Every month I reflect on the activities of the past month to see what I’ve done and to track progress. Today it’s time for: March.

I can describe my first month back, February, as starting up. I can describe the past month as getting in shape. Really feel that I’m getting stronger and stronger. What’s also important is that motivation is high and I really enjoy go out and train. No probs getting out of bed early, train, work and then train some more. Must pay more attention to nutrition though. Keep noticing that after a good workout I tend to feast on not the best products.

I worked out 26 days in March (of the available 31) so that’s 84%.  8 of those 21 were 2-a-days. Total # of days are pretty good but have to increase the 2 (or 3) a days.

The results

Swimming
The swim. Ah yes. I was of to a good start but then lighting struck and I was, once again, down with an ear infection. Only one word to describe this: fucked up. Backing of the swim for now, waiting to get better before getting my feet wet once again.

Cycling
That’s more like it. Twice +100km in the weekend. It’s a start but it isn’t enough.

Running
150km + isn’t to shabby, but got to increase single run distance. First step is consistently running a half marathon every week as a long run. Ideal weekly program will consist out speed work, interval, brick, ‘medium’ run and long run.

Body statistics

Lenght: 1,95
Weight: 93,1 kg (-0,9)
BMI: unknown (24,5)
Heartbeat*: 43 BPM (-2)
*measured in the morning after a good nights sleep.

Looking forward

Time to get it on. I mean it’s only 90 days left so no time to shit around.

More swimming. More biking. More running. More volume and more hours in lycra.

Trying to train consistently as possible. Increase volume significantly and stay healthy.

Goals for april
- Swim 25km / Bike 1100km / Run 220km

That’s it. So keep living hard and enjoy!

After 7 weeks of traveling (and reaching a goal I longed for quite some time) it was time to shift my attention to the BIG GOAL OF 2011: Ironman France, 26th june 2011 in Nice, France.

The first weeks back I was focussing getting my legs and arms back. Getting a bit stronger before increasing the volume. In hindsight this was a good move which reduced stress and soreness and left me eager to go out and train another day. Last week of feb. was the beginning of a new training cycle (3 weeks hard, 1 week slow) in which I significantly increased milage. Felt good to reap the benefits of the ’slow’ start. Can’t wait to kick more ass!

I worked out 21 days in February (of the available 28) so that’s 75%.  10 of those 21 were 2-a-days. So that’s pretty solid and something to continue building on.

The results

Swimming
For the first time in my tri-career I had a good swimming month. Was on my way to cross a big milestone (20km) but this was suddenly out of the picture after a cheese plane accident. Having trouble finding the right technique and improvements are very much a rollercoaster ride.

Cycling
It’s a start. Did my first +100km in the last week. Want to increase volume significantly in the upcoming month. Strong on the run = strong on the bike.

Running
Also not to bad. Really didn’t want to push my body in the first weeks; 3 / 4 runs per week of aprox. 30 minutes. Resulted in okay volume and renewed strength in legs. All good.

Body statistics

Lenght: 1,95
Weight: 94 kg (-)
BMI: unknown (-)
Heartbeat*: 45 BPM (-)
*measured in the morning after a good nights sleep.

Looking forward

More.

More swimming. More biking. More running. More volume and more hours in lycra.

Trying to train consistently as possible. Increasing volume significantly and, even more important, wisely.

Goals for february
- Swim 25km / Bike 700km / Run 120km

- Try to pick up writing.

- Stay healthy.

That’s it. So keep living hard and enjoy!

Back from a break. And a nice one. Seven weeks in New Zealand with my girl. Amazing.

Back from a break with a goal. And a Nice one. Ironman France, Sunday 26th of June in Nice, France.

Will be checking in regularly providing updates about my progress, insights, rants and lessons learned.

Every month I reflect on the activities of the past month to see what I’ve done and to track progress. Today it’s time for: August.

August was focussed solely on my first tri. And I did it. My first triathlon. Totally cool experience and nice to see the hard work pay off. The time goal I stated, sub 3 hours, was also achieved so I couldn’t be happier. It was a wonderful day which really left me wanting more. If you want the full recap then check out  my race report of my first triathlon.

