2015 Year in Racing Recap

I thought for my own sake it would be good to recap my 2015 races and discuss what my goals were and if I hit them or not.  The overall goal of this year was to compete in races out of my comfort zone and push my limits so that I can become a stronger athlete (mind and body).  These races that don't exactly suit my strengths would include very tough, hot, hilly, and mountainous events.  Again, my goals were not oriented around winning, but more about pushing my mind and body to new places.

The season started with the Columbia Triathlon.  It's claimed to be one of the toughest olympic distance tris in the country due to the hills,  I had a good race here, though my result did not show it.  I flatted halfway through the bike and lost about 3 minutes fixing that. Ran well off the bike for an early season race and still finding my fitness. Considering the tire flat, I was happy with this race. Swim fitness was still building, so my time was relatively slow as expected.

My second event was the Baltimore 10 miler. A very competitive race. I did this to see get a better idea of where my fitness was at leading into the triathlon season and get a good training day in.  I was a couple minutes off my goal of 59 minutes,. I chalk it up to the hilly coarse and a difficult winter to train in.

The third race was Challenge Atlantic City 70.3.  This was my first high priority race of the year.  It was not intended to be anything else than a very fast race and I did have expectations of going fast.  The conditions of the event took a bad turn when rain storms completely turned the coarse inside out.  The swim location was moved and the bike coarse was ravaged by debris and sediment.  My swim time wasn't great, but good enough.  Unfortunately I flatted 2 times during the bike and as it happened I was in the lead at about 35 miles into the race when I flatted.  I could only fix the one flat and was shit outa luck with the second flat. There was no bike support provided.  I was stuck in the middle of know where and had a nightmare of a time getting back to my stuff.  It was so bad that I was refunded my money.  Over the day I think they said over 35 people had flats.  So this race was a bust!

The next race was Challenge Pocono Mountains 70.3.  This was a challenging coarse through the hills of the Poconos, plus it was extremely hot.  I had a pretty good swim, and a pretty good bike ( I finally did not flat!).  I held back a little bit on the bike due to the heat and also thinking I should save energy for the run.  I ended up cramping up pretty bad a couple miles into the run. I couldn't shake them off and ended up walking way too much.  The run was a fail.  But still finished well overall. And best of all I became a stronger athlete from it.

Last triathlon of the year was Savageman 70.3 "toughest triathlon in the world".  Not sure how true that is, but this was a hell of a coarse.  The amount of climbing on the bike and on the run was ridiculous. It was the hardest tri I've done yet, but I had a lot of fun.  The day was about celebrating a great summer of racing and training and being very fit. I had a good swim, great bike (for using a road bike), and a decent run.  I was happy with my race.  I cramped up immediately coming off the bike, but that went away and I slogged through hilly run.  Races like these are more about completing the coarse rather than getting a new personal record. Stoked to have my name carved into the stone road at the top of 'The Wall'.

Next race was the Baltimore Marathon.  I decided to race this about 3 days before the event. I thought it would be a good training day to prepare for a couple ultra marathons coming up.  I had not trained for a marathon all year, but the half marathon training and half ironman racing made me more than ready to run a relatively quick marathon.  My goal was to just break 3 hours.  The last bit of the course was pretty hilly which didn't plan for during the first half of the marathon.  I was thinking I could do two 90 minute half marathons. But I slowed the second half to where a sub 3 hours wasn't possible. At least qualified for Boston 2017.

Two weeks after the marathon was the Roseryville 50k ultra marathon trail race in support the veterans.  I did this last year and had a fun time.  This year was a somewhat different since I ran the majority of it solo, not in a group. Last year I stayed in a group of three until about 20 miles, which helps more mentally than anything else. This year I was gunning to run sub 4 hours for 32 miles.  About 8 miles in I rolled my ankle on some tree roots.  It was bad enough were I could not put pressure down on it and figured my race was over at that point, I mean another 23 miles on it sounded impossible at first. But I am stubborn and going home without finishing was the absolute last thing I wanted so I walked for about a half mile, then began to run slow on it, and eventually the pain went away and I was back to running normal.  I did a 4:07, just over my sub 4 hour goal, but I took it as a personal victory overcoming that setback.

