Flashback Friday Fast Swim Set

Yes I'm the only one at masters who celebrates the "Flashback Friday" and the radio didn't even play the flashback songs this morning.  It was tough to knock this set out without hearing Rumpshaker, Ice Ice Baby, Hammertime, or some random old school TLC song.  Any way we had a solid set that I thought I'd share because though it looks doable (and it is), if you do it right the wheels might just fall off...or maybe that's just me.

Warm Up - 600
200 swim
200 kick
200 pull

Main Set - 2600
8 x 100 @ 90% on 2:00
400 pull easy
6 x 100 @ 90% on 2:00
400 pull easy
4 x 100 MAX on 2:00

Kick Set - 600
6 x 100 on 1:40

Cool Down - 200 easy

It's a nice way to knock out 4000 early in the morning.  As always it's tough to get out of bed just to go and jump in the cold water...but you never regret a workout.

I'm going to put together some training opportunities for the L3 Endurance crew over the next couple of weeks, so if you're interested check back or check the L3 Endurance facebook page, twitter, or website for more information.

Little Things Make Me Tick...

I came to the realization today that small things help to motivate me.  These aren't necessarily "things" that tick me off, but just things that motivate me.  I'm not going to divulge what helped get me going today, it wasn't a bad thing, wasn't about something someone said or did, nothing like that.  It was just a little piece of motivation to help me realize that I'm headed in the right direction.  Not going to lie it was kind of a surprise as well...alright enough talking in code because I'm sure I'm making zero sense right now.

This morning we had a good turn out for an L3 Endurance trainer session. We had 3 different workouts going on for 3 different athletes, and it was great to experience the hard work everyone put in!  Seeing athletes succeed definitely helps me to stay motivated.  Maybe that's what set me up for a solid day of training...I don't know.  What I do know is that things are rolling along nicely, and I've had some great sessions in the pool lately.  Though yesterday my arms were about ready to fall off, today they came back and I was able to hit some solid times (for me at least) without putting in a huge effort.  Don't you just love it when that happens?

I'm really wishing this rain we're getting was snow...but it's not so we all have to deal.  Some exciting things are happening on the L3 Endurance scene and we'll break them out soon.  If you haven't seen the cycling kits, they are sweet!  We'll be ordering up some tri kits in mid January, you won't want to miss out on that, and if you were interested in getting a cycling kit we may be able to reorder at that time as well, let me know if you're interested.

The Zoot Ultra Team blog is going to be resurected super soon as well...so if you're out there lurking around for some dorky blogs to read that will surely have some awesome information for you.  It will have links to all of the Zoot Ultra Team members personal blogs as well...so lurk away.  When it's up and running I'll post a link to it here.

Tomorrow is "Flashback Friday" at masters...well I call it that, though I seem to be the only one that follows that logic.  I'm using it as a reason to wear the sweet Kona Underwear Run edition from the Zoot crew...I'll spare you the photos on that one.

My Zoot Favorites

As most of you know I'm fortunate enough to race for the Zoot Ultra Team, and have for the past 2 seasons.  Racing for Zoot has allowed me to try most of their products, and I have to say that I'm super impressed with all of them.  I thought that I'd list a few of my favorites here...so if you're looking to give Zoot a try (my first question would have to be what the heck took you so long?) here are some products that I would recommend.

Shoes:

Ultra TT 5.0 - These are my go to training shoes on a daily basis.  I rotate through a couple of pairs of these and love them.  Sockless...you bet!  Comfortable...absolutely!  They are lightweight enough to race in, but have enough "shoe" to be able to train with daily as well. 

Ultra Kiawe - This shoe is new in the Zoot line up and were designed specifically for Jordan Rapp and Javier Gomez.  Jordan won Ironman New York City wearing these bad boys, and Javier earned himself an Olympic silver medal...not too shabby. Definitely not a shoe to wear training every day, but a true racing flat.  Light, tight and responsive.  Though I didn't race Ironman in them, I'm kicking the idea around of racing with them in Kona next year.



