Jan 26 – Feb 1: Recovery Week

Total Volume: 14 hours
Swim: 10,500 meters
Bike: 6.5 hours
Run: 2 hours 54 min.
Strength: 1 hour 45 min

I had quite a bit less volume this week with the goal of absorbing the previous 8 weeks worth of work. The timing for a recovery week was perfect since Jennifer and I went back home to Savannah to celebrate my Dad’s retirement this weekend. It was a nice break from the work of parenting and fun to get together with the family. Garibaldi’s did a wonderful job with the party, food, wine and service. I highly recommend it if you’re every down that way.

A BIG congratulations to Dad who has work 36 year in Information Technology, starting as a programmer (on punch cards) and working his way to Chief Information Officer. It is very apparent that he will be sorely missed by his coworkers, some of who have worked for Dad for 30+ years. In his tenure he has seen the full evolution of technology and directed his company’s adoption of everything from PCs, the Internet, and 3G networks. If I have half the career of his I will have done well!

The upcoming week is back grindstone for me, although it looks like we’re building back into the volume and intensity somewhat. I would say that running will be the focus again this week with the monster long run of 1 hour 40 minutes in the hills. It feels good to be putting in a consistent set of 30+ mile weeks (with the exception of last week). I would suspect that my typical week will soon be 40+ of running. So far I don’t ask too many questions about where the training is going, I just take it week by week as it comes. I know the big picture which is increase my run and swim volume of previous years and to peak in June and November. Beyond that I’m just enjoying the unraveling of the mystery.

I’ve heard mention from my coach and others such as Gordo Byrn and Peter Reid of a concept that is intriguing me. It is the concept of being patient with training and the accumulation of large volumes of deliberate, varied and focused training (not mono-speed) resulting in a rather sudden increase in speed and endurance. In other words the concept of “all the sudden, one day I was fast” … but this doesn’t happen by accident. It is as if there is a tipping point in the scales of one’s athletic abilities which can only be reached by carefully subtracting weight from one side and depositing it on the other. In my mind things such as an injury would be a deposit on the “limiter” side (although the forced rest may provide benefits for an overly fatigued person). This point of excellence is achieved because a specific course of action was taken to coax it out of the athlete. In my mind this means something like a low 9 hour ironman, or a near 4 hour half. I would love to explore this concept more on this if it actually becomes evident in my life.

Train well!