5.22.13
As a cyclist you tend to follow things like Velo News and Cycling News, which at times report on a cyclist's collision with a car or unfortunate encounter with road rage. Most cyclists tend to get very angry when reading these reports, while at the same time fearing a bit for their life, all the time knowing we refuse to give up our love - the sport of cycling.
I personally try to be a very defensive cyclist, while admittedly having little patience for cars. As a driver, I treat the cyclist just like a car, as I hope to be treated while on my bike. The other night on my ride I learned a number of lessons related to road rage and life lessons in general. As you read you may be surprised who was the culprit of the road rage.
It is important as a driver to know your rights as a driver but also the rights of a cyclist. Cyclists have the same rights as a car, cyclists have the right to the lane they occupy etc., but this does also include a cyclists requirement to obey regular driving laws and, for example, stop at red lights and stop signs (we are all guilty of disobeying, and I am sure we all have a vast array of excused or reasons to try to legitimize what is ultimately illegal behavior). But as a cyclist we have to realize that not all cars are going to treat us this way and in turn we must be extremely defensive. In being defensive we must also realize that on a bike we are more vulnerable to all elements, vehicles, weather, potholes, dead animals, people etc. I personally admit to being extremely defensive after reading the all too true horror stories, and even witnessing, cyclists being ran off the road by cars or attacked and mugged by people.
The other night presented an unfortunate circumstance that I admittedly and regretfully did not handle in a remotely respectful manner. If somebody disrespects or hurts you, do you hurt them back? NO - Cardinal Rule. Disrespect does not lead to respect. As a large truck came up behind me with the engine revving and then slowed to follow me, I instantly became defensive. What I consider through personal experience to be a fairly logical response, assuming the person could potentially have rage toward me, started to run through my mind. I know there are a lot of people who do not think cyclists should be on the road. I also proceded to have thoughts, that to me are a reality, but in the location and circumstance were extremely unlikely and most people would never even imagine. Anyway, as the truck tailed me going up an incline I tried to wave it on and I got very frustrated that it would not go. I finally pulled off the road and as it drove by I did a one finger wave, VERY inappropriate and I am quite embarrassed to admit that my rage and irritation got the best of me. The better response would have been to ignore the vehicle, just as parents teach young kids to walk away from bad situations.
The truck then proceded to pull over. The cyclists other fear, and another lesson, Rage leads to Rage. As my heart was pounding and I reached for my phone a man got out of the truck. He took a few steps toward me and said "Megan" and my heart stopped yet again. How did he know me, how was this possible. I have to remind myself I grew up here and it is a small town in the country, everybody knows everybody. This lead to yet another lesson you never know who you could see/run into out on the road, or who could see you without you even realizing it. Yup a childhood friend with a family and kids in the car, I was mortified and felt unbelievably horrible. Fortunately in this situation my rage did not lead to provoking the rage of the vehicle, but lesson learned because it sure could happen and the cyclist will always lose against the vehicle.
Though my own actions sadden me I am taking this as a lesson well learned and am fully appreciative that it took place with people who are completely willing to address the situation in an adult manner. As they so eloquently stated, never let the sun set on a disagreement, an amazing lesson I respect them for teaching their kids and using this as an opportunity teach, not only their kids, but me as well. They are also people who are kind hearted individuals that wanted to make sure I knew the engine revving was not directed at me, ultimately they were following the laws of the road and giving me the space necessary, I just let my testosterone, rapid response and irritation get the best of me. Being defensive is good, but being overly defensive can cause more problems in the long run.
I am sure this is the reverse story and lesson from what most expected to read in this post, but it is truth and I am sure I am not the only person to whom this has happened. As cyclist we focus on the rage of vehicles toward cyclists, as it undoubtedly is the most deadly and typically more common, but sometimes it is important to remember the impact we as cyclists can have on life lessons, respect toward cyclists, driving lessons and raising awareness, support and respect for the cycling community. The road goes both ways.
In sum vehicles and cyclists must follow the same laws of the road. Road rage from a cyclist or a vehicle never has positive results. As a cyclist and in particular an individual cyclist, and furthermore a female cyclist, be defensive and intelligent about your decisions, route, destination and time of ride. Always be aware of your situation and listen to your gut instincts, but also be realistic. Former trauma often results in what can actually be unrealistic thoughts or fears, take note, learn the lesson, carry it with you, but do not let it control you or drive you to a point of action in which you may regret your future decisions.
DRIVE SAFE
RIDE SAFE
BE SAFE
5.22.13
New Belgium Short Track #3
Posted by Christi Leong
One of the perks about living in Fort Collins is the breweries! And, there is a local non-profit organization called Ciclismo Youth Foundation that puts on a series of races in the spring (mountain bike short track) and fall (cyclocross) at New Belgium. Their mission is to create, advocate and promote youth cycling opportunities in the community–and they do just that. They host really awesome grassroots races in the grounds around New Belgium and have races for everyone–youth, beginners, expert mountain bikers, everything–and it’s one of my favorite things about living in Fort Collins. Races are $10 and I can ride to the start line (it’s less than 2 miles away from my house, by bike trail!) and they are FUN.
Tonight’s race was no exception…the field was bigger than last year, my teammate Suzie won (and kicked everyone else’s @$$ along the way) and I had a great time! The course was harder this year than last year, with a “rock garden” that was terrifying to ride over, and a few very steep pitches (some I sadly had to get off my bike and run up, cyclocross-style) and one super-steep descent followed by a sharp left turn that I was sure I was going to eat it on.
Luckily for me, though, no crashes on the actual technical parts of the race, I instead chose to crash on the least technical portion of the whole race–go figure. After the 2nd lap, we came through the straightaway and I figured that would be a GREAT opportunity to pass this one girl who I was following behind, for quite some time. I put my head down, got into a big gear, and laid down the hammer, and I passed her!
SWEET.
Until I realized that my amount of gravel straightaway was much shorter than I had originally thought, and the speed that I was going was in no way conducive to the sharp left turn I had to make. Like an idiot, then, just after passing her, I tried really hard to make that sharp left turn back onto the trail and ended up completely sliding out in what Greg likes to call “yard sale” fashion. If you can imagine a yard sale being a giant mess everywhere on someone’s lawn, that’s kind of what I looked like. Aside from feeling like a complete fool, nothing was hurt (not even my brand new Fort Follies kit, phew!) so I quickly got up and kept going. The girl had passed me while I was in yard sale fashion, but I passed her quickly afterwards; this time, a little more carefully. :)
Here are our awesome Fort Follies, post-race (L-R: Monica, me, Suzie, Sam, Ashley, and Presley); and yep–it was Suzie in the cutoff flannel that laid down the hurt today. :D
After our race, we stayed to cheer on other friends of ours that raced, including Drew from the CSU Cycling team, who rocks! On one of his laps, though, as he was on a climb, his chain completely broke and he had to hop out of the race. I jokingly asked him if he wanted to borrow my bike…he asked what pedals I rode and when we realized that we both had the same pedals, he said “sure!” and I gave him my bike to ride. Nevermind that we have about 8 inches of height difference between us and we couldn’t quickly adjust the seat height.
