Bringing it back

S - 14,600 yards
B - 170.3 miles
R - 24.6 miles

Time - 15.63 hours

Coming back...slowly.  That's been the name of the game the past two weeks.  I feel pretty fit on the bike, but that's really about it.  Not swimming for 2.5 weeks had left my water game feeling pretty impotent.  Not running for 2.5 weeks is actually the longest I've gone without running in over 2 years I think.

So starting back has been a choppy process.  Late this past week I started feeling a lot better in the pool.  I have been signed up for Huntersville Sprint for a while but opted for doing a relay instead as I just didn't feel ready to race due to the time off caused by injuries from the accident.

Luckily I had two willing and ready people to join me for my relay attempt.  Jeremy Gregory would swim, I would bike, and Rossome Handy would take the reins on the run.  Jeremy had laid down a 4:48ish 500 yard time a couple of weeks prior to this but luckily he held back a bit so he could get out and run to T1 in an expeditious manner.  Him holding back means a 5:02.  Me holding back means...well...slower than that...

photo cred to Lackerman

I had a pretty good bike and managed to average decent watts (for me).  It has been promising finally seeing some real watts on the bike as for a couple of years I have been fairly disappointed in my output over the shorter distances.  After switching to shorter cranks and raising my front end (along with saddle) to achieve the same fit but open up my hip angle I can say I am completely satisfied with my current position.



Mr Ross Handy had a good run on the hilly course.  I think it was his first "open" 5k in quite a long time.  He negative split, which is always good, and came across the line with a W for the relay team.  We also had the overall fastest time, which is - of course - a goal of mine whenever I assemble a relay of such star-studded talent.

Huntersville Sprint from James Haycraft on Vimeo.

So far in life, teams in which I have participated are 3/3 in relay victories.  White Lake 2012, Belews 2014, Huntersville 2014.  No big deal. I am sure it is completely me.

Next weekend will bring another relay as I have chosen to NOT race Buck Hurley this year.  There are several reasons for that, but first and foremost is the fact that I am just not sure I am ready.  I lost 4-5 weeks of 100% training to the injuries resulting from the accident and I don't want to go to a race and not feel like I am ready to win.

So, Carolina International will hopefully be 4/4 relay victories.  Jeremy and I are partnering up for a sub 2:00 attempt on the longer course.  It's gonna take some doing!

An update

So ~10 days ago I was diagnosed with a fractured 5th sacral segment. I'm not exactly sure what that is, but I refuse to search that on the internet because I am sure I will be convinced I have cancer.  Internet diagnoses are scary, at best.  Unfortunately it took a week after the actual accident to figure out - for sure- what was wrong.  My doctor advised that I treat it "symptomatically," which basically means don't do stuff that hurts.  So I haven't been swimming much.  Flip turns are kind of a bear, although they are improving.  I have also not been running much.  The jarring motion seems to induce some discomfort although again, that is improving.

It's going to be a while until I feel like I am back at 100% so I am not sure when I am going to race again.  Well, race a triathlon.  I'll relay all day long. Riding my bike seems to provide little to no discomfort at all, surprisingly.  It's kind of ironic that the sport that got me in trouble in the first place (although NOT my fault, I might add) is the one thing I can do relatively discomfort-free.

I biked roughly 230 miles this past week.  I swam a hair under 10000 yards.  I ran about 12 miles or so.  All in all, it added up to somewhere around 16 hours.  Which isn't all that bad, considering.

I took some pictures.  Not earth-shattering pics, but it's unusual to see a lot of "activity" pics.  Unlike some athletes, I don't have a personal photographer following me around everywhere and documenting my everyday activities.  So I do what I can myself.

Lemme take a selfie

That is one sexy bicycle if I do say so myself

I made some more videos, which - if you're reading this - you've probably already seen.  It's kind of funny watching my "history" as you can tell when I learn a new thing I want to use it in the video.  I'm barely scratching the surface of what the video editing suite I purchased can do (and I didn't even get a "pro" one) but I really enjoy it.  To a certain extent, it's probably a lot more interesting to watch a video recap of a race than it is to read a blog about one, but I really just can't resist blogging.  Maybe I'll quit sales and become a race videographer for people.  That'd be pretty cool, any interest out there?

