Kona.  The Ironman World Championships.  Right around the corner! 

A couple thousand athletes have poured their hearts and souls into preparing for this singular day in October.  Many will finish.  Some will race strongly from start to finish.  A bigger percentage will start by racing strongly and fall apart at some point in the race, finishing but doing so with infamous Queen K Death March.  Still others will not finish at all.  Of those who end up not racing up to par or DNFing, some will experience bad luck such as a mechanical on the bike, others will simply be having a bad day, but the vast majority will employ questionable race-day tactics which lead to poor performance. 

From start to finish, the Kona Ironman course requires great strength and stamina.  It throws heat, humidity, wind, exposure, desolation and some mysticism at every athlete.  It takes a strong constitution to emerge victorious (however you define “victory”).  Here are some tips to help you make better sense of how to approach the course, leg by leg.  While I cannot guarantee you will have a great performance just by reading and following this advice, what I can tell you is that hitting race day with a thoughtful, executable game plan will absolutely raise the odds that you will have a positive experience, making all of the sacrifices to get to the start line worth it.

The Swim
The 2.4-mile swim is effectively an out-and-back affair in relatively calm water.  It is known in Kona that “a mile out is a mile deep”, but the swim hugs the coastline and, thus, never gets more than 50-70 feet deep.  Given that the first leg of the swim is 1.2 miles, it is not critical to pick the shortest, straightest line to the turnaround buoys.  By starting closer in to the pier, you open yourself up to being smack in the middle of the washing machine.  The last place you want to be for 1-2 hours of swimming is in the middle of the churn.  You will waste energy, get hit and kicked and grabbed, and may even get your goggles knocked off.

Instead, start far out to the side of the pier.  You will start with cleaner water, swim faster and be able to choose when you want to enter the fray.  Aim for the turnaround buoys; you will only be swimming an inconsequential number of meters more than if you start in at the pier.  Typically, after 400-500 meters, the pecking order has been figured out.  You can breathe to your right, and when you find a small group of swimmers to engage, start veering over deliberately to the small group and settle in behind a nice set of feet.  Start saving energy, bring your HR down and enjoy the ride!

Which brings me to the next point.  Save your energy on the swim!  I covered the swim leg in 48-49 minutes when I raced Kona.  When my goal was to be first out of the water, I burned more energy and actually swam slower than when I saved energy by hopping on feet and conserving.  I went from feeling like I raced 2.4 miles to instead feeling like I had just warmed up for three-quarters of an hour.  Big difference.  The extra energy expenditure during the swim will not translate into a materially faster swim time nor a faster race.  That’s energy you’ll never get back and you’re only about 10% into the race.  Better to save that energy for the bike and run legs.

Transition And In Town
Remember this is the Ironman World Championships!  The vast majority of the couple thousand athletes will exit the water within about a 30-45-minute window of time.  This means that there will be a lot of cyclists around you when you do finally head out on to the road.  Couple this with the exhilaration of exiting the water surrounded by the frenetic crowd.  Your HR will be highest at this point in the race because after being prone for so long and then standing up, your HR and blood pressure will spike in order to keep blood in your head so you don’t faint.  So, fight-or-flight is kicking in here, too.  Everything is revving up as racers make a circuit of town, then head out on to the Queen K for the long slog to the turnaround at Hawi.
 
Stay in control here.  Drink a little big as you jog (don’t run) to your bike.  Get the saltwater off you, especially in the nooks and crannies of the body where a little salt rub will result in raw skin during 112 miles of biking.  Better to spend a few extra seconds here to avoid slowing down minutes due to acute discomfort.  Get in touch with your body.  Fight the franticness of the moment.  Let your body settle down naturally in the first 15-20 minutes before you start hydrating and fueling, and before you start worrying about you HR and wattage.  Things will be in a state of flux at first, and the more you try to force things, the more risk there will be of rebellion by your body – maybe not immediately, but certainly at some point.  Remember, you are going to be racing for many hours, so avoid getting hung up on accounting for every second.  Don’t be lazy, but also avoid hammering yourself into a DNF.
 
