Timex Ironman Run Trainer: a Runner's Watch that Works for Cyclists

Courtesy of Timex
Timex Ironman Run Trainer: a Runner's Watch that Works for Cyclists

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"Strive for progress..."

Courtesy of Timex
"Strive for progress..."

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TIMEX Launches "I Am A Runner" Campaign to Celebrate Runners of All Levels

TIMEX Launches "I Am A Runner" Campaign to Celebrate Runners of All Levels

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Getting Coached, Getting Sponsored, Getting Ready!

You might remember in my recent post about Triton Triathlon that I was in the market for a tri coach to help push me through this season. After doing a lot of searching around the web at different coaching options, I ended up going to some local triathletes that I know and asking their opinion. They referred me to a coach working out of one of Montreal’s most popular tri shops, Cycle Technique.

I met with the coach, Gil, and I really liked his approach! He definitely knew his stuff, and made it clear that he was readily available for feedback when needed. All my training would be planned and logged with TrainingPeaks, which I have already using for over a year, and getting coached meant that he could co-opt me into his Premium edition of TrainingPeaks. Gil schedules my workouts for the week every Saturday, but also responds to any feedback that I had for particular sessions. So far, his workouts have been definitely kicking my ass and getting me to push more than I would have. Beforehand, my typical bike trainer session went something like this;

5- 10 min warmup

About 45 mins of constant cycling at  90rpm

Maybe a sprinkle of one-leg drills

5 -10 min cooldown

Now, this is a typical workout taken from the past week

90 cad / warm up 2x(2'@z1.5+2'@z2)

70 cad / @ z2 with 15" pick ups to z3

3x(85 cad / 3'@ z3 +2' @ z4)

100 cad / @z1

60 cad / @ z2 jumps 15" intervals

100 cad / 10 x ( 1'@ z4 + 1'@ z2)

100 cad / @z1-2 in aero

cool down

Other big news is my getting accepted into the Timex FactoryTeam. 

While many people call this a sponsorship (I guess it technically is), here’s the jist;

After applying and being accepted, athletes are required to pay $100 to Timex. A sponsorship that you have to pay for? Sounds weird, right? But it’s not so bad. Once a part of the team, Timex will send you the following branded products;

My collection of shwag

Headsweats Visor

Headsweats Light-weight hat

Run belt

Water Bottle

Timex Watch (mine was an Ironman 30-lap watch)

A bunch of Timex Stickers

Along with these, athletes also receive a one-time use code to receive 40% off at the online Timex store, and an $80 credit to purchase specially designed Timex Factory Team Clothing through the Champsys network. To be fair, most of the nicer gear costs more than $80, but I could still use it to get away with a free cycling jersey, tri top, tri shorts, windbreaker jacket, and other basic clothing (like a lot of socks), or at least get a nice discount on other gear. So far I haven’t decided what to get.

All in all, my math works like this (assuming I would pay for similar items at some point, and that whatever I would buy from the Timex store costs at least 100 bucks)

So from a financial perspective alone, yeah its worth it for me to join the TFT. Also, being part of a team or community in any way is always fun and makes racing more enjoyable. Members also get occasional emails with exclusive discounts or offers, making members feel really privileged. 

Yes it’s part marketing gimmick, but its also a fun idea!

With about 12 weeks to go until 70.3 Mont-Tremblant, I’m getting excited and doing what I can to prepare. I know that I still need to do a lot of hill work, both on the bike and on the run, so I’m hoping that warmer weather will let me do more work outdoors.

Thats all for now!

Thanks for reading and keep Tri-ing!

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Winterman 2013 Race Report

The Team in Training Coaches!

Ok it's a cheesy line for a frozen race, but it was printed on my number bib, so don't blame me exclusively.
This past Sunday I went over to Canada's capital, Ottawa, for the Winterman Marathon. I had signed up for the full distance a while ago, but due to a lack of proper training, I felt that I should maybe switch to the half. Of course, machismo kicked in when I got there so when I approached the registration desk to pick up my number, I blurted "Marathon" quickly without hesitation.

The Winterman Marathon has been going on for a number of years, put on by the good people at Somersault events, who organized other races that I've done such as the Carleton Place Tri. This year was the largest yet, with 1,500 people participating between the different events (5K,10K, 1/2, Marathom, relays), but you wouldn't really notice it, especially when comparing to a 20,000+ person event like the RnR Montreal. Registration happened inside the Canadian War Museum, where they also handed out souvenir shirts, sold race merchandise, and picked up your timing chip.
The race officially started at 8:30 with a cannon shot (real cannon! It's a WAR museum after all), though you were able to request an early start for 8am.

The course for all the events were basically the same course, with the marathoners running 8 loops. The course was slightly rolling One aid station was set up near the turnaround at the end, as well as right after the timing mat that marked laps. The aid stations carried either water or Gatorade. For the first time ever I was actually HOPING that the water would be warm! I really have to hand it to all the volunteers, who rotated in shifts, for standing outside to support our foolishness.

My race went as well as I could have hoped for considering my lack of marathon-specific training. My time was not very impressive (4:35:52), but thanks to the small size of the race, I managed to snag 3rd place in my age group! My first time on the podium, so I'll take it! The race wasn't particularly scenic, and running loops didn't help. Neither did the -20 degrees temperature or wind coming off the river. But all these things are what made the race fun. One of the most special parts for me was running most of the second half of the race together with fellow Team in Training coaches, and running across the finish line in tandem, with smiles across all our faces.

