Well this is it, moving into my final 3 week building block before tapering for IM 70.3 Haines City Florida. I have to say I am getting pretty excited looking back at the last few months. At Christmas I was at the peak of off season laziness, sitting at about 10 lbs over weight with almost no motivation to train. With a little push from my aunt I signed up for 70.3 Florida shortly after the registration opened, and like gas to a fire my motivation came back. Literally the next day I was designing a building block for the next month.
I have been running a new program in this race preperation. Its the first time I have had an in-person coach. The last few programs I have followed have been online. I find having someone to communicate with on a daily basis to be extremely helpful.
In the past I have gone through training blocks and two things have happened; I end up hating training, and I over train myself to exterme . I have over trained myself many times from the old school ways of thinking. More hard work you do the better the results. I guess this is true but there is a key point missing from that statement. More "quality hard work"you do the better the results.
The first thing I noticed about this race prep was I was putting in the same amount of hours per week but I wasn't exhausted. I was enjoying the process. Which got me thinking, I have been doing triathlons the last three years with one goal, which is to Race Hard!! Racing hard is always good you always want to bring your best. But I have realized after reflecting on my past results its about racing to what your maximally capable of on that day. Do your best on that day. In my opinion what people for get about "there best" is that it is not an subjective definition. Your best is always changing it is subject to other events. For example your best 10k run after a full taper and prep will be much different from your best 10k after a 40hr work week. Or what about your best 10k coming off of a flu? In all three situations you are giving your best, but due to the other factors they will change your best. Yes OK you want to keep improving that's fine. But if we reflect back to enjoying the process that's where you make all your improvements. Its not on that one race day that you become a faster athlete. Its the all the weeks prior, in this block I have set PRs in training. Thats the way it should be consistant quality good work day in and day out. Enjoy the process.
D
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Nice Weather Nice Run
Well winter decided to end today, and it went with a bang. Yesterday was a normal spring day around -10 or so, but it was nice to wake up this morning to +12! I swear if you live in Winnipeg you cant be effected by weather because you would have mental problems. I went from running in tights and a winter gear last week to running in shorts and a tshirt today. For kicks I even ran the last 2 miles shirtless. I dont remember the last time it was this warm at this time so seize the day!!
This was my first build week back off of a rest week and I was a little sore coming into this long run. I was unsure as to how it was going to go. I always get nervous before the long runs because if they start to go bad you are usually far away and it can be a painful drag back if the bonking sets in. I have been getting more consistent though which is nice.
Today was more then consistent today I capitalized on the energy from the day. I started out strong and got my heart rate up and settled where I needed it, and then its time to start playing the game. Playing with strides and cadence to get the perfect balance dialed in. I was feeling really good, and I wasn't over sweating, despite the sudden change in weather. Coming up on 40 mins is when I really locked in a nice flow, I took on a little nutrition at about 50 min and enjoyed the ride back. I say ride because when you got flow like that, thats how it feels like your just riding your legs back. I wasnt really paying much attention to pace and I just brought it all the way home calm cool and controlled.
After stopping I looked down and I had knocked out 13 miles in 1:31!! Thats 7:05/ mile pace. Needless to say I was pretty stoked, considering last weekend I was bagged. I guess it was the sugar bender I went on last night. Who said pastries aren't good for you!
I capped off the day with a great meal at Kelcies place and now its time to get to bed early so I can make the most of my early morning swim session.
Out
D
This was my first build week back off of a rest week and I was a little sore coming into this long run. I was unsure as to how it was going to go. I always get nervous before the long runs because if they start to go bad you are usually far away and it can be a painful drag back if the bonking sets in. I have been getting more consistent though which is nice.
Today was more then consistent today I capitalized on the energy from the day. I started out strong and got my heart rate up and settled where I needed it, and then its time to start playing the game. Playing with strides and cadence to get the perfect balance dialed in. I was feeling really good, and I wasn't over sweating, despite the sudden change in weather. Coming up on 40 mins is when I really locked in a nice flow, I took on a little nutrition at about 50 min and enjoyed the ride back. I say ride because when you got flow like that, thats how it feels like your just riding your legs back. I wasnt really paying much attention to pace and I just brought it all the way home calm cool and controlled.
After stopping I looked down and I had knocked out 13 miles in 1:31!! Thats 7:05/ mile pace. Needless to say I was pretty stoked, considering last weekend I was bagged. I guess it was the sugar bender I went on last night. Who said pastries aren't good for you!
