Time for some structure

Tomorrow's December 1, for me that means time to put workouts down on paper, get in the habit of training everyday, (actually twice/day usually) and force myself to put some time in on the indoor trainer every so often.

I've enjoyed doing the unstructured work and I still feel fairly fit when I get out and start to push a bit but I'm actually looking forward to getting back into the routine. I like the feeling that I'm doing the right things to make me faster next season.
So the headstart on 2008 begins with a SCCC group ride tomorrow at 8am (forecast says sunny and -3 C...time to harden up!!!!)

See ya, Ian

A new venture...

I have decided to officially toss my hat in the ring of triathlon coaching. It seems like a lot of folks lately are leveraging their coaching business on their success on the race course rather than an actual understanding of exercise physiology and training principles. My priority above all else in this venture is to facilitate each athlete's goals by combining my education, experience and development philosophy with their hard work and desire to get faster. My active participation in triathlon will certainly influence my coaching but will not define it.

Coaching is not new for me, I've been actively coaching swimmers for years on both a full-time and part-time basis. I have been informally advising triathletes for the last couple of years; talking with a few of them it has become clear that this is something I am good at and should look into pursuing on a more formal basis.

So what am I all about? The name of my outfit: PresentTense Performance Training goes a long way in representing where I stand, let's start there! I think we often get a bit caught up in looking ahead; worrying about how fast we go, how we look and who we are in the future. The name reflects my belief that future performance begins in the present; do what you need to do today and reap the rewards "tomorrow."

I think the name also represents a certain level of fluidity and flexibility in the way in which I "plan the work and work the plan." I am an age-group triathlete, I work full-time. I have a wife, and two dogs that I enjoy spending time with. I have a house that needs to be fixed when it's broken. I understand that things come up in the life of a typical triathlete. I also understand that a certain level of physical stress (and the requisite rest) must be placed on an athlete in order for them to be faster. As a coach I will help my athletes balance that, in order to do that I need to be Present on a fairly regular basis. Present does not mean that I need to be at every workout (or even any workout) but it does mean that I need regular and comprehensive feedback in order to do my job.

If you're interested in more, shoot me an email at ian@presenttense.ca The website is still under development but I should have that up and running over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for checking in!
Ian

Back at it...sort of

OK, time to start "training" again. Two+ weeks of basically nothing except bike commuting and I'm starting to feel like working out. No schedule, power meter or heart rate monitor just yet though! For the month of November I'm simply going to try to lift and swim twice a week and fill the rest of the days with some non-structured riding on the road/CX bike.
I'm taking a break from running until December. Not that I don't want to run, I actually love running in the trails along the Niagara Escarpment this time of year. I was starting to have some issues in my lower left leg and foot leading into Kona so I'm taking an extended break from the pounding...I can't wait to put a solid run focus in over the winter!