Needless to say, he was the highlight of the race on my teeny-tiny bike and channeled a little bit of the “circus performer on tiny tricycle” look–but he finished in style–and that’s all that matters. :)
The Inevitable Falls in Life
Posted by Meghan Henry
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”- Confucius
Falling down in life is inevitable. We are always going to stumble, fall down, and eventually pick ourselves up. We may fall six times, but we will always stand back up seven times.
Even this dude probably got up still despite his nasty fall.
One of the most imperative lessons that my dad taught me when I was growing up is to never quit. Giving up may be an easy decision, but the memory of quitting will last a lifetime. I remember an instance when this lesson was engrained in my mind.
I was about 12 years old and I was looking for my first horse! I wasn't too picky in the choosing of my horse. I just wanted a horse that was FAST and that wasn't going to die of old age any time soon.
I had my mom call several numbers from the local newspaper's listings. One of the listings advertised "a grey mare, six years old, and very well broke." I was pretty stoked about this ad, as it looked very promising. Once we arrived at the lady's house to test-ride the horse, I was a bundle of excitement, thinking that I was going to take home my new prize possession home that day. As the lady brought the mare out from the field, and saddled the horse up, my dad jumped up on the saddle to ride the horse first, just in case the horse decided to act-up. After my dad was done riding the horse, it was finally my turn! I swung my leg over the saddle and was ready to ride. As I asked the supposedly calm mare to walk-on, all of a sudden, the mare took off and began bucking. It was quite the rodeo! I hung on for dear life, but that didn't last too long. I flew off the saddle. I landed, not so softly, on the hard dirt. Tears began to fill my eyes as the pain of the fall began to sink in. My dad rushed over to me, making sure that I was okay. I was physically okay, but emotionally, I was shaken with fear. He then immediately told me to stop crying.
He then chased down the horse, and brought the horse back over to me.
This is my rendition of the accident...okay maybe it wasn't this dramatic, but you get the point. At least I knew that the horse was fast and probably wasn't going to die of old age any time soon.
"Meg, you have to get back on," he stated firmly.
I did not want to get back on that horse. There was no way in bloody hell I was going to get back on that murderous horse. But my dad made no exceptions.
"You came here to test ride the horse, and that is what you are going to do. Now get back on."
I slowly pulled myself back on the horse, and rode the horse around the pasture, with no accidents this time. Fear still swarmed inside of me, but I had finished what I had set out to do. My dad forced me to not quit, despite my fear, which I am grateful for, looking back at the event. I didn't buy the horse for obvious reasons. But I learned a valuable, and unforgettable lesson that day.
There have been so many instances in my life where I had just wanted to quit. However, I could never bring myself to quit on anything that I have started in life, which hurtles both the physical and mental wrath of suffering upon my being. But the satisfaction of knowing that I did not give up overrides any physical or mental ailment. When times get tough, I must begin to desperately search for that slimmer of hope. Just one positive thought that will allow me to accomplish what I have set out to do.
Whether I am racing, struggling to endure the mental pain, or finishing a long workout after taking a crash on my bike, suffering is inevitable. But with hope, suffering becomes tolerable. How you react to the pain of suffering is a different story. You have to handle pain with strategy:
Develop an unshakeable desire to accomplish the unthinkable.
Make your will of success stronger than the fear of failing.
Give nothing less than your best because then there is no failure.
Smile to mask the discomfort of pain.
And lastly, when you do fall down with pain, the greatest glory is knowing that you will get back up and continue on the path of success.
This may look like I am grimacing, but I am most definitely smiling. What is there not to smile about?
it's like christmas morning...
finally, my 2013 triathlon race season started this past sunday. i had been looking forward to this race for a few reasons:
1. last year it was my first ever triathlon, and as you know, you never forget your first ;)
2. i am 10x's better than i was last year and wanted to show my coach (she puts on the race) how well i've been doing
3. when i broke my jaw and teeth on may 4th, i figured there would be no way i would be able to race. however, thanks to my dr.'s and oral surgeon, i'm cleared to race, so here we go....
earlier in the week, my coach told me that there were going to be a few fast swimmers racing. i consider myself to be pretty quick, but when the shot rang out, i think one guy was attached to a boat motor. i was shocked, but soon calmed down and followed. it was crystal clear out and the sun made it almost impossible to see the turn-around buoy. however, i could see the 'motor boat' in front of me, so i used him to sight.
was second out of the water... 7:47 :)
as i made my way to transition, my fiance greeted me and told me that i was second and needed to hurry up. i asked her how much further ahead was the 'motor boat' and 'damn, he's fast as "crap". to my surprise, he was still taking off his wetsuit. he had me by 45 seconds, what is he still doing here?
removing my wetsuit quickly, which i didn't know was one of my talents
jim aka "motor boat" couldn't believe that i was out of my swim gear and on the bike in seconds. to me, this is a race and i'm trying to win, let's talk about this later... out of the water 2nd, onto the bike in 1st.
sexy flo cycling wheelset, huh?
the race is in wayne hills, nj. the course circles a lake. there are tight turns, some hills, some downhills, an overall challenging but fun course. as i started out on the bike, i remembered that jim won this race last year. he looks like a runner, tall and lean, so i determined that i needed to get a decent lead coming off the bike.
but as i peddled away from transition, i had this strange revelation... 'i'm leading this race, i'm being hunted'. have never been in this situation before. it felt great and scary at the same time. normally, i'm the hunter, picking off competitors one by one. plus, my age group always seems to start in one of the last swim waves (25-29), so it's always a chase for me, never a lead. but here i am, setting the pace and trying to build my lead. i tried not to think anymore about it and put my head down and just kept peddling.
coming into transition, i was told i had a minute lead on jim. my fiance told me i needed to win so we could pay for the wedding?!? however, this race doesn't have a prize purse, but it was encouraging. i made my way onto the running course, and started to feel water-logged. it's a sprint distance and normally, i don't need anything. i took a few sips on the bike, but not enough to feel like i drank a gallon of water. this feeling stayed with me until the last mile :( jim caught up to me about halfway into it. i was sad to hear his footsteps behind me. we chatted for a bit, but i couldn't keep his pace.
i kept motoring on and made the final turn towards the finish line. i thought about looking behind me to see if anyone was coming, but it's a quiet neighborhood, i didn't hear anything, and i hate looking back. i want to stay focused on what's in front of me, never behind.... kind of a life mantra for me, but if i happened to look this time, i would have noticed a speedy runner behind me. he must have been wearing sound proofing shoes or something.
therefore, i ended up taking 3rd overall with a time of 54:38. i am happy with the result, but not satisfied. i can and will do better...
by the way, the silent yet speedy runner who took 2nd was rocking newtons. so was the first woman finisher and yours truly. hat's off to you, newton running shoes!
The Hunted
Posted by Johnny Little
5.29.13
5.20.13
Happiness
Posted by Pam Schuckies
5.29.13
I just returned from yoga class tonight, where the teacher spoke about happiness, a food-for-thought topic that's been making its way into my life as a common thread recently.
I heard a review of a book called "Shift Happens" that sounded interesting, so I downloaded the audio book. To summarize, it's about how we all start life as perfect, innocent, unscarred souls, but as our lives progress, we inevitably experience negative experiences and emotions such as rejection, disappointment, heartache, anger, or feeling unworthy or unloved. We develop mental and emotional wounds and scars, some that we are aware of and some that lie deep in our unconscious minds. These drive our emotions and our behavior, and mold our self-concept and our self-confidence. We create a list of limiting beliefs that will be used to tell ourselves what we can and cannot do. This list usually lasts for life.