Racing just like life is about overcoming setbacks and challenges, staying positive, and pushing forward.  This year was all about overcoming mental challenges of my mind telling me I need to stop or slow down.  No matter how bad it hurts there is no better feeling than crossing a finish line knowing you overcame the hard challenges of the day and that you've become a better person mentally and physically because of it.

Information about 2016 plans coming soon!

Who's Got the Sauce

Racing News:

USA Triathlon -Duathlon Long Course National Championships is on April 28th.  I raced this last year in Maryland, but dropped out due to injury.  Guess where it is taking place in 2013.. Enumclaw, Washington    (just west of Seattle).  I have a buddy racing it from UO, I am really considering racing too.  Though I am in no shape to win, I can easily qualify for World Championships which is located in Switzerland this year. The next two weeks of training will determine whether or not I race.  It'll be hard passing up on racing DU Nationals. I also have Wildflower a week after on May 5th. 

Also, cycling form has returned to me quite quickly, thankfully.  It took a couple days, but swim endurance has also returned to me somewhat quickly too, swim speed... that's another issue.  Since starting back, I swim 5 days a week.  Running speed and endurance are probably my biggest problems right now due to the weight gain... but I am improving each day and that's all I can ask for.

Exciting News:

Newly  re-Located in Portland, OR - Planet X upgraded me to their newest race machine with new SRAM components. Total racing weight is 18.6 lbs (roughly 1 lb lighter than the previous model). Nothing like a new bike to get me motivated!

Here's the New Bike.  Planet X Exocet 2.  Lighter. Stiffer. Cleaner. More Aero. More Sexy!

Feel free to contact me for more info about PX's new TT bike.

Hey, Earth Day is Coming! What Changes Will You Make This Year To Lower Your Impact on the Planet?

70.3 World Championship Race Report & West Coast Adventure Photos

 This report is way overdue, but better late than never..
(Additional Redwood Forest, Oregon Coast Pics at page bottom)

I don't have much time to explain the race so I will keep this short and sweet and provide a few pictures..
Pre Race
I got into Las Vegas 2 days before the race.  I had just spent a week driving across the country and hiking and exploring some amazing national parks as my previous post and dropbox pictures obviously portray.  Before I left VA I had a solid month of race preparation.  Only a month because I spent June-August dealing with a multitude of injuries.  My mindset coming into this race was just to enjoy it and experience one of the toughest race courses in the world.  I was not in race mode at all.. mostly due to the fact my head was still in Bryce Canyon and Arches NP but also that I knew I was not in super great race condition.  Dealing with everything listed in my previous blog really prevented me from training like I needed. But it is all good.  I did not even shave my legs for this race ;)

 The Swim
I felt comfortable the entire 1.2 mile swim in the Las Vegas Lake.  I found some feet to draft off of for a good half of it.  Upon looking at my swim split apparently I was too comfortable. I guess I drafted behind a relatively slower swimmer.  I was a good 4-5 minutes off my usual 29-30 minutes.  Transition from the swim to the bike was a good 600 meters.

The Bike
I'm not going to explain how hard this bike course was, but just say that there were no flat sections.. mostly all uphills into the mountains. It was crazy hot and the dry air killed me.  I pretty much gave up biking hard at mile 35.  Everything else after that was just finish mode.. easy training pace.  I was done trying to "race", I lost all motivation.  The bike course was beautiful! I would enjoy training on it more.