I capped off the day with a great meal at Kelcies place and now its time to get to bed early so I can make the most of my early morning swim session.
Out
D
Monday, February 20, 2012
My Valentines With An Itialin Beauty
Most people spend Valentines with there significant other, or out looking to be struck by cupids arrow. Where did I spend mine? In sin city Las Vegas, riding $7k worth of beauty Italian engineering. My date was a 2011 Pinerello Paris with Campagnolo chorus 11 speed, and it was love at first sight. The night before was a typical night in Vegas, gambling, drinking and not sleeping so needless to say I woke up feeling a bit off at 8:30 am. But work still needed to be done, so I hope on the bike and headed for the hills... literally.
Starting out it was all levels of bad sweating, nausea, and my heart rate was through the roof. All of which was self inflected so there were no excuses but to keep going. I was doing a route called the blue diamond loop on the west side of the city which included a loop through red rock national park. By the time I got to the park I was warmed up, which was good because the first 5 miles I climbed 100o feet. I was definitely hammering through all 22 gears.
This being my first experience with campy, I have to say I get it now. It just feels better. Its smooth, its firm, its everything you want. There attention to detail is top notch. The way hoods were shaped for your hands, and the numerous positions of the front derailleur. It feels solid, not tingy. Maybe its all in my head but I enjoyed the ride.
After I sweat out all the booze I really started to feel good. I was able to maintain high cadence and stay smooth. I stocked up on gels and bars at the local bike shop, plus all the sugar from the booze the night before I had tons of energy.
All in all it was a great ride I am really glad I did it. Next time I am in Vegas I will definitely do it again. In is much cheaper then gambling and you feel like a million bucks after!
Cheers
Davis
Starting out it was all levels of bad sweating, nausea, and my heart rate was through the roof. All of which was self inflected so there were no excuses but to keep going. I was doing a route called the blue diamond loop on the west side of the city which included a loop through red rock national park. By the time I got to the park I was warmed up, which was good because the first 5 miles I climbed 100o feet. I was definitely hammering through all 22 gears.
This being my first experience with campy, I have to say I get it now. It just feels better. Its smooth, its firm, its everything you want. There attention to detail is top notch. The way hoods were shaped for your hands, and the numerous positions of the front derailleur. It feels solid, not tingy. Maybe its all in my head but I enjoyed the ride.
After I sweat out all the booze I really started to feel good. I was able to maintain high cadence and stay smooth. I stocked up on gels and bars at the local bike shop, plus all the sugar from the booze the night before I had tons of energy.
All in all it was a great ride I am really glad I did it. Next time I am in Vegas I will definitely do it again. In is much cheaper then gambling and you feel like a million bucks after!
Cheers
Davis
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Making Good..Better
The energy at a large triathlon event is like no other. The athletes, the hard bodies the feeling of competition, and of course the bikes! If your into triathlon you know its all about the bike. Its one of the biggest purchases you will make on your road to the finish line. If you graze the bikes at your next event I am almost willing to guarantee you will see a Cervelo. They have dominated the bike count at Kona by a overwhelming margin. What the reason? They make the fastest and most affordable triathlon bikes on the market. Unlike other bike companies who make tt bikes and market them to triathletes Cervelo, has made an effort to rise to the top and show commitment to the sport of triathlon. With the P3 being a staple in triathlon/tt frame design and the P4 rocking the tt world with a controversially integrated bottle, its no surprise that the release of there newest triathlon bike was one of the most highly anticipated releases in the bike world this year.
In 2009 when Cervelo released the P4 with an integrated water bottle, other bike companies were shaking in there shoes. The P4 was substantially faster then almost anything else on the market. Even though the general public didn't take much of a liking to the integrated bottle it still made the frame faster. Many people converted the bottle to a storage container. But the ice had been broken for frame integration, and this was the beginning of a new realm called 'super bikes".
From the P4 bike manufactures have now progressed to things like nose cones, preparatory handle bars, hidden brakes and of course accommodating electronic shifting. People got the drift that less is more and integration is the way of the future. But Cervelo didn't sweat the new bikes coming out. They did what they always do, they were patient and meticulous in there engineering.
As you watched a new super bike come out from just about every other bike line out there Cervelo did not even speak of anything new in the works. But did the really have to? The P4 was still putting up competitive wind tunnel numbers, even still beating some of the new "super bikes". So when there was talk of Cervelo putting out a new super bike the anticipation was almost unbearable.