I'd obviously need to improve my skillz for that one to keep me in the black...

Belews International 2014 Relay from James Haycraft on Vimeo.

Lori vs Belews International 2014 from James Haycraft on Vimeo.

Strange denizens of the pool from James Haycraft on Vimeo.

Finally, my favorite: the compendium of pics and video clips of ICE Racing team members thus far in the year.  While this hasn't gotten many views, I think it is one of my best videos so far.  The music (contributed by Tim Ferguson) is a great choice as the beat has such a strong and predictable rhythm it makes it easy to compile and create an "effective" video.

ICE Racing 2014 from James Haycraft on Vimeo.

The week that was

There was a lot that happened this past week. Got back from a race. Did a group ride. Hit by a car. Wallowed in self-pity. Rode around in a speedo.

That's a fair summary.  I don't wanna go too into detail on the bike accident, but suffice to say that I escaped with more than I could have hoped for from a carbike interaction at ~25mph.



I am mostly ok, although my helmet was demolished and some peripherals on my bike were damaged beyond the ability to repair.  My body is mostly ok, though a week later I am dealing with an ass muscle that is providing some issues.  I have not been able to work our much since then.

But to be able to sit here and type this and be mostly ok is a blessing.  I do not believe it could have gone any better.

The ultimate moral of the story for this blog post is that if you don't wear a helmet when you ride a bike you are truly a moron. I feel sad for those you endanger, maybe not directly but certainly indirectly, by making that ridiculously stupid choice.

New Orleans 5150

Also known as "New Orleans Triathlon," the race this past weekend was a "5150" branded event put on Premier Events in - you guessed it - New Orleans, Louisiana.  My birthplace.  My family's home city.  The Big Easy.

Unfortunately, nothing about this race was easy.

But before I get into that, it's worth noting that the trip itself was great.  It was a welcome relief from what was an extremely stressful week.  Moving is never an easy process, and cramming a move into a race week into a busy work week was not my favorite.  So when Jenny and I hopped in the car on Friday morning for the 11 hour drive to New Orleans I was actually pretty excited to drive.

Jenny took it upon herself to create a video from said driving experiences and this video encapsulates it quite well....

We did the usual pre-race stuff that isn't worth writing about and race morning dawned bright and early.  As we set up our spots I couldn't help but feel unexcited about the race due to the weather conditions.  It was very, very windy and with the bike course as set up it would mean a difficult bike ride and a difficult swim.  Time would only tell, however, if that would prove correct.

I made a slight concession to the prospect of a cold(ish) start of the bike by wearing a Fusion 3/4 sleeved top in addition to my B70 1pc suit all under my wetsuit.  I had never tested this before so I hoped it would have no ill effects on...anything.

The water temperature was stated as being 62 degrees, which is pretty chilly, but luckily I have White Lake 2013 under my belt so now everything else seems like bathwater comparatively.  That being said, it was pretty chilly when we jumped in to line up for the start of the race.

Swim - 24:14

I have been swimming pretty well lately, so despite the very choppy and difficult conditions I was really hoping I would be able to stick with the back of the pack on the swim.  Knowing it was a small field, however (10 male pros), I was not going to have much help around me for drafting purposes.  The course at NOLA is basically an "N" shape, where the start/outbound leg goes out towards the breakwall of the harbor then cuts back to the opposite corner, then heads up along the dock line before turning right towards the stairs.

I sprinted from the gun and was "in the mix" for about 100 meters before falling off the back of the pack. My arms felt surprisingly dead and I had completely lost contact by the time I arrived at the first buoy.  The whole out bound leg was into a strong wind and chop so each sighting attempt was met with a mouthful of water and a spray into the face.  Coming back in towards the other corner was much easier but sighting was still difficult due to the number of "things" above the water line (boats, buoys, docks, pylons, buildings, trees, etc).  Luckily this section passed uneventfully but I could not see any pack throughout this section.  After the next turn it was back into the wind and swell for (thankfully) the last time but it was not made less difficult despite being in the latter stages of the swim.  In fact, this section was more difficult although perhaps it was mainly mental at this point.  I was passed by the lead trio of women (unfortunately Jenny was not among them which further depressed me) and followed them (although definitely not in their draft) in to the finish.  I made it up the stairs uneventfully but ran towards transition being pretty aghast at what I could only assume was a disastrous swim.

