Zoot ULTRA Team

70.3 World Championships Race Report

2011-09-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

Where to start....

Best place is probably landing in Kona last October with severe pain in my lower back and having battled a hip injury throught the last 2 months of my preperation for my second Ironman World Championship race. I had lofty goals for that race. I wanted to better my 9:40 of 2007 and to try and claw my way up to the AG podium. My coach and I worked so hard through 2010 and I had some very good results but I started the race a little tired, a little banged up, and mentaly I think the uncertainty won the day as I slowly ran across the line in 10:29 and into my wife's loving embrace. I'll never know what I was capable of really going that day, I do know I lost the mental game. I wanted to correct that.

So 2011 I decided to focus once again soley on the 70.3 World Championships as I did back in 2008 when I managed a respectful 10th in M35-39. I did a lot of running over the winter and set some new PR's in various distances including a 1:19 half marathon. I felt confident my run was back from the brink of the previous year and I was better then ever. My triathlon season began with two overall wins at local Olympic races and a 3rd OA at the DeuceMan Half. I had targeted Vineman 70.3 once again to be my qualifier and had what I felt was the best executed race of my life that day to come in 2nd in the AG. I began to believe that I could show up at 70.3 Worlds and have a legitimate shot at the podium although being 6min behind the Vineman AG winner Chris Hauth gave me the reality check that there were some guys out there who were in another league. I would have to find another level if I wanted to contend.

Event warmup:

Race morning dawned without the excessive heat we have been enjoying for the past 2 months here in the Southwest and only a gentle breeze. The sky was clear and I knew the heat would come eventuially. I also felt that the heat would plat in my favor come the run as I am well acclimated and perhaps others were not. As the sun rose over Lake Las Vegas, I watched the pro men start with my friend and fellow ZOOT Ultra Team mate Jim Atkinson, who is also in my AG. We had our sweet new ZOOT Speedsuits and got into the water together. It was warm but the cool morning dry air gave me a little chill and as I stood on a lone rock before toeing the line, I shiverd in anticipation. How bad did I want this? Time to find out.

Swim- 34:00, 54th in AG
I lined up towards the left of the bouys as the course did curve that direction about half way down. This also put me in some early, clean water. I swam haed for the first few hundred yards and then tried to settle in. I was in a small group and there was a suprising amount of contact. Nothing rough, just some bouncing off other swimmers and having to make a lot of course corrections to avoid. In a race of this caliber, if you aren't a super swimmer, you swim in a pack the whole way and this would be no different then Kona. So I accepted the crowding and did the best I could to stay steady.

As I began to head back, I found my local group had grown to about 8 guys and we were all jammed together trying to swim the same line. I started to get very frustrated as the pace seemed..and clearly was..so slow and everytime I would try and break free, I would run up into someone who had the same idea. I was trapped like a tuna in a net and swimming about as fast. I hit the exit stairs and took what I knew would be a painful look at my watch. Good grief...

T1- 3:09
During the long run around the back of the lake to get to T1 I had a moment to reflect on my endless swim and my likely current placement in the AG, in other words bad and worse. I knew Jamie and all the folks supporting me would see that and be rightfully concerened thst possibly one of my legs had fallen off. But as I rounded the corner, there was coach Nick cheering for me and when I looked at him I knew what he was thinking. You can do this, time to bike your way to the front, I thought. I grabbed my bike and ran the long switch back up to the mount line and now my race began.

Bike- 2:24:14, 3rd in AG
Right out of T2 you climb 2 miles out of the Lake Las Vegas resort area to the highway. It was during this ride I had my come to Jesus moment. I glanced at my Garmin to check my HR, which was above my target effort and I made the decision to just go by feel. I knew I would "feel" great for a while and then could very quickly stop feeling great and then start walking the run. But this was the World F'ing Championships and I was going to RACE not pace.

So with a new found sense of purpose and the dismal swim slowly reeceeding in my rearview mirror, I put my head down and got to work. I was spinning great, my legs were responding, and I was flying by people. I attacked every hill, jumping up out of the saddle for every climb and pedaling until I would spin out on the descents. I would glance every now and again at my HR just out of idle curiosity but I never let it be a limiter. I was racing a bike race in my mind. I made sure to be very dilligent with my hydration and nutrition knowing how many candles I was burning. I was also looking up at the clear, blue sky and thought please, BRING THE HEAT. I knew my best chance towards the end of this race would be if the heat and constant sun would start to hammer my competition. I did bricks in 110+ degrees and I was ready for it.

Around mile 31 I passed my team mate Jim and wished him well...and silently hoped I good gap him as I know he's a solid runner. Then there I was feeling like a bike superstar at mile 42 climbing out of the park when I was passed and ropped like a bad habit by Laurent Galbert. I had no response for what would be his 2:17 bike split, he just rode up the road and dissapeared. I got Jalbert'ed big time and it was an honor. :)

The last 14 miles through Henderson are dull and ugly and I was feeling the fatigue. I looked down at my HR and saw 148, about 4bpm's lower then my target but still pretty solid. At this point I reverted back to HR pacing but not to back off but to try and hold that 148, it was all I had and it would have to be enough, so hold it, Bryan. It was also at this point I realized I would be well below 2:30, which is what I figured would be a good split on this course for me. So as I climbed up to T2 the million dollar question was could I run. And if I could, how hard would I be willing to go?

T2- 1:25
When I arrived at T2 there was only one other bike in front of me and I was able to do a smooth flying dismount and hand my bike of to a volunteer. I heard from my family the bike handlers were overwhelmed when too many bikes showed up at once. I ran towards the tent, received my gear bag and another volunteer helped me get sorted.

Run- 1:28:51, 10th in AG
As I ran onto the course, I tried to split my Garmin which was in MultiSport mode but for some reason it just started doing lap splits. I had wanted to try and run to average pace but I couldn't pull up that data so just like on the bike I said screw it, put your head down and go as fast as you can. I ran down the hill for the first 1.2 miles and felt good, I was running a 6:17 pace according to my results. At the first aid station I took some gel from my flask and water and started the climb. My legs were turning over well as I climbed back to T2. I began to think my run was going to show up for the party.

As I came past through T2, I saw Jamie and she yelled out I was in 7th and closing up on 6th. That was my first check on my placing in the AG. I wasn't dissapointed, I was close to cracking the top 5 but even if I didn't, I was proud that I was doing the best I could as opposed to just sitting in. Then not more then 30 seconds later I ran by my coach and he said I was in 3rd and 2nd was just up ahead! WTF? As I climbed the hill I was sure he was just BS'ing me trying to motivate me to run faster. I climbed the second hill and from bottom to top averaged 7:29 pace.

As I came back down, it was starting to get warm and I was comfortable just grabbing water and some Perfrom as I went by the aid stations. I noticed a lot of people were taking the sponges and dousing themselves with water. My ally the heat was starting to take it's toll. I felt good and knew that though the sponges feel great, they make your shoes a wet mess. I would avoid them and keep running while otheres slowed to get one. As I passed by Transition to complete the first loop, I saw Jamie again and now she said I was in 4th, Ironman.com was having updating issues and with the two wave start format for my AG, it was having trouble keeping us all staright.

4th?! OK, hold the phone, I am in this and I have to keep pushing. I made it back down to the bottom of the hill averaging 6:17 again. At the turn, I could see Jim was also running and wasn't too far behind me. I figured he must be 5th, the final podium spot. Now I knew what I had to do. I had to stay ahead of him to be sure I had some wiggle room in case some one in the wave behind is really running fast but not in the current online results. I went back up the hill, my legs really starting to fatigue but I brought my pace down to a 6:43. The course was very crowded but it was motivating to not only be flying by people in various points of their own run and personal distress but to come by all the spectators so frequently.

At the top of the climb on the second loop, I really began to feel it. I pushed so hard I was starting to fade. I treid to use the descent to recover some but felt my turnover was slowing. Time to hit the Coke. Jim was edging closer and I was running out of real estate. This time back down my pace was 6:30 but it felt even slower. The doubts began. He's going to catch you. You are going to start going backwards.As I came by to complete lap 2, I saw my Mom, Aunt, and Uncle and gave them a little smile and held up one finger. One lap to go.

Amazing how far 4 crummy miles can seem when you are at the end of a race and then end of your personal rope. Nick was yelling GO! Jamie was yellin GO! and as I went to the bottom of the hill for the last time I tried to gather myslef. I knew this would come down to the final trip up the hill. I made the turn and very quickly saw Jim. He was within 200 yards. The first part of the climb was a blur. I was staring the the concrete just in front of my feet, swerving through traffic, running scared. As I made the last pass by Transition, Nick was there. He looked me square in the eye's and said this is it, this is what you trained for, this is where you knew you would need to go. Less then 2 miles left and I was going to a dark place.

As I climbed Green Valley Rd. for the final time, I was in a daze. My hamstrings were twinging with cramping and everytime I put on a surge, I would only be able to hold for 10 seconds before I slowed again. I could see the traffic light up ahead where the turn was and it never seemed to get closer. I stopped trying to get aid, I didn't have time and there was no point, I needed to RUN. I was very relieved to hit the turn..and there he was. Jim was now within 50 yards tops. I looked won the hill towards the finish about a mile away and emptied the tank. I have no idea how fast I was going but I knew it was all I had. I refused to look back, I just looked down at the light where the trun to the finish line would start. Right before making the turn, I afforded myself the look back and didn't see Jim's gold and black ZOOT kit. I made it. I made the podium at the 70.3 World Championships.

Final Time- 4:31:39, 4th in AG

As soon as I crossed the line I took a few steps and stopped, bending over, hands on my knees, and let the hurt wash over me and pass by. Two volunteers came over to help me start moving again and gave me some water. Within a minute I felt better and thanked them as I turned to wait for Jim. He came through and we had a nice hug. He had no idea he made the podium as well. It was a great moment to share with my team mate.

I want to give thanks to all of the amazing support I am so fortunate to be a beneficiary of. Jake, Molly, and the entire team at ZOOT are so wonderful to me and our entire team. They make me feel very special and it's an honor to represent them and the entire company. I also want to thank our other sponsors,Ridley Bikes, GU, ZIPP, FuelBelt, and Garmin. My family for all their love and especially Jamie for putting up with me. And this year I want to give a special acknowledgement to my coach Nick Goodman of DURAPULSE Perfromance Company for putting me on the start line in the best condition I have ever been in. I was so well prepared for this race and I owe it all to him. He is my Jedi Master.

-Bryan

Rev3 Cedar Point 140.6

2011-09-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's funny how you prepare for a race for so long and all you can think about is the moment you cross the finish line. Then when you actually do break the tape...you wish you still had 6 more weeks of training left and that empty feeling sets in. I knew that I'd feel that way only if I had a race I was happy with and today as I sit in my office, I do have that empty feeling but yet one of happiness and accomplishment as well.

I'm going to leave out all the miscellaneous details from the days leading up to the race b/c they are pretty irrelevant. Let's just say I did all the things I needed to do, without any disaster or hiccup and when I toed the line for the start of the race Sunday, I was 100% ready.

Swim - 1:05:05
I really didn't have any expectations for this leg of the race other than to stay relaxed, hopefully find some feet to sit on, and take the race as it came to me. I got to the front of the chaos of the mass start and got into a good rhythm about 5 minutes into the swim. The swim was 2 loops and before I knew it we were on the 2nd loop. I had found a good set of feet halfway through the first loop but lost them somehow during the turnaround and was a little bummed out to say the least. Then somehow, by the time I got to the final turn buoy, the guy whose feet I had been following appeared out of no where and I again paced off him for the remainder of the swim. I didn't time the start so I had no idea what my time was but I felt like I was swimming within myself and was happy when I got out of the water. Got through the change tent and out onto the bike. Pretty uneventful swim which is what I was hoping for.

Bike - 4:49:55
The bike was going to be the big mystery for me in this race. I really had no idea what I was capable for this distance, and even after talking with my coach about things, I still had no concise game plan other than to keep it conservative for the first 60-70 miles and then re-evaluate at that point. I knew that 22.5 mph average would put me right at 5 hours or so and although I didn't know how much better I could do than that, I felt like I was capable of going under 5 hours for the bike portion of the race. I took splits at each hour and after the first hour I was at 22.87 mph. Hour 2 was 23.3 mph. Hour 3 was 23.3 mph. Hour 4 was 23.3 mph. Needless to say I stayed right where I thought I could be and finished averaging 23.18 mph for the entire distance, good enough for the fastest amateur bike split and 6th fastest bike overall on the day. I hit T2 and my legs felt pretty good all things considered, it was all over but the marathon.

Run - 3:21:33
By the time I started running I knew that my legs did not feel the way that I had hoped they would coming off the bike. I had set an initial governor at 7:00 pace and I had hoped to be shouting at myself to slow down much more than I had to going though the first few miles. I did look down a few times and see mid 6:30s on my watch but I could also feel the effort was too strong, something that would prove to be a bit of a bummer on the day. For the most part, I stayed right at 7:15 pace for the first loop and I knew that if I could hold that pace, I would be right where I wanted to for the marathon, hovering around 3:10 or so. Then I hit a bit of a rough patch from mile 13 to mile 20 where my pace slowed to right around 8 minute pace, sometimes as slow as 8:30. Although the very slow end of the running pace was short lived, I knew it meant my effort was decreasing slowly but surely, as was my stamina. I got a little bit of a boost around mile 20 when a cloud blocked the sun for 10 minutes or so and I looked at my watch and noticed that I had gone through mile 21 at 7:40 which was shocking but very encouraging as well. I force-fed myself calories during the next 8K and tried to envision running my routine 5 mile loop at home. Up until this point I had been able to keep the enormity of the race in check and now I needed to have something small, like a familiar 5 mile run to feed off of. "Mile 22, mile 23, just get to 5K to go" was all I kept telling myself. By the time I made the last left hand turn onto the main road entering the park, I knew the finish line was less than 20 minutes away, even if my pace dropped to 10:00 pace. I hit the mile 25 marker and started looking for Julie as I knew she would be starting her 2nd loop. I saw here just before entering the main parking lot. I could see she was running with someone and seemed to be in good spirits and running strong. At this point I got really chocked up and had to calm myself down before I got to her b/c I knew if she saw me getting emotional, she would too and I didn't want to sap her of any of the energy I knew she would need as the race drew to a close for her. I gave her a kiss, told her to eat eat eat and that I'd be waiting for her at the finish line. I rounded the final turn, high-fived Julie's dad and blew her mom a kiss and made my way down the finishing chute. It was a great day, perfect weather, good nutritional plan, and pretty good race execution. I broke the tape at 9:20:58 good enough for 4th overall amateur and 15th overall.

2011 was a great season. I improved in several areas with respect to race execution and fitness and I really enjoyed the races I chose to participate in which is always good. There are so many people that deserve a huge thank you and my gratitude for helping me accomplish what I did this year. I want to start by thanking my fiance Julie for her unwavering support, calmness, understanding, encouragement, and selflessness. I want to thank my coach Daniel Bretscher for helping me the past 3 years, I could never have imagined to race at the level I have been able to and I know that I could not have done it without you. I want to thank all of the absolutely fantastic sponsors, staff, and teammates of the Zoot Ultra Team including but not limited to Zoot, Ridley, GU, Zipp, Garmin, Fuel Belt, and bettydesigns.com. The support for this team is unlike anything I've ever experienced before and I am so lucky and thankful to have been able to be a part of such a great team for the past 2 years. Although I've only been able to meet a handful of teammates, those of you that I have met are absolutely fantastic athletes and even better people. I'd also like to give a special thanks to Jake Jensen for all of your support and help throughout the past 2 season, words can't say how much I appreciate everything! Best of luck to everyone racing in Kona next month and for those racing throughout the 2011 season, I hope to see you back next year.

Mountain Man Olympic Triathlon Report

2011-08-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

OK, bike secured on the bike rack. Check. Gear bag, helmet, and wet suit in the back seat. Check. Jamie's awake and ready to go. Check. Go out to start the car and warm it up...Click,click,click....oh dear..
THE CAR IS DEAD
More specifically the battery is stone cold dead. We have no jumper cables. We did however have fortune on our side this morning. Jamie had invited our friends Joy and Will to come stay at our rental house in Flagstaff for the weekend. Within 5 min. of discovering the Grand Cherokee wasn't going anywhere, I had my bike in the back of Joy's Honda and we were off to Lake Mary for the start. That was a first!

Jamie dropped me off near Transition and went to find parking while I set up. I found a good spot next to my friends Carlos and Sue and had about 45 min. To kill before the start. We wandered over to see the Half IM wave's and I got into the water with 10min left and did some easy swimming. Water was perfect.

Swim- 24:37, 10th OA
When the horn sounded I took off at a hard pace to get some maneuvering room. Within the first few hundred yards, I could feel every inch of the 7000 feet of elevation. Air was at a premium and I knew I would have to settle down and gather myself. I could see a small group of about 3 guys ahead who were already off the front. I knew that would be pro Lewis Elliot as well as a very fast AG swimmer John Poisson. I was in the second group of about 3 other guys, one of whom I was able to draft off for the long leg down lake. I found a decent rhythm and felt more comfortable with my breathing. I also felt that my draft partner was swimming the right line, a few others were off to far to the left. When we came around to the boat ramp, I popped up and checked my time. Not the worst swim ever but not the best, I always seem to have issues swimming at altitude, but then again everyone does! The course was likely a bit long based on the overall times.

T1- 1:17
Had a very smooth and easy transition. My shoes were clipped in as the run out if a bit long. I had no trouble with my wet suit and getting into my shoes and up to speed. I think the best thing you can ever say about a transition is it was uneventful.

Bike- 56:37, 2nd OA
I have to say I was REALLY looking forward to this bike leg. I can honestly say I don't think I have ever done an Olympic triathlon where the bike course didn't have a lot of turns, 180 degree turnarounds and technical corners. I finally could just hammer down an out and back. Granted it is at elevation and has about 750 feet of climbing, but it's a great course with great road conditions. I left T1 and quickly spun up to speed. I immediately noticed my RPE was about a 8-9 while my HR was about a 6-7. Whereas in an Olympic I would target about 160 bpms I was more like 154. Again, I knew it was the effect of the altitude and I should adjust accordingly, so 152 became the new goal and it was what I averaged.

The longest climb comes around mile 8 or so just before the tun off for the Half bike course. I caught John here, he had exited the water 2 min. ahead of me, and now was on the look out for pro Lewis Elliot coming back the other way. I just got into sight of the turnaround about a mile down the road when Lewis came streaking by heading back. Now I would have an opportunity to see who was chasing. John was still in 3rd but closing in on him was Carlos Mendoza, the best 45-49 AG'er in the state, as well as a great runner named Josh Terwoord moving up the pack. I had a decent gap and wanted to really open it up on the way back.

There was a slight tailwind and when I came down the hill at mile 17 I hit nearly 50mph, spinning out in my 52/11 gearing, so I just tucked in and enjoyed the ride! The last 5 miles were a bit of a grind and I was pretty relieved when I saw the turn in for Transition. I slipped out of the shoes and rode with my feet on top and did a pretty spiffy flying dismount right at the line for the crowd. :) This was a big PR for my on the bike, my previous best being 59 on the local Tempe courses.

T2- :58
Ran the length of Transition to my spot and my legs felt really good, always a good sign. I wore my ZOOT Ultra Speed, no socks, so I had shoes on and my visor, race belt, and sunglasses in my hand as I ran out which made for a nice fast and efficient transition.

Run- 38:01, 5th OA
As I headed out onto the road, my legs felt great. I ignored my Garmin for the first half mile to allow myself to settle into race pace. When I did check, my average pace was around 6:08. I held this steady pace until I got to the bottom of the hill around mile 1.2. This race is pretty well known for this climb. It's about 350 feet of elevation gain and a little over a mile to mile and a quarter long. I just put my head down and shortened up my stride and attacked. The hill is a switchback with the turn a little before half way. Nearing the top I saw Lewis coming back the other way and gave him a thumbs up.

Once you crest the hill, the course heads down a forest service road for about 400 meters or so to a lone cone and some chalk in the dirt with an arrow pointing back the other way. The climb hadn't killed me and I was feeling great heading back for the descent. As I started down, I could see Josh was just catching Carlos and I was a good 2-3 min ahead. I knew I would have some recovery coming down and then could really push the last mile and keep my lead. Coming down the hill was fast and fun and I received so much great encouragement from my friends and fellow competitors heading up.

I hit the bottom and made the left to head to the finish. I had made myself and my coach a promise for this run. Even if I was all alone and not being challenged for placing, I would continue to push the pace. I have a bad habit when in a race if the guy off the front is out of reach and there's no one close behind, I tend to just sort of sit in and cruise it home. Not this time. I passed the one mile to go and I pushed. I began to run along all the cars parked along the side of the road and I pushed. I could see the turn off for the line itself a quarter mile up the road and I pushed. It was only the last 10 feet before the line that I slowed it down and put up my hands, proud of my effort. Looking back on my HR, after coming down the hill, it did nothing but build all the way in. 38 flat is a pretty good time for this course and elevation but I think I can even get better, I want my run to be a stronger asset in my portfolio and will continue to work on it

Final Time- 2:01:32, 2nd OA our of 285, 1st in AG.

Post race was the usual fun of hanging with all of our friends and eating mini chocolate donuts! Yum! Just a quick note on my nutrition for this race. Knowing the temps would be moderate, I opted to start the bike with a single bottle between my aero bars filled with 3 GU Roctanes mixed with water. My goal was to be sure to finish most of this before T2, which I did. Once on the run, I didn't take any additional aid with my or from the stations. It was a great moring if racing and I feel it really has put me in a great position as I do my final 3 week build into 70.3 Worlds on Sept. 11th. Time to get back to WORK.

Vineman 70.3 Race Report

2011-07-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

"If you have the hubris to book the hotel room at the race venue months before actually qualifying for the race, you better deliver."

That was that little nagging thing haunting the back of my mind over the last few months. Vineman 70.3 was to be my qualifying race for the new World Championship in Vegas and being a later season qualifier, I wanted to make sure we had a room at the Lake Las Vegas host hotel as it was convenient and also accepted pets. We would be traveling with our dogs and the "plan" was do the race Sept 11th and then travel to Cambria, CA where we had rented a house on the coast for a weeks vacation. I am not the superstitious type, but it did feel a bit like tempting fate..and not in a good way. There are many things on race day you can't control. There is one thing, however, you can. Preparation.

My season this year has been great. My results have never been better and my times across the board have been improving. My coach, Nick Goodman of DURAPULSE Performance Co. has provided me with a training protocol which has applied the perfect balance of stress, recovery, intensity, and volume and leading into this race I have felt fantastic. No little aches and pains, no overwhelming fatigue, just a sense of confidence of being able to properly execute even the most challenging training days. Nick and I met the day before we left and I think we both knew Sunday could be something special. I told him I had never felt so well prepared for a race...ever. I wanted to try and win the AG.

We flew up to Oakland Friday morning and stayed with my Aunt and Uncle in their lovely home in Santa Rosa, just a few miles from the finish, expo, and T2. I had done this race back in 2008 and had ridden on the bike course and run the run course again in 2009 when we stopped by on our summer vacation, so I was very familiar with the race. I used Tri Team Transport to deliver my bike and gear to Windsor and want to give them a big shout out of thanks, they were awesome, highly recommended.

Friday afternoon we headed over to the Russian River and I did a short swim in my amazing ZOOT Prophet wet suit to see what the temperature felt like and more importantly where the shallow spots were. The river was comfortable, a little warm, and there were a lot of shallow parts which I wanted to avoid race morning. I felt great in the water and knowing how fast this swim can be, I was hoping for good things on Sunday in the water after a disappointing swim at Deuce Man Half last month. On the way home, we also drove on West Rd. and Chalk Hill to see what the surface conditions were like as it can be a little rough.

Saturday I just went for a short ride and run early in the morning. I had recently purchased a visor for my LG aero helmet and wanted to see how it worked, especially in dark, overcast conditions. It was great but there was a lot of mist in the air from the marine layer fog and the visor became opaque when wet, so I had to push it up so I could see. I made a mental note of that. Otherwise, it was an easy day of registration, packet pick up, and setting up my T2. I scored an end spot of my rack and only had to leave my shoes, gel flask, visor, and sunglasses on the ground under a towel.

Sunday morning arrived and we headed out to the swim start in Geyserville, about a 25min drive. My wave start was at 7:02, the second wave of my AG 6min behind the first, so I knew it would be a challenge early to gauge where I was in relation to the field, but Jamie would be able to try an update me later on the bike. Transition at Vineman is very gig and very long. I knew the run out would be far and that the short, steep hill at the mount line would be carnage, so I was hoping for a good rack spot and would leave my shoes clipped into the pedals so I could not only run the length of T1 but also run up the hill away from the mount line crashes, of which there were many, I was told later.

I found my wave's rack and there was a ton of empty spots right at the swim exit. Score! I literally only had to run up from the beach and my bike would be right there and the carpet stretched to the run out. Perfect. We watched the pro starts at 6:30 and then it was time to squeeze into the Prophet and get this show on the road.

Swim- 27:44, 13th in the AG
I lined up on the far inside left as the river bends that way and it would be the deepest part. I swam hard for the first min or so and found open water and clear sighting. There were a few AG men to my right and eventually we all cam together on the buoy line heading up river. i knew there was a current we were going against so I made sure to swim hard early and would get a boost on the way back. One guy slotted ahead of me from my wave and I tried to overtake him a few times but he was going great so I dropped back on to his feet and had a great draft working into the current. It was ideal.

As we approached the turn I could see people standing up in the river. I knew it would be almost too shallow to swim up here and I waited until my draft buddy stood up fisrt. He did and we both began to run a few steps and then dolphin dive. We did this for a good min. at least, the water was so shallow. Eventually we were able to get back to swimming and we swam side by side the whole way back. We hit the finish together and I looked down at my watch to see a 27:xx and it was a great feeling and new PR.

T1- 1:53
Between a good transition strategy and a prime rack spot, I had the fastest T1 in the AG by 13 seconds. My wet suit came off easily and I had my race belt and helmet on and I was off runing with the bike. Being in bare feet I was passing people from the 3 early waves along the way out and ran right past that mount line and up the hill. Jamie and our friends were there on the hill and i gave her a thumbs up and said I had a great swim. At the top of the rise, I was easily able to get on the bike, into the shoes, and up to speed.

Bike- 2:18:46, 1st in the AG
I started the ride feeling like magic. I was flying and it felt effortless. Of course it did, it was 30 degrees cooler then I have been training in for months. My HR was around 152, which I knew this early and in these temps was a bit too high but I also knew that if I wanted to compete for the AG win I would have to use my bike strength and feel confident my run would still be there. I felt very comfortable and the Ridley Dean was sucking up the road ahead. I had a bottle of water on the frame and an aero Fuel Box on the top tube with about 5 gels and half a Cliff Bar. I grabbed a Gatorade at the first aid station and that would be the only hydration I would use, it was too cool to drink more. I did eat the bar and had about 4 of the gels.

Around mile 25 it started to mist and I had to move the visor up out of the way to see. Just before the timing mat at the far end of the course I passed my friend and amazing AG'er Beth Walsh and gave her a quick howdy. I would later see her husband James on the run course on his way to an AG win and 2nd overall amateur position. That's one fast and awesome couple! I wish there was more to say but the rest of the ride was very uneventful, which is a good thing. the rain came and went a few times and the roads got a little slick, but otherwise no drama. I eventually brought my HR down into the high 140 range and attacked all the climbs including Chalk Hill. At mile 50 on Shilo Rd. I passed Jamie who was able to update me that I was 13th out of the water but there were no posted bike updates yet. But I hadn't passed any men in my AG for at least 5+ miles and that was a guy I had started 6min behind, so I knew I was up there somewhere. 1st in the AG and 16th OA including the pro's, I couldn't complain about that...but could I run?

T2- 2:24
It was a fairly long run from the dismount line in the parking lot on the side of the school into the center courtyard where T2 was set up. Once I arrived at my stuff, it was rack, socks, slip on the ZOOT Ultra Speeds, which are like slippers they go on so fast, grab my visor, gel flask and sun glasses and start running. I had the 12th fastest T2 in the AG, likely as I did feel the need to wear socks and sat down to put them on.

Run- 1:26:53, 3rd in the AG
The run. Although I have had two decent Olympic run splits this year, my half up in Show Low wasn't too great and last year I was not happy with any of my run efforts culminating in my wounded limp in Kona. I really felt like my run fitness was much better this year, Deuces not withstanding as it's at elevation and I never perform as well at altitude. Instead of RPE or HR, this time I made the goal of running to average pace, something I have never done before. Surprising as it's the perfect way to feed my OCD. I can just stare at the number and adjust effort accordingly to keep the number pegged. And that number goal was 6:30/mile pace and a 1:25 run split.

I ran the first mile and settled into a good stride. After the first aid station, I checked the pace for the first time and was pleased to see 6:30 on the nose. The course is really nice, with a lot of varied, rolling roads through the vineyards. I felt so great for the first 6 miles, it was almost effortless to sit on my goal pace but I knew coming back it would get a lot harder. After looping through the winery, I passed my 7 and started to not feel as great. My pace began to creep up to 6:35 and I really began to dig a little deeper. I tried to run strong uphills and get some recovery coming down. I also began to hit a little bit of the cola.

As I came back up Star Rd., I knew the end was almost there and at mile 11.5 or so, there was Jamie on the side of the road. She told me I was in 2nd, that first was 4min ahead (!) and that 3rd was running a 6:13 pace. That was all I needed to hear and I really tried to pick it up. The watch was reading 6:39 and I fought through the last mile and a half to bring it back the other way. It was a huge motivator to see that number start ticking back down and knowing I had such a strong runner coming up from behind. And then there it was. I broke the tape, nice little touch they had a tape I haven't seen one at a WTC race since IMAZ 2007, and felt a great sense of relief and accomplishment and a new run and Half IM PR overall time.

Final Time- 4:17:40, 2nd in M40-44, 6th amateur overall

As I walked over to get something to drink, I was approached by a local reporter for the Press Democrat, the publication my Uncle worked as a copy editor for years for! I pointed him out in the crowd to the reporter who knew him, too funny..although I didn't make the morning edition. :). Turns out I got my ass handed to me by Chris Hauth, so I was beaten solidly by an ex Olympic swimmer and pro triathlete so I was severely out classed there. I made my way out, Jamie was back and was able to celebrate with my loved ones...and look at my wife and tell her I was glad we made that hotel reservation after all.

Kansas 70.3

2011-06-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

Kansas 70.3

After the week of weather that we had in Chicago, and the entire Midwest for the most part, I was happy to see that the forecasted high for the day was only going to be 80 or so which for Kansas in June is pretty tolerable. What I wasn’t happy to see was the 80% chance of rain and thunderstorms for pretty much the entire day from 2-3 AM and on. My biggest fear was that the race might be shortened or worse yet, cancelled. It would be a long way to travel for a no go. Either way, it was only a “forecast”, more specifically a weather forecast. Essentially it was nothing I could control. I hit the alarm button at 4:00 and thus the day began.

Got to the race site just after 5 and made my way to T2 which was separate from T1. Got my stuff set up and into a plastic bag should the rains actually come. Always nice putting on dry shoes if you’re soaked coming off the bike. Headed down to the swim start and finished setting up my bike and got out of T1. Considering I was the absolute last wave of the day, I had almost an hour after watching the pro men go off to hang out and talk, relax, and settle the typical race day nerves in attempt to get ready to race. Met a fellow Zooter Rick Lapinski and realized that he lives less than 30 minutes from me in the Chicago burbs, hey the day was off to a good start from the getgo.

