May 2014: Training Ramblings.....Let's get back to this Triathlon Lark!

As with most Ironman races these days you have to plan way in advance of the actual race and this was the case with Ironman St George 70.3m.  Having signed up back in the Fall of 2013, the plan was to hit the winter hard and aim for a 70.3m Worlds slot for 2014.  Even though we all love it when a plan comes together, the way it worked out over the Winter and Spring didn't bold well for a fast St George race in the first week of May. It didn't mean that I wasn't looking forward to the race though....St George is a great town and the course is simply breathtaking and challenging.

The entire St. George course is simply breathtaking

Having raced the final Ironman in 2012....yes that year! I knew the terrain and it wasn't for the faint of heart. Adding to the excitement was the fact that both Dave and Tad were racing, so the fun begun a few days before the race. My goal for the race was really just to have fun and enjoy the day. No expectations, no pressure on myself to perform, it was actually very refreshing to go into the race like that.

So what happened....weather condition were great, sun, light winds and moderate temps (nothing like 2012). And I had a ton of fun. The swim was nice and steady, just kept well within myself and came out in 35mins. Sometime I really wonder if it is worth training for the swim - if I swim lots I might drop a couple of minutes, but then smell of chlorine all day at work :-)

Then we got onto the fun parts, the bike and run, oh and the hills! It's a little more difficult to judge the power output on this bike course but I went in wanting to average about 80% of my threshold and I pretty much nailed it with a normalized power of 239w. Ideally I would have wanted to average closer to 85% but with the limited running I knew I had to hold back a little. The nutrition plan worked a treat (EFS gel and drink) and I got off the bike after 2hrs 39mins and felt ready for the run. The good thing about having less pressure on myself? I actually took much more time to look around, take in the scenery and enjoy the ride. I would love to come back for a training camp to explore more of the roads.

Just about to head into Snow Canyon State Park

The run was certainly like running into the unknown.....the run course is crazy hilly and my run training had been somewhat limited in the past few months.  I started out much slower than usual knowing that the first half was hillier than the 2nd.  Surprisingly I felt pretty good throughout and kept a decent pace throughout.  The ritual was a gel every other mile and electrolyte tabs every other mile with water at every aid station. It worked well and the final mile of so was all downhill so I was able to push the pace a little bit more and got in for a sub 5hr finish.

Heading to the finish and seeing Dave.

No it wasn't the race I envisioned back in the Fall but it was a really fun race. The absence of any pressure made it really enjoyable and it ended up being one of the best executed races I have done in a long while.  Now I am looking forward to the rest of the season and the races to come.

Funnily enough, even though I wasn't specifically aiming for a World's 70.3m slot, it ended up rolling to me in 28th spot. Who would have thought that? I turned it down as this season is really more about fun, taking the year off of "racing" and enjoying the whole experience again.  There will be more opportunities for Worlds...hopefully!

May Total: 572.03 Miles / 37 hours 6 minutes

Swim: 5,700 yards / ~3.24 miles / 1 hours 43 minutes

Bike: 492.2 miles / 26 hours 3 minutes

Run: 76.59 miles / 9 hours 13 minutes

Ironman Louisville 2013 - Race Report

With a few days to think about my race at Ironman Louisville this past Sunday, my immediate thoughts haven't changed one bit.  "You get what you put in" is what I said straight after the race and on race day I got what I deserved.  No matter how many races you have competed in or how talented you are, you can't get away from the fact that for Ironman there is a certain amount of work that needs to be done.

As I stated in my pre-race post, this year has been tough from a training perspective, it was hard to get the consistency of training and I had a lack of long bike and runs in the bank.  At the shorter distance you can get away with that, for 140.6, you can't.....this is how the day unfolded!

The swim exit on the Ohio River

Alarm went off at 4:00am and the usual breakfast of granola, chia seeds, almond milk was had followed up by a blueberry muffin and a half cup of coffee (it would have been a full cup but I made the mistake of allowing Dad to purchase the coffee at the store while I was at the athlete's meeting...8 O'Clock just doesn't cut it). By 4:45am we were off down to transition, check over the bike, add the day's nutrition and then make the 1/2 mile walk to the swim start.  The IM Louisville is a time trial start so the queue was already long.  With a water temperature at over 80 degrees, it was a day for the swimskin and not the wetsuit.  The plan for the swim was to take it nice and easy, catch some feet to draft off and prepare for the day ahead.  I felt good in the water and just after the turn, yes the only turn!, a couple came by that were just a bit quicker than my pace.  I jumped on their feet and followed the bubbles all the way to T1.  Those last few strokes before getting out the water are always nervy, you want to see your swim time but then you don't.......it was awesome to see 59mins 59secs, my fastest ironman yet!