The Run
Did I mention it was 107 degrees out during this race.  Yes it was that hot.  Truthfully I think racing in 95 degrees and 100% humidity like in Virginia Beach is tougher, but its never easy racing in extreme heat.  There was zero shade on the run course.  Also many many long uphills on the run course.  I started the run with debilitating cramps in my quads I had to walk almost the entire first mile. Unfortunately I did not bring enough salt tablets to last me through the bike and through the run. I walked a decent amount the first 6 miles.  I was more than ready to just be done.  As I has said, I was just going through the motions.  Although I finally woke up around mile 10 and stayed at a 6ish mile pace till the end.  I crossed the line feeling like I had just had a good training day in tough conditions.  I was not tired like I had raced one of the toughest courses in the world.

Finished

 The End
 I was a bit disappointed with myself for racing so shitty, but I did have a 5 page list of excuses.  Mountainous hills and dry, hot conditions are not my thing.. yet.  I'll be back racing the World Championships in Vegas again.  I'll be prepared next time to actually race.  It was a fun experience and I met some good people.

Crater Lake!!!!!

Just another day swimming in a dormant volcano!!!!!!!

West Coast Sunsets!!!!!!

The wild and wonderful Oregon coast!!!!!!!!!!

Exploring deep in the Redwood Forest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Redwood Forest!!!!!!!!!!!

Massive Redwoods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pacific Coast Caves!!!!!!!!

MonticelloMan Charlottesville Half Ironman Report

This race was located at Monticello Lake in Charlottesville, VA.  I stayed at my mom's new condo in Charlottesville.  I barely got out of bed Saturday as I was incredibly tired all day.  I put in some decent training the week leading up to the race, no taper or anything.  The weather was overcast and light rain all weekend.  For pre race meals I went out for pizza, drank a bottle of Pedialyte, and enjoyed some veggie lasagna cooked by my mom (a la Chris McCormick).  Race morning meal included oatmeal and a sweet potato and a 24 oz bottle of Cytomax.
This half ironman is a very small event with about 200 participants in all, while around 300 people would be participating in an olympic distant triathlon at the same time as us.  I signed up for this particular half ironman basically to shake out the 70.3 cobwebs, experience racing on a challenging hilly course, and assess where my training over the winter has put me.  Race morning weather was ideal.. overcast and low 70s.

The 1.2 mile swim took place in Lake Monticello.  After the running start from the beach I tried to swim fast the first 150 meters to get away from the carnage.  But the carnage caught me and I was fighting just to keep my head above water at times.  The first 1200 meters never felt comfortable and I was feeling really slow and tired for most of it.  I couldn't find anyone going a good pace for me to draft behind either.  I finally found my stroke the last 800 meters, but I had fallen a few minutes back from the swim leaders and came out the water in 31 minutes.  Though a slow swim time for me, I never pushed the pace and came out feeling fresh.  My transition to the bike sucked! I could not get my wetsuit off, thanks to a stuck zipper.  Once on the bike I struggled to get my feet in my shoes and lost a lot of time.  I really need new cycling shoes!
Side note: During pre race transition setup, while I was pumping my tires, the valve extender on my rear wheel completely broke off.  So not only could I not fill it with air, air was leaking out. I dashed over to the Trek maintenance tent and the mechanic hooked me up with a back up Bontrager wheel.  Maybe it was fate that I was wearing my sponsors shirt.. Honey Stinger-Trek.  The wheel wasn't a disc, but I was just super stoked I had a wheel to race on.  Dear Trek maintenance guy: You Saved My Race!

So after a less than ideal start to the bike I got into my pace and starting passing everyone who swam faster than me, which took about 10 miles.  The course included a very dangerous turn which forced us to slam breaks all down a steep hill before we turned right, I saw someone completely wipe out, it wasn't pretty.  My goal in racing this course was to take it easy and be safe.  Never once did I feel like I was pushing a 40k pace, which is something I will do on 56 mile courses from time to time.  I stuck to the plan and took it easy going up hill and rested my legs going down hill and raced the flat segments.  Unfortunately with all the gear shifting for the hills my chain slipped off twice where I had to stop and fix it.  Also, the aide stations were not handing out water bottles when I came by (I assume they where just not ready??) but the bottles sat on a table. I litterally had to stop over, grab a couple bottles then get back on course.  So all in all I lost a few minutes on the course, but finished in 2:20.  I could have raced this course much faster, but I played it safe.  I also used a backup wheel. I drank 3 bottles of Cytomax, 2 bottles of water, 4 honey stinger gels, and about 6 salt tablets during the bike.

