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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Official Race Report
2008 Ironman 70.3 Race Report
The Preparations
The Ironman 70.3 world championships is a crazy circus of over 1500 athletes from around the globe, many thousands of spectators and an energy that is hard to describe. In only two years of racing triathlon, qualifying for this spectacular event was a huge success in itself.
In the lead up the the race, I was very optimistic, ready to race and honestly felt like it was going to be my day to break into the top level of triathlon. After qualifying for the 2008 Ironman 70.3 world championships in Antwerp at the beginning of August, my one focus was building up to the peak of the season in Clearwater. Earlier in the year, my fitness and results had been up and down depending on injuries and other situations in life such as new jobs, my wedding, and the birth of my daughter. But in the three months of training before the world championships I had the most consistent training in many years giving me a positive overall feeling of readiness before the race.
The Race
Swim
Swimming is my weak spot in triathlon and I knew this swim would be difficult. However, I would never have expected it to go the way it did. I carefully picked my starting position and about one minute before the start, the defending world champion decided he would start next to me. Right about then my heart skipped a beat and I realized how important this race was.
When the gun went off I started to sprint into the water but right as I took my first steps into the water, my legs were kicked out by accident by a fellow competitor. I fell into the water and the remaining competitors ran over the top of me. After getting back onto my feet, the entire field was in front of me. I tried desperately to catch the main group but they quickly swam away from me. The rest of the swim was simply struggling and fighting my way to the end. I never got the rhythm I needed to go fast.
Bike
I knew after the swim I had a lot of work to do to catch the front group on the bicycle section and I quickly tried to find a fast tempo that would bring me to the front. My mind was still clear and focused despite my poor swim and I could still picture a top 10 result coming from the race if I could go well on the bike and run. I struggled some near the beginning of the bike to get comfortable, but I still started to pass riders quickly. After about 30 minutes I caught one athlete and we ended up riding together all the way to the finish of the bike. During the ride I tried to push the pace but still remained careful not to destroy my legs for the important run.
Run
Getting off the bike I was already feeling fatigue, soreness, and cramping in my legs. But I forced myself to focus on the running and breakdown the final hour into small sections. I started my run and the legs felt like rubber. I had no control of what they were doing and no power. I kept pushing but the legs would not respond. By halfway through the race, it was clear my run was not going to be my best. I tried to find a comfortable rhythm for the remainder of the race but found my legs were slowing down every step. The final time running over the large bridge almost forced me to a walk in the blazing heat. I struggled to the finish and tried to keep positive as I plodded along the final steps. Crossing the finish line I glanced up to see my time of 4:01, which was about 15 minutes slower than I had hoped.
Post Race
Disappointed beyond words was my first reaction after completing the race. I had just trained insanely hard and focused for three months and ended up racing about 5 minutes SLOWER than my last race, which was on a slower course. I tried to keep my head high but the disappointment was clear on my face. This was hard to understand how so much hard work could result in a loss.
But after more time away from the race and a chance to talk with others, I started to see the positive side of the story. This was my first time racing at the highest level and it is entirely normal to have problems during the first try at the world championships. Most people experience the same thing, including this year's winner who last year was leading the race with 5kms to only to fall apart and finish outside of the top 5. Also encouraging for me was to think that my race was clearly a bad day for me, however, I still managed a time of 4:01, which even one year ago was unthinkably fast for me. This proved that I have made huge improvements in the past year but was unfortunate to have a bad day on race day.
Future Direction
Everyone tells you after an experience like this that you always learn more from mistakes and bad days than from instant success. My career so far in triathlon has been marked by instant success and a fast rise to the top. Now I feel like the poor result from world championships is going to really help me in the coming years. I have learned many aspects of my triathlon game that can be improved such as swim speed and power on the bike.
However, the most important aspect I have learned from this experience is that it is possible to be over prepared. I started specific preparations for the event more than three months before, and spent the final four weeks in Florida training by myself. I think this was too much and in the future I will do a better result if I stay at home for longer where I can train with my normal routine until only 1-2 weeks before the race.
I feel like my race would have gone better if I had kept training with my regular groups and training partners. They provide powerful training tools to motive and push that are not easily replicated while training by myself. Additionally, having the opportunity to work directly with my coaches makes a huge difference in mental as well as physical preparedness.
Now I look more clearly at my race and preparations I feel like I know what I need to do to accomplish a top 5 placing and know it is possible. Motivation for the coming season is already building even though I am just starting my 'vacation.' I am now even more confident that with the support of my sponsors, training partners, coaches, and family, next year will be the time I step up to the highest level of endurance triathlon racing.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
On a positive note...
My head is still spinning and trying to understand how yesterday turned out so badly.
However, when I woke up this morning, my beautiful wife reminded me of something much more important than a bad day on the race course...
Today is Father's day! (in Finland)
That instantly brought a smile to my face and is something to really be proud of.
Now we go to Disney World and start vacation time!
However, when I woke up this morning, my beautiful wife reminded me of something much more important than a bad day on the race course...
Today is Father's day! (in Finland)
That instantly brought a smile to my face and is something to really be proud of.
Now we go to Disney World and start vacation time!
Post race
Just a quick update here...
Unfortunately I do not have any good news to share with my readers. Despite having perfect preparation and a great feeling before the race, today was quite simply a bad day.
I am not sure why it happened, but it did. I started the race feeling super positive and optimistic but right from the beginning something was wrong. The swim was not at all what I am capable of, despite pushing 100% the whole time. Partly the new experience of swimming in salt water could explain some of my poor performance or also my inexperience in swimming in a group. But for sure today was below my capability.
Then onto the bike I thought I was doing a relatively good ride, but looking at the results now, I was still 5 minutes off the pace I should have done.
But the real problem came on the run. Basically my legs would not respond when I wanted to increase the pace. The energy was gone and I had no power. I did everything I could to try and push harder but my legs would not respond. It felt like heavy weights were tied to my ankles and slowly pulling me down.
I guess everyone has bad days. I am extremely frustrated my bad day came today when I have prepared so well for many months for this one day. Now it is time to recover mentally, which could take some time. I am sure I have learned a lot from this experience, but at the moment that doesn't make me feel much better.
So, I thank everyone for supporting me in the lead up to this race. I am very sorry to not have a result from this. As they say, "back to the drawing board." (time to start over)
All the best,
Darby
Unfortunately I do not have any good news to share with my readers. Despite having perfect preparation and a great feeling before the race, today was quite simply a bad day.