Running through T1 and getting ready to hit the bike, all kinds of thoughts were going through my head. If I bike and run to what I "can" do, this could be a 9:35 kind of day, that would be lightening in a bottle........the first 10 miles or so are all flat and it was time to settle into the day's pacing plan, hit the power numbers and get comfortable.  All was still good and then we hit the nuts and bolts of the course, the relentless rollers that just never stop. The temperature gradually crept up as the average speed eased down.  Without a doubt the Louisville course is testing, no it hasn't got major hills or elevation, but it's either up or down and not much flat for about 70miles.  There wasn't too many people coming up from behind but if they did I just stuck to the power plan and let them go.  To be honest I didn't feel great on the bike despite the nutrition and hydration plan working....there was just no va-va voom! It was shame I couldn't take advantage of the speedy Guru and Mavic setup! The final 20 miles with some stretches of downhill and flat, although with some headwind, just took forever, I couldn't wait to get off the bike.  I was a little disappointed with 5hr 28mins (after a 5hr 17mins in 2009) but the overall clock showed 6hr 32mins as I headed off on the run.

Coming through La Grange on the 2nd loop of the bike at mile 70

Almost immediately I felt it wasn't going to be a great day on the run, I wasn't exactly skipping out of T2 but I hoped that the legs would freshen up and come round.  The first 3 miles were just a bit over 7:00min/miles but from then on it was a matter of hanging on.  It felt really hot on the streets of Louisville so I ran between aid stations and walked quickly through them to get hydrated as best I could.  I still hadn't "gone potty" since the swim.....that eventually happened at mile 10.  It was then at mile 15-16 that the wheels fell off, the left ITB started to really hurt and without a doubt that was partially due to the lack of long runs in training. Last year when I posted a 3:17 run I had managed 6-7 solid runs greater than 16 miles, this year it was just the one, not enough.  So the final 10 miles became about getting to the finish as quick as I could through a walk/run strategy. A 4hrs 4mins marathon and my slowest to date.  No it wasn't too much fun but as I have been reminded countless times, plenty of people would die for a sub 11-hour Ironman time. I do count myself lucky for that.

The 2nd loop of the run.....12 miles to go! The new Pactimo Mako tri kit is awesome.

I crossed the line in 10hr 39mins 49secs for 18th in age group and 151st overall.....by the end of any Ironman race because of the length of the day you generally come to terms with how the day has gone before you cross the line.  I just can't help but look at the results, see that the 5th and final spot for the Ironman World Championships in my age group was at 9hrs 57mins (the time I did on this course in 2009).....if only I had run how I can! Just think how many people say that at the end of every race huh?  This has certainly motivated me for the years to come, I have said no Ironman for 2014, but I'll be back and I know what I need to do.  I have some hard work ahead of me...........

Ohhhhh.....it's race season!

After a steady March and finally getting back into the pool, April was a bit of a let down training wise.  A week away to the Motherland is never good for training so I took it as a recovery week of virtually nothing bar socializing and not getting much sleep!

March 2013
Bike: 28hrs 35mins    504.34miles
Run:  14hrs 27mins    119.96miles
Swim: 4hrs 30mins      8.43miles
Total: 47hrs 33mins   633 miles

April 2013

Bike: 22hrs 01mins    421miles
Run:  7hrs 57mins      66miles
Swim: 1hr 41mins       3.15miles
Total: 31hrs 39mins   491 miles

It was with some trepidation that the New Jersey Devilman triathlon came around on May 5th.  The first triathlon of the season and a good way to see where I was.....and I wasn't expecting much.  The weather was a little less than idea, following the pattern for a colder Spring than usual, it was a blustery and cold morning as we headed to Cedarville, NJ.  The racing field looked stacked with at least three people who had won their AG at various 70.3m and Ironman's in the past few year.   

The swim was pretty standard for me, coming out in the mid-teen's placing and a little way back from the fishes before hopping on the bike for the 40mile ride.  A couple of out and back's with the goal of hitting 250watts as an average on the flat course.  I moved up some spots on the bike, which I ended up being pleased with as I felt a little sluggish on the bike.....I did average 247watts so hit the plan pretty well.

Heading out onto the run, the sun came out and I was 8th.  With a 9mile dead flat course ahead of me I might as well let rip and see what could happen.  Fortunately the running gods were with me and I felt awesome on the run ripping through the first 3miles at sub 6min/miles and having some people ahead as motivation.  At the turnaround I was still in 8th but those in 5th-7th were in sight.  The headwind slowed me a bit but I ended up with the 2nd fastest run (behind the winner) and moved up to 5th and the last podium spot.  All in all a good first race of the season but gives me plenty to think about as the goal races are coming up....Eagleman 70.3 on June 9th and IM Louisville on August 25th.

The Podium shot......