As a few of the first waves went off and we watched from an elevated position, I realized how calm the swim looks as a spectator, even when the gun initially goes off. Everyone seems to be swimming at their own pace, unhindered by anyone in the world. I can see how the swim portion of a triathlon “looks” like the best part of the race if you’re far enough away from the action because it truly looks orderly. Got ready to hit the water and the gun was off.

Swim – 32:58

Swim was a skinny rectangle that pretty much took us out, over a tad, and back to the beach. Got to the first of 2 red turn buoys in what felt like a pretty short period of time. The one thing I noticed on my way out was that the water seemed to be getting choppier with every minute. Luckily the lake seemed to be somewhat clean because the water I swallowed a few times really didn’t have much of a bad taste to it. Hit the first buoy and then the chop turned into what felt like intermittent swells. Having talked with several competitors afterwards, I don’t think I was alone in my description of the swim. The 2nd leg of the swim seemed to take what felt like forever. One of the buoys became detached and of course, I bellied back into the course to follow it before realizing I was not heading towards the 2nd of the turn buoys. Probably lost a bit of time there but with the chop being as bad as it was, this wasn’t bound to be a PR swim anyway. Finally hit the beach and was pretty discouraged when I looked at my watch. Got to my bike rack and didn’t notice a whole lot of bikes gone so I knew I wasn’t the only one who struggled with the first leg of the race. Shoes and helmet on and off we went.

Bike – 2:19:30

Knew right from the start that the wind was going to be a factor as we rode straight into it before leaving Clinton State Park. Headed over the dam and also realized that with my disc/1080 setup, crosswinds were also going to be a factor. Hit the gas anyway and figured that I may as well ride the horse until she bucks me. First 20 miles or so of the bike seemed to go by pretty well and I felt surprisingly strong considering my bike fitness is somewhat lacking at this stage of the year. Then from about mile 30-45 or so I really started to feel my legs weaken. Much of this stage of the bike leg seemed to be impacted by the wind and there were a few times going downhill that I had to grab the bars and get out of the aero position for fear of going all over the road. I knew going into the race that the last 5 or so miles would have a tailwind so my focus was just to get through the miles up until that point and then hope for the best. Hit T2 in just under 2:20, not spectacular by any stretch but I was satisfied all things considered.

Run – 1:21-25

After checking out the run course the day before and talking with my coach, I knew that the course was pretty much pancake flat with the exception of a hill on each lap. Right from the start I felt solid. Through mile 5 each of my splits were between 6:00 and 6:08 or so. Again I tried not to get ahead of myself but I wasn’t laboring to run that speed and so I just ran by feel. By mile 9 or so I was starting to feel the race take its toll and I just tried not to slow down too much. I went through mile 11 in 6:25 and as much as I wanted to just stroll in the final 2 miles, I really wasn’t in the mood to look back on the race and kick myself because of it. On top of that, I wasn’t sure where I stood in my age group at that point and I wanted to turn in a solid result at this race. Kept from falling off any more than I already had from my initial pace and hit the line about 1:30 slower than my pre-race goal of 4:15.

Race Time – 4:16:33, 1st 30-34, 5th Amateur.

Talked with Rick at the massage line and met a few more of the Zoot racers, Diana and Adrienne who all had impressive races. Was nice to also hang out with all of them as we all stuck it out and stayed for the awards, despite some lengthy traveling afterwards, for me anyway! Thanks to everyone at Zoot, Ridley, Zipp, GU, Garmin, Fuel Belt, and all other contributing sponsors, we couldn’t do it without you! Also a special shout out to my number one fan Julie, no words can express my gratitude for all that you did to make this weekend better, easier, less stressful, etc!!! Best of luck to everyone the rest of the season and hope to see some of you at Muncie 70.3 in about a month!

~Dana

Boulder Sunrise Olympic Report (Evan Macfarlane)

2011-06-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

This was my first race since IM Louisville 9 months ago. I was curious to see how rusty I'd be and how pushing myself would feel.

Swim:
Blah. A cold and uneventful 25 minutes. I was far enough back from the good swimmers that I passed a Team Timex lady a few miles into the bike, which wouldn't be all that bad but for the fact that the women's wave started several minutes after the guys'. On the plus side, this race was my first swim in the new Zoot Prophet wetsuit. This was the first race where I haven't noticed any increased shoulder fatigue from swimming in a wetsuit.

Bike:
My cycling metrics have been good lately, so I was optimistic about putting up a good time "in the field" instead of on the trainer. I know the course pretty well, and I know that the first few miles are the toughest because they're gradually uphill. My plan was to go really, really hard until the first downhill section on Hwy 36 (about 10-15 minutes into the ride), then push every uphill and flat section really hard until Nelson. At Nelson, the course is pretty much flat or downhill until returning back to the reservoir. I expected to be going ~26-27 mph or faster most of the way after turning onto Nelson, and therefore I figured pushing the effort there offers marginal benefits.

My plan seemed to go well, as I passed everyone in sight on the bike. The course offers a handful of vantage points that allow racers to see far up the road, and the course ahead of me looked clear. I was optimistic that there'd be no bikes in T2 when I returned, but unfortunately 4-5 guys beat me to the run.

My strategy is evident in the graph below, as my HR is highest initially, low along the Nelson decent, and then back up to normal Olympic effort around 75th Ave.

(Data from a power meter paired with my Garmin Edge 500.)
Normalized power appears to be ~270 W. Average HR was 158 bpm. Speed was 25.5 mph, which is a bit slower than expected.

Run:
The big question mark. I took a lot of time off running due to a still not completely healed Achilles injury. Would my speed still be there? Well, the good news is that I had the fastest run split at 5:54/mile at an average HR of 167 bpm. The bad news is that my run isn't good enough to overcome my swim.

Takeaways:
3rd overall, 1st in 25-29 AG
Positives -- I am fit heading into IM CdA. My running is strong and near or back to my former level. My bike is also a strength.

Negatives -- My swim prevents me from actually "racing" anyone. It'd be more accurate to say I do an individual time trial every race, and then see where I end up. If I came out of the water near the front, I could gauge how hard I need to ride based on the power needed to stay at the front of the race. I have no doubt in my mind that I could have rode harder. Yes, a harder ride may have slowed my run, but if I started out with a good swim at least I'd be in contention. Better to die trying, as they say. I'm considering basing my entire training and racing schedule next year around improving my swim.

Finally, congrats to the winner, Drew Scott. He smoked me by 7 minutes. I had to look back at last year's 70.3 results and noticed I beat him by 20 minutes. (I remember his name from that race because at the awards ceremony the announcer made a point to mention Drew's father, Dave Scott, who did a race or two in his day.). He's a young guy but appears to have taken a giant leap forward.

Deuces Wild Half IM

2011-06-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Pre-race routine:

"You're five minutes behind first, you have your work cut out for you, get going!!!" yelled my wife. This was the first thing I heard as I exited Fools Hollow Lake.

We arrived in Show Low the day before and were greeted with the wonderful cool temps, cozy cabin nestled among the Ponderosa pines, a steady wind blowing 25-30mph, and a raging forest fire about 30 miles due east in Pine. First thing I want to acknowledge is how awful this Wallow Fire has been in terms of acreage burned and the potential for so many to loose their homes. Also, I want to praise the brave men and women who are up their trying to save lives and property. As we arrived in Show Low, we could clearly see the smoke. There had been some concern that the Deuces Wild Triathlon festival might be cancelled but the prevailing south/south west winds were pushing the flames and smoke away from Show Low. And man, it was and still is windy. So windy that I had made the decision to not use my rear disc wheel and run my 808/808 set up instead. This proved to be a wise descison. So Jamie and I were back for the third year to race this event. I was there to defend my 2010 overall win in the Half and Jamie to finish Sunday's XTERRA which she had to DNF last year due to illness.

We ariived right at noon in time for packet pick up and to allow Jamie to do the XTERRA course pre-ride. I used that time to hit the local Safeway and stock up the house with porvisions and get all my race gear ready. Jamie's friend Amanda, who was racing the Olympic, joined us at our cabin and we had a satifying and early diner. I hit the bed around 8pm and for the first time in three years prior to this race, i actually slept. For some reason, I had not been able to sleep in '09 and '10, like not at all. Might have been due to the altitude of 6300+ feet but this night, I slept well.

Event warmup:

I woke up just before 4 am and had some coffee and a Cliff Bar. I felt good and rested. It was pretty chilly outside, high 40's, but I knew it would warm up quickly. Jamie drove me down to Transition for my 6:30 start and then went home to bring Amanda back as her race didn't start until 8.

Transition was very relaxed this year as they had assigned spots on the rack, so there was no mad rush to try and score good spots, although my buddy Brian Folts didn't realize this and had been in Transition since about 4:30 am! I set up my meager little spot: shoe's, socks, a gel flask, a visor, race belt, and a towel for it all to sit on. I spent a few moments catching up with my local friends as well as last years 2nd place finisher Ryan. I knew Ryan and Brian would be very competitive and I would need to be aware of them on the course. And then there's that great adage you never know who is going to show up on race day. Man, would that prove to be the truth!

Very quickly it was time to squeeze into my ZOOT Prophet wet suit (LOVE this suit) and get in the water for a few minutes of easy swimming. I lined up int the front, a little to the right, with a good bead on the first turn buoy. My swimming has bee very good this year and I was looking forward to trying to better my 28:52 from last year. I knew if I could get a few minutes lead starting off the bike, I could put enough time on my known competition to hold them, especially Brian, off on the run.

Swim- 31:36
WTF.
I started towrads the first marker swimming pretty hard just to get clear, which I did within the first 200 yards or so. My breathing was a bit labored as it always is at first swimming at altitude but I knew I would settle down. There was only one other swimmer near by me in a sleevless suit and a woman who was part of a relay team. On the lond side of the course, I dropped the woman and the guy on my left was a few feet away. I flet great, smooth, nice fast turnover, everything felt like it was clicking. As I rounded the last marker I could see a few people ahead and was sure I must be well within the top 10, maybe top 5. WRONG! I hit the boat ramp, looked at my watch and was literally astonished. And then I heard Jamie....

T1- 1:39
To say I was feeling a little bit discouraged would not put too fine a point on it. Brian and Ryan were both right in front of me whereas I had almost 2min on them last year coming out of the water. I needed to have a good transition and strat to do damage control on the bike. They had wet suit strippers, so by the time I reached my bike all I had to do was put on my helmet and glasses and go. I reached the mount line which is on a slight hill, swung my right foot over and into my clipped in shoe, pushed off, went to get into the left and totally missed. Worse, my new Specialized shoes don't like to flip over as easy as my prvious LG's. So now I am trying to turn the cranks but my left foot is the bottom of my left shoe and I can't get it flipped over!
WTF.
By now, I was so FUBAR, my right shoe unclipped and i was at a standstill. I got off the bike over to the side to allow the more intelligent athletes to get by, and put my damn shoe's on. This did little to alter my mood, needless to say and put my another 30+ seconds in arrears.

Bike- 2:28:53
I would be hard pressed to recall another time I was beginning a 56 mile bike race feeling so discouraged. The first few miles were dominated by an internal battle between negativity and trying to settle down and continue to compete. I very quickly was moving up through the field and the cross wind was very much evident. The first positive thought came into my mind, man, I am glad I left the disc at home. OK, so one decision made correctly, what else could I work on in a more positive manner? My HR was 150-152, so early in the race that was a good sign. I just went flying by Brian, my young nemesis. Better start up on my nutrition and hydration (I had about 5 gels and a pieces of a Cliff Bar in my Fuel Box) plan even though it was stil cool.OK, we are doing a bit better now.

The course initially runs due west on SR 260, so I knew the south/ southwest wind would continue to pick up and be a tail wind between miles 15-25 as you head north towards SR 277. Up the road, I could see another cyclist and by the time we turned to head north, he wasn't too far ahead and seemed to be coasting some on the downhills, so I kept up the pace. At the mile 20 Aid Station I was getting very close to overtaking him but decided I would try and grab a bottle of sport drink even though I still had water. The tail wind was so strong, I came into the aid station at what must have been almost 25+mph and as this poor kid stuck out his hand with the bottle, I was going way to fast to grab it. I hope I didn't hurt the poor little guy!

Now it was time to make the pass and I went by and kept up the pace as to prevent him from jumping on me. My HR was now in the 148 raange and I knew the elevation and wind would start to slowly start to bring it down. I made the right on SR 277 and was greeted by a steady cross/head wind. Fortunatley this section is sort of net downhill, but it's open and exposed. I wasn't entirely clear what position I was in but i knew it wasn't 1st as there was no lead car in front of me like last year. Eventually I could see yet another rider way up the road with no lead car infront of him, so I concluded I must be 3rd.

Then came the turn I was dreading. Right on AZ 77 and heading due south back to Show Low, where the majority of climbing and a viscous headwind awaited the riders, 15 miles of misery. This is always the most challenging party of the course, where fatigue and the long, slow climbs can just knock the stuffing out of you. Add in 25-30mph head winds and I was being forced into my small chain ring for the first time in this race. It's discouraging, makes it a challenge to hold any pace or keep my HR up, which was now camping ut around 142. My new friend negativity started to creep back in..You're going to get caught. I never look back on the course until the very end and refused to do so yet. I very much expected to hear the labored efforts of the chase group swallowing me up and spitting me out the back. I could still see 2nd but the gap was too far to bridge. And then something quite obvious occured to me. These conditions palyed to my strengths as a cyclist. I am small and strong, so te wnd and hills that were giving me fits was likely blowing up the field behind me. I took comfort in that though and tucked as low and small as I could on the aerobars when it wasn't too steep. Think small, keep spinning. Up ahead I could see the spot where the Olympic race would join up with us and knew this would be the only opportunity to chack my 6 and see if anyone was close to me. I looked back and saw nothing but a vast stretch of empty road. I was well away and needed to stay there.

I rode past the mile 50 marker and recalled how last year, nit too far from this spot, I flatted my front tire. It was a nice moment to pass by that point without incident. Now out of the headwind, it was a fast shot back to T2. I was till 3+ mile sout as my split from last year rolled by!

T2- 1:30
The run splits include T2, so I'll just figure I was about the same as last year although the Transition was on the opposite side of the parking lot. I had a good T2 and as I ran to the course I was told i was 10min down on first and 4min behind second. 10min!! Who was that guy?!

Run- 1:36:24
The initial 2 miles are alnog a trail by the lake and I felt pretty beat. I ran past Jamie who once again gave me a "GET GOING"! I love my wife. :) I tried to find some sense of form and pace but, once again, began to feel you know what creep into my thoughts. I'm running too slow, I'm going to get shuffled back in the pack. It's hard to admit, but this was the point where I stopped racing to catch second and likely started racing to not loose 3rd. It's a very different mind set and in retrospect, it was paramount in my thoughts. Back onto the road and heading to the long dirt road out and back, I started to feel a little better, grabbing a shot of gel from my flask and some ice cold water at an aid station.

Just as i reached the dirt road, I was slammed by the headwind. It was getting worse and this rolling stretch with poor footing would be a struggle. At this point, and Olympic athlete caught up to me and I could see my friend Cam Hill coming the othe way, leading the Olympic race. I gave him a high five as we passed. Then I had my firts chance to see 1st in the Half. As he passed, he said something to me about the bike course record, one which I had set last year with a 2:20. I still don't know what he said and I actually assumed he had bested it but it turned out he went 2:23, an amazing split considering the conditions. Now 2 more guys came by but I wasn't sure who was in what race. As I made the turn, a group of guys were coming and I had a moment of panic until i could see they were all Olympic men. I needed to keep an eye out for Ryan and Brian, who was easy to spot in his speedo. I was well past the turn and nearing the road when I saw Ryan first. We also high fived and he said "Just like last year!" where he had chased me to the end and missed catching me by about 10 seconds. As Brian and I passed he said I must have had a great bike and again I realized how much the conditions had played to my strength. A valuable lesson learned, one of many good and bad on this day so far.

As I looped around the lake side road towards the second out and back, I knew I would have a better chance to see where 2nd place was and in turn, how fast Ryan and Brian were running. As i came down past Transition, 2nd was just coming up to make the turn for the final lap. We wished eachother well and I knew I was still about 4min or so down on him. Now i really wanted to get out and back and into transition to start the last lap before Ryan got to the same spot. It gave me a boost of extra motivation when I hit Transition and Ryan and Brian still hadn't come down the road, so I knew I was at least 4min ahead. that felt good and I continued to run and run well, and hold pace. I think I was moving much better now.

Once more to the long out and back and the wind had shifted to more of a cross, so the last few miles would be into the wind. I hit the turn and started coming back. Now Ryan was in about the same spot but Mr. Folts was running like a man possesed. He was flying and we still had 2 miles to go. yet a little more motivation for me to get this done. Once back on the road, I pushed into the wind but I felt slow despite the effort. Finally coming past mile 12, I knew I could hang on and i afforded myself a look back as I climbed the last hill. No speedo to be seen. I came across the line a good 9min slower then last year, pleased to be on the podium, but with a lot of things to think about.

Final Time- 4:40:02, 3rd out of 156.

Lake Geneva Half Marathon

2011-05-19T11:51:00.001-07:00

Woke up around 4:30 or so which is a little earlier than I would normally rise for an 8:00 start but considering I had a 90 minute drive up to the race, I had to plan accordingly. The weather called for a pretty fair chance of rain but considering it was strictly a running event, I didn't have to modify things too much other than to pack some warm and dry gear for after the race.

Having driven the course about a month and a half prior, albeit backwards, I knew that the first half of the race would be pretty hilly with the last 6 miles or so being pretty flat with a few tough downhills inside the final 2 miles. The course is a point-to-point starting at the eastern shore of the lake running to Fontana which is located on the western shore. As luck would have it, their was a gentle easterly wind which was good considering the temp hovered just above 45.

My plan was to run an aggressive first half of the race until the flat section and then hang on from there. I hoped that there would be several runners of my ability and better but with another race being held about 30 minutes away in Kenosha, I knew that the field might be a little slim. Either way, I wasn't there to compete for placing, rather I wanted to turn in an honest effort and shoot for a PR despite the hilly course.

We toed the line right on time were off with the classic cap gun start. The course essentially went straight for about 200 meters and took a sharp left hand turn up a fairly steep hill about 100-200 meters long before turning right onto what would be the main road for the remainder of the run. I had four guys with me before we hit the hill and by the time I got to the top of the hill, I was alone and would stay that way for the rest of the race. The first 2 miles followed a definite uphill trend and I went through in 11:26 which was pretty much right where I had hoped to be at this point. I had to glance at my watch a few times throughout the race to keep from settling into a lull being that I was alone. This particular race only had 4 aid stations so missing a stop would have been a bummer so I had no choice but to take something at each of them. This normally is not an issue but each time I came up on an aid station, the people working it were off socializing and had to literally run to the table to get there in time before I went through. I actually had to grab my own fluids at 2 of the 4 stations because no one was there, strange?! By the time I went through the 11 mile marker, my watch only read 10.75 miles which meant either the last 3 miles were going to be long, or I'd turn in a PR that really wasn't a true PR. This problem got ironed out during the final 1.1 miles that was actually 1.4.

After driving the course prior to the race, I thought for sure my back and quads would be screaming while going down the 2 substantial downhills inside the last 2 miles but much to my amazement, they actually felt pretty good. I attribute this to the new Zoot Ultra COMPRESSRX shorts that I wore for the race along with the new Zoot Ultra Team top which I must say is a really quality top! The new Ultra TT 4.0 really felt great other than the blister that formed on my left achilles after about 3 miles because the skin between the chip strap and the top of the back loophole got pinched each time my left ankle dorsiflexed before heel strike. Other than that, I can't think of any gear related complaints.

As I neared what sounded like the finish line, I noticed that there really was no actual finish line or finishing chute set up. As I got closer to the final turn a guy standing at the corner of the final right hand bend shouted "run towards the guy holding the rope over there"! I had to hold back laughter as this is the first time I really had no idea where to go at the end of a race. Naturally I took his advice and when I shouted to "the guy holding the rope" asking him where to go, he essentially said, "this is the end of the course". There you have it, my finish line dialect, again strange!

Overall I was happy with my race on an honest good course and I was especially proud for not sacking it in halfway through the race. Total time 1:15:45, only :19 slower than my half marathon time from last season that was on a much flatter course. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for this season. Time to put in some serious time on the bike, Kansas 70.3 is just over a month away!

Special thanks to Jake at Zoot for all his help and to some of the other sponsors including Garmin, and GU. Considering my new Ridley is still in the box at home, I can't give any props for performance just yet but going on looks alone, it's pretty impressive! Good luck to everyone this season, hope to see you out on the course!

~Dana

Tempe International Race Report

2011-05-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Pre-Race:
Woke up a little after 4AM to go through the usual motions. The weather was great, very little wind, and clear skies just beginning to be painted with a hint of dawn. I felt good but a bit restless. This was the first time I was racing a triathlon back to back weekends and although I found the week between very relaxing, now I was feeling some anxiety. I knew who wasn't going to be racing, a lot of the most competitive local AG'ers were taking a pass after Rio Salado last weekend, but I was unsure who would actually show up. I had such a great race at Rio could I do it again? I wanted to, I wanted to be on the podium again. Also, this was my 6th year anniversary of my first triathlon, Tempe International 2006. And for the first time since 2006, the race was being held on the north shore of the lake.

I arrived in Transition around 5:30 or so and was amazed how crowded it was. I was thinking the race would be diminished in size due to the close proximity to the Rio race but the racks were pretty full. My wave was scheduled to go off at 7:03, but at 6:30 they announced a delay in the start because the bike course wasn't set yet. Great, now we would be running deeper into the heat of the morning.I went down to the beach and waited with my DURAPULSE friends. And waited....and waited...The one bright spot, as I was fussing with my swim cap, a lovely note from my wife fell out from where she had hid it. Finally at 7:00 they got the Sprint race started and by 7:30, I was in the water on the line.

Swim- 22:30
When the horn sounded, I went hard for the first 200 yards, pretty much until i reached the Sprint race turn marker. Once past that, I settled into a great rhythm and pace with a nice high turnover. My Prophet wet suit is just a complete joy to swim in. I caught the back of the previous waves but didn't have too much difficulty picking my way through. I knew their would be a turn marker coming up I would keep to my right but i couldn't see it due to the glare of the sun, so I just followed the splashing line ahead of me. Suddenly I was at the marker and a good 10 yards to it's right, so I had to quickly swim over to it to make the turn properly. It seems that a lot of people swam down the middle of the course and based on some swim splits, I think many missed this marker entirely.

Once around, the next right hand turn marker was close by and I was on the way back. I kept wanting to swim more towards the shore as the last right hand turn into the beach was very close to shore. When i sighted the Sprint marker, I made sure I kept it to my right although I'm not sure if that was required. Better safe then DQ'ed. I came back under the Mill Ave. bridges and was still swimming great. I swam until my hand on my pull hit the sand and I popped up and ran to the mat which was right at the shore. That was great as it provided a very accurate swim time. And it was so nice to have a beach finish as opposed to the stairs used on the south side of the lake.

T1- 1:23
It was a long way to get to Transition. You had to run up the beach, across a road, and then up a big flight of concrete stairs. I was tired by the time i finally reached my bike! I had my wet suit partially stripped and almost had it off clean but my heels got stuck, so I had to reach down and peel it off. My rack spot was right on the end and maybe 30 feet from the mount line so I made the decision before the race to put my bike shoes on instead of having them on the pedals.

Bike- 58:56
The bike course was similar to Rio's but we had to go up and over Curry and do the out and back up College Ave, so i figured it would run a bit slower and was concerned it would be really crowded. I was wrong on both counts. Although it had two full on 180's, the 95 degree turns were very wide and often allowed for an aggressive, fast approach. After the first lap, I was really able to attack the corners i would normally have to be much more conservative on. I brought my HR up into my target zone of 157-160 and felt great. I had my one water bottle on the bike filled with 3 gels mixed in water. I was very comfortable and powering down the road feeling great, passing everyone. I attacked the climbs on Curry, jumping out of the saddle every time. I wish I could make the story of the bike more interesting, but it went right to plan and I rolled into T2 knowing I had broken an hour again this week.

T2- :37
I got to my rack ad was about to rrack my bike but realized it would be facing the wrong way, with my front wheel on the ground opposite my gear. I wasn't sure if a USAT official would be wandering around handing out that penalty, so to be safe, again, I re-racked it from the other side. Also had trouble with my right shoe. It's not the shoe's or my technique, it's I am a little stiff getting off the bike, especially in my right leg.

Run- 41:13
Well, whereas the bike was uneventful, the run had it's fair share of drama! I'm not sure if the course was long, but we did have to run down stairs three and all the run times are slow. Only one guy went in the 37's and even Lewis ran a 39. So I ran down the same stairs we ran up from the swim and almost went the wrong way at the bottom, the first of many wrong turns I would make. Now it's always the athletes responsibility to know the course and I had reviewed the course map before the race and it all seemed to make sense and was similar to the Rio course and the last time they ran the race from this side of the lake. Well, there were some last min. changes I was unaware. Read on...

So I ran down the north rec path, feeling good and really hitting a good stride. There was a Tri-Scottsdale guy ahead and I slowly began to gain on him. By the time we were crossing the Scottsdale Rd. bridge, I passed him...until I totally missed the turn. He was a good sport and yelled to me and I realized I had passed the area where we also turn coming the other way somehow. I was looking down the road and thought we had to run almost to Rio Salado. Dumb mistake. So I caught back up just after the aid station and thanked him for the heads up. Running the south shore rec path, up ahead i could see a woman in a one piece moving at a good clip. I caught her just before the turn to climb up to the Mill Ave. bridge. I came over the bridge and there was a great crowd of DURAPULSE supporters at the stairs going down. They all gave me a big boost of encouragement and coach Nick said I was looking great. As I started down the stairs, I heard Nick tell me to stay to the right. I wondered what he meant...

So I get to the bottom of the stair and turn right. Well, Nick must have meant that. So I run on the short sidewalk back onto the road under the 202 and an aid station. One of the kids there also said stay right which I assumed meant to the right of the aid station. Once passed it, I turned left to run back up to the rec path for the second loop, feeling great, having fun...Yeah, not so fast there, tiger.

"BRYAN!!!" Hey, it's Nick yelling some encouragement to me from up on the bridge! I gave a wave with my left hand to acknowledge him. "BRYAN!!!" Yeah, Nick I heard you, thanks! "BRYAN!!!!" Something is wrong. I look back and see Nick waving. I was going the wrong way. I run back towards the bridge and Brian Folts, having already won the Sprint race, came running down the stairs to show me where to go. Very class act. Turns out 'keep right" meant run back under Mill and do a short out and back by the beach. Thank God they were there to see me, I would have had to DQ myself otherwise. This addition was not any any course maps and I think the communication from the RD to the athletes was poor regarding this. I figure I gave up about 40 seconds of time and I hoped I hadn't given up any position.

I was very frustrated, even more so as now both that woman and Tri-Scottsdale guy were back ahead of me. So I made the turn and ran back through the aid station again and out onto the north path. When I caught the Tri-Scottsdale guy I said I hoped third times the charm! I ran hard to try and get some time back. Coming back across Mill Ave., I thanked Nick for saving my race. Down the stairs and now I knew the way to go. Instead of the turn, I ran up the road and under the 202 to the finish. Brian and Adam Folts were there and based on their estimate, I was 2nd OA behind Lewis. Hard fought and hard won, it was very sweet indeed.

Rio Salado Olympic Triathlon Race Report

2011-05-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

Pre- Race
Woke up around 4:00am after a pretty decent nights sleep. Jamie was going MTB riding and was sleeping in and I made some coffee and had a Cliff Bar while I surfed the morning net. I had all my gear packed and didn't have too much to do. I went outside to check the weather and it was calm and warm. And a funny thing happened. I felt utterly at peace.

It had been over 6 months since my last triathlon. Kona didn't go as well as I had hoped and ended what was my best season of racing ever on a bit of a down note. I had a great run winter racing season, winning a few OA 15K trail races and setting a PR of 1:19 in the half. But I am a triathlete at heart and felt I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to perfrom well at my first race especially since I DNS'ed the Marquis race due to illness. I suffer from the same pre-race fears and anxiety that effect all AG'ers. Be it to podium an AG, set a PR, or for some just to finish the race, it's all the same and we all need to manage our expectations, those we put on ourseleves and those we feel others put upon us. I wanted to do well not only for myself but also for my great ZOOT Ultra team and all our terrific sponsors. In that quiet moment out in the pre dawn dark, I was able to let that go. I was going to have a great day, I decided, regardless of the outcome. I was going to race in a triathlon.

I arrived in Tempe around 5:30am. Transition was the usual bussle of nervous energy which I realy enjoy. It makes me calm to see other people anxious for some reason. I had a chance to catch up with pro's Lewis Elliot and Kevin Taddonio and all my firends from DURAPULSE, ONE Multisport, and Tri-Scottsdale. It was a really fun pre-race environment and by 6:15, I was with my friends Matt and Joan squeezing into our wet suits. Whne I pulled my amazingly awesome ZOOT Pophet suit out of my bag, a little piece of paper fell to the ground. It was a not from jamie she his in there the night before with some wonderful words of encouragement. It just made my day complete and it was only dawn.

Swim- 24:24
I jumped into the warm embrace of Temepe Town Lake ;) and swam easy to the start line. The Pro and 39 and under wave started 3 min ahead of M40+. All the Sprint athletes were already started, so we were pretty much at the back. I lined up to the left and noticed peter Ney, a top swimmer near by, so I knew I was in the right spot. The horn sounded and I went hard for the first 100 yards until I got under the Mill Ave. Bridge and then settled into what felt like a good tunrover. I have really been trying to make improvements in my stoke and focused on the things I have been working on adopting. Shallow left hand entry, fingers down earlier in the catch, better reach. All felt very smooth and comfortable and I really love the new ZOOT Prophet wet suit.

As always, the sun was directly ahead and made sighting a challenge as did the speed inwhich I ran into the back ot the wave ahead. I made the turn bouys and continued to feel great. I made a sighting error early after the second buoy and found myself too far out to the right of the markers. I quickly came back in but lost a bit of time. I tried to pick up the tempo as I neared the final turn into the stairs and for the most part swam in clear water. I hit the starirs with a 23:xx on my watch which was about what I had been hoping for.

T1- :52
Strippers! It's been a while since a local Tempe race had strippers but I always enfoy the convenience so I took the time to stop and have my wet suit peeled. You then have to run the length of Transition to the timimg mat and enter at the back. As I ran towards my rack, I saw my firend Trevor Sher just beginning to leave. He's gunning for my bike course record at DueceMan this year and is going to be very competitive in general. I was happy to have put 3 min into him on the swim, I would likely need it.

I had my shoe's clipped into the pedals and ran fast to the mount line. I was able to get my right foot into my shoe as I mounted and took off with my left foot on top of the other shoe. Afetr negotiating the "S" curve on Rio Salado, I went to slip my foot in and the strap came free of the metal holder. That's the second time that's happened, I need to get different shoes. So I had to dick around with it to put it back through and two guys went by. Stupid mistake which cost a bit of time. I had the 4th fastest T1 regardless.

