Mountain Man Half IM
I was 3rd overall, 1st Master, but the finishing pic is the BEST!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
SheRox Triathlon Philadelphia
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!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Local Bay Area Press
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
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
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.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Close but no cigar! Great White North 1/2 Ironman
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.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Boulder Peak Race Report by Evan Macfarlane
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.
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.
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.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Race reports for June by Becky Witinok-Huber
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
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
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Injuries: They're Part of the Game
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
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