So this Ironman triathlon thing.....

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Pre-Race - Reflecting on Ironman and 2013

So as you can probably tell from my complete lack of blog posts this year that life in general has been pretty damn busy, more responsibilities at regular work and the store expanding has meant little time for updates about training and racing.  Sitting here in Louisville a couple of days before Ironman Kentucky, gives me some time to look back over the season so far and contemplate 2014.

I have high expectations in everything I do, whether that be work, the store or triathlon. Unfortunately there is is only so much time in the day and priorities change as you get older and wiser.  I started in triathlon in 2005, got into Ironman racing almost straight away and now I sit just a couple of days away from my 8th Ironman in 8 years (not as prolific as some!).  Initially the goal was to finish and have a good enjoyable race, then it progressed onto getting faster and perhaps see if I could get to Kona and the World Championships.  Yes I have got faster, yes I have got close to the Kona slot but no I haven't got to the Big Island.....the fields are getting quicker and the slots are getting smaller at each race.  The Ironman world is a different one than 5-8 years ago.

2013 is my last chance.....for a while. It's time to take a break from the Ironman world, mentally and physically I need a rest from Ironman.  I will return someday, the training and racing is something I love but just at this moment in time a break feels right.  That's not to say that I haven't thought about other events, there are so many great races and events out there, it's just about which of them to choose and which are do-able within my parameters.

2014 will be a season of 70.3 races, local triathlons and road racing with the guys......all of which allow for slightly lower volume and time training. Mentally it will be break from constantly thinking of how you are going to get the volume while fitting everything else in - quality will go up, quantity will go down. Besides I need to show that triathletes can road race :-)

In the meantime, I have 140.6miles to race on Sunday and to be honest it feels great to not already be thinking about an Ironman race in 2014.  I don't have real high expectations based on the training of this season, it's been up and down, but I feel ready to give it everything.  Nothing will be left out on the course, I'll leave Louisville knowing that I gave it my all.  If I don't catch lightening in a bottle this year, one day I'll be back to try and get to the Big Island (if the World's are still held there in years to come!).

In the words of Young the Giant, my mantra for Sunday will be:


 My Body tells me no, but I won't quit
Cause I want more, cause I want more
My Body tells me no, but I won't quit
Cause I want more, cause I want more

This Weekend: Eagleman 70.3m - Swing for the Fences!

Just a week after Duathlon Nationals we have Eagleman 70.3m and it's time to swing for the fences. So far this year I am batting .500 for "A" races and Eagleman is the last target race for the first half of the season.




It literally is a case of swing for the fences and see what comes up....Kona or bust!  Last week's race gave me some much needed confidence heading into Sunday on a very similar course and what is likely to be similar weather conditions.  The race strategy played out well and it will be the same plan for Sunday.

So what are the chances for Kona? Slim, as we probably only have 2 qualifying spots in the 35-39 age group and they are always hotly contested.  But you have to be in it to win it.  There are also Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifying slots available so that could be a secondary goal.

To be really honest I don't expect a Kona slot but am racing to get one.  If I have the perfect day then it could be within my grasp but the main goal is to try and hit my target's....I'll let you know after the race if I did :-)

How Does Your TT Position Look?........

This is a cool video from last weekend's Ironman World Championships focusing on the bike positions of the leading men........it shows in super slow-mo the guys coming through mile 108 passing Hina-Ami on the Queen K (video courtesy of Todd Kenyon)




How does your TT position compare to these guys? Don't forget that they laid down a 25MPH average for 112 miles and then the majority went and ran sub-3 hour marathons!

Only 366 days till Kona.......

There is no better time to get psyched up for the next season and some solid winter training than coming off a rest period just at the time the World's are going on in Kona. At the moment the whole Ironman world is just on overload and everyone you look there is more stuff from the going-ons in Kona.

Check out some photos from Slowtwitch http://www.slowtwitch.com/photos/Detailed/160.html

For those of us who are not on the Big Island and haven't ever made the trip, it is a great time to really think about training and the sacrifices that need to be made in order to be part of the show next year. This whole week I have been looking at the big picture of my annual training plan so that when it really matters for the "A" races on the year when the Kona slots are on the line, I will be confident on racing to my the best of my abilities. It certainly does focus the mind!