Airport To Waikoloa
The bike course is rolling hills and deceptively challenging.  By the end of the 112 miles, you will have gained somewhere between 2,500-3,000ft of elevation.  Not killer, but not flat, either.  Winds will be light typically and may remain so.  On the other hand, it might be like it was in 2014 when athletes were hit with such a killer headwind that they were biking slower than 10mph on flat stretches of road.  Time tacked on due to a headwind will never be made up when you switch direction and gain a tailwind.  Be OK with this inevitability.  More often than not, the wind plays a major factor in Kona.  And it can be demoralizing. 

Once past the airport, the next major landmark is Waikaloa and the luxury resorts out that way.  And, once past Hapuna Beach, the Queen K Highway officially ends. 
 
By now you should be well into your hydration and fueling strategy.  Keep in mind that you could neither hydrate nor fuel during the swim, so be mindful of this on the bike and gradually work extra liquids into your routine. 
 
Kawaihae to Hawi
This is really where the challenge begins as racers leave the lava fields for the long climb to Hawi. The winds typically begin to pick up here. Be prepared for sudden wind gusts. The last climb into Hawi is often straight into the wind.  Avoid grinding your gears at a low RPM and rocking all over your bike.  Stay relaxed, up your cadence just a little bit and keep your head down.  Also remember the mantra “pee by Hawi.”  If you hit the turnaround and you still don’t feel like the need for a pit stop, you are under-hydrated and have some serious catching up to do.

As you head back down from Hawi, you will get rewarded with a tailwind for awhile.  Enjoy it!  Smile, take a breather, let the wind do some work for you and let your HR drop.  If crosswinds hit you, avoid panicking.  The best thing you can do is stay in the aero tuck, grab the bars just a little tighter and steer with the elbows. 
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Kawaihae Back To The Airport
The mile markers creep by here.  You’ll keep your head down for what feels like 15 minutes, look up and see the very next mile marker.  Maddening, especially as fatigue sets in and all you can think about is getting off your bike.  Be ready for challenging sections of headwinds, false flats and gusts that can reach 30–60mph. Use this long stretch to move around in the saddle and also in your riding position.  It is unrealistic to think you will stay in the aero tuck for 112 miles, so don’t even try.  Doing so will only cause certain muscles to get overworked and create undue fatigue.  And, you will ride slower overall.
 
Energy Lab To T2
This last segment of the bike is a good chance to take a breather, and consume extra fluids and calories compared to the rest of the bike leg.  Increase your cadence a little bit, keep your feet light on the pedals, and allow your HR to drop a handful of beats, if not more.  Collect yourself as you prepare to dismount and get focused on the run.
 
The Run – Heading out to the NEL
The opening miles of the run are euphoric.  In some respects, you feel like you’re almost done.  Two legs down, one to go!  In others, the enormity of running a marathon is still in front of you.  Yikes!  There is a freshness to the legs and body which conflicts with how fatigued you feel as you dismount the bike.  Your first thought is probably, “I can do this!”  It is imperative that you hold back the first hour or so of the run.  Allow the energy of the crowd to carry you along and make those opening miles fly by, but avoid allowing that awesome energy to allow you to fly out of T2 at a pace you have no hope of sustaining for 26.2 miles.  The opening third of the marathon is easy, relatively speaking.  Everyone is a hero for the first 8-10 miles.  It’s what happens after about mile 13-16 that defines the race.
 
The NEL (Natural Energy Lab) is a 4-mile out-n-back stretch that is a lonely, sometimes heartbreaking, soul-searing stretch of road.  If you’re already on the downslide, this is the absolute worst part of the course.  Legend has it that the NEL is a good 10-15 degrees warmer than the open Queen K Highway.  Having raced Kona, I would not doubt it for a second.
 
As the body fatigues, it will be more challenging to consume fluids and sugary carbs.  Stick to stuff that your mind tells you is inviting and consider walking through each aid station.  This will allow for the HR to drop, allow you take in more fluids and collect yourself for the next manageable stretch of the race before the next aid station.  These mini-breaks will pay big dividends later on.
 
The NEL to the Finish
You’re nearly there!  Give yourself a well-earned and well-deserved pep talk.  Dig deep and ride the energy of other athletes toward the finish.  Find a comrade-in-arms, strike up a conversation and share the burden of the remainder of the race.  Remember, you are all in this together! 
 
