I signed up for the White Rock half marathon about two months ago at that point in my prep for Austin 70.3 when all of the hard training was behind me, taper was underway and I was starting to think about what was next.
I'd had success running a half marathon about 5-6 weeks after Austin in 2008, so I figured that model was worth repeating. So I put my money down, along with several of my friends both locally and those from farther away who would travel to Dallas for the race.
My recovery from Austin hasn't gone quite as well as I'd hoped, and I'm carrying a very sore/strained hamstring into this race that despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to get under control.
Training has been spotty at best. I've logged just 2 swims, and 3 rides since the race on Oct 17. I began running after 5 days off, and ramped up to 5 runs (nothing longer than 6 miles) the following week. I did 4 runs the week after that (11/1-7) and was able to get in a semi long run of 9.5 miles, but it, along with the track session that week left my hamstring in shatters.
I scheduled a Dr. appointment to have the hamstring looked at where I was diagnosed with a strained hamstring tendon at the point where the tendon joins the pelvic bone. Essentially right at the bottom of your butt cheek. Doc didn't have much for me other than a steroid prescription and orders to skip my long run and tempo session the following week. I still haven't started the steroid prescription opting to save it for after the race.
I took about 10 days off where I only logged a couple of light runs but it doesn't seem to have helped things much. I have an appointment with a chiropractor next week to get some thoughts from him on ART, any adjustments that might help, and recommended stretches and exercises. I've noticed that I've developed some pretty serious muscular imbalances that I think he might be able to help me fix in the off season.
So I got back to running on Wed this week in hopes of being able to make the best of my race in a few days. I had a decent run today in the cooler temps, but know I'm about 2-3 12 milers short of being prepared. The hammy was pretty barky about 3 miles in.
As I was running today, I was trying to decide what the right pacing strategy should be for next week given I'm not sure what I'm capable and think the opportunity to go for too much too early is very real. I'm still unsure, but think I'm going to treat it like I would any real hard swim set. Break it down in to manageable mental pieces, play it conservative until I know what kind of hand I'll be playing with, then make the best with what I've got.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Ironman AZ
Last weekend I made the trip out to Phoenix to spend some time with my brother Todd, and to take in IMAZ. Our friend Ian who we caught up with in Austin last month was racing his last event of his rookie pro season, and it seemed like as good a reason as any to take in the race.
I landed around 8:45a on Saturday and Todd and I went straight to the race expo (about 5 mins from the airport) to attend the volunteer meeting. Todd was a race day volunteer for this race last year, so the plan was for us to volunteer again, get an early shift, and to be done by the time the race kicked off. After the meeting, we checked out the lay of the land, watched the athletes get into the frigid lake (63 degrees) for their practice swims, and hit the WTC tent to waste a bit of money on gear. We ran in to Ian and caught up for a few minutes, and were on our way back to Todd's house to spend the rest of the day with my sis-in-law Shawna and my niece and nephew.
Come race morning, we ended up working the bike special needs bag drop off from 5a-7a (we might have skipped out a little early, but we still worked our tails off). The highlight of the morning was that Todd got to collect Chrissie Wellington's bag from her, and that we caught up with Ian and his parents. We checked in on Ian's night of sleep which was better than the prior night (something about getting stirred out of bed at 4a by a chick dressed in a cheer leader outfit), and coordinated logistics with Mr. and Mrs Mikelson.
You can't tell, but the entire length of the bridge was lined with people looking down onto the swim
Looking down course to the east just prior to the pro start
The reason this race was so extraordinary to watch was because some changes to how pro athletes qualify for the World Champs in Kona make IMAZ situated 11 months in advance of Kona a great way for the ringer pros to show up and secure a lot of points towards next years qualification, which means they can focus on 70.3s for the remainder of the year keeping them fresh for Kona. The men's field was very deep, and the women's wasn't shabby either. There were a number of subplots going on as well. Jordan Rapp's return to IM 8 months after a near fatal car-on-cyclist accident, Chrissie Wellington's return to action after her surprise withdrawal the morning of Kona, and Matty Reed's first full IM to name a few.
The swim start did give you chills. The played Black Sabath's Ironman just prior to the start, and all of the athletes just went nuts screaming and cheering. I must admit it was pretty cool.
After the start, Todd and I hopped in the car to make our way out to the bike course. With a three loop out and back course, this bike course was very spectator friendly, especially if you go somewhere in the middle as opposed to the turnarounds.
We found a nice 90 degree corner on Alma School Rd and McDowell Rd at about mile 7 out of town, and mile 30 back in to town and pitched our lawn chairs. We brought binoculars to look down the road and spot, were using the iPhone to follow the race updates on www.ironman.com, as well as to take bike splits. We asked Ian the day before what type of splits info he'd like to get out on the course from us, so we had our instructions and were busy getting organized when the athletes began coming through.
Looking south down Alma School Rd
Iron Spectating, this is looking north up Alma School Rd.
I landed around 8:45a on Saturday and Todd and I went straight to the race expo (about 5 mins from the airport) to attend the volunteer meeting. Todd was a race day volunteer for this race last year, so the plan was for us to volunteer again, get an early shift, and to be done by the time the race kicked off. After the meeting, we checked out the lay of the land, watched the athletes get into the frigid lake (63 degrees) for their practice swims, and hit the WTC tent to waste a bit of money on gear. We ran in to Ian and caught up for a few minutes, and were on our way back to Todd's house to spend the rest of the day with my sis-in-law Shawna and my niece and nephew.
Come race morning, we ended up working the bike special needs bag drop off from 5a-7a (we might have skipped out a little early, but we still worked our tails off). The highlight of the morning was that Todd got to collect Chrissie Wellington's bag from her, and that we caught up with Ian and his parents. We checked in on Ian's night of sleep which was better than the prior night (something about getting stirred out of bed at 4a by a chick dressed in a cheer leader outfit), and coordinated logistics with Mr. and Mrs Mikelson.