I am not sure why it happened, but it did. I started the race feeling super positive and optimistic but right from the beginning something was wrong. The swim was not at all what I am capable of, despite pushing 100% the whole time. Partly the new experience of swimming in salt water could explain some of my poor performance or also my inexperience in swimming in a group. But for sure today was below my capability.
Then onto the bike I thought I was doing a relatively good ride, but looking at the results now, I was still 5 minutes off the pace I should have done.
But the real problem came on the run. Basically my legs would not respond when I wanted to increase the pace. The energy was gone and I had no power. I did everything I could to try and push harder but my legs would not respond. It felt like heavy weights were tied to my ankles and slowly pulling me down.
I guess everyone has bad days. I am extremely frustrated my bad day came today when I have prepared so well for many months for this one day. Now it is time to recover mentally, which could take some time. I am sure I have learned a lot from this experience, but at the moment that doesn't make me feel much better.
So, I thank everyone for supporting me in the lead up to this race. I am very sorry to not have a result from this. As they say, "back to the drawing board." (time to start over)
All the best,
Darby
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Final prep
The final week of preparations for the 70.3 world championships have gone very well. This past weekend I participated in a great local event, the Clearwater Beach Biathlon. I want to quickly thank Park, the event director, for organizing the event.
The unique event was a 2 mile run, 1/3 mile swim, followed by another 2 mile run. Definitely a first for me and a very enjoyable event, although the shock of running into the chilly water after a 2 mile run was pretty intense. The first 200 meters I was barely able to swim as my body just stopped working in the cold. After fighting through the waves to get out I eventually found some tempo but still had a poor feeling in the water.
Onto the final run I had to close a 200 meter gap to the first place and got that done by the turn around point. By the finish I had a sizable gap and started to feel good. A positive sign to feel good considering only two days before I had done a super tough 20 km run, which generally takes a few days to recover from.
Since last weekend I have had a couple rest days mixed with a couple final speed workouts to fine tune. Just trying to relax now and get mentally ready for a day of tough racing. Really looking forward to this race now I as feel as prepared as possible.
One final update to come just before the race.
Thanks for reading,
Darby
The unique event was a 2 mile run, 1/3 mile swim, followed by another 2 mile run. Definitely a first for me and a very enjoyable event, although the shock of running into the chilly water after a 2 mile run was pretty intense. The first 200 meters I was barely able to swim as my body just stopped working in the cold. After fighting through the waves to get out I eventually found some tempo but still had a poor feeling in the water.
Onto the final run I had to close a 200 meter gap to the first place and got that done by the turn around point. By the finish I had a sizable gap and started to feel good. A positive sign to feel good considering only two days before I had done a super tough 20 km run, which generally takes a few days to recover from.
Since last weekend I have had a couple rest days mixed with a couple final speed workouts to fine tune. Just trying to relax now and get mentally ready for a day of tough racing. Really looking forward to this race now I as feel as prepared as possible.
One final update to come just before the race.
Thanks for reading,
Darby
Election Day
Today is a big day... my daughter's 4 month birthday, and of course the presidential election in the United States of America.
Having been in Florida for three weeks now and we have been watching a constant stream of political news almost every minute of everyday. At times it has made me sick but over the course it has become clear how important this election has become.
After 8 years of being slightly embarrassed to say I am an American, today I am proud to say that America has turned a corner and is beginning to move in a positive direction. While I have much respect for McCain and everything he has done for the US, Obama represents a needed change in the direction of the US.
Sitting here now watching Obama give his victory speech is something I will remember the rest of my life. I hope the rest of the world sees the significance of what happened today.
After I recover from today I will get back to writing about my preparations for world championships.
All the best,
Darby
Having been in Florida for three weeks now and we have been watching a constant stream of political news almost every minute of everyday. At times it has made me sick but over the course it has become clear how important this election has become.
After 8 years of being slightly embarrassed to say I am an American, today I am proud to say that America has turned a corner and is beginning to move in a positive direction. While I have much respect for McCain and everything he has done for the US, Obama represents a needed change in the direction of the US.
Sitting here now watching Obama give his victory speech is something I will remember the rest of my life. I hope the rest of the world sees the significance of what happened today.
After I recover from today I will get back to writing about my preparations for world championships.
All the best,
Darby
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tune-Up
Today we took a trip an hour south to Fort De Soto park where I raced the Sun Coast triathlon, a sprint distance event. I first want to thank Fred from Design Sports for organizing such a great event. It was great to see so many juniors participating in the sport.
The start of the event was at 7:30 am and with the sun rising only a few minutes before the start, it was still dark when we arrived to register and set up transition. Pretty crazy atmosphere running around in the dark trying to get oriented. Then when I finally got out to the beach, I was greeted with choppy water like I had never raced in before. Plus the salt water swim was a first for me.
Getting through the tough 1/3 mile swim ended up being not as bad as I thought. Although keeping on course was tough when waves were easily above the markers at times. Also the wave start system they used meant I was catching many of the earlier starters, which made for a few close calls of pushing someone under the water by accident.
Onto the bike I pushed near maximum pace and averaged around 45 kph. A little tail wind also helped get speeds of 55 kph on the back stretch. Pretty fun to hit that kind of speeds.
In the run I wanted to push my pace and work on speed. The 5km distance flew by and I was very happy with the feeling my legs had.
In the end I finished with a time gap over 2nd place of about 5 minutes. With this kind of fitness, I am feeling more and more confident this world championships will be a good event for me. Hopefully all the other parts of the puzzle come together in the coming weeks.
Next on the plan is a few more days of harder training before the final recovery period.
The start of the event was at 7:30 am and with the sun rising only a few minutes before the start, it was still dark when we arrived to register and set up transition. Pretty crazy atmosphere running around in the dark trying to get oriented. Then when I finally got out to the beach, I was greeted with choppy water like I had never raced in before. Plus the salt water swim was a first for me.
Getting through the tough 1/3 mile swim ended up being not as bad as I thought. Although keeping on course was tough when waves were easily above the markers at times. Also the wave start system they used meant I was catching many of the earlier starters, which made for a few close calls of pushing someone under the water by accident.
Onto the bike I pushed near maximum pace and averaged around 45 kph. A little tail wind also helped get speeds of 55 kph on the back stretch. Pretty fun to hit that kind of speeds.