At some point, there will be a trigger inside you that wants to be pulled.  You will start getting the urge to “kick”.  It could be at the very end for the finishing straight, or it could be several miles out from the finish.  For me, it came with around 5k to go.  Honor it.  Your body knows what energy stores you have left and what you don’t have left.  If it’s telling you to “GO!” then go.  Be careful and metered.  Test the waters and if pressing your effort feels good, then embrace it and go for broke!  Keep up the hydration and fueling, as this stretch is still a long way from the actual finish.
 
When you cross the line, bask in the glory of your accomplishment.  Regardless of whether or not you hit your goals, you just realized a great achievement!  Honor this.  Embrace it.  Soak it all in.  The crowds gathered at the end don’t care if you won or come in dead last.  They are there to honor you. 
 
Good luck!!
 
Happy Training,
Coach Nate
 

​Team Sky is back in the news, but for the wrong reasons.  Fancy Bear's WADA hack and subsequent leaking of TUE info for a number of athletes (not just cyclists) is eye-opening if not surprising.  Chris Froome's TUEs, while known, are still suspect.  And the evidence of Sir Bradley Wiggins' TUEs and injections fly in the face of his well-documented "no needles" policy.  Couple this with the clear nationalism at play and this is going to get messy quickly.

If you look at a stream in nature, it flows down the path of least resistance. Maybe the stream grows to a great river like the Mississippi as other tributaries join it. For the most part, though, the stream or river runs quietly along – faster in some parts as it narrows and slower in others as it widens. During times like these, nature is in a state of balance from the perspective of the river. 
 
But what happens when something throws nature out of balance? A long period of rain can cause a flash flood or can cause the river to swell and drown out entire towns. Houses are ruined, cars are swept away and people can die, among other tragedies. Something that on the one hand can be serene and beautiful can turn ugly and malicious in the blink of the eye. 
 
The body is no different. The body seeks a state of stasis and hates to be forced out of this comfortable way of being. As we constantly try to force our whims upon our bodies, it can bend a little bit, but it will not allow itself to break. So, we try to cram too much into our daily lives—training, work, family, kids' schedules, other hobbies, friends, etc — and eventually things start to build up like a river behind a dam. Eventually the pressure can get so great that the dam breaks. Think of the massive force behind that explosion of water. Now, equate that the body saying, "Enough!" What happens? Injury. We either get really sick or really hurt. 
 
"If we don't listen, then the body takes matters into its own hands."
 
You see, I don't think injuries are necessarily traced back to "overuse" in the common definition of that term. Train too much or too hard and you get hurt. I don't think it's that simple. I think we get sick and/or injured when we force our body too far out of its preferred state of stasis. To me, injuries (and in some cases sicknesses) are wake up calls from the body. We've ignored the signs and the screams from the body telling us that the way we are going about things is unacceptable and unhealthy. When we employ "mind over matter", the matter (our bodies) will unequivocally and always win. Our bodies will do everything they can to keep us from killing them. Usually they are successful; they are almost 100% successful in non-extreme scenarios. 
 
If we don't listen, then the body takes matters into its own hands. John Doe, you're running way too much. You're never at home, you don't know what's going on with your family, you're never in bed when your spouse wakes up, you're always tired at work and your friendships are suffering. So, guess what? A little achilles tendonitis should slow you down for a bit. 
 
Now, we can look at injuries from all sorts of angles. But, ever notice that if our sole focus is to get back on our feet ASAP and if we "test it out" before we really know we should, that injuries hang on and take a really long time to go away? Or, in some cases they never go away? Why is that? The body's capabilities to heal are amazing. Something is inhibiting that process and, I think, it can be traced back to our state of mind and how balanced our lives are. 
 
This may be a little metaphysical, but I think it's true. Strive for balance in life and the usual suspects of injuries probably go away and stay away. Keep trying to cram a square peg through a round hole and my guess is that injuries are things with which you are intimately familiar. No absolutes, but my gut tells me this is pretty spot on. 