I worked out 10 days in August (of the available 31) so that’s about 32%. This is somewhat expected as I had two taper weeks leading up to the 2 Tri’s I had planned to do. One of them I had to unfortunately cancel because of an ear infection. A big disappointment but I did give me interesting perspectives on dealing with setbacks while realizing your dreams.

The results

Swimming
The swim during my first tri went pretty decent (time wise), so based on that I can’t complain. But overall milage is dramatic. Technique can still improve significantly. Really want to swim 2 times a week / 20km per month.

Cycling
Could be better, but won’t complain. During the upcoming months (in the autumn and winter) it will get harder to do some serious milage but we will see how it goes.

Running
80 km’s under the belt this month. That’s not bad at all (considering the two taper weeks). Really want to rock the 10 mile race this month and then continue training hard and religiously for my 1st 1/2 marathon in October.

Body statistics

Lenght: 1,95
Weight: 95,8 kg (-0,5 kg)
BMI: 25,2 (-0,1)
Heartbeat*: 53 BPM (-)
*measured after 2 minutes of complete rest during a 1 minute time span.

Looking forward

I’m focussing on running upcoming months with a 10 mile race scheduled 19th of September and a 1/2 marathon in October. Will do some longer bike rides to get some good base training (weather permitting). Furthermore I’m trying to strengthen my core with some easy-to-do-at-home exercises. After my first tri, in which my core completely failed on me, I really recognize this as one of the most important and underrated aspects of (my) training.

Goals for September
- Swim 15km / Bike 250km / Run 100km

- Complete a 10 mile race sub 1:15.

- Write 3 blog posts (wow!, a non-sporting goal)

That’s it. So keep living hard and enjoy!

The last months I had a decent preparation trying to build speed, strength and endurance. This time I wasn’t bothered by the ear infection which kept me out of competition two weeks ago.

I was ready. Felt ready, confident and couldn’t wait to measure myself against the challenge and the rest of the field. Want to know how it went? Please read on to find the race report.

Pre-race

The race was going to happen 1 p.m. I had a good night’s rest and woke up 07:00 AM. Went out of bed to eat an bowl of oatmeal before heading in. 08:30 AM the alarm sounded,  I toke a shower, had 3 banana pancakes (with jam), a cup of coffee and some chocolate milk.

I finished pre-race nutrition 4 hrs before the race and made sure all things were packed. Stuffed it all in my car, picked up my girlfriend and headed to Veenendaal (where?). Pre-race I had some good nervous but nothing to serious. I looked forward to the event and the experience. With 5 minutes left before the start I was getting scared and looked up to it. Couldn’t wait to start so that we could get over with it.

Swim - 32:55

*Bang* and off we went. The chaos wasn’t as big as I imagined and I tried to find some sort of rhythm.  I soon noticed that I found it very (very!) difficult to orientate during the freestyle stroke. Zig-zagging my way through the course I decided to switch to the breast stroke which would cost me some speed but what I would made up by covering less distance. When I exited the water I was happy with the time but even happier that the swimming part was over (not the first triathlete to think this).

T1 - 02:46

I came wobbling out of the water running to the transition area. 150 meters needed to be covered to get to my bike. Here I wondered for a sec if I should dry my feet (which I didn’t) before putting on my helmet, glasses, race belt, socks and shoes. I blasted my face with some water, collected my gels and off I went.

Bike - 1:10:48

4 laps of aprox. 9,5km - basically up and down one street . First thought on the bike was to calm down, let the impressions of the swim sink in and to let my heartbeat drop. I really focussed on nutrition taking 1 gel in the first 5km, one in the last 5km and drinking every 4km / 7 minutes.

The bike section went nice and smooth. I felt strong. On one straight I had the wind in my back and was pacing between 36 - 38 km p/hr during the 4 laps. Riding back I had the wind blasting in my face while I was averaging  31km p/hr the first lap. 30km p/hr the second, 29 the third when an alarm bell went off. I wasn’t ‘taking it easy’, I felt good and I went hard… too hard. Last lap back to transition I tried to pace and hoped that I would find my running legs in T2.

I entered T2 in 1:46:28 and dreamed about a 2:30 finish.

