about it just clicked with me as a solid drinkable everyday beer.  We were at a local brewery outside of some town in the southeast quadrant of Michigan and were tasting flights of beer and a dunkel came up in the flight and it was hands down the best beer we had out of the bunch.  There are a lot of other brands of dunkel-beer that have been brewed recently including varieties from larger breweries such as Michelob down to the small town guys such as the Genesee Brewery here in Rochester that just came out with their own JW Dundees Dunkel.  Not a bad dark brown ale to have around the house, a little more malty in flavor, but with a good balance of hops on it as well.  Overall a dunkel variety will always make my top ten list.

#6 Troegs - Dreamweaver Wheat                                                           Normally I don't buy beer because of the labels, but when walking down the aisles of a local beer distribution store (B.O.T.W. - for those of you who are reading in Rochester) but this one, I couldn't resist.  Most of you that know me, know I have an affinity for trees.  Hell, I cultivate bonsais and have a tree tattooed on my back.  So upon seeing a label as such and the name dreamweaver just caught my eye, I had to try it.  Turns out it was a good choice.  A little pricier than most beers (around $12 per 6 pack) but definitely worth the cost, dreamweaver is an unfiltered goodness in a bottle.  A hefeweissen by category, this one has a faint citrus aftertaste, but overall a solid brew.  One that can definitely be drank over and over thru the day.  Not overly hoppy, Troegs does a great job at perfecting their beers for the niche craft market

#7 Guinness brewing company - Guinness Stout

It's about time we had a stout added to the list, eh? Brewed at the St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland, Arthur Guinness had the great idea many years ago to roast the barley that is used to brew this beer.  This gave it the essential dark color and malty aroma.  I became a big fan of Guinness in college when we used to play open mic nights at the Idle Hour and get absolutely hammered on the $2/pint specials of Guinness.  That combination only strengthened my resolve towards loving the malty characteristics that make up this fine nectar.  It also gave me the confidence to get on stage and sing and play some original songs for people that probably didn't care what I was playing anyway.  Overall a great brew!

#8 Samuel Adams – Imperial Pilsner

Now many of you can probably come up with better ideas on a solid “hoppy” beer for this list, but since this is my list and it looks like I’m a big fan of dark brown beers and Hefeweissen’s. The Sam Adams Imperial Pilsner has a delicate but not overpowering bitterness that is balanced quite nicely with the smooth barley and malt to form a solid pilsner style beer. It’s smooth, but not overly sharp and has a nice clear and aromatic flavor.

#9 Leffe – Brown Ale
This beer was first discovered by me at Acme Bar located on Monroe Ave in Rochester, NY. Obviously the lesser known of the Leffe family of beers (most folks are at least familiar with Leffe blond) It was discovered one night while having pizza in the bar (yes they make pizza and serve it in the bar…it’s amazing) that this one is a generally good solid brown ale. Comparable to Ithaca Brewing Company’s Nut Brown, I haven’t come across a Leffe Brown that I haven’t enjoyed.

#10 Dogfish Head – Miles Davis Bitches Brew

No list could be complete without some type of offering from the wonderful craft brewers at Dogfish Head brewery. The first brand I tried from them was their aprihop and while I do not generally enjoy overpowering fruity beers, this one wasn’t bad. So when recently a bunch of friends were out at a local tavern and we (whilst intoxicated) noticed this sitting on the shelf, felt compelled to give it a try. I was just stoked because it had Miles Davis on it! This one poured as dark as they come and had a nice chocolate aroma on the head. It dissipated quickly, but then again, so did my drink. It was delish. It was a prime example of a solid stout that held some chocolate characteristics to it as well. A fine example.

So there you have it, since it’s off season, go grab yourself an assorted 6-pack and sit on the couch relishing your past accomplishments this year. I know my season’s been extra long and I could use a rest too, so kick back for a few weeks, enjoy some choice drinks that you normally wouldn’t have, indulge yourself and I’ll be back to report on my favorite seasonal brands and varieties in the near future. (Because some of those seasonal one’s almost made it onto the top ten! – the only reason I didn’t include them in the top ten is because you can’t get them year round!!) But this is a good time for beer friends. My top three seasons are either upon us or will be soon, (Autumn, Winter and Spring) so get out there, grab a cold one and relax, you’ve earned it. Cheers!