You can't tell, but the entire length of the bridge was lined with people looking down onto the swim
Looking down course to the east just prior to the pro start
The reason this race was so extraordinary to watch was because some changes to how pro athletes qualify for the World Champs in Kona make IMAZ situated 11 months in advance of Kona a great way for the ringer pros to show up and secure a lot of points towards next years qualification, which means they can focus on 70.3s for the remainder of the year keeping them fresh for Kona. The men's field was very deep, and the women's wasn't shabby either. There were a number of subplots going on as well. Jordan Rapp's return to IM 8 months after a near fatal car-on-cyclist accident, Chrissie Wellington's return to action after her surprise withdrawal the morning of Kona, and Matty Reed's first full IM to name a few.
The swim start did give you chills. The played Black Sabath's Ironman just prior to the start, and all of the athletes just went nuts screaming and cheering. I must admit it was pretty cool.
After the start, Todd and I hopped in the car to make our way out to the bike course. With a three loop out and back course, this bike course was very spectator friendly, especially if you go somewhere in the middle as opposed to the turnarounds.
We found a nice 90 degree corner on Alma School Rd and McDowell Rd at about mile 7 out of town, and mile 30 back in to town and pitched our lawn chairs. We brought binoculars to look down the road and spot, were using the iPhone to follow the race updates on www.ironman.com, as well as to take bike splits. We asked Ian the day before what type of splits info he'd like to get out on the course from us, so we had our instructions and were busy getting organized when the athletes began coming through.
Looking south down Alma School Rd
Iron Spectating, this is looking north up Alma School Rd.It was freezing out there on the bike course. In the high 50s but windy as could be. Easily 25 mph winds.
The first time we saw Ian, he went by in 17th place. We could tell he had a great swim from the text updates, and came out of the water real close to the top guys and in a large group, so things were off to a good start. We saw Ian at mile 7, 30, 44, 67, and 81 and by the second time we saw him, he was into 16th where he would stay each of the remaining times he went by. At mile 81, he went by and we told him he was still 16, but that he was only 4 mins down from 10th place. He was actually also 4 mins down on 9th as those guys were riding together. He was in good shape, and Hillary Biscay who was back doing commentary for the IM coverage texted me a time or two to confirm that Ian was good.
There was action in the front of the race as we could see Lieto, Rapp, and Bracht make their move on the second loop and bring in the 3 guys out front. We also saw Chrissie lay low for the first lap, then drop the hammer and begin distancing herself from Leanda Cave and Rachel Joyce.
After we saw him at the beginning of his final bike loop, we hit the car and headed to a spot I had scouted out on the North side of the Mill Ave bridge on the run course where I thought we could see the athletes twice per loop. The two spots were only about a 2 min walk apart, but as best I could tell, the first spot was around mile 3, and the second spot was around mile 7 on the 3 loop run course.
From the bridge, I could actually see them off to the west as they came off of the lake side trail and up a hill. Then they'd disappear for about 75 seconds before turning into our line of view under the freeway where they'd make their way onto the bridge to cross the lake.
The first time we saw Ian on the run, he had moved up to 10th, and we were pumped. After the race, Mrs. M said he came off the bike in 13th, so since we'd seen him last, he'd caught 3 on he bike, and another 3 in T2 and the first 3 miles of the run. We gave him his place, splits down to the next guy, and some words of encouragement. He was in good spirits and gave us a hang loose.
A few of the guys up the road (namely James Bonney and Kevin Everett) didn't look that good, and Ian looked real strong when he went by, so Todd and I knew it was going to get interesting if Ian hung in there.
There were two people running fast behind Ian, but one of them was Chrissie, so other than risk of getting Chicked, Max Longree was the only guy who Todd and I could tell was running very fast and might be a problem.
At mile 8, Ian was still in 10th and in good spirits. The race ahead of him was coming back to him a bit. Lieto looked much different (like he did on the Kona coverage) by mile 7, James Bonney and Kevin Everett still looked vulnerable, and Ian looked strong.
Back on the bridge at mile 12, Ian ws still 10th but had taken about 4 mins out of James Bonney who was only 2 mins up the road. Lieto was more like 4 mins up the road, but went by and continued to show further decline. Ian had been running about the same pace as Matty Reed who never looked comfortable or all that interested each time he went by, so we wondered if Matty could be had as well. We could tell Ian was heading into some pain, but his pace and cadence still looked good.
While we waited for Ian at mile 16, Lieto came through. We were situated right before an aid station and as Lieto approached, I gave him splits and he stopped running and asked me if I had a jacket or blanket. At this point, it was raining, was still windy and was cold. He spent about 60 seconds walking through the aid station looking for something and finally found a thermal blanket. Ian was through in 9th place just a couple of minutes down on Lieto having passed James Bonney between 12 and 16, but Max Longree had run Ian down and was just seconds behind him. Chrissie had also caught Ian and was on his heels. I gave Ian the Lieto news that he was walking and tried to keep him going.
Todd and I decided we needed to start making our way back to the start line, so we left after seeing Ian for the 2nd time on loop two. Parking at this thing is bad, so we knew we needed the time.
As we waited at the finish line, the leaders came in. Timo Bracht posted an impressive time. When Jordan Rapp came by, he had tears coming down his face. Chrissie came through with a mind boggling time of 8:36. Max Longree came by with a lolli-pop in his mouth.
We hoped that Ian had held it together. Lieto wasn't through, Kevin Everett had lost places and things were looking good.
When Ian came around the corner in 8th, Todd and I went nuts. He saw us immediately, gave us the double point and ran to us for a big awkward high five attempt, ran down the shoot and found Mrs. M who got a kiss, then he took it across the line. 25 minute PR, first Pro paycheck in an IM, big gusty race on a huge stage. It was awesome.
Todd and I were so busy with splits and places, that we never got any photos of Ian. However we did run in to old Jr high and HS swimming bud Hillary at the finish line in between her interviewing duties.
