Where is spring?

Well, I must admit...I am so tired of hearing about snow. You see I live in Portland, Oregon. Not known for it's snowfall, but instead for it's rainfall. So when snow develops, even a small amount...the city goes crazy. Normally I don't really care, right now though, I just want to see spring. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the rain either. But, you can train in rain, especially just showers. I won't however ride in snow and ice. Instead I'll take to the trainer or rollers and keep it safe.

The purpose of this rant however has yet to develop. And now, well I'm too preoccupied cursing the weather to remember where I was headed! So for all of you that love the snow, I'm with you...if it's December or January. But it's damn near March. And I'm sick of training indoors. OK, there it is, off my chest. On to more relevant topics? Not really, but I can say I'm still feeling really good about my progression this year despite all the illnesses during the winter. I feel like we are right where we need to be with just a few more weeks of base work before Muddy starts to put his foot on the gas. Man, I can't wait! The season can't get here soon enough. Thanks for taking the time to check in. Enjoy a shot of our beautiful city with some (very minor) snow below.

-T

Time to yourself

Ironman racing, and training for that matter, can be lonely at times. The swim obviously is not that lonely as you usually have someone around you. The bike, depending on the course, can be a similar experience. You can have packs around you, but if people are following the rules, you are usually a little bit ahead or behind your next closest competitor. The run, in my opinion, can be really solitary. If you didn't talk to yourself a lot on the bike, you will on the run. I remember at Ironman Canada not seeing another competitor when I was heading out to the turnaround for miles. The were a few pros coming back into town as I neared mile 7 or 8 maybe? But the first 90 minutes or so of the run I passed 10-25 people and was passed by two guys I think. So in between aid stations...you are a product of your mind.

In the few years I have been racing triathlon, in particular Ironman, I have learned some tricks. The swim doesn't bother me. The bike can...it's just long. You get tired. Your back starts to hurt. etc, etc, etc. So, I focus on some simple things. Keep my heart rate at this number until the next aid station, then I get a break to take in some nutrition and stand on the pedals for a few seconds to relieve the back. I also set my watch to beep every 20 minutes. Why? Forces me to take in calories and for whatever reason it makes the day go by faster. Onto the run. The nice thing is you have an aid station every mile. That being said, that time between aid stations can seem like an eternity. So...what's a guy to do? It's 16 miles into an Ironman marathon. How do I stay focused? I concentrate on landmarks, time and aid stations. For example, when I'm really hurting I might look ahead and see a bend in the road 1/4 mile up. Ok Yates, keep your pace up until that bend and then you can take a break. Guess what happens? Yep, make it to the bend and then I spot another landmark. Maybe a mileage sign or something. Go another 2 to 3 minutes and then pick another.

This whole process might seem incredibly tedious, but trust me...when you are out there racing for hours on end and your mind is telling your body to stop...well, you almost have to dumb down your mind. Hey brain, shut the F up! It's the hardest thing to do. Ignore the pain and the signals that your brain is sending. To push through. A wall? Not really. There is a wall, but in Ironman racing it's different. It's just downright pain and possibly caloric deficiency. If it's pain, I have to try in suck it up. If it's caloric deficiency than I've gone off plan and need to be smart. Sacrifice a minute or two to save an hour. Sound silly, it's not. Check out my marathon times at Arizona vs. Canada. Over 40 minutes different. Part pain tolerance, part sticking to nutrition plan, and all heart! I love this stuff. How far can you push yourself? Go find out. It's hard to describe what it feels like to find out.

-T

Moments

Ironman racing is decided by decisions. Some are split second and some take time. Do I get re fit on my bike might be a more long term question months in advance of a race. Should I eat that gel even though I don't feel hungry might be a question you ask at mile 10 of the marathon. Regardless of the decisions made, your race is a result of decision making. Your race is also made up of moments. Moments of pleasure, agony, uneasiness, thought, despair, etc. One of my goals in training is to try and stimulate my brain to remember certain moments from training to carry me through the challenging moments of an Ironman race. I had one of those moments today that I will take with my to IMCDA in June.

A buddy and I were out for a long ride today when we turned down a road that neither of us had been down before. It was our understanding that the road was a good 4 mile climb. It didn't disappoint. As we turned down this new road to go exploring, we noticed a large pack of riders about to make the same turn but from the other direction. Probably 15 or so of them. I stayed up front with my friend next to me as we started in on the climb. We made some conversation with the large group and asked if we were on the correct road, etc. As the climb continued I started to press the pace just slightly as I really didn't feel like getting swallowed up by a peloton today. Problem was we had no idea when the actual end of this climb was.