I had no watch or time clock to see upon exit so was making that assumption based on the way it "felt" and the fact that the women passed me, a group I assumed I had a 5 minute head start on (I would only find out later it was 3 minutes...not 5).  Blah.

Coming out WAYYY behind, thanks FinisherPix

T1 - 1:29

My transition was pretty decent; it was a fairly long run and I had no issues getting onto my bike.

Bike - 1:02:47

Ahh, the bike.  It was very windy, and with a mostly east/west oriented bike course and a strong NE wind I knew it would make for a tough bike ride.  The way "out" had one big climb up over an overpass, several "awkward" turns that weren't really turns, and about 1/2 bad pavement and 1/2 good pavement.

I don't feel bad embedding my Garmin file into this because it will tell you nothing about me as a cyclist.



Yes, I am happy that I was able to bike decently, but that is so far below what I am capable of I was a little embarassed.  Embarrassed isn't really the right word, but I am far fitter than that and I don't really know what to say.  It took me about 10 minutes to catch the lead women (who I, it turns out, only had a 3 minute head start on; not 5) and from there it was really just a struggle to stay involved in what I was doing.  My watts were quite low and I was really struggling mentally to deal with the strong cross-winds and headwind climbs (4 times up an overpass with a headwind).  The course, in spite of being in NOLA, actually "felt" quite hilly and was relatively difficult.  I never really saw the lead guys, who continued to put more time into me.

I finished lap 1 and was happy for a brief tailwind section before hitting the turnaround and heading back into the winds.  I came into T2 pretty upset with what I had been able to accomplish that day but figured I could salvage a half-way decent run and come away with a positive.

Not sure where this was, but guess what: out of aerobars!

T2 - 0:53

Not too bad, nothing went poorly

Run - 37:08

The run, like the bike, was a double out and back.  Halfway with the wind, halfway into the wind.  Consequently, my first several minutes were probably a little fast.  I did a good job of staying on a solid pace in spite of being so far back of the "race" that I was all by my lonesome.  Out to the turnaround was pretty nice and easy but I had to focus a bit more to maintain on the way back in and reached the turnaround to head out on my second loop.

Towards the end of the "out" section (we ran alongside the bike route here) I was passed by a lady on a road bike with clip ons who was about to head up the overpass when she suddenly crashed pretty hard.  There was nobody else around so I ran over to her and tried to help get her sorted.  She was a bit shaken up but was able to walk over to the side of the road and sit down on the grass and I got her bike out of the middle of the road.  It was the right thing to do and it didn't really affect my race other than give me a slower run time than I would've had otherwise.  I saw her on my way back in and she was sitting on the side talking with a police officer who had driven to her.

Nothing much to say here, I continued on to the finish line and crossed in one of my slower olympic distance times in recent memory but with a good learning experience and workout under my belt.

Looking pretty excited

OA - 2:06:34 (10th MPro, 11th OA)

This race reminded me a lot of NOLA 70.3 last year.  I had a decent race there and repeated that here but all in all it was a pretty lackluster performance.  In both cases, I think my fitness was far and away better than what I was able to showcase at the race itself.

It was great having someone to race with this year, however.  Jenny and I had a good time driving, hanging out with my parents and youngest brother (only one still in high school) and attempting to high-five each other along the run course.  Having my mom and dad there to cheer me on regardless of my performance is always great; even if I am not satisfied with my race they are proud of what I have been able to accomplish.

Basically, a fun trip.  It was definitely good to get away from Charlotte for a weekend.  My next race will be better, I am confident.

The Process

S - 21,300 yards
B - 141 miles (2hrs MTB)
R - 54.5 miles

Time - 21.32 hours

The process of getting better can really drag on you. I think that's why I sometimes try so hard to find positives in what is really a pretty mundane and boring existence.  I wake up and go to the pool.  I swim. I eat breakfast.  I go to work.  I workout after work.  I eat dinner. I go to bed. The weekends are not weekends because I just remove the "job" element and spend both days training.  Or driving to training.  Or driving from training. Or eating. Maybe napping.