In the run I wanted to push my pace and work on speed. The 5km distance flew by and I was very happy with the feeling my legs had.
In the end I finished with a time gap over 2nd place of about 5 minutes. With this kind of fitness, I am feeling more and more confident this world championships will be a good event for me. Hopefully all the other parts of the puzzle come together in the coming weeks.
Next on the plan is a few more days of harder training before the final recovery period.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Training with Baywatch
Greetings from sunny Florida! At least that is what all the post cards say from here...
And sunny it is! One of the few benefits of being a professional athlete in a sport that doesn't pay, is the locations of the events. This year Florida, next year Hawaii? Perhaps... but more likely two years away.
Anyways, life and training are going very well here in Florida. Riding has really picked up now the weather is warm and sunny. Also I have been learning how to open water swim in salt water, which is a new one for me. Really tough to not choke on the strong tasting salt water.
Today I also found a perfect training group to help me with the swim preparations. Clearwater beach's own Baywatch! Ok... no Pamela Anderson to swim with, but the folks from the life guard station let me join their morning swim/run workout. I think this will be very helpful in allowing me to do a good swim during the race. Perhaps you can see from the picture above which is me? Just look for the little bit different colored one...
In other news... I finally lost my big toe nail! It's been falling off since my race in Antwerp and today if finally went all the way. It's my first lost toe nail so I must be a real runner/triathlete now. Hopefully this is also my last as it is pretty disguesting now.
More coming soon...
-Darby
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Getting 'Girl-ed'
After a very successful past two months of training and racing, I am leaving Finland to do my final preparations for the 70.3 worlds in Florida. My wife Emilia, our daughter and I will spend one month in Florida and experience all the sun we can imagine, and of course fine tuning my training to do my largest race of the year.
Quick summary of the past month:
Swimming a ton.... many thanks to the Jani and Jari from the Aurajoen Uinti swim club who have allowed me to train with there team a few days per week. What a difference it makes to swim with swimmers! I really learned a lot and was humbled every day. Especially when even the slowest 15 year old girl could beat me!!! But its all part of the process of learning and getting better.
Running: I have focused on speed work and racing for the past month or two and it has showed with races going very well and training times getting faster. Still have some work to do before race day but all it going in the right direction.
Cycling: Weather in Finland cooperated for much of the past two months and I managed to get some good rides in. However, as the darkness and cold has been increasing the past couple weeks, I have started to lose motivation to train by myself. Florida will be the right place to do the final kms for cycling though.
Overall, I am very happy with my preparation and now look forward to a final push of training in Florida. And of course a little sunny vacation never hurts during late October and November in Finland!
All the best,
Darby
Running: I have focused on speed work and racing for the past month or two and it has showed with races going very well and training times getting faster. Still have some work to do before race day but all it going in the right direction.
Cycling: Weather in Finland cooperated for much of the past two months and I managed to get some good rides in. However, as the darkness and cold has been increasing the past couple weeks, I have started to lose motivation to train by myself. Florida will be the right place to do the final kms for cycling though.
Overall, I am very happy with my preparation and now look forward to a final push of training in Florida. And of course a little sunny vacation never hurts during late October and November in Finland!
All the best,
Darby
Sunday, September 14, 2008
2nd PR in one week!
Half Marathon PR at the Ruisalo Juoksu!
In less than one week I have managed to do two personal records in two different distances for running. It has been about four weeks since I started serious run training and obviously the benefits have been paying off quickly.
Last weekend I made my PR in the 5km distance with a time of 15:34 and now this weekend I have improved my 1/2 marathon to 1.12:43. While the improvement is only 16 seconds from my previous best, the course this weekend was significantly more difficult with lots of hills and soft dirt paths. Perfect training for my goals later this season and it also shows my running is improving to where it should be.
Next up is a little recovery for my sore legs and while I focus on swim training.
More PRs to come soon...
- Darby
In less than one week I have managed to do two personal records in two different distances for running. It has been about four weeks since I started serious run training and obviously the benefits have been paying off quickly.
Last weekend I made my PR in the 5km distance with a time of 15:34 and now this weekend I have improved my 1/2 marathon to 1.12:43. While the improvement is only 16 seconds from my previous best, the course this weekend was significantly more difficult with lots of hills and soft dirt paths. Perfect training for my goals later this season and it also shows my running is improving to where it should be.
Next up is a little recovery for my sore legs and while I focus on swim training.
More PRs to come soon...
- Darby
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
New 5000m PR!
Training must be progressing well as I just took 45 seconds off my previous best 5km time!
The event was a small 5000m track event here in Turku and I used it purely for training purposes. Doing some tough cycling training earlier in the day in addition to a week prior of hard swim and run trainings.
Next up is a half- marathon in Ruisalo that will also be a good test and training exercise. The course is not particularly fast, so I am not expecting a new PR for half-marathon. Just a tough training to help me do better in world championships.
Until later...
-darby
The event was a small 5000m track event here in Turku and I used it purely for training purposes. Doing some tough cycling training earlier in the day in addition to a week prior of hard swim and run trainings.
Next up is a half- marathon in Ruisalo that will also be a good test and training exercise. The course is not particularly fast, so I am not expecting a new PR for half-marathon. Just a tough training to help me do better in world championships.
Until later...
-darby
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
World's Prep Vol.1
This will be the first time I have had a real chance to prepare for one race.
After taking a significant break from real training for about three weeks, I have now started my preparation for world championships in November. It seems like a long way away, but in reality I have only 6 more weeks training in Finland before going to Florida to do my final preparations.
The basic plan is this: Swim a lot and get faster. Bike a lot and get stronger. And run a lot and get faster. Simple!
The exact plans for this period of training really start with maintaining my health. I cannot afford to be injured at all during the next two months. I am notoriously bad a creating injuries at the worst possible time. So for now my priority is to stay healthy no matter what. If it means I have to train a little less, then its fine as long as I make it to the start line with whole body working in one direction.
Swim training is always my focus because I am still learning. To accomplish my goal of a top 10 placing in Florida I need to spend a large amount of time training with the local swim club. They have some guys who are at a very high level (almost made it to Beijing!) so I am continuously pushed to go faster. Even the 14 year old girls in the club are pushing me... I guess I have a long way to go until I become a 'real' swimmer... Every day spent training with them makes me faster.