Transition to the run was sloppy as I had a problem finding my bike rack and almost forgot to take my salt tablets with me on the run to where I had to run back and grab them.  Nevertheless, I was feeling really good starting the run considering the hilly bike course I'd just raced.  I used my Polar Heart Rate Monitor this race, which is something I never do since I find using a heart rate monitor makes me race slower.. for instance I'll look at my heart rate and say "whoa I need to ease back, my heart rate is too high to sustain".  I played this race safe and stayed within my pace (and heart rate) and never pushed the pace once the entire race.  My heart rate rarely went higher than 150 during the bike and rarely went higher than 160 during the run. The lower heart rates had a lot to do with the weather.  The run course was a roller coaster of hills.  The hills were not huge, but it was constant up and down.  I tried not to look at my pace too much on my Garmin watch, but just focus on my effort. I had a lot of energy the entire run.  When I look back at my run, now that its over, I could have easily pushed a faster pace, but once again I played it safe. This was the first half ironman I've raced where I did not have leg cramping issues.  This was also the first time I carried a bottle of Lava Salts on the run.  I took about 9 salt tablets during the run. I finished the run course in 1:23.

My overall finsih time was 4:19 and I won by 20 minutes.  I think I am more happy that I found the solution to my cramping than my finish time.  Though I am very pleased with a 4:19 on such a hilly course, I know I am capable of finishing much faster had I pushed it and cleaned up the mistakes. This gives me mucho motivation for my race future. 

Huge thank yous to Flow Audi and Bolle Sunglasses for the fantastic winning prizes. Also shouts out to Honey Stinger, Fluid, Rudy Project, Planet X, Trek, Synergy and Newton for the support.

VA Duathlon Race Recap

My first duathlon of the year took place on April 1st at Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry, VA.  The weather was in the low 60s and sunny.  This duathlons (run-bike-run) distance is 5K-37K-5K.  It is a small event with about 200 participants.

The night before the race had me up late glued to the Kansas vs Ohio State game eating pizza. As I am writing this report after KU lost to Kentucky in the final last night I have to say Kansas had an amazing year and surpassed all expectations. They showed heart and drive and a willingness to never give up throughout the tournament.  That's a universal law to be successful at anything.  So back to the race report.. I ate a bowl of oatmeal and sipped on some Gatorade Endurance before my hour drive out to the middle of no where.  I was feeling really full from all the food I ate Saturday, I definitely should of passed on the vegie eggrolls.  Sometimes all the energy I burn from training catches up with me if I don't continue to refuel enough throughout the week and there are days when my body tells me to eat eat eat and I listen :) , but I try not to let that happen.  Anyways my stomach wasn't feeling too great at the start of the race. 

I arrived at the race site with what I thought would allow me time to run a couple miles warmup, but it took FOREVER to get my race packet and I really had no time to warmup, not ideal.  The 5K run started with a group of us going through the first mile in a little over 5 minutes then a few guys took off in the front (or maybe I slowed). For whatever reason my legs felt heavy and I couldn't stay with the lead group through the rolling hills and finished the first 5K in 17:39.