Apparel:

Zoot Ultra Cycling Kit - These kits look much like our "team" kit and are sure to turn heads out on the road.  The fit is awesome, material super comfortable and the number of compliments that I get on these kits is awesome.  Something that's sweet too is they have a long sleeve version of this which is great on those chilly mornings to ride...or to run in as well!!  Oh yea and they definitely look "pro".

WRKSnano THERMOcell Jacket - Winter in Chicago can get cold (though it hasn't yet) and we definitely need something to whether the elements (yep pun totally intended there...that's about as witty as I get).  The sweet THERMOcell jacket is not only stylish but practical.  That's one of the best parts about Zoot, not only do they want their gear to look sweet...they want the functionality to be the most important thing!  This jacket doesn't disappoint (and if you are interested there is a vest too!)

Wetsuits:

Prophet - If you're looking for some free speed in the water your search is over. The Prophet is by far the most comfortable wetsuit I've ever worn, and it's held up well to a lot of abuse (not that I'm abusive but for some reason my fellow swimmers try to rip it off of me during races...they must all be jealous and want the wetsuit that bad I guess).





Bags:

Performance Sport Pack - If you ask Brit she might tell you that I have a bag obsession...and I would have to agree with her on that one.  What can I say I like bags to fill with stuff.  I like this bag so much that I actually have 3 of them, and I'm in the process of ordering more to get customized for the L3 Endurance crew as well.  The  bag is awesome for just about anything...not just triathlon related.  If you don't have one, you really should, for $35 you can't go wrong.

I'll leave it at that for now.  If you have questions about certain items let me know!

Trainer Tuesday 1.0

As the winter months roll on here, many of us in the colder climates are stuck riding indoors on our trainers.  Though we've had some really mild weather thus far, and no snow so the roads are still clear enough to ride (also read they haven't thrown salt down yet), I don't think it's possible to get the same workout done outdoors in the suburbs of Chicago.  So here is a set that the L3 Endurance crew did on the trainer this morning:

Warm Up - 15' build to 80% of FTP

Main Set - 40'
-5' @ 70% of FTP
-5' @ 75% of FTP
-5' @ 80% of FTP

-5' @ 85% of FTP
-5' @ 90% of FTP
-5' @ 85% of FTP
-5' @ 80% of FTP
-5' @ 75% of FTP
Cool Down - 5'-10' easy spin in the small chain ring

If you don't have a power measuring device no worries.  Here's a breakdown for you:

70% = RPE 6
75% = RPE 6-7
80% = RPE 7
85% = RPE 7-8
90% = RPE 8

Another way you can do it is to put your bike 1 gear harder for each 5% while maintaining the same cadence.

Enjoy it!  The L3 Endurance crew was cranking away this morning...definitely fun to see the hard work in action!

Perspective

Sometimes it's good to take a step back and to think about what's really important.  This is a super busy time of year for everyone, and I really think it's important for people to take a step back and to think about where they are in their lives, how they got there, and who they have to thank.  I could go on and on, but the fact of the matter is I have a pretty darn good life!  Sure there have been some rough patches, but who doens't have those?  Some people have it rougher than others, but if you're reading this odds are you have things pretty good when you take a step back and think.

So today, nothing about swim/bike/run (that is the last mention of it I swear) and just take a step back to think about how lucky you really are.

Work Works

Change is not something that happens over night.  But it's always exciting when you can feel change happening.  I'm not going to say that I feel like I've broken through in any crazy regard, but I do feel change happening.  What is this "change" that I speak of?  I'm going to let you ponder that, but it's not something that can happen without a tremendous amount of work and a dedicated team to help you get there. I'm extremely fortunate to have the best team around supporting me, and can't wait to see where this change leads me to.

Last night I went and picked up the new L3 Endurance cycling kits (since I missed the delivery during the day).  On the way to pick them up I was talking with my agent Nick from Fortitude Sports Agency and he said you're either going to be like "yeah they're cool" or "dude these are f*#king awesome"...let's just say his second response was dead on.  Some of the L3 crew is going to crank out a trainer session tomorrow morning followed by a short transition run, I'll get some pictures of the crew in action...until then here's a sneak peak.



The L3 Endurance Cycling Kit

Coming Off of a Break...