It's a lot of work to get better.  I've watched people that are really good become incapable of handling the mental strain of the "process."  The knowledge that to really improve takes a LOT of work and takes a LONG time is too much for some people.  They need to get better NOW.  I need to be training for my September Ironman NOW. Or my November half. Or whatever.  Insert random-key-race-a-long-time-from-now.

Mid-ride aerobar semi-selfie

I've written this before, but my training in 2011 is impacting my training now.  My biking in 2012 is helping me bike now.  The amount I swam in 2013 is helping my swim pace now.

There is a big difference between acute training load and chronic training load.  CTL is what really makes the differences year after year.  Day after day, month after month, year after year of consistent training.

So this week was just another step in the process.  I had some great swim workouts, some mediocre run workouts and some good biking.  I broke my first ever chain on Sunday out at the Whitewater Center, which was most unfortunate only because it shortened my ride.  I was shooting for some Strava PR's on my second lap but 'twas not to be.



I actually find Strava quite useful for trail riding.  I do not have a powermeter on my mountain bike (ultimate #firstworldproblems whine right there) so being able to track lap/segment times is actually pretty useful.  For example, on this particular ride I pushed the Lake Loop pretty hard and was rewarded with a good segment time.  I can then compare it to previous times I've had on that particular loop and guess that: "hey, I WAS actually working pretty hard."

On another note, I got some coffee this morning.  I was fresh out of a 5000+ yard workout (fresh being a relative term) and had just popped into the grocery store.  I went to a coffee shop in "Dilworth" that share that namesake.  I am not a fan of coffee shop attitude.  Like your coffee is sooOOOoo much better and your location is SOOOooooOOO much better.  I do enjoy the coffee, but don't act like your beans and brews are God's gift to humans.  I then went home for a bit to do some work and when the appointed time arrived headed in to the store.  I stopped at Dunkin Donuts.

100 times better.

Took some video this weekend.  My fit looks pretty good.  I am pleased with the switch to 165mm crankarms and overall I'd say I look comfortable, fast and powerful.

Jenny's fit also looks good, although she probably needs a bit more reach.

Garmin Vector Review

Bicycling is expensive. Stating the obvious is only necessary in this context because we're talking about one of the most expensive gadgets you can buy in this sport.  Other than the bikes and the wheels, the powermeter is the most ridiculous option you can add to your bike.

First and foremost, for the most ridiculous and in-depth product reviews on the internet, point your mouse over to DC Rainmaker's review of the Vector Pedals and all his other reviews; you will not be disappointed. I cannot offer that kind of detailed perspective and analysis that he can.  It's pretty incredible.

Why should you want to train with power, you ask? Well, there are a myriad of reasons.  Any time you are NOT training with power, you are simply guessing.  If you use heart rate you are still mostly guessing. If you are using rate of perceived exertion (RPE) you are still just guessing.  If you want to DIRECTLY measure effort, the powermeter is the only way to fly.  Being able to, through testing and accumulated training, exactly determine your power capabilities over varying lengths of time (for example, knowing what you can sustain for 2.5hrs for when you are planning a 70.3 race plan) is invaluable when it comes to racing.  As Brian says, proper pacing is racing.

I've also encountered some people who TRAIN with power (i.e. computrainer programs but JUST indoor training or powertap for training but no race wheel setup or option) but do not race with power.  That is like brushing your teeth but with no toothpaste.  It is like making a sandwich but with no filling.  It's like having wheat without the germ. It is like a pen with no ink. It just doesn't make sense.  What is the point of such precise training without being able to prescribe it to your racing?

Well, for a lot of people they don't have that many options.  Crank-based power "seems" too expensive (and you have to buy a whole new crankset), crankarm based power readings seem suspect (Stages, looking at you), hub options mean racing wheels are "compromised."  So the Garmin Vector pedals have long been awaited with much anticipation.

A pedal system seems like an ideal solution to many issues.