Bike- 59:01
Once I had myself sorted out, I settled into a good cadence. I was going to target a HR of 157-160 and hoped that my training would support that effort for 40K. The first lap was pretty uneventful, I felt great, and began to work on my hydration/nutrition which consisted of a single bottle of water with 4 Cherry GU Roctanes mixed in. Calories and water all in one. Trevor had gotten away from me leaving T1 and besides him, there were a few other guys in the wave ahead I needed to put time into on the bike if I was going to win. The course provided a few out and backs where i could catch sight of my quarry, but somehow i kept missing them. I passed the enterance to Transition to start my seconfd lap in 29min, so iknew I was riding great and could be a bit more conservative towards the end of the ride and still be sub 1 hour.

About half way throught he second loop, I saw Trevor ahead of me. I was suprised to see him, he should have been off the front. As I caught him I could see why. He had crashed at one of the corners and had some decent road rash on his rigt leg. I asked if he was OK and could tell he was but obvioulsy had backed off the pace a bit. He and I rode within 30 feet for the remainder of the race, switching back and forth and having some trouble with traffic. At one point a few Tri-Scottsdale guys were really cloging the road and I yelled up to Trevor to get around them ASAP and we both dropped the little pack.

As we came down Mill towards the end, I finally saw Erik Svans and Brian Folts. Everyone was here! The three guys I needed to be most concerned about and me with a 3 min cushion heading into T2. We were all laughing and trash talking as we entered the parking lot. I was so preoccupied teasing Brian I wasn't paying attention to my dismount and managed to drop a shoe as I came off the bike! What was with me and shoes today?! I had to stop and wait as a nice volunteer picked it up and brough it to me. By now, the boys were gone and I ran in alone.

T2- 1:06
T2 was a disaster. I had a hell of a time getting my right shoe on. Again with the shoes!!! Then I realized I had meant to unhook my Garmin from the bike quick release before T2 and put it in my pocket but forgot as I caught the gang, so now I had to take that off and put it on my wrist strap. When i fially got out to the run course I had given up anywhere from 15-30 seconds on Brian, Trevor, and Erik.

Run- 38:50
I headed out the south side rec path and fell into what felt like a good early pace. I needed to try and keep the group ahead from opening up too much time but they were spaced out and it was impossible for me to keep track of the splits ahead. So I decided to run my race and letr the results be what they would be. I cam around the north side and up ahead saw a Brian Stover, a coach from Tuscon and DesertDude on ST. He had a 40 on his calf! I had no idea he was there or that he had aged up into my AG. I ran up alongside him and said;"Hey B!" He looked at me and said he was done and I was now in the AG lead. I told him I though I already was!

Passing Brian gave me some additional motrivation to try and push the pace and in front of me was another sub 40 year old guy who turned out to be Russ Brandt, a friend of a friend and a guy I had beaten at a few of the winter run races. I didn't realize it was him and as we began the second loop, I found myself closing down on him. As we came across the Sctossdale Rd. bridge, I passed him. Although he relaized I was from the wave behind, he decided it was a point of pride and he hung with me and overtook me on the north shore rec path. I should have gone with him and had i known it was Russ, i would have ben very motivated but I didn't. That was a mistake, I was running too easy by just a bit and can't allow myself to fall into that zone. My HR was low 160's where it should have been high 160's. As I came across the Mill Ave. bridge I could hear the MC announcing the first 5 male olympic men were in. Not so fast there, buddy! I picked up the pace on the downhill and came into the finsihing chute.

Final Time- 2:04:14, 3rd OA, 1st Amateur, two of our local pro's, Lewis Elliot and Kevin Taddonio had a pro wave finished in front of me.

All my best to my fellow ZOOT athletes, race hard, be safe, WIN!

-Bryan D.

Update from Tucson

2011-03-28T08:59:00.002-07:00

Well, time has flown by at The Cycling House! The Cycling House has already hosted 8 camps and we have 2 more before we pack up in Tucson and head for Montana. Eighty degree temperatures have become the norm recently providing some awesome riding weather. A couple brief breaks between camps allowed the TCH staff to catch their breath and get in some training with some friends from Montana. Most recently we finished up with the Jeff Cuddeback, Triple Fitness Triathlon camp. We have some fun upcoming camps in Spain, France, and California!
My personal training has been going pretty well. I just finished up my biggest week leading into California 70.3. I'm excited to race and see exactly how my fitness is after a couple months of hard training pays off. My first race of the season was the Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix. I posted a 2:38 marathon and rocked the Zoot Ultra Kalini shoes, Zoot Ultra shorts, Zoot Ultra Shirt, and Zoot compression socks. I felt great and had a great race despite logging 250 miles on the bike, 20 miles of running, and 10k of swimming in the week leading into the race. My last race was the Desert Classic Duathlon in Phoenix, AZ. I was able to test myself against a strong field and ended up 9th place. The new course was tough, and better conditions this year made the race much more enjoyable.

I'm also excited to be racing with the Zoot Ultra triathlon team in 2011! Zoot provided some excellent support in 2010 and I'm happy to be able to continue growing that relationship. Adam Jensen and Jen Luebke will be joining me on the team roster to represent Montana.

Jen and I also had the opportunity to represent Zoot at Zappos.com. We were the models for some online videos highlighting the features of some of the 2011 spring Zoot apparel line clothing. It was a really fun to see on of the largest distributors of Zoot apparel, footwear, and wetsuits. Zappos is a huge company that made it’s niche among other online giants with their dedication to customer service. The office itself was an amazing, huge, fun atmosphere! Office decorations and theme conference rooms made for a not so typical office setting. Employees seemed to enjoy their freedom in the non-traditional office setting yet still were very productive. Jen and I made a quick trip down to the strip before flying home. It was a short 12 hour trip to Las Vegas but was really fun!

Check out more of my blog posts @ TriBrendan

Rockin' and Rollin' start to 2011!

2011-01-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

PF Changs Rock and Roll Half Marathon Race Report

Pre-Race:
Jamie and I, well just me actually, woke up at 4:15 am or so. Jamie rolled out of bed closer to 5 and we hit the road at 5:20. We had signed up for a hospitality tent that was heated with food and porta johns and they had a private parking area and buses to the start. It's $50/person but really makes the morning easy with a point to point race and chilly morning. A lot of our friends were also there so we had a great time waiting for the 8:30 start.

Race:
So my plan was to start fast and get my HR up into the mid 160's. My run LT is right around 168 bpm's so I targeted 165 as a good effort to try and average. I have been running a lot this winter as I always do, upwards of 50 miles per week and my tempo runs have been pretty quick so I thought it would be great to shoot for a sub 1:20. My PR was a 1:22:53 on this course 2 years ago.But to be honest, the thought of running 6 lows for 13 miles seemed a bit out of reach, so rather than racing using splits per mile, I just used HR as I know that so well and what I can do with it. If the result was there, all the better.

The first few miles felt great. I was running so smooth and steady and it felt effortless. I went through mile 1 in 5:50 and realized I needed to slow down just a bit. Eric and John were right behind me, although I could hear John breathing hard. I cam to 5K and hit my watch for a split.

5K- 19:03

OK, that's very good, maybe I can hold on to this pace. The crowds began to thin out and I began the long stretch down McDowell Road. John and dropped at this point and I could see Eric's reflection in the store windows as we went by still behind me. I yelled for him to come up and join me but he was starting to fade. I was still feeling very good, running well, with my HR still around 164-165. I had one gel with me and planned on taking that and my only drink just after 10K which was coming.

10K- 37:15

Wow, I actually negative split that first 10K but I didn't realize it at the time. I was beginning to believe I might actually make it under 1:20. I had some wiggle room but needed to keep pushing. My ZOOT TT 4.0's felt fast and light and I was slowly passing runners who went out too hard. In fact, I wasn't passed at all after mile 4 so I knew my pacing was good. I knew miles 7,8,and 9 would be hard as I was starting to feel like I wish this was over already. Between 9 and 10 are the only meaningful hills on the course and they hurt but I shortened by stride and hussled up them well. When I got to mile 10, I took a moment to check the time.

10 Miles- 1:00:23

Uh-oh. This is getting really tight. I went from thinking I had it to thinking I was going to come up seconds short. I ahd to figure out a way to find those seconds so I launched myself up the road....Or so I thought. My HR began to falter, dropping into the low 160'sdespite my efforts to increase my turnover. Was I running faster? It sure didn't feel that way but I was catching up to the random runner ahead. My legs felt heavy and unresponsive and visually to me it looked like I was running 8 min miles. I was running down Mill Ave, the same road I race on multiple times per year so i knew what it felt like to be in pain on this road. Miles 11 and 12 came by and I was now sure I wasn't going to make it. I kept trying to do the math in my head and I kept coming up short based on how fast I thought I was going. Even on Rio Salado with less than a 1/4 mile to go I was sure I was short. When I reached the parking lot I checked my watch again and realized I was going to do it but I kept running hard knowing it would be tight. The chute is so long and I just came down as hard as I could, seeing the 1:19:1X ticking away on it. I heard the announcer say my name and home town and that the look on my face wasn't a smile but a grimace of pain. Yeah, no shit Sherlock. I crossed and gave a good fist pump.

Final Time: 1:19:29, 70th OA and 4th in M40-44

Post Race:
As soon as I crossed, I got my act together and tuned to see Eric come in sub 1:22, which was a min. faster than his goal time. John was another min or so back. It was great to see all my friends finish, and then I anxiously awaited Jamie who cam across in 1:43 and had a great race for where her run fitness is right now. She's gearing up for a 3:40 attack at the OC Marathon in May where I will be running the Half...and looking for a sub 1:19. ;)

-Bryan D.

2011-01-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

ZOOT PRODUCT of the WEEK!!!!

http://lavamagazine.com/gear/first-look-new-shoe-and-wetsuit-offerings-from-zoot

Check everything out at the above link. I was fortunate enough to start training in the OTEC. They are exactly what I am looking for in a trainer. Coming from a running background, I want a fast and responsive shoe that is light and neutral. This one really does it for me and I plan to use it for my long miles on the roads and trails. Check 'em out!

(<--Ramsey trying to shove some non-paleo food down by throat after Clara held 6:10s for a 6k xc race...at almost 7months preggers)

Training Week

Monday - AM
Crossfit WOD @ TJ’S CF 5 Sets for Reps AMRAP Push Press (95/65) 30sec AMRAP Box Jump (24/20) 30sec Rest 60sec Recovery for 10min 5 Sets for Reps AMRAP Overhead Squat (95/65) 30sec AMRAP Push Up 30sec Rest 60sec -
PM
Swim CFE Program W/ 1000yd warmup with drills Main Set – 4x100 holding fastest time w/in 3secs & 3x200 fastest time w/in 5secs

Tuesday – AM
Crossfit WOD at TJ’s CF 6 Sets for Loads & Total Time (go heavy on thrusters and be Fast) A1. DB Thruster x 12 reps Unbroken (challenge yourself with heavy weight); rest 20sec A2. 200m Sprint; rest 20sec A3. 12 Burpees (as fast as possible); rest 3mins -
PM
Bike 2x Tabata Rounds on the trainer

Wednesday – AM –
OFF
PM - “Work out Wednesday”
- 6x800 main set with Mark Mac. 200recov jog...Comfortably averaged 2:25

Thursday – AM
Crossfit WOD at TJ’s Crossfit A1. Hollow Rocks 45-60sec x 5 sets; rest 90sec A2. Weighted Strict Pull Up (supinated) 21X0; 5 reps x 5 sets; rest 90sec “Hanging Fran” 21-15-9 Hang Cluster (95/65) Pull Up OMG…Had my first “coming to Jesus” crossfit moment. DNFed the workout and my heart rate did not go down for a long time. Thought I was going to visit my good friends in the ER at Marin General, again. -
PM
OFF

Friday – AM
Crossfit WOD at TJ’s CF A1. Clean Pulls @ 3030; 3 reps x 5 sets A2. KBS @ 10X3; 10 reps x 5 sets B. Tabata Mash Up Air Squat Deadlift (135/95) *8min Total – 20sec on/10sec off – alternate back and forth between two exercises. 272 total reps -
PM
Swam at the Olympic Club with Scott

Saturday –AM Crossfit WOD at TJ’ CF “Kelly” Five rounds for time of: Run 400 meters 30 Box jump, 24/20 inch box 30 Wall ball shots, 20/14 pound ball Time – 19:45 (On the left next to BMack)

THEN

CROSSFIT ENDURANCE RUN SEMINAR

Came away learning way more than I thought I would. Such cool people were involved – Brian Mackenzie, Kelly Starett, Bredon Mahoney. Education, informative, innovative, and fun…I plan to invest myself in CF/CFE with even more gusto than before.

Sunday – AM
Bike.
CFE Program
Warm up, drills into 8x 30secs ON and 20secs off

Review

5 CF WODS
2 Swims
2 Bikes
3-4 Runs

Nutrition
Staying very steady and close to an 80/20 model of Paleo.
Supplementing with First Endurance (Firstendurance.com) Multi-V, First Endurance Optygen, and good Fish Oils.
I’ve noticed that I have had more energy and that when others seem to be getting the flu, I remain healthy. (knock wood)

I’m getting increasingly excited, by the day, about the way training is going. Crossfit has been extremely beneficial in what I am trying to get my body to do for me. I’m feeling strong across the board – swim, bike, run, throwing Ramsey over my head, carrying groceries in, etc…
This week, I was fortunate enough to attend a Crossfit Endurance Seminar in San Francisco. I honestly did not think that I would learn as much as I did. I also did not expect to make any changes to my run form, but I will. It was also nice to meet, in person, the figures behind this movement. Kelly Starett (mobility.blogspot.com) was such a nice guy and an extremely cool host. TJ Murphy (Triathlete Mag Editor) was soaking everything in with a smile, the same way I was. It was common for us to smile, think to ourselves that we have it right, and share that the skeptics can say and post all they want. Then there was Brian Mackenzie(iamunscared.com). He is such an approachable guy that truly cares about his product helping others. He doesn’t hesitate to share his knowledge in the most non-bullshit type of way. This seminar was a game changer for me. I am going to use this program to compete well in professional triathlon this year. I’m sure of it.

(Reusable Bag WOD)

2011-01-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

ZOOT Product of the Week
ZOOT Thermo Tight
This tight has been my "go to" for brisk NorCal runs, Crossfit sessions, jogs to the pool, and I have even felt comfortable enough to throw them under jeans during chilly outdoor coaching situations.
They provide extreme warmth paired with extreme mobility. They also maintain a flattering appearance with Zoot's high grade material and no male endurance athlete should be bashful to rock these in training or in the coffee shop. Get them while it's cold!

Training

1/3 – 1/9

Monday - AM – Warmup run to TJ’s Crossfit, about 1 mile.
5:15 AM class – Stretching, Conditions, Strength –
A1. DB Split Squat rear foot elevated; 30X1 x 4-6 reps per leg; 4 sets; rest 30sec….40lbs dumbbell
A2. Overhead Walking Lunges; 12 steps @ 20X1…..30lbs overhead
WOD - 100 KBS for time (53lbs)
*start every minute with 4 burpees
Then into a 1.5 mile run to the pool.
Quick/HARD 1500yd Swim Set
1 mile run home.
8 Mile Bike Commute to work
PM – 8 mile bike commute home

NOTE: Trying to think of an all-inclusive name for the workout I did… Any ideas? It would save a lot of typing for the future, as I am making this a 2x per week thing…

(TJ Belger, owner of TJ's CF...cool dude)

Tuesday – AM – 9 mile run with Jake
- 8 Mile Bike Commute
PM - @ Home CF WOD – 100 Burpees, 100situps…Ramsey tried to join in several times.

Wednesday – AM – OFF
PM - “Work out Wednesday” w/ a good crew. Warmup, Drills/strides then…Mark and I did a 12x400m set with 100m jog recovery between the intervals. We avg. about 71sec per quarter and it felt very relaxed.

Thursday – AM – Warmup run to TJ’s Crossfit, about 1 mile.
5:15 AM class – Stretching, Conditions, Strength –
WOD A. Hollow Holds 30sec/30sec x 5sets
B. 2:30 x 3 sets 25 Double Unders (tuck jumps for sub)
AMRAP Front Squat (155/105) No racks
25 Double Unders
Rest 2:30
C. Tabata Push Ups
Quick/HARD 1500yd Swim Set
1 mile run home.
8 Mile Bike Commute to work

Friday – AM – Warmup run to TJ’s Crossfit, about 1 mile.
- Good warmup then the WOD
- 4 Sets: 5min Each
- Run 600m
- AMRAP
- 10 Box Jumps (24in)
- 10 Wall Ball (20lb)
- Rest 5 minutes (Practiced OH Squats)
I really enjoyed this workout and was happy to see fast splits on the 600, despite the workload and the fact it was 5 in the morning.
- Cool down mile home.

Saturday –AM –Dropped into SF Crossfit because I slept in until 9:30!!!! This caused me to miss the open times at TJ’s. I guess my body decided it wanted 12 hours of sleep…cool with me on the weekend.
In SF I did some warm up running and drills, then decided to work on my dreaded Overhead Squat. Kim, from SF CF, had be do 7x3 OHS with increasing weight. We really worked on form and I appreciated her help in trying to sort out this difficult exercise. We followed it up with 3x weighted situps and “good mornings”
PM – Crossfit Endurance, Bike WOD – 3x7mins best effort each time on the bike trainer w/ 3min recovery between each. Gotta admit, the legs are feeling stronger than ever. My friend Rich Airey, big CF/CFE dude and good guy, put it best after time trialing one of his fastest runs at the 13.1mi distance – “Get stronger = get faster…” I believe!

Sunday – PM - Long Run with some friends in SF – Clara & Ramsey for a bit, Scott, Aaron and Curt. Good route which included the “Escape from Alcatraz” run course…about 100 mins of running. Longer than the prescribed CFE workout but it was too nice to pass up.
PM - 30min Standup Paddleboard session off Chrissy Field in San Francisco. Finally got out on one of the coolest Christmas presents that I have ever received. Thanks Clara Babe!

(Carrying "the beast" with Bruncle Evan)

Review/Looking Ahead – So, it was back to the grind this week. I had to say goodbye to the long mornings of waking up slowly, watching cartoons, and general relaxation before heading out for a workout. I welcomed back the sight of 4:45am on my alarm clock, a preset coffee machine, a sleeping family as I creep out the door, and the smiles of over 400 kids that I teach and coach. I must say that I was pretty tired by Friday but I also recognize that I truly love what I do.
This week was enlightening in the sense that I am starting to TRULY believe in the training and lifestyle I have set for myself. I am not just having a blast and hoping for the best. I am having a blast but I am now starting to think that Glassman, Mackenzie, TJ Belger, and the Crossfit community really have it right. I started Crossfit with the hope that I would have some fun, use it as a supplement to my run/triathlon training, gain more time to spend with family/friends, and compete OK. Now, I am really starting to get excited about the positive developments happening with my training. This week I have completed some pretty challenging WODs, hard swim/bikes/runs, and have recognized that I am as strong and if not stronger than I was last year (while training 20+hours and being super anal). I am feeling strength throughout my whole body that I have not felt before. My 400s on Wednesday evening felt REALLY comfortable to the point that I think I could have done 30 of them at the same pace. Then Friday morning came and during my WOD, which included 600s, I felt fresh and was running them with ease at a fast pace. I am also seeing positive effects in the pool and on the bike. I am taking fewer strokes, getting more distance per stroke, and hitting times that I thought would be unattainable for a while after the swim strike I went on this fall. During single leg drills on the bike I felt like my mechanics are for superior to any pedal stroke I have ever taken. Another thing that I have noticed is that my energy is higher and my recovery is more efficient. This all could also be to the diet makeover that I’ve had in the last month. Following the paleo diet is very tough in the beginning. When you have been fed pizza, pasta, bagels, etc. your whole life and have been told that it’s good energy then it extremely difficult to convert. However, if you can get through the first couple weeks ,without cheating too much, then you start to adjust. Right now, my body and mind cannot handle the thought or input of any of the foods I listed.
Sample diet: Breakfast – 4 eggs, ½ avocado, green smoothie, and 1 cup of coffee.
Snack – Banana or orange with sunbutter.
Lunch – Salad greens with lean turkey, assorted veggies, sirachi* sauce
Snack – “Core” bar (thanks Magdalena!)
Dinner – Sautéed veggies, chicken –steak or fish
Guilty pleasure – Glass of red and some dark chocolate
In the words of a good friend of mine, and fellow crossfitter, Richard Airey, “get stronger=get faster”.
I am trying to commit to a strict protocol of 4-5 CF WODs, 2 CFE bike, 2 commuter bikes, 2 CFE swims, and 3 run workouts. Luckily, I am attending a Crossfit Endurance seminar next Saturday and I hope to piece this together with BMack’s help. The seminar is at SF Crossfit next Saturday, come on out!

I’m already getting an antsy feeling to race! This is cool….

Train hard!!!

JP

New Year's Training

2011-01-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

Training

12/27 – 1/2

So long Christmas, bring it on 2011!!!

Monday - AM – CFE Bike Hill Repeats. 6x White Hill, Fairfax
PM – Jogger Stroller run with Rams, Clara, Scott, and Seth. About 8 miles in the hills by the GG Bridge.

Tuesday – AM – TJ’s Crossfit – WOD 10-15mins – Seated Box Jumps
4 Rounds
15 Unbroken KBS (53)
15 Box Jumps w/ Step Down (24)
400m Run
15 Burpees
15 Unbroken Wall Balls (20)
Time: 19:22

Wednesday – AM – OFF
PM - Replaced “Work out Wednesday” because of high wind and expected low turnout...Went with a “WOD Sandwich” – 5mile tempo run – TJ”s CF WOD (a1 hollow rocks a2 strict pullups with slow count and weight9rounds+26reps of Jumping pullups and 20lbs med ball cleans for 10 mins) – 5mile tempo run

Thursday – AM – BRICK – (Bike)Hour on the trainer with CFE intervals – 1:15, 2:30, 5min x 3 holding the same effort throughout and taking equal rest. (Run) Hopped on the treadmill for some quick intervals – 4x400 at 75sec with equal rest. This workout felt very good and I held back a bit as it is the first time I’ve run off the bike in a while. I’m looking forward to doing this workout once a week with a bit more run volume on the end.
PM – Evening swim with Scott and Curt at the Olympic Club…a short one

(Brick Session in the home office. Rockin' the Zoot Speeds)

Friday – AM – 3000 yd swim set with Scott at the Olympic Club. Finally starting to feel like a swimmer again.
PM – Jogger stroller 6 mile run along the Bay with Rams, Clara, Scott and Curt.

Saturday –HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! AM –RACE – “Splash and Dash” 5 Mile in Berkeley, CA
I couldn’t believe that Clara actually was able to get me up and out the door. She was quite chipper and motivated, for a pregnant woman on a very small amount of sleep. Clara drove, I slept…and slept…and then finally 5 mins before the race, I pinned my number on and toed the line. This was a very low key race on a very dreary New Years morning. I was certainly feeling less than motivated to do anything besides get back into bed (I left everything I had back on the St.Francis Yacht Club dance floor).
The gun went off! A half mile into the race I noticed that Clara and a bunch of other runners were ahead of me. I figured that the race would hurt any way I approached it, so I went for it. Around the 2.5 mile mark I was finally in the lead and did not look back. I ended up winning by over a minute in a little under 28mins. That is slower than marathon pace but certainly was way more than that in effort. Clara, at 6 months pregnant with our baby girl, won the overall women’s title.

Sunday – OFF….As my alarm was blaring, I thought about how this was the last day for a while that I can hang out with Ramsey for an entire day. A couple of cartoons, building block projects, couple of meals with a couple cups of coffee later we decided that my 2-3hr long run was out, as was my morning CF WOD. We’ll pick up on that during this upcoming training week.

Review/Looking Ahead – This was the best Christmas break I have had since I was a child. I really enjoyed being with my family as much as I could while I had time off from work. I completely recognize that it is WAY more difficult to train when you are off from work. The option to be with my family over getting on the bike, onto the trails, or in the pool is a very easy one to pick. Despite that, I am beginning to feel some good strength from Crossfit, which is translating very well onto the bike and in the pool. The run is good too… ☺
I have mapped out a rough training blueprint for the month of January. Lots of WODs, runs, swims and bikes (including an addendum to my NY resolution – bike commute to work 4 days per week...no exceptions) coming up this New year….but most importantly, a ton of fun and quality time with my family and friends.

'

("Bruncle"Evan 11, "Big Daddy" Jeff 26, Studly Ramsey 21 months, 'Big Mama" Clara 26, "Peanut"Riley -3 months...Petersons ready to tackle 2011!)

Happy New Year !

JP

Training Week +Zoot Tempo Review

2010-12-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

Training Week 12/20-12/26...Xmas Style

Happy Holidays Everyone!
I have started to use this blog, as well as my own jeffpet.blogspot.com, as a weekly training log. To me it is more simple, easily accessed, and fun to share. Just a note on my training...I ususally keep the write ups pretty minimal. This makes it easier to keep and ,for your purposes, easier to follow. Also, along the way I will highlight my experiences with my sponsors' wonderful products, especially Zoot.
This past week I have really honed in my racing shoe for 2011 - the Zoot Tempo. Last year I had the opportunity to run in this shoe. However, for me, it seemed like more shoe than what I was used to. I raced in the Zoot "Race" in 2010. This month, I have had the privilege to run in the updated Tempo (the 4.0!) and I could not be happier with a shoe. From High School running through college with a Nike team and beyond, I have had the opportunity to try many different shoes. This one really feels well-rounded and the fit is perfect. I feel comfortable using it in a 5k, Marathon, maybe even on the trails as it has more support than any other racer I've used. Look for this shoe and do not hesitate on giving it a try!

Training

12/20 -12/16

Monday - AM – 10mile run on Tam with the doggie…We hammered!

Tuesday – AM – TJ’s Crossfit - WOD“Helen” Rx(400m run, 21 Kettle Ball Swims (53lbs), 12 pullups x 3) 8 minutes and 59 seconds of intensity…loved it…
PM – Jogger Stroller 9 miler on the bike paths

Wednesday – AM – 3000yd swim
PM – Track workout with the Wednesday Night Crew, “The Michigan “ Marin Style. Mile track interval, mile off the track in the hills at tempo, 1200m track, mile hilly tempo, 800m track, mile hilly tempo, 400m

Thursday – AM – TJ’s Crossfit – WOD 800m run, 25 95lbs Thrusters, 800m run, 25 95lbs thrusters, 800m run…this one put me on my arse.
PM – Evening swim with Scott and Curt at the Olympic Club…a short one because we spent too much time in holiday traffic from Bloomingdales and a little too much time relaxing in the hot tub.

Friday – AM – TJ’s Crossfit – WOD “Fight Gone Bad” Rx (3 rounds of 5x60secs of box jumps, row, wall ball with 20lbs ball, Sumo Deadlift High Pull, Push Press) Going for max reps in all and cals burned in the row – score 315
PM – Jogger Stroller 8 miler on the trails w/ Ramsey, Clara and Carolina…tough stuff

Saturday –AM –MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Played for a long time and ate a ton.
PM – Houston….we have a bike! Thanks so much Emily! 45 mins, with Tony DeBoom “stomps” on the trainer while Clara was on the neighboring treadmill.

Sunday – AM – Long Run on the trails, about 2 hours with pickups on the hills. Tons of new waterfalls. Very enjoyable…
PM – Crossfit Traveler’s WOD 50pushups,10situps,40p,20s,30p,30s,20p,40s,10p,50s

Review – Got in 4 CFs, 6 runs (mostly hard efforts), 2 swims, 1 bike, and a partridge in a pear tree. I already am feeling a difference in strenth because of Crossfit, especially in the pool.
It was a really great week off from work(day job as a teacher/coach) and although the training doesn’t depict this, it was restful and magical with my family. More of it this week with hopefully some more swims/rides…Happy New Year My Friends!

JP

Something Different...

2010-12-09T19:14:00.000-08:00

Early New Year's Resoloution and a New Lifestyle

(Be Forewarned…I am not worried about grammar, sentence structure, or general flow.. I am here to provide REAL content for anyone who wants to read)

If you are reading this, you may have noticed that this is the only blog post on this page. A clean slate….I am embarking on my New Year’s Resolution early and the resolution is to be active and HAVE FUN. I think I have the first part of my resolute decision down, it is the second part that I struggle with.
How am I active?
In the past decade of my life I have been active in a variety of ways. I ran in high school and was very competitive with the top middle-distance runners in the country. This landed me down South where I went on to compete for the University of North Carolina cross country and track & field teams. Then, following college, I married my beautiful wife and began running as a “post-collegiate”. This was a weird time for me because you go from having all the time in the world to dedicate to your sport, having fun, being with the ones you love often, and relaxing… to….squeezing in workouts, juggling family/occupational responsibilities, never relaxing, and certainly not enjoying any activity that is not your primary sport. This model did not work for me. So, why not give triathlon a try? That I did and it was pretty cool… I had instant success, maybe not a good thing, and I really started to dedicate myself and obsess over training. During this time, I should mention that we had our first child, a studly young boy named Ramsey. However, my training did not suffer (I thought) because I would “just” start getting up at 4:30AM to get my workouts in. This worked for a while and 10 months after I started the sport, I won an “elite qualifying race” at the Pacific Grove Triathlon… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR_-Qx2Tdv4 I was a “pro-triathlete”….
Going into triathlon, my goal was to turn pro and one day…MAYBE!!!...I could do this as a real profession…Delayed gratification has always been an underlying factor of sport for me. Whether in a race, or a goal down the road….
The days, weeks, and months went on. I trained day in and day out, 4:30 AM wakeups and 7pm double sessions. I was getting fit….However, things started being less fun….I thought, I’ve come this far and I really want to see where I can take this in 2010.
I had the equipment, I had amazing sponsors, I even had the support of my loving wife…I was going to do this….Then, our family took another step in increased growth when my, then 10yr old, brother came to live with us. I even had his support!!! So, on I went and on I went…mornings and evenings….Workout…work…workout…sleep…repeat

This is where I will transition this blog in the interest of time…..I was fit, I was strong and I was fast….yet, it was not fun anymore. The reason for getting into sports, I THINK, was no longer inside of me. Time for a change….
I turned to running, my first love and 1/3 the work I was doing for triathlon. It was kinda fun and I shared very common ground with my studette of a wife. Maybe I can take it somewhere? Pacific Association series? Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier? The groundwork was there, the 90mile weeks were coming easy, I hopped in a half-marathon after 3 weeks of training and ran 1:09, I had the support of many people along the way (thank you so much, sorry for being “uncoachable”!!), but something was missing. I began to avoid things – basketball with friends, surfing, social events, anything that would deter me from my path. If I asked myself the REAL question…are you being the best friend, father, husband, brother, teacher, coach, fun guy like you really always wanted to be (like Uncle Don!!!) ???? ….I would have to answer NO.
Also, I missed the total body-work and well-roundedness that triathlon had given me. I I didn’t feel “strong”… I didn’t feel like the best “athlete” that I could be. Where is the common ground??? How can I have my cake and eat it too!?!
That is where I am right now….. What is fun?
Fun is…. All of the above… For me, fun is – being a loving husband, a consistently present father and brother, a friend that you want to have a beer with, a teacher that gives his best every day, an after-school hoops compadre, a guy out in the lineup at Bolinas Beach, and being a competitor….
If I had 34 hour days then I think all of that is more than doable. But, I do not…So, how can I still get my competitive kicks off but also have room for fun…My answer ….Crossfit…. Crossfit makes you a better athlete in half the time… Crossfit is primal at it’s core and enlightening on it’s surface. It is also competitive as it’s own entity… Now, combine it with a few HARD runs, bikes and swims …I’m set…I’m sold and buying in…
I plan to use crossfit as my baseline for fitness and life. There is a word commonly used in crossfit… “unscared”. I plan to be “unscared” about taking this plunge into a completely different way of training. I am “unscared” to spontaneously race 50 miles(which I did 5 days ago) or Ironman or a 5k or a paddle race or any competition. I am “unscared” to cut my training in half. I am “unscared” to go out for a surf or play some hoops. I am certainly “unscared” of providing myself with fun, which I can then share with everyone around me.
I absolutely, whole heartedly believe that this is the key to balance in my life. I plan to follow this regime through a season of run races, triathlons, surf sessions, basketball games, and tons of fun with my family & friends.

