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“I am made of all the days you don’t see, not just the one you do.”

That’s been the last few months.
In the pool, in the gym, on the track (and finally now on the bike again).
Learning about myself, seeing glimpses of improvement.
Nothing spectacular, fancy, or particularly interesting.
Just putting in the work day after day, week after week.

Continue reading »]]> I’m a week late in this post but better late than never.

After a couple of weeks of training informally with them I can finally say that I’m officially a member of Triathlon Canada’s new Regional Training Centre here in Vancouver. It is a big step in my development as a triathlete and one that I couldn’t be more excited about.

Being a part of the training centre means a lot of things that I’m sure I’ll get into in the next couple of months but for now I’ll quote the mission statement:

The primary objective of every Triathlon Canada RTC program is to provide a World Leading Daily Training Environment to Triathlon Canada’s National and Development Team athletes committed to the High Performance Program.

It is important to note that being an elite athlete is not an acquired designation obtained simply by holding an “elite license”. Being an elite athlete is a title earned through actions and performance.

The secondary objective of every Triathlon Canada RTC program is to provide a World Leading Daily Training Environment and associated Development Opportunities to non-National or Development Team members who meet the competitive standards described in the Triathlon Canada RTC Entry Criteria and who are committed to the High Performance Program of Triathlon Canada. At all times, individual athlete developmental and sport specific age is respected and considered along with minimum performance standards when determining final athlete eligibility.

Potential RTC candidates are expected to step up and demonstrate they deserve to be called elite athletes and earn the privilege of enhanced support and services from Triathlon Canada.

For more information the training centre check out the website and the latest newsletter.

Continue reading »]]> Came across a great post from the uncompromising Paulo Sousa this morning.

I heard this story about Tony Dungy from Warren Sapp in some radio show. When Tony Dungy was coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they went to play an away game and they lost… by a lot. On the plane trip back, the players were rowdy, partying, playing poker, just screwing around. The next day, coach Tony Dungy had a players meeting and told them just one thing: he didn’t mind the partying, but what troubled him was that by the way the players behaved, he didn’t know if they had won or lost the game.

I was reminded of this story after reading/seeing some reactions after Kona. If you had a bad race and you’re acting like it was nothing the next day, you just don’t want it bad enough.

So true. And I think it applies to situations beyond sport.

Continue reading »]]> It’s only September and I have plans to do plenty of training and possibly some running races in the fall, but this time of year always feels like it’s time to start anew. The combination of Nationals being over, going back to work and most triathlons being done makes this a good time to reflect on the past year and set some new goals. So here we go…

The Good

Last year, after reading Good to Great and the story of a high school cross-country team’s motto, I adopted “Best at the End”. I went through all of the reason for adopting it here.

One of the weaknesses I thought it addressed was that I always felt like I was fading at the end of Olympic distance races. I would get to the last 5k of a run and feel like my legs were done. My heart rate would slowly drop as my legs just couldn’t do anymore and it would just be a slog to the finish line.

I wanted to be able to mimic the feeling of finishing a sprint distance race where in the last portion of the run I could push my pace and heart rate right to the limit. I wanted to be able to run best at the end. So I took a very endurance based approach to my training. I concerned myself more with training time and mileage over intensity. I worried more about sticking to my pace over what other might be doing even if it meant falling behind. It meant relishing in big swim sets, long runs and epic bike rides.

And it worked. I remember being on the run in my first Olympic distance race this year in Penticton and thinking how different it felt. It no longer felt like a death march to the finish line. I had some jump in my legs, I was able to hold a strong pace and I even managed to slowly increase my heart rate over the last couple of kilometers.

The endurance focus also had an interesting impact on my post race recovery this year. In the past I would be tight and sore for days after an Olympic distance race (what Martina and I used to jokingly describe as ‘being hit by a bus’). This season, my legs were ready to get back at it the day after a race. Sure, I wasn’t going to be able to throw down anything too fast but the ability to go out for an easy run or bike the day after a race was there.

There was also taking my first step towards elite level racing. Standing on that pontoon in Sooke with 20 other elite triathletes changed my mindset and how I saw myself as a triathlete. I didn’t have my best race and was well out of contention but it confirmed to me that it was where I wanted to be.

There were also a number of smaller things that went well that I want to continue next season:

• Consistency in my training throughout the winter
• Successfully increasing my swimming and running mileage
• Improving my cycling to be able to win the EV Spring Series stage race
• Tracking my diet and finding a balance in my carb intake
• Frequent short runs focused on technique with things like strides and stretching

The Not So Good

My motto “Best at the End” wasn’t perfect. Such an intent focus on endurance meant that my top speed suffered a bit. Not that I wasn’t faster this year but I rarely felt like I was in top gear at any point. The only time of the year I felt in top gear was on the bike in the Spring which not surprisingly came at a time when I was spinning 2-3 times a week.