Last week Cervelo released the new P5 to a small group of triathlon journalists. In my opinion it was everything it was cracked up to be. They incorporated all the newest technology, fixed prior issues from the P4, and made it look really sweet to!
We can break the major upgrades down into sections.
The prepriatory bottle:
The P5's slogan is "simply fast", they have come up with one of the fastest bikes and they have simplified it for the general public by removing as many of the pesky prepriatory parts as possible. One of them being the water bottle. Although it made for a good aero frame fairing, it was impractical to use. So they kept the fairing but ditched the bottle.
Legality:
A lot of the new super bikes are not UCI legal. Great for triathletes not so much for cyclists. Specialized was the first company to release a two versions of the same bike one being UCI legal and one not. Cervelo followed suit with both a UCI legal and illegal bike. We will get to the differences later.
Storage and Hydration:
After ditching the p4 bottle Cervelo opened up tons of storage options on the P5 including top tube mounts, bottle mounts and handlebar bottle mounts.
Fit:
As you know with tri bikes its all about with fits you in the most aero position. This can be a challange while maintaining all the aero fixin's. The P5 comes with a variety of different extenders and aero spacers to give you a wide variety of fit options and still maintain aero efficiency
Brakes:
With everyone tucking brakes in the smallest of spaces, riders are noticing a reduced amount of stopping power. Cervelo found the solution with there new partner Magura. Again leading the way in innovation the P5 is the first tt bike to feature hydraulic brakes. With a sealed system these are the strongest and easiest brakes on the market. All while maintaining a weight under 500 grams. For the triathletes there is a brake cover, and for those needing to follow the rules there's a separate fork for that.
Di2:
With the breakout of electronic shifting, people have been getting creative with ways to hide the battery. For the P4 a clean way of doing it was in the seat post, or in that pesky bottle. On the P5 with no bottle that is a perfect space for the di2 battery. It opens from the rear wheel well and slides right in.
In conclusion Cervelo came through with an impressive new bike. Taking notice to all the problems on the previous P4. It comes in reasonablely priced at $4500(frameset)-$6500(bike) uci legal and $6500(frameset)-$10000(bike) for the tri specific
To see pictures and geometry charts without breaking copy write laws check out
http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/The_Cervelo_P5_unveiled_2538.html
or the Cervelo launch site.
http://www.p5simplyfaster.com/
http://cervelo.com/en_us/
In 2009 when Cervelo released the P4 with an integrated water bottle, other bike companies were shaking in there shoes. The P4 was substantially faster then almost anything else on the market. Even though the general public didn't take much of a liking to the integrated bottle it still made the frame faster. Many people converted the bottle to a storage container. But the ice had been broken for frame integration, and this was the beginning of a new realm called 'super bikes".
From the P4 bike manufactures have now progressed to things like nose cones, preparatory handle bars, hidden brakes and of course accommodating electronic shifting. People got the drift that less is more and integration is the way of the future. But Cervelo didn't sweat the new bikes coming out. They did what they always do, they were patient and meticulous in there engineering.
As you watched a new super bike come out from just about every other bike line out there Cervelo did not even speak of anything new in the works. But did the really have to? The P4 was still putting up competitive wind tunnel numbers, even still beating some of the new "super bikes". So when there was talk of Cervelo putting out a new super bike the anticipation was almost unbearable.
Last week Cervelo released the new P5 to a small group of triathlon journalists. In my opinion it was everything it was cracked up to be. They incorporated all the newest technology, fixed prior issues from the P4, and made it look really sweet to!
We can break the major upgrades down into sections.
The prepriatory bottle:
The P5's slogan is "simply fast", they have come up with one of the fastest bikes and they have simplified it for the general public by removing as many of the pesky prepriatory parts as possible. One of them being the water bottle. Although it made for a good aero frame fairing, it was impractical to use. So they kept the fairing but ditched the bottle.
Legality:
A lot of the new super bikes are not UCI legal. Great for triathletes not so much for cyclists. Specialized was the first company to release a two versions of the same bike one being UCI legal and one not. Cervelo followed suit with both a UCI legal and illegal bike. We will get to the differences later.
Storage and Hydration:
After ditching the p4 bottle Cervelo opened up tons of storage options on the P5 including top tube mounts, bottle mounts and handlebar bottle mounts.