And here’s a secret…I plan to do it better because of it…We'll see come Spring Triathlons.

I am in my early protocol stages of Crossfit. I am learning movements and activities that I have avoided for years. I am throwing everything I know about training for endurance sport out the window. I am excited, I am happy, I am having FUN, and I am “unscared”… I will post weekly about my journey… read, or read not….

So my New Year’s Resolution is to be Active and Have FUN…

Shout out!!! To my….family, friends, sponsors ( especially Zoot, what amazing an innovative stuff all the time...Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) that have supported me throughout my spontaneity, naivety, indecision, short-lived passions, and time wasted… Much love!!!

JP

Addendum: I will be using Zoot more than ever in ALL of these ventures..Ultra Runs, Crossfit, Xterra, obviously triathlon, and in my general lifestyle... Many NEW and innovative posts will be highlighted here and at jeffpet.blogspot.com

2010-12-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Zoot- I am impressed you make such nice winter clothing considering you might have gone surfing over lunch today. -Mark

2nd at Best-of-the-US Championships

2010-12-01T17:54:00.001-08:00

70.3 World Champs

2010-11-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

I think my body was in denial with the fact that I still had one more race to go this season. The training leading up to Worlds had gone very well and I knew I was ready to have a great race. My body however, seemed to decide that it wasn’t in the mood to race on Saturday. Mentally I knew I was ready for the race season to be over but with the great training I had done I was excited for my second chance at the World Championships. I headed down to Clearwater on Wednesday night with the parents in tow and my husband to join us the next day. It didn’t take me long to remember how much I loved Clearwater with it’s white sandy beaches, palm trees and warm weather. I enjoyed my pre-race training and relaxing and was happy to have the chance to catch up with sponsors, friends, and the Lifesport crew. Race morning came fast and other than a last minute flat tire in transition, which I was able to get changed very quickly, everything went smooth. I did a quick swim warm-up and lined up for the start of the race. It was a fairly windy day and the ocean was a little choppier than I had hoped but I love swimming in the ocean so I wasn’t too worried. It was a beach start and the water was pretty shallow for a while so we had to a lot of running, a few dolphin dives and then finally got down to actually swimming. I got a great start and managed to be in the front group but that’s where the good part ended. I somehow managed to get passed by almost everyone despite trying multiple times to get on feet and keep up with some of the other women. For some reason I just could not find that next gear. Finally the swim ended and I made my way up through T1. The fears of my bad swim were quickly confirmed when I saw hardly any bikes left on the racks. I was pretty mad at myself but coming out of the water behind is not a new situation for me. I didn’t panic too much (ok, maybe I did...) but I headed off on my bike and prepared myself to kick some butt on the bike. Just like with the swim though, my body did not want to cooperate. My legs felt heavy and I could not get my speed up. After getting passed by 2 women, I finally got so frustrated and just started hammering. This probably wasn’t the smartest reaction but at that moment I didn’t care. After I settled down a bit I realized that my legs were actually sarting to feel better and I finally found my rhythm. I don’t really know what changed but I was glad for it. The second half of the bike went great and I finally started seeing my average speed get closer to what I had been hoping for and I was able to catch a few girls before getting back to T2. I headed out on the run somewhat hesitantly and not really knowing what to expect. For the first time all season my legs actually felt good right from the beginning. I settled into my pace quickly and just focused on keeping things steady and keeping up with my calories and fluids. I love 2 loop run courses and it was great having so many people out there cheering. I managed to catch a few more girls and even though things really started to hurt at mile 10 I was able to pick it up enough to catch one last girl before the finish. At least I ended on a good note! In retrospect my race wasn’t really as bad as it felt at the time and I’m glad I kept pushing and never gave up. Of course I wish I had raced a bit better but it was still a HUGE improvement from my race here 2 years ago and I’m happy about that. Overall it’s been good year for me with tons of improvements and I can’t wait to see what comes about for next year. A big thanks to all my sponsors, Zoot Sports (thanks Jake!), Orbea, Zeal Optics and GU and to my coach Dan. And of course thanks to my parents for all their support and my husband for putting up with me all season! Now it’s time to relax, catch up on sleep, catch up with all my friends, and start planning for next year. You can follow my off-season activities on my blog. I’ll hopefully be posting a bit more often! -Heather Leiggi

Kona 2010 Race Report

2010-10-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

The week prior to the race was great and well exceeded my expectations. It was awesome to be able to get up, jog down Ali’i drive and go for a swim each morning. Everything and everyone was focused on the race. Ali’i was filled with athletes from sunrise to sunset and all of the major triathlon companies had a presence there. Zoot had both a booth at the expo with 2011 gear available to try as well as a store on Ali’i where current and some future product could be purchased.

The race was equally as exciting and everything it is hyped up to be.

There was something special about floating in bay waiting for the start with the helicopters overhead and camera crews everywhere. After the cannon went off the normal mass start mayhem began however in this race it never really broke up as everyone seemed to swim about the same speed. I came out of the water in 1:08, while being slightly slower then I wanted I was pleased with my improvement in the last year (1:12 with a wetsuit was my previous best).
The bike started out well like usual. I felt great and hit 56 miles ahead of my plan and under my target watts/hr. Around mile 58 I had to swerve to avoid being hit by someone and I hit a reflector in the road. To make a long story short the cut in my tire was actually worse then I though as it put a dent (with a sharp edge toward the tire bead) in my wheel as well. With about 6 inner tube patches wrapped around the brake track and 14 minutes wasted on the side of the road I was back on my way. Riding out of Hawi at high speeds in the cross winds with all those patches made me pretty nervous and I took it very cautiously. I ended up with a 5:18 bike split and at that point didn’t care about the time and was just happy my bike and I both survived the rest of the ride.

Starting the run I went out very slow pre my plan. I was bummed about the mechanical on the bike and decided to just enjoy the day and make the best of the situation. I ran easy and smiled for most of the marathon. For the first time I stopped to talk to my wife during the race and really took the time to soak in the experience. It’s an ironman and even at my relaxed pace it got tough around the energy lab. I was able to push through and then jog in slowly and really enjoy the finish on Ali’i drive. With a 3:33 run my total time was 10:08.

Part of me is very happy that I was able to really enjoy the experience, finish comfortably and take everything in. However part of me is also disappointed that I did not push myself on the run and see what I could have done, which may have lead me to the medical tent or to a PR, I’ll never know. Now that I have first hand experience with this race, I want to go back even more then I wanted to get there in the first place.

Thank you to Zoot, the Ultra Team Sponsors, and my teammates it has been a great year and I look forward to next year.

- Matt

Nationals

2010-10-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

1st in my age group in Tuscaloosa.
(Race photo thanks to Paul Phillips at Competitiveimage.us)
-Mark Harms

Xterra Sugar Bottom (Iowa)

2010-10-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

I was happy to finish in 3rd place and only hit 3 trees! -Mark Harms

(Thanks to Shyam Ramachandran, Jason Borseth, and Dmitry Altshu for the pictures.)

Ironman Wisconsin!

2010-10-18T06:09:00.001-07:00

Ironman Muskoka 70.3

2010-09-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

As I packed my transition bag as well as some other overnight items before leaving Chicago for northern Ontario, a few thoughts and emotions stirred in my mind. The first one was a feeling of trepidation as I knew this race was one of the more difficult on the 70.3 circuit and that one thing was certain…I was going to suffer regardless of how well I raced. The second was a bittersweet feeling that I often get towards the end of the season as I approach my last few races wondering, how did the last 8 months go so quickly and how would I really feel about my season as a whole if it were to end after this weekend’s race. The last thing I thought about was my race at the Chicago Triathlon two weeks prior and how if nothing else, I needed to personally avenge that performance in order to feel at ease about possibly hanging things up until next year. Oh and I also was dreading the 10 plus hours I was going to spend in the car to get the race.

Fast forward to Sunday morning at 4:40 a.m.. The weather called for a 60% chance of showers until around 9 and then partly cloudy skies for the remainder of the day. When I opened the door from the motel I realized that it had lightly rained late last night but there was little precipitation on the radar which was encouraging. The bike course for this race has several technical descents that would become that much more technical should the road be wet. I just hoped the rain would hold off until I was through the first 25K or so of the bike.

Had a very relaxed time setting up transition as I avoided having to take the shuttle from the airstrip by being dropped off right in from of transition…nothing like saving nearly half an hour of waiting and riding on a school bus to kick off the day. As the darkness began to fade to light, it became apparent that the radar I had checked before leaving for the race was incorrect as there was a very light misty drizzle for the hour or so leading up to the race start. Regardless, it was time to race.

Swim – The best part about the swim start at this race is that no matter how many people are in your wave, the start line is almost 50 meters wide so you avoid the traffic that most wave starts have. Right off the bat I got into a good rhythm and felt comfortable. I knew that if I just focused on my stroke and actually paid attention to things, I could have a good swim. At about the halfway point I realized that I had been swimming parallel to a guy for almost 5 minutes or so and decided that if I wasn’t going to pass him, I may as well get on his feet and let him pull me through the rest of the swim. This tactic worked pretty well and I stayed on him the rest of the way. When I finally made it up the long and hilly run to transition, I was at just over 32 minutes which was a pleasant sight to see. Threw on my arm warmers and headed out for the 95K course.

Bike – Having done this race last year, I was familiar with the course and knew that the first 10K of the bike really hits you hard from the get go. What I didn’t want to do was have to recover from it over the following 5K so I stayed efficient up the hills and really used the descents to build speed going into some of the shorter hills as the roads were relatively dry at this point. I quickly got into a groove and passed 2 people in my age group that were in their own right strong cyclists so I knew that my swim had put me in a good position. After about 45K or so I was essentially alone for the next 15K until I came upon the leader of my age group and 3rd place amateur overall at the time. I was significantly better on the hills than him and we traded passes on the uphills and downhills for almost the next 20K. Right after going through a small town at the 80K mark, there was a stretch of road that contained several hills, some of them short and very steep (10%+) and others long but gradual. I decided I really didn’t want to be in a pissing match with this guy for another 15K so I really hit these hills hard. After 10 minutes or so went by and he didn’t pass me, I figured there was a good chance I had lost him but I didn’t mind looking over my shoulder to make sure. I decided to ride hard for the next 5K and then I’d check to see who was behind me. When I came upon the 90K mark, there was no one for at least a mile which was very encouraging. My legs felt sharp and I had managed to force myself to drink enough despite the rain and low 60 degree temps and knew that if I put together a strong run, I’d be more than happy with the outcome. When I entered transition, there was only 1 bike besides the pros….a very welcoming sight! I averaged right at 23.3 mph over the 58 mile course that included almost 4,000 feet of climbing.

Run – As I headed out on the run I overheard the announcer say that I was 2:30 behind the first amateur out of transition. I knew that if I could put together a solid run, I’d at least give myself a fighting chance to catch him. I knew that I needed to maintain right around 3:53 for each kilometer to be at 6:19 pace which would put me at just over 1:22 for the run which given the topography of this course, is a solid time. I went through the first 2K in just a hair under 8:00 which was a good sign as this part of the run includes a hill that is probably a kilometer long by itselft. At the 4K mark I settled into a good pace as I could now finally feel all 10 of my toes and my pace began to increase ever so slightly but steadily. I passed several female pros and 2 male pros through the first 9K of the run. At this point I also passed Mirinda Carfrae, only she was at 12K having gone through the turnaround already and she was really moving! As I approached the turnaround I saw the leading amateur and I was really motivated by the fact that I had made up almost 2 minutes of the 2:30 deficit I had coming out of transition. He noticed that I was coming and it took me the next 5K to make up any time on him at all. Finally when the course moved off the roads onto a trail that included several short steep inclines I caught him right at about 17K. We took turns leading for the next 3K until we hit a decline with 1K to go where I swear the guy had nearly a dozen fans scattered throughout the crowed cheering him to lose me for good. He built up a lead of over 10 feet or so as we headed into transition with about 250 meters to go and I knew that it was now or never to close the gap. The way the finishing chute has you finish is by making what is essentially a semi-circle around transition before it makes a bending left hand turn before probably 50 meters of straightaway to the finish line. As we approached the left hand bend I decided to go as hard as I possibly could, using every bit of fast twitch muscle that was left after years of playing football and with my arm outstretched, I broke the tape a fraction of a second before him to take the overall amateur win! Shortly after while talking to him, I found out he started in the wave in front of me so I really had a 6 minute lead on him the entire time…..you gotta be kidding me!!! Oh well, I had a great run and furthermore a great race. I also decided that 2 more months of training was doable as I accepted my spot to Clearwater in November. A special thanks to Jake and everyone at Zoot as well as the myriad of other sponsors helping the team and all its members achieve their personal goals this season!

Ironman Louisville Report - Evan Macfarlane

2010-09-19T07:21:00.001-07:00

[I must have made a mistaken copying links for some of the photos. Click on the photos to see the whole images.]

(Louisville pre-race)

Training Summary
Training went great leading up to the race. I saw some fantastic power numbers, numbers like holding 245-250 W at sub-150 bpm during longer intervals on the trainer. Being at altitude, I was encouraged that perhaps those numbers would be even better where there's more oxygen in the air. I also completed some tough track workouts on brutally hot days. One day in particular comes to mind: my wife Stacey and I went to Harvard Gulch here in Denver for a run on a dirt track. We started our run at 1:00pm in 95 degree heat, and then I cranked out 18 miles in just over 2 hours even as the temp increased and the sun shone brightly. Stacey, having to slow dramatically to keep in HR in check due to the heat, was impressed. I even got in a few huge weeks of training volume, with a peak week of around 30 hours. In summary, a few weeks out from the race I was very, very confident in my fitness.

Pre-Race

(Stacey applying sunscreen where the sun surprisingly does shine when riding a tri-bike, and my brother Conor proving that he is NOT applying sun screen to my backside.)

While my training went great, I became very busy with work two weeks out from the race. This is fine, since triathlon is a hobby and secondary in importance to work. The timing also wasn't too bad, either, since I was starting to taper. Still, my stress level increased to less than ideal levels. Also because of work, my trip out to Louisville was very brief -- fly out Friday, fly home Monday.

Despite the stress, once I got to the airport the Friday before the race I felt relieved. I had just started reading Born to Run, and while reading I began to remember how much fun I have racing Ironmans. The book put me in the perfect mental state to race. I've got some similar books that I'll put off reading until before my next big race.

Once in Louisville, everything went smoothly (well, other than getting pulled over Friday evening while driving a rental car for forgetting to turn on the lights...but in my defense my car's lights automatically turn on so I'm not in the habit of turning the switch myself). I met up with Jake from Zoot at the expo and he hooked me up with a SpeetZoot swim skin. Jake and Zoot have been great to me all year. After a year trying lots of their products, my favorites are their TT shoes and CompressRx gear. The shoes have lots of features that make them ideal for triathlon -- they features are not just marketing! -- and I think next year I may even try to run my IM marathon without socks.

Stacey and I stayed with my parents and my brother Conor and his wife Teresa at my cousin's husband's parents' house just outside of Louisville. Conor was racing his first IM, and Conor and Teresa did an awesome job of stocking the house with good food and getting all the stuff for my pre-race meals. Thanks guys! After dinner we settled in to watch Hot Tub Time Machine and then got to bed really early.

Like all of Saturday, Sunday morning was without any issues. Conor and I were in transition right at 5:00 am and headed off to the swim start just 15 minutes or so later. Still, by the time we got to the swim start we were well back from the front of the line. (Please WTC, stop permitting people to save spots in line!) We had an hour to kill waiting in line, but the time to relax was nice. I wasn't the least bit nervous, just like last year at the same time.

Swim

(Running down the ramp with Conor and doing my best dork pose before heading into the water.)

Once the race started, the line moved quickly and soon Conor and I were jumping into the disgusting Ohio river. I focused on a high turnover and was constantly passing people, unlike where the swim is of the more typical mass-start variety.

The swim went by very fast. I wondered if I'd swam sub-1:00 because the swim went by so quickly -- perhaps there had been a current, I thought. My breathing was also very controlled, and I think being at a lower elevation had a lot to do with it. I occasionally did four-stroke breathing, and even then I wasn't out of breath.

I exited the water in 1:06. Not bad, but not as fast as the swim felt. Still, 6 minutes ahead of last year's pace.

Bike
After an uneventful T1, I was off on my Orbea Ordu. The start of the ride was very comfortable, as should be the case for an Ironman. Despite the comfortable effort, my HR was a bit high, right in the 150-152 bpm range. As soon as the crowd of riders thinned out a bit, I rode really easy to let my HR fall to 145 bpm. Once my HR dropped I resumed riding at my IM perceived exertion. Now, my HR stayed under 150 bpm and sometimes dropped to the low 140s despite pushing 220-230 W. For the first 40 miles I didn't compulsively check my HR or power, but when I did they were both inline with my expectations.

(I get my head a bit lower on the fast sections, but otherwise not looking too bad. My hands are a tad higher than normal, but I like this position.)

There's an out-and-back section starting about 45 minutes into the ride with some of the largest hills on the course. This section was extremely crowded and made for some dangerous riding. At one point, frustrated by the riding style of the guys around me, I eased off to 200 W on an uphill so the guys I was around would ride away from me. I was confident that I'd catch and pass them later, but for now I just wanted to avoid getting caught up in their sprinting-slowing-sprinting-slowing style of riding.

As the bike progressed, the temperature and humidity rose. After 2.5 hours my power began to drop off. Check out this comparison of my bike splits from this year and last year at Louisville:

2010
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT 23 mi (57:47) 23.88 mph
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT 40 mi (44:45) 22.79 mph
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT 70.5 mi (1:25:00) 21.53 mph
FINAL BIKE SEGMENT 112 mi (1:59:10) 20.90 mph
TOTAL BIKE 112 mi. (5:06:42) 21.91 mph

2009
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT 22 mi (1:01:47) 21.36 mph
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT 37 mi (43:32) 20.67 mph
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT 67 mi (1:25:43) 21.00 mph
FINAL BIKE SEGMENT 112 mi (1:56:16) 23.22 mph
TOTAL BIKE 112 mi. (5:07:18) 21.87 mph

I could analyze this in greater detail (Did I overcook the start of the bike? Did the heat just kill me? The course was slightly different -- was that the reason for the speed difference during the first segment?), but I'll save that for another post.

By the end of this year's bike I was suffering. Others were, too, as there were a lot of competitors at the side of the road -- several of them vomiting or seeking shade. At mile 100 or so I passed a guy that had gone down in a ditch. He appeared to be severely cramped, but I couldn't tell for sure. There was a fire station ahead, and I tried to tell the fire fighters that when I passed by on the way out to help the guy. This time, however, no one was outside the station, so I circled back and rode into the station's bay to get some help for the guy down the road. (As an aside, I think it's fine if competitors do not stop to help one another. After all, it's a race -- don't sign up if you expect all the other competitors to stop for you.)

I suffered through the last 10 miles of the bike, most of it without water because I had already drank the two bottles I picked up at the prior aid station, knowing that the run was going to be very difficult. My suffering is a bit confounding. I had peed once on the bike and had to go again at the start of the run, so dehydration didn't seem to be a cause. Perhaps my body needs a lot of blood circulation near my skin for cooling and that's why my performance suffers. I don't know enough about physiology to really make all that educated of a guess.

My nutrition on the bike consisted solely of liquid calories and Gu. I was hydrating so much that I had no problem drinking enough sports drink to take in 350 calories an hour. I only needed a small sip from my flask full of Vanilla Bean Gu every 10 or 20 miles. I was even drinking water on top of the 48 oz. of sports drink/hr that I consumed. Around the 3.5 and 4.5 hour marks of the bike I popped a Salt Stick salt tablet in hopes of keeping my water to sodium ratio in balance. I was sweating so much that my face was crusted over with salt. Even my eye lashes were full of salt. It was like waking up in the morning with those weird crystals in the corners of one's eyes, except mine were crystals of salt.

Data: 199 W average (4 W less than last year but a slightly faster overall time); 147 bpm average.

(I can't get the file to open with PowerAgent so my analysis is pretty limited.)

Run

(Not looking fresh starting the run. What's up with the horrific heal strike that appears to be imminent?)

I am always happy to get off the bike at the end of a 112 mile ride, usually because I'm excited for the run to start. I was especially looking forward to entering T2 on this day, although this time it was because I was totally exhausted. Dropping out went through my head. I told myself that last year I didn't feel spectacular off the bike and amazed myself with a sub-3:00 run. Maybe I'd still reel off a great run and finish in the top 10.

Those thoughts vanished after a few strides. My legs had no spring. My stride felt short and choppy. Last year I blazed through the first 3 miles at 5:42/mile. This year, barely under 7:00/mile. My HR was right where I expected -- 160 bpm or a few bpm lower -- but my pace was sssslllloooowwww.

Four miles into the run and I began feeling better. I became optimistic. Some brief cloud cover blocked the sun, and my pace quicken to 6:30/mile for a half mile or so. Once the cloud cover passed, I heated back up and slowed back down.

I took a salt pill (Endurolyte brand? something with about 1/10 the salt of the Salt Stick tablets) right before every aid station and then grabbed a Coke and then a water. Fueling went well and I peed three times during the run! Some of that was probably fluid I'd taken in on the bike. Still, even with a high level of fluid intake there was no pooling in my stomach and I craved more water. I think the salt + coke + water is the perfect fuel strategy for me on an IM run.

Around mile 12 I passed Conor going the other way and he appeared to be suffering. It was a tough day for a first IM and knowing how much I was struggling even with my level of fitness and experience I figured he was likely having a tough day. He ultimately dropped out after puking in a porta-john and then cramping badly shortly after I saw him. There's always next year...

At this point I still had run every step and talked myself into running every step until at least mile 16. I made it to mile 16 still feeling alright and didn't walk that aid station. At mile 19 my pace plummeted to 9:00/mile on a slight uphill and my HR surged to well over 160 bpm. I decided to walk every other aid station. At mile 21 I changed to talking every aid station because I didn't think I could make it two miles without walking. The aid station walks allowed me to rest enough that my pace between aid stations increased enough to offset the pace lost from walking. I even walked the mile 25 aid station even though the finish was just over 1 mile away.

As I approached the finished I once again felt a surge of achievement for having made it through the day. It was a very hard run for me and took all my determination to complete it. I thought my time was going to be horrible, but ended up with a not-too-shabby-on-any-day (and great for a 95 degree/90% humidity day) 3:20 run split. I even ran the last 1/4 mile at sub-6:00 pace due to the adrenaline rush that comes when one approaches the finish line.

(Five miles are missing about midway through the race. I must have accidentally stopped my watch and didn't notice for a while.)

Still, it's hard to be satisfied with a 3:20 run when (1) that's more than 25 minutes off my time from last year and (2) I lost my AG because I was out-run. Of the top three guys in my AG, I had the fastest swim by more than five minutes. Since when do I out swim someone by 5 minutes and not beat that person? All I can say is great race to the gentleman that won my age-group -- he put up a spectacular bike and run to win by 6 minutes.

Finish
Total: 9:38, my second fastest IM and the toughest conditions of any IM by far.

Anyhow, I crossed the finish line feeling good physically, meaning I didn't need to go to the med-tent and felt like I could actually eat something. I had myself weighed at the med-tent just to be safe, and I was only 5 pounds lighter than normal. If I can hydrate myself to the extent that I only lose 5 pounds on a day as hot as this one, I think that means my nutrition is dialed in pretty well.

15th overall, just like last year. 2nd in my AG, just like last year.

I felt great just a few days after the race. I ran three days afterward and didn't feel fatigued. My rapid recovery suggests I wasn't able to empty the tank and really fatigue my muscles. It's tough to do one IM a year, and then have it not go perfect. Could I have gone sub-9:00 on an ideal day? Did I have the fitness for a 4:50 or 4:55 bike? How much do I need to improve to finish top 10 overall? I can't answer these questions, but the race allowed me to test my will-power and I am happy with how I responded. Testing myself is the appeal of doing Ironman regardless of the outcome, and that's not limited to race day. I'm happy with my race performance in the harsh conditions and I enjoy training more than ever. Another year passes and the allure of Ironman hasn't diminished.

Thanks to Stacey for her endless support of my pursuit of my perfect race, thanks to Chuckie for the coaching and training support, thanks to Zoot Sports and Jake at Zoot in particular for providing me with awesome training and racing gear, thanks to Orbea and Zipp for also providing top-notch gear, and thanks to my family for cheering for me and for having everything organized when I arrived in Kentucky.

Skinnyman Triathlon

2010-09-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Skinnyman Triathlon is absolutely my favorite race ever and this year did not disappoint. Combined with visiting my parents and the long holiday weekend it makes for a great few days. My husband, who was also racing, and I headed up to my parents house Friday after work. Thanks to a late work day and all the holiday traffic we got in super late. Race morning came a lot quicker than I would have like. I ate breakfast half asleep and headed up to the race. I couldn’t believe how dark and cold it was on our drive up, a sure sign summer is coming to an end. I put on as many layers as possible and headed over to transition to pick up my packet and get my area set up. This is a small local race so the transition area is first come first serve and luckily I managed to get a decent spot close to bike out. My husband and I did a quick warm-up together, got our wetsuits on and we were off. The water actually felt good since the air was still pretty chilly. The swim was 800m, a longer swim for a sprint, but the lake is gorgeous and clear and always makes for a nice swim. Other than swimming into a boat about 200m into the race the swim went well.I’m not really sure what was going on with the boat but at the time I thought I had been swimming off course a little and that the boat was a little too close to the buoy line. I found out after the race that the boat actually ended up crossing right through all the swimmers. I’m glad I had gotten out in front because many of the swimmers were stuck and had to wait for the boat to go through to continue swimming. Anyway, I came out of the water in 3rd place and headed off onto the bike. This bike course is really challenging with lots of short steep climbs. The long distance athlete in me decided to kick in and it took me until mile 10 to actually start feeling good on the bike. It was also a really windy day so climbing all the hills into a headwind made for a tough ride. Still, I was able to catch the 2 women in front of me by mile 8 and since you never know what is going on behind you I continued to push hard. I entered T2 in first place and headed off on the run. I wasn't sure what to expect with the run course this year since it was new because of construction on the old one. This race always draws great crowds and it was great to have so many people out on the course the cheering, especially since the first part of the run was all uphill. My legs felt really good though and I was really having fun. I hit the turnaround and was finally able to see what was going on behind me. My lead turned out to be about 45sec on the 2nd place woman. With 2 miles to go a figured I’d be safe but you never know. After a few more hills I finally saw the finish line. I pushed hard right to the end and with last 1/2 mile of the run being downhill it was great to come flying through the finish. My 4th year at Skinnyman and my 4th win!

Back to Racing

2010-08-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of changes going on for me these past two months. Last time I posted on here I was just starting the recovery process after a crash in a local tri in VA Beach where I broke my collarbone and separted my shoulder.

Anyone who has dealt with this injury knows it can be a big challenge trying to return to top form. After about 7 weeks of doing very little I was able to return to normal training. It took me a good 3 weeks before I felt like I was actually making some headway. This past week (week 11 post crash) I really started to feel like my old self.

My wife and I also decided to move back to northern Michigan in early August. This is where we're from and both our families are back there. We found good jobs and could not pass up the opportunity. So far it has been great. I am loving my new training environment. There aren't as many people to train with, but I've always kind of been more of a solo trainer anyways. There are awesome fresh water lakes to swim in, hill after hill with very little traffic and wonderful sights for cycling and running, trails everywhere and a track less than a 1/4 mile from my house. Only problem...the long winters! It's all good though. I will swim more, have never had a problem banging out hard sessions on the trainer and treadmill, and will be taking up xc skiing.

Anyways, my father and I were co-directing a small local tri & 5k this past weekend in northern MI. I decided about mid week that because it was a pretty small event I'd try to race if everything went smooth on race morning. Plus, my father was there if anything went wrong and we had a lot of great

volunteers. I wasn't able to get in a warm up because of all the running around getting things sorted, but I had enough adrenaline to get me rolling and I was excited to just be back out there racing. The gun went off and I just told myself I'd sit on whoever's feet was in first. This plan worked and I felt strong. Came out of the 1k swim in 11:47. It was a bit short, but still a good swim for me.

Onto the bike and I was on fire. My coach and the man I coach alongside, Janda Ricci-Munn, has been implementing a "secret" bike session the day before races. Both of us have been trying this out on our athletes and it has shown some awesome results.
Each time it's the same feedback, "Man, I felt great on the bike from the first pedal stroke." I was excited to try this out for myself and sure enough I felt magic straight away. Cycling is my biggest strength in triathlon as it comes quite naturally to me. This course wasn't awful hard, but fair. I rode away from the majority of the field and came in right at an hour for 40k. I've only done a handful of hard bike sessions since the accident so I was pleased.

Onto the run...this was the bigger question mark of the day as I really have only done extensive/intensive run sessions since early June and have only been running for 4 weeks. I just told myself to run hard to the turn around and then if I had a big enough lead I'd just shut things down in hopes of being able to get right back into training a day or two later. This plan worked. I ran about 6:00 pace until the turn around and then shut it right down. It was so much fun being back out there...and even more fun winning. I won't ever take racing for granted again after missing out on Eagleman this year because it was one week after my crash. It has been tough getting back in shape, but the hard work I do year round has allowed me to bounce back pretty quick.

I want to thank Jake for helping our event out in a big way. He sent all kinds of sweet apparel and more. Our participants walked away pumped and thankful for some cool stuff from Zoot. You're the man Jake!

Border to Boulder

2010-08-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Boulder 70.3 Race Report - Evan Macfarlane

2010-08-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

One of these days, I'll put together my perfect race. Over the past year I've had a lot of races where my bike or run is solid, and I'm even happy when my swim doesn't take me completely out of contention for the AG win. Yet in every race I've also had a lack luster discipline. That happened again today, and this time where I least expected it -- on the run.

SwimKnowing I veer left while swimming, I lined up on the far right so that other swimmers would box me in and prevent me from heading off course. I kept my turnover high and even found a few pairs of feet to sit on at times. About 1250m into the swim, I felt something against my neck and thought it was a strand of sea weed. I grabbed the thing and yanked it, only to pull off my own goggles. Oops. I quickly put the goggles back on even though they were flooded with water. To my surprise, my vision was amazing. Turns out I've been having sighting issues in large part because my goggles are completely fogged up. With goggles full of water, I could see everything -- picking a line and finding feet to sit on have never been so easy. I've found few strategies to prevent goggle fog and hopefully I'll perfect then before IM Louisville in two weeks.