No one is immune to the bumps and bruises of life. We all struggle with managing our ego that emerges to try to protect us from further pain. But that ego often works against you.
The "shift" described in the book is about letting all that emotional and mental stuff be in the past - and really living in the present. Can one really do this? He presents a good logical and practical argument around the fact that thoughts aren't real. They are electrical impulses in our heads; they come and go; and that they don't have to define us. You can learn to recognize negative thoughts, see them for what they are, then choose new ones.
It's also about choosing happiness, for no good reason. Most of us have conditions in our heads that we will be happy when we...
a) find our perfect partner
b) get that perfect job
c) lose those last 10 pounds
d) finally get that dream house or car
e) win our age group in a race, or score that Kona slot
f) .....fill in the blank....
And of course there's nothing wrong with striving for goals or focusing on excellence in your life. The fallacy comes when you think that these things are the key to making you happy. Once you achieve the goal, you enjoy it for a little while, then that emptiness that made you want it in the first place creeps back and you start focusing on the next thing to make you happy. It's a vicious circle that can follow you your whole life, and make you wonder why you never feel completely whole or satisfied. The truth is, real and long-term happiness is found inside yourself, not from an external source.
People who are "achievers" often enjoy the experience of being very independent and self-reliant. Yet, as humans, we are all connected on a spiritual level, and share a collective consciousness. Nothing happens in the world that is in isolation - the Butterfly Effect if you will. Humans are wired to need each other, though our egos are quick to step in to encourage us to judge and compete with our fellow man. That independent achiever personality mentioned above may fail to recognize his innate connection with other humans and cut himself off from meaningful relationships in his life, sadly never figuring out what was really standing between him and true happiness in his life.
Just like everyone in the world, I have negative stuff in my head I need to let go. I'm sure it's an ongoing life-long process of reminding oneself what's important and what's not. But I definitely see the power in the process.
As an athlete, it's helped me shift my attitude of doing workouts because they were on the schedule and I needed to "get them done" to really trying to be present in the workout and finding joy in the movement and the water/road/trail. Thoughts are in my head. They aren't all going to be great, but the ones that aren't, I can choose to let them go and try to find some better ones.
As a competitive athlete, this perspective leads me to a place of wanting to do my best, but wanting my competition to do their best as well. I understand the common bond of a kindred spirit that I have with every triathlete who shows up on race day, and that they have worked hard to prepare as have I. I know that the energy you send out to others comes back to you at some point. I have so many examples of this in my life. It's also about letting go of the limiting beliefs that I have held about myself. In racing, I have learned that my mind will try to give up before my body must give up. So, the power is in managing those rogue thoughts.
Our Team focus is on giving back at Ironman races, and the Hawaiian word "Kokua" reflects this concept for our Team. So far, I have only met a few of the 43 athletes on our Team, but I do know that the Kokua spirit runs deep. The commitment I see in their training and racing this year, the passion they bring to our online conversations, and the stories which have brought us all together tell me a lot about each of them as a person.
Wishing you happiness.
6.17.13
Hawaii...Lake Placid...Mt. Tremblant
Posted by Justin George
Hi Guys,
A quick update on the past few weeks of my Ironman training, which saw me have experiment with some new gear, conquer seemingly impossible hills in Kona and move into my final build towards Mt Tremblant 70.3.
I decided to grab a last-minute spot on John Newsom's EPIC training camp in Kona a few weeks back, and so spent the last week of May training in the heat and humidity of Kona - The birthplace of Ironman... Here are a few nuggets for you;
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Dont rent a bike for either a race or vacation that includes more than a leisurely ride to the shops! Despite a reasonable bike rental (Cervelo P2), the bike was poorly fitted and a very different setup from my babied TT bike at home. After the first day, which consisted of riding the 180km Ironman course, I started to experienced knee pain that would haunt me for the rest of the week. Lesson learned!
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Learning from exceptional athletes - I was fortunate enough to gain some great insight and experience from a bunch of accomplished and experienced Age Group athletes on the camp. My room mate was a sub 9 hour age grouper who finished 3rd in Kona in 2010... nuff said we had plenty to talk about. Take-away tips included;
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cadence, cadence, cadence on the run (trains at 100+ cadence)
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quality over quantity when it comes to training
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you dont need to be 135lbs to be a top performing iroman athlete (my biggest fear)
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12-15 hours of quality training per week is adequate
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Climbing, climbing, climbing... tough riding that will hopefully pay dividends throughout my 2013 season.
Last weekend, the Ottawa Triathlon Club made its annual trip to Lake Placid to swim, bike, run, drink coffee, eat pizza, drink beer and relax in the hot-tub! As always the weekend produced a number of new tales that will live on for years within our tri-family... This years highlight for me was the directionally-challenged threesome; Charla, Karol and Jarrod, who set out on the intermediate ride (expected to be 3 hours), only to take a wrong turn and end up tackling some of Lake Placid's toughest climbs! Having realised they'd pedalled 4 hours in the wrong direction, they showed true 'strength of character', with a good dose of stubbornness, and decided to push-on despite the challenging terrain. They triumphantly rolled back into town 7 hours after they departed, having surprised themselves along with the more advanced groups. Definitely the performance of the weekend and deserving of a cold beer at the Lake Placid Brew pub! Inspiring stuff!
This week marks the final countdown to Mt Tremblant 70.3. If you've ever experienced a 'taper' you'll understand when I say that "I'm loosing my mind", and probably causing others around me to loose theirs! Constantly searching for the most unhealthy, indulgent food-types, frustratingly clumsy and paranoid that every little niggle or twitch is an injury ready to rear its ugly head!!!
Bring on next Sunday, I can't wait to get out there a let it rip!
6.17.13
2013 Boulder Sprint Tri Race Report
Posted by Scott Taylor
So today I raced my first triathlon of the season. Since the Boston Marathon in April, I’ve been focused on running events primarily though my training has been the usual juggle of swim, bike, run. My running fitness has been pretty good as I finished first in my age group at the Cherry Creak Sneak 10 miler (10th overall) and third for my age at Bolder Boulder (best time since 2002). But I was really unsure how things were going to go for this triathlon.
Training for the bike and run has been good. I’ve been keeping up my 20 mile long runs as I’ve been helping my training partner, Bud Pope, try to qualify for another Boston Marathon. I’ve done 2 one hundred mile bike rides and have been pretty consistent with my riding. However, I’ve struggled with motivation for swimming and haven’t done many bricks. I guess I went into this one just looking for feedback for what I need to work on as I continue my Ironman journey this season.
One thing that I need to mention is that I recently began using the Training Peaks program which has brought some organization to my training (thanks to Training Peaks for sponsoring the IM Foundation/ Newton Running Tri Team). I would admit that I’m not strictly adhered to the generic Ironman program but at least I use it as a framework for my training. I will do two activities on the program per day which is pretty well balanced among swim, bike, run and lifting. I don’t necessarily do the recommended workouts however as I tend to train harder and longer than what is recommended most days. I DO follow the swimming protocol pretty closely though.