What a thoroughly exhausting, yet exhilarating race to watch. It was a ton of fun, and was very inspirational. These pros are such amazing athletes. They make it look so easy. funny thing was that as much fun as I had, the thought of signing up next year never crossed my mind. I think the hurt from Austin is still fresh, so it was easy to see the forest for the trees.
I look forward to going back next year to volunteer and spectate again.
The first time we saw Ian, he went by in 17th place. We could tell he had a great swim from the text updates, and came out of the water real close to the top guys and in a large group, so things were off to a good start. We saw Ian at mile 7, 30, 44, 67, and 81 and by the second time we saw him, he was into 16th where he would stay each of the remaining times he went by. At mile 81, he went by and we told him he was still 16, but that he was only 4 mins down from 10th place. He was actually also 4 mins down on 9th as those guys were riding together. He was in good shape, and Hillary Biscay who was back doing commentary for the IM coverage texted me a time or two to confirm that Ian was good.
There was action in the front of the race as we could see Lieto, Rapp, and Bracht make their move on the second loop and bring in the 3 guys out front. We also saw Chrissie lay low for the first lap, then drop the hammer and begin distancing herself from Leanda Cave and Rachel Joyce.
After we saw him at the beginning of his final bike loop, we hit the car and headed to a spot I had scouted out on the North side of the Mill Ave bridge on the run course where I thought we could see the athletes twice per loop. The two spots were only about a 2 min walk apart, but as best I could tell, the first spot was around mile 3, and the second spot was around mile 7 on the 3 loop run course.
From the bridge, I could actually see them off to the west as they came off of the lake side trail and up a hill. Then they'd disappear for about 75 seconds before turning into our line of view under the freeway where they'd make their way onto the bridge to cross the lake.
The first time we saw Ian on the run, he had moved up to 10th, and we were pumped. After the race, Mrs. M said he came off the bike in 13th, so since we'd seen him last, he'd caught 3 on he bike, and another 3 in T2 and the first 3 miles of the run. We gave him his place, splits down to the next guy, and some words of encouragement. He was in good spirits and gave us a hang loose.
A few of the guys up the road (namely James Bonney and Kevin Everett) didn't look that good, and Ian looked real strong when he went by, so Todd and I knew it was going to get interesting if Ian hung in there.
There were two people running fast behind Ian, but one of them was Chrissie, so other than risk of getting Chicked, Max Longree was the only guy who Todd and I could tell was running very fast and might be a problem.
At mile 8, Ian was still in 10th and in good spirits. The race ahead of him was coming back to him a bit. Lieto looked much different (like he did on the Kona coverage) by mile 7, James Bonney and Kevin Everett still looked vulnerable, and Ian looked strong.
Back on the bridge at mile 12, Ian ws still 10th but had taken about 4 mins out of James Bonney who was only 2 mins up the road. Lieto was more like 4 mins up the road, but went by and continued to show further decline. Ian had been running about the same pace as Matty Reed who never looked comfortable or all that interested each time he went by, so we wondered if Matty could be had as well. We could tell Ian was heading into some pain, but his pace and cadence still looked good.
While we waited for Ian at mile 16, Lieto came through. We were situated right before an aid station and as Lieto approached, I gave him splits and he stopped running and asked me if I had a jacket or blanket. At this point, it was raining, was still windy and was cold. He spent about 60 seconds walking through the aid station looking for something and finally found a thermal blanket. Ian was through in 9th place just a couple of minutes down on Lieto having passed James Bonney between 12 and 16, but Max Longree had run Ian down and was just seconds behind him. Chrissie had also caught Ian and was on his heels. I gave Ian the Lieto news that he was walking and tried to keep him going.
Todd and I decided we needed to start making our way back to the start line, so we left after seeing Ian for the 2nd time on loop two. Parking at this thing is bad, so we knew we needed the time.
As we waited at the finish line, the leaders came in. Timo Bracht posted an impressive time. When Jordan Rapp came by, he had tears coming down his face. Chrissie came through with a mind boggling time of 8:36. Max Longree came by with a lolli-pop in his mouth.
We hoped that Ian had held it together. Lieto wasn't through, Kevin Everett had lost places and things were looking good.
When Ian came around the corner in 8th, Todd and I went nuts. He saw us immediately, gave us the double point and ran to us for a big awkward high five attempt, ran down the shoot and found Mrs. M who got a kiss, then he took it across the line. 25 minute PR, first Pro paycheck in an IM, big gusty race on a huge stage. It was awesome.
Todd and I were so busy with splits and places, that we never got any photos of Ian. However we did run in to old Jr high and HS swimming bud Hillary at the finish line in between her interviewing duties.
What a thoroughly exhausting, yet exhilarating race to watch. It was a ton of fun, and was very inspirational. These pros are such amazing athletes. They make it look so easy. funny thing was that as much fun as I had, the thought of signing up next year never crossed my mind. I think the hurt from Austin is still fresh, so it was easy to see the forest for the trees.
I look forward to going back next year to volunteer and spectate again.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Austin 70.3 Race Report
Austin 70.3 overall was a fun event for me on a number of fronts. The highlights began on Friday when I was able to reconnect with a family friend who I hadn't seen in 15 years.
I first learned that Ian Mikelson was a triathlete when he made a cameo on Hillary Biscay's blog. Ian's older brother and I swam together (same team as Hillary) in middle school and high school, played water polo together and spent a lot of time together as kids in our formative years. Ian was my brothers age, and while he didn't swim, we saw him all of the time at meets and pretty much every kid I knew did Jr. Lifeguards in the summers, including Ian. Ian was always a short stocky middle linebacker looking guy, so to see him completing what I think he'd describe as a successful first season as a pro is real fun for me and generally amazing. He's got one more big race in IMAZ next month, so we're pulling for him.
I hope some day he gets interviewed by Bob Babbit and Paul Huddle on Competitor Radio so Huddle can ask him his standard "how much you bench" question. He usually gets these endurance beans who aren't sure, but think they could put up 100. They'd be impressed with Ian's numbers!!!