Did I mention that it spins?!

The finisher medal is appropriately shaped like a snowflake, and the marathoner's flake spins inside an octoganol metal frame. Though distinct, they do reuse the race medal, but change the lanyard. Along with the medal and T-shirt, the race also provides participants with a small towel (perfect for using on a bike trainer), and a reusable Somersault grocery bag filled with some sponsored booklets, a snack, and some Deep Ice lotion.

Winterman 2013 will always hold a special place in my mind. It wasn't particularly the hardest race (aside from the temperature), and it wasn't my fastest, but it was certainly a lot of fun, and I hope that I can make it back in future years because, hey, I have to defend my (bronze) title.

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Looking for a Coach - Triton Triathlon Coaching

In my attempt to better myself as a triathlete and my overall fitness, I've began looking for a coach or coaching program. I don't really mind using an online service or interaction, but I don't think I'm quite ready to start shelling out $100+ a month for a coach, so for now I'm trying to find an effective but cost-sensitive coaching program.

The criteria that I'll judge any programs on are:
- Price
- Training Plan structure/ adaptability
- Coach responsiveness

One that I found was the newly created Triton Triathlon Coaching. This online service was created by Simon Whitfield, a renowned Canadian Olympic triathlete.

Getting Started

Triton offers a free 10 day no credit card required membership, that grants full access and is really a nice way to check if the program is for you. Set-up is quick and painless; input basic information, then select goal race distance and date, then add in any additional races that you have scheduled between now and then. Since training for races requires a minimum training period, the system will not let you select a race that is too soon (don't expect a 1 month training program for an Ironman). The system will then populate a complete training calendar for you to follow.

Using Triton
As you go through your calendar, you just click on the workout(s) of the days, length and specific exercises or intensity levels is prescribed for you to follow, along with tips and instructional videos.

After your workout, it is important to log how it went, which is supposed to help the program adapt to your responses. Since you don't upload anything (recorded HR, pace etc from a watch), this is the only way for the program to get a sense of what you need going forward.


So how does Triton stack up in the end?

Price
At only $40 a month, Triton is arguably one of the cheapest triathlon coaching programs that I have seen. Membership can be cancelled at any time.

Training Plan
- Visually clear, and entire training calendar is visible right away
- Workouts can be moved within the week account for time limitations
- Workouts are clearly explained
- Feedback is available
- Site is slow

Coach Feedback
Coach feedback is available through a messaging dashboard. You simply write any concerns or questions and can expect a response not long thereafter. My first emails to customer service took 36 hours to respond, and the second not too long after. Depending on what you're used to, this might be considered a while.

Problems:
- Can only schedule triathlons can be scheduled as non-goal races. How do I account for a half-marathon during my training period?
- Training time seems on the low end. For a half-Ironman, my longest bike ride is less than hours
- Feedback sometimes takes time.
- Plan adaptation is based on just a few log responses, not recorded data (HR, pace, etc...), uncertain how much it really changes based on input.
- Scheduling must be done completely manually. Since I know I will not be able to train on Saturdays, I'll have to move each week's training to different days
- There has been reported issues with a lack of sufficient REST days

Overall, I think that Triton has the potential to be a great training program for many athletes, but at this time the service is just too new, and has too many features that are "coming soon" to be a complete training guide or substitute for a live coach.

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2013: my Goals and SWOT

2013: my Goals and SWOT

I've been doing a lot of schoolwork lately, and so I figured the best way to go ahead and talk about my upcoming year is the way I would on any business report.

My overall goal for the year is to double the total distances that I bike/ran last year, and double the hours in the pool. Thanks to my handy dandy Timex Global Trainer, I know that last year I covered 453km of pavement, and wheeled my ass over 447Km. These numbers aren't totally exact, since I don't always run with my watch, but those are the numbers I'm using and I'll try to use my watch as often as I can.

I havent planned all the races that I'll be doing, but so far I'm registered for;

Winterman Marathon
Scotiabank Montreal 1/2 Marathon
Montreal Marathon
Mont Tremblant 70.3 Ironman
Cornwall Sprint Triathlon

I know I will sprinkle in a few half marathons and other triathlons here and there, but I dont want to make my schedule so rigid just yet.
The Winterman Marathon is coming up pretty soon (less than a month away!), and it has me nervous as hell. Not because I'll be spending around 4 hours outside in the middle of a Canadian winter. Not because the course involves running 8 2.5km switchbacks. Not because I know Ill have to drive back home with legs cramping. The scariest thing to me is that although I've kept decently fit, I haven't been running much. I feel like I've just been busy with travelling, holidays, sickness, blah blah blah, but I just haven't been training right. I know I can do half of it no problem, but I'm worried that the second 21km might be really tough for me.

Time for the SWOT
Strengths:
I consider myself a decent runner
I have confidence from having completed a number of endurance events

Weaknesses (oh boy this is gonna be long)
Need to improve hill climbing (both on bike and run)
Swimming isn't that great
Diet needs to be improved
I don't get enough sleep

Opportunities
I've got a pretty fixed schedule so I just need to plan myself better
I have friends who are into endurance sports as well who might train with me
My girlfriend is recently also health-conscious, will help motivate me

Threats
Unexpected schedule interruptions
Sickness
Holidays
Family Events
Delicious food

Gotta say that after writing it out, I see how much room I have to improve. but know that I have time in the future to do it.


That's it for now!
Keep Tri-ing!

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