1) Easy to swap between bikes
2) Lightweight
3) Can use whatever crank (with one or two exceptions) and wheels desired
4) A Garmin product, so must be legit
5) TRUE left/right balance (not calculated)

There is also the possibility of other cool things due to the nature of being able to apply updates:

1) Being able to apply firmware updates as they are released

This is pretty huge.  Garmin updates firmware for its various products on a relatively consistent basis and for the most part dramatically improves the user interface and analysis metrics.  For example, earlier this month Garmin released a big update for the Vector pedals and created, among other things, two new power metrics:

1) Torque Effectiveness
2) Pedal smoothness

Whether or not those are useful metrics is relatively irrelevant to the VALUE of the pedals, it is relevant to the fact that as Garmin Software Developers continue to create new and better ways of using the pedals (or anything Garmin related, i.e. head units and Garmin Connect software) the users can actually take advantage of that in-house.  No sending in of the powermeter is necessary as with (as far as I know) all other power options.

All that is hypothetical however.  What really matters is whether or not they WORK.  Before the pedals were actually released and as I watched the first couple of pairs get installed for customers at Inside Out Sports I was a bit apprehensive as to the aforementioned workability/livability/usability.  I worried that the average customer/user would be overwhelmed by the "swappability" of pedals and assume that it was as "easy" as swapping a normal set of pedals between bikes.  It is imperative to the function of the powermeter IN the pedals that torque be applied evenly and appropriately to the pedal tightening.  In doing so, one must also have the correct number of pedal washers installed, such that the pedal pod does not contact any part of the crankarm.

The slightly dirty crankarm/pod/spindle interface

 So while that sounds somewhat complicated (it isn't) and intimidating (it isn't in reality) if the user follows the great step-by-step directions in the user manual and/or references helpful videos online the process is extremely simple and straightforward.

I have become more mechanically inclined over the past two years.  I used the Powertap system for 2 years (swapping between bikes, installed wheelbuilder.com disc covers, removing and installing cassettes), and a Quarq system currently for ~16 months (swapping crankset between road and tri bikes with different bottom bracket standards, become more familiar with adapter products and proper install procedures).  I have built my own bikes and worked on them for the past couple of years as well.  So I am fairly familiar with modern bicycles and their mechanics (to a degree).  The Garmin Vector pedal set is NOT difficult to install.  Be careful, follow directions, and swapping between bikes is a cinch.

Once installed (and assuming you have a nearly ubiquitous Garmin head unit) set up and calibration is very simple.  It is similar to other powermeters and is completely straightforward.  Following on-screen prompts (and again, reading the manual!) makes it quick and you are very rapidly on your way.

Now the important part: does it work for its intended use?

The short answer is yes.

The long(er) answer is to suggest heading over to DC Rainmaker's full on review to get an idea of EXACTLY why it works.  All I can provide is a little more user experience than the average power user and a willingness to blog about it...

You're basically going to have a couple of different ways of looking at this.  The Vector pedals are MOST similar in terms of watt number to a crank-based system.  A powertap is going to read a bit lower than both.  This is simply because the powertap (hub) is further "downstream."  It is reading power at the hub versus power at the crank versus power at the pedals.  This makes sense then, that the Vector PEDALS and the Quarq CRANK (spider) will read extremely close.  They are both the "nearest" to the actual source of the power (your legs).  What the Vector offers that the Quarq cannot is the ability to truly MEASURE both sides of your power production.  The Quarq basically divides the pedal stroke into halves and assumes that one half is due to your left leg and one half is due to your right.  This CAN be correct, but it can also not be correct.

As you can see, it provides a scatter plot representation of your L/R balance over the duration of the ride. According to this chart, I slightly bias my pedal stroke to the left (it also gives it to you as a % i.e. L/R 52%/48%).  What do I do with this information? To be honest, nothing really.  I am not going to change the way I pedal to try and get 50/50 or do one-legged drills to "bring my other leg up to strength." That is simply not going to change no matter how hard you work.  But that's bringing in a whole other argument.  Do your one-legged drills if you want or your big gear work; it doesn't really help you physiologically.

Is it reliable?

Yes, yes it is. Other than changing the batteries (which, like the Quarq, is extremely simple; I had the older version of the PT and it was definitely more involved - 5mins vs 2mins haha) I have had zero issues over 6+ weeks of use.  The pedals have been consistently recognized (the pods, basically) by the head unit, the pedals have transmitted properly to the head unit, the head unit has read what seem to be "correct" wattages.
I haven't had any issues with dropouts and if I didn't tell you (or, for example, coach Brian), nobody would know I am using a different power measurement device than my Quarq).  Readings are steady and reliable and the data has been completely perfect.  Well, I'd like to have MORE watts but hey, it's March!