So we caught up with Ian and his mom Gaye, who as swim team moms go, doubled as many of our moms over the years keeping us out of trouble when left to our own devices for hours on end at swim meets. We had a great meal, caught up on the past, talked tri shop for a while. It was a really good time!
I also took the bike out for a short 45 min spin on Fri. I'd had the bike in for a tune up the weekend before and was able to get on it once mid week out on the road, so this ride was to keep the legs loose but to also make sure the bike was dialed in.
Everything seemed fine but I was getting a new sound like popcorn coming from the rear derailleur. I made some subtle adjustments after the ride, took it up and down the street to test it out but while I fixed the rear derailleur, something strange happened to the front and I was no longer able to shift to the big chain ring from the little. Some more tinkering with the front derailleur, another test ride, and I was pleased as it appeared dialed in. More later...
Sat was pretty low key. My dad and I went out to the venue to rack my bike and drop off my T2 bag, got home quick to watch the UT game, and kicked me feet up a bit, packed up my gear, etc. My buddy Tim from Houston was coming up to the house to stay with us for the night and join me in the morning out at the race site to spectate. We had a nice dinner on Sat and hit the sack pretty early.
Sunday morning was the normal pre race routine. Get up early, eat, stretch, hit the road. Tim was able to drop me off at T1 (this race had split transitions about 1.5 miles apart) so I didn't have to mess with the shuttle bus from the parking lot/T2 to T1. I had plenty of time to get my bike situated, chill, stretch, use the pots, etc. It was nice have a friendly face with me all morning, and it was so easy not to have to mess with a morning dry clothes bag, etc.
My wave started 50 minutes after the pros went off, so I was able to catch Ian and the other guys make there way in to T2.
Swim (27:49, 8th out of ~334 in AG)
The swim was alright. I was looking for feet and as we set out, was surprised by the number of guys who seemed to be pushing a solid pace. I settled in with a descent size group. We were about 2-3 wide and there must have been about 12 of us, so I was pretty content. I settled in and was glad to be in the draft. At about the 300 yd mark, I could tell the two guys in front of me were losing the guys at the pointy edge of the group, but their pace was still fine, so I stayed put. At about the 500 yd mark, both of the guys in front of me slowed considerably. I had no choice but to come around, and that was the end of my draft for the rest of the swim. We began catching waves about 7-8 minutes in. I definitely saw 6-7 different colors of swim caps out there, so with 5 min staggers between waves, I had a lot of traffic to deal with. I realized about 2/3 through the swim that I was likely leading a pack as I was getting slight taps on the feet every now and then and it wasn't from people I'd passed. Turns out there were at least 2-3 guys back there who got a great ride. I think I probably would have been better served swimming a little more conservatively as I didn't feel fresh by the end of the swim. But all in all, a good swim. 4 mins off my PR from '08, but that swim was easily 4-5 mins short so this could have been my best swim.
T1
I took a bur in the foot as I made my way to the racks. stopped to pull it out, but other than that, it was pretty much biz as usual in there.
Bike (2:41.14, 20.8 mph, 102 out of ~334 in AG):
I set off on the bike and tried to settle in. The course is a little more hilly at the beginning and the end, but all in all, it is a course with little distinguishing it. I got off really well, was averaging about 21.5 mph through the first 15 miles when I came up to the top of one of the bigger hills that forced me down to the small chain ring. As I crested, I went back to the big ring and threw my chain right over the top of the big chain ring and on to my foot. It was 1-2 revolutions before I realized what had happened, and in those 1-2 cranks I twisted the chain up around the crank. I was able to reach down and pull the chain back on the chain ring without slowing (I was impressed I could pull off - I've seen guys in TT stages of the TdF do this before when they came out of the start house) but the first revolution I made with it back on revealed to me that I'd damaged the chain. This happened earlier in the summer so I knew immediately what happened. One of the links actually gets slightly twisted and as that link passes through the rear derailleur, you get a reaction. For me, it ranged from a small dead spot in the pedal stroke where you weren't putting pressure on the rear cassette, to full on half shifts out of the gear on the rear cassette. Every revolution for 41 miles, I had this irritation. I could move in and out of gear and felt like I could control the severity of the shifting, but the longer I stayed in any one gear, the worse the problem got. I was afraid of any further problems so I stayed in the big ring for the rest of the ride. My pace slowed after the problem developed and it was mentally taxing. Not having the small ring also was annoying as I could have used it 3-4 times.
The only other highlight of the ride was seeing Gordo Byrn three times on the ride. Once when he flew by at mile 30 (I had a 20 min start on his AG), again at mile 32 when he was in the ditch changing a flat front, and again at mile 40 when he blew by again. He was rocking it old school in the Australia speedo. God bless him!
T2
Vaguely remember dropping my bike off, but we found it after the race so I must have put it in the right place
Run (2:21.32 10:49 pace, 172nd out of ~334 AG)
I had high hopes of laying down a good run. My conservative goal was to run a 2:15, but my runs in training had been going so well I had dreams of running under 2:10. As I made my way out on the run course, I felt okay, was running some good low 9 min miles and felt fine. I wasn't hot, HR felt low, all was good. Then the rollers came. I had forgot how this run course is a beat down. Either always up or always down. You need to be strong to run well here and I am not. Put me on a flat, point me in a direction and I can go. Force me up and down and my muscles turn to jelly. As I topped each roller, I could feel some mojo leaving my legs. by the time we hit the off road section, I was starting to slow a bit. I walk/ran up Quadzilla and felt like crap after the hill as I made the round about exit out of the trails. I came good back on the roads and thought I might be okay, but by the end of the first loop, I could tell running up the hills was not going to last much longer. by the second loop, I was walking the hills, running the flats and down, and was shuffling a bit and had slowed considerably. It only got worse, and the walking increased. So the run continues to be my achilles heal.