But before IM Louisville, I have this thing called the Total 200.....a 200mile ride in one day from DC to the southern point of Maryland and back!

USAT National Long Course Duathlon Championships....Race Report

When USAT announced that the 2012 Long Course Duathlon Nationals would be held in Cambridge, MD at the Blackwater Duathlon, the race immediately went onto the 2012 schedule but it turned out that it would be only one week before Eagleman 70.3m. Hmmm....two "A" races in two weeks and a month after IM St George.  As posted before training since IM has really just been maintenance so the goal for these two races was to come in fresh off  St George.

The Nationals Duathlon course was a 10km run, 70km bike and a final 10km run, all pancake flat on the Eastern Shore but with an almost guaranteed wind. Having ridden the course the previous two weekends, I knew which way the winds would be coming from and planned the race strategy accordingly.  Looking at the field in the weeks leading up to the race, it looked like a who's who of Duathlon but to be honest being 4th in the 30-34 age group last year down at Powerman Alabama had me thinking that the podium was within reach in the 35-39 AG this year.

Heading to T1 Photo Courtesy: Sarah Banks

Race morning the wind was calm and with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees it was almost too good.  At 7:00am I was off  with the first wave (males 39 and under) and set about trying to settle into a fast but comfortable pace.  A lead group of about 7 guys (including some professionals) pushed hard from the gun and it was the first decision of the day....go?stay?go?stay?  In the end I stayed at my pace and that left me in no-man's land not with the front 7 but away from the main field.  At least I set my own pace and could run my own race.  Surprisingly with little speed work since IM the 5:35min/mile pace felt a hard but comfortable pace and just after the 5km point I caught up with a couple of others who had tailed off the front pack.  The course was an out and back with the back having a headwind and the three of us kept on pushing to T1.  Looking back I feel I could have perhaps pushed that return leg a bit faster but the comfort of the small group was sure to pay dividends on the 2nd run.

I entered T1 in 8th after a 35:25mins (5:43min/miles) 10km run.

Duathlon transitions are nice and easy without the hassle of a wetsuit and it was out quickly onto the 70km (43.3 mile bike) on the Parvilla Cycle & Multisport supplied Guru CR9.01.  Again the course was an out and back for 2 laps, with the back having the headwind.  This meant that we were all flying out of T1 with the wind at our backs.  The plan was to stick to my Peaks Coaching Group approved power strategy, averaging 256 watts throughout, an Intensity Factor of 0.85 and minimizing the Variation Index.  Flat courses make this task much easier and I hit the first 17.75km turnaround averaging 261 watts.  In that time I had kept a few guys within view as "rabbits" and had passed a couple of riders while also being passed by a couple.  The return leg into the headwind was much the same....averaging 257 watts but at a slower speed.  The Intensity Factor was right there at 0.85 (based upon my FTP of 300 watts) and the Variation Index was hovering at 1.02 (within 2% of the average power at all times).  This power output was giving me a 24MPH average and turned around for the 2nd lap feeling good despite the wind having kicked in as it always does on the Shore.

Due to the nature of the course the 2nd lap was pretty much a replica of the first - average power at 256watts.  Nutritionally I was spot on with Hammer Nutrition Electrolytes, Fizz (made into a 450 calorie bottle with CarboPro) and a Hammer Gel just 20mins from finishing the bike.  The last few miles I had a fellow 35-39 AG'er gradually catch and pass me and I kept him close as we came into T2.  I knew that I was sitting 2nd in AG as the leader of the race overall although being my age was a Professional so wouldn't be included in the National results.

Coming into T2  Photo Courtesy: Bobbi Whisman

Bike Time 1hr 48mins (24.0MPH) and 9th overall.

Rounding the last corner   Photo Courtesy: Sarah Banks

Heading out onto the 2nd 10km run I felt good and had a couple of runners immediately in my sights, including the 35-39 AG'er that had passed in the final few miles of the bike.  Within the first mile I had successfully passed him to take the lead and made a purposeful effort to increase the pace as I passed.  Surprising even myself I actually increased my pace from the 1st mile consecutively to the 5km turnaround.  At that point I could see the gap to 2nd place and had just 5km to go to take 1st place and the National Championship!  The headwind took it's toll and with the pace ever so gradually slowing, I passed one more runner to cross the line in 3hr 4mins 52secs for 9th overall and 1st in in the 35-39 Age Group.

2nd Run Time 38:54mins (6:17min/miles) 10km run

Crossing the line as National Champion for Age Group 35-39 Photo Courtesy: Bobbi Whisman

So, 2012 National Age Group Champion for the Long Course Duathlon......it's pretty cool to be able to say that but honestly it is even better to be back racing at a high level after a 2011 season that was disappointing.  And above all, it gives me some confidence heading into Eagleman 70.3 this coming weekend.