Skinnyman Triathlon

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

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

Boulder 70.3 Race Report - Evan Macfarlane

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.

Mountain Man Half IM

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

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!

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

By Josh Boxer

Click photo to enlarge

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

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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

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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.