SO with all that in mind, I tackled this race. The swim brought a unique start format. Instead of organizing everyone by age groups as I’ve grown accustomed to in many years of racing tri’s, they grouped everyone into starting corrals based on estimated 100 yard best swim times. I jumped into the 1:20-1:30 corral which was the second corral to start. This format was such an improvement over the typical age group starts. I was able to take my time to enter the water as my time didn’t start until I crossed over the timer mats. Once in the water, everyone was swimming at my pace and I didn’t have to deal with swimming over slower people who started ahead of me, or worse, being swum over by faster athletes from behind me. All in all, the whole thing went smoothly and I exited the water in a decent 13:31 for 750 meters. That put me about the same time as those who finished around me in the final standings. Felt good about that considering how sucky my motivation has been for swimming all spring.
Hopefully that will fuel the motivation for swimming going forward.
The bike started off a little rocky. When exiting T1, I had my shoes affixed to the pedals and held in the easy entry upright position with rubber bands. About 20 feet from the mount line, one of the rubber bands broke and my shoe fell off the pedal. I had to get off to the side to avoid the athletes who were exiting T1 and make my way back for my shoe. I pulled the other shoe off the opposite pedal and continued on over the mount line. I had difficulty holding my bike and getting the shoes on at the same time so I had to set the bike down, put the shoes on and then get going again. All told, this mishap probably cost me about an extra minute which can be an eternity in a sprint tri (guessing that this ultimately cost me at least 3 places in the standings). Once on my way, I slowly got in the groove.
I chose to use the Zipp 808 front and Zipp disk in the back. This seemed to be a good combo as I started picking off those people that got out of transition ahead of me. Once we got in the full swing of things, I felt like I was passing big groups of riders but was only being passed by a handful of others (mostly from the 30-34 age group). The loop ride was mostly flat and fast but I didn’t really feel that powerful. I was smooth in the pedal stroke but couldn’t really keep it going in the smaller cogs. Entering T2, I’d have to say that I was mildly disappointed with my ride as it wasn’t really up to my usual par. My average was only 22.2 mph though the mishap in exiting T1 definitely affected my average. This was a far cry from what I was expecting to do on the bike.
The exit from T2 went pretty well and I was off and running. I settled into a pretty good rhythm between 6:20-6:30. I was hoping to speed up to 6:00 pace or less by mid race but the legs didn’t really respond as I’d hoped. Though I couldn’t really speed up, I never really slowed down either . I finished the run in 19:57 which was good enough for 4th in my age group for the run out of 120 athletes. Not bad considering I hadn’t done many bricks, it was my first tri of the season and that it was at 5430 ft in elevation. I’ll take that for sure.
My final time was 1:17:20, good for 18th in age group, 120th overall. Modest results but overall I was pleased. The take home from this race was that I am on track with the swim (surprisingly), ahead of schedule for the run (unsurprisingly) and a little behind for the bike (about what I thought). Given that I was looking for feedback, I got plenty of that. I’ve got lots of time for adjustments with bricks and bike training so I’m sure I’ll be able to narrow the gaps with my competition before Ironman Lake Tahoe. I’ll get there.
So I now turn my attention to the Boulder Peak Olympic distance tri in a few weeks. I’m not planning on focusing on this race by any means. It is a B race like today’s race was and I will continue to progress with my Ironman training plan. The Boulder Peak will just be another feedback opportunity. Until then, looks like I’ve got my work cut out!
6.25.13
Well last Sunday marked the first triathlon of my busy 2013 season and it didn't disappoint with fantastic race-organisation, perfect weather, a challenging course and most importantly fantastic friends, support and a good-time all round!
The Build-up;
To say the past few months has been busy is somewhat of an understatement, but to spare you the gory details my life has been flipped upside-down and completely transformed by one incredible person and I feel blessed in ways I didn't believe could exist under such challenging circumstances! Simply put; its been an incredible 3 months and I dont need to say anymore... you know who you are and I love you! Thank you.
That said, life is all about balance, and as triathletes we know how difficult it can be to achieve the perfect balance between the three disciplines, not to mention life itself. This is another area where I find my athletic experiences reflect my life experiences! While my available time may have been challenged in the build-up to race-day, my sense of spirit and enjoyment of life had never been better. I'm a firm believer that a happy, passionate mind is a strong mind and so I felt ready to push my limits and test myself on race-day with no regret or fear.
My last triathlon was in September 2012, since which time I'd put a lot of focus on increasing my fitness, overall conditioning and making the move into a new phase of my triathlon pursuit. However such progression creates quite the dilemma for a natural-born-sprinter... Increased strength on the bike with more resilient legs on the run, means I had to redefine how to pace the race given my increased fitness level, and obviously my new race-day-aspirations. At the back end of 2012 I had spent the year mastering this new concept of 'endurance racing' where putting the hammer down on the bike only led to major pain and suffering on the run! I'd seen major leaps of improvement from the 12 months prior by easing off on the bike and controlling my weakest discipline, the run. But now I felt my run was significantly stronger, and the bike certainly a standout of the three disciplines. I decided to really use this race to test my fitness, and accept the risk of blowing up later in the race - but with 'NO FEAR'. I knew that I could race strong on the bike, while keeping some reserves for the run... the difficulty was not really knowing how my improved running ability would hold up after 90km on the bike. HERE GOES...
The Race:
Swim
A crowded swim, with the younger age groups going off last. We swam through a few hundred racers and I opted to swim wide rather than over the top of those less comfortable in the water. I also made a conscious decision to ease into the swim, keeping the heart rate down and relaxing through the 1.9km course. I exited the water in 30:03, which is probably 3-4mins slower than I should be, but I knew the real time was won or lost over the course of the next 4 hours, so I was happy to jog through to transition.
T1
It was clear by my lack of organisation and slickness this was my first tri of the year... not a great T1, that ended in 5:23... ouch! Perhaps the break to kiss my girl added to this, but now more than ever I know how important it is to always keep your priorities in check... Balance! Kissing the most important woman in my life is a top priority!
Bike
WOW, WOW, WOW... What a bike course. Rolling hills on a super-fast surface... I loved every minute of it! The roads were busy, given the amount of racers ahead of my wave, but I took advantage of the motivation to pass probably 1000 people! There's nothing quite like the feeling of flying along the highway at 50kph as you whip past racer after racer... I felt very strong and made sure not to get over-confident, constantly re-checking my cadence, PE and holding back for the run that lay ahead. I came into T2, with a 2:29 bike split, averaging 47kph in the last 10km. I'm not sure what my top speed was on some of those fast descents, but I've got a feeling it was up in the 80's. Despite feeling great there were some lessons. Salt tablets dissolve! The weather was terrible the night before the race, so my bento box was wet on race-morning when I loaded it with my nutrition for the bike-leg... This included my salt tabs, which I discovered had completely disappeared when I got out onto the highway! This would come back to bite me later in the race. Next time - put them in a container inside the bento box.
T2
I flew through transition feeling incredible. My legs off the bike were light and fast. High cadence and short strides. 1:30 T2, and I was out onto the run course feeling great! I even made time for another kiss... Balance and Priorities!