The bike training is less a priority for me. I am already near the top of the field in that regard. The only thing keeping me from being even faster is a lack of long trainings. My usual training the past few years is max 3 hours per ride. Generally closer to 2 hours on a normal training day. That is not enough to make it through 90kms of max effort. So I will begin to do some real training rides a couple days per week. Something between 3-6 hours on my long rides. Combine this with some harder intervals and tempo sessions should bring my bike level up another notch. I have been a little lazy the past couple years with cycling and now its time to get going again.
Running. This is where being healthy is important. I am very new to running also and my body does not like the pounding. As a rule, I am injured the majority of the time when running. Currently I am UN-injured and I would like to keep it that way! Focusing on technique trainings and shorter fast runs will minimize my risk to injury and keep my progress moving forward. My goal of running near 1:15 is achievable if I keep this training level all the way to the event.
Sorry for the dry post. Next time I try to think of something interesting to say... Or perhaps a quote is best to seal this entry.
" I figure the faster I pedal, the faster I can retire- Lance Armstrong"
After taking a significant break from real training for about three weeks, I have now started my preparation for world championships in November. It seems like a long way away, but in reality I have only 6 more weeks training in Finland before going to Florida to do my final preparations.
The basic plan is this: Swim a lot and get faster. Bike a lot and get stronger. And run a lot and get faster. Simple!
The exact plans for this period of training really start with maintaining my health. I cannot afford to be injured at all during the next two months. I am notoriously bad a creating injuries at the worst possible time. So for now my priority is to stay healthy no matter what. If it means I have to train a little less, then its fine as long as I make it to the start line with whole body working in one direction.
Swim training is always my focus because I am still learning. To accomplish my goal of a top 10 placing in Florida I need to spend a large amount of time training with the local swim club. They have some guys who are at a very high level (almost made it to Beijing!) so I am continuously pushed to go faster. Even the 14 year old girls in the club are pushing me... I guess I have a long way to go until I become a 'real' swimmer... Every day spent training with them makes me faster.
The bike training is less a priority for me. I am already near the top of the field in that regard. The only thing keeping me from being even faster is a lack of long trainings. My usual training the past few years is max 3 hours per ride. Generally closer to 2 hours on a normal training day. That is not enough to make it through 90kms of max effort. So I will begin to do some real training rides a couple days per week. Something between 3-6 hours on my long rides. Combine this with some harder intervals and tempo sessions should bring my bike level up another notch. I have been a little lazy the past couple years with cycling and now its time to get going again.
Running. This is where being healthy is important. I am very new to running also and my body does not like the pounding. As a rule, I am injured the majority of the time when running. Currently I am UN-injured and I would like to keep it that way! Focusing on technique trainings and shorter fast runs will minimize my risk to injury and keep my progress moving forward. My goal of running near 1:15 is achievable if I keep this training level all the way to the event.
Sorry for the dry post. Next time I try to think of something interesting to say... Or perhaps a quote is best to seal this entry.
" I figure the faster I pedal, the faster I can retire- Lance Armstrong"
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Clearwater!
Antwerp 70.3 went very well overall and I finished in 7th place, which also earned me a spot to the Ironman 70.3 World Championchips in Clearwater, Florida!
The day went smoothly for most of the time, although I cannot say it was perfect. Swim I managed to put in a solid effort, but still lost the main group of contenders I was hoping to stay with. Only loosing 2 minutes to the fastest was still quite ok for me.
In the bike I was flying for most of the day but when the rain started coming down, I over cooked one corner and ended up sliding across the pavement on my back/ass. Not too bad a crash in the end because it was so slippery... i really didn't loose much skin amazingly! This little incident only slowed me down by about 30 seconds I estimate, and I was not banged up so my pace continued.
The run was more average than the rest of my day. It took me 10kms until I finally hit my stride and felt comfortable. I believe this is my area to focus on next if I want to take the next step up to finish on the podium. A 1:20 run is simply not fast enough. With some more specific run and transition training I think I can easily take a couple minutes off this time.
In the end I am very satisified with my day but also see room for improvement with just a few tweaks to my training during the coming weeks.
Next up on the racing calendar... perhaps Ironman 70.3 Monaco, if my budget allows. Otherwise, a large training block to prepare for World Championchips.
But for now, I am just relaxing and preparing for our wedding this weekend! Bigger things to think about now than triathlon! This will be a great weekend and with so many family and friends attending from all over the world. It is the day we have been waiting for the past two years and also a chance to introduce our beautiful daughter to our family and friends.
I also want to send my best wishes to my friend Chris and his wife Mieke from Belgium. I hope you can gather some strength from my performance and continue to fight hard.
The day went smoothly for most of the time, although I cannot say it was perfect. Swim I managed to put in a solid effort, but still lost the main group of contenders I was hoping to stay with. Only loosing 2 minutes to the fastest was still quite ok for me.
In the bike I was flying for most of the day but when the rain started coming down, I over cooked one corner and ended up sliding across the pavement on my back/ass. Not too bad a crash in the end because it was so slippery... i really didn't loose much skin amazingly! This little incident only slowed me down by about 30 seconds I estimate, and I was not banged up so my pace continued.
The run was more average than the rest of my day. It took me 10kms until I finally hit my stride and felt comfortable. I believe this is my area to focus on next if I want to take the next step up to finish on the podium. A 1:20 run is simply not fast enough. With some more specific run and transition training I think I can easily take a couple minutes off this time.
In the end I am very satisified with my day but also see room for improvement with just a few tweaks to my training during the coming weeks.
Next up on the racing calendar... perhaps Ironman 70.3 Monaco, if my budget allows. Otherwise, a large training block to prepare for World Championchips.
But for now, I am just relaxing and preparing for our wedding this weekend! Bigger things to think about now than triathlon! This will be a great weekend and with so many family and friends attending from all over the world. It is the day we have been waiting for the past two years and also a chance to introduce our beautiful daughter to our family and friends.
I also want to send my best wishes to my friend Chris and his wife Mieke from Belgium. I hope you can gather some strength from my performance and continue to fight hard.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Antwerp 70.3 Preview
Last year 70.3 Antwerp served as my entry into the international level competitions and it opened my eyes to the excitement and incredible feeling you get competing in major events like the Ironman series. One year later I feel like a totally different athlete and have been looking forward to Antwerp to demonstrate my current level of fitness.
In the 2007 edition I suffered dearly through the swim as I was still very new to swimming and had never swam with that many people before. Now with one more years experience and many many kms in the pool, I am much more confident going into the swim.