Another great thing about the Vector pedals is the fact that they are, by and large, replaceable.  In any crash, the things most likely to hit the ground and suffer the result of an impact are:

1) You (expensive)
2) Handlebars (can be expensive, can be cheap)
3) Pedals (not expensive with Shimanos...)
4) Skewers (not expensive)
5) Rear Derailleur (can be expensive, can be cheap)

Now, in the context of this review, we want to focus on #3.  Pedals. Garmin Vector pedals are expensive; there is no doubt about that.  At $1699 they represent the "middle of the road" in terms of powermeter price spectrum.  A lot of potential users balked at the idea of a pedal based power system because of # 3 mentioned above.

First, lettuce go to the Vector page on Garmin's website.  As you can see, they are already changing the way you buy the pedals.  The drop-down menu only has one option (for now) of what has heretofore been the sole option from a crankarm thickness standpoint.  But soon they will offer two options that should encompass ALL crankarm thicknesses (Specialized, Rotor Flow, etc).

You may worry that you will hit your pedal.  Well, not to worry, the pedal body is replaceable! Any Look pedal system would suffer the same risk and be replaced at roughly the same cost.

You may worry that you will hit your pod.  Well, if you installed them wrong this is a much bigger risk than it has to be.  But if you installed them right and STILL hit it and/or crack it upon assembly...GUESS WHAT!? Replaceable!!

You worry that your cleats will wear out...REPLACEABLE! Plus, they are Look system compatible.

I have done "normal" riding with the pedals and have also done some bike racing with the pedals.  In both situations the pedals performed flawlessly and I experienced no issues with "clipping" (racing leads to more aggressive situations and less attention to detail) as some have been worried about...

In the end, the Vector pedal system IS expensive.  But to me, it is the NORM for powermeter systems.  Insofar as you are concerned with an ACCURATE AND RELIABLE powermeter anyway, they are the norm (from an expense standpoint).

From a cost to benefit ratio, I would rank them very highly.  I only have experience with 3 systems so far in my career, but I really like these.  Ultimately, weighing the pros and cons of each system is imperative before making your choice.

Sram Quarq (Riken/Elsa/Red) $1599 - $2045

1) Crank-based
2) Limited crank arm length options (Riken model only goes to 170, no shorter)
3) Entirely new crankset
4) Use any wheels
5) Fits any bike

Garmin Vector Pedal System $1699

1) Pedal based
2) Any crank arm length (pending crankset choice...)
3) New pedals, only LOOK compatible
4) Use any wheels
5) Fits MOST bikes (fits ALL bikes soon)

Powertap (hub only/wheelset) $789 - $999

1) Hub based
2) Any crank arm length (pending crankset choice)
3) New rear wheel/wheelset
4) Must train AND race on rear wheel OR have a race PT rear wheel (if you want to actually have useful data)
5) Fits all bikes

There are other options out there.  SRM has been the "gold standard" for decades (two decades yet?) but is extremely expensive (and massively over-priced and over-valued in my opinion). Power2Max is a relative newcomer to the NA distribution network but has proven to be a good option (although no dealer sells them, which is a bit of a con in my biased opinion).  Stages is another option, but I would never personally consider it to be in league with any of the other aforementioned systems.

I would definitely purchase a Vector power pedal set.  I think it is a great option. I love the future-proof nature of its update system.  I love that various parts are replaceable. I love that it's accurate.  I love that it's consistent. I love that it's reliable. If you already have a good crankset (or are happy with your crankarm length) I think it's a fantastic option.

If you have any questions that I can try and answer, don't hesitate to ask them!

Burning the candle at both ends

S - 20,300 yards
B - 78 miles (1 very long mtb ride)
R - 51.9 miles

Time - 18.08 hours

Thankfully (at least, as of this moment in time) the title of this blog-post is not self-reflective.  It has, at various points in time, been a true statement in the context of the way I felt I was treating triathlon.  Now, however, I feel as though what I do is "manageable."