Fit:
As you know with tri bikes its all about with fits you in the most aero position. This can be a challange while maintaining all the aero fixin's. The P5 comes with a variety of different extenders and aero spacers to give you a wide variety of fit options and still maintain aero efficiency
Brakes:
With everyone tucking brakes in the smallest of spaces, riders are noticing a reduced amount of stopping power. Cervelo found the solution with there new partner Magura. Again leading the way in innovation the P5 is the first tt bike to feature hydraulic brakes. With a sealed system these are the strongest and easiest brakes on the market. All while maintaining a weight under 500 grams. For the triathletes there is a brake cover, and for those needing to follow the rules there's a separate fork for that.
Di2:
With the breakout of electronic shifting, people have been getting creative with ways to hide the battery. For the P4 a clean way of doing it was in the seat post, or in that pesky bottle. On the P5 with no bottle that is a perfect space for the di2 battery. It opens from the rear wheel well and slides right in.
In conclusion Cervelo came through with an impressive new bike. Taking notice to all the problems on the previous P4. It comes in reasonablely priced at $4500(frameset)-$6500(bike) uci legal and $6500(frameset)-$10000(bike) for the tri specific
To see pictures and geometry charts without breaking copy write laws check out
http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/The_Cervelo_P5_unveiled_2538.html
or the Cervelo launch site.
http://www.p5simplyfaster.com/
http://cervelo.com/en_us/
Friday, January 13, 2012
New Year New Place
Well I made it out of the twilight zone. It was rough couple weeks, but was easily drowned out with the alcoholidays. There are families that drink and families that don't, in my family however we have been blessed with the gene which not only requires you to drink but also allows you to consume large quantities of booze.
So between the overnight shifts at the post office and the binge drinking at Christmas I needed to get out of Winnipeg. Which is why for the last 3 years I have the perfectly timed trip to banff for new years. It was a little different this year because we ended up driving out in a convoy of 2 pick ups and 2 vans, due to the low number of people signed up. But it was still a blast none the less. I was able to regain my discipline and get in 4 runs (running runs) after the days of riding. I guess all those long nights at the postoffice helped me to tap into unknown energy sources, because I was also able to drive the whole way there and the whole way back 16hrs solo.
Once back in Winnipeg it was pretty much back to the norm... with a little twist. I moved out. I was just getting sick of the house, too much negative energy. But it feels good to be out now! I am calmer and have become much more organized. It will be interesting to see what happens in training.
Shoulder update:
Well I have been through physio, massage, deep tissue massage, acupuncture, reiki and nothing seems to be working. I have not swam in over a month and I am not getting better. I have now been referred to one of the top shoulder specialists in the city to get a more concrete answer to what is going on with my shoulder.
I look forward to the month ahead with a little bit of freedom and a lot of training!!
Shoulder update:
Well I have been through physio, massage, deep tissue massage, acupuncture, reiki and nothing seems to be working. I have not swam in over a month and I am not getting better. I have now been referred to one of the top shoulder specialists in the city to get a more concrete answer to what is going on with my shoulder.
I look forward to the month ahead with a little bit of freedom and a lot of training!!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
The Twilight Zone
For any of you that check the blog and wonder hey its been a while since he has written in here? Longer then usual? It because I have been in the twilight zone. The rest of November was fairly mundane with picking up the odds shifts at random jobs, school, and various treatment to help my shoulder. There were a few times I felt inspired to write but I just never got around to it. Plus I really had no racing plans for next year. I was in limbo.
Now when December came around that is when I truly entered the "twilight zone". What is it you ask? Well for someone like me who sleeps regular hours 10-6, 12-8, 1-9 etc. With the exception of the night of a good party which might throw me off I am a person who appreciates a good sleep. In December the post office gets busy.....very busy. For those who don't know I got hired on at Canada Post last April. Well for the past few weeks I have been getting shifts all week from 2am-7am, 12am-8am, 10pm-6am back to back. Need less to say it has thrown me for a loop. I work all night I sleep all day and I don't really see normal people just the other zombies at the post office at 2am. I will say the first week was hard but now going on to my fourth week I can say that I am well adjusted, and oddly enough I kind of enjoy being a creature of the night. My brother calls it being on another level. He said "man your room is right beside mine and I havent seen you in days". Its crazy but hey I needed a change because November was a bore.