(First 5k on the rolling run course)

I hit T1 looking forward to bike.  I lost a good 20 seconds from taking off and then on my race number belt. I'm programed to put on the race belt in T1 after the swim; it messed me up having it on already I think.  Before the race I had noticed my front brake pads were pulled against my wheel due to the car ride over.  I was convinced I had fixed it during my transition setup.  But as soon as I hit the first bump in the road the brake pads slam against the wheel. Every time I would correct it they would slide over again rubbing the wheel.  This is not a good start!   I'm now riding while pulling the brake pads over every few minutes so they don't rub the wheel, to very little avail.  But I would push onward.  The bike course had a few sharp 90 degree turns and around mile 9 I took one way too fast and found myself head first into a muddy ditch along the side of the road.  I was okay, it was a soft landing thankfully.  The front of my bike was now covered in mud, haha.  I started to think I should call it a day as I saw a few fast runners I passed on the bike ride on by me. I thought there was no way I was going to win this race now.  Quiting is not an option for me however.  I still had 14 miles to try to catch back up to the leaders before the run.  So now not only was my front aero wheel heavy with mud, the crash only exasperated the front brake issue.  This stuff is fun!  Did I mention I was pointed to go in the wrong direction at an intersection.. yeah so I lost another 30 seconds there trying to get back on course.  Eventually I did finish the bike course in 55 minutes.  I probably lost 90 seconds in the crash and who knows how much time was lost with the brake slowing me down. I would assume I could finish that bike course in 51-52 minutes had things gone to plan.

(T2- rack bike, put on shoes, grab gel, GO!)

(Running out from T2)

I came off the bike muddy and in third place.  Bruce and Marc were ahead of me and they are good runners.  I did what I could on that last 5K to catch them. My final 5K time was 17:22, which I am very happy with considering the hills.  I figured I would end 3rd overall because I hadn't passed them.  But Marc took a wrong turn on the run course somewhere, which put me in 2nd place at the finish. My finish time was 1:31:24, the winning time was 1:30:00. Both times broke the course record. 

(Taking off on the final 5k making sure I have my race belt on)

It's always an adventure! It sucks my crash cost me the win, but that's the way these races go sometimes.  It would have been easy to call it a day after the crash and the bike mechanical, but I don't race because its easy.  I race because it's hard and it hurts and that's fun for me. 

(With the race over I'm probably thinking what happened with the bike!?)

Two weeks until Boston Marathon!  I have one more week where I'm allowed to bike and run a decent amount before taper week.  This weekend I have the Autism Awareness 5K here in Virginia Beach.  I'm not looking to go crazy on it as I need to save it for Boston.

DD Time Trial #1 Race Report

        I kicked off race season with a 25 mile time trial (cycling only race for those still learning).  The cycling atmosphere is a bit more chill than the triathlon scene.  It was interesting seeing really nice TT bikes that cost close to 10 Gs.  All these guys do is bike, no swimming, no running. The bikes were definitely a little intimidating compared to my Planet X Exocet.  But my results will tell you its all about the human machine not the bike ;).  Due to me not having an official cycling license I had to race CAT 5 (lowest category). It didn't really matter what CAT I raced in however, that is all about gaining points, I'm a triathlete so I don't need those points. 
        I spun on my trainer for about 20 minutes prior to racing. They would start each athlete in 1 minute intervals.  I was very much looking forward to visiting the pain cave for a good 50 minutes and was completely ready to race!! The first half of the race had a slight tail wind, it was a out and back course so the second half was obviously into the wind.  It was weired getting my head around the fact I didn't have to run afterwards, maybe I held back a little to that effect.  I had the course measured at 26 miles, therefore my finish time was 56:20.  That's a 27.7 mph average.  That was without a disc wheel by the way. It ranked 3rd out of the CAT 1-3 overall.  Not bad for a triathlete on a bike half the cost of most.  So what does this result mean for me.. I need to get a cycling license for one :) and also my winter training went well and my bike speed is where I want it to be right now. My time also has opened some other doors...

I race every weekend for about 6 weeks coming up.  I look forward to putting my run and bike speed to the test this coming weekend for a 5k-36k-5k Duathlon.