The bike course is not necessarily the best for me because it is very flat but it will still be an area where I can put time into the majority of the other competitors. Last year I had an average ride because of a knee problem giving me large amounts of pain. This year my injury situation is under control and my fitness is at a very high level. I expect to be pushing very hard during the bike in an attempt to start the run with the leaders or very close.
Running is how triathlons are won and I believe I am capable of a top 10 run time in Antwerp. The course is very flat and fast, which provides me a good opportunity to get into a rhythm that can bring me to the finish in around 1:15 (assuming the course is roughly 21.1kms).
In setting goals for any event I find it is helpful to have best case, average day, and salvage performance set out in advance. For Antwerp I am setting a lofty 'best case' goal of finishing on the podium. Based on last years times, and this years fitness, that seems achievable on a good day. Of course this is impossible to predict, but starting with that in mind helps give motivation. 'Average day' goal will be a top ten placing with a run under 1:20. This is achievable even if I am not at my best on race day. And finally the worst case scenario or salvage performance goal will be a top 20 placing if all goes wrong. Example of this would be a flat tire or cramps or something similarly destructive to my performance. I believe just trying to finish strong, no matter what happens during the race, has an important motivational impact for later races.
Last year I had something in between an average day and salvage performance with the knee problems slowing me down drastically during the race, and I still managed to finish around 20th place. This year I am very optimistic about my chances of having a good day where everything comes together. This whole season has been very positive in the sense that every event has had strong improvements in some of the disciplines, but so far I have not put together a complete performance. Now it feels like everything is coming together to allow a day where I really show my potential. With the added motivation Emilia and my daughter have given me during the past month, I am ready to give a top performance.
Stay tuned...
- darby
In the 2007 edition I suffered dearly through the swim as I was still very new to swimming and had never swam with that many people before. Now with one more years experience and many many kms in the pool, I am much more confident going into the swim.
The bike course is not necessarily the best for me because it is very flat but it will still be an area where I can put time into the majority of the other competitors. Last year I had an average ride because of a knee problem giving me large amounts of pain. This year my injury situation is under control and my fitness is at a very high level. I expect to be pushing very hard during the bike in an attempt to start the run with the leaders or very close.
Running is how triathlons are won and I believe I am capable of a top 10 run time in Antwerp. The course is very flat and fast, which provides me a good opportunity to get into a rhythm that can bring me to the finish in around 1:15 (assuming the course is roughly 21.1kms).
In setting goals for any event I find it is helpful to have best case, average day, and salvage performance set out in advance. For Antwerp I am setting a lofty 'best case' goal of finishing on the podium. Based on last years times, and this years fitness, that seems achievable on a good day. Of course this is impossible to predict, but starting with that in mind helps give motivation. 'Average day' goal will be a top ten placing with a run under 1:20. This is achievable even if I am not at my best on race day. And finally the worst case scenario or salvage performance goal will be a top 20 placing if all goes wrong. Example of this would be a flat tire or cramps or something similarly destructive to my performance. I believe just trying to finish strong, no matter what happens during the race, has an important motivational impact for later races.
Last year I had something in between an average day and salvage performance with the knee problems slowing me down drastically during the race, and I still managed to finish around 20th place. This year I am very optimistic about my chances of having a good day where everything comes together. This whole season has been very positive in the sense that every event has had strong improvements in some of the disciplines, but so far I have not put together a complete performance. Now it feels like everything is coming together to allow a day where I really show my potential. With the added motivation Emilia and my daughter have given me during the past month, I am ready to give a top performance.
Stay tuned...
- darby
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Joroinen 1/2 Ironman SM
How do you explain quiting a race while still in a position to win? I don't expect most people to understand this because it is not a normal decision to make. However, when you consider the whole picture, this was the only option I was given at the Joroinen 1/2 Ironman Finnish championships.
Starting the race was even a big question as late as two days before the Saturday race. I had three main things to consider with the race: 1) my daughter was born only one week ago and I did not want to leave her and Emilia at home 2) the last 3 weeks I had knee pain from ITB syndrome, which had stopped me from running at all 3) the last month my training had been very poor because of a new job, a baby coming, and the knee problem. So understandably it was a big question if starting Joroinen was even a good idea.
But after Emilia and I decided it would be ok to travel with our little one, I decided to accept the risk that my knee might not work during the run. This was an important race to me even if I was not properly prepared. I really wanted to show I was capable of winning the national championships after last year's 2nd place. It would have been an honour to take the top spot of the podium in my adopted country's national championships.
The knee pain I had been dealing with was the worst kind. It was not possible to run through this kind of an injury because it gets worse every step and eventually the knee will stop moving completely. I had the same injury three years ago when trying to run my first marathon. I made the mistake then of running through the pain and I paid for it dearly with a mandatory 6 month vacation from any running. I knew better this time that stopping when it started to hurt was the only option if I wanted to race again this season. And with Antwerp Ironman 70.3 only three weeks away, I needed to keep this knee working.
Starting the race I knew there was a chance the pain would return, but I decided to try my best anyways. From the beginning of the swim I had a good feeling and quickly fought to the front of the field and settled into a rhythm. After lap 1 of 2, I was about 5th place and within striking distance of a few more. By the end of the swim I came out in about 4th place with my coach Mika Luoto, and made a fast transition onto the bike.
I knew the bike was my chance to get out in front, so I quickly settled into a fast tempo and began to pull back time on the early leaders of Jarmo Hast and Marko Törmänen. Unfortunately for Törmänen, a flat rear tire ended his race about at about 30kms. And by km 50 I had past Hast for the lead. I continued to push hard to the end of the bike to get as big a lead as possible over the chasing DRAFT GROUP.
Once on the run, I felt relatively ok, but awkward also because of not running at all for almost three weeks prior to the event. I started very slowly to allow my body a chance to warm up to running again. Then at the start of lap two began to feel the pain returning to my knee. I tried to keep relaxed in the hopes it would go away, but it was a losing battle. My knee was already locking by km 8 of the run, so I stopped to put my knee strap on in the hopes it would stabilize the problem. Unfortunately, two kms later when coming through the lap/finish area, the pain was getting to the point it would cause long term damage if I continued. At that point I still had a small lead over Hast, but I knew I could not run any more with this problem quickly developing.
I pulled to the side and took my number off. Game over.
