Koala Tuesday

Today was back to the pool and three other Koalas joined me for the noon swim. I was tired after going to the Bluejays home opener last night and not getting to bed til midnight and then having to get up at 5am...blah. But I actually felt pretty good in the pool. The main set was 12x50m on 1:02, 10x50m on 0:58, then 8x50m on 0:52. Two of us did this set, the other two did a diffrent set and did very well. Tuesday and Thursdays are usually long course and when I got into a groove at one point it was nice to keep going and not have to flip turn!
Then tonight at 6:30pm was the run practise. Three Koalas showed up to run and they all get gold stars! I'm hoping more of the members come out for this practise in the future because the ones that have been coming out are enjoying the workouts (at least that what they tell me).
In between the practises I was hard at work getting the newsletter out and putting together training plans for three members. Still have one more to finish and I am running out of steam here tonight so I think it best that I finish it tomorrow after a few morning coffees!!

MRI completed on my knee today

MRI completed on my knee today! Pretty simple deal, lay down and they start the machine up and about 20 minutes I was done. Now I wait another seven to ten days for the images to go to the doctor. Then he decides whether or not I need surgery (most likely scoping) and when that is. Wait, wait, wait. I hope I will be able to run this summer at least. I can still swim and bike just fine, just no running.

The Masters

Ok this post has nothing to do with triathlons but i got home today in time to watch the last 6-7 holes of The Masters. For the last few years CBS has laid it on pretty thick which made it hard for me to watch. But the Tiger factor was always lurking, you never knew when he was going to strike and CBS played up to that way too much. This year after the Tigergate, CBS toned it way down and alas, along came Phil Mickelson. The golf he played this weekend was by far some of the most inspired, most emotional golfing I have ever witnessed! Tiger captured my imagination but Mickelson captured my heart! This is why I love sports, for these moments when emotions, heart and skill all come together to make something beautiful and memorial. Thank you Phil Mickelson for showing us (and I think Tiger) in how to be a true champion!

Biking 101 and practice

On a chilly but sunny morning the KW Koalas had a biking 101 session followed by a little biking to Bamberg and back. Thanks to all the members that came out! Nice to see everyone and to give them a chance to meet each other as well.
The biking 101 we talked about the importance of aerobic based training and the huge benefits that come with building a big aerobic engine, especially for newer triathletes. Good to get them all on the same page with my training principles and a chance for them to ask some questions. We then did some basic bike fitting tips that I have learned along the way. These tips are in no way a replacement for a proper bike fit but I find that it gets you pretty close. For sure you need the measurements done before you purchase an expensive bike, you want the right size bike for you! We then went over the stuff you will need to take with you on your bike when you are biking out in the country. Nothing worse then getting a flat without a replacement tube.
Then it was off for a nice little ride in the Bamberg hills. Some of the members have never biked these hills before and they can be tough. The second hill is 12% grade. Not very long but when you are just starting to bike or get into shape it is a nasty little hill!
All in all a fun day! I am really looking forward to coaching the current group of Koalas into the spring and summer and race season!

Todays swim session

Today for Koalas hit the noon swim at WLU pool! Nice to see the members coming out this week. I especially liked the main workout that we did after a 3x200m warm up we did 100m pull, 4x25m on 0:25, 100m pull, 4x25m on 0:25, 100m pull, 4x25m on 0:25, 100m pull then 100m fast! I did it in 1:27, not bad not great. 100m pull, 100 kick then 2x100m easy. I then did a little more swimming with the other members in "Catch the coach"! Such fun :) Nice to see the ladies in the club getting out to swim and not feel intimidated by us guys..lol. Not very likely. Hopefully next week I see more of the members out for the noon swims and the scheduled Saturday swim at noon.
After the swim I heading over to the coffee shop to meet up with a potential new Koalas member! He is in university and will be finished in a couple of weeks so I invited him out for tomorrow mornings biking 101 practise and after he is done his exams will we get him started on some serious training. These young guys are great because I can really torture him even worse than I do with my buddy and they recover so much quicker then us old guys. Seriously though, endurance, skill development and consistent training is the key. Get him on the right path now and it will pay off for years to come.
Up next for tomorrow is the Biking 101 practice! Just hope it warms up and the wind dies down because it is cold and windy out today...brrrr.

Last nights bike practise and bad weather

Last night I had one member saying no go to the bike because it was raining, another saying no after I talked to them and it was raining, so I sent out an email to all the members cancelling the practise due to rain. Well one member did not get the email in time but two other chose to go out and bike anyways! Gold stars have been requested and now awarded via the KW Triathlon blog to the three keeners biking in the rain. I did post on the webpage that bike practise would be cancelled if it is raining at the start time. Geezz! Well...who am I to complain or criticize about biking in the rain. What the members did not know is that I did 30km ride earlier in the day and it was wet with off and on sprinkles..lol :) Next time I promise to at least come out to the practise to see if anyone comes on, bad coach bad!

Mondays

After taking Sunday off for some much needed R&R I was back at it today. I just had to relax and enjoy some sunshine yesterday in the backyard, too nice to pass up. So today was an hour swim at WLU. Mostly drills and 50s but felt tired. Then a few hours later I did a half hour indoor spin. I guess I'm tired so that's OK. Tonight I was working on and finishing two new athlete programs! Lots of work for sure and now its time for them to get into action! So now I think I will go to bed and read for awhile then go to sleep. Goodnight all!