I was hopeful that the increased run volume in this build up would manifest in a better time and this was a 2 min run PR for me, so I guess you could say it did, but come on man! Get it together. I need to take a blank slate approach to running. So something a little more aggressive. It might result in injury, but I need to challenge myself more in my run training.
So my time was 5:37.17. Though I didn't PR, if you adjust the short swim from my PR in '08, I think this is probably my best race. I am content with how it went. I felt very prepared going in to the race, and I owe that to my coach David. He put together a great plan that got me to the start line healthy, as fit as I've ever been since my college swimming days, and motivated. To think about where I was back in June when we first started putting the program together to where I am now is truly amazing. Thanks bud!
So I'm still jazzed about training. In fact, I had visions of doing a Sprint Tri a week later (tomorrow) but thought better of it this morning when the weather rolled in today, plus I still have a slight hot spot in my hamstring that I didn't fully notice until I went out for a run this morning.
I'm doing the White Rock half marry in 6 weeks, so we'll see if I can pop a half PR there. Beyond that, I'm trying to rope Patrick into doing a June 70.3 with me. We're looking at Kansas and Boise. Onward and upward!
I first learned that Ian Mikelson was a triathlete when he made a cameo on Hillary Biscay's blog. Ian's older brother and I swam together (same team as Hillary) in middle school and high school, played water polo together and spent a lot of time together as kids in our formative years. Ian was my brothers age, and while he didn't swim, we saw him all of the time at meets and pretty much every kid I knew did Jr. Lifeguards in the summers, including Ian. Ian was always a short stocky middle linebacker looking guy, so to see him completing what I think he'd describe as a successful first season as a pro is real fun for me and generally amazing. He's got one more big race in IMAZ next month, so we're pulling for him.
I hope some day he gets interviewed by Bob Babbit and Paul Huddle on Competitor Radio so Huddle can ask him his standard "how much you bench" question. He usually gets these endurance beans who aren't sure, but think they could put up 100. They'd be impressed with Ian's numbers!!!
So we caught up with Ian and his mom Gaye, who as swim team moms go, doubled as many of our moms over the years keeping us out of trouble when left to our own devices for hours on end at swim meets. We had a great meal, caught up on the past, talked tri shop for a while. It was a really good time!
I also took the bike out for a short 45 min spin on Fri. I'd had the bike in for a tune up the weekend before and was able to get on it once mid week out on the road, so this ride was to keep the legs loose but to also make sure the bike was dialed in.
Everything seemed fine but I was getting a new sound like popcorn coming from the rear derailleur. I made some subtle adjustments after the ride, took it up and down the street to test it out but while I fixed the rear derailleur, something strange happened to the front and I was no longer able to shift to the big chain ring from the little. Some more tinkering with the front derailleur, another test ride, and I was pleased as it appeared dialed in. More later...
Sat was pretty low key. My dad and I went out to the venue to rack my bike and drop off my T2 bag, got home quick to watch the UT game, and kicked me feet up a bit, packed up my gear, etc. My buddy Tim from Houston was coming up to the house to stay with us for the night and join me in the morning out at the race site to spectate. We had a nice dinner on Sat and hit the sack pretty early.
Sunday morning was the normal pre race routine. Get up early, eat, stretch, hit the road. Tim was able to drop me off at T1 (this race had split transitions about 1.5 miles apart) so I didn't have to mess with the shuttle bus from the parking lot/T2 to T1. I had plenty of time to get my bike situated, chill, stretch, use the pots, etc. It was nice have a friendly face with me all morning, and it was so easy not to have to mess with a morning dry clothes bag, etc.
My wave started 50 minutes after the pros went off, so I was able to catch Ian and the other guys make there way in to T2.
Swim (27:49, 8th out of ~334 in AG)
The swim was alright. I was looking for feet and as we set out, was surprised by the number of guys who seemed to be pushing a solid pace. I settled in with a descent size group. We were about 2-3 wide and there must have been about 12 of us, so I was pretty content. I settled in and was glad to be in the draft. At about the 300 yd mark, I could tell the two guys in front of me were losing the guys at the pointy edge of the group, but their pace was still fine, so I stayed put. At about the 500 yd mark, both of the guys in front of me slowed considerably. I had no choice but to come around, and that was the end of my draft for the rest of the swim. We began catching waves about 7-8 minutes in. I definitely saw 6-7 different colors of swim caps out there, so with 5 min staggers between waves, I had a lot of traffic to deal with. I realized about 2/3 through the swim that I was likely leading a pack as I was getting slight taps on the feet every now and then and it wasn't from people I'd passed. Turns out there were at least 2-3 guys back there who got a great ride. I think I probably would have been better served swimming a little more conservatively as I didn't feel fresh by the end of the swim. But all in all, a good swim. 4 mins off my PR from '08, but that swim was easily 4-5 mins short so this could have been my best swim.
T1I took a bur in the foot as I made my way to the racks. stopped to pull it out, but other than that, it was pretty much biz as usual in there.
Bike (2:41.14, 20.8 mph, 102 out of ~334 in AG):
I set off on the bike and tried to settle in. The course is a little more hilly at the beginning and the end, but all in all, it is a course with little distinguishing it. I got off really well, was averaging about 21.5 mph through the first 15 miles when I came up to the top of one of the bigger hills that forced me down to the small chain ring. As I crested, I went back to the big ring and threw my chain right over the top of the big chain ring and on to my foot. It was 1-2 revolutions before I realized what had happened, and in those 1-2 cranks I twisted the chain up around the crank. I was able to reach down and pull the chain back on the chain ring without slowing (I was impressed I could pull off - I've seen guys in TT stages of the TdF do this before when they came out of the start house) but the first revolution I made with it back on revealed to me that I'd damaged the chain. This happened earlier in the summer so I knew immediately what happened. One of the links actually gets slightly twisted and as that link passes through the rear derailleur, you get a reaction. For me, it ranged from a small dead spot in the pedal stroke where you weren't putting pressure on the rear cassette, to full on half shifts out of the gear on the rear cassette. Every revolution for 41 miles, I had this irritation. I could move in and out of gear and felt like I could control the severity of the shifting, but the longer I stayed in any one gear, the worse the problem got. I was afraid of any further problems so I stayed in the big ring for the rest of the ride. My pace slowed after the problem developed and it was mentally taxing. Not having the small ring also was annoying as I could have used it 3-4 times.
