LocoRunner

I did quite a bit of research before I decided on my new Ribble bike. It ranked #4 on a list I was watching for value and quality for your money. Of course Canyon was #1.

I selected the Ribble All Road SLR Pro with Ultegra components and Di2 electronic shifting and a power meter. Ribble is a British company that has been making quality bikes for a long time with very little money spent on advertising.

The All Road SLR can also do light gravel with its 32 mm tires.

I was looking for something with comfort for the long rides. It's definitely going to require me getting used to riding in that road bike position after riding Time Trial triathlon bikes for almost 2 decades.

After doing a short first ride, I can definitely tell it's a lot more comfortable. Rolling resistance on the tires is much better than my other bike. I just have to get my position down first. Feels like I'm reaching too far for the bars. May just be a TT thing.

Looking forward to some long rides on this bike. Maybe some light gravel.

Love recovery weeks.

It truly is amazing what the human body is capable of doing when you ask it to do something that you thought was not possible.

There's a lot of research in the field of Endurance sports. In his book "Endure" by Alexander Hutchison, he presents the research in the area of body limitations, including the the "Central Governor Theory" made popular by Tim Noakes. It's a very good read.

I've always wondered why during the middle of an Ultra event, we say we can't go any further, we start walking, we contemplate quitting , but we don't. We keep going. Then we muster enough energy at the end of an Ultra to sprint to the finish.

Yesterday, as I stood at the finish line watching the runners finish the 50k, there was not a single runner who finished walking. All finished running.

The human body is amazing!


LocoRunner

Coaching is much more than just sending out a schedule and expecting your trainee to complete the schedule as written. It's constantly checking in on your athlete to see how their body is feeling and making adjustments to the schedule based on athlete feedback.

One of the biggest parts of coaching is building up a trainees confidence level and providing motivation to walk out the door to get those hard workouts done.

Communication is key in coaching. One of my favorite quotes is from Dirk Friel, son of the infamous Joe Friel (author of "The Triathletes Training Bible". Dirk says: "... you (the trainee) are the CEO of your running company, and I, as your coach, am just a consultant to your company". It benefits you to do what your consultant is telling you to do, but you don't have to do everything he or she says.

I have to give a shout out to one my athletes I am currently coaching, Richelle. She has developed and strengthed her confidence in her running abilities and always has a great attitude. She has obtained personal bests in the half marathon,10k and 5K.

Day 5 of fasting. I'm ending my fast at dinner tonight. Having a piece of salmon with no sides or carbs. Trying to stay in ketosis until Sunday.

I had a really bad night last night. Got about 3-4 hours of sleep. Resting HR, HRV, and breathing were all outside of normal values. Then, my body kept going from cold spells to hot spells during my sleep. Body temperature regulation was out of whack. Might be attributed to my hypothyroidism and fasting. Got up at 4 am and could not go back to sleep. Made my first cup of coffee, took the dogs for their walk, then finally made it out the door for an easy run. Heart rate was higher than usual on my run.

Ketones have been reading a little higher on my urine test; about 30-40 mg/dl.

Woke up really hungry this morning. I decided that 5 days is good enough for my fast. Planning on having a zero carb meal for dinner.

My weigh in this morning was the same as the night before - 158 lbs. Final weigh in this evening was 156.4. I can physically see the difference in my body. And I can also feel the difference.

Day 4 went by. Weighed in at 158 in the morning. Walked the dogs for 1.2 miles. Had a cup of coffee, then ran 6 miles at a very easy pace. Hunger still seems to be under control. However, it did start getting a little higher in the evening. Signs that it might be time to break my fast.

Still on day 3 of my fast.
Weight just keeps coming off. Started getting a positive ketone result in my urine test. The result reads about 15 mg/dl. I'm definitely in full ketosis (using body fat to make ketones as an energy source for my body).

I'm keeping hunger under control by staying busy. I'm supplementing with salt in my water and tea.

Signed up for Waco Half Ironman. Here we go! World championships here we come.