The swim went well for me and I exited in 31:24, good for 14th out of 86 in my age group. That's five minutes off my competitors' times, but I was also off by five minutes at the shorter Boulder Peak swim. That's progress, I suppose.

Bike
This is a fast bike course. Even though it's two loops, it seems like the route is 3/4 downhill.

Heading out of T1, I kept an eye on the SRM and kept my power below 300W. It's easy to crush the first few minutes of the bike, but that's not a wise strategy. Still, when the first few miles are crowded -- and they were very crowded since I started in one of the last waves -- I'm will to put out a bit more power than would otherwise be prudent.

About 5 miles into the ride two-time IM world champ Tim DeBoom passed me (due to the wave format and Tim being much faster than me, he was on his second loop while I was on my first). I was actually able to legally hang onto him for a bit, and even had to sit up at times to avoid getting too close, before he pulled away on an uphill. The rest of the pro pack following Tim soon passed. These guys ride hard uphill, and for a while I put out more watts than I wanted to an attempt to keep up. I was hoping to legally ride their train for the rest of the loop. My lack of legal drafting experience got the better of me, however, and I allowed such a large gap to open that I was no longer getting any benefit. I'd have had to push real hard to catch back up, and even then I was afraid of getting a penalty. Anyhow, there's an out and back 15 miles later and I was able to see that they only put about a minute on me during that time.

I drank a lot on the bike. Two sports drinks, almost two waters, and a few Gus. That's probably IM equivalent fueling at about 400 cal/hr. A tad much for a half, but my stomach was quickly taking care of any pooling from the big gulps I was taking.

Usually at the end of a hard 56 mile ride my legs are beat. Actually, they're typically beat about 40 miles in, and I spend the last 16 miles really focusing to keep the effort up. At this race, however, leg tiredness was never an issue. I got off the bike feeling better than I can ever remember for a half. Not that there was no fatigue, but I never had to dig deep on the bike.

Time: 2:10 (a whopping 8 minute PR for a 56 mile ride). This ride moved me up to second in my AG and in position to get the AG and overall amateur win with a really good run.

Stats:
239 average W (Yes, just 239 W for 25.8 mph.)
243 W normalized
87 rpm average
164 bpm average (Wow, is that high! This number may include some inaccurate readings since that's about my HR for an FTP test.)
48.8 max speed (Where'd that happen? St Vrain?)

Run
I left T2 2:44 into my race, sporting a new pair of Zoot TT 4.0s (more on these later). That meant a 1:20 run, two minutes slower than my PR, would give me a 4:04 half IM. Great, I thought, don't push too hard, just hang onto 6:00-6:15/mile and run right around 1:20. No need to try for 1:18 only to blow up and run 1:30.

The run started great. I was easily hitting 6:00/mile (well, not easily, but maybe 0.5/10 below the PE I think I can hold for a half). I was really thinking I could hold that pace until mile 9 or 10 and then go all in from there. Through the first half of the race, my plan was working. 6:08/mile for the first 6.55 miles -- right on track for 1:20 and feeling good.

(A nice shot by my coach taken along the Boulder Reservoir. Nice shoes!)

Then, pretty shortly after mile 7, I recognized some trouble. There's a short hill and my PE climbed way up just to get over the thing. I had a bit of fluid pooling in my stomach, but I craved water. That's always the worst situation -- the one thing you want the most will only exacerbate your other problem. The temp was hot at 90 degrees or so, but not unbearable and not unlike what I've been training in.

I think some salt pills would have aided my digestion, allowing me to take in more water and Coke. I haven't been successful racing in heat, and fueling is one primary reason for that (or at least that's my present theory). Yes, this is another "oh, I'd have gone faster if I had nailed my nutrition" race report. I apologize for that, but I *think* it's the case. My run strength is there and my endurance is there, so there's no reason to fade other than heat (which wasn'tthat bad) and fueling.

Anyhow, I dropped to 6:46/mile for the last 6.55 miles and finished the run in 1:24. Bah! A 1:20 would have put me right in the vicinity of Brian Schaning, a fast dude and the eventual AG winner, and while I'm not the fastest runner in triathlon I'd be glad to have a race come down to the run.

So, there ya have it. Acceptable swim, fast bike, good 1st half of the run, bad second half of the run. Overall, I still finished 2nd in my AG and 16th overall. Plus my bike was only about 5 minutes back of some of the top guys in the sport. Now just to put it all together!

(A cell-phone podium shot.)

Back to those Zoot TT 4.0s, I received them shortly before the race and only had a chance to do two short runs in them. Still, I've been perfectly comfortable running sockless in the TT 3.0s so I figured I'd give the 4.0s a go sans socks. My experience was very positive even though they were a new shoe -- I had one blister on my right heel but otherwise I was fine. Not only that, but thanks to the shoes' drainage vents my shoes never got soaked with water even though I poured what seemed like gallons of it over my head during the race.

My one tip for those running sockless (and this is regardless of what brand of shoe you wear) is to put gobs of vasoline on any areas of the shoe where you normally get blisters. I neglected to do this at Boulder 70.3 even though I'm pretty sure it would have prevented me from getting any blisters. I was so confident with the Zoot shoes that I didn't even think of bringing vasoline. Now that the shoes are broken in, I probably don't need the lubricant, but I will still err on the side of caution and use it.

Next up for me: Ironman Louisville. This is my AAA race for the year and the only one I've really been training for. It's tough to put all your eggs in one basket like that, but when you're an amateur that races Ironman it's so difficult to race more than one a year. At any rate, wish me luck on August 29.

2010-08-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Mountain Man Half IM

I was 3rd overall, 1st Master, but the finishing pic is the BEST!

SheRox Triathlon Philadelphia

2010-08-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

What a fun day! I’ve always wanted to cross the finish line and “break the tape” and even though I’ve won some races I’ve never had that chance. Being in my hometown made my win that much sweeter. The day started off at 5:45, a much more reasonable hour than normal. I ate breakfast and headed down to the race. Surprisingly, it was a beautiful morning with cooler temperatures and low humidity. The heat wave we have been having on the East Coast has been brutal and it was a nice change. The forecast was calling for scattered thundershowers all morning but it looked like the weather was going to cooperate. I set up my transition, headed out for a warm-up run and was flagged down shortly into it by a friend who told me my back tire had flatted in transition. Yikes! I was thankful for the heads up which gave me a little more time to get it fixed but not too happy. I was a little anxious about this tire too since it had flatted last weekend during my race. I thought I had it fix but obviously not. I ran my bike over to the mechanic. He did a very thorough (and fast!) job of checking my tire out and thankfully with was only a faulty tube (thanks to High Road Cycles!). I re-racked my bike with just enough time to get down to the swim start and in the water. The swim course was shortened this year from 800m to 600m (sweet!) due to safety concerns. I swam as fast as I could knowing the swim course was short but in reality I think my 600m speed is the same as my 1.2mile speed. Ha! Anyway, I managed to get out of the water in second but still 2min down on the first girl. I had a bit of work to do. I grabbed my speedy Orbea (thankfully the back tire still had air in it!) and took off. I didn’t do myself any favors by deciding to go the wrong way in the first mile of the bike course. I had a moment of confusion when I went the way of the Philadelphia Olympic Tri course. I realized it about halfway up the hill. I turned around and headed off the right way but now with so much more work to do. Luckily my bike legs were feeling good and I could see I was gaining some time on the leader. There are a lot of corners and loops on the bike so plenty of chances to see where you are compared to everyone else. I finally managed to catch her ¾ of the way through the first loop (it was a 2 loop course). I got off the bike with a nice cushion for the run but of course still continued to push hard. It was great to have so many people I know out on the course cheering. I made sure to soak up all the excitement. It felt great to cross the finish line in first place! NBC10 was there and they let me catch my breath before talking with me. I really couldn’t have asked for a better place to win. My husband, parents, and friends were all there to celebrate with me. The only disappointment came 10min before the award ceremony when the rain finally came. The torrential downpour sent everyone running for their cars. I was disappointed in the lack of award ceremony but it did mean Mexican food and margaritas that much sooner!

Local Bay Area Press

2010-07-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Triathletes of Marin: Pushing to go pro - One year after competing in first event, San Anselmo's Peterson competes as a professional for the first time

By Josh Boxer

Click photo to enlarge

Jeffrey Peterson, of San Anselmo, a triathlete who is just making his way... (IJ photo/Jeff Vendsel)

AS 2,000 frantic athletes jumped into the chilly San Francisco Bay at the start of the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon earlier this month, Jeff Peterson, 26, was also jumping into a new career. Just over a year after competing in his first triathlon, the San Anselmo resident made his professional debut, taking on some of the best athletes in the sport.

Growing up in New Jersey, Peterson devoted his attention to running track and cross country. While running the mile for the University of North Carolina track team, Peterson steadily improved his performance, eventually reaching the 4-minute, 10-second range. In 2007, Peterson headed out west to Marin with his wife, Clara, a professional runner, where he continued to pursue his dream of running competitively.

"I thought if I dedicated myself to it post-collegiately and did the right things I would get closer to 4 minutes," he said. "But it just wasn't happening and it started to get boring and I was caught in between a weird level. I wasn't a collegiate runner anymore and I wasn't one of the elites. It just wasn't fun anymore."

Facing a crossroads in his athletic career, Peterson thought back to when he used to watch the Ironman World Championships on TV in high school.

"You watch it on NBC and it looks so cool, and you see people like Chris McCormick," he said, referring to the 2007 Ironman World Champion. "(Becoming a triathlete) was always a goal of mine.".

However, before pursuing that goal, Peterson faced

one minor problem - he didn't even own a bike. Undeterred, Peterson entered his first race, the Vineman Showdown Sprint Triathlon in April of 2009. Peterson found instant success, capturing first place in his age-group with a time of 53:13. He followed up by placing seventh in his age group at the Wildflower triathlon (an Olympic distance event), the first time he had ever ridden a tri bike. Peterson's first overall win came at Anchorman last June, followed by a second place finish in his age group at the Silicon Valley Tri at an Olympic distance.

Just five months after racing in his first triathlon, Peterson caught his big break, winning the Pacific Grove Triathlon against a highly competitive field, earning his USAT elite license. While many rookie triathletes would have remained in the age-group ranks for a few years, Peterson decided to accept the challenge and turn pro.

"There was probably an argument for staying an amateur for another year or two to gain that experience," he said. "But for me, I just felt like if I can do it now and can do it under the circumstances É I'm just going to go for it."

Just a few years after first watching him on TV, Peterson got to meet McCormick in person the day before the Alcatraz event.

"I tried to play it cool," Peterson said. "I went up to him and said, 'Hi, I'm Jeff Peterson. I'm going to be racing with you tomorrow. Can I please take a picture with you?' ... He was just so nice."

On race day, Peterson faced off against McCormick and an elite field packed with some of the most talented athletes in the sport, including three-time returning champion Andy Potts and Olympian Hunter Kemper. Peterson overcame a roundabout swim to finish 16th in the male pro division in 2:12:57.

"My favorite part was just being shoulder to shoulder with some of the guys that made me get into the sport" he said. "Overall it was a good first pro race."

When Peterson is not training 20-25 hours a week, he teaches physical education at the Marin Country Day School in Corte Madera. Peterson also coaches his wife, and just started coaching the triathlon team at his alma mater in North Carolina. Peterson also just became the legal guardian of his younger brother, Evan, and became an ambassador for the Family Violence Prevention Fund. In addition, Peterson coaches individual athletes at Whole Athlete in San Anselmo, where he is planning a 10-day triathlon clinic to prepare athletes to take on the Marin County Triathlon. This will include a youth clinic, which he hopes to turn into a summer program. As if that were not enough, he also runs the social networking site for athletes, runramsey.com, named after his 1-year-old son, Ramsey.

"Watching Jeff train makes me realize being a runner is the easiest job ever," Peterson's wife Clara said. "All I have to do is run. At the most I put in nine hours a week of training. Compared to his 22 plus hours it practically makes me feel lazy and I run 60-70 miles a week."

Despite a busy work load and burgeoning triathlon career, Peterson makes one thing clear - his family and his students always come first.

"There is more to life than swim, bike, run," Peterson said.

NOTE: I took two months off recently to deal with some family stuff, but I am happy to training again - training in the best gear there is for that matter. Thanks Zoot, Orbea, GU, Zipp, Alcis, and Suunto.

Close but no cigar! Great White North 1/2 Ironman

2010-07-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

I nearly won my second career half ironman at Great White North. I was within spitting distance of eventual winner Kyle Marcotte at the finish line. Hats off to Kyle for holding me off as I charged to a race best 1:16 half ironman; running three minutes faster than everyone! I can not complain, I finally had a great race! The year started with decent results, a dnf, and a little disappoint. The start of the year was a struggle, as I coped with a nagging back injury. I feel like I finally have the back figured out and feel fit, fast, and ready to race 100%. After a couple of tune up races I went to the Great White North half ironman with determination.
Great White North drew nearly 1,000 competitors to Edmonton, Alberta for the 20th version of the race. I love to do these non 70.3 races in Canada because they treat you awesome, offer prize money, and have great food & awesome volunteer support. Great White North did not disappoint! Hats off to Wade Church and his crew for putting on a great race. The drive up to Edmonton was long but Jen and I know how to take our time and break up a long drive. I was super excited for Jen to make her comeback after finally defeating a nagging injury. We hit up some good rest stops, restaurants, and of course Lululemon. I have become addicted to Lululemon clothing, the company makes awesome clothes that fit a skinny dude, finally one company! We struggled to find camping because to my surprise the 4th of July weekend is not only a holiday weekend for us but also for the Canadians. I’m pretty sure every Canadian in Alberta was camping over this weekend. After struggling to find an open campsite we finally found one that was very close to the race venue. Camp was set, the rigs were dialed and we were ready to race.

In between Philly triathlon and Great White North I did very little for training. I was unsure whether or not it was a good idea because the legs still did not feel to great on race morning. We woke up to light skies at 5 am (it gets light really early in Edmonton) and thought we missed the race start because of how light it was already. The swim was a two loop swim that featured some good mud. The mud made for some good laughs as folks who were warming up fell nearly waist deep into the sludge. The race announcer fired the gun and the race was off and I found myself towards the front after getting a little further out then some of the competitors. I had a great first loop and Jen had to sprint to catch onto our group as we headed back in for the second loop. I followed feet for the second loop and excited the water in under 30 minutes. I hit the bike and the legs felt great! I instantly passed a few folks and found myself in second place in only a couple of minutes back from the leader after only 30k. One cyclist blew by me and I knew I did not have the legs to go with him so I rode my race. I had a great ride with a sub 2:15 bike split. I hit the run and Steve King let me know that Kyle had 3:30 on me and I was in third place. I set out at a good clip and quickly settled into a good rhythm. About half way through the run I noticed that Kyle was coming back to me little by little. On the last out and back I had closed the cap to 30 seconds with 2k to go. I unloaded everything I had on that race course and made myself want to puke for the last 2k. Kyle had enough in the tank to hold me off and he hung on for the win and I finished second 14 seconds later. Regardless, I was stoked with my result and I finally felt like I had a great race! I set a new half ironman personal record of 4:01. Jen also had a great race finishing 5th in a stacked women’s race and setting a PR of 4:37.
The rest of the trip was awesome! We took our time getting back to Montana and stopped in Banff. It was a great trip and I’m already excited for the next race, which will be Boulder 70.3 on August 8th. I have a little break from racing to get in some good training and hit up two high school buddies weddings.

Boulder Peak Race Report by Evan Macfarlane

2010-07-15T14:45:00.003-07:00

First off, I got married a few weeks ago, so that's my exciting news! Now onto the more normal stuff...

The Boulder Peak was my best olympic distance tri to date. I finished 3rd in my age group -- my fourth podium at an Ironman-owned event in a row. Typically I wouldn't be too satisfied with 3rd in my age group, but the Boulder Peak brings out a competitive field. Plus, as a relatively weak swimmer I always struggle to make up the time I lose in the water on the bike and run in olympic distance races.

(This is the picture I refer to below when describing the bike portion of the race. For some reason the blogging software won't let me move the image.)

Swim

The good: I completed the swim in 25:25, which I'm pretty sure is a new PR for me. My Zoot Zenith 2.0 wetsuit certainly helped. It's flexibility is fantastic and it slips off with ease in T1. Following the swim, I was only four minutes -- not the typical 7 or 8 minutes -- down on most of the tops guys in my AG. I also felt strong exiting the water, like the swim didn't take much out of me.

The bad: I am still coming out 4 minutes down on my competitors. That's a huge difference to make up in a 2 hour race. I finished as the 8th amateur overall, yet if I swam just 3 minutes faster I would have been 3rd amateur and would have beat some well-respected guys. Still, my swim was in the top 10% overall and I'm making progress.

Also in the "bad" category is my spotting. I breathe to my left, and fortunately for me most triathlon swims are counter-clockwise. I like that because I can spot while breathing and also because my tendency is to drift to the left, which isn't bad when the drifting just takes me closer to the buoys. At the Boulder Peak, however, the swim is clockwise and my drifting took me off course. Here is the route I believe I traveled:

(Okay, my artistic skills could use some work.)

I kept looking up and seeing that I wasn't where I wanted to be, and I'd make an effort to take an optimal line from my location back to the pack of swimmers. Yet the next time I'd look up I'd still be off course. I need to practice spotting more! I will try to get into the 2 mile swims at Cherry Creek reservoir tomorrow and next week. Anyhow, at least I'm aware of this and I will make sure not to make the same mistake in Louisville.

Bike
The Boulder Peak bike course is awesome. I really like the course's climb and descent. Since moving to Denver a few months ago, I've had a lot of practice climbing and descending on my fantastic handling Orbea Ordu. I'm now confident taking corners at 40 mph in the aerobars. Anyhow, my plan for the bike was to go nearly all-out on the first uphill section (designated by the first green line in the diagram above), then get some rest on the middle downhill section (designated by the red line) while still putting in some power where possible, and then to pick the effort back up for the flat section at the end (designated by the second green line).

This strategy worked well because knowing I'd get a little break in the middle allowed me to really push the effort at the beginning and end. Also, it's not so much that I tried to go easy in the middle -- I didn't, and my cadence was 110+ rpm on the downhills in my 53x12 so that I could put out some power -- but that the terrain makes it tough to put out 270 W at some points.

Anyhow, my bike split was a very respectable 1:04 for the >25 mile course, which was the 7th fastest amateur bike split. If you're into data, here's my info: 247 W avg (although a 60 minute average of 256 W -- I had to coast for a while at the end of the ride due to traffic), 266 W normalized, 20 minute max power of 282 W, and over 29 minutes of the rider were at 270+ watts. A solid ride for me.

Run
My bread and butter. I was aiming for a third straight IM-branded race with the fastest amateur run, though I knew it'd be a challenge with the race in Boulder (I make the IM-branded distinction just because IM-branded races usually bring out quality fields.) I felt good despite the hard effort on the bike, but was only able to run to the 3rd fastest amateur run at 5:48/mile. My turnover could be a bit quicker for a race this short, and that's what I'll focus on during my next race, the 5430 Half. Still, a solid run to cap off the day.

Other Notes

(1) One cool thing about the Boulder Peak is how great the race organizers handled the pro race. Instead of having pros start early so that they're never seen by the target audience -- i.e., other racers -- at Boulder Peak the pros started hours after the AGers. As a result, most AGers were done by the time the pros started their run. Then, the organizers altered the run course for the pros so that they did 3 spectator friendly loops. This was a great way to make the pro race add value for AG racers, as the format allowed viewers to actually watch the pros' run unfold. I'd highly recommend entering the Boulder Peak if you haven't done it before, and if you're a race direction this type of format is something to consider.

(2) Zoot's CompressRx Tri shorts are awesome! Before these shorts, I'd tried stuff from DeSoto, Oomph, Craft, and Pearl Izumi. While those brands make nice stuff, the CompressRx tri shorts are my new favorites. I'll be wearing them at Ironman Louisville in a few weeks, and the extra support the shorts provide for my quads will be nice for the 26 mile run. Next time you buy a pair of shorts, I recommend that you check these out.

Race reports for June by Becky Witinok-Huber

2010-07-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
So my nutrition and race reports for 3 races in June are below but b/c it has been ages I'll give a brief update as well. June has flown by as I feel like I've been traveling non-stop. At the end of May I headed home to Iowa for a local sprint race. It was supposed to be a tune up for Buff Springs 3 weeks later. However, I was invited to race the Hy-Vee World Cup last minute. As I was already in Iowa, and staying about 10min from the race site with my family I decided that paying down to 50th place was worth staying and risking not a top performance at the 70.3. It was amazing to relax and spend time with the fam. The race was an amazing experience and although I was not exactly prepared for the quick pace of ITU which unlike any other racing, I loved it and loved the opportunity. Who knows what the future will bring in that department.
Lastly by fist 70.3 of the season. I was not where I should have been training wise due to the decisions I had made about Hy-Vee, as well, I had been sick for the last week and almost pulled out. Upon deciding to race I knew I'd just go out and give it my all without judgement and see how it turned out.
I was happy with my swim and although the bike course was very taxing, being hilly, windy and hot (I may not have taken in enough water because it kept splashing from my aero bottle) the bike went pretty according to plan as well. Coming off I knew it would be a challenge not have done a single long run the entire month with racing and recovery etc... It was mentally super difficult, I was having to surrender to my body which was moving at a shuffle. There were definitely points when I thought pulling out was actually an option. 2 girls passed me by mile 5 and when a 3rd came by putting me out of $ contention, although at that moment I could not respond, it was pretty devastating. I did however, keep after my pace. The plan was to be conservative the first 1/2 and then hope to have a bit to close with. With 4 miles to go there was a steep hill, I decided at that moment that if I could just let my body fall down the hill and move my legs as fast as they could go I could close the 20M gap. As I did, I didn't look back over the next 2 miles and tried to keep focused on "Out of site out of mind." The last 2 miles were pretty excruciating and the tap could not have come soon enough. I have never had to have an IV before but I gladly let the amazing volunteers drag me right into the tent. On this day I learned again how much of triathlon is mental and a heart game above and beyond the physical challenges.

NUTRITION for races in JUNE:
As always, especially in places like Iowa and Texas where I raced and it is super hot and sometimes very humid, I'm always trying to drink a lot of water and electrolytes in days leading to my race. As well as get in extra sodium and cut back on anything that is fibrous especially veggies.

Copper Creek Sprint
1 Espresso Love GU 15 minutes before race. Water bottle on the course with 1.5 scoops EFS 1 scoop Carbo-Pro. I figured on this short of a race (just over an hour), I didn't really need to take in many calories, as long as I didn't have any GI issues I'd be set to go.
All was good, I ended up drinking about 1/2 of my bottle, and taking in water at all of the running aid stations. I won and had a blast being home.

Hy-Vee World Cup (ITU Olympic distance)
In an Olympic especially an ITU race where the intensity and effort is quite a bit different from non-drafting races I wanted to make sure I was spot on. I was a bit nervous as I have not done an ITU in 2 years, and never done a World Cup. As well the race start is 12:30PM so we need to take this into consideration.

I tried even with the nerves to go to bed a bit later so that I would be able to sleep in. Mind you, I had been taking in good fluids and sodium and remaining very hydrated all week. I woke up around 8am and had my cup of gluten free oatmeal with honey, salt and 2 egg whites plus 1/2 a banana. I try to eat about 3 hours before the race so I have time to digest everything. Cup of coffee as well, always try to get that in, it helps me be regular and get everything out before the race.

In the time leading up to race start I had water 1-1/2 bottles and about 1/2 bottle of electrolyte drink. I had one water bottle for the race. I also as per usual had a caffeinated GU (Espresso Love) 30min out and 3 gulps of my race drink. It contained 2 scoops EFS, 2 scoops Carbo-Pro and 1 scoop PreRace. I wanted to get in all of my calories on the bike and then be down to water for the run. I also took 1 GU during the race but had 2 on my bike just in case. It was a bit hot and I have trouble digesting drinks (other than coke and water) or gels on the run, especially in shorter distances.

All went pretty much according to plan other than an issue that I've been dealing with and it is starting to frustrate me a bit. I got a stitch or cramp up under my right rib and then it went up into the shoulder. At one point around mile 4 I had to slow down for a bit and dig my fingers into it to try and release it. I started belly breathing a bit and it subsided. I've since been having the issue day to day and in some running sessions. It is really only bad during running. It occurred again this last weekend during the Buff Springs 1/2.

Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3
6:30 race start. Breakfast 3:30. Cup of gluten free oatmeal, honey, scoop of almond butter. 1/2 cliff bar, 1/2 banana. Lots of water and some electrolyte, cup of coffee. I was extremely hydrated coming into this race. Thank goodness.

GU 30min prior, water and EFS mixed drink.
During race I took in a GU every 45 minutes (Chocolate, Espresso Love and the new Tri Berry), an entire water bottle with 2 scoops of EFS 2.5 scoops of CarboPro and 1 scoop PreRace. Along with an aero bottle with water that I filled twice. On the run I had water at every aid station and coke at 3 aid stations. The run was really hot and brutal. Even with my nutrition plan I ended up not having a great run, and I got very dehydrated, for the first time ever I took an IV after the race. So I'll work on this prior to my next 1/2.

Thanks as always to my amazing sponsors who make this all possible! Zoot, Orbea, Zipp, Suunto, GU, Fuel Belt, ALCiS, First Endurance, Colorado Sports training and Somerset Farms!
Along with my other supporters and friends and coaches with Boulder Sports Training!

Cheers and all the best training and racing!
Until next time!
Becky

Injuries: They're Part of the Game

2010-07-01T04:10:00.000-07:00

Pre-race

T1...licking my chops for the bike

Missing a pic. from the crash (someone actually got one)...too gut wrenching though. Btw-can someone tell me why my wife thought to take a pic. of me while on a stretcher?

Cleaning up the road rash...it never hurt so bad just to sit up

Back home resting and waiting for surgery

On the way to the hospital

Post surgery...maybe a bit drugged still:)

Kind of blurry...from a phone...this is me cheering people on 2 days later at Eagleman 70.3. I was so looking forward to smashing this race!

I have been writing a bit for Landice Fitness. My most recent article talks about injuries being a big part of sports and how one can overcome an injury and come out the other side ready to get back at it. You can find the article here or below.

Injuries: They're part of the game

Unfortunately, this is a topic I've become all too familiar with the past few weeks. I crashed on my bike during a recent triathlon and broke my collarbone. Injuries are a part of sports. This is probably even more so for endurance sports. Injuries are not fun at all. They are painful, they interrupt training plans, they alter the race schedule, they lower your fitness, they ruin competitive goals on the horizon, and they cause frustration, loss of confidence and possibly even a bit of depression.

Injuries are just another challenge that life throws at us. You get to choose how you want to deal with it. Are you going to embrace it and come out the other end a better person and athlete or are you going to give in to all of the negative things that an injury can bring? I hope you choose the first option.

Most injuries, if not all, are caused by some particular thing. In my incident, I will say, it was about as freak of an accident as there is. Most of the time you will know the cause of your injury, be it from an accident (slipping on ice while out for a run, getting hit on the bike by a car because you weren't wearing a light and it was dark, etc., etc.) or from overuse. Overuse injuries are the most common injures endurance athletes face. The key is figuring out the cause of your injury and taking the proper steps to learn from it so you can avoid a similar thing from happening again.

As you start back with rehabilitating your injury you may find that not only are you fixing your current injury, but you're likely preventing new injuries from occurring and maybe even strengthening other areas of your body that you might not have otherwise had the time to do so. Case in point, this winter Chrissie Wellington (Ironman World Champion) crashed on her bike while training and broke a few bones in her arm, wrist, and hand. Per a recent competitor radio interview, she was still able to do lower body work and spent a lot of time in the gym working on her leg strength, specifically some hamstring work. She said the accident was a blessing in disguise because she was able to work on things she otherwise wouldn't have had the time for. She said her running is as good if not better than it's been and she attributes most of it to that added gym work.

From an emotional view, an injury can be a very good opportunity to sit down and get your priorities straight again. Triathletes are often times letting other areas of their life go, sometimes even when it comes to family. I know for me it has allowed me to focus more on being a better husband. Seek out what areas you have let go and do something to improve it. The more in order you have your life, the better you'll always be able to train and race.

You can re-evaluate why you got into the sport in the first place. There's a good chance you'll go back to training and racing and enjoy it that much more. You'll appreciate just being out there after weeks of being couped up inside. Often times, endurance athletes get burned out from their sport. Motivation has a lot to do with this and an injury can rejuvenate you to want to get back at it more than ever.

Overcoming adversity is a huge part of endurance sports. How often does an event go exactly as planned? It is rare if ever. Dealing with an injury forces you to have to deal with a lot of adversity. Next time you're faced with a big challenge in a race, you'll be able to feed off a previous injury because of how you learned to cope during it. Injuries force you to cope. There is nothing you can do to change it. Eventually you realize that the only way you can successfully approach the injury is to put it in the past and focus on the now and what you can do today to get healthy again. We'd all be better athletes if we focused on the now more.

Bottom line is: injuries stink. I wouldn't wish an injury on any athlete, and I hope I don't have to deal with many more. I will say that I think I'll end up a better triathlete because of the injury I am currently dealing with. I have learned from it as not only an athlete, but a person. I hope you keep some of these things in mind the next time you are injured.

Dave Smith

It's June and My Season Finally Kicks Off...

2010-06-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

With a 10K!! June 12th, the Bellin 10k. With over 18,000 starters, I was worried about getting a good start without having an elite number. I have run this race many times before and it has always been HOT. Today, a little humid, but overcast skies. The race started with a waves so everything went pretty smoothly. the first two miles are a steady incline and with 12:20 on my watch, I'm taking it out slower than previous years. I hit the 5k mark in 18:40. yikes. Unfornuately, I thought that this was too fast a pace and follow-up with a 6:20 mile. ugh.

I get my thoughts on speeding up if I want to acheive my goals. I become very aware of how young the woman (girls, actually) are around me. I try to stay with them, but that are really picking up speed in the closing mile. I can see the clock and I try to push to go under 38, but it isn't going to happen 38:02. Goal met, however. previous age group record 38:55. I guess I have a goal for 2011. Probably not a great idea to torture my legs too much anyway with a half ironman a week later.

Potato 70.3

2010-06-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

I should've made my appearance on here like 2 weeks ago but I have a really good excuse, I promise...so this is going to be partially a double race report but only a quick on on the first of the season since I titled this post Potato 70.3.

Anywho...unlike everyone else it seems, my season got off to a bit of a later start. This is my first year on the Zoot Ultra Team and I've been super excited to get my season going. We may not have really had a winter up here in the PNW, but now we're not really having a summer either. The lakes are still around 60, and even though I'm a Tennessee girl at heart, I think I've acclimatized quite well considering my size. I don't mind it all that much, it just means that the race season generally starts around May instead of March/April...which is also a good thing when you're going to CLEARWATER! (more on that later).