The only other highlight of the ride was seeing Gordo Byrn three times on the ride. Once when he flew by at mile 30 (I had a 20 min start on his AG), again at mile 32 when he was in the ditch changing a flat front, and again at mile 40 when he blew by again. He was rocking it old school in the Australia speedo. God bless him!
T2
Vaguely remember dropping my bike off, but we found it after the race so I must have put it in the right place
Run (2:21.32 10:49 pace, 172nd out of ~334 AG)
I had high hopes of laying down a good run. My conservative goal was to run a 2:15, but my runs in training had been going so well I had dreams of running under 2:10. As I made my way out on the run course, I felt okay, was running some good low 9 min miles and felt fine. I wasn't hot, HR felt low, all was good. Then the rollers came. I had forgot how this run course is a beat down. Either always up or always down. You need to be strong to run well here and I am not. Put me on a flat, point me in a direction and I can go. Force me up and down and my muscles turn to jelly. As I topped each roller, I could feel some mojo leaving my legs. by the time we hit the off road section, I was starting to slow a bit. I walk/ran up Quadzilla and felt like crap after the hill as I made the round about exit out of the trails. I came good back on the roads and thought I might be okay, but by the end of the first loop, I could tell running up the hills was not going to last much longer. by the second loop, I was walking the hills, running the flats and down, and was shuffling a bit and had slowed considerably. It only got worse, and the walking increased. So the run continues to be my achilles heal.
I was hopeful that the increased run volume in this build up would manifest in a better time and this was a 2 min run PR for me, so I guess you could say it did, but come on man! Get it together. I need to take a blank slate approach to running. So something a little more aggressive. It might result in injury, but I need to challenge myself more in my run training.
So my time was 5:37.17. Though I didn't PR, if you adjust the short swim from my PR in '08, I think this is probably my best race. I am content with how it went. I felt very prepared going in to the race, and I owe that to my coach David. He put together a great plan that got me to the start line healthy, as fit as I've ever been since my college swimming days, and motivated. To think about where I was back in June when we first started putting the program together to where I am now is truly amazing. Thanks bud!
So I'm still jazzed about training. In fact, I had visions of doing a Sprint Tri a week later (tomorrow) but thought better of it this morning when the weather rolled in today, plus I still have a slight hot spot in my hamstring that I didn't fully notice until I went out for a run this morning.
I'm doing the White Rock half marry in 6 weeks, so we'll see if I can pop a half PR there. Beyond that, I'm trying to rope Patrick into doing a June 70.3 with me. We're looking at Kansas and Boise. Onward and upward!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Austin 70.3 Quick Summary
I hope to have time to do a full racereport this weekend. I should have some good pics to add to the report at that point, but for now I'll just check in with a quick summary.
So I missed a PR by about 3 minutes, and really wanted to crack the 5:30 mark in this race, and I think I was prepared to do so. However the 5:30 mark came and went and I was still about a half mile from the finish line. I think I realized my goal wasn't going to come to fruition about 45 minutes before the race came to an end for me. It is quite odd to know that you have in this case 40 minutes to achieve your goal, and knowing that under normal circumstances (ie a training run) that covering the ground needed to finish in 40 minutes would be a piece of cake, but not being able to will yourself to achieve it. I tried and based on how torn up my legs felt then and now 2 days later, I know I did all I could at that moment. Unfortunately the damage was already done.
The long and short of it is that I had a good swim, though probably burnt one or two matches trying to fight through a group that went out fast but then slowed and around earlier waves of swimmers. I probably went out a little too hot on the bike, had a mechanical issue at mile 15 that twisted my chain and caused ghost shifting in my rear derailluer on every chain revolution for the remaining 41 miles on the bike. Still managed a good bike split (within 1 min of my PR at Florida) though I burnt too many matches on the bike, and I hit the run more fatigued than I had hoped. The speed and rythm were good on the flats and the downhills, but the uphills that I was running in the first loop of the run were taking a lot out of me and I wasn't recovering in between them. so for the 4th out of 4 70.3s, I did some walking, which is something I really wanted to avoid. I still had a run PR of about 2 mins, but I know I can run better, and hoped it would show.
Still, I think this was one of my better races, and is certainly something to build off of. Look for more next weekend.
So I missed a PR by about 3 minutes, and really wanted to crack the 5:30 mark in this race, and I think I was prepared to do so. However the 5:30 mark came and went and I was still about a half mile from the finish line. I think I realized my goal wasn't going to come to fruition about 45 minutes before the race came to an end for me. It is quite odd to know that you have in this case 40 minutes to achieve your goal, and knowing that under normal circumstances (ie a training run) that covering the ground needed to finish in 40 minutes would be a piece of cake, but not being able to will yourself to achieve it. I tried and based on how torn up my legs felt then and now 2 days later, I know I did all I could at that moment. Unfortunately the damage was already done.
The long and short of it is that I had a good swim, though probably burnt one or two matches trying to fight through a group that went out fast but then slowed and around earlier waves of swimmers. I probably went out a little too hot on the bike, had a mechanical issue at mile 15 that twisted my chain and caused ghost shifting in my rear derailluer on every chain revolution for the remaining 41 miles on the bike. Still managed a good bike split (within 1 min of my PR at Florida) though I burnt too many matches on the bike, and I hit the run more fatigued than I had hoped. The speed and rythm were good on the flats and the downhills, but the uphills that I was running in the first loop of the run were taking a lot out of me and I wasn't recovering in between them. so for the 4th out of 4 70.3s, I did some walking, which is something I really wanted to avoid. I still had a run PR of about 2 mins, but I know I can run better, and hoped it would show.