I continued to lift the pace whenever my buddy would start to move up on my wheel. Instinctively I knew he was telling me to push just a little more as the crew behind was making ground. Within a few moments my friend attacked. The group had reached his rear wheel. I gritted my teeth and dismissed the pain in my quads from last night run, the pain in my lungs from the sinus infection I had just started treating with antibiotics 6 days ago and got out of the saddle. I made a joke while passing my bud and took off to the summit. It was great. I felt like my old self again. We got up to the summit and we looked at the group. There were about 5 left. The rest were strung out down the hill. Why is this moment so significant for me? Well, it's been a good 40 days or so that I have been sick. It has been incredibly difficult to tolerate as a competitor. Rest, don't train. Um. Don't know how. Well, I've been learning. Had to. But today was about pushing through the bad thoughts and rising up to reach a new level of confidence. Did it hurt when I sprang out of the saddle and led the boys up? Yes, but not in the normal sense. Because I didn't care. I knew there was more in me, way more. So, I'm going to continue to listen to my coach and father...these guys know what they are talking about and they are helping to keep me as healthy and fit as possible.

On the second loop of the bike at CDA, when I don't want to climb the same damn hill again 80 miles into the race...I'll think of today.

-T

Swim Challenge

Swimming is by far the toughest discipline for me to keep at during the winter. Don't know what it is about it. Maybe the cold weather and darkness outside? Maybe my history as a swimmer (spent years of my adolescence swimming before and after school). But whatever it is...I struggle to get to the pool consistently during the winter. The funny part is my coach doesn't really care! Mostly because I'm in the top 1% or so of swim times and I can get in swim shape very quickly. Furthermore, the swim segment in the Ironman does not carry much significance for a swimmer than for a non swimmer. A non swimmer must worry about not only time, but also about conserving energy for the other two disciplines. For many swimming 60 to 120 minutes is a huge undertaking. Not so for a former distance swimmer.

So...how to stay motivated for swim this season? A good friend and I have our first "swim off" at the end of this month. We will be swimming in the am and then heading out for a long ride after. Loser buying lunch after the ride. It should be a great time, and just plain fun! I will admit, despite the impending swim date...I still haven't been swimming like I should! Darn it...when will I learn? Maybe after picking up the bill in a few weeks!!

Beyond the upcoming swim date, things are pretty boring. This is my final month of base work. Probably coming at a good time as I'm still recovering from January's onslaught of sinus infections. Michael is helping to get me dialed on my bike. I'll be excited to see how the latest adjustments impact my back. In the meantime I'm trying to get in all my core and band work to help strengthen my core to help with the back issues as well. Well, that's it to report on for now. Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Transformations

I haven't had the opportunity to post lately. I've was sick for most of January. Despite that, I was able to get in some decent workouts and still feel like I'm entering February in great shape. I have also been working a ton lately. Which is good, as I'd much rather be busy than slow. That being said, it is difficult to properly train for Ironman, including rest and recovery, when you are working so much. Again, happy to be busy though!

I'm into transformations this week. The other day, I met with a very respected bike fitter to help start to transform my fit into a fit that will result in more comfort, and hopefully power. As some of you might know, I went into Ironman Canada with very good fitness and aspirations of riding around 5:10. I had severe back issues amongst other problems and suffered to a 5:43 split. Well, turns out I was riding a "aggressive and steep" position. In fact, my drop was close to 10cm. On top of that, my seat tube angle was a whopping 82%. A normal road bike is set up around 72% and most tri bikes are mid to high 70s. All of this was resulting in incredible stress on my back to stay in position, partly because my hamstrings are not as flexible as they should be, and partly because as Michael told me, "this is one of the more aggressive set ups I have seen." This coming from a dude that fit Ivan Basso.

Michael and I will continue to work together to dial this fit in. It will take some time. I have 3 hours no my machine Saturday to test out the changes. On top of this transformation that we are working on, I just had dinner with a good friend that has gone through an amazing transformation. My friend got serious about working out and eating healthy and in a short 6 months, dropped over 80 lbs. I could almost see his six pack! Unbelievable. After a long week, seeing my buddy helped inspire me to finish this week strong and keep pushing towards my goals as well. Man, I love seeing people get healthy like that! My friend looked like he was 10 years younger. Unbelievable. Hope everyone is happy and healthy,

-T