Aside from looking at my own plans for next year it is also cool to follow either friends or local racers that are out in Kona for the race. A few guys that I battle with throughout the year are out there and it's great to see and hear their experiences (through the wonderful world of social networking).....one of the guys wife is also racing and unfortunately she was hit by a car on Tuesday which recked her bike! Quintana Roo stepped up and provided her with a brand new bike for the race, how cool is that?

Not that many people probably care but the mens race this year should be a doozy! Although Craig Alexander(Crowie) is the two-time defending champion I wouldn't say that he is the clear favorite. Andreas Raelart who was 3rd last year is going to contend and with another year's experience behind him can pull off just as strong a marathon as Crowie, Lieto will put down a killer bike as always but I think Luxembourger Dirk Bockel is the dark horse......mark my words!

The womens race is a bit more cut and dried with three time champion Chrissie Wellington (did I mention beat her at the Columbia Triathlon in 2009?) the clear favorite but Carfrae and Dibens should push her closer this year and will be ready to pounce if the opportunity arrives.

If you want to follow, ironman.com has live coverage all day long :-)

IM Lake Placid Race Report.........

I'm a bit late on this race report and to be honest it is probably because I have been dissecting the race ever since I finished. It has been a hard race to get over as I have conflicted thoughts about it all.

Yes, I placed in the top 100 amateurs and posted a 10hr 21mins time on a tough course, but I still think of it as a missed opportunity for a trip to the World Championships in Kona. Heading into the race I knew that a sub-10hr time would put me in good stead for a slot, previous years had all been around that time. I had trained and tapered well, the complete meltdown at Eagleman 70.3m was in the rearview mirror and I was loving the vibe of Lake Placid. My goals for the race were a 1hr swim, 5:30 bike and 3:20 marathon. Everything was set!

Race morning saw mild temps and grey clouds, almost perfect for long-distance racing. I got into Mirror Lake early so I could get a decent warm-up and also get a good seeding amongst the 2900 competitors. I sat back in the 4th row just to the right of the buoys and hoped to try and get some clear water as soon as possible. Once the cannon fired all hell broke loose for the next 10minutes or so. It wasn't as bad as I remembered IMFL but still I ventured slightly right and after the initial wash cycle I hit clean water and began to use the draft as much as I could.


The Wash Cycle

IMLP is a two loop swim and is one of the easiest swims in the ironman races, the water is clear enough to see in front of you and the underwater cable that delineates the buoys makes sighting real easy. By the time we hit the first turn swimming was pretty clean and it was good to get into rhythm. Hitting the beach after the first loop I was pleased to see 29mins on the clock and so was on course for the 1hr target. The second loop was pretty uneventful and I exited the 2.4m in just over 1hr. GOAL MADE!

The run to T1 is pretty long but I managed to make up some spots as well as see Team Banks (Sarah, Mum and Dad). During the swim it had rained and now heading out of T1 the roads were slick and the first 20miles of the bike would have intermittent rain. Having driven the bike course and ridden parts of it, I was looking forward to the bike leg and was confident of hitting the target of 5:30hrs. IMLP bike course is two loops of 56miles essentially split into three sections, the first a rolling start with a 9mile descent to Keene, the second a flat fast section to Upper Jay/Wilmington and then the third is the 12mile grind up to Lake Placid along Wilmington Notch. This course is all about pacing and making sure that you don't become a first lap hero. The final 12 miles is all uphill with the "Bear" climbs of Mama, Baby and Papa (which was Alpe D'Huez style on the first lap with all the spectators) as you head into town and T2.

Surprisingly with over 2900 racers the course was not overly crowded and at no point did I see any pelotons forming. The nature of the course aids in that but it was good to see. The first loop was all about pacing and making sure that the nutrition plan was adhered to. The plan of Carbo-Pro (with perform) and water worked well, with the only solid being a powerbar at mile 60. That gave me 2000 calories (361/hr), 500gms of carbs and 1900mg of sodium.

