2009 By The Numbers

I have received a bunch of emails over the past few weeks asking me the volume of training I did last year, and the simple answer "a lot" wasn't good enough, they wanted numbers. So, I figured I'd throw out an update of last years (48 weeks with a week off so only 47 training weeks) averages and totals. All the averages include recovery and race weeks which are about 50% of normal volume.

First the totals

Swim- 601,607- average of 12,533 a week.

Bike - 11,545- average 240 per week

Run- 1812- average 37 miles per week

My biggest running week was 60 miles 5 weeks out from Lake Placid- 7.27 hrs of running or 7:15 average pace.

The biggest bike week was 364 miles 4 weeks out from Lake Placid – 21.13 hrs of biking or just under 17.5 average.

Highest volume week was 32.75 hours (yea, it was a tough week, with 25 hrs of standing at the bike shop)

Lowest volume week besides the off week was 13.5 hrs. Which at that point in the year seemed like a lot.

This comes out to an average of 20.24 hrs per week, including recovery and race weeks.

The nutrition averages are the total year daily averages

Protein - 230 grams

Fat - 76 grams

Carbohydrates- 556 grams

Sleep average is 8.12 hrs, this will be going up in 2010!

The number I am most pleased with is the amount of time I was on my feet the day before Lake Placid, sub 25 minutes. Yup, less then 25 minutes, including dropping off my bike. I tried really hard in Kona to be close to 25 minutes, but with the really long transition, and the nice old man who walked me around, it just slowey slipped away. I ended up with 49:45 for the day.

Kona

I'll do my best to keep this quick (unlike my race).

IM week in Kona, is not your typical IM week, this is the real deal and people mean business. I did everything I could to get my workouts over early in the AM and then spend the rest of the day sitting inside, doing nothing. I am always amazed how much time people spend on their feet 5-6 days out from an IM not to mention it was 90 degrees everyday!!

Race morning came pretty quick, I was up at 3:20 and ready for my tried and true pre-race breakfast, once that was done I sat on our porch for about 45 mins looking at the ocean, trying to get my head wrapped around the day and breaking down each sport into more manageable pieces.

The swim was absolutely NUTS!!!! I started about 5 rows back and slightly off the buoy line, I got to the first buoy about 50 yards into the swim, everyone stops and then we all swam on top of each other, I am trying to stay above water, and make forward progress but that’s hard to do when for about 2 mins the only thing I could pull was someone else’s body part. Once we got sorted out it was a fight for the rest of the way. I hit the first turn in 31:00 and made it back to the pier at 1:01, right were I figured I could be. Next year sub 60.

The bike, oh man was it hot out there! I went through at least 15 bottles of Gatorade and well over 30 bottles of water went over my head or on my body. I knew it was hot out when my watch started to burn my wrist. I had a nutrition and pacing plan and stuck to it like glue, I had to, it was my only chance of survival. I was on target to ride 5:23-5:28 until I made the turn back to Kailua (HY 19-Queen K) Once I made that turn there it was, the headwind, I was now doing 7-9 mph at 210 watts, this went on for 15 or so minutes then all of a sudden I could be going 22 then right back to 10 mph, AT THE SAME WATTAGE. It was crazy and something I have never experienced before. Off the bike in 5:43 slower then I had hoped, but nothing I can do about that.

The famous IM Hawaii Marathon awaited me. This is something I have dreamed about since my first race, a marathon I had thought about for 4 years. Now it was my turn to run this damn thing. Little did I know, it should have been in my nightmares. My stomach was wrecked starting the run, but I went out at my intended pace for the first 3 miles, it wasn’t getting any better so I backed it down to a pace we had planned on just in case I was in a little trouble. Running down and back Ali'i drive is crazy. So many people are screaming and yelling it really is a memorable 10 miles, but that’s where the crowds end. Once up and out on the Queen-K, (mile 11) its you and your thoughts and a little bit of heat. I just kept running as hard as I could go, I totally gave up on my Garmin, it didn’t matter anymore, I was suffering. Once I made the turn back home I was doing mile repeats in between aid station, I would run as hard as I could go, get to the start of the aid stations and quickly walk through, taking everything they were passing out, then right back to running. Once I had finally made it to the end, I was pretty happy for the race to be over ,I crossed the line and to my surprise Hughes was there to take good care of me. Thanks, buddy! Ill be back to the Big Island to go faster……But not before 14 days of getting fat…

A big Mahalo to Jesse Kropelnicki from Qt2 systems for getting me to the start line in top form with an unmatched nutrition plan.

Another Mahalo to everyone who followed me online or sent messeges throughout the week.

Last two things :

Although the IM was a very important part of the week, I couldn’t stop thinking about my friend who had just lost his son and how I needed to suffer a little bit more for him.

Another note, Courtney and I got married Monday afternoon, on the beach in Kona. It was awesome and low-key. I always knew she is my better half and the only thing I really need, besides our two dogs. Big thanks to Dede and Hughes for being our official, unofficial photographer and cameraman. 9 days down, a life time to go…..More wedding stuff can be found over @ thatrunnerchick.blogspot.com

"Pemi"

Cait (caitsnow.com) did a VERY good job summarizing the day and I don’t want to be repetitive so I’ll only add a few things of my own:

The Pemigewasset (Pemi) Loop is ranked as the second hardest day hike in the US with a book time just over 20 hrs. We (Jesse, Cait, Tim and I) did it in 14:42:50.