My lack of a top gear was never more evident than at the start of races this year. I didn’t have the speed/sprint ability to go hard off the gun to stay with the top swimmers. No matter how hard I tried, I would fall back early and lose touch (and my frustration on a couple of occasions at practices). It meant that I would just have a build into my own pace but ended up 30 s to a minute behind swimmers I knew I could swim with if I had just stayed on their feet. Not where I need to be.

Some other things that also didn’t go quite as well this season:

• Strength training was virtually non-existent
• A lack of sufficient sleep derailed swim workouts on a number of occasions
• Sometimes having panic attacks/hyperventilating in the early part of swims/when re-entering swims
• Not enough TT-type efforts to work on race pace and gauge progress
• Poor run planning/tracking meant a late season hip problem

Next Season

Racing and being competitive in elite races.

That’s it. Full stop. It’s what really matters next season and everything I do needs to be with that goal in mind.

To do that I want to hit the following goals next season:

• Swim – RTC Training standard (5:10 400m, 10:54 800m, 20:59 1500m)
• Bike – Upgrade to Cat 3
• Run – RTC Development standard (9:24 3k, 16:29 5k, 34:23 10k)

If I’m going to hit those and be competitive in elite racing, I need to do the following (warning this ended up being an extensive list and yet is still by no means exhaustive):

• Give up some control of my training program to a coach with expertise (hopefully Alan and the RTC)
• Get continual feedback and focus intently on improving my technique especially in swimming and running
• Key off others (specifically those who are faster than I am) in workouts more often instead of focusing on my pace
• More TT’s as a way of tracking progress throughout the year
• Develop my sprint abilities, specifically an ability in water to push hard for 100-200 m and then settle into pace instead of building into a pace
• Improve my distance per stroke in the water through improving the force I can apply underwater, ensuring I finish my stroke, and solid body position
• Investigate what is causing my panic attacks/hyperventilating at the start of swims and find strategies to fix it
• Never do a touch turn in the pool again
• Improve my power output on the bike over shorter distances to allow myself to catch groups after the swim or respond to accelerations
• Take leadership in a bike pack to organize the group to chase down riders ahead
• Race a number of Spring Series races to earn upgrade points and practice pack riding
• Investigate and fix feeling of imbalance between right and left legs on bike
• Improve my running stride by ensuring full extension, keeping my upper body relaxed and improving my hip/glute/core strength and flexibility to ensure I stay tall and pushing foward
• Continue to work towards the ability to run with proper technique on “easy” runs
• Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night
• Continue to track and tweak my nutrition with an emphasis on finding ways to eat well while at work
• Strength training which focuses on my hip instability (and possibly improve my power in the water)
• Stretching program which improves my hip flexor and hamstring flexibility
• Standing more, sitting less as a means of helping those inflexibilities but not to the detriment of recovery

With all that in mind, it’s time to throw out “Best at the End”. It’s served me well and allowed me to lay the groundwork to really push in the coming season. If I want to take it to the next level though, it needs to be left behind and a new motto, that reflects my goals for next season, is needed. So I introduce “To Suffer is to Learn”:

A little tip of the hat to Red Kite Prayer (an inspired company name in itself) for the motto.

“To Suffer is to Learn” contains the elements of what next season is going to be about for me. I am going to have to be willing to suffer in workouts to really develop my top speed. I am going to have to be willing to suffer in races and ignore my natural tendency to pace myself. I am going to have to let my ego suffer by giving up the comfort and ease of competing at the front of age-group races and take a beating at the hands of the best.

But the year will also be about learning. So much of what I want to do will be new to me and I will be learning every step of the way. I will be learning to push myself. I will be learning how to be accountable in my training to more than myself. I will be learning what it takes to compete with the best. I will be learning what I am truly capable of achieving.

So here’s to suffering, learning and a successful 2012 season.

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Many of us (including myself even though I hadn’t entirely planned it this way) are in the midst of our yearly break from training. This brings with it all sorts of challenges that some may not be entirely prepared to deal with. Many of my closest friends were struggling with many of the same issues I had in the past. For them and any others going through the same thing, I had the following message: It Gets Better.

As a loving friend and training mate who has gone through many of the hardships you are currently dealing with I wanted to let you know….It Gets Better.

I know it’s hard to see right now and it may feel like you can’t go on anymore but….It Gets Better.

I was once in your shoes, wanting so badly to put on those running shoes and just go for a little jog. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. There is so much out there to live for. Trust me…It Gets Better.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon you’ll wake up and remember that there can be a life outside swimming, biking and running. There are family and friends out there waiting for you to reach out and enjoy, heaven forbid, a beer with you. They want to go out, have fun and like a real adult, not worry about their bedtime…with you.