On May 30th I did the Shawnigan Lake Olympic Distance Triathlon up in Victoria, BC...kinda like my home away from home. My grandparents live there, I have lots of old training partners there, and my coach is there too, so it was lots of fun getting to see familiar faces and bike on some roads that I know quite well...the weather on the other hand...the water temp was around 56 degrees and the air temp was about the same as well. I'm okay with going numb on the bike. It almost seems normal now, but this one definitely ranked in one of my top 3 most miserably cold triathlon moments (just about even with Short Course Worlds in Vancouver 2008 for those who heard about how cold that one was...actually, maybe worse...because at that race I was actually able to get my helmet off). To sum it up so I can't get into my Boise report, the swim was COLD. Getting my feet in my shoes on the bike didn't work so well either, but luckily I went back and forth for 44k (slightly long because we were going around the lake) with a friend of mine which was a life saver. It kept my mind off how miserable I was. I never warmed up. Couldn't eat, shift, or grip onto my water bottle either. T2 was painful and after a few tries (with no luck) of getting my helmet unbuckled, I said to my friend Lindsay across from me, "whatever. I give up. I'm running with it." ha. yeah. I was gonna run 10k with an aero helmet on and had totally mentally embraced the thought of my finishing photos being the best out of everyone's because of it. There was, however, an official at the end of my transition row, and since I'm already familiar with TriBC, I knew they were allowed to unclick the clasp in such awful conditions. Clasp unclicked, I was able to get it off the rest of the way by myself and run without a helmet on. From there on out I eventually thawed out by 6k and finished off the day with a OA win. OH yeah, this was my first race as 25-29 too.

The reason I didn't post after that was because I was studying for the LSAT on June 7th. I figured that was a good reason. We don't have to discuss that though. It was fairly traumatizing. haha...but the better part of that week was going to Boise a few days later for one of my favorite races of the year.

So Boise...yeah. I was super super pumped. Despite many nights of fewer hours of sleep than I should've had while in training because I was busy taking a Kaplan class, working, training, and studying in what other free time I had, workouts were going really well. I know this is a race report, but one of my standard week before a big race workouts is 3x1mile fast. Before Clearwater last year I went 5:35, 5:40, and 5:45. It's only the second race of the season and I knocked out a 5:21, 5:20, and 5:33. Yeah, so I faded quite a bit on the last one and had a good heart to heart talk with the infield after #3, but that was the best I've ever done a full out set like that. I was just aiming for 5:30.

The drive was long. It's 7 hours to Boise from Seattle and my trusy race sherpa Adam was meeting me there via a one way flight and helping me drive home post race. I'm sure everyone has heard that it was WINDY. At least it was sunny. Last year was not pleasant with a torrential downpour, hail, thunder, and lightening. I'm going to cut to the good stuff because I tend to talk a lot in person as it is so this blog may turn out the same if I'm not careful. I swam and swam and swam and then I got on the bike. A side note about myself. This is my very first year on a TT bike. For the past three years I've been on a road bike with some clip on bars and on my very 3rd ride out on my pretty red ordu at end of april I had quite a gnarly crash. I broke my helmet on the pavement (and probably had a minor concussion because I had a few symptoms but I never got it checked out), shattered my watch, and had a sore hip up until about Shawnigan at the end of May along with going to the chiropractor 2-3 times a week since. Needless to say, getting in the bars when its windy out still scares me. I road race in the offseason and feel a whole lot more comfortable on my other bike. For the most part I was okay though but word is the winds were around 30mph and they NEVER let up. Maybe for like one stretch of 5 miles and boy was it weird. Super quiet all of the sudden. At the beginning I just kept telling myself it would let up as soon as we turned to go up the big hill but it didn't. AND it was hot. I gave up hoping the wind would die and just ate, took my salt, drank, and stayed upright. A huge plus. I told my coach later that I felt like I was riding stronger this year even though the time doesn't show it. Onto the run, it was fairly apparent that everyone was feeling quite zapped from battling the winds. I knew it was most likely going to be a tough run when in the last 6 miles of the bike I found myself spinning a few revolutions and then coasting for a second of recovery...over and over. Yeah. Tough day for sure. I tried to eat around mile 3 but wasn't having it. I think that's when I got jello legs for the first time but some guy in a white top that had a big blue X across the back ended up encouraging me for all 13 miles. I only remember him from the blue X though. For the first time ever I also hiked up my jersey so I could keep ice in it. That was my second hint at survival mode. Around mile 7 I saw Adam. I knew where he was standing cheering for me and I really needed a word of encouragement too but this was jello legs round 2. Apparently they all thought I was going to face plant into a little wall I was running by, but after putting my hand down to stop myself, I stood up and kept on trucking along because I really wanted my Clearwater spot. Seeing as I still hadn't eaten, the plan of attack was to make it from station to station, trot through and get what I needed and keep on going. I remember seeing mile 12, looking up, and seeing a girl in front of me...a girl I recognized that passed me on the bike with a 28 on her leg. Here I was, running on empty, and I knew I'd be pissed if I watched her finish RIGHT in front of me...so I did it. I gritted my teeth and I did it. First place 25-29, 4th age grouper, and 13th overall...AND my Clearwater spot. Such a relief. I like getting that over with sooner rather than later. So all in all it was a not so good day with a good ending, but I'm definitely okay with it for now.

Apparently triathlon really is a summer sport. My feet weren't numb the WHOLE race and 60 feels balmy when you've raced in 56. On a FUNNY note (and I totally forgot I did this until my best friend from home asked), but I listed my occupation as a plumber. C'mon. Clerical/Administrative sounds kinda boring and I'm definitely not a boring person outside of work so I chose the best that the pull down menu on registration had to offer. I've got a good 3 weeks to decide what I want to "be" for Clearwater. hahahaha.

UP NEXT...I'm SPECTATING at CDA and I'm super pumped. My trusty sherpa, Adam is doing his first Ironman so we're switching roles as racer/race support and chauffeur home. I know LOTs of people racing and I'm throwing my road bike on the trunk of his car so I will be everywhere on the run course...after I get my training done while everyone is out on the bike. As for my next real race though, its the Vancouver Half Iron on the 4th of July. Another one of my favorites!

2010-06-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Deuces Wild Half Ironman Race Report

Jamie and I drove up to Show Low early Friday morning so that she could do the XTERRA bike course pre-ride. We stayed at the same cabin in Bison Ridge we rented last year and of course brought the dogs. :) We arrived at the race site at noon and Jamie left for her ride while I went to Safeway to stock up on food, beer, and wine, not in that order of priority. ;)

I went back for packet pick-up and to collect my very dusty wife. Jamie was a little freaked out by the bike course. Being so new to MTB, there were parts she was too scared to ride and she fell a few times and had a big bruise on her knee. She wasn't sure she could do the race. We went back to the cabin and made an early dinner. I was in bed by 7:30....and never fell asleep! I have no idea why, but I maybe slept 90min the entire night! The same thing happened last year before this race, but not nearly this bad. I have no idea why, but when I got up at 4:30am, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I felt ok and just started going through my pre-race motions.

Jamie drove me down to Transition and the usual activities and meet and greets kept my mind away from dwelling that I hadn't slept. The air was warm and comfortable, a bad omen this early in the morning at 6200 feet of elevation. It was going to be 94 as a high, a good 20 degrees hotter than last year. The upside was the lake water temp was awesome. I put on my wet suit and did some easy swimming, curious if I would feel the altitude like I did last year here and at Mountain Man.

Swim- 28:53
I was really hoping for a good swim to start this day off right. I also figured it would show me how not sleeping was going to effect me. Well, the answer was not so much, I felt great. All the Half men started together, so the race was all around me in real time which I loved. I get sick of wave starts and trying to figure out where I am.

I swam hard to the first turn buoy and was well up front. I drafted behind one swimmer a bit but they seemed to slow and I went around. I felt no adverse effects from the altitude either. I knew of at least two great swimmers in the group would be off the front. Once I rounded the first marker for the long down lake leg, a guy I passed jumped on my feet and stayed with me the whole way. He only tapped my feet once and I was cool with him being back there. At the second buoy, I could see the lead swimmers heading back in and I didn't seem to far behind. I picked up the pace, sighted well, and hit the boat ramp with a new PR at the Half swim distance. Good start to the day.

I ran over to the wet suit strippers and then the run up into Transition. My drafting partner ran along side me and thanked me for the pull. He said that was his best leg and wished me well. Nice guy.

Bike- 2:20:23
I had a fast, efficient T1. I had my shoe's clipped in and ran up a slight incline to the mount line. I stood on my shoes and got away quickly. There was ample time to slip into the shoes as I left the park area around the lake and did so quickly and efficiently.

Once into my shoe's, I could see two Tri Scottsdale riders ahead. One was Jon Poisson, one of the great swimmers I had mentioned. He was still trying to get his shoe's on as I went past. Here I am less than 1 mile into the race and I was ahead of a guy who it would normally take many miles to catch up to. I passed by them and left the park and headed out to the main highway. As I went past Bison Ridge, Jamie was out there with the dogs. As I went past she yelled first place was right in front of me. That would be my friend Sam Perry, the best swimmer in the field (he swam a 26:02). I passed him with mile 3 and now I was leading the race! They had a car leading the field which stayed up the road from me with it's flashers on. So cool! I had never lead a race like this before.

I was feeling terrific, targeting and comfortably holding a HR around 152. I had a gel flask and a bottle of water on the bike and grabbed a Gatorade at the first aid station. I began to consider my race plan since I was up front, I could dictate the term of the race somewhat. I knew I had a few weaker cyclists immediately behind me, so any attack was going to come from further back int he field. Any strong bike/run guys would be at least 2-3min back right now and I decided to pull a Lieto. I was going to use the bike to put in as much time as possible to give me more cushion and options for the run. So I stayed down on the bars and went to work. I stayed on top of my nutrition and hydration and kept my effort consistent.

The last 20 miles or so of this course has some pretty long, gradual hills which I attacked aggressively. I would stand and wok hard and then allow for a brief recovery. As I passed by the mile 50 marker, I began to think about the run and pulling back a little on the pace when.....PSSSSSSSSSSTTTT!

My front tire just gave up the ghost. Oh, no. I kept riding and reached back for my can of FastAir which was tapped to my HydroTail. I pulled it off and made the right turn into town. The first thing I noticed was that I seemed to be moving pretty quickly still. The wheel would make a clunk sound every revolution but my pace was still good. Could I make it? Stopping and using the FastAir might work but would take at least 1-2min. If it didn't work, I was just back to riding on it or changing it out entirely, which would take much more time. So I decided to press on as best I could. I knew the course and there were a few turns and one hill left, but I was SO close. The lead car came by me and I told them about my flat. They said the only rider coming up on me was the leader of the Olympic race, who turned out to be my buddy Cam Hill! He went by as we entered the park and we exchanged well wishes. He laughed as he saw me riding on my flat. I took the last turn slow and headed towards the dismount line, very happy with my decision.

Run- 1:39:03
As I ran down into Transition, I could hear the announcer taking about me and my flat! The lead car had radioed it in. I put on my ZOOT TT 3.0's, grabbed my visor, race belt, and another GU flask and I was off. A lead MTB came out to guide me so I still had company. He said I had about a 5:00 lead after the first mile. I thought it would be enough. I was almost wrong.

The run begins along a trail which goes around the lake. It's in good shape and you can run pretty fast on it. I went through he first mile or two feeling pretty good. I ran up through the camping area and out to the dreaded out and back section. It's a rolling, rocky, dirt road that just seems to go on forever and you have to do it twice. There's no shade and it's slow and tough running. It would also give me my first look at who was behind me. Cam and his lead bike guy were coming back the other way and I gave him a high five, he went on to win. I hit the turn which is around mile 3 and headed back. I asked my lead bike guy to find out who was Olympic and who was Half for me and he rode ahead. No need though as soon I saw Brian Folts, who I knew was in the Half running with another guy i didn't know. So there they were, 2nd and 3rd about 4min or so back.

I kept running well and descended back around the lake and then up towards a second out and back only done on the first loop. I was getting my gels in and and water at the aid stations, but it was starting to get hot. I made the turn and headed back towards Transition where I would begin the 2nd loop. Brian and the other guy were still a few min. back and I was hoping they were so preoccupied fighting each other I might slip away. The run on the trail this time was much slower and I knew I was beginning to fade. When I did the camp ground loop, I saw Brian had been dropped by the other runner who was now within 2min of me and I was slowing. I struggled to hold it together as I headed out for the out and back again. Now he was within 1 min. I was going to get caught, I was sure of it. I couldn't lift the pace, there was still over 2 miles to go. If he caught me, I wouldn't be able to respond. There was a hill about 1/2 mile from the finish and I got to it still in the lead. I pushed hard going up and was wasted at the top. I asked the MTB guy where was the 2nd place runner and he said about 25 yards behind. I looked down the road towards where the finish was and decided I was not going to loose this race, not toady, not after all I had done. I started to run harder and harder. My HR skyrocketed and I got a little tunnel vision as I pushed. Less than 200 yards from the finish the MTB guy said he couldn't see him anymore. I had made it and crossed the line.

This was not a very good run for me based on pace, but the conditions were very tough and even the 2nd place guy had the fastest run split of 1:35 so everyone was slow on the course. Once across the line, I stopped , bent over with my hands on my knees, and tried to recover as I waited for 2nd to come in and congratulate him. I found Jamie and the dogs and kept drinking as much water as I could.

This is a great weekend of racing which features a Half, and Olympic, and Aqua Bike, XTERRA, and even a kids race. Jamie woke up Sunday morning with a stomach flu but despite that and her concerns witht he bike course, she started the race and had a great swim. She went on to complete 95% of the bike course before having to stop. She rode all of it except one section and was so happy. For me, it was a great race, especially since I was very unhappy with my perfromance last year. I wanted revenge and I got it. :)

Florida 70.3

2010-05-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

I had barely gotten back from Texas when before I knew it, it was time to race again. Off to Disney for Florida 70.3. My husband and I headed down to Orlando on Thursday, which is day earlier than I usually arrive, but my family was coming to watch and they had all arrived on Wednesday. I loved having the extra day though and it definitely made the lead up to race day much more relaxing. My family had rented a house near the race site and it was great to have a lot of room to spread out (and the pool in the backyard didn’t hurt either). Since we weren’t able to swim in the lake prior to race day and since I had the extra time, I decided to the National Training Center in Clermont and check out the facility. The pool was beautiful - a 50m outdoor pool. After my swim, I headed right over to bike check-in since my bike had not shifting very well on my ride earlier and I definitely wanted to get it fixed before race day. I left my bike with mechanics and headed over to the pro meeting. When I came back to get my bike the mechanics were still buried in work and told me it would be hours before they even got to my bike. I started to have a mini break-down since it was getting late and I still had lots to do. Thanks to my husband who took control of the situation and the rest of family for figuring out our dinner plans and coming to pick me up I managed to settle down a bit. Obviously I don’t handle stress before my race very well! My bike problem ended up being much worse than I had anticipated but fortunately the mechanics were able to get it in working order and I headed off to dinner starving. Our wave start went off at 6:23AM and it was practically still dark! After missing the pack at Texas and having to swim the whole 1.2miles by myself, I was determined to have a good swim here. I lined up on the beach, put myself right up front and sprinted into the water when the cannon sounded. I managed to find some feet and although it was quite a battle to stay on those feet I managed to stay with the group for the whole swim (which made it go my SO much faster!). I usually don’t get hot while swimming but it didn’t’ take long for me to begin overheating. I knew then it was going to be a long hot day. The run up to transition was long and I managed to get in and out of transition ahead of the girls I had been swimming with. My plan on the bike was to relax and settle in the first few miles and I think I managed to do a pretty good job despite a couple of other women and I trading positions throughout most of the bike. It’s hard to ride your own race when you are when there are other girls close by although it definitely made the ride go by quickly and I was super happy with another bike PR. The hardest part of the bike was just getting in enough fluids and calories. The heat and humidity were making for pretty steamy conditions. Off on the run I knew it was going to be a long 13miles. My legs were not feeling as peppy as I would have liked and the trail on the grass path through the middle of a field did not help me feel any better. At the end of the first lap I was told I was in 4th place. Yikes! I tried my hardest to keep my position but with the amount I was hurting and some speedy women behind me didn’t help. The result was me getting caught and I managed to only hang on for 8th. A little disappointing but I still finished with an overall PR and a step in the right direction. I spent the rest of the day soaking in the pool at our house and trying to replace all those fluids I lost. It was an awesome way to end a hard day. Thanks to Orbea for my super fast bike, for GU in getting me through this super hot and humid race day and to Jake for all the great cheering (and the above picture!)

Swimming

2010-05-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

In the winter of 2009 I began to dedicate myself to the sport of triathlon. My theory was that with my strong running background, ocean rescue/surfing history, and large aerobic/anaerobic systems that I would instantly have success across all three disciplines. My theory was not correct. It did not take me long to realize that swimming is tough! It is so technique driven, as opposed to muscle driven grit strength and endurance athletic talent. Of course, those things help but I was completely just slapping water. I began swimming by myself and followed my coach's programs. It took me a long time before I can swim a set longer than 1000yd. It was not until I began swimming with a Master's swim team that I saw how far behind real swim training I was.
For the past 16 months I have been working with two different groups - San Rafael Aquatics Team and North Bay Aquatics.
San Rafael Aquatics Team is a wonderful and kind group of early morning swimmers based out of Terra Linda's 33.33 yard pool (or as I call it - "Marin Long Course"). The swim is coached by Phil DiGirolamo from the water.

Phil practices what he preaches and is an amazing swimmer, especially when it comes to triathlon specific swimming. He has coached many top triathletes to improved swims and recently worked with Leanda Cave, former World Champion and Ironman World Championship contender. Not only does he know his stuff but he is an amazing person. Phil has helped with more than swimming and for that I am grateful. This very morning we went stroke for stroke in the middle lane on a set of 3x700. I am happy to say that I am minutes per interval faster than last year on this workout. Thanks Phil!

The other group that has helped me tremendously is North Bay Aquatics (northbayaquatics.org).

Coaches Ken DeMont and Don Schwartz have refined my "slapping water" technique that took me 24 strokes to get across 25 yards to a more smooth respectable 16 strokes from wall to wall. I am a different swimmer because of Ken and Don. If they only had evening swims I would be set!! (hint,hint)

So, I am less than a year and half into this amazing sport and I know that I am far from where I want to be. My swim/bike need a lot of work to compete with the top professionals in the sport. I can't always rely on running these guys down, that is not going to get me on the podium and it is not going to fulfill my goals. I've learned that this sport is an ongoing progression and improvements come with time, but with the help of my Coach Tony DeBoom and local access to some of the country's best swim coaches then I know I will get where I need to be sooner. Not to mention, the Zoot Zenith 2.o and Zoot Speedzoot have been helping the process along more than any other suit I have worn.

Look for me getting out of the water a lot quicker, than my former run-reliant self, this 2010 season.
Happy training!

JP
RunRamsey.Com

Chicago Spring Half Marathon

2010-05-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

For the last few years I have finished off my Out Season with a half marathon. I find it is a great way to measure my fitness before I begin race tri’s for the year and move into serious training. Last year I had a great race and set a PR at the Chicago Spring Half Marathon and therefore I decided to return this year.

I had a race plan in my head, but I really just kind of felt like racing and seeing what I could do. Like usual, I started a few people back and lead the lead pack go, but to my surprise no one really pushed the pace off the line. So after we made the first turn and started up the one and only hill, I slowly moved up to the front of the pack and was even with the leaders. I then saw Theresa and Abigail (wife and daughter) and decided it would be cool to have a picture of me leading a race (since I never have lead a race before). I speed up to get in front and Theresa was there to get a few great pictures.

All I thought about next was how soon until the pack goes by me and did I just blow my race to get a good picture. Last year I did this race and was in about 20th place most for the first half and then moved up to 3rd on the back half. I felt great though and it was pretty cool having an escort on a bike in front of me so I just settled in and figured I would go with it for a while and see what happens. I actually did pretty well holding myself back and staying within a few seconds of my goal pace.

Every time I passed a mile marker I wanted to look back but wouldn’t let myself and just kept running until I hit the turnaround. Second place was about 20 seconds back and looked really strong, so I had to get back to work. After seeing him, mile 7 was my fastest of the race.
Well, things usually get tough for me in a half marathon around mile 10, but this time it was 7 and I got worried. There was enough of a head wind on the last 6 miles that it messed with my mind, but I don’t think it actually slowed me down at all.

Up until mile 9 every one of my splits were within 3 seconds of my goal pace, then at mile 10 I was 10 seconds slow and hurting. I got really worried about being passed and sucked it up and started to push hard. This was the same point in the race that the half marathon course re-joined the 10k course. Having the 10k runners there was good and bad. It gave me the motivation to have people to catch and push myself harder, because of this mile 11 was back exactly on my pace.

However, I was getting really sick of weaving around the 10k runners and actually ran into a few that cut me off or were not paying attention. There was an awesome volunteer riding a bike about 25 feet or so in front of me yelling for people to move over, but with two way traffic on a bike path and most people wearing iPods, people still got in his way and in mine.

Anyway, now that my rant is over, mile 12 was 12 seconds slow because I was exhausted at this point and had literally ran around a ton of people. Since we were on a long straight away by the lake I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder for the first time in the race.

I saw that second place was not in sight and I was relieved and excited that I could actually win my first race. The problem was now that I knew I was likely going to win, I just couldn’t dig deep enough to push the last mile and finished with another mile that was 12 seconds off pace.
Lesson learned: don’t look back if you are going for a PR and it is much easier for me to be trying to catch someone than running in front.

My goal was to run 1:14:59 this year and I went 1:15:25. I’m thrilled that I got to lead and win my first race but I’m disappointed that I missed my goal by 2 seconds per mile.

Thank You

I can't even begin to say how much more I enjoy racing when Theresa and Abigail are there. They help me so much and mean the world to me … plus it looks like Abigail brought some good luck and Theresa is becoming a great photographer.

Jake and everyone at Zoot are awesome and keep sending great products so I have whatever I need to race. I ran in the Race 2.0's this time and they were awesome, light and fast but with enough support that I didn't have any foot problems at all. Plus I went sockless with no issues what so ever and haven't worn socks in weeks.

Thanks to GU Energy I have enough nutrition to last me all season. For this race one Roctane Gel right before the start was all I needed.

Of course my training partners at Endurance Nation, Marathon Nation and Fast Tracks Racing Team always motivate me to do my best and I continue to improve because of all of them.

Thanks for reading.

- Matt Ancona

2010-05-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Tempe International Triathlon Race Report

Slept OK, woke a few times during the night but was able to fall back asleep. Got up around 4:15am for coffee and a Cliff Bar. Packed up and left around 5:00am as Jamie was going to come down a bit closer to the start. I had some anxiety about this race in the weeks leading into it, it had a VERY competitive field at the front and I wanted to do well coming off my win at Las Palomas. Local pro Lewis Elliot was racing and would likely win. Then there were some very fast local AG'ers including Cam Hill, a short course 43 year old who was 5th to my 14th in the Nation in our AG in USAT rankings, a young 9:08 IMAZ'er named Kevin Taddino, and Brian Stover was up from Tuscon who was 3rd last year. It was a staked field and I felt if I could be in the top 5, it would be a good day and an improvement over my 8th place last year. Despite this, as I drove down to Tempe, I was very relaxed. I felt my condition was at a very high level and I was well prepared.

I found Cam relaxing near the swim start and I sat down with him to chat and catch-up. We were joking about the swim course as it has always been way too long and Cam is the best swimmer in the valley. I asked him if he slipped the RD a C-Note to make sure it was extra. :) He and i figured 1-2 would be a battle between Lewis and Kevin aned then he and I and a few others would be battling for the last podium spot. He's a great guy and it's so funny that 2 of the top M40-44 AG'ers in the Nation live within a few miles of eacthother. I'm just glad he doesn't race long course. :) We saw our wave was stagging and we enetered the water together. That was the last I saw of him. :)

Swim- 1500M, 23:28
It only took about 2:00 from when i enetered the water for the horn to sound. My good friend Matt was over on my left and I knew to keep and eye out for him as we usuaully exit the water close together, although today I never did see him again either. I swam a good, hard pace until I was undeer the mill Ave. bridge, about 150 meters or so, and then settles into a pace. The sun was in our eyes but high in the sky, but sighting was still tough due to glare. I choose an inside line as the turn buoy had looked close to the shore wall. I wwas all alone and was wondering if I had made a mistake as I could see a group to my left where I figure Matt was. It turns out I was a bit too far right but they were a bit too far left and we all converged on the turn marker together. Then I caught the back of the wave in front and navigating through them became the priority. I felt really good and started to pick up the pace as I neared the bridge again. I made the last turn and headed towards the stairs, moving to the far left to avoid the crowd trying to get out at the same spot. I hit the stairs and stood up and looked at my watch. Last year the swim was long by a lot and I had exited in 27:5x, this time I was very happy to see a more reasonable 22:4x. At least Cam wasn't too far ahead this time.

T1- :50
OK, I have to wown up to a little faux pas here. On Staurday after my ride, I did a few practice runs of getting into my shoes clipped in as I hadn't done it since last year. I was nice and smooth, no problems whatsover. Well, I hit the mount line, put my feet on top of the shoes and got out of the parking lot. Once on Rio Salado, I put my right foot in with no problem, kept pedeling, and then did the left. My foot slid in no problem, but when I reached down to tighten the strap, the strap came out of the little metal loop and I couldn't get it back through. I very quickly made the dcision to just leave it as opposed to stopping to fix it. I seemed to be able to pedal fine, in fact the more I pedaled in nice circles, the better, so I decided this would be a left leg drill for the race. So i did the race with my left shoe completely unstrapped.:)

Bike- 25 miles, 1:00:13
Once I had dealt with my shoe issue, I settled down and got to work. I was able to see Lewis and some other guys fromt he wave's ahead coming back from the far end of the course as I was headed out. I didn't see Cam but that just meant he was less than 4 min ahead. I felt very good, pushing a fast pace, using the turns for a brief recovery. The course wasn't nearly as crowded as last year, the wave starts and an early Sprint start really helped with the congestion. Riders were curteous and stayed right, so I was able to quickly move up throught the field, passing the majority of the M30-39, I love that. :) They always look a little pissed as I give them a gentle "on your left" and fly by. I had one bottle on the bike filled with water and 3 GU Roctane's mixed in for nutrition/hydration. It was getting warm, but not to bad.

By the second loop, it appeared I had put some time into Lewis when we passed again so I actually eased off just a touch. I wanted to have a good run and brought my HR down from 157 to 155. I still jumped up and hammered the hills, and coming out of the turns, though. I'm always amazed how few people in an Olympic attack hills and slow turns. I stood up on every climb up Curry the whole way. I amde sure to finsih off the water bottle before the end and I had no trouble getting out of my left shoe prior to the dismount, needless to say. :)

T2- :42
I made one obvious change to my T2 routine which i can't believe I haven't done before! Rack bike, helmet off, shoe's on, grab visor and race belt and GO! I used to stand still while putting on my visor and race belt! Duh, that was dumb. Amazing how little, obvious things can get missed even after 5 years of doint the sport. So this was nice and speedy.

Run- 6.2 miles, 37:08
Hit the south side of the lake and allowed my legs to fall into their race pace turnover. I feel so light in the ZOOT TT's, I love them, they make me feel fast. I Felt very good and steady and on the first lap and was feeling great. I was ingonring my HR but when I did look at it, it was suprising low relative to where it is when I train 10K stuff. I have come to the realization that I often train harder than I race sometimes. Need to work on that.

Anyway, I was motoring along when I notuiced a guy who was closing fast. He caught me on the south side of the lake at the start of the second lap. He went by and I glanced down at his calf. 41. Yikes, I hope he's in the relay, I thought! He was just running at another gear than I had, so I didn't respond and he slowly opened up a gap. Still feeling good about how I was running, I came around across the bridge and down to the finishing line. As soon as I crossed, I found the guy who passed me. Turn out he was in the AG race and I asked him who he was. "Troy Jacobson", he said. I said,"like THE Troy Jacobson?" LOL! Although I have never used Spinervals I always enjoy his articles in Triahlete Magazine. Super nice guy and although I swam faster and we were almost even on the bike, he ran a sub 36. The good news for me was that he finsihed 3rd in the OA and Cam crushed the course and was second OA, so I got the consolation "1st in AG although two guys from the AG kicked your ass" award. :) What KILLS me is that Kevin Taddonio, a 9:08 IMAZ'er, who I was sure would be battling Lewis for the win, was 4th and only beat my by :02!! DAMN!!!! I would have loved to beat him. Those :02 are going to bug me for sure. :)

Final Time- 2:02:24, 5th Overall out of 532, 1st in M40-44 out of 77

At the end of the day, despite missing out on 4th by :02, I believe this was a PR in the swim. I hit the stairs around 22:4x. I improved my bike time by :15 from last year but wasn't nearly as tired getting off into T2 and the run was better by 1:43. And yet, my coach and I can't help thinking I'm not racing hard enough. I feel like I train harder than I race sometimes. It wasn't a question of being too tired to push. I simply let my legs go to a point where I feel like I am running really strong and fast, but it does seem easier than when I am training and it clearly is a bit slower. In regards to being competitive, it's tough when I am racing alone. I'm flying by everyone and have no chance to run the race along with my competition due to my late wave starts. I am going to start trying to be in the elite wave whenever offered so I can for once actually feel like I am in a race against people as opposed to the clock and myself. I should have tried to go with Troy Jacobson when he went by, but he was really flying and at that point, I wasn't sure if he was relay or AG, but regardless, I should have responded. I have a very long course mentality when it comes to racing, it's all about "management" as opposed to "racing". That makes sense to me and I want to work on that.

Bryan.

Rev3 Knoxville

2010-05-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

This was my first triathlon of the season and I was pleased to finish as 4th amateur. Rev3 put on a great race in a great location with fast competition-- what more could we ask for?*

* If you think like I do, I have already emailed the race director suggesting a post-race BBQ at the finish line.

Mark Harms
Madison, WI

"Peaks & Valleys" + Race Reports

2010-05-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

"Life is filled with peaks and valleys." I have never met someone who
does not experience both. In my life this phrase proves true in
triathlon, family, work, sense of value, and every other way that I
exist in this crazy world. In my opinion, the challenge is to climb up
from the valley as strong as you can. Life is going to dish it out my
friends, it is up to us to rise to the occasion EVERY time and rise to
our peaks.
My personal family life experienced of very low valley this past month.
Without going into much detail, my wife, Ramsey and I have taken my 11
year old Brother into our home. Evan Peterson has been through more
than ANY child should ever bear. So, two weeks ago Evan hopped a flight
from New Jersey and is with us in the warm California sun.
Our family of three has become a family of four in an instant. My
schedule has had a makeover, I now wake up most mornings at 4am to
train in order to assist with getting an 11 year old out of bed and
into the classroom. I also come straight home from work to greet him at
dismissal. This provides Clara, a Saint, to be able to do her training
in the afternoon. After homework is completed, Evan joins some of his
MANY new friends for fun and games as I head off for my evening swim.
This is just one small adjustment that has had to be made. We are
constantly seeking advice on raising young adolescent! We have just
started to get our bearings on Ramsey (1yr old). So, a lot of our
adjustments, schedule shifts, emotional wear and tear can be viewed as
valleys that we have fallen into. That outlook will get us nowhere!
When we believe that things are tough, they will be! Workouts will be
missed, feelings could be hurt, and this beautiful gift of another
healthy boy would not be recognized. Now we are on a peak. Evan is
AMAZING with Ramsey. He is going to be an excellent role model, FREE
babysitter, and an outstanding human being. His resilience and demeanor
have provided me with a new prospective on life. If life gets tough, I
think about my young brother. That is what gets me out of my valleys. That and a coffee machine that is working overtime!
Also, the tremendous outpouring of goodwill from friends, co-workers,
distant relatives, and beyond has opened my eyes to the real heart that
exists in this world. Thank you all.