I know I made the right decision to stop the race. Sacrificing my health and possible chances to race well in Antwerp was not worth it. I regret not being able challenge Hast for the win, but there will always be another chance. Plus with my current running fitness it would have been tough to out run Hast who is a well established Olympic distance racer.
The only bad taste left from this experience was with a few other people's comments regarding my withdrawal from the race. Some saw me stopping only because I was getting caught by Hast. This was simply not the case. But I can understand why it may have looked that way. I stopped just before the start of another 5km lap. I was not going to damage my knee for another 5km just so people wouldn't think badly of my decision to drop out.
I proved I am capable of leading after the bike and now need to focus on getting my running to function like it should so I can compete for the overall victory. I have no doubt that given proper training and injury free time, I am can race at the highest level.
I want to thank the organizers of the Joroinen race for putting together an amazing event. I will be back next year and hope to put on a good show for you!
Thanks for reading this ridiculously long post. I try to write more soon and will try to write a little less...
Best,
Darby
Starting the race was even a big question as late as two days before the Saturday race. I had three main things to consider with the race: 1) my daughter was born only one week ago and I did not want to leave her and Emilia at home 2) the last 3 weeks I had knee pain from ITB syndrome, which had stopped me from running at all 3) the last month my training had been very poor because of a new job, a baby coming, and the knee problem. So understandably it was a big question if starting Joroinen was even a good idea.
But after Emilia and I decided it would be ok to travel with our little one, I decided to accept the risk that my knee might not work during the run. This was an important race to me even if I was not properly prepared. I really wanted to show I was capable of winning the national championships after last year's 2nd place. It would have been an honour to take the top spot of the podium in my adopted country's national championships.
The knee pain I had been dealing with was the worst kind. It was not possible to run through this kind of an injury because it gets worse every step and eventually the knee will stop moving completely. I had the same injury three years ago when trying to run my first marathon. I made the mistake then of running through the pain and I paid for it dearly with a mandatory 6 month vacation from any running. I knew better this time that stopping when it started to hurt was the only option if I wanted to race again this season. And with Antwerp Ironman 70.3 only three weeks away, I needed to keep this knee working.
Starting the race I knew there was a chance the pain would return, but I decided to try my best anyways. From the beginning of the swim I had a good feeling and quickly fought to the front of the field and settled into a rhythm. After lap 1 of 2, I was about 5th place and within striking distance of a few more. By the end of the swim I came out in about 4th place with my coach Mika Luoto, and made a fast transition onto the bike.
I knew the bike was my chance to get out in front, so I quickly settled into a fast tempo and began to pull back time on the early leaders of Jarmo Hast and Marko Törmänen. Unfortunately for Törmänen, a flat rear tire ended his race about at about 30kms. And by km 50 I had past Hast for the lead. I continued to push hard to the end of the bike to get as big a lead as possible over the chasing DRAFT GROUP.
Once on the run, I felt relatively ok, but awkward also because of not running at all for almost three weeks prior to the event. I started very slowly to allow my body a chance to warm up to running again. Then at the start of lap two began to feel the pain returning to my knee. I tried to keep relaxed in the hopes it would go away, but it was a losing battle. My knee was already locking by km 8 of the run, so I stopped to put my knee strap on in the hopes it would stabilize the problem. Unfortunately, two kms later when coming through the lap/finish area, the pain was getting to the point it would cause long term damage if I continued. At that point I still had a small lead over Hast, but I knew I could not run any more with this problem quickly developing.
I pulled to the side and took my number off. Game over.
I know I made the right decision to stop the race. Sacrificing my health and possible chances to race well in Antwerp was not worth it. I regret not being able challenge Hast for the win, but there will always be another chance. Plus with my current running fitness it would have been tough to out run Hast who is a well established Olympic distance racer.
The only bad taste left from this experience was with a few other people's comments regarding my withdrawal from the race. Some saw me stopping only because I was getting caught by Hast. This was simply not the case. But I can understand why it may have looked that way. I stopped just before the start of another 5km lap. I was not going to damage my knee for another 5km just so people wouldn't think badly of my decision to drop out.
I proved I am capable of leading after the bike and now need to focus on getting my running to function like it should so I can compete for the overall victory. I have no doubt that given proper training and injury free time, I am can race at the highest level.
I want to thank the organizers of the Joroinen race for putting together an amazing event. I will be back next year and hope to put on a good show for you!
Thanks for reading this ridiculously long post. I try to write more soon and will try to write a little less...
Best,
Darby
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Baby Girl!
On July 4th, 2008, Emilia delivered us a beautiful and healthy baby girl! Mother and daughter are healthy and happy. We are extremely happy and can't even begin to explain how this feels. My head is still in the clouds!
As you can imagine, the weeks prior to the birth have been full of anticipation and restless nights. Now it has happened, it is simply amazing!
Understandably, I have been quite bad at updating this blog but hopefully I can quickly summarize the racing news now...
After Ironman 70.3 Austria, I took about one week of little or no training to recover. Two weeks after Austria was the Finnish short distance duathlon championships and it was one of my smaller goals for the year to win. Unfortunately, with a tough half ironman still fresh in my legs, I was unable to move one step higher on the podium from last year. Again, I was relegated to second by the strong Tuukka Miettinen who was in good form and tuning up for UK 70.3 the following weekend. While second place was not what I would have chosen, I did end up with a good consolation prize... a new motor scooter!
Next on the calendar was the Forssa 1/2 marathon, which was a last minute addition to my schedule as recommended by my coach Mika Luoto. I really do need to focus on my running as that is the only part holding me back from reaching my current goals. The event in Forssa is the 2nd largest running race in Finland and attracts many top runners. I took the tactic of trying to pace off Mika who was also targeting a 1:10 finishing time. After 10km I was on track with a time of 33:30 at that point. Unfortunately, the group I was in started to accelerate of a small hill and that was the end for me. Once I got dropped from that group my pace could no longer be maintained and I ran the remainder of the race by myself loosing time ever stride. Finishing in 1:14 was slightly disappointing, but understandable as I had no time to prepare for this event.
Next up was our club's own event the Juhannus or midsummer triathlon. While the event is small, we always make it competitive for the top spot and last year I was beaten by the veteran Kai Söderdahl. This year I was determined to win despite my very sore legs from the 1/2 marathon. I suffered through the choppy swim and put in a maximum effort in the bike to give almost a 2 minute lead in less than 20kms. Then it was just suffering through the run, which felt like hell from my sore legs.