T2 - 1:22

This went pretty well. Hung my bike, threw off my helmet, switched shoes, blasted my face with some water before taking off.

Run - 57:24 (round 1 - 26:31 , round 2 - 30:53)

2 rounds of 5km. The first km went pretty well with a time of 4:40. And the rest… well… wasn’t as pretty. While I was able to run the first 5km in an okay 26:31 (5:18 pace) the second round was a battle of survival. My core was completely killing me (or was it the other way around), my upper legs were jelly while I tried to convince myself that walking a.k.a. quitting wasn’t an option. My soul entered the dark side, my vision narrowed and I fought for every step.

4km, 3km, 2km, last km and finally the finish where my girlfriend was waiting for me. Damn was I happy to stop moving. Completely exhausted was the feeling that dominated.

But I made it. Yes!

Overall - 2:45:13

I’m happy about the result; finished my first triathlon MOP, didn’t stop or quit and accomplished my time goal (3hr). Now it’s been a couple of days and I have bigger sense of accomplishment. I must say that I underestimated the intensity; damn it was tough.

It was my first, but certainly not my last. Still haven’t decided if my next challenge is going to be a 70.3 Ironman or a full distance Ironman. Key learnings from my first tri: focus on building a strong core, temporize and enjoy the experience.

That’s it. Up to the next. Thanks everybody!

What was supposed to be my first triathlon last week didn’t happen because of a nasty ear infection. It sucked big time and really was a big dent is my motivation.

It’s been 10 days but and luckily I have the opportunity to comeback with a vengeance on Saturday when I’ll enter my first Oly. Feeling good, stoked and curious about the event, the experience and my performance.

I reflected on this unexpected setback (me not being able to participate in my first triathlon) and drew some lessons which I want to share with you guys.

Be mentally prepared

Know that when you are chasing a dream or a goal that the road isn’t going to be paved all the time. It’s going to get tough and bumpy. Be prepared to deal with the setback and don’t let them throw you off.

Be angry

You trained hard. You sacrificed your body, family, friends and weekends. And now the final piece of the puzzle doesn’t fit. And that’s tough. Give yourself time to feel a bit crap and be angry about the situation. Don’t expect from yourself that you can shift gears on the spot and focus on the next event / goal in a sec.

Analyze - Learn - Adjust

What went wrong. Was it you, your training, preparation, nutrition (all physical aspects) or was it your mind state, the pressure (mental aspects). Those are internal aspects. But what about the outside: weather conditions, competitors, mechanical failures? Which of these variables can you influence and which you can’t?

Analyze the situation, extract valuable info, learn your lessons and adjust your training.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
- Dalai Lama

Don’t over-analyze

Once you did the analyzing stop. Don’t torture yourself by re-running the same movie all the time.

Take it easy

Trust me on this one. The last thing you want to do is rush into the next best thing. Chances are this will only lead to more disappointment.

Take your time to work out a plan, set a new goal, make your preparations, do your training and…

Come back with a vengeance

Go Bruce Willis on it. Yipikayee…!

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Every month I reflect on the activities of the past month to see what I’ve done and to track progress. Today it’s time for: July.

July was a great month. Was able to put in a ton of training; focussing on swimming and running while maintaining my current bike form (and trying to get used to my new bike).

I worked out 17 days in June (of the available 31) so that’s almost 55%. This will and must go up in the upcoming periods during heavy training months. But for now I’m happy.

The results

Swimming
Yeah, training is starting to pay off! Still no pro, but able to do 2,5km within a hour which was a big milestone for me. Was on schedule to do 20km this month, but a ugly ear infection is ruining my progress.

Cycling
Getting used to the new bike and happy about the progress. Strong rides followed by hard runs still is a bit of concern.

Running
Satisfied with the 2nd part of the month (40km). Learning that I got to increase my total milage not to sudden but . Had to battle shin and calves soreness during high intensity weeks.

Body statistics

Lenght: 1,95
Weight: 96,3 kg (-1,7 kg)
BMI: 25,3 (-0,6)
Heartbeat*: 53 BPM (-)
*measured after 2 minutes of complete rest during a 1 minute time span.