Run
I was somewhat surprised how great my legs felt over the first 5km, which is reasonably hilly and challenging. Despite some faster runners beside me I restrained from letting them set my pace and settled into a comfortable zone, using purely perceived excursion (PE), not a GPS or HR monitor. The next 5km were also strong, relaxed and light, as I held a solid run pace at 4:45min/km into the turnaround point. At this point I was passing people, which is rare for me as a Swim-Biker...and I started to dream!
Big News - After 3 half Ironmans and one full it finally happened! I PEED MYSELF! In everyday life, this wouldn't be something to broadcast on the Internet, but in the triathlon community it means one thing... my nutrition strategy was finally working and I wasn't dehydrated! Unfortunately the urge to pee hadn't come on the bike, which is the traditional spot for mid-race potty stops... instead I had a swelling urge while clipping along the run course... For a guy, its not an easy task to pee while running... I'm sure some of my race photos will highlight the weird look on my face as I try to relax enough to get things working... I felt very sorry for the guy running off my shoulder... thats enough about that... wet shoes for the back 10km!
At 12km, I really started to take a turn for the worse... and I could feel the suffering creeping into my body. No Fear... Keep moving! The temperature was rising and I was starting to feel the affect of my salt-tablet mistake! I'd also left my reserve tablets in transition so was now in real trouble. I tried to loosen the legs, shorten the stride and increase my cadence, but it only last a few minutes at a time before the pain, cramping, aching returned! My hip flexors were starting to seize and I knew tough times lay ahead. Panic started to set into my mind, as I still had a significant stretch to go... I gave myself a mental slap in the face, and told myself that the next 10km were an opportunity to prove my strength of character and earn the pride and self-respect that waited at the finish line... "the next hour will define this race"... "its only 3 x 20minutes of hard effort". This really helped and although my paced significantly dropped over the 3rd 5km section of the race, I kept moving and at no point was I reduced to a mentally-defeated state of mind. Positive, positive, positive. Despite some tough hills at the back end of the course, and my seized hips and cramping legs, I increased my pace significantly and pushed through to 20km, where the course climbs again upto the resort of Mt Tremblant and you get to see the reward the awaits. The final 500m were a blur of pain, familiar faces and legs all over the place... I hammered down the shoot and across the finishline... and was actually shocked when my legs completely gave-out a mere 10 seconds across the line... I was thankfully caught by a strong finishline volunteer, but I was down for a couple of minutes. While lying exhausted on the ground, I felt a quiet sense of pride, achievement and real progression in my performance. Less than 2 years earlier I'd started triathlon after 10 years of inactivity. I'd dropped 50lbs, rediscovered my true-self and overcome all doubters that natural sprinters can change!
2 years ago I started out on my triathlon journey and completed my first 70.3 race in 7:01... 20 months later I crossed the finishling at the 2013 Mt Tremblant 70.3 race in 5:02. I had hoped to cross the line in under 5:00 hours, but it was close enough... with some big areas to work on and plenty of hope and inspiration for future improvement.
Once I could stand I actioned priority #1... another kiss! I am massively thankful for the great friends that shared in such an incredible weekend... from the pre-race rides to pre-race dinner to post race celebrations.... I'm truly very fortunate to be surrounded by such great people and it made my whole experience so much more satisfying! I'm especially thankful to have such a wonderful woman in my life, that not only ignites my inner fire, but brings love and energy to any situation, and is quite simply beautiful in every way.
I'm very proud of my performance, while realising I still have alot of work to do... Thats why we do this! Thats what I enjoy.... and that means I get to do it again!
In 2 months I return to Mt Tremblant to take on the full Ironman... between now and then, my legs are going to be doing alot of work!
First Triathlon Race Report of 2013
Posted by Justin George
6.30.13
Race Report for IRONMAN 70.3 Syracuse
Posted by Ed Shifflett
Race morning started with a 3:30am alarm. I put down some breakfast and walked over to an adjacent hotel to meet Liz Kollar, who was kind enough to chauffer me to the race. Her kindness allowed my wife and 2 kids to get another 2 plus hours of sleep. On the drive to the race site, we noticed the temperature was 80°. Ouch! With plenty of time before my wave started (7:45am), I was able to take my time, relax, set up transition, and sit back and watch everyone else running around like crazy. At about 7:15am, I met my wife and kids, chatted for a few minutes, and headed to the water to get in my warm-up.
I love wave starts for triathlons. I was able to position myself in the first row, to the left, with buoys on our right. Ideal for me as I have a tendency to drift slightly right when swimming. Water temperature was a pleasant 70.7°. I was able to settle in at a good pace almost immediately and swam strong and steady. No concerns, issues, or obstacles. I attribute this to the wave start. Swim time – 33:07. Pretty darn good for me!
T1 was painless and I got on my bike and headed out for the 56 mile ride. I tried to settle in and pace myself. Based on feedback from previous race participants, the first half of the bike was hilly and they recommended backing off on the pace and saving something in the tank for the 2nd half of the bike. So, I backed off. Well, I wasn’t quite prepared for some of the short steep climbs. My gearing was a 53/39 up front and an 11/23 cassette. I could have used a 12/28 cassette as I found myself pushing too large a gear up the hills. Oh well. I kept the pace moderate based on heart rate and perceived exertion. I have taken a new approach to racing this year and am not using a GPS or cyclometer for any races. We’ll see how it goes. We had a slight headwind for the first part of the ride, and I also noticed how hot it was getting. If it feels hot on the bike, then that never bodes well for the run. Good news was that we had a tail wind for the 2nd half of the bike. The second half of the bike also flattened out and I made sure to keep the pace and effort moderate, but no more. I finished the bike in 2:42:47. A slow time for me, but I knew I needed to back off due to heat, humidity, and hills.
T2 was uneventful and off I went for the run. I knew within the first ½ mile that the run was going to be tough. It was HOT! I saw my family just shy of mile 1 and that made me feel a little better. The run has a pretty steep climb just after mile 2 to about mile 3. It’s a steep hill, which flattens out then heads up again at a low grade to the turnaround. It was unbelievable that I only saw 5 or so people run the entire hill. Again, I ran by effort and heart rate and kept things moderate. I noticed my pace was slow, but hey ho – this was not a key race and I was training through it. The run was 2 loops, so I saw my family at about mile 6, then again at mile 7ish. I did all I could at each aid station to get the body temperature down – drinking, sponges, water, ice. Run time – 1:56:42.
Total race time – 5:18:11. This put me 20th in my age group (M40-44) and 162 overall. One of the slowest times I have had in a while, but I was (am) not disappointed given the heat, course, and no taper for the race. It was a day of perseverance for me - ensuring I stayed within myself, kept the pace below normal race pace, and enjoyed the moment.