So please just remember…It Gets Better.

Love Rob

On a more serious note, It Gets Better is an amazing project that is doing some amazing things for youth with actual problems (unlike us sad triathletes). Check it out if you haven’t.

Continue reading »]]> I’m in the process of writing a post about this last season and where next season will take me but as I was playing around with Google Docs this morning I came across this.

I wrote those down at the end of my first season in triathlon four years ago. It’s a nice reminder as I set my sights on next season because a little hard work (ok, maybe a lot) can get you further than you can dream.

Continue reading »]]> It’s a lot harder to write these things when races go pretty much as you hope and expect. A good but not great swim, a solid bike (though I am annoyed that I missed getting under the 1 hour mark by 30 seconds) and did enough on the run to win my age group and finish 6th overall in a time of 2:03. More than anything, it was a good representation of the training I put in this year.

As usual though, once the pain of the race and joy standing on the podium had worn off my mind started asking, how do I get faster? I made myself wait until the next morning to start putting together ideas but it reminded me of the All Blacks concept of Divine Discontent that I’m going to poach (yet again) from Jordan Rapp:

The All Blacks, who very well may be the best rugby team in the world, and are the pride of their country, have a team saying that maybe we can learn: Divine Discontent.

‘Divine discontent’ means that within us is the constant desire to be better, and it is a sacred gift. That if we refuse to settle for what we have, for the success we’ve reached so far, then we can become better versions of our mortal selves. If you aren’t happy with being a national semi-finalist, then make a change. If you aren’t happy with your role on this team, make a change. Let it begin with you. Don’t mistake this dissatisfaction with thanklessness or ingratitude or a want for vanity or selfish desires. It’s like a hallowed ember that’s constantly turning inside you; it includes a gratitude for what you have, but it’s accompanied by a drive to make it excellent, almost transcendent.

I’m not gonna lie to you, embracing divine discontent is not a short path to happiness. It’s torturous. That is unless you accept this internal discomfort as a sort of affirmation. And it will torment you until you come out the other side. It’s constantly trying to outdo yourself, and to challenge yourself not to become complacent. Imagine if you embrace this concept. Imagine how much better you can be.

Frankly, I believe this is the only way a person can come closest to his fullest potential. I leave it to you guys, but this team could be special. And our discontent could be a team-wide goal to be the best, both as an individual and as a unit. Remember, you are the team. Be relentless. Enjoy the suffering.

Continue reading »]]> I don’t have many words to express how I’m feeling going into Nationals tomorrow so I’m just going to use Jordan Rapp‘s words in response to a post by Paulo Sousa about training:

Training, to me, echoed the story of Orpheus descending into the underworld to retrieve his love, Eurydice. The journey to get her was obviously scary; a trip that required, to borrow a phrase, “engagement” and also hard work. But the trip out of the underworld was equally challenging, more from a mental standpoint, which reminded me of the process of race preparation as well. Just like Orpheus, you cannot “look back.” There is a great amount of faith required that the work you have done will be good enough on race day. I remember before the 2008 Olympics, training with Simon, I wondered, “how do we know if he’s ready to win a medal?” I think I realize now that we didn’t know. We just knew that we had done our best to do the best job we could and that the answer to whether that was enough would be answered on race day. Ultimately, I think that’s what makes Olympians so special. You wait four years to find out if you faith was enough. It’s a four year journey to the underworld and back. But, like Orpheus, you never really get to look back and see if it works. You get indications of course, that Orpheus did not. You get to race in between; you can tell if training sessions are good or not; but ultimately, you have to pick what you think is the best path and commit to it. And trust it.

No looking back.

Continue reading »]]> It is three days now until my first crack at an elite triathlon in Sooke and, unsurprisingly, I am coming across words and wisdom that seem to speak to me.  From Girard Vroomen‘s series on the traits of champions:

Trait 5 of champions

“Not afraid to fail: To a degree, we are all afraid to fail. The champion seems to be willing to risk it in spite of the possibility of catastrophe.”

From Simon Whitfield on the same post by Girard:

“Trait 5” really stood out to me having met so many athletes who just don’t believe in themselves, they are afraid to fail, playing safe for zero because it’s better then minus one.

Belief leads to true commitment, “the relentless pursuit of”.

There is a possibility of catastrophe this weekend, a good chance of a minus one. My own mom even recognized it last weekend when, after asking if I would win, she jokingly asked if I was going to finish last. “I’d bet a lot more money on that than me winning” I responded in jest knowing it wasn’t a joke.

And that’s ok. I’ve watched enough elite races from the sidelines. I’ve accumulated enough zeros. I don’t want to finish last or embarrass myself but it’s time. Might as well…