Looking forward

As said before; right now I’m dealing with a serious ear infection which is maybe standing in the way of my first tri (this is tomorrow). That sucks big time but I have another coming two week from now (21th of August), so maybe it’s wise to get healthy first and to let this one pas. It’s a though decision and very demotivating. Fucking ear. Really looked forward to it.

Goals for August
- Swim 12km / Bike 200km / Run 70km
Taking it easy because of the races and the low intensity week before them.

- Complete first triathlon, olympic distance (1,5 / 40km / 10km) within 3 hours.

That’s it. So keep living hard and enjoy!

Together we shed blood, shared tears and drowned in our sweat. One look at each other is enough. We know what we sacrificed and the sacrifices we asked from our loved ones.

The long practice hours; before work, after work, during the weekend. Waking up at 6 AM to do a light swim work out. Skipping after-work drinks, nights out with the boys or family obligation because you’re working on your bricks. Our idea of a nice weekend breakfast is first do a 80km bike workout, followed by a nice a lovely meal.

We don’t have to explain why. We know. We try to explain our passion to others, but we realize that there will always be people that ‘will never get it’. No, swimming in open water won’t kill you and yes we prefer a run work out above watching re-runs of Lost.

We track progress and we count. Calories. Watt. Heart rate. Speed. Carbs. Weight. Cadence. Transition times. VO2 max. We (try to) eat healthy, because we know that when the input is crap, the output will be too.

And we love our gear. It’s not only about the bike. A new taste of gel can get us stoked and eager to try out. We drool over running shoes, watches and the tiniest bits of equipment… because it will make a difference and make us faster (even if it’s only between our ears).

Because that’s what it’s all about. Be faster, stronger, better .

I’m your competition. I want to be stronger than you. I want to be faster. I want to kick your ass. I want my better to be better than your better. But I respect you. Because I know. You know.

This is the Band of Athletes.

And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother

- William Shakespeare in The Chronicle History of Henry the Fifth

It’s great to support others. To cheer for them. To applaud for them. To wish them the best of luck. To follow them during their quest. To be proud of them. To want to see them succeed. To celebrate their wins and to share their losses.

But please be inspired by the greatness of others and let it be your motivation to want to perform on that next level. Don’t be the sucker who only observes but doesn’t take action.

Visualize that you’re not the one who’s rooting but you’re the one they’re rooting for.

To watch greatness and history happen is nice. To be the one who’s doing it is brilliant.

June was an intense month with a lot of training mainly focussed on cycling while maintaining my current skill level of running and swimming. I tried to maintain a ’schedule’ of two shorts and one long ride a week combined with an occasional swim or run training.

I worked out 15 days in June (of the available 30) so that’s 50%. I should increase this metric although I sincerely believe it’s not about the total amount but also more on intensity.

The results

Swimming
Short said, I must do more mileage. I’m too weak of a swimmer and I’m completely exhausted after a good 2km swim. It’s a strong point of focus for the upcoming month.

Cycling
Can’t complain about this one. Good distance and strong rides; usually above 30km per hour. Happy about (distance and intensity) it because it was my main goal this month. Rewarded myself with a new bike!

Running
Just 3 runs this month; one coming of the bike. Can’t complain although it would be wise to increase the total of runs to 5 or 6 in ‘non-running’ months; a.k.a. more running of the bike.

Body statistics

Lenght: 1,95
Weight: 98 kg (-1,1 kg)
BMI: 25,9 (-0,2)
Heartbeat*: 53 BPM (-)
*measured after 2 minutes of complete rest during a 1 minute time span.

Looking forward

What I’m really struggling with is my energy level. The current workload, intense training sessions, busy personal live and the high temperatures are killing me. I must get more ‘active’ rest and sleep.

Concerning training I’m focussing on swimming and running this month. Furthermore some good, long and hard rides on my new bike so I can get used to it.

Goal
Swim 20km / Bike 250km / Run 150km

I will decide in the upcoming week if I will participate in my first (70.3) Ironman the 8th of August. I would love to it, but I’m not feeling fully prepared at this moment.

That’s it. So keep living hard and enjoy!