As triathletes most of us (and yes I'm DEFINITELY included in this) don't ever really want to take a break.  We think we're going to lose everything we have, and everyone else is becoming more fit than us ect...  This year is the first time in a few years that I've taken a true break.  I do know it was the right decision, as your body cannot continue to get beat up year after year without a break.  That would be a great way to get injured!!  It's super important to make sure you avoid injury, and making sure that you start up after a break conservatively is crucial.

When you start training again you want to hit the ground running...and really all you're doing is running yourself into the ground if you do too much too soon.  Remember that you haven't lost everything you have, and that you're starting from a different (and hopefully "more fit" that makes complete sense in my head and probably doesn't on a blog) place than before.  I make sure to stress to our L3 Endurance athletes that they start slowly, and most importantly that they stay consistent.  Introducing more volume slowly is key, and we only want to introduce it when the body (and mind) is ready for it.  For example, we are in the midst of the holiday season...everyone is super busy with shopping, holiday parties, spending time with family (which should take a backseat to nothing) ect...  So would this be the best time to introduce another "stress" (which is exactly what adding more volume to training is) to your life?  Nope, enjoy the season, stay consistent with your workouts and lay off of that extra cookie/brownie/beer/egg nog/wine...whatever it might  be.  Get your workouts done early and get ready to rip it up in 2013.

Yesterday I came home to an unexpected package.  Zoot is seriously way too good to me!  I had an awesome package from Jake and the crew over there to help me get through this winter season running and riding in style!

 Zoot Ultra Wrksnano Thermocell Jacket

Zoot Ultra Team Cycle Jacket

Thanks Jake and everyone at Zoot you guys are awesome!!

My New Ride - 2013 CEEPO Viper

I'm super excited to announce that in the 2013 triathlon season I will be riding the brand new 2013 CEEPO Viper.  CEEPO is no stranger to the Ironman world and has been the official bike sponsor for Ironman for a few years.  Their new Viper has been redesigned with the triathlete in mind, and I can't wait to start cranking away the miles on the new ride.  Here is a little more information about my new ride from the CEEPO website:

2013 The All New CP Viper


Our new frame shape has been developed by the evolution of previous models and designs. The all new VIPER has an improved frame shape for the side wind by changing the frame shape concept to a curved shape from a straight shape.

The weight has also become lighter by this new curved shape concept.

With the 4 size offerings, it is easier to set the best riding position for each athlete. The new Shimano Di2 battery can be placed inside the seat tube. The handling stability on the curves is improved by the head tube stiffness, and acceleration is enhanced by the improved bottom bracket stiffness. The VIPER geometry is designed for long distance triathlon race where athletes need to run comfortably after the 180km bike ride with special consideration for Ironman Hawaii. Saving the rider’s energy for the

run while maximizing pedal power is key in long distance Triathlon, and the new Viper does just that. The Seat post can be flipped (front / back) for the best saddle position.

I'm pumped to join the CEEPO family and can't wait to see the Viper take me to some new and improved bike splits in 2013.  My bike will look slightly different as I'll be rocking SRAM Red components and a Zipp cockpit thanks to Nick at Fortitude Sports Agency.

Everything has been rolling along training wise, I've been slowly ramping things back up and am starting to feel pretty good about where I am going into 2013.  I'm planning a couple of training camps (some may be here in Chicago out of L3 Endurance) so if you're interested in joining me for any of those let me know.  I'm thinking the first one will be at the end of this month with some of the L3 Endurance crew.  If you haven't checked out their website make sure you do so (www.L3Endurance.com)

I am changing some things up with training, we'll see how it goes, I do have a feeling though that it will be pretty effective.  I'll get some pictures up of my new Viper when I start to get it built up.  Thanks CEEPO can't wait to get this season started!!

Influence

It's really interesting what influence you can have on other people and vise versa.  So what do you do to positively influence people on a daily basis...what do others do to influence you?  It's really pretty amazing when you take a step back and think about that.  I'm definitely grateful for those who influence me in a positive way. 

So today's challenge is to take a step back and to think about people who help you day to day in any small way.  That might be by interactions you have with the person, maybe you read their blog/column/website, whatever it might be how are you positively influenced?