Still, I think this was one of my better races, and is certainly something to build off of. Look for more next weekend.
Friday, October 8, 2010
2010 Kona Prediction Time
Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get my 2010 predictions in. Here we are on the eve of the big race, and I've finally sat down to one of my favorite annual traditions, getting my thoughts for the how the race will play out down in my blog.
Lots of things to be excited about in this years race. Real chances for course records, a new comer on the women's side who is sure to factor deep into the race and potentially change the game, and a wide open men's field that will prove to be hard to handicap.
So without further ado, here we go, starting with the women.
I think we all have come to appreciate the brilliance that is Chrissie Wellington. We even have come to recognize her genius while in the midst of her era. No one in their right mind will predict a changing of the guard, so we look to other unknowns in the women's race. Frankly, even though the winner is a foregone conclusion (on par with Tyson over Buster Douglas!) there are a couple of things to be excited about. One is what time Chrissie will post. Her time in Germany earlier this year was and still is mind boggling. The question of if she will go sub 8:40 on the big island is one I'm excited to see unfold. Where she'll place overall is also something to watch. Can she crack the top 15 overall? Another thing to watch out for is what Mirinda Carfrae does on the bike. Will she go sub 5 hrs and narrow her gap to Chrissie coming off the bike this year. Finally, I look forward to seeing Julie Dibbens make the jump to IM. She can swim and bike like no other and could have a gap on Chrissie coming off the bike. She is a ~3:20 marathoner so she'll need one to be a factor for the win by the half way point of the marathon.
(Updated 11:07 CT on race morning) In light of the news that Chrissie has withdrawn due to illness, I wanted to quickly give my thoughts. I think this is a good thing for the big swim/bikers who should come off the bike with big leads and no solid runners with them. Dibbens, Van Vlerken, Griesbauer and Macel along with others should come off with a good lead, and it will be up for the Corbins and Carfae's to bring them back.
In light of the news, I like the podium to be 1. Carfrae, 2. Dibbens, 3. Van Vlerken
Podium: 1. Chrissie, 2. Carfrae, 3. Dibbens
Sleeper: Catriona Morrison - She toed the line last year with a hefty case of swine flu and gutted it out, but didn't make it on to the run. She has loads of talent and is a name you always hear or read the big guns talking about as someone to look out for. Another sleeper for me will be Sam McGlone. She finished 2nd to Chrissie in her first win back in '07 and has had a string of bad luck ever since with injuries and the like. She had a great end to '09 with a strong performance at IMAZ but her '10 hasn't quite been what you'd hope, still she could push to crack the top 3.
Sentimental Favorite: It has to be a tie between Hillary Biscay for the personal connection, and Lindsey Corbin for her outstanding blog and approach on life. She is in good form this year with a win a IMCDA and some strong showings on the 70.3 circuit.
And on to the men. What a field! I see 7 guys who I believe have legit shots at wining the thing. You might as well put Alexander, Lieto, Realert, Potts, Hennings, Van Hoenacker, and Llanos in a hat and draw names. It is hard to pick against Alexander as he is so talented, so steady, and is a machine.
What I think does him in this year is the way the race breaks down. Without the speed suits this year, the swim should be more wide open which means the bike will start out more fragmented, and will likely stay that way with groups getting big gaps. If the guys are smart, they don't do any work in the main group and make Crowie put out in an effort to tax him prior to the run. We'll see, it certainly hasn't worked out that way in the past. There have always been an ample number of guys shooting for a top 10 spot in hopes of getting the spot in next years race, and as a result, guys might be playing it conservative from a competitive perspective. With the change to WTC rules and the top 10 no longer qualifying for next year, the dynamic on the bike should change.
One thing is certain however, the men's race is going to be great.
Podium: 1. Raelert 2. Henning 3. Alexander. I think Raelert gets away on the bike just behind the stud group, and runs them down by mile 15. He probably gets pushed by Henning most of the way, but the gap never closes to less the 2 mins, and he only gives up a couple of minutes to Alexander on the run, but has more than enough of a gap coming off the bike to keep Crowie at bay
Sleeper: Pete Jacobs - Pete will be out of the water quick, will bridge up with Potts early, and has the legs to ride with Lieto, the Germans (Twelsiek, Stadler, and Faris) and the other stud bikers if he chooses to. He may let that group go and fall in with the next group that will include Raelert and maybe Macca, but can't muster enough in the marathon to compete for the win. I think he'll be top 10 for sure.
Sentimental Favorite: Got to be Potts (like this blog post, picking Potts is also an annual event). How about if we also throw in Luke Bell to keep it interesting. After a great '03 placing top 5 while in his early 20s, he'd vanished into obscurity a bit. He seems to be back on form this year and could be a factor.
So there you go. Enjoy the fire works tomorrow. Here is hoping for good bandwidth and plenty of servers to bring us good coverage.
Lots of things to be excited about in this years race. Real chances for course records, a new comer on the women's side who is sure to factor deep into the race and potentially change the game, and a wide open men's field that will prove to be hard to handicap.
So without further ado, here we go, starting with the women.
I think we all have come to appreciate the brilliance that is Chrissie Wellington. We even have come to recognize her genius while in the midst of her era. No one in their right mind will predict a changing of the guard, so we look to other unknowns in the women's race. Frankly, even though the winner is a foregone conclusion (on par with Tyson over Buster Douglas!) there are a couple of things to be excited about. One is what time Chrissie will post. Her time in Germany earlier this year was and still is mind boggling. The question of if she will go sub 8:40 on the big island is one I'm excited to see unfold. Where she'll place overall is also something to watch. Can she crack the top 15 overall? Another thing to watch out for is what Mirinda Carfrae does on the bike. Will she go sub 5 hrs and narrow her gap to Chrissie coming off the bike this year. Finally, I look forward to seeing Julie Dibbens make the jump to IM. She can swim and bike like no other and could have a gap on Chrissie coming off the bike. She is a ~3:20 marathoner so she'll need one to be a factor for the win by the half way point of the marathon.
