Iron Pol

There are a couple people I've "met" through blogging that I look forward to meeting in person.  Tri-Daddy many of you are familiar with, as he was the guest blogger who kept things so professionally updated during Ironman Kentucky.  So many people have already met Iron Benny and Nytro that I almost feel obligated to buy a plane ticket just to go visit them.  ALMOST.  I could never keep up with Nytro at the bar.  Or Benny on the bike.

Commodore is a man with whom I believe I have lots in common.  Pun intended.  I keep harassing him and Tri-Daddy with the concept of finding an event where the three of us can race and our families can hang out.  And I keep stealing pictures from Comm's site, so I have to stay on his good side.

If you haven't stopped by Common Man Syndrome, today, take a swing by and lend some moral support and comment love.  Commodore has been showing just how uncommon he is by posting about some of the challenges he's been facing, keeping things light as he does so.  He has to be one of the few people who could put himself into the ER, and then go through the painstaking efforts to post about what is happening.  He may blog about the common man.  His refusal to be boxed in by his situation and his willingness to share his experiences make him anything but common.

The next time you lack motivation to train, think of those who are unable to get into the water, onto their bike, or out on the road for whatever reason.  Sometimes, it's a temporary setback such as Comms is facing.  Other times, it is more serious.  Many overcome amazing challenges to compete in triathlon and other events.  Perhaps the lack of sleep or that minor muscle ache isn't such a big deal, after all.

Triathlon, once considered a fringe sport, has been rapidly gaining in popularity in recent years.  The availability of short course races improves every year.  Long course events, including "branded" IM races, are also being added on a regular basis.  People around the country and around the world are gaining a better understanding that "triathlon" entails much more than just the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.

Another sign of the growing popularity of triathlon is the speed in which Ford (Subaru in Canada) Ironman events sell out.  Subaru Ironman Canada typically sells out before on-line registration even opens.  Ironman Wisconsin is a close second, selling out in under an hour every year.  Other events are rapidly joining that trend.

In October, NA Sports issued a press release detailing changes to the registration process.  In the past, all registration began the morning after race day.  After a two-hour on-site registration time, on-line registration opened.  Moving forward, there will be a three stage process.  The day before the race, that year's participants will have the opportunity to register for the next year.  The day after the race, on-site registration will open to the general public.  Finally, at 12 noon local time, on-line registration will open through Active.com.

Many have questioned this change.  They find it remarkable that NA Sports would make a change that is quite likely to ensure that registration closes before on-line registration even opens, limiting participation to those who travel to the race venue to sign up.  Some have even cried, "Foul," claiming the whole process is "unfair."

Though it creates some interesting challenges, this change makes perfect sense.  The use of on-line "sales" makes sense when a supplier is unable to match the product with the consumer.  In the case of Ironman triahtlons, that simply isn't the case.  For many events, the producer (NA Sports) can sell it's entire stock (total allowable entries) without leaving the "store."  In other words, the demand for their product far exceeds the supply.

The demand for entries to these events is so high many people are willing to travel both long and short distances to register in person.  Many of those people fill vital support roles by volunteering, since they are already going to be at the race.  And a great many of those on-site to register contribute to the economy of the sponsor community.  So both NA Sports and the host city benefit from this new process.

One potential outcome of this change is the addition of new IM branded events.  As races continue to sell out in record time, both NA Sports and the World Triathlon Corporation will be forced to acknowledge increasing demand for events.  That will motivate them to continue the search for host cities, safe in the assumption any new event will also sell out quickly.

There is, however, another option.  Though many will gasp at the suggestion, there are other events available.  Though they lack the "IM" trademark, these races offer the same opportunity to test our limits as any branded event.  The only real difference NA Sports and WTC events offer is the opportunity to qualify for Kona.  And let's face it, most of us aren't aiming that high.

The recently announced Beach 2 Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon is a perfect example.  This race will be held the same day as Ironman Florida.  Like Florida, it will have a 2.4 mile ocean swim.  Like Florida, it will have a 112 mile bike.  And like Florida, it will finish with a 26. 2 mile run.  And Florida doesn't have a battleship at the finish line.

The other benefits?  The cost is only $250 and it is less likely to sell out in 30-60 minutes.  On-line registration is a reality.  Though many will argue the point, this is a perfect alternative to IMFL.  And no, they didn't pay me to say that.

Until we begin to support alternatives to the branded IM events, NA Sports and the WTC hold all the cards.  We have little bargaining power.  If they suddenly see thousands of triathletes opting for other races, their tune might change.  And the price to hear it might, as well.