On the racing front I could not take it any longer I needed a goal. I was unmotivated and getting fat fast. So this week I signed up and I am in for Ironman 70.3 Florida in Halnes city. As soon as you click the accept button your cognition shifts. "Shit I want to fucking crush this race, time to drop the hammer". Everyone is different and having an upcoming race really motivates me. Some people can be motivated enough just to stay fit. Right now in my life I have a competitive drive to push to the next level. I don't want to just be fit or just finish I want to race and I want to place. This will be my first race in the new age category 25-29 so the competition gets a little tougher but I also have another year to make improvements. This is an exciteing time and will also help with discipline this Christmas season.
Other then that life is good. Got most of the Christmas shopping done, got some cash coming in, and got a race to look forward to. Nothing to complain about. Its all good. To help you stay motivated here is another beautiful display of running from Craig Alexander Kona 2012.
Stay Motivated!
Now when December came around that is when I truly entered the "twilight zone". What is it you ask? Well for someone like me who sleeps regular hours 10-6, 12-8, 1-9 etc. With the exception of the night of a good party which might throw me off I am a person who appreciates a good sleep. In December the post office gets busy.....very busy. For those who don't know I got hired on at Canada Post last April. Well for the past few weeks I have been getting shifts all week from 2am-7am, 12am-8am, 10pm-6am back to back. Need less to say it has thrown me for a loop. I work all night I sleep all day and I don't really see normal people just the other zombies at the post office at 2am. I will say the first week was hard but now going on to my fourth week I can say that I am well adjusted, and oddly enough I kind of enjoy being a creature of the night. My brother calls it being on another level. He said "man your room is right beside mine and I havent seen you in days". Its crazy but hey I needed a change because November was a bore.
On the racing front I could not take it any longer I needed a goal. I was unmotivated and getting fat fast. So this week I signed up and I am in for Ironman 70.3 Florida in Halnes city. As soon as you click the accept button your cognition shifts. "Shit I want to fucking crush this race, time to drop the hammer". Everyone is different and having an upcoming race really motivates me. Some people can be motivated enough just to stay fit. Right now in my life I have a competitive drive to push to the next level. I don't want to just be fit or just finish I want to race and I want to place. This will be my first race in the new age category 25-29 so the competition gets a little tougher but I also have another year to make improvements. This is an exciteing time and will also help with discipline this Christmas season.
Other then that life is good. Got most of the Christmas shopping done, got some cash coming in, and got a race to look forward to. Nothing to complain about. Its all good. To help you stay motivated here is another beautiful display of running from Craig Alexander Kona 2012.
Stay Motivated!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
What Have I Been Doing?
With no more races and being laid off you would think I have nothing to do but write on the blog. This is true but when your training is cut back to offseason mode and your laid off really theres not much to talk about. Along with the seasons somethings are starting to change, and maybe its time to reflect.
Most importantly on the training front, I have finished up massage appointments and Chrio to help work out some shoulder, and hip issues. I must say I have never been to a Chiro and my first appt was a positive one. I had went in for some active release therapy (ART) and ended up getting adjusted and feeling fantastic and it actually carried through to the next day. From there I have really been focusing on keeping the hamstrings loose especially while running. After watching Andreas Ralert running (which can be seen at the bottom) in Kona I am more determined then ever to put up a sick run split in my next event. I am easing back into swimming its really touch and go with the shoulder I want to try and get my weekly volume up around the 20k mark for the winter months, and build a really solid base. As for cycling its been really just casual rides. Using my fitness as a form of transport I actually went a whole week without driving, which was pretty cool. I am looking to sell my bike and upgrade for next season so if your looking for a full carbon bike I have a 56 and your can have it ready to go with 105 for $2000 CDN. For details shoot me an email at dsohor@shaw.ca
As for life, pretty much caught up with the family. Me and the dog have had a lot of time to hang out which is nice. I have been working on my mental state, as sometimes the high training volume can take a toll. Really just trying to live as clean as possible, maintaining the minimal bread and dairy. Got rid of my truck with hopes the cash will help me fund my next bike purchase. I will be graduating in april with a B.Kin. From there its just find a job that can pay the bills and allow me to do the things I love. Isn't that everyones battle?
Anyways I am going to let some more stuff pile up, I am sure Christmas will be a hoot. Until then train safe, train smart.
Davis
twitter: @wpg_wild_cat
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