Um...WHAT?

Hard to follow that one. I was literally rolling for a while after that.

Anyway, good run today. 1.5 hours at Magnolia. Just a bit icy but a good day. It was above the snow clouds so it was better to run up there then in town. HR was a bit high. Still getting used to going easy enough.

Gotta love running up there though, even if it is 9000 ft and seems like uphill both ways.

So for some reason I have had this song in my head for two days now. I heard it on XM the other day, you gotta love sattelite radio. It's cool though. I hadn't listened to Cube since this came out back in the day.

Good ride today, just 3 hours mellow with 10 sec sprints every 10 minutes. Was able to get damn near 1300 watts on the last one. Not bad for a triathlete. I think Boonen only puts up like 800 more than that.

Long run tomorrow, tryin to convince the crew to hit up Mags. I want to run up there for the next 12 weeks or so. Makes ya tough, puts balls on your chest ya know.

An open letter to my coach.

Below is an email I sent my coach, Neal Henderson, after our LT testing this week with some thoughts I've had on my training over the past years. I have had a really hard time completely committing to the program, basically, I just hate doing "true easy". Recently I've spent a lot of time trying to understand why.

Neal,

So, I have been thinking about everything we talked about yesterday and for several months or even years prior to that.

My conclusions are I have never known anything different (particularly in running) and coaching (particularly on the college level) does not allow for proper zone training.

First, as a runner, skier, cyclist, I have always been encouraged to be tough first and foremost. I was given competitive opportunities, sponsorship, or scholarships based on my "work ethic" and not being afraid to lay it on the line and compete. Plus on the college level you're put in a survival situation. You have it in your mind you have to compete and fight for you position on the team, and thus your selection for the big races and for scholarships. When you have known this mentality since age 13 it's hard to change, it is almost hard wired into me that you gotta work as hard as you can while still maintaining a certain level of easiness. For me this made me into a pretty good athlete as a skier, runner, cyclist, and triathlete. I was able to get very close to the top but when it mattered I often missed that key 1/2 percent.

Which takes us to the second point. Most coaches cater to the top athletes in their discipline. So, even if they do understand the need to stay out of the level 3 gray area (which most don't) they are concerned with the top guys training at their proper levels, not everyone else. For me I think this is evident in the fact that the faster I got, the faster I got(since I could finally implement more complete training implementing more rest etc)- as I adapted to a higher level with a lot of training in level 3 my higher fitness level allowed me to make my easier training truly easy. I think you see this a lot at the college level. Freshmen have a really hard time, but if you can stay healthy and improve a bit, your program will begin to be a bit more sane as you reach a level of fitness that the program is truly addressing.

For me I think these two factors conspired to, as I said above, make me a descent athlete but not great. I could run 13:40's or 8:50's or right around 4 minutes for a mile but my training would indicate I should be doing 13:20-30's, 8:30's or 3:50's. Eventually that is why I quit running. Vigil would come to me and just say, I don't know why you don't run faster, "It's not my fault, you just gotta race tougher". But, it seems obvious now (and I don't know why it took this long for me to realize it) that whether he or I realized it the fact was that I did have the fitness for those faster times, I just never did a race when I was rested and ready. In hindsight I imagine had I known then what I know now I would have had even better training efforts an probably been racing at levels even higher then Vigil had surmised I was capable of. There are no guarantees on that but it is funny to think that had I done things right I could have been approaching American records in some events. But, coulda, woulda, shoulda, didn't. It doesn't matter to wonder now.

I just get reminiscing and remember doing 12x400 on 1:1 rest in 54 seconds. or doing a 5 mile tempo run in high 25 in Alamosa then going to the Rocky Mt Shootout and barely cracking 27. It all seems so obvious now.

In my and the coaches defense. We didn't have HR monitors or power meters back then. And you could only get a Vo2 max test once a year when we would go to the OTC, and hell, they were still using balloons for gas collection. Times have changed a bit.

But, all that considered, for whatever reason, I've had the epiphany of what I have always known, and done pretty well off of was probably not the best plan for me to reach my real ability. One thing that has helped is to think of where I should have been rather then were I got to. Yeah, I was pretty fast but if I had done things better I would have been much faster. And that is the mentality I have now leading into this next 4 years.

Maybe that gives you a bit of insight into where I have always been coming from.

Jimmy

Perspective and frustration...