First Loop Done.....love that Kestrel, FFWD wheels and Spiuk Helmet

The first lap was done in 2hr 38mins and so I was on for a sub-5:30 ride. The 2nd lap was even more spread out than the first and that is when I made my only mistake on the bike, which cost me a 4:00min stint in the penalty tent. I was sitting comfortably and legally (four bikes lengths) behind a guy who I had been trading places with (I was stronger on the climbs, he was faster downhill) and was searching around for my salt caps when I got closer than the limit and typically just as a referee came up. My fault completely and I got the card to go to the next penalty tent to serve my 4min sentence. Oddly enough I had to wait 40miles until the tent at mile 110! It was annoying and I was mad at myself but at least I had the rest of the lap to try and make up those four minutes. I took the final 12miles up into town at a steady pace not wanting to hammer the legs before the run and after a stop at the tent, I rolled into T2 just over the goal in 5:31hrs.

I was still on pace for a sub 10hrs but would need to run my goal time to hit that, I had no wiggle room whatsoever. The first mile at IMLP on the run is all downhill and so you head out looking like a rockstar! The good thing was that the first few miles felt easy and I was reigning myself in to keep at a pace around 7:00min/miles. Even on the first few rollers I was feeling good and kept to the nutrition strategy of water and perform at each aid station, with a gel every 3miles.

By the end of the first lap (including the climb back to and through Lake Placid) I had worked my way up to 13th place and was still on pace for a sub-10hr finish (just!). Heading out of town amongst the chaos that is an ironman run course, I began to falter and my hamstrings felt like someone had just connected some weights on them. From then on it wasn't pretty.....it was just my hamstrings though, I wasn't feeling dehydrated or in need of food, all of that was fine. Just to keep the legs moving was a struggle and I knew that the hopes of a sub-10hr and Kona were gone. I was in my own private battle to finish as quickly as I could, if only I could have unhitched the weights on the hamstrings!

The final 10miles were run at probably around 10min/miles and that led me to a 3hr 42min marathon and a 10hrs 21mins 11secs finish for 25th in age group, 123rd overall and 94th amateur. So it wasn't a Kona year but it was a solid race on a great course (the final Kona slot went at 9hrs 59mins....henced a missed opportunity!).

On the screen finishing in the Olympic Speed Skating Oval

With this being my 4th Ironman, I am still learning about racing this distance and it is a process that will be forever evolving. This year I hit the first two goals of the race but failed in the third on the run! Now I need to deconstruct the race and make adjustments in training as I move forward.

Ironman isn't easy and qualifying for the World Championships is even harder, if it were easy everyone would be doing it.......it takes something special to get to the Big Island! I have the motivation to get there and racing Ironman again makes me want to succeed even more.

Finally..........

The weekend is approaching and we get the long awaited start of the World Cup........oh yeah and Eagleman 70.3m. It should be a good weekend of football and triathlon. Don't worry the racing won't get in the way of the England vs USA game, as we have it all scheduled out.

Watching the game in the comfort of the hotel and then we can scoot over the the race, check-in and rack the bike before heading for some dinner and an early night. Sorted...... but no beer while watching the game which will be a novelty :-)

Everything is pretty much ready for the race on Sunday, taper has gone well and now it's just a matter of producing on raceday. I guess for many it may seem weird that a whole season comes down to two races (Eagleman 70.3 and IM Lake Placid). For most athletes it is the same though, long-distance runners tend to try and peak for a couple of races each year and in general cyclists try to target at least a period of races or the State Championships etc. The BIG races are what you train for, the best of the best are going to be there and you want to be the best. It's these days that make you get up early, that make you ride in the rain and run in sub-freezing temperatures.

This is what it is all about.....all that training and focus comes down to one race!

Motor Pacing.....90km in 90mins!

I have always loved the idea of motor-pacing and this video just makes it look so cool.....this was taken on Thursday. Tim Marr chilling on the scooter and 2007 World Champion Chris McCormack cruising along at 60km/h on the new Specialized Shiv. Plus it's in Kona so the scenery and weather isn't bad!



Doesn't that look so cool......right then, who has a scooter!

Kona Build-Up.....No Not Me :-(

Pro triathlete Chris Lieto is posting some pretty good pre-Kona videos on his website as he prepares for the race on October 10th. Check them out:

Ride to Hawi


Ride along the Queen K


But the best is probably the review of his new Trek Speed Concept for this years race....pretty damn sweet!