I remember when I first started the coaching relationship with Brian back in 2011 I was getting some serious work done.  From January to late March I was averaging ~20 hours a week (that is a true average, not a skewed average like a lot of people throw out) for 12+ straight weeks.  I remarked on this fact on facebook with something along the lines of:

"Total hours for the last 4 weeks: 90 hours" (or something like that)

My comment was probably generally perceived to be bragging and/or arrogant.  I understand where those people were coming from but they were wrong.  I was PROUD. If being proud of something means that mentioning it is taken as braggadocio or arrogance then I am not really sure what to tell those people that think that way.  It would be obvious that they do not really KNOW me, but that's ok.  Only a few people really get to know ME.

The point, however, of mentioning the hours total in this particular context was to remark on a comment that was made about it.  It was something along the lines of "Wow! Sounds like someone is headed for a June burnout!" I don't really remember who made the comment or what it was, specifically, but it has stuck with me for three years because it bothered me so much.

High volume (20+ hours a week) training requires, simply, a few things:

1) Consistency
2) Commitment
3) Availability

For the past 3+ years I have had all of those things.  I had (and still have) the available time to train 20 hours a week.  I have the available time to train 25 hours a week.  But somewhere in that spectrum I start to lose #2, a little bit of #3 and then #1 suffers.  If I didn't work, or just worked part-time, I'd have TIME for 30 hours a week.  But what would that do to #2? The idea of training full-time SOUNDS great, but then training becomes your job. Would I like it as much if it were ALL I did? Would you?

If you are smart (or have a smart coach), a burnout is not going to happen from a physical standpoint. A mental burnout is very possible.  Guess what happened in June? I didn't burn out, I just kept getting better.  I had enough time and sleep that my body could absorb that training load and improve, slowly, over long periods of time.  The same has been true for the last 3 years.

Each week brings with it an "adequate" training load that leaves me fatigued but in a "manageable" way.  If I felt overwhelmed I would talk about it with my coach.  I go through ebbs and flows from a mental/motivation standpoint but there are little things I do that make each day a little more enjoyable as a consequence of those actions...

1) ACT like I am having fun.  Sometimes this is forced, sometimes it is not forced.  Sometimes I do not act like I am having fun and maybe I am not.  But the point is that I generally TRY to have fun.

2) Do stuff that's different.  Lately that's been mountain biking.  Signing up for a mountain bike endurance event, signing up for my first XTERRA, etc.  Maybe for many triathletes it's a single sport event: swim meets, bike racing, run racing, etc.  Just do something DIFFERENT. Chances are that if you are reading this triathlon is not paying you a lot of money (guess what, I'm reading this myself too) so don't act like it is. It's NOT your job until you start making more money from triathlon racing than you do from your "real" job.

3) Wear fun clothes

4) I try to take each day as it comes from a workout standpoint.  There is no point in "pre-worrying" about training. The only thing it does is stress me out; I don't really like that. Manage your days, not your months or years.

One thing to keep in mind: I am 29 years old. I have not yet developed the full weight of "responsibilities" that can - and frequently do - exist for an "adult." I think my #4 would change "slightly" if I were in a different life situation. But I am not. I am who I am. You are reading this so you must have an idea of what my life is about, otherwise you wouldn't have found yourself here.  Everybody's #4 will be different depending on their life context.

When you start to burn your candle at both ends, life becomes a lot more stressful.  Managing your own expectations, plans, etc is imperative to maintaining a healthy life balance. I still do triathlons because they are fun.  I have gotten a lot faster and my goals have shifted slightly to accommodate my changes in speed but ultimately if I stopped having fun and enjoying the process I would stop racing triathlons. I do not view being good as validation.  I view it as important because I have shifted my life "track" to allow for the availability from a time perspective to be good.  But I wouldn't trade that for anything.

I don't have many friends outside of triathlon.  My work revolves around triathlon.  My mind revolves around triathlon. So yea, I'm pretty obsessive about it but I do my level best to not let it be all consuming.  I haven't burned out in 4 years and don't plan on doing it anytime soon. I try not to let my success or failure in workouts and races dictate my level of happiness.  Not always possible, but it helps to not think of them as "win or lose" events. Everything is a learning experience and the "business of life is the acquisition of memories."