About 10 days after the Juhannus triathlon was another small event in Kisko where I hoped to test my form. Once again, I got through the swim well and stayed with Mika then put in another strong bike to have more than 2 minutes advantage starting the 10km run. Everything was going well until the 2.5 km mark where there was a water station. I had no idea if there was 2x5km laps or one 10km out and back. So when I reached the 2.5km mark and did not see any sign to turn around, I kept running. The 2 people at the water station said something to me but never tried to stop me. After 500m I knew something was wrong. I turned around and stared to run back, but it was too late. My advantage over Mika had been erased and he was now about 1 minute infront of me. Angry was an understatement and I tried to push hard to make up the difference. In the end, Mika waited just before the finish line to give a sportsman-like finish and share the win.
Now, I have only one week before Joroinen 1/2 Ironman nationals. I had originally hoped to win this event after finishing 2nd last year. Now I will have to decide if I race at all. The combination of having a baby and some lingering leg problems from running will have to be balanced with my desire to win. In addition I am only four weeks away from my larger goal in Antwerp 70.3 where I hope to qualify for world championships. For now I will just continue to enjoy the time with Emilia and my new daughter, then decide later this week if I race Joroinen.
Thats all for now... time to get back to the hospital to see my ladies!
Best wishes,
Darby
As you can imagine, the weeks prior to the birth have been full of anticipation and restless nights. Now it has happened, it is simply amazing!
Understandably, I have been quite bad at updating this blog but hopefully I can quickly summarize the racing news now...
After Ironman 70.3 Austria, I took about one week of little or no training to recover. Two weeks after Austria was the Finnish short distance duathlon championships and it was one of my smaller goals for the year to win. Unfortunately, with a tough half ironman still fresh in my legs, I was unable to move one step higher on the podium from last year. Again, I was relegated to second by the strong Tuukka Miettinen who was in good form and tuning up for UK 70.3 the following weekend. While second place was not what I would have chosen, I did end up with a good consolation prize... a new motor scooter!
Next on the calendar was the Forssa 1/2 marathon, which was a last minute addition to my schedule as recommended by my coach Mika Luoto. I really do need to focus on my running as that is the only part holding me back from reaching my current goals. The event in Forssa is the 2nd largest running race in Finland and attracts many top runners. I took the tactic of trying to pace off Mika who was also targeting a 1:10 finishing time. After 10km I was on track with a time of 33:30 at that point. Unfortunately, the group I was in started to accelerate of a small hill and that was the end for me. Once I got dropped from that group my pace could no longer be maintained and I ran the remainder of the race by myself loosing time ever stride. Finishing in 1:14 was slightly disappointing, but understandable as I had no time to prepare for this event.
Next up was our club's own event the Juhannus or midsummer triathlon. While the event is small, we always make it competitive for the top spot and last year I was beaten by the veteran Kai Söderdahl. This year I was determined to win despite my very sore legs from the 1/2 marathon. I suffered through the choppy swim and put in a maximum effort in the bike to give almost a 2 minute lead in less than 20kms. Then it was just suffering through the run, which felt like hell from my sore legs.
About 10 days after the Juhannus triathlon was another small event in Kisko where I hoped to test my form. Once again, I got through the swim well and stayed with Mika then put in another strong bike to have more than 2 minutes advantage starting the 10km run. Everything was going well until the 2.5 km mark where there was a water station. I had no idea if there was 2x5km laps or one 10km out and back. So when I reached the 2.5km mark and did not see any sign to turn around, I kept running. The 2 people at the water station said something to me but never tried to stop me. After 500m I knew something was wrong. I turned around and stared to run back, but it was too late. My advantage over Mika had been erased and he was now about 1 minute infront of me. Angry was an understatement and I tried to push hard to make up the difference. In the end, Mika waited just before the finish line to give a sportsman-like finish and share the win.
Now, I have only one week before Joroinen 1/2 Ironman nationals. I had originally hoped to win this event after finishing 2nd last year. Now I will have to decide if I race at all. The combination of having a baby and some lingering leg problems from running will have to be balanced with my desire to win. In addition I am only four weeks away from my larger goal in Antwerp 70.3 where I hope to qualify for world championships. For now I will just continue to enjoy the time with Emilia and my new daughter, then decide later this week if I race Joroinen.
Thats all for now... time to get back to the hospital to see my ladies!
Best wishes,
Darby
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Ironman 70.3 Austria
Triathlon is a sport of details where every small piece of the puzzle matters in reaching the overall result. Going into my first major ½ Ironman event of the year in Austria, I felt my puzzle had all the pieces to get a top 5 placing. Training had progressed well beyond what I had accomplished the previous year and I had a good feeling going into the event.
Beautiful weather greeted me on race day with sun, no wind, and 25 degree temperatures. With over 1500 competitors, the race was the largest I had ever undertaken. The adrenaline of television helicopters and thousands of spectators helped fuel my efforts.
The first section of the event was the 1.9km swim, which was interestingly divided between two lakes with a short 200m run between the waters. Swimming is admittedly my weak point, so I simply tried to limit my losses in the first section.
Then pushed onto the bike section where I have an advantage over most due to my background as a professional level cyclist. The 90km flew past and I slowly caught over 30 athletes who had gained some time on me during the swim. Upon completing the bike leg, I was somewhere around 10th position and felt relatively strong to do a fast ½-marathon.
The first 5kms of the run my legs felt like Jell-O and I quickly realized the day was not going as I had hoped. To reach the highest level in ½ Ironman racing, you need a deadly fast run of less than 1 hour 15 minutes. As the kms ticked past, my pace slowed and by the finish I could only manage a 1:22 ½-marathon. About 10 minutes more than my person best time for the distance.
While the end result of 22nd place did not reach my goal of a top 5 placing, I left happy to know I am not far away from reaching that target. Now I have two months time to build upon my fitness and tune my running to be able to achieve what I know is possible. My season goal of racing the world championships is within reach and now I have a clear picture of what pieces of the puzzle I need to refine in order to reach my goal.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Fresh Start
The 2008 season has officially begun with a 'winter triathlon' here in Turku. The event was pretty minimal and mostly just a fun way for people in the area to get a good workout and remember why they are training.