I hate being relegated to the sidelines. I think that is how you know you are still motivated and committed to competing. Over the last 12 months (actually probably more than that really) I have been stuck unable to put my full effort into competition. First, I had a mystery lower leg/foot issue which significantly kept me from training and racing at 100%. Second, I figured out what the issue was and had to give up cross season, late season triathlon, and nearly two months of any kind of training in order to have arthroscopic surgery. Finally I got back to training and things have gone well for 6-8 weeks and now it is testing time.

I had an LT test on the bike yesterday and I have another on the run tomorrow. That's fine, I like knowing where I am and what needs to be done but it means resting on Sunday and today. I am going nuts not training full on these few days. I think after you have been kept from doing what you love, having to voluntarily rest and recover is very difficult.

It's funny really- what adopting an active lifestyle does to you. Most of the country couldn't imagine running and hour, riding 2-4 hours, or swimming 5000 yrds. Yet, once you're fit and motivated there is nothing worse then not being able to get out and get it done. I honestly can't imagine or begin to understand how most of our country would love to just sit on the couch today and watch the inauguration festivities. Meanwhile, I am seriously considering going for a run, just and easy one, no big deal it shouldn't effect tomorrow right? (wrong, I know it will).

Anyway, I guess I just needed to vent. I have plenty to do today in regards to the team, the sponsorship quest never ends, until it ends with a yes. But, then you have to grease the wheels for the future so, like I said, it never ends.

In the end I suppose it is just one more day off and I'll be able to get back at it tomorrow afternoon. The upside is that I am more focused and motivated then ever before. I have a solid set of defined goals and a strategy for achieving them. Now it is all down to executing the process. It's funny, only a few years ago, I would have thought I didn't need to get to serious until March or so, and that was when I was able to finish top 10 pretty much anywhere. Now I am planning 4-5 years in advance. I guess there is no way to plan for the arrival of athletic maturity. Yeah, you still gotta have fun, and I do. But, there really is something to be said for focus, experience, and perspective.

Ah hell, I'm starting to ramble. And, I have some calls to make.

I will get back to this idea of renewed commitment later.

Jimmy

Ya gotta love history...

I was reminded of this little snippet while driving home from Denver listening to a BBC1 interview with Mike Skinner (of Streets fame not NASCAR). Interestingly Mr. Streets himself is a big fan of Kenny Rodgers. Yes, Kenny Rodgers the aging country crooner of Gambler fame. However, before going full on country KR was in a group called First Edition that had some kick ass songs such as Condition (above) and Ruby, the story of a paralyzed Vietnam vet whose greatest wish is to be able to get out of his wheel chair to kill his cheating wife. They just don't write 'em like that any more.

This video is from the old Smothers Brothers variety show, another gem we don't have any more. Although the word on the street is the variety show format might be making a comeback soon.

Everyone should join this group on Facebook...

Cyclists United For Equal Airline Shipping Fees:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=538090510&ref=name#/group.php?gid=44526934706&ref=nf

Hey, we all need to join this group, get organize, and start putting some pressure on the airlines to cut us a break. There is no reason why we should be charged hundreds for a bike, yet your average 250 lb American gets to fly their ass for free.

Also, today, I had my first LT test in a few years. It was on the bike, I have the run LT on Wed. It went ok. I got to the 350 watt level and LT was somewhere in the 325 range. So, it is much better then the last time I did it and I'm 170 evidently. That should come down to 155-60 and with the watts staying the same or going up things are looking pretty good.

Now we just gotta get this bike situation sorted for the team. I am still training on the cross bike everyday as it is all I have left. But, it is mid-January so we have time.

More to come...

My new training mentality...

Biggest Loser is one of my favorite shows on TV. Really, seriously, it is. It has an intriguingly alluring aspect. I actually really respect that some people who have really let it slide are actually taking some initiative to turn their lives around.

However, after last weeks episode I decided I need my coach, Neal Henderson, to step up and get more Bob-ish on me.

This guy is looney.

The below has been taken from the Team TBB website and is written by their "sage-like", much acclaimed, and past pedophile of a coach, Brett Sutton.

This is a total cut and paste so, sorry for the horrible grammar, typing...well sorry for most of it. However, it is very amusing in many ways. Primarily, the guy is pretty much insane and insists on reiterating that numerous times. And, obviously, just a bit frustrated and loosing his best athletes to other coaches over the winter.

Now, if you are not from the Triathlon world you have to understand. Sutton has plead guilty to 5 counts of child sexual abuse involving one of his 14 year old swimmers while coaching in Australia. Well, the Aussies don't look to kindly on this and Sutton subsequently spend several years avoiding extradition and living in Switzerland. He calls himself doc but I don't believe he has any credentials. His "coaching" experience comes first from Horses and second from swimming. Yet, it fancies himself as the greatest triathlon coach in history.