(My family of 4)

My life changes have shifted my schedule slightly. My race plans are
being reconfigured now but it looks as if I will race the San Jose
International Triathlon in June, as well as 70.3 Buffalo Springs. After
that, Vineman 70.3. The goal is to continue improving on the swim and
bike in order to really compete with the big boys in the pro field
saking it up.

Race Reports
First pro races:

Vineman Showdown at Sundown (Sprint Tri)
1st Place Overall
I won this race by a good margin that I built with a 16:20 5k run split.
It was fun doing a local race right down the road. My family and
friends came out to support and a good time was had by all as I won the
Extra Large bottle of Wine. This was a great way to get a hard effort
in and have some fun. The local crowd was large and fired up. There
were many high five to be had on the way back in on the run.
Thanks to the Vineman crew for one of the many great events they put
on. Also, thanks to Zoot for the ongoing support. I am always impressed
and so were the many in attendance, especially with the compressRx!

(Warming up with Ramsey)

("Podium" with son and son-sized bottle of wine)

Escape from Alcatraz, May 2
18th Overall
Racing with the big boys....

The night before the race I attended the pro athlete meeting in
preparation for the race. I was looking very "pro" in all my new Zoot
gear, including the coolest pair of shoes ever in a new Zoot prototype
- coming fall of 2010. I usually like to keep to myself at these things
but I could not resist taking a picture with Chris "Macca" McCormack.
Chris was one of the first triathletes that I had ever heard of when I
was young and had mild interest in this sport, which I thought only
took place in Hawaii. So, flash forward 8 years later and I am shoulder
to shoulder with him about to race as a pro! Very cool and very
humbling.

(Macca and me)

After sleeping in my own bed, a big perk about this race, I was off to
the race. I prepped for the race, had a jog in my Zoot knickers, and
was off to the ferry. This is where the nerves usually set in and the
only thing I was nervous about was the unfamiliar. I have never
participated in this race, nor had I raced with such world-class
competition in a triathlon. I
I found some familiar faces on the boat. I ran into my brother in-law,
my close friend Erik's Dad, a neighbor! This gave me a lot of comfort.
I was ready to go and had an easy race strategy, to stay in contact on
the swim/bike and run FAST!

(Pro Start, second from the right. Note the cooler wetsuits on the right...Zoot Zenith is amazing)

The race was off with a dive start into the chilly SF Bay. As my plan
went, I followed some fast feet and hung on for a while. Unfortunately,
I selected some feet that swam point to point (Smart swimmers swim an
"L" to get the advantage of the current). This forced me to swim longer
than most athletes and I actually had to swim back against the current
upon the exit. Big bummer! When I came out of the water and saw how
many athletes had swam faster, just off better navigation, it was a
real gut check. Do I throw in the towel now that top 10 aspirations
are out the window? OR, race hard and give this race and all
competitors my utmost respect? Of course, I chose to race hard and had
one of the fastest T1 transitions.
Bike: Not too pleased with the outcome but I think under the
circumstances and training time lost with life changes, I rode as hard
as I could that day.
As I transitioned to the run I did not know where I was going to
finish. My goal was top ten but that wasn't happening even if I
summoned some of the old miler's speed. At this point I just wanted to
run hard and catch as many athletes as possible. I did just that. Great
run that left me feeling excited about a summer full of racing.

(Running up the Sand Ladder mid-run)

Alcatraz left me wanting more. Wildflower long course was the same
weekend and it probably suited my strenghts more, but this was a fun
event. It was great to have my family and friends there to support me,
especially my brother who has become a source of strength for me. I want
to do well for him, Clara and Ramsey. Next up is San Jose International.
Thank you to all of my sponsors:
Zoot - Provides me with the gear to look and feel like a pro. Very grateful for their tremendous support.
GU - Gives me the fuel to train, race, and live.
DeBoom Sports Mecca and Endurance Conspiracy - Coach Tony keeps my head
on straight, and that is no easy task. Thanks Tony! Check out the
conspiracy at www.enduranceconspiracy.com - My favorite shirt is
"Lurking Monster".
Orbea/Zipp = No faster way to get from T1 to T2
Echelon Multipsort - If you are coming into town for Vineman 70.3,
check these guys out. It's rare to find a shop that can do as much as
they can - Cycling and Triathlon under one roof. It rocks and Kevin
(the owner) carries tons of Zoot!
Quarq - Looking forward to the support of Quarq and their power system.
Hopefully it will help me get to the run more quickly than I have.
Suunto - Stylin' on the course and at work with their wrist wear.
Alcis - Keeps my "ow"ies from becoming injuries.

And, again Thank You to my friends and family for your support at this time. I could never do what I do without you.
Keep climbing to your peaks!!!
Check me out on RunRamsey.Com and Wholeathlete.com

JP

Barkin' Dog Duathlon - Race Report

2010-05-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

As a first-time poster, I'll start with a brief introduction. My name is Evan Macfarlane and this is my first year on the Zoot Ultra Team. I'm originally from Michigan, but recently moved to Denver. I love living near the Rockies and head out to the mountains to ride whenever possible. I started triathlon in 2005 without any swimming, biking or running experience. My focus for the season is on Ironman Louisville, though I'll do a handful of shorter races leading up to IMLou. Anyhow, here I am, looking like a giant dork according to my fiance, Stacey:

This past Saturday Stacey and I raced the Barkin' Dog Duathlon at Cherry Creek State Park just outside of Denver. (Don't ask me where that name came from -- I did not see or hear a single barking dog.) The race was my first duathlon and the shortest multisport event I've ever done, excluding the prologue at the American Triple T. The race venue is near our apartment, and I do a lot of training rides at the park. Stacey and I were able to ride over to the start of the race, which provided a nice warm-up.

Stacey's race highlight occurred before the race even started. She was following me as we entered the park and rolled into the race area. We needed to pick up our race packets, so I was riding straight toward the registration tent. About 50 feet away from the tent, I unclipped my right foot and swung my leg over my saddle, then glided toward the tent with just my left foot clipped in. Yes, I am extremely smooth. As I approached the tent through a moderate sized crowd, I swiveled my left foot to try to separate myself from my bike. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had recently installed new cleats on my shoes, and my attempt to clip out failed. I bit it, though luckily into a patch of grass next to the road.

I stood up and very loudly told Stacey and anyone else that may have witnessed my fall, "Oops, forgot about those new cleats." Stacey particularly appreciated my fall for two reasons: (1) I was decked out head-to-toe in Zoot stuff, with my team jersey and what not, looking very PRO and (2) when I stood up I had grass all over my butt that I was not aware of as I continued toward the registration tent.

Not a good start to the day, but not quite this bad (skip ahead to 1m05s if you want):

Anyhow, my nice ride all decked out for the race:

I am glad to be riding the carbon Ordu instead of my old aluminum frame, as the course at Cherry Creek is VERY rough. There are a lot of bumps that can throw a rider out of his aerobars if not careful.

The race format is a 5k run, 34k ride, and another 5k run. This short stuff doesn't suit me too well, as I don't go much faster for 5k run than a half marathon. Still it's a solid workout and a good opportunity to get out of my comfort zone.

I registered for the elite wave -- my first time ever -- and knew there'd be some guys I wouldn't be able to run with. I thought perhaps I would try to stay with them for the first 5k, but I wasn't up to it. A few of the faster guys pulled away pretty quickly, and by the two mile marker my primary concern was avoiding puking. I never got going too well, and ran the first 5k in 17:27. My average HR was 162 bpm for the first 5k, while I would have expected to average well into the 170s.

In a typical triathlon, I start to move up on the bike because I'm a poor swimmer relative to my biking ability. However, since this race started with a run, I was toward the front from the get-go. The bike was very uneventful: I only passed one guy and I was only passed once, though by a guy on his first loop while I was on my second. I didn't look at my wattage much, and I somehow ended up not recording it. Still, my average HR was 161 bpm. That's a solid effort for me, but I expected 5 bpm higher or so. I completed the bike portion in just over 53 minutes with an average speed of 23.2 mph. Not great since I road the course earlier in the week at HIM intensity and averaged 25 mph.

By the final 5k I was in cruise mode. Not that I went extremely easy, but I was around 10th place and wasn't going to move up. As I approached the first mile marker, I saw that the top two guys were a bit over a mile ahead of me. Ouch. I continued pushing a bit and finished the second 5k in 18:30 or so. My average HR for this last leg was 166 bpm.

Even though I wasn't able to push myself quite as hard as I would have anticipated (juding by my HR anyhow), I was still pretty beat after the race. I ended up 9th out of 13 elites, and I was beat by a few non-elites as well.

The race made for a fun yet tough workout. I've got another duathlon coming up in a few weeks, and I've got to change my breakfast so that I don't spend the first 5k worrying about throwing up. Maybe these short races will help my high-end speed a bit. As a long course guy, I'm not too concerned with high end speed, but perhaps the gains would translate to lower effort levels, too.

Lonestar 70.3

2010-05-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

Nothing like starting off my season with the US National Championships thanks to Lonestar 70.3 getting the honor after I had already decided to do it. Oh well, I was up for the challenge :) I headed down to Galveston, TX Friday evening with my parents. Unfortunately my husband had to stay home this trip (this is one of the only races he has actually missed) and it was definitely strange not having him there. However, my parents are experienced race supporters so I knew I would be in good hands. The flight down to Galveston was short and sweet. After traveling to and from Australia in March, this 3hour trip was a piece of cake. We arrived in Galveston late Friday night and were looking forward to checking in and going to bed. Unfortunately our hotel had overbooked the rooms and apparently given ours away. Nice! Luckily they were able to get us a room in the hotel next door (although it wasn’t quite as nice as the hotel we had booked) and since it was way too late to argue we took the room and hoped for the best. It turned out to not be too bad. The next morning I was up bright and early since pre-race day is always super busy. I ate breakfast and headed out for a run. I couldn’t believe how windy it was and the ocean was a mess. Fortunately the storm was expected to pass through and it was supposed to clear up by race day. I headed over to the expo to say hi to Jake, go to the pro meeting (a non-wetsuit swim, bummer), and then off to dinner with Jake, Sam and Cliff and Tim. We ate at this great little restaurant in the historic district of Galveston. All the food looked so good and I would have loved to try some of their more creative entrees but I had to settle for a bit safer pre-race dinner (which was still good). I was surprised with how well I slept that night since I was pretty wound up for this race. I had an interesting mix of nerves and excitement and found myself fluctuating between “Yippee!” and “OMG!” every few seconds for the past week. Anyway, I was glad when the gun finally went off and I could start racing. The nerves always go away instantly. The bad news is that the first part of the race did not go as planned. I was totally expecting to have a good swim here after all the swim training I had done in Australia and with my pool times improving. I’m not exactly sure what happened but I missed the pack right from the beginning and just never really found my groove. The water was a lot rougher than I expected and I just couldn’t get going. I headed into T1, gave my dad a dirty look because I KNEW how bad my swim was and headed off onto the bike. Things did not look to be going any better on the bike as I saw my mph were way slower than I had expected. I gave up on looking at my speedometer and just focused on my effort and sticking to my nutrition plan. I am notoriously bad at following a nutrition plan but I had strict instructions from Coach Dan (basically every detail starting planned with breakfast) and I knew he would kill me if I did not follow it. The bike course is an out and back and flat as a pancake. You go straight out for 23miles and then turn around and come straight back for 23miles. Not very exciting but it actually seemed to go by pretty quickly. I was surprised to see at the turnaround that the other pro women were not as far ahead of me as I had expected. I was also thrilled to find out that we had been riding into a pretty strong headwind and I was flying on the way back. My bike split ended up being a new PR for me (thanks in part to my speedy Orbea!) and I headed onto the run feeling good with my fingers crossed it would stay that way. I had pushed the second half of the bike pretty hard and was hoping it wouldn’t hurt me too much on the run. The run is 4 loops around the park with lots of twists and turns. It was a fun course and I was amazed at the number of spectators and support on the run course. I had a few bad spots on the run although my new best friend, the salt tabs, did save my life once or twice. The last lap of the run hurt pretty bad but at least I was able to keep moving. I crossed the finish line, got a big hug from Jake, grabbed a few bottles of water (it was getting hotter by the minute!), found my parents and headed right to the massage tent. Other than my horrible swim, my race ended up being one of my best halfs to date so I couldn’t be too disappointed. My parents and I headed off for some Mexican food and a quick tour of Galveston Island before headed back to Philly.

2010-05-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

Las Palomas Triathlon Race Report

Jamie and I drove down to Rocky Point on Friday morning, having stopped at Sky Harbor to pick up Jamie's friend from college Jen who was going to join us and run her first 5K race. And of course, the dogs came with us as well for some fun on the beach and in the Sea of Cortez! We crossed the border quickly and arrived at the Las Palomas resort around 1:00pm. We had a beautiful two bedroom 4th floor condo overlooking the pool area and ocean on one side and the Transition area on the back. We were literally 4 stories above tranisiton! Set up was going to be so easy and relaxing. We picked up our packets and had an early dinner at the resort. I enjoyed a few beers and a maragrita and was ready for bed. I slept well.

Race morning dawned and we got up around 6:00. I made coffe and relaxed until about 6:45 when I started to bring our bikes down in the elevator to claim some rack space. It was empty so I put us up at the very front, only about 20 feet from the mount line. As such, i decided to not leave my shoes clipped in and would just run in them instead as it was so short.

Now I had checked the athlete list looking for the two guys who beat me last year and didn't see them so I was optomistic I might be able to win the race. The names I did recognize I knew I could handle, but of course it's the guy's you don't know about who can suprise you. One name in particular I was looking for was Patrick Bless, a 37 year old pro from Germany now living in Tuscon. He won last year and is usually first at other Olympic races locally when he enters. I mean, they guy went 9:14 in Koan the year I went 9:40.

We put on our wet suits up in the room and then went down to the beach about 20min before the start. The weather was great but the wind coming off the ocean was causing a lot of wave action. I swam around to warmp up a bit. There were two waves for the men, under 40 and over 40 seperated by 4:00. They sent the under 40 wave off at 9:00 and I watched as the surf blew them all to bits and pushed them all over the course. I knew what to expect now and made a decsion on the line I would take to the first marker. I stood at the front of my wave and at 9:04, we were off.

Swim- 1000 Meters, 18:23
I immediatley went hard to get away from everyone. I stayed well to the left as the waves and current were pushing everyone to the right and too far off course. i could see one other guy with me taking this line. The waves were crashing right into our faces and I had to stop a few times to empty out my googles! It was rough getting out there. I felt comfortable and rounded the first marker pretty much alone. Once on the down beach leg, the waves were coming from my right. I allowed the current to keep me well left of any othwer swimmers as I was now getting into the back of the first wave. You couldn't see the buoys due to the waves so I just swam and wuld occasionally glimpse a marker or the Sprint buoys so i was at least heading in the right direction. My thoughts at this time were not of my race but of Jamie who was about to start the Olympic race. I knew this would be the roughest water she will have ever had to contend with and I was hoping she wouldn't panic and make it. I put the odds at 50/50 she would pull out. One of the best parts of this day was when I saw her on the bike, I was so proud of her!

I finally found the turn buoy and headed back to the beach. You would body surf some waves and go flying forward and then the undertow would grab you and push you back out. It was wild! As soon as my hand touched sand, i jumped up and ran out of the water. My watch said 16:XX wich for 1000M made sense and I began the long run to Transition through some deep sand. I mean, it was a LONG way, like over 1:30 over running until the timing mat. It was so far they even had an aid staion along the way! Seriously.

Bike- 24.6 miles, 58:13
Once I got out onto the course, i settled into a nice grove. I had targeted a HR of about 162 but I sort of sat around 157. Due to the three loops with three out and backs, I had a chance to see who was ahead of me fromt he first wave....and there was Patrick. Oh, no. He went by and I was sure I was racing for second place. I was feeling very steady and consistant and each lap I manged to put a little time in on him. The same thing happened last year but there was another athlete between us who finished second. The course becoame VERY crowded by the second loop and I had to shout out "stay right" and "On your left" a lot, especially in parts where the pavement was bad and everyone was trying to ride on the few smooth parts. I drank a full water bottle with 3 gels mixed in for my nutrition/hydration combo. I was very please with this bike and was 2:36 faster this year than last year.

Run- 6.2 miles, 37:00
I headed out onto the course and settled into another nice grove. I was looking for a HR of around 168 for the first few miles and then building from there but I hit 162 and again just sort of sat there. The rolling nature of the course saw my HR move around a lot, but even on the flats, it was a bit low, eventually climbing into the mid 160's. There was one guy ahead of me, about 100 yards, that I could see. he was from Wave 1 and I was within 20 seconds of him. I ran him down by mile 2. He hung with me for about 1/4 mile and then dropped back. I was starting to catch the back of the 10K run race participants around the half way mark. I felt great, very comfortable, whic meant I wasn't really going hard enough, but I was enjoying myself. At mile 4 I saw patrick going the other way and shot him a wave. By the time I got to the same point on the course, it "seemed" to me it took longer than 4:00 which meant he would have still been in first. I ran back up the one really steep hill and down a fairway towards the beach. The finsih was after about a 100 yard beach run. I had my first beer in hand within 5 min. :)

Post Race
I found Patrick by the water and went over to shake his hand. I told him that I hadn't seen his name on the start list and was bummed when i saw him out on the bike. I assumed he had been weel clear of me and told him I was second and he won.We had a nice chat and caught up with our racing and plans for the season. I hung out with our friends until Jamie finsihed 4th in her AG, 15th OA. I was so porud of her hanging tough after a swim that really was hard for her.

With my second beer in hand, we went to get the dogs to let them play on the beach. While up in the room, after a nice shower, another beer, and putting on our pool party clothes, I heard the RD kimo Seymour announce my name asking me to come see him. That's odd. I told Jamie and Jen I would meet them on the beach after going to see Kimo. I found him by the recently posted results with Patrick and the guy I passed on the run course. I asked Kimo what was up. He said, "What wave did you start in?" I said, "Second, I'm 41, why?" Kimo looked at Patrick and back at me and said,"Well, you won." I looked at him and then at Patrick and said,"No, Patrick did." And then he showed my the results and I saw the splits. i had put 1:14 into him on the bike and run and won the race! I was kind of in shock, so was Patrick. He saw me on the course but had assumed I was in his wave. I went down to find Jamie and told her I had won! And I had another beer. :)

-Bryan

2010-04-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

I’m new to the Zoot Ultra Team this year but everyone has been awesome to work with so far. Jake made sure that I had everything I needed well before the race so I could try everything out. Dave and Aaron helped me figure out which shoes I should be running in and the TT 3.0 worked great for this race with just a little bit of extra cushioning to help with all the downhill running. Not to mention it has been great getting to know a few of the team members at camp.

Injury, Training, and the Plan

With about 8 weeks of actual training after 6 weeks of zero running I really didn’t know how the race was going to go but after 3 long runs and a half marathon I felt strong and confident. I continued to do all of my normal bike and swim workouts leading up to the Saturday prior to the race. As usual I decided to follow Coach Patrick McCrann’s pacing guidelines that he shares at Endurance Nation and now Marathon Nation as well to make sure I did not go out too fast. This time it was particularly important because I was concerned with the limited training I did, plus I had to remember this was just meant to be a fun race as my big race is later in the year.
My race plan was simply to run the first 6 miles very easy, settle into a decent pace for the next 12, and then run last 8 as hard as I possibly could to see what I could do.

The Race

Mile 1-6: Starting back a few corals worked well as it forced me to stay at an easier pace for me for the first 6 miles. Of course I noticed right away that the course was definitely straight downhill but I was shocked at how narrow the road was. Again this was not big deal as I wanted to start out slow and I had no choice as there were 4,000 people in front of me.

Mile 7 to 16: Here I just slowly picked up my pace as planned. The course was still mostly downhill and I felt awesome so I did end up running a little quicker than I should have, but I couldn’t help it.

Mile 17 the road started to go up, but I stayed steady (although I was now working to run not trying to hold back) as my plan was to start running hard at 18. I started to really pace people at this point as everyone else seemed to slow down pretty quickly.

Mile 18 came and I tried to run fast, but I didn’t have any kick. I guess the downhill running affected me more than I thought it would. I did a few fast pickups and recoveries to try and get things going but I really didn’t have much. I did try to run as hard as I could at the time and all I had was a 6:15ish pace. About a mile and a half later all I could think of is man I am so screwed when heartbreak hill comes and if I can’t hold this pace now what’s going to happen when I hit the real hills. Well, next thing I knew I was running downhill, my legs were burning and a guy on a megaphone was congratulating us for going over heartbreak hill. Two thoughts instantly came to mind 1) Awesome, it’s all downhill from here 2) oh shoot, I just crushed myself and ran hard all the way up the toughest hill of the course and didn’t have anything left.

Miles 22 to 26.2 - My legs were DONE and I now had zero kick left. Interestingly the rest of my body felt just fine. My breathing and heart rate were under control and I was well fueled thanks to the two GU Roctane gels. My quads pretty much felt like they were on fire and my legs just did not want to move. Either way I just kept pushing as hard as I could I knew the sooner I made it to the finish the sooner I could stop running.

Thanks to the downhill I was able somewhat hold on for the last 4.2 miles and still managed to negative split the race overall. (1:25:28/1:24:11)

I ended up finishing in 2:49:39 which I’ve very pleased with everything considered. I knew I could go around 3:00 but I was hoping to break 2:50 and I did. It was only good enough to get me 504th place overall. I’m really glad there were that many faster runners there as I always had other people close by to work with and try to pass which I prefer over local races where I can’t even see anyone else at times.

Post Race
After most marathons my legs actually feel ok but the rest of my body is done. This time was different, my body felt fine but my quads were still on fire and getting stiff quick thanks to all the downhill running that I’m not used to. After a quick shower, some ALCiS on my quads and putting on my Zoot Recovery Compression Tights my legs felt much better. So the next mission was to get some food.

Up next
I am planning one more open half marathon this year to and then I switch to full triathlon training and racing. Thanks for reading and good luck to all the Zoot Ultra Team members racing soon. If you would like to read the long detailed version of my race report visit http://ironmancona.blogspot.com.

- Matt

Time to get my tri season started!

2010-04-22T14:19:00.001-07:00

Las Palomas Triathlon, Rocky Point, Mexico. It's on like Donkey Kong this Saturday! Have a great weekend ZOOTERS!!!

-Bryan

2010-04-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Ironman California 70.3, 2010

The start of triathlon season is finally here! I traveled down to Oceanside, California to race Ironman California 70.3. This is my second season in the sport and Oceanside was my first attempt at the 70.3 distance. Less than two years ago my race was 4 minutes, now it is about 4 hours.
This race is usually the beginning of the season for many triathletes. It is rich in tradition and VERY deep in talent. There were several world champions, veteran professionals, savvy amateurs, and countless individuals that have been busting their tail in preparation for this race. I raced among all of them and I am very happy to have competed in this great event.

Thursday, March 25th
[Travel Day]
Two days out from the race I did a lot of the things the top pros were probably doing. I tuned my bike, packed up, took the day very easy, and got on a plane to San Diego. I also went to work teaching and coaching. I don’t think most of the pros can say they coached the 6th grade girl’s basketball team to a victory before they departed for the race, Go Cougars!
I flew down with Clara, Ramsey, and my good friend Scott Robertson. Traveling with Clara to races used to be a little bit easier before Ramsey, but he certainly gives racing more purpose. We got into Oceanside pretty late but found our rental to be more than sufficient for the weekend, walking distance to the start and a couple of comfy beds.

Friday, March 26th
[Pre-Race]
Strike 1 – The disc wheel I rented does not fit my rear brake, luckily in the future I will own one thanks to Zipp.
Strike 2 – BIKE CRASH!!! It was unavoidable and I went down hard on my right side.
Strike 3, I’m out!– Ramsey decided to eat a pill he found on the floor. A call to poison control later, all was fine and it was just one of my vitamins.
So, this was not exactly how I wanted my pre-race to go. One positive was getting to meet with my new sponsors at the expo. Jake from Zoot got me completely dialed in.
After strike 3 I gave my coach, Tony DeBoom, a call. In his very cool demeanor, Tony set me straight. I felt confident after speaking to Tony but still organized my gear and decided to go to bed before there could be a strike 4.

Saturday, March 27th
[Race Day/My 26th Birthday]
My alarm went off at 3:30AM, it was time to go. The first few steps to the kitchen were very telling. I felt as if I had woken up the day after an extremely hard training day. My body was not happy but I tried not to let it phase me, I was racing no matter how I felt. I ate a breakfast consisting of a bagel with almond butter, a cliff bar, some GU Brew, and a few Advil. After a final gear check, I kissed my wife and rubbed my son’s head for some luck. I rode off in the dark to Oceanside Pier where the race would begin and end.
The transition area was more crowded than I expected for my early arrival. I squeezed my bike onto my rack and went out for an easy jog. My body did not feel great but I knew that when the race started that I would not feel the damage my pre-race bike crash inflicted. After my jog I slipped on my new Zoot kit which is super cool, pulled on my new Zoot wetsuit, and walked down to the swim start. My wave went off behind the pro men, pro women, and challenged athletes. Twelve minutes after the pro men began, we were off!

{The Swim}

28:34
I am still having a hard time figuring the triathlon swim out! My swimming has improved dramatically since last year. I have increased my volume and have gotten a lot of help from some great coaches at North Bay Aquatics. Last year I could barely get across the pool and this year I have moved into the fast lane in a very competitive swim program. So, I must say I was disappointed with losing the pack. In my short career as a triathlete I have always felt lost in the swim, definitely not open water savvy YET. I was happy to survive another swim and get to the bike. My transition was solid and I was off on the bike.

{The Bike}

(Coach DeBoom, Check him out at enduranceconspiracy.com)

2:28.22
Coach Tony DeBoom is a really great guy and an amazing coach. After last season I went searching for a coach that would shoot me straight and set me on a course to race successfully in the world of professional triathletes. I guess I was looking for someone with a wealth of knowledge, a positive attitude, and a no bullshit approach to training. Tony was my guy! Tony knew I could run, the first week he coached me I ran a 1:09 half marathon. He also soon realized that I can handle a lot of training. Tony then realized that I needed to do a lot of work with my swim and bike. He has definitely jumpstarted my transition from a runner doing triathlons to a triathlete. We have worked hard to improve the front 2/3s of my race.
The 56 mile bike at Oceanside was tough. There were hills and a hefty headwind, not to mention this was my first time trying to figure this distance out. I am pleased with the outcome and learned a ton. My effort and pace for this race was similar to the Olympic distance bike legs I had last year, which is nice. I wanted to come off of the swim/bike portion in three hours or less and then try to crush the run. Mission accomplished on this but the run is where I would begin to learn a lot about the 70.3 distance.

{The Run}
1:18.28

(Headed to the finish, much learned)

I love getting off the bike with the idea that I am going to run everyone down. Of course, in a race like this, running EVERY athlete down would be unattainable. But, I was content with trying to catch a lot of them.
Triathlon racing reminds me of when I raced track relays. I would usually have the anchor leg responsibilities and would try to run people down. Some of my best times came from trying to get a win for my school. The feeling of a baton exchange is the same feeling I get when I rack my bike, pull on my shoes, and head out to the run course (the anchor leg for triathlon).
This feeling was present for me in Oceanside and probably led to my first two miles being 5:20 and 5:23. After 2, I settled into what I thought would be a sustainable pace for the final 11. Through the halfway mark I was on pace for a 1:13 half marathon, about what I thought I could manage. My form was steady, my mind was clear, and my awesome new Zoot Ultra TTs were springing me forward with each stride. It was not until mile 10 that I realized something was happening to me on this run. I was slowing down and unable to do anything about it. It wasn’t a hurt that I have felt before, just a slow fatigue of every muscle in my body. I took some Gatorade and some water, but it was too late. I was bonking! My final three miles were VERY slow and the duration of them gave me some time to think. Of course, my thoughts were about my race. I thought about the swim, the bike, my nutrition along the way and determined that I took the distance for granted. I made some rookie mistakes from the pre-race crash to the lack of calories consumed. Those three miles will do more for me in this sport than anything else and I am thankful for that. I crossed the finish line in 4:19.21 and finished 21st overall in the most competitive field that I will see all year. I hugged my son and wife, ate about 7 slices of pizza, and walked out of there as a wiser triathlete.

Thank you to my sponsors at Zoot, Orbea, Zipp, Alcis, GU, Fuelbelt, and Suunto. Thank you Tony for your amazing coaching. Clara and Ramsey, I could not live a day without your support.
Escape from Alcatraz is next and I will begin racing as a professional triathlete.
Please connect with me on RunRamsey.Com by setting up a profile and follow my miles and trials.
(Until next time....)

MIT. First race for me of 2010. Never give up!

2010-03-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Zooters~! Hope you are all well and excited for the 2010 season! Rock Out in CA next weekend if you are racing!