7.1.13
By the Numbers
Posted by Johnny Little
Lincoln Park Triathlon June 30, 2013
it's a sprint distance triathlon... 500 meter swim, 10 mile bike ride and 3.1 run. the swim is in the community lake, shallow and warm. the bike course is flat and fast. it's not closed to traffic, but the people there always seem to respect bikers. that's not the case in my town. the volunteers are everywhere on the course, and emt are on bike cruising the roads as well. the run is out-and-back on a flat road. even though the event organizers are friends, i would say the same thing anyways. well organized, fun and safe race. applebee's serves lunch at the end too. it's a perfect race for a first timer.
they cap the entry off at 300 people. i would say about 1/3 were above average competitors, a 1/3 average and 1/3 newbies. last year, i started in the bottom third and finished in the middle. but this year, i would only be satisfied with a win, or at least, top 3 finish. as roselle and i drove down to the race, she wanted to know:
1. my race plan
2. how i would deal with less competitive athletes
**i think she's a bit more concerned about me since my accident; and at eagleman, hearing about kessler crashing into an amateur**
race plan
in my super cool aussie accent 'i'm going to swim hard, bike hard, and run hard. hopefully puke at finish'. got a laugh, but i was serious. body felt great and wanted to push.
bottom 1/3
her concern was about etiquette. if i was going to push 24 mph on bike and the cruisers' weren't, maneuvering through the field could be difficult on second loop. some spots it was, but 'on your left' followed by 'thank you' certainly works. last year, i remember hearing that swooshing sound of fancy wheelsets coming, and i would move over. thanks to the boys at flo cycling, i'm swooshing as i fly by. but race etiquette is learned by experience. i'm certain i was in the way last year as i was learning the sport.
race time
at the last second, i decided to put on the wetsuit. water temp was 75. it was legal, and my thought was that i'm quick to get out of it, so it won't hurt me in transition. they divided the swim into waves by gender and age. it's 500 meters, so it's an all-out effort. gun went off and so did i. before i knew it, i was passing the wave before us (starting 3 minutes ahead) and i was on dry land again. super fast.
last year's swim 7:38, this year's 4:24
stripped off the wetsuit and was on the bike in no time. the bike course is flat and fast with a few turns. there's only one road that you really need to watch for potholes and the like. i put my head down and pedaled hard. my bike speed has certainly increased over the past year and i wanted to get to the front asap. on the second loop, the majority of the competitors were now riding. when and where i could, i'd turn it up and motor on by. last year's bike split 28:38, this year's 26:32. sweet!
back into transition, i laced up the newton's. they fit like a glove with no need for socks. time saving bonus.
my #1 fan and personal photographer yelled at me to smile as i left transition.
i ran by myself for just about 2 miles. there were a few older guys (wave 1 was 35-44 male) ahead of me and flying. a few caught me too. on my way back to the finish, i shouted encouragements to my fellow racers, received a few comments on my sweet kicks and my behind. i don't get it, but it's not the first time.
last year's 3.1 24:03, this year's 21:49
my overall time was 56:11. improving by almost 8 minutes off of last year's time. i took first in my age group, had the 3rd fastest swim time overall, 17th fastest bike overall and 24th fastest run of the day. however, i didn't vomit at the finish line. i felt pretty good, so i guess that means i need to push harder next time.
7.8.13
Get Lucky
Posted by Meghan Henry
The old adage of “good things come to those who wait” is a bunch of bull crap. I can’t think of one single instance of me, sitting around, watching the world go by, and suddenly….POOF…good fortune comes my way. If something of “good nature” did come my way with me patiently sitting around, then the shallow me would call this “luck.” But the somewhat wise (more often not wise) Meghan would realize that luck is not created by merely waiting, but by the necessary preparation to succeed, which will inevitably, collide with the moment of an opportunity.
To switch things up now, Good things come to those who wait good things come to those who are willing to work their butt off and who never give up. With IRONMAN Lake Placid 20 days away, I am finally able to see just how much I have improved over the years. Sacrifices were made: weekends were given up in order to have beneficial training days. I have gone to hell and back, dealing with the mental and physical pain of training. And I don’t regret one training ride or run, a forever scarred body from the literal crash and burns of biking, or even the tears shed in order to be where I am now.
Looking back at my first IRONMAN 70.3 in Lake Stevens, Washington, I crossed the finish line in 6:51:40. This year, I competed in IRONMAN 70.3 Florida, with an improved time of 5:20:45.
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IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Stevens |
My run has drastically improved this year, thanks to Newton Running. I have not had one single running injury this year. I remember last year, I was ecstatic to be able to run 10:00min miles. Now, I can hold a solid 8:30 pace for over 16 miles.
***And this isn’t me bragging. This is my own realizations of my own improvements. For me, this is my own definition of my triathlon journey success.
In 20 days, I will have the opportunity to test myself once again: to cross the finish line, under 17 hrs, covering a distance of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. I have my personal ambitions of success for this race (I can’t spill just in case I jinx myself). I have worked my butt off for the past 9 months, preparing myself for IRONMAN Lake Placid. I have never felt more strong, more prepared, and most importantly, I finally feel somewhat confident in my athletic abilities.
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Since it is crutch-time for Lake Placid, my living room is now converted. I made my sofa into my "nap bed." Once I get off my bike, I crash for an hour, then get back on the bike. It's a sweet set-up to say the least. Life of a triathlete. |
With two IRONMAN events underneath my belt, I have already experienced the worst case scenario on race day. I know how it feels like to have the fate of failure swarm around me, as I was one mile from the finish line. I know that my mind is stronger than my body, as I pushed myself to the near end, ultimately sending me to the emergency room, after finishing with 15 minutes to spare. I know that I have NEVER quitted on anything that I have started. I know that in 20 days, on race day, anything can happen and anything is possible. But whatever does happen to me, I will finish, and I will finish with a smile on my face, knowing my success and improvement upon this journey.
Sometimes, all it takes is a leap of faith. Have faith in yourself and recognize your own improvements on your journey. Don’t be a bystander, expecting to see “good things” served to you on a silver platter. You will never receive it. Guaranteed. Take a risk, make a sacrifice, and go for it. Sacrifices will be made, but it will all be worth it in the end. Enjoy the journey and not just the finish line. Your preparation, hard work, and ultimately, your dreams, will collide with an opportunity, with the end creation of your own hard earned luck.
Cheers to creating your own luck!
7.9.13
Honest
Posted by Justin George
So folks, in the spirit of this; "an honest blog", this post tells a familiar tale, and one that I'm sure most can identify with, even if it doesnt reflect your own story...
Successful, confident, invicible...
HUMBLED
bouncing back, but without significant change
KNOCKED DOWN AGAIN
changing, adapting, rebuilding...becoming a better person
DOWN AGAIN
wondering why... struggling back up... standing tall
ONLY TO FALL AGAIN...
This blog may not be perfectly written or correctly structured... instead its a myriad of internal thoughts, honesty and confession... Those who have followed my blog over the past few months know a little about the winding road I've walked over the past year... In fact since discovering the wonderful world of triathlon over 2 years ago, my life has twisted and turned... throwing me in every direction, upside down and inside out.
Unlike so many of the inspirational stories I hear everyday from within our diverse triathlon community, my story is not an admirable or dignified battle against life-threatening illness or tragic bereavement... I cannot confess to have made good choices or done the 'right' things in so many aspects of my life. Instead, my battle has been against the worst of myself, my own mistakes and the path I never thought I would walk... my battle is about rebirth and second chances.
As I've said before, I increasingly believe that my sporting experiences reflect those of my life. 2 years ago, I went through an awakening! Since walking away from my swimming career 10 years earlier, I continued to fool myself that my body and mind were being nurtured and respected... I was overconfident, successul, but definately not always deserving and generally unappreciative for all that I'd been blessed with. In 2010 I woke up one morning and saw all I had become. On the surface I was overweight and unfit, but deep inside was where the real issues were. I was depressed and unhappy... and only 26 years old. I had selfishly pushed away those who loved and cared for me, abused my body and spiralled into a self-destructive state. My life had drifted so far from the path I had wanted to walk, and I felt the hole was deep.