Like I said they guy is nuts... read on, and then check out the link for the responses from his Manson Family-esque followers.

http://www.teamtbb.com/forum/index.php?topic=1096.0

Looking For Clues:

well , the silly season of 2 weeks in hawaii are now long past us , but the big island folk lore for those who fall for the myth , is still having a mighty impact around the world of top class athletes .
The hype and bullshit surrounding the race must be like a nerve or brain gas , that inflicts the most distorted thoughts on our sports champs .i first had an inclination to write a little ditty about it , no , not about our team tbb departed,LOOKING FOR CLUES , but when i saw the story , that storman norman , that bastion of bike invinceability,was going for a new bike fitting make over , and to make it really exciting , it was, in that tri city mecca of boulder .where chrissies new L plate coach , handed her off to the bike fitting gurus, for either 2 reasons , one he didnt not have the confidence to take on the responsability, which for a newbie coach i can understand or under the laughable , notion ,that she needs to ride faster , arhh newbies , you got to love em , they just keep me in a job.

Now , of course the slow twits among us , will be very quick to say , look at that ,even the best ,can and do look for self improvements .but ole doc go another view , of norman"s actions and how they should be looked at by the young lions that want to tear the ole lion down .
You see ole doc , was around in aus when storman norman , i think in 1994 , yep 94 or so thats 15yrs ago tore to pieces the world shortcourse duathlon championships , with a withering bike leg.so i guess norman could ride a bit , then and knew a thing or 2 about bike positions , then he developed into the ironman powerhouse we now know , but lets think for the sake of conservatism , he must have been training for 5 yrs before that victory .so for 20 yrs norman has been stormin , and after a failed run in hawaaii the mist once again has come over him , and i need to rethink something , of course i lost hawaaii because my bike is not going well ?let me ponder that ?let us all ponder that , ole doc would say , norman would know more about the bike position than the bloke all tricked up with a course on the technology he was using , to give the 20yr bike verteran and great champion a new lease on triathlon life .
Nope the doc verdict , he is LOOKING FOR CLUES .
I can help you young hungry beasts out there , he is looking in all the wrong places.The real clue , is , hawaii this year broke his confidence , and now many more of you , should add to his woes , as norman has had his time , and only the athletes he is racing , is lending him some more , i have no doubt andeas realert and rasmuss henning , in the coming season , will not .Changing the position of a champion , is one thing ,but i am betting on , this exercise was more a desperate cry for help .

Then when i thought , leave it be , i was sent an article , where miss van klerkan , after a couple of cozy chats with the ZEN MASTER in hawaii, has left her coach , yes the one that has done a wildly successful job by anyones measure on taking evonne to a world record and 2nd in hawaaii , i can only think of one coaching job better , in the last 10 years of the sport ,

His thank you is , marc knows better , he won here many times , and so obviously , is a terrific coach "that i feel already knows me well" hihihi "marc hasnt really trained pro athletes face to face "sorry if i missquoted but ,it is the gist of the statement , so , you can see the sense in this strategy ,my biggest rival , has left her coach and taken up with a L plater , here is my chance to beat her , so i will leave my coach who has performed miracles with me and knows me back wards and join a new coach who is also an L plater , THIS IS GOING TO GIVE ME THE EDGE I NEED .

And i thought it was just my old athletes that the dreaded hawaii brain gas has got to .
Now the slowtwits are jumpin up and down , what blastformy , he is calling marc allen a learner , in triathlon and simon lessing a learner , the 2 greatest triathletes in their field ever .Well let me see when you put it like this , well yes ABSOLUTELY , Lplaters with a big L.
The good news for them is , their new charges wont really know because , they too are fairly new to the sport ,so they wont notice , to start with .So the best and most dominant women in ironman have kitted themselves out with more than sponsors gear for the new year .

What should have been the thinking around the world from fellow ironwomen , after devastating performances or last yr would have been , lets dodge these 2 where ever possible , as we have no hope of beating them , they are in another class .
Well ladies , there should be dancing in the streets , as while they might be 25min and 10min ahead of you now,the unbeatable , just got beatable , do your home work , and do your training , as their LOOKING FOR CLUES, just gave you some hope ,it wont happen over nite ,they are very very good ,but some one out there ,is going to blow a hole in their nieve decisions , and it could be you .