A quick little note about the race. Or not so quick First off I was a bit anxious prior. The swim even though a strength, always seems to take a bit out of me and be pretty painful, i was a sprinter and butterflier. Anyhow, amazing day for starters (a bit of wind and in the 60's, we totally lucked out it could have been brutal), perfect, amazing people check, great volunteers and race directors check. Amazing sponsors so that I have all of the gear that I need including my Orbea Ordu, Zipp 808 wheels, components and Zoot clothing. First Endurance for great fuel and pre race nutrition, along with GU for a bit of gel out there. The race, we started at 7:12 2 minutes after the men and 10min later than usual b/c the sun came out a bit more for us. As we were all off, I made a good decision to start on the outside and diagonal in, I also was fortunate to get on the feet of a fellow athlete that has very good sighting. As we headed straight for all of the buoys and caught up to the pack in front of us b/c they made a semi-circle and swam out. Coming out of the water I was with 2 other girls 4th-6th. With a quick transition I was out. I made a bit of a technical error in not passing the girl in front of me over the bridge the first time and waited, loosing sight of the woman who was just ahead and probably could have stayed closer to but lost her and then just settled into my own pace. Not a bad idea, but great to have someone as well to stay out of the drafting zone but close enough that they are in site. Next time I won't make such a mistake, I will not doubt myself, my training or my ability to stick at a bit tougher pace right from the get go. Anyhow, the bike after that as solid, and I felt strong and consistent. Along with very familiar and happy. As before I moved to Boulder I lived in Miami for about 1year. Amazing to be back! I had 1 GU Expresso Love on the bike and 2 scoops EFS drink mixed with 1 scoop of Pre Race and water. I discovered that I should have probably gone with only 1 scoop of EFS b/c for me having something more watered down is typically better. I don't know why, but I know that with the extra sodium, which is great, it was just to high of a concentration, next time I'll measure better and not just dump some in from my travel bag. Off onto the run. Changing into my Zoot flats and hat I was off. Sitting in 5th place I knew that I would just give it my best shot. As the run is my, we will call it, area to improve most upon ;) I knew it would hurt, and I accepted and even kind of was excited in some ways for that. I still feel slow, but I tried to push to the best of my capabilities. Drinking water at every aid station, in a short race i do not typically take anything in on the run. And I was not about to start now, or take the drink that they had on the course that I'm not accustomed to. Been there, done that, not going back! Luckily it was also shaded and as I mentioned not an uber hot day for Miami! On the second lap, my training partner passed me at about mile 4. That put me in 6th place. Mind you, the top 6 places are paid. I kept my pace and tried to stay relaxed and smooth and calm. As well, think back to all of my consistent and painful winter training, and know that I could hold on to this pace. So Although Marybeth blew by me, I kept my pace and at the second turn around (run course was 2 laps about 3 miles each, and a turn around at 1.5 miles), she yelled at me :come on Becky." From the last turn around I knew that 7th place was coming fast behind me and she wanted me to hold on as much as I did. But it really hurt, and she was faster than me, by a long shot. There was a point when I just wanted her to pass me so I wouldn't have to worry about her behind me as the finish was about 1mile away. Sometimes when in suffering mode our minds let go and we just want out, we want to resign control. At about 400M to the finish line, everyone comes out of the "forest" path onto the uneven beach and then pavement for about 200M to the finish. A friend of mine was the running course coordinator and standing there. As the girl blew by me and started to make a gap. Ah, I was really suffering, as I'm sure she was as she had just run and caught up to me from a minute or so back. I thought I was falling off the pace and out of contention for the $, I'd have to settle for right out of the $ again, and it had been a good day. Berk on the other hand was not so sure, he yelled at me "Come on this is for the $, stay there get her." Despite what I believed and felt I was capable of at that moment I turned it on a bit more. I dug deeper and found that there was more, I got right behind her, as we came off the beach, she was in the center of the path and so I moved a bit to the side and as we came around the last corner with about 20Meters to go, I found that little bit of extra, that little bit that is deep in the heart, in the passion of the moment. When we stand up and refuse to be defeated, not by anyone or anything else, but by ourselves, and I passed her and took 6th, by about 3 seconds. And was welcomed by the arms of Billy and Linda, 2 of my favorite and best friends. It was special. So all and all it was a great day. I put it out there, I was nervous, but also excited, and thankful, feeling nothing less than truly blessed having the opportunity to do what it is that I do. Challenge my body and spirit, enjoy the outdoors with like minded people who are all challenging themselves to dig just a little bit more. I have a long ways to go in becoming the triathlete, athlete and person I aspire to be, but I'm in the journey baby, I'm in the journey. Finally, I am accepting and appreciating all of the moments as they come with gratitude and joy! What a life! Thanks to all of my amazing friends and family, the race directors Wilber and Amauri (Who were my first sponsors 3 years ago at Swim Bike and Run Tri Store here in Miami) for an amazing event, to all of the volunteers and spectators. To my sponsors always, I owe so much. First Endurance (for keeping on track nutrition wise during training, racing and all in between), Zoot (for helping me get sorted on the Ultra Team and amazing gear, clothing, shoes and support) Orbea (for a bike that makes it all possible), Zipp (for helping me go fast on and off the race course), Suunto (allowing me to stay on track and focused in training and during my races), Fuel Belt (organization and gear), AlCiS (health and healing), GU (keeping me energized in training and on the race course), Somerset Farms (an amazing living location in boulder), Colorado Sports Training (strenght in body and spirit), Modern Real estate (assistance to maintain a membership at an amazing training location). As well as my amazing new coach and coaching staff and training partners, Boulder Coaching! You all make this journey not only possible, but so much brighter and more enjoyable! Yeah, that is all! Go out and make it a great one! In an essay about perseverance by Jessica Barker of Mountain Athlete, I read, appreciated and was touched by this, I hope you enjoy it. All the disappointment, the failure, the hard work, was superceded by the perseverance, and the ultimate goal behind it. To persevere is to consciously suffer. It is the backbone of a true athlete. It is a suffering with purpose in mind, with the completion of a goal as reward at the other end. Perseverance instills humility and generates respect and perspective in my pursuits. Through perseverance I have found meaning and true appreciation for my accomplishments as a professional athlete. More will come, and I will embrace it, for I know what lies on the other side of the storm. Hugs and Cheers Becky

IRONMAN ARIZONA

2009-11-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

2

Years, 1 Month, 5 Days....

That's how long it had been since I last raced a full Ironman. Although I had only planned on taking off a full race season of Ironman racing in 2008 to foucus on 70.3, the change of date for IMAZ extended my absence by an additional 8 months. Almost long enough to forget the pain, but not quite. To say my 2007 rookie Ironman campaign was a success would be an under statement. I exceeded all my hopes and dreams and I considered myself very fortunate. But ever since KQ at my first IM and finishing that race in Kona on October 13th, 2007, I have had to ask myself the following questions: Could I do it again? Had I found the key to unlock that door? What if I couldn't replicate a perfect race and how would the potential failure make me feel? For some facing the fear of 140.6 is their challenge. For me, it was what it was just a fluke, beginners luck. Although I was anxious about the prospect, I knew there was only one way to find out. I knew I had to put myself on that line again.

Once I had signed on the dotted line..and wrote the check to WTC..the expectation game began. Friends talking about how much fun it would be to rent a place in Kona again to come and support me, my wife looking at condo's in Kona where we could stay. Despite the assurances that even if I had a bad day, it didn't matter, I felt the pressure to perform, but mostly from myself. I wanted to feel like maybe I had earned my place in the sport, maybe I belonged, maybe I wasn't a fluke.

There is only one thing you have any control over when it comes to an Ironman and that is preparation and it is likely my greatest strength. I hired my coach again and he set forth a plan which he knew I would complete to the letter. The plan was different from my other two IM preparations. IMAZ 2007 was about finishing and hopefully a Kona slot. Kona was all about finishing. but this plan was new. This plan was designed with one goal in mind. Not finishing, or KQ'ing, or even AG podium. It was to RACE an Ironman for the first time.

I woke up on Sunday morning about 4:00 am after a very good night of pre-race sleep. I had my Cliff Bar and coffee and by 5:15 were off to pick up my Mom and head on down. I was very fortunate to receive 2 VIP passes from my Janus Funds internal wholesaler that Jamie and Mom could use all day. The VIP program afforded us parking right next to Transition which eliminated any of that worry and I was able to show up to the race with only an hour or so before the start. Jamie and Mom would also get to watch the swim start from a boat, be wet suit strippers, have access to the hospitality tent all day, and special finishing line viewing are. They were so excited and it was so very cool.

So we arrive and park in our special lot. I went in and pumped up the tires and loaded my nutrition on the bike. The Janus rep. was right by Transition exit and Mom and Jamie stayed with her. When I came back from my bike, the two of them are standing there talking to Michael Lavato! He would be their Janus guide all day! I told Michael the race hadn't even started and my wife was trading up the triathlon ladder from me! I went to check on my bike and run gear bags but when I got back, they had left for the boat dock, so I changed into my wet suit and left my bag by our parked car. It was time and I felt a wonderful sense of calm. It felt less like my two previous IM's, it felt like the start of the many shorter races I have done since where my attitude is to go hard and race. I was going to RACE today.

Swim Race Goal Time- :59-1:00
I made the decision to line up in the front, towards the center of the lake. It's not as crowded as everyone tries to stay far right to cut the curve of the lake. I figured I could angle towards the curve and then head straight to the turn marker, keeping the crowds to my right. The gun went off and I swam hard to get away and was immediately in clear water. Drafting was terrific, there were just enough people to swim behind but not so many as to have a lot of contact. I felt great, great turnover, steady breathing, good body position. My plan became a bit confused as once I got to the curve, suddenly it seemed there were more people to my left closer to the buoy line. I made an adjustment and joined that group as we made for the red turn marker. It wasn't too crowded at the turn markers which gave me hope that I was toward the front. I made the turn for home and I think it's here I made my mistake. I should have swum into the middle the lake, no man's land, and stayed off the bouy line as it would curve and eventually meet up with me. But the group I was trailing was on the line and I stayed with them. I was concerned if I went off to the right, I would sight poorly and go over too far towards the north shore. I swam well all the way back, but the damage was done at that point. Despite feeling like I was really moving well, I hit the stairs and saw the 1:01. Not what I wanted but not the end of the world either and I put it behind me. An important part of racing and executing an Ironman is to keep moving forward, not to dwell on what has happened or might happen in the future, just on what IS happening right now. And that would be the super fast wet suit strip I was given by two great volunteers. :)

Swim Split: 1:01:42

T1- 4:38
The problem with getting into the change tent in anything over an hour swim is that the tent is packed. All the volunteers are busy and you need to deal with your gear alone. It was also very dark in the tent as the sun was still low on the horizon. I manged to get my socks on, decided to pass on the arm warmers and gloves, got my race belt on and helmet and sunglasses in hand. At this point a grabbed a volunteer who I asked to pack up my wet suit and swim gearm, which was great and I was off. A volunteer brought me my bike and I rounded the corner to the mount line.

Bike Race Goal Time- 4:50-4:55
I was chilly for the first few miles of the bike, but I was quickly warming up as the sun rose higher. When I started heading east, I heard the familiar sound of a headwind rattling through my helmet. Despite a weather forecast which called for light winds of 5-10 out of the east/southeast, I hit a steady 10-15 coming due east all the way up the BeeLine. I would need to adjust my pacing and gearing accordingly. I focused on the immediate and continued to move forward.

I managed to overtake the majority of the fish by the time I hit the BeeLine and found myself in a small group of men. there were about 6 of us within a few hundred feet of each other. There was the usual back and forth passing and some very questionable close riding in this group. The headwind was trying to compress us and I made sure to either stay off the back, or put on a big surge and overatke properly. Unfortunately, three of them were really trying to hard to stay in front and were way too close. Fortunately, that's right about the time the marshal rode into town. :) He went by me and then immediatly started writing down numbers. Bang! Bang! Bang! and three riders got their well deserved red cards. Once I hit the turn, it was an express ride back to Tempe. My HR target for the bike was 142, which considering the temps would be a solid pacing effort. I was more in the 144-145 range for the first loop and kept trying to stay in check. Nutrition was 2 Cliff Bars cut into 4 pieces as well as 6 gels. Hydration was Gatorade and water. I knew hydration would be easy to stay on top of as the temps were cool. I had a gel within the first few miles and then every 3/4 of a lap would eat some of the bars and alternate with the gels. I really nailed my nutrition on the ride, I never felt bloated or uncomfortable, sipped water and Gatorade when I felt like it and really stayed down on my aero bars for 99% of the ride.

About halfway through the bike, the wind began to shift to a more southerly cross wind which still made going up the BeeLine a chore but provided less of a boost on the way back. I even went into my small ring on the way up to save my legs and try and spin a bit more. I was able to completely avoid any drafting issues. I was far enough in front of the big packs of AG'ers so that I always had very clear road. That's not to say that there weren't big packs. They were out there and I did see a lot of penalties. I also picked up my own little drafter. I passed an AG'er on the last loop who had likely been in front of me until now and he stayed behind. Sometimes too close behind me especially when I passed people. At one point I sat up, looked at him and motioned for him to come on through. He did and lasted about 1 min before I passed him back and dropped him. I spiked my HR but it was well worth it. It was impossible to tell where I was in the overall AG race as the crowds were so heavy and my race plan really wasn't going to start until I got to the run. As I came into town on the last loop, I overtook Lindsey Corbin about a half mile from transition. She was fussing with something and I called "On your left, Lindsey". That was fun. :) I rode down the chute, feet on top of my shoes, stretching my back and legs, and feeling like I just had the best ride of my racing career.

Bike Split- 4:51:30

I did my flying dismount and headed toward the run gear bag rows. I called out my number and ran down my row. I thought I was on the correct side, but I wasn't so I jumped over into the next row...and was immediatly smaked in the shoulder by a flying Lindsey Corbin! She knockd me out of the way and shot off to the change tent! It was AWESOME! Now the benefit of hitting T2 quickly? The changing tent was EMPTY. It was me and about 20 volunteers standing around wanting to help you! I was in and out in 61 seconds! As I hit the exit, Lindsey and Gina Kehr were right in front of me.

Run Race Goal Time 3:15-3:20
As I left the change tent, my coach Nick yelled out that I was in 13th place in the overall AG race. I wasn't sure where I stood in relation to the AG, but figured I was in the top 5. Now it was time to begin my race.This run would be very different from my previous IM runs. This run would be based soley on pace, no HR. This would be a run where I would look to move forward, not just hold my own. This would be a run where I would not let myself get passed. This was THE RACE.

As I headed west on the rec path, there was one person in front of me. It took a moment to realize that it was Gina Kehr! Lindsey Corbin was just up the road from us. I was about 2 yards behind Gina for the first two miles. It's so wierd being at the front of the race at the run start. We were just all alone. I knew Gina would likely be running in the 3:10-3:15 pace and that wasn't where I should be and she gradually dropped me and I settled into my pace, a pace honed by running as many of my long runs as close to a 7 flat pace as I could. Nick and I figured that would translate into a 7:30-7:40 pace for the race itself on tired legs, but the PE would feel similar. I went through the first 3.5 miles @ 7:14 pace and then dialed it back to a more manageable 7:26 pace for the next 8.6 miles. That's exactly what it felt like, too. I had learned to race using pacing and PE. I never, not once, took note of my HR. Sitting here this morning, I couldn't tell you what it was at any given time. It didn't matter. Manageing my HR was about finishing, but this was about racing. I trained to run a pace and I was going to try and hold on.

I had a gel flask in my jersey pocket and for the first half of the run, i made sure to take a hit before each aid station and then grab some water to wash it down. I was able to finish more than 3/4 of that flask before I got too sick of it, which was great. I had to be at least 12 miles into the run and was still using my basic nutrition. My stomach felt very settled and despite thinking I had to pee while I was ont he bike, my bladder as usual just quited down and once again, I finished an Ironman without peeing once. I have an iron stomach and I retain fluids like a camel. It helps so much to not have the common GI problems and not stopping to pee is a tidy time saver. :) The only initial issue I had was some very severe tightness in my lower back but that calmed down with the first few miles.

But I still knew what was coming. The first lap was great. I was cruising, I felt terrific, my form was perfect, I was alone and running the Ironman. The second loop was more workman like. It's that grey middle area of maintenance. The course is more crowded, aid stations need to be negotiated more carefully, and the fatigue begins to set in. Coming around at the end of the second lap, my condition was deteriorating. It was time to dig deep and it was time to start hitting the cola like crazy. I knew I was slowing into the high 7's and no one knew where I was in relation to the field. As it turns out, 2nd in the AG was a few min ahead and running much slower. This would have been my opportunity to actually see if I could close out this event truly as a RACE. If I had known that holding that 7:30 pace would put me in striking distance...who knows. Maybe I could have done it. Maybe I would have blown up. I do know I would have tried. I had managed to move up into the top 10 in the AG race. I had raced myself into that spot, but now I just wanted to be done.

This is a moment all Ironman athletes share, regardless of their ability. That point in the race where you are so tired, you hurt so very bad, and the thought of running another 10K seems almost impossible. At mile 20, I did the math. I was 8:30 and change into this race. if I could get my pace back down closer to my target I could make that 9:20. I stared down at the concrete and like every other competitor out there, I just kept running, but I found my form again and got myself back into the race. I knew that no one word care if I finished in 9:20 or 9:25...but I would. I crossed over the lake for the final time and was on the soft gravel of the south rec path heading towards Mill Ave. I knew the bridge was close enough to the finish, that the crowds and cheering would be there, that my firends and family who loved me were waiting, and that they were proud of me. And so I ran a little faster. I knew I was going back to Hawaii and had really raced my first Ironman and so I ran even faster still. I knew I had earned it, I did deserve to be there, that God had given me a gift and I was so blessed to have found it, that I wasn't a fluke. Now I was flying.

The crowds were huge around Transition. So many people out supporting their loved ones. I saw that little sign on the sidewalk, the one with a little arrow pointing off to the left, the one that said To The Finish. I ran through the parking lot we had parked in early that morning and afforded myself the very first and only look back over my shoulder to make sure no one was behind me. Ironman is all about moving forward and this was the only time I would look to see where I had come from. Just one small hill to climb, a few folks sitting along the sidewalk saying great job. I smiled and thanked them. The Ironman inflatable arch and a left turn to see the clock. 9:19:52. I measured the distance to the line and laughed. I wouldn't make it under 9:20, so it was time to enjoy the chute. I slapped hands the whole way down, weaving from left to right. Mike Reilly was doing his thing and I crossed the line...and I felt like I belonged there.

Run Split- 3:21:23

Final Time- 9:20:14, 35th OA, 10th AG'er, 3rd in M40-44

I just want to thank Jake and all the awesome people at ZOOT whose support has helped me so much this season. Also our incredible sponsors Orbea, GU, Fuel Belt, and SUUNTO. I feel so privileged to represent your products and I am humbled to be associated with my fellow team members who are such amazing athletes. See you in Kona, 2010.

Bryan

ITU LD World Championships Down Under!

2009-10-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2009_ld_triathlon_champs_results/
Hi all! Above is the website link for the race results from Sunday's ITU Long Distance World Championships here in Perth.

I just wanted to give a brief synopses of the race. It was a pretty brutal day, for everyone. Very choppy 3km swim, we were all pretty spread out. Thanks goodness for all the years I have put in in the water. I got tossed around a bit but fought the entire way and survived coming out of the water 5th. With all of the jelly fish and slim in the river I came out actually not in bad shape. Transitions were good. The bike felt very solid. It was the best bike I have had in a long time, and it finally felt like everything came together. I felt like I was ridding my bike as opposed to it ridding me. My Orbea felt very solid and as always I feel very fortunate to be on it and not just smoking fast, but looking smoking hot out there as well! All of the 4, 20km loops were very consistent. Again, the bike was very windy. It was an X shape of 4 laps. About the first 4km was great wind at the back, then a 4km directly in your face, then a pretty good cross wind. So glad I went with my trust Zipp 404 wheels as opposed to using my new Zipp 808's that I'm not yet that comfortable with, I believe it would have been nerve racing out there had I. Though it was hot and dry, my nutrition went well. I had 3 water bottles and about 1/2 of my electrolyte drink, along with 4 GU's (2 Chocolate and 2 Latte). Coming onto the run I knew that my legs and body were tired and it was very, very hot. But my stomach felt well and I gave it my all and laid it all out there. It was again consistent in terms of the 4 laps. Running is my weakest link and it has a ways to go, this is exciting, but also frustrating as 2 or 3 girls passed me. But I am remaining consistent and patient, I know over the next year or so it will come along. As my friend, and the male champion on the day shared with me, it is all about the patience. "Decide what you want, then make the sacrifices to make it happen." Thanks TO and congrats!

All and all I'm really happy with the day. 10th overall, at my first World Championships race, and the first female American! Yeah!

Thank you so much to all of my family and friends and coach for your incredible support and making this possible! Thanks as well to my sponsors for their continued support and incredible products and equipment. First Endurance, Zoot/Zoot Ultra Team, Fuel Belt, GU, Suunto, Orbea, Zipp, ALCiS, Somerset Farms and USAT.

A proud day to be an American!

Many hugs! I'm off to enjoy this country! I'll explore Perth, going to Rottness Island today and then over to Brisbane. I may actually do a triathlon in Noosa next Sunday! Or just enjon the town and have a few days off b4 hitting the winter training!

Chat soon and all of the best with the rest of your seasons!
Becky

Augusta 70.3: Sprint Finish?!

2009-10-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Augusta was a bit of a 'last minute' race. I knew when I did not finish Canada that I would want to do something else. Ironman Wisconsin was just too soon, and the timing for this seemed pretty perfect. The bonus was that Derick's parents live in Greenwood, SC, only 1 hour from Augusta, so I could wrap a visit in with them along with doing a 70.3 race. Always a plus! I flew in on Friday, and had a very smooth day of travel. I arrived to Augusta early afternoon, got my little Kia Rio rental car (note: bike boxes DO fit into the back seat of tiny cars!) and headed to my hotel. The rest of the day really consisted of nothing more than building my bike and laying around my hotel room. It was awesome. I had dinner with some friends at Nacho Mama, a great little mexican place in downtown, enjoying a tasty margarita to wash it down with.

Saturday I awoke to some gloomy, rainy weather, so I opted to do a short run then eat breakfast. It cleared up by about 10, so I headed out on my bike for 20-30 minutes just to loosen up the legs and make sure the bike was in working order. All felt great. I then found myself with about 6 hours to spare! Lovely! I again proceeded to lounge in the room for awhile. Watched TV, computed, snacked for lunch. I went to the pro meeting at 4:00, but opted to not rack my bike; we had an 'option' to do this. There were thunderstorms predicted overnight, which hit us VERY hard, so I am very glad I kept the Orbea safe in my room until race morning. I had dinner with Fred and Donna (Derick's parents) at Macaroni Grill (salmon, orzo, and a Peroni... same meal I had before Redman in 2007! superstitious? maybe...) and was back in the room by 7:00 or so. Feeling very relaxed and excited to race!

Sunday morning I woke pretty easily and headed to transition area VERY early. Transporting myself, I wanted to be safe with my time. I frequently have a 'transporter', that being my parents, Derick, or a friend not racing. I had to be responsible for ME! Oh so stressful. But, I made it there by 5:30 or so and got everything set up. We had a 1-mile walk or shuttle to the swim start. I waited for the shuttle at about 6:30 but it was not coming, so I opted to walk the 1-mile. BAREFOOT! I had my swim gear with me and nothing else (goggles, cap, and Zoot speedsuit ) so away I went walking, in the dark, towards the start, some on dirt, some on rocks. I used to like to walk barefoot as a child; I believed it made me 'tough'. I guess I have not changed much since then.

The start was quite a scene! There was some jazz music playing, and it was very lit up and had a 'festive' feeling. They had a large dock jutting out into the Savannah River for us to start on, and the pros had a 'dive start' for the swim. How unique! When we wandered down, I tried to position myself right next to Pip Taylor and Laura Bennett, as I knew they would be the 2 fastest swimmers. We were off promptly 4 min after the men. We had a favorable current, so all you had to do was keep up with it! I was able to stay with them for a few minutes, then they gapped me a bit. I exited the swim in a comfortable 3rd place, just 20 seconds behind Laura, which pleased me considering she is an ITU specialist. Onto the bike...

I have been on a new Orbea Ordu for only 2 weeks, and I was excited to try this out in a race. I felt very strong from the start, but I did make a mistake which I knew going into it; I did not take enough gels with me. I had a Gu flask filled with 4 gels, and I had one stashed in a pocket. This is only 500 calories, and I can often take up to 700 on the bike. Stupid mistake. But, thankfully the aid stations had PowerGels, so I grabbed 2 of them about halfway through and was good to go. I held my position for awhile, but got passed by 2 women on the bike. I tried to keep them in sight, but for the majority of this 56 miles, we were all quite spread out. The course was deceivingly a bit tough, as it was not 'hilly' but not 'flat' and the wind picked up as we progressed. I really enjoyed it. There were quite a few false flats, which entailed a lot of gradual uphill work. On the fast sections, I got as low and little as possible and tried to conserve. By the time we headed back towards transition, I was (as usual) READY to get off the bike! But, the Orbea (and my legs) served me well, as I was right in the mix (5th place) coming off the bike.

I flew through T2 and was off on the run. They had a great transition area, with blue carpeting over much of it for us to run on. I came out feeling very strong, and I could see women in sight right off the bat. Yay! I had my 4 gels in hand and was ready to try to run some people down. My legs felt quite strong, but I try not to get too wrapped up in this the first mile or so...I just try to find a steady rhythm. One key thing in races is to keep your composure. (this lesson I'll learn fully in a few more miles). I plugged along the streets of downtown Augusta, which were lined with spectators; it was awesome! Great job to the crew at Premier Events Management on this run course. We did 2 loops whereby the fans could see us multiple times. By mile 6, I had moved into 3rd place. I saw Derick's father Fred at this point, which was nice to hear his encouragement. By about mile 8 or 9, I finally closed the gap on Laura Bennett. It seemed I was able to pass her feeling strong, but she is one tough girl and as I looked back, she was sticking right to me! I joked to her about 'loving sprint finishes' (but in my mind was like 'shit, she does those all the time!'). She is an awesome person and great competitor. We ran shoulder to shoulder for a few miles, which started to become rather painful. At mile 12, a small group cheered loudly for me. I have to admit, I got excited and surged. I believed that I had a 1-mile 'sprint' in me, and this was a not-so-smart move. At about mile 12.5, Laura passed me back and I thought 'damn...I went too early'. I did not give up, but by the time we turned the last corner, about 100 yds from the finish, she had a good gap on me and I was pretty waxed. I ran into the wonderful finish area, greeted by so many spectators, and despite being 6 seconds too slow today, I have to say I was one happy camper.

Final thoughts? I noticed that the week of the event, a few 'big names' popped onto the list. I will not say this makes me more nervous, but it makes me realize that I will have to up my game to really be a top contender. In all honesty, I love it. I love knowing that there are some bad-ass women stepping up to the start line, and it will take a great performance to be at the top that day. I fully believe that on any day, anyone is beatable. I went into this event with my game face on, and I think the bad luck in Canada contributed to some added fire in my belly. And while the finish is awesome, and the PR is a huge accomplishment, there is nothing better than walking away knowing that I am finally seeing results from the years of work I have put in. Today, finally, I found myself in CONTENTION off of the bike. A strong run split put me in the mix for first... not the frequent 4th or 5th, due to a weak bike. I have to give a huge thanks to the other women out there racing, notably to Laura, for being a damn tough competitor who never gave up; and also good friend Desiree, as I am always trying hard to keep her behind me on the bike! We have to appreciate our competition, because if not for them, we would not have the motivation to constantly be upping our own game.

Take home lesson... TAKE WHAT THE DAY GIVES YOU and enjoy every minute. Those spectacular days of racing are sometimes few and far between, so take them, run with them and let them propel you forward. Oh, and, learn some strategy for a sprint finish; just in case you are in my position. Sit on their heels and wait for them to make a move! Don't get too anxious, like I did!

-Kelly Williamson-

Catching up

2009-10-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I’ve been meaning to write a season update ever since July now. I’m terrible at sitting down at the computer... Anyway, now that my season is over I have much more free time. This season flew by, as it always does…My last race of the year was Augusta 70.3 which was a new 70.3 this year. I was a little hesitant to do a first year race but it fit nicely into my schedule so I decided just to go for it. While I was pretty disappointed with the town of Augusta, I was pleasantly surprised with the race itself. Everything seemed pretty organized and I loved the race course. The swim in the Savannah River was fast due to a strong current and I actually managed to stay with the main pack (a huge accomplishment for me!) despite getting constantly tangled in weeds. At least I didn’t see any alligators (there were rumors of alligators in the river)! The bike course had rolling hills and was pretty windy but I felt great and pulled off a new PR (thanks Orbea!). The wheels came off after that thanks to some awful quad cramps and my run turned into a survival just to finish. The run would have been awesome. It was a 2 loop run course up and down the main street of Augusta and was lined with spectators. Had I been feeling good, I would have had plenty of encouragement and would have loved the motivation and cheers along the way. However, I felt too awful to care at that point and just wanted the race to end. I did finish, pretty frustrated with my run, especially since I had such a good swim and bike. I am encouraged by the progress I made this year even though I left most of my races pretty disappointed. Lots of improvements happened all around and hopefully next year I will be able to pull it all together. I can’t believe I am mostly done racing for the year except for maybe a few small local tri’s and road races. For the first time ever I can actually say I wish I was still racing. I’m sure once the weather gets colder though I’ll be happy to be done :) Good luck to everyone still racing this year and a big congrats to Kelly on her 2nd place at Augusta!!! -Heather

Season Update #2...

2009-10-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Zooter! First of all a huge congrats to my fellow team mates and their awesome performance's this year. A special shout out to Kim and Megumi for their conquest at Worlds. Way to go representing the "older" members of the team, like me. :) Summer is a short off season from racing here in Arizona due to the heat but training continued. Last weekend I had a solid Olympic effort at the Nathans Triathlon in Tempe, AZ., and placed 5th overall with my first 59min bike split thanks to Orbea. :) Next up is IMAZ in Novemeber and a ticket back to the Big Island for 2010.

Good luck to all ZOOT team mates in Kona next weekend!

Updates. Sorry I've been away so long! All the best as everyone ends up their 2009 season!

2009-09-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! Hope everyone is well and depending on where you live enjoying the weather. Mother nature brought in a cold front with the first official day of fall here in CO and most of us outdoor junkies frowned at the inclination of summer coming to a close. I personally was put to the test when I debated a mountain ride in snow and below zero temps, and gave into a bit warmer flat ride in town when the settled. Time has flown since my last race here in town, the 5430 1/2. It was an amazing experience to race with many of my peers and women I often meet out on the roads or in the pool at FAC. I was thankful for their support and that of all the volunteers, friends and sponsors who cheer from near and far. I had a very successful swim, wearing my Zoot Speed Suit which has a great fit and always feels fast in the water and transition. Thanks so much Zoot for keeping me in snazzy and functional attire from head to toe every day in training and on race day! My bike was the best yet for the season. I cannot help but feel fast, and continue to improve my ridding on my awesome light, comfortable and aero Orbea Ordu and Zipp racing wheels! As the season has progressed, I have become more and more comfortable, and the guys here in Boulder at Retule are so right when they said that your TT bike should be your most comfortable bike and position. Thanks so much to Orbea and Zipp who have been wonderful support and additions to my team. My nutrition felt great. 30minutes b4 the swim I took a chocolate GU with water. On the bike I sip water from my aero bottle and take a mixture of GU gels (in my Fuel Belt bike box) and my mixed drink re-evaluating every 15minutes how I'm feeling and what I need. Typically I feel that the combination of sugar, electrolytes, sodium and caffeine take very well to my body and hit the spot without any GI trouble. When I got off the bike in transition I felt strong and took off on the run. The course is very open and on a hot day, although not that hot for 5430 1/2 history I heard, it was still hot. In a 2 lap course I had a successful first lap. My body died on the second lap and with 3 miles to go it felt like little more than a shuffle. It was frustrating and disheartening to have 4 women pass me in the last 2 miles, but on this day I had left it all out on the course and did my best to make it to the finish with all I had left. I ran through the finish to a cheering home crowd and was among many greats in the sport. It was my best performance of the season so far, and though many minutes from my PR, I was happy with the effort and the continuous improvement. Thanks so much to all of my friends, support and sponsors. Especially to Zoot Ultra Team and Team Sports including Zoot, Orbea USA, GU Energy, FuelBelt, Suunto, Zipp, and ALCiS for helping to keep me healthy and able to race in the best gear and on the best equiptment, I would not be able to be the athlete I am and continue to grown into without each of you and your amazing products. A big thanks as well to my coach Susan with C2Ecoaching for keeping me on track.

Onto more interesting news. I found out 2 days ago that I was in the top 3 with my 2 less than stunning 70.3 performances at Buffalo Springs and Vineman and could have the honor of represent the USA as part of the ITU (International Triathlon Union) Long Distance Worlds Team in Perth, Australia October 25. I'm in the process of deciding if I can financially swing it with the bit of assistance I will receive and be able to take the honor. Although I do not feel in the best shape of my life, as I've been working a lot lately and trying to fit in the best and most quality training I can. I know that I deserve the spot and hope I can make it work. I suppose we must always live in the moments and embrace what life presents us with without fear or judgement. Cheers and all the best to everyone as the wind down an amazing 2009 season! Hope to be winding mine down in Perth;)! Hugs Becky