The path that followed this awakening had many ups and downs. Knowing I needed to change was the easy part, knowing how to change was more challenging. I'm human; I've made mistakes, and without a doubt, I'm sure I will continue to make mistakes. The tough thing about realising that almost every facet of my life had lost meaning, significance and a sense of truth, was that its like trying to solve 10 jigsaw puzzles at once... the pieces all get mixed together and I found myself in more of a mess than before. I'd pulled apart the pieces, but now felt completely lost.
This is a good analogy of my life over the past 2 years. I've honestly tried very hard to make some real life changes. Reconnect with those whom I love, and in return love me. Be a good father for my beautiful children. Make a difference through my work and career. Rediscover my athletic passion and strive towards personal fulfillment.... and most importantly make amends for the mistakes I'd made during the darkness. While I made some huge strides with alot of these promises, pieces of the various jigsaws got mixed together and at times it was hard to see the big picture. Just like in my triathlon training, while every race I've tackled has seen my performance improve, there have continually been new struggles.
Pacing was better, but nutritian was a mess
Emphasis on running really paid off, but my swim was compromised
Bike strength has massively improved, but flexibility is posing problems
Injuries from too much running, means my legs felt weak, but mental strength pushed me to the finishline.
Despite major improvements over the past 2 years in this sport, I am continually humbled, knocked down and reminded that the journey has only just begun... and isnt anywhere near complete.
This mirrors my life...
Being humbled is the best thing that ever happenned to me, both in my athletic experiences and in my life... It made me realise what I had so calously taken for granted. My body, my mind and quite frankly my 'family, friends and love'. In a perfect world, I would rectify these mistakes knowing exactly how best to get my life back on track... but just like my triathlon training, knowing I have a weak run, is an easier feat than turning myself into a 2:40 marathoner! It takes patience, one step at a time!
I've gone through brutally honest soul searching and self-examination, and comitted to change.
I've built a new sense of self-respect and respect for others.
I've learned to forgive
I've shifted my focus to honest hard work, rather than luck and chance
I've given, without expecting anything in return
I've found faith in something larger than myself
I've given thanks for the beauty in my life
I've loved
Ive lost
But, I keep on moving forward, because I believe in the Masterplan.
I've come to realise that life is a journey. The low times give meaning and significance to the highs, and the continual pursuit for balance and peace acts as our early-warning system when the puzzle pieces start to get mixed together, or lost entirely. But, no matter how jumbled the pieces get, I believe there is always a way to put them back in their place.
I finally feel like all the puzzle pieces are back in their respective piles, now its just a case of rebuilding the pictures... separate, yet undoubtedly connected.
Many of you reading this have played a part in my journey, and for that I thank you.
While I admire and respect so many I know who have fought through life-threatening challenges and overcome the odds, I can honestly say that no matter how dignified the struggle, self-inflicted or otherwise, we are all 'lost' at one point in our lives. We're human. But we also have more strength inside us than we realise, and its that strength that makes putting the puzzle back together possible... No matter how jumbled the pieces have become. Time, effort and a committment to change is all thats required.
Funny, that these things are also the same characteristics required to achieve our athletic goals.
Time, effort and commitment...
The hole is never too deep and our lives are more inter-connected than we realise. Perhaps when we finish putting the pieces of the separate puzzles together, we'll realise it forms one whole picture, and the pieces were never really jumbled in the first place...
7.13.13
Where it all began...
Posted by Steph Middleton
It had been a long time since I had ridden a bike – I grew up riding them – but not like this. I had a banana bike when I was 10 – the great big long seat – and streamers on the handlebars. When I outgrew that one – I inherited a hand me down bike from my mother’s hair dresser. It was so much too big for me that I had to ride it standing up so I could reach the pedals. But I loved them both – they gave me freedom and they also meant that I could ride my bike to do my paper route. And when Easter Seals decided to do a 27 mile bike ride as a fund raiser – I signed on and asked for 10 cents a mile from my neighbors and rode the 27 miles standing up.
I came back to biking thru my husband who, having raced when he was younger, decided to take it up again and get serious. I suppose if he had been a golfer, at some point I would’ve started hitting the links. Instead, the more intense his training became, the more it started to appeal to me – at least intellectually. So one summer in Maine, his trainer was set up in the kitchen overlooking the marsh and it used to taunt the chubbier version of me. Now, my husband is about my size – maybe a shade taller. So when he decided to take the kids up the hill after dinner to get ice cream, I decided I could sneak a ride. I put on his bike shoes and climbed aboard ….. actually enjoying pedaling to nowhere and letting my mind wander.
All of a sudden I heard the crunch of the car on the gravel driveway and had a major panic attack — I was stuck! I had No Idea how to get my feet out of the shoes or the shoes out of the pedals! In walks my family and all jaws hit the floor! What was MOM doing on Dad’s bike?
I was caught and my husband was taking great pleasure in the fact that I might’ve come over to the “dark side”.
The next morning after some coaxing and some practice runs on the grass to get used to clipping in and out, he sent me out for a real ride wearing some of his bike “stuff”. I was in heaven and thinking I was all that and a bag of chips to be clipped in and looking so put together. So about an hour later I came back up the driveway to my husband sitting there waiting with a huge smile on his face. Thinking he’s so delighted as he comes over to give me what I think is my reward kiss, he leans in and bobs his head to miss my lips and crane his neck so he can read the power meter!
I don’t know about you, but for me that meant Game On!
7.14.13
I Am the Batman
Posted by Johnny Little
i started the day off a bit nervous. every time you do something for the first time, it's scary. you're not sure what to expect. but as we drove to the race site, i settled down a bit. 'you've completed 3 half-ironmans, this is half of that distance', 'calm down weirdo'. even though it was a shorter distance, i was a bit concerned on timing. presently, it's exactly two weeks away from ironman lake placid. so, i couldn't push too hard, no sense getting hurt, you know? however, i have a problem with competition.
my first olympic distance triathlon, orange county triathlon, consisted of 1500 meter swim (just shy of a mile) 40 kilometer bike (24.8 miles) and finishes with a 10 kilometer run (6.2 miles).
as i made my way through the transition area, my bike, newly named, 'da batmobile', was turning heads and getting cat(woman) calls. i have noticed that i have quite the popular bike, but i enjoy being unique. insert, 'da batmobile'. it is stealth, gun-barrel black to match my flo cycling wheel set. and...it. is. sexy. the boys at action bikes, my local bike shop, dubbed it 'da batmobile' after they put it all back together for me. perfecto! now...
da batmobile
while i set up my transition area, numerous competitors asked what kokua meant and also about my sweet race kit. kokua is a hawaiian word, that translates as 'extending loving, sacrificial help to others for their benefit, not for personal gain...' which led to more questions about our team and my role as an ambassador for the ironman foundation. it was fantastic having their complete attention as i spoke about all the intricacies of the team. i've never felt so honored and humbled. truly thankful for the opportunity to do something great, while completing a dream.
the swim was in the hudson river. yup, the same river that flows down through nyc, but (i hope) a bit cleaner up north by me. they labeled each 500 meters on buoys, which is a fantastic idea. i swam straight and strong. in and out in 18 minutes, wonderful swim. game on, let's push...