(Updated 11:07 CT on race morning) In light of the news that Chrissie has withdrawn due to illness, I wanted to quickly give my thoughts. I think this is a good thing for the big swim/bikers who should come off the bike with big leads and no solid runners with them. Dibbens, Van Vlerken, Griesbauer and Macel along with others should come off with a good lead, and it will be up for the Corbins and Carfae's to bring them back.
In light of the news, I like the podium to be 1. Carfrae, 2. Dibbens, 3. Van Vlerken
Podium: 1. Chrissie, 2. Carfrae, 3. Dibbens
Sleeper: Catriona Morrison - She toed the line last year with a hefty case of swine flu and gutted it out, but didn't make it on to the run. She has loads of talent and is a name you always hear or read the big guns talking about as someone to look out for. Another sleeper for me will be Sam McGlone. She finished 2nd to Chrissie in her first win back in '07 and has had a string of bad luck ever since with injuries and the like. She had a great end to '09 with a strong performance at IMAZ but her '10 hasn't quite been what you'd hope, still she could push to crack the top 3.
Sentimental Favorite: It has to be a tie between Hillary Biscay for the personal connection, and Lindsey Corbin for her outstanding blog and approach on life. She is in good form this year with a win a IMCDA and some strong showings on the 70.3 circuit.
And on to the men. What a field! I see 7 guys who I believe have legit shots at wining the thing. You might as well put Alexander, Lieto, Realert, Potts, Hennings, Van Hoenacker, and Llanos in a hat and draw names. It is hard to pick against Alexander as he is so talented, so steady, and is a machine.
What I think does him in this year is the way the race breaks down. Without the speed suits this year, the swim should be more wide open which means the bike will start out more fragmented, and will likely stay that way with groups getting big gaps. If the guys are smart, they don't do any work in the main group and make Crowie put out in an effort to tax him prior to the run. We'll see, it certainly hasn't worked out that way in the past. There have always been an ample number of guys shooting for a top 10 spot in hopes of getting the spot in next years race, and as a result, guys might be playing it conservative from a competitive perspective. With the change to WTC rules and the top 10 no longer qualifying for next year, the dynamic on the bike should change.
One thing is certain however, the men's race is going to be great.
Podium: 1. Raelert 2. Henning 3. Alexander. I think Raelert gets away on the bike just behind the stud group, and runs them down by mile 15. He probably gets pushed by Henning most of the way, but the gap never closes to less the 2 mins, and he only gives up a couple of minutes to Alexander on the run, but has more than enough of a gap coming off the bike to keep Crowie at bay
Sleeper: Pete Jacobs - Pete will be out of the water quick, will bridge up with Potts early, and has the legs to ride with Lieto, the Germans (Twelsiek, Stadler, and Faris) and the other stud bikers if he chooses to. He may let that group go and fall in with the next group that will include Raelert and maybe Macca, but can't muster enough in the marathon to compete for the win. I think he'll be top 10 for sure.
Sentimental Favorite: Got to be Potts (like this blog post, picking Potts is also an annual event). How about if we also throw in Luke Bell to keep it interesting. After a great '03 placing top 5 while in his early 20s, he'd vanished into obscurity a bit. He seems to be back on form this year and could be a factor.
So there you go. Enjoy the fire works tomorrow. Here is hoping for good bandwidth and plenty of servers to bring us good coverage.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Long Time No Post
I was gearing up for my annual Kona prediction post, and realized I hadn't posted to the blog in months and that I'd better do that.
Training has been going great in preparation for Austin 70.3 in a little over 2 weeks time. I've managed to hit almost all of my planned sessions, keep the skinny side of the bike down this year and avoid injury, have lost a ton of weight (now weighing in less than I did the day I graduated from college), and feel fit. I'm excited to race!
Check back here in the coming days for my Kona predictions, thoughts before Austin 70.3, and my race report after the race.
Training has been going great in preparation for Austin 70.3 in a little over 2 weeks time. I've managed to hit almost all of my planned sessions, keep the skinny side of the bike down this year and avoid injury, have lost a ton of weight (now weighing in less than I did the day I graduated from college), and feel fit. I'm excited to race!
Check back here in the coming days for my Kona predictions, thoughts before Austin 70.3, and my race report after the race.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Good Week in the Bag
I just completed a good week of training. My first structured week of training in some time. I've hired a coach (David) which should help take some of the stress out of game planning, get me focused on the little things that you often overlook when time is an issue, and help with motivation.
I'm a long way off where I've been, so we're building this thing up from the ground floor. It is nice not to feel like I'm rushed.
I've also signed up for Longhorn 70.3 in Austin, TX this Oct 17. I've got an Olympic on the calendar in July between now and then, and may add something else if it works with the calendar.
This week, I trained just shy of 8 hours. Here are the stats:
Swim: 6,400 Meters (7,000 yds)
Bike: 60 miles
Run: 11 miles
TSS: 483
Kj: 2,653
weight: 174.2
BMI: 18.2
The summer is upon us in North TX. Temps well into the 90s by mid day. It is a shame our Spring only last about 6 weeks, and are windy as hell. I'll never get used to it.
Happy Memorial Day.
I'm a long way off where I've been, so we're building this thing up from the ground floor. It is nice not to feel like I'm rushed.
I've also signed up for Longhorn 70.3 in Austin, TX this Oct 17. I've got an Olympic on the calendar in July between now and then, and may add something else if it works with the calendar.
This week, I trained just shy of 8 hours. Here are the stats:
Swim: 6,400 Meters (7,000 yds)
Bike: 60 miles
Run: 11 miles
TSS: 483
Kj: 2,653
weight: 174.2
BMI: 18.2
The summer is upon us in North TX. Temps well into the 90s by mid day. It is a shame our Spring only last about 6 weeks, and are windy as hell. I'll never get used to it.
Happy Memorial Day.
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