Taking place in and around our home swimming pool of Impivara, the triathlon consisted of a 500 meter pool swim, short break to put ski clothes on, then off to ski 7km and finish with a 4km run. Snow was particularly hard to find this year and we relied on the 2km man-made track nearby to do the event. MOST of the course had snow, except an uphill where you needed to carefully walk up a narrow band of snow on the side. Regardless of the poor snow conditions, the event was great fun and I can say my season has started on a good note after I finished a couple minutes ahead of 2nd place (my coach Mika).
The 2008 season has officially begun with a 'winter triathlon' here in Turku. The event was pretty minimal and mostly just a fun way for people in the area to get a good workout and remember why they are training.
Taking place in and around our home swimming pool of Impivara, the triathlon consisted of a 500 meter pool swim, short break to put ski clothes on, then off to ski 7km and finish with a 4km run. Snow was particularly hard to find this year and we relied on the 2km man-made track nearby to do the event. MOST of the course had snow, except an uphill where you needed to carefully walk up a narrow band of snow on the side. Regardless of the poor snow conditions, the event was great fun and I can say my season has started on a good note after I finished a couple minutes ahead of 2nd place (my coach Mika).
The remainder of March was spent battling the late winter that finally decided to come to Finland. While training in the snow normally is not a problem, I still managed to have three small cycling crashes in one month. Pretty amazing series of bad luck, but luckily only minor scraps and bruises.
Now everything is back on track and going well. The sun is feeling warm and spring has really started, so training begins to feel very easy when compared to the winter months. As they say, 'now the fun begins!'
The remainder of March was spent battling the late winter that finally decided to come to Finland. While training in the snow normally is not a problem, I still managed to have three small cycling crashes in one month. Pretty amazing series of bad luck, but luckily only minor scraps and bruises.
Now everything is back on track and going well. The sun is feeling warm and spring has really started, so training begins to feel very easy when compared to the winter months. As they say, 'now the fun begins!'
Taking place in and around our home swimming pool of Impivara, the triathlon consisted of a 500 meter pool swim, short break to put ski clothes on, then off to ski 7km and finish with a 4km run. Snow was particularly hard to find this year and we relied on the 2km man-made track nearby to do the event. MOST of the course had snow, except an uphill where you needed to carefully walk up a narrow band of snow on the side. Regardless of the poor snow conditions, the event was great fun and I can say my season has started on a good note after I finished a couple minutes ahead of 2nd place (my coach Mika).
The 2008 season has officially begun with a 'winter triathlon' here in Turku. The event was pretty minimal and mostly just a fun way for people in the area to get a good workout and remember why they are training.
Taking place in and around our home swimming pool of Impivara, the triathlon consisted of a 500 meter pool swim, short break to put ski clothes on, then off to ski 7km and finish with a 4km run. Snow was particularly hard to find this year and we relied on the 2km man-made track nearby to do the event. MOST of the course had snow, except an uphill where you needed to carefully walk up a narrow band of snow on the side. Regardless of the poor snow conditions, the event was great fun and I can say my season has started on a good note after I finished a couple minutes ahead of 2nd place (my coach Mika).
The remainder of March was spent battling the late winter that finally decided to come to Finland. While training in the snow normally is not a problem, I still managed to have three small cycling crashes in one month. Pretty amazing series of bad luck, but luckily only minor scraps and bruises.
Now everything is back on track and going well. The sun is feeling warm and spring has really started, so training begins to feel very easy when compared to the winter months. As they say, 'now the fun begins!'
The remainder of March was spent battling the late winter that finally decided to come to Finland. While training in the snow normally is not a problem, I still managed to have three small cycling crashes in one month. Pretty amazing series of bad luck, but luckily only minor scraps and bruises.
Now everything is back on track and going well. The sun is feeling warm and spring has really started, so training begins to feel very easy when compared to the winter months. As they say, 'now the fun begins!'
Winter Training
During the winter months in Finland, most summer sport athletes such as runners, cyclists, and triathletes go to long training camps where there is sun and comfortable training conditions. Generally speaking this makes sense and the athletes do benefit from the month or more of focused training. However, not all athletes have the option to travel to warmer climates. I am in the second group but have found there are benefits to staying in Finland through the tough winter months.
My theory is that the harsh weather conditions where sun is rarely seen and warmth is only found in the sauna, help make you appreciate the beautiful summer conditions found in Finland later in the year. True, I do complain about the darkness when I wake up early to do morning swims. Yes, it is painful to ride your bike through blowing snow/rain long after the sun has gone down. But, when spring arrives, you feel more prepared to tackle the tough season of racing and training after surviving winter training in Finland.
Ironically, skiing is the best winter training you can get while training in Finland but this year is perhaps the worst winter ever for skiing. My only chance to ski this entire winter was on a brief trip back to my parent’s home in the US where snow was chest deep in most places. While it is disappointing that there is no skiing this season, it does leave an opportunity to train more traditionally with more cycling and outdoor running being possible. All the time building my strength and appreciation of sun and warm weather when it finally does return with spring.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Week 1 - 2008 "Holiday Cheer"
Our recent trip back to Vermont was success. Visiting my family is always a great time for Emilia and I. This year was particularly special with our announcement of a baby in the works for next summer. The excitement this generated took some time to settle down, but eventually did and we all got back to the usual activities of eating, and eating...
By the end of the trip I was ready to start a salad and water diet after overdosing on chocolate, Ben & Jerry's, and Cabot cheese for two weeks. Combine that with the 'driving culture' in the US where everything is at least 2o minute drive away and no walking or cycling is allowed, gives an extra large dose of holiday cheer. My holiday cheer tipped the scale at about 2 kgs, which is not all that bad considering the sheer volume of Ben & Jerry's I was consuming each day.
Now back in Turku, loosing the holiday cheer is easy. No car means riding my bike at least one hour per day just going to normal activities such as work, school, training, etc. Add that to the first real training block of the year means I should be grateful for a couple extra kilos to use for energy in the coming weeks.
By the end of the trip I was ready to start a salad and water diet after overdosing on chocolate, Ben & Jerry's, and Cabot cheese for two weeks. Combine that with the 'driving culture' in the US where everything is at least 2o minute drive away and no walking or cycling is allowed, gives an extra large dose of holiday cheer. My holiday cheer tipped the scale at about 2 kgs, which is not all that bad considering the sheer volume of Ben & Jerry's I was consuming each day.
Now back in Turku, loosing the holiday cheer is easy. No car means riding my bike at least one hour per day just going to normal activities such as work, school, training, etc. Add that to the first real training block of the year means I should be grateful for a couple extra kilos to use for energy in the coming weeks.
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