Weekends are a great time to get in some big training numbers.  Of course, it is important that your spouse (kids, significant other, lover, parents, etc) be on board.  And the pool.  Well, lifeguards, at least.

As part of the 30-swims in 30-days, I was looking to Saturday for a long, slow swim.  I planned on being up early, and hitting the pool for at least 60 minutes.  Unfortunately, my wife planned on leaving for a conference at 7:15 in the morning.  With the pool open at 6 a.m., the idea of a 2500+ yard were pretty well busted up.  I settled for just over 1000 yards.

That's okay, Sunday presented another opportunity for that swim.  It would be convenient, as our tri club had a meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. at a local YMCA.  I got there about an hour early, ready to swim.  Well, mostly ready.  I didn't have my speedo (lowercase, because it's a Tyr suit).  That had been left at home.  I quickly decided I would forego both the speedo and my dignity, and just swim in my drag suit.

As I walked into the Y, I realized neither would be required, as the lights were out in the main pool.  That didn't bode well for their second pool, and I was told none of their lifeguards had made it to work.  Zero for four is pretty bad.

Faced with the dilemma of missing a swim so early in the month or driving, I opted to drive to another location.  After all, Bigun has been throwing some big yardage down, so missing a day was out of the question.  So, I headed down the road, watching another long swim go down the drain.  By the time I actually found my way to a pool, I had barely 15 minutes available for swimming.  I did what any good A-type personality (and bad triathlete) would do.  I pounded out as many yards as I could in that time frame.  880 yards later, I hopped out of the pool and rushed back for the meeting.

Two short weekend days and I got through fewer yards than a normal weekday workout.  Sometimes, things just go wrong.  Of course, the key is to get the workouts in and maintain some kind of consistency.  The alternative was to chalk up two no-training days.  Two short swims count for much more than two unscheduled rest days.

Short or long.  Easy or tough.  Get the training in, because the off season doesn't last forever.

I am constantly amazed at the number of toys that people take to the pool.  Kickboards, pull bouys, snorkels, weighted gloves, fist gloves, fins, and paddles abound.  I have yet to figure out if I'm a purist or a novice.  When I go for a swim, I take two things.  Goggles and a towel.  The towel is optional.  But you should always know where your towel is.

There is, however, one training aid I do put to good use.  As a fan of visualization, I love videos that show proper swim form.  Drills make a great deal more sense when seen done properly.  Having access to underwater views is particularly helpful.  And five or ten minutes of video of a strong swimmer in the water, from different angles, provides valuable imagery for my own swim sessions.

Currently, I am using the Swim Smooth DVD set.  Paul Newsome put together an outstanding video that breaks down the swim stroke to its component parts.  Coaches and swimmers demonstrate drills designed to correct and improve each phase of the swim stroke.  The videos are laid out in a manner that allows the user to select areas of weakness and focus on those specific drills.

The DVD also comes with a CD full of resources for training.  Included on the CD is an 8-week training program designed for use with the videos.  And for those who have yet to pick up the DVD set, Swim Smooth has a bunch of resources available on their website.

Their "Free Articles" page is loaded with information from breathing to efficient stroke to nutrition.  One new item recently posted is a "10 Step Performance Checklist" that can be downloaded or printed.  It provides a general guideline of steps to improved swimming as well as the drills that will help along the way.  With or without the video, these resources are wonderful tools for anyone looking to make quantum leaps in the swim skills, this off season.

Take a peek at what Paul and crew at Swim Smooth have to offer.  And check back during the month as I offer in-depth feedback on those areas that receive my attention.

At the Spirit of Racine half-IM, Mr. Iron Wil made several of us feel like rock stars.  He was all over the course taking pictures of his wife, and went above and beyond by providing pictures such as the one on the left.  These are the type of pictures triathletes long for because they are difficult to find.  It is an amazing shot, it was sent directly to me, and it was at full resolution.

And it somehow manages to make me look like I know what I'm doing in the water.  That is no small feat.  Perhaps that is because it's actually just AFTER I exited the water.  And it's a still photo.

This morning was the first swim of the 30-day swim focus Bigun and I will be completing.  My goal was to get a relatively big swim on the books while providing a baseline for gauging improvement.  Though I generally use a thousand yard time trial, I used a 2053 yard swim, this morning.  My average pace came out to 2:14/100 yards.  Though better than last year, I still consider that a relatively low bar.

As in "Nobody is getting under this limbo bar, so don't even try" low.

Today's swim reminded me of the room for improvement when in comes to swimming.  Because triathlon is about more than just cool photos.  It's about cool photos that hide the fact that the just completed swim nearly killed me.