My Garmin has a max speed of 9.9 MPH as we chased Tim in the closing miles of our little 31.2 mile hike through the woods. That speed could’ve been as I was flying through the air after kicking a rock, because I was looking at my trusty Timex trying to see if we could beat last years time (note to self after 14:30 hrs and in the dark, just run). I hit the ground like a ton of bricks, rolled over my backpack,popped back up and was in a full on sprint trying to catch Jesse and Cait. As soon as I caught back up, they stopped for a pee brake and to put head lamps on. While we were stopped, Cait went through every emotion imaginable and I was pretty sure, when we caught Tim, I would lose a friend.

Once out of the woods, we downed some R4 (Remember, we had to be on the bikes in 10 hrs), changed, and drove back to civilization for some food.

We will get under 14 hrs….but it will have to wait till next June.

Lowell

Two weeks after LP Jesse and I had decided to have me jump into a local sprint race, the Lowell Wild Cat Triathlon. I did it last year and Jesse beat me as he has stated a few times (I think he says it 5-6 times, but who counting) in the blog post (http://kropelnicki.com/?p=70). A big thank you goes out to Jesse for helping me set up the post IM training.

Courtney and I rolled out around 7 am for a 9am start, because the Olympic race started at 8. One of my guys, George, was racing the Olympic and I wanted to be there early so that we could chat a bit before the start of his race. George had a great day and got his first podium, he is looking good for IM KY!

Around 8:40 I was in the water for a little warm-up in the lovely Merrimack River!

Once the race was on I was swimming as hard as I possibly could, I mean a 25 yard all out effort! I hit the first turn buoy with one other guy; once we got around the buoy I was solo, a pretty weird spot for me, leading the swim. It was a very quick and short ¼ mile swim I was out in 3:42

My plan was to continue with the all out effort so I rode the first 18 mins with an average wattage of 309. Two weeks after IM, this is not such a good plan, but I wanted numbers for my prep into Kona. And so I just kept pushing and waiting for the other guys in the race to catch me. Luckily no one showed up. I hauled into Transition, again still looking back for the other guys, most notably Paul Miller as he can ride very strong.

Once onto the run I went with the same plan, all out. It was supposed to be 2.5 miles... well, when I got to where the turn around was last year there was NOTHING, but I could see an aid station about 2 minutes down the road, no big deal. Made it to the turn around and was able to get the first time check on the guys behind me. I had three guys back, starting around 25 seconds. Nothing left to do but try and run harder. Finally made it to the finish and found out I had won! The run was just shy of a 5k!

All QT2ers at the race placed in their AG’s, and as a coach it was very cool to see everyone do so well. The hard work is paying off, just like I said it would…

Next up Timberman Sprint and the Pemi Loop.

LP 2009

It seems like I update this thing once a year with an LP race report; so here it goes.

The short. I worked my butt off 7 days a week 24 hours a day for 41 weeks with only one goal in mind. To get across the LP finish line AFAP. Just like last year, some days were so hard and painful I asked myself “why” other days were so easy it was a joke to even put on bike shorts. Once the gun went off I was on autopilot, In the end, I hit every number and finished exactly where we had planned 41 weeks before.

The long.

Courtney and I rolled (literally rolled, she has a Prius) into town Tuesday afternoon and immediately I was fired up and ready to race.

It was a pretty normal race week from there forward, laying low and finishing the IM taper with the last 3 easy workouts. The only thing not so normal were my nerves, for some reason they were missing. Don’t get me wrong I was nervous, but not like last year, I was ready and I knew it.

Saturday came and we ATE and ATE. I spent 23 minutes on my legs that day (yes I track that too, last year was 31 minutes). I hit the sack around 8:30 and was out cold around 9. Finally 3:30 am rolled around (I had already gone over the race about 15 times before the alarm went off) and it was up to eat the most important breakfast of the year.

I was able to get all the morning stuff out of the way very quickly and hung with Courtney for the last 30 mins before it was time to don the wetsuit. I kissed her goodbye, hugged the family and I was off.

57:25 later I was grabbing my bike stuff and on my way. After all the bike time this year I knew I was really to roll out for 112 mile and once I got going I never looked back. I just rode my power number, not an easy thing to do as what feels like the entire race fly's by.

5:34 and 9 bottles of Gatorade later I was off the bike and putting on my run shoes. I had been a little nervous about this run for the final 2 weeks because of the pace I was to go out at (6:40). It’s a funny thing, I killed myself all year to become fast (relative term) then on race day, I was scared to use the fitness I had earned. Either way it was set: 6:40. I went out and ran the first 9 miles @ 6:42’s and felt strong, then my stomach went a little south. I switched to water for a few miles (my one mistake of the race, I went 1 mile too long without Gatorade). Came through town feeling good, got all the way to mile 20 before the wheels started to fall off, 2 minutes later the wheels were off and rolling down the road!!! I was shelled; at that point (21 miles) I stopped looking at the Garmin. I had made my decision no matter the pace I was going to run as hard as I could. I wasn’t out there for me anymore; I was running for everyone who had gotten me to this point. I was running for Courtney and our two dogs who have given so much to help me get to this point. (I am writing like I won the damn race) But most off all I was running so I could stop running…….

3:10 later I was done. I was able to see all my friends who were either already done or finishing soon. Everyone had great days and hit all their numbers! We have a solid group of athletes.

Less then 10 weeks and I get to do this all over again. Its been a dream of mine since my first sprint race, while I was walking the run course less then a mile into a 4 mile run, to race in Kona. It took me two tries and more time in the pool, on the bike, and in the running shoes then I care to remember, but I made it. I made it with a relentless push towards a goal we set out for 41 weeks prior on a cold snowy day in November.

In the famous words spoken by Jimmy V “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up”