dang, down to 160lbs
hopped aboard 'da batmobile' and went to work. the course was quite hilly for the first half, but i loved the climbing. didn't want to hurt myself too much, but the engine was motoring along, so i kept pedaling along. the final mile was straight downhill back to the river, which crosses cobblestone patches. thought i might pee my pants, which is cool in triathlon, but thankfully, made it back in one piece and looked to tackle the run.
sweet race kit right?
the run (which i didn't check the race profile prior) was 3.1 miles uphill, 3.1 miles downhill to the finish. laced up my newtons and hit the pavement. making my way uphill, i figured that i would definitely have negative splits on the day, bonus. i was so happy to see the turnaround. and then, an angel appeared before me. (whoa, didn't see that coming did you?) a homeowner was out cheering us on and pulled out a cooler full of ice and water bottles. it was magical. i was so hot and prayed for shade and ice water to dump over my head and it appeared before my eyes. so refreshing that it boosted my final push.
crossed the line 2:29:05, placing second in my age group. not too bad. especially, since i wasn't supposed to push too much. t minus two weeks, 'da batmobile' will ride again in lake placid.
7.14.13
Final Build
Posted by Justin George
Hi all,
After my last race and post-race reflection I've made some big changes to my training in the final few weeks before Ironman Mt Tremblant.
Running
I'm running daily to increase my body's ability to run tired. Mostly slow runs, my daily run is somewhere around an hour, but at my IM pace. A mid-week track session to push the tempo and intensity is also supplemented by a long weekend run of around 3 hours. This also means running with my two young children when I have custody. Since the separation, this has been every second weekend, and while I have previously kept Ironman training out of this precious time with my babies, I have now decided to include some long running with them in the stroller... brigs a whole new dimension to hill training!
Cycling
Daily rides on my trainer should keep my bike legs in condition after a strong bike leg at Mt Tremblant 70.3. Last weekend included a long 6 hour ride, and these longer rides will continue until 2 weeks out from race-day.
Swimming
Although I come from a strong swimming background, and have put the emphasis on my run and bike over the past year, I'm finding time to get out and swim Open Water with friends at least once per week in the final buildup. This is also good recovery from the lower body strain I'm inflicting on my body.
Conditioning
The final month will see me increase my conditioning and strength training as I try to lean down and boost my core strength going into the Ironman. This is a careful balance, as with these high intensity circuit training activities the risk of injury is pretty high.
Mental Strength
These final few weeks also bring back memories from Lake Placid 2012. That race pushed me to my mental limit and beyond, and showed a strength of mind I didn't think I had... It also scared the cr*p out of me. Thoughts of last years brutal suffering push me to work extra hard in these final few weeks, as I really don't want to go through that again. The real fear comes from knowing that if all goes wrong on race day, I wont yield, I wont give in... and so I'm in for a whole load of pain again!
These final few weeks are about preparing myself for the pain. Accepting that no matter how well the day goes, there will be pain and suffering. Accepting this fact and building towards it, will dampen the fear and prepare my mind to fight through whatever presents itself on August 18th.
Finishline suffering in Lake Placid 2012
Sacrifices
I have decided to cut my race schedule short, by withdrawing from the Toronto Tri Festival on July 21. This will facilitate another long weekend of cycling and running without the temptation to ease off and rest/recover from a race within the final month of preparation. This was a tough decision as I'd very much been looking forward to racing at the Short Course National Championships in Toronto, but I know my own ego would push extra hard on July 21, and I would undoubtedly have 3-4 post race days of recovery. This plus a couple of days of easing into the race, and the loss of the longer rides and runs over the weekend itself, are just simply too much time to loose.
One month to go... bring on the Ironman!
7.15.13
2013 Boulder Peak Tri Race Report
Posted by Scott Taylor
Ah, the Boulder Peak Tri. I have been ducking you for years since my last go around in 2004 (I think my heart rate is STILL elevated from that race). For those of you who don’t know, this race features a WICKED 15% (or so) grade right in the middle of the 24 mile ride. It is a brutally hard climb that can humble even the pros. But for some reason I violated my “never again” mantra and decided to take another stab at this race (mainly as preparation for Ironman Lake Tahoe in a few months).
SWIM: This race featured another rolling start that allowed triathletes to seed themselves in starting corrals according to their predicted 1500m finishing times (vs fastest 100m time in my last race) . My swim split in 2004 was 26:45 so I decided to jump in the 25:00-27:00 corral (the second corral to start). I think that folks were a little wiser in this race in spacing themselves out evenly when the gun went off (as opposed to the whole mob clamoring to get out of the start first as they did in the Sprint race in June). One’s time doesn’t start until after they pass over the timing mats so there’s really no point in getting in the water first anymore. I seemed to find open water most of the way thru the race (as opposed to feeling like I was swimming in a wash machine in that June race). I felt good about the fact that I was able to swim a straight line just to the outside of the buoys. I would sight the buoys about every 20 strokes or so. So that is a big success for me as I’m usually swimming out in left field and spending the entire race trying to get back on course. The finishing stretch felt pretty strong so I can tell that my swim training is starting to get me where I need to be for the upcoming Ironman race. Swim split was 26:44, one second faster than 9 yrs ago…I’ll take it!
BIKE: This course features a pretty steady climb out of T1. I decided to take it pretty easy on that and until I got over the top of Old Stage (the aforementioned climb of nastiness). I think my problem in the last time I did this race was that I tried to hammer up Old Stage only to put myself in the red zone for the entire climb. That kind of racing burns too many matches and kills the leg speed in the run. So this year, I dialed the effort way back on the climb and felt pretty good at the top. I was able to accelerate over the top to pass most of those who had passed me earlier in the climb. On most of the flat sections on the back side of the course, I was noticing my pace in the 25-26 mph range. So I was very pleased about that. My split was 1:09:03 which was only slightly slower than the splits of those that finished around me. But I’ll take it given that I slowed my pace intentionally on the Old Stage climb.
RUN: My legs felt great exiting T2 which made me realize that the strategy to hold back on the Old Stage climb was working out. I was able to manage 6:30-6:40 for most of the run and picked off several folks who had passed me on the bike. It’s always a pleasure to pass guys in my age group (of course with a rolling swim start, there’s no way to tell whether you are actually moving ahead of them in the standings given that they may have started several minutes behind you on the swim….but I’ll take it for what it’s worth). I was fairly consistent with pacing thru the entire run so I was pleased with the effort. Run split was 41:05, good enough for 5th fastest of 148 finishers in my age group.
OVERALL: Race time was 2:20:08 placing me 11th of 148 in age group. This is an improvement from 15th in the Boulder Sprint race in June. I wouldn’t say I’m really crushing it in any phase of the race at this point but I’m definitely headed in the right direction. I’m usually better the longer the race goes so I’m glad to have the short course races out of the way. I’m pleased with the effort for this race however. For a B race, the only real goal is to demonstrate to myself that I’m on track for the bigger races to come. I think I did that for this race. Hoping to keep the momentum going for the next race, Boulder 70.3. It ,too, is a B race but it will be a more important indication of my fitness level heading into Ironman Lake Tahoe. Looking forward to the hard block of training to see if I can keep moving up the standings in races to come. On to the next….til next time!