So, as you head into your downtime before focusing on next season, take a moment for a sanity check.  How in-balance do you feel your life is?  Be honest -- there's no judgment here.  If important parts of your life are being ignored or minimized at the expense of your training, striving for better balance will not only allow you to get more out of your training, more importantly it will allow you to get more out of life.

Happy Training, 
Coach Nate

The off-season.  Some approach it with disdain while others look forward to it thoroughly.  I find a lot of how athletes approach the off-season is dependent on a few factors.  First, how well did you race?  If you raced well, then the off-season is viewed as a reward for a job well done.  If you raced below expectations, then the off-season is a purgatory that leaves you between seasons and you can’t wait to get the hell out of it.  Second, how long was your race season?  Racing takes a lot of mental and emotional energy, way more than training, so if you raced during most of the calendar or raced often (or both), you’re probably mentally and emotionally crispy on top of any physical staleness you may surely feel.  Third, how brutal was your last off-season?  Were you socked in with terrible weather and, thus, had to train indoors more than usual, or did you try some new things in training in an attempt to up your game, and those things left you a bit ragged some the Spring.  Regardless, at some point each of us turns our attention away from what has been and starts to focus on what will be. 
  
“Off-season” is the accepted terminology, yet it’s not my favorite description of the time spent between racing seasons.  “Off-season” intones that it’s time to take it easy.  In some cases, this is true.  In others, it’s time to focus on foundational hard work that tends to fall by the wayside once the racing season is upon us.  To me, the off-season is that short period of time after an athlete’s final race when he/she pulls the ripcord and takes a few weeks of down time – time completely away from the primary sport.  No training allowed.  Sleep more, be lazy, complete some overdue projects around the house.  Any physical activity is deemed fun rather than a workout, because this is the time to recharge the physical, mental and emotional batteries.  This is a critical point in time that should last no fewer than 2 weeks and could last as many as 4-6.  Be honest with yourself in terms of where your head is at and trust your gut, not your guilt.  Your body will let you know when it’s champing at the bit and ready to go at it again.  Honor this.  Because the whole point is to get away from daily structure and rules and limitations.  Be freer!  
 
This time away from training is also a great opportunity to review your previous year’s training plan – What worked well?  What kinda worked?  What didn’t work at all?  What have you learned over the past months that you want to incorporate into your upcoming year’s training and how will you do it?  What are your high-level goals for next year and how will those impact your training?  As an innovator, this is arguably my favorite time of the year because I get to wipe the slate clean and start building my master plan from scratch.  
   
So, what happens once you’re done with you off-season down time and ready to get back at it?  I find “preparation” to be a better catch-all term for that time between racing seasons, because once we start training again, it’s all geared toward preparing for the following racing season, right?  You’re no longer taking time off; you may or may not race (for example, a snowshoe race in the mountains as a fun, low-stress diversion from a long ride or run in cold weather); and you’re most definitely working hard (right???).  You are absolutely preparing your mind, body and soul for the rigors of the next racing season and also laying the foundation for achieving your goals for the upcoming season. 
   
 As I state above, you want to be champing at the bit to start your training again.  Don’t force it.  If you’re forcing it, your mind is telling you that your body’s not ready yet.  Better to extend the down time an extra couple weeks and allow yourself to be in the right frame of mind.  Once you start working out again, spend the first 2-4 weeks gradually ramping things up again.  Increase workout frequency first, then worry about duration and lastly worry about intensity.  This first prep period provides you a perfect opportunity to get back to strength training, too.  Especially as we get older and into our Masters years, strength training takes on a more important role in our training regimen.  
  
Lastly, the more time we have between the end of one racing season and the beginning of the next, the more careful we need to be.  There’s a difference between being strong in January and being race ready.  We want to avoid being race ready during the period of the year with the least amount of daylight.  Use the extra prep time to really work on your aerobic engine.  Becoming more efficient at L2 (or Zone 2) will serve you well and is foundational to going faster for longer in your races.  This doesn’t mean you avoid interval work, but the percentage of your volume spent doing intervals should be lower than when you are trying to sharpen up for actual racing. 
  
Before you know it, we will be into next year and our first races will be right around the corner.  Ideal preparation begins with honoring all of your hard work from this year before you start cracking the whip again as you prepare for next year.  
  
Happy Training, 
Coach Nate 
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