With one proviso , when you visit kona , go to the booth with ear plugs for sale , and buy 2 and keep a second pair for emergencies , and stick them in your nose , because in kona expo area , that brain gas , is every where, and let me tell you it can kill ya , take my tip !
If it is working for you , then, dont LOOK FOR CLUES, just keep on keeping on , and success will be at hand.
You can bet on that!

My failure as a blogger...

I don't know how many people actually read this thing. My guess is not many, maybe 10 if I'm lucky. But, if you are one my the readers you will know I suck at blogging. I don't post enough and most of the time it is just a short cut and paste or something.

The problem is, I'm too much of a perfectionist. I always gotta find the perfect topic, I have to take the right tone, I have to watch my language, and I have to be careful to check my spelling, punctuation, and grammar. After much thought as to why I don't blog much and why it is kind of a chore for me I realized it all stems from my trying to be the best at it, or perfect with every post. I think it all comes from my writing background and my time as web editor at Inside Tri and so on. Basically, it is like I'm still on the job and having to check every fact and every bit of grammar, lest I get fired for a fucking comma, but I digress. That is a long story I don't want to get into here.

So, here is my disclaimer/resolution. I'm gonna blog more. It won't be perfect. And, I'm gonna cus a bit, cause, well, that's what I do. But I think it will make this blog much more interesting and fun for us all. (Mom, sorry, but just pretend you're in an Irish pub and we will be able to get past the language thing).

Ok, that said here we go...

So I'm sitting here today spending a ton of time on the computer since it is kind of my "easy" training day of the week and I need to get some stuff done regarding the team. Thus, topic #1 of my revived blog. The Without Limits Team.

I have had a lot of questions come to me about this team lately. A few asking to be on the team, a couple complementing my/our efforts, but most are skeptical, and from the "what do you think you're doing" angle.

I have to admit, I'm not oblivious to what the general triathlon public thinks of me. As I recall, I am a slacker, party boy, who really isn't that good, is pretty much just an xterra guy, and must have a big trust fund in order to keep wasting his time with this shit.

I think that pretty much sums it up. To that I have to say... well I'm sure you can imagine what I have to say. Basically it involves extending ones arm and prominently raising ones middle finger.

Yeah, I can see where that perspective comes from and if I think really hard, consider it for a few hours on the bike or during a long run, mull over the pros and cons, try to see the other perspective, I come up with the fact that I really don't give a damn what people think. And, in the triathlon community (particularly Boulder) that is the quickest and best way to get everyone flustered and start the speculation and rumors flying.

It is this fact that brings us back to the Without Limits Triathlon team. Yeah, we are starting a pro tri team, in a down economy, with talented but developing athletes, who do everything BUT Ironman distance racing. Basically, to most triathletes we are coming at this from completely the wrong angle. We should be trying to land a couple of fairly big name type pro IM guys whose coat tails we can ride to better sponsorships etc. Kind of like the Tri Dubai team, right? Wrong!!

Nope, this is a team with a defined mission, a strong vision, and a great platform. It is totally out of the ordinary for triathlon, a team of athletes committed to training, racing, and developing events together. But, it is what triathlon needs right now.

There are around 300 American Pro triathletes and about 95% of them have less sponsorship then most age groupers and hold down a job equally or more demanding then most age groupers. So why don't the pros do better? Because they aren't willing to "work" for thier sponsors. They will wear a logo during a race and that's it. The fact is, in triathlon right now, pro athletes have to be willing to do much more than that. I don't know if the pros don't want to or won't but for whatever reason it ain't getting done and thus you see the lack of top notch sponsorship in pro triathlon.

Couple that with the fact that we are very fortunate to have such excellent prize money opportunity and you creat athletes who figure they just need to race fast enough and everything will come to them. Most don't recognize thier value, they don't market themselves, and they don't understand or attempt to do these things.

This is what our team is committed to doing, and doing well. We have a squad of strong athletes who all recognize our challenges outside of just racing fast. We are commited to better representing our sponsors and helping to both develop and promote Triathlon beyond the ordinary.

Now, it might take a couple of years to develop. You just can't go out and land hundreds of thousands with a silver tounge and easy smile ( trust me if you could, I wouldn't be writing this from a garden level apt with an awesome view of a vacant trailer park).

However, I hope everyone reading this will check out our team at www.withoutlimitsracing.com and this page to follow our progress.

2009 is going to be a great year, and I am confident that we are gonna turn some heads and make some names.

Jimmy

A classic...