Triathlon Step Cycles

Triathlon training programs typically follow a "Step Cycle" - three to four week blocks of training in which the first 2-3 weeks entail a heavier load and the last week offers a lighter training load for recovery.

Looking at my weekly training hours listed below you might remark on how diligently I have been following a train/recovery step cycle:

March 4 -10 11:00 hours
March 11- 17 16:00 hours
March 18-24 14:45 hours
March 25-31 4:15 hours
April 1 - 7 10:30 hours
April 8 - 15 12:00 hours
April 15 - 21 4:30 hours
April 22 - 28 11:00 hours
April 29 - 5/5 12:15 hours
May 6 - 12 4:15 hours

Well, actually rather than being a carefully calculated training program, I just found myself with some extra time on my hands in mid-March and so my triathlon training went from very little after the Tokyo Marathon, to a massive 16:00 hours the week of March 11. A business trip the week of March 25th forced me to cut back. The same pattern repeated itself the last 4 weeks with a business trip to Europe forcing me to cut back my swim and cycling to nothing, then returning from two weeks in the US wiped me out last week.

I am convinced this pattern of build and recovery is effective. I am just not so certain that it is ideal that the recovery be composed of a hectic business trip entailing very little sleep. In the optimal training situation, the recovery week is composed of sleeping, lounging around on soft pillows, receiving massages and sipping carbohydrate/protein milkshakes -- not seven flights in 10 days.

Cycling on Whidbey Island

Seattle may rank on par with Mogadishu and Karachi in the global city rankings of quality of life, and I have to assume my hometown's poor showing is driven by the gridlocked traffic, constant rain, Mariner pitching, high suicide rates, etc. However when it comes to cycling, I am even more convinced that the area is among the best in the world.

Last week I took a 20-minute ferry boat ride from my parent's home in Mukilteo to Whidbey Island and rediscovered miles and miles of quiet, almost car-free roads.

Here is a rough map of my approximately 50-mile route.

Most of the ride was through forests of Douglas Firs, past small farms and along the waterfront. My ride included the town of Langley which seems to be composed almost entirely of bed-and-breakfasts and art galleries. This being the Seattle area there was no shortage of cafes selling organic coffee.

In addition to the Whidbey Island ride, I rode for 40 miles along Seattle's most popular route, the Burke-Gliman Sammamish Trail. This is a 41-mile dedicated bike path that runs from the center of the city out to Seattle's eastern suburbs. I joined the trail near Lake Forest Park and followed a huge pack of cyclists north along Lake Washington. The trail becomes quite rural, leading past wineries and houseboats before it terminates near the Death Star (Microsoft Headquarters) in the town of Redmond.

Unlike Australia or Tokyo, most of the riders on the trail seemed rather casual, and not the least bit competitive. In fact I observed an unusually large number of cyclists pulling dogs in carts, and at least a third of the other cyclists were on tandem bikes.