Washington Half Ironman Race Report

I woke up around 4am and ate my pre race meal - oatmeal and gatorade+carbo pro before I made the drive down to Washington, NC.  It was a little over 2 hours away.  The weather was in the low 50s cloudy and drizzling.  I wore my new winter compression tights under my Team Aquaphor race kit and arm warmers to keep me warm for the bike ride.  I had hopes that everything would stay dry under the wetsuit during the swim.  The water temp was in the mid 60s and felt a lot like swimming in the ocean here in VA Beach.  It took place in the Pamlico River and was fairly choppy due to the winds and I couldn't get through the 1.2 miles without swallowing a little water.  I easily lost a minute or two from swimming off course the first 1000 meters, but I finished in a respectable 30 minutes.  I love my new Synergy Adrenaline wetsuit.  I was amazed at how easy it was to run in and tear off compared to my old Xterra wetsuit.  Unfortunately everything did not stay dry under the wetsuit though. 

I was wet.  I was going to freeze my ass off during the 56 mile bike ride.  I had to work hard to keep my feet wiggling in my shoes so I didn't lose feeling.  My feet get cold very easily on the bike. I had heavy socks on plus winter shoe toe covers and still lost feeling after 90 minutes or so of riding.  It didn't help that the roads were a bit wet.  Besides being wet and freezing I felt really good the entire ride.  I took the lead maybe 4 miles into the ride and had the lead truck guide me the entire time, which was awesome! I didn't have to pay much attention to where I needed to turn, just follow the truck.  The wind was blowing 10-20 mph.  I rarely had the wind directly at my back or in my face, but it did create a noticeable difference in my speed.  I averaged 28 mph the first 30 miles and I was thinking "I have a chance of breaking 2 hours for 56 miles!".  Well that didn't happen.  The last 26 miles I lost 12 minutes due to the wind.  I finished the bike course in 2:12.  Oh and even better I played my nutrition right this time! 2 bottles of carbopro+electrolytes + 1 bottle electrolytes + 4 salt tablets.  Besides not being able to feel my feet or hands, I felt pretty good coming off the bike.

After fumbling around trying to get my helmet off with numb fingers I put on my Newton shoes and I was off for the half marathon.  I literally could not feel my feet the first 6-7 miles of the run.  I had to see my feet hitting the ground to know that I was going forward.  I took the first couple miles slower just to get under control and take in some calories.  The run course was pretty flat except for 2 small bridges.  It was a weird run and not a well marked course.  I ended up running passed the 6.5 mile turn around point.  So I actually ran 13.4 miles not 13.1.  I definitely negative splited the run. After my feet finally warmed up after 7 miles I was averaging 6:30s then 6:10s the last 6 miles and I was only getting faster the further I ran. But the run had to end at 13.1 miles and I finished that in 1:27.  This was the first time I ran in my new Newton shoes http://www.newtonrunning.com.  I am so happy with these shoes and they're well worth the extra money.  I can't wait to race in them exclusively.

I crossed the finish line in 4 hours and 11 minutes and won the race by 22 minutes. I was just racing the clock the whole time.  The cold temperatures hurt and helped me.  My body likes racing in cooler temperatures, but doesn't like going numb.  I really wanted to break 2:10 on the bike and/or 4:10 total.  Other than that I am super stoked with my performance.  This race is exactly what I needed to end my semi frustrating 2011 tri season. It definitely lets me know I am training correctly (remember I am self coached).  So it is a confidence booster for the 2012 race season.   I can only get faster.

My next race is the Surf & Santa 10 miler in December and perhaps a 5k Turkey Trot.

Kinetic Half Ironman Race Report

Before I get into the race details here is what happen to me 5 days prior to the race during what was to be a nice relaxing 90 minute trail run.  As you can see from the picture below (no my ankle is not freakishly big)  I rolled the hell outta my ankled over a tree branch and tore ligaments.  I was pretty angry with myself "I can't believe I did that".  With a race in a week the focus went to just getting the the start line, as normally focus is getting to the start line in the best condition possible, I just wanted to be able to start the race this time.

The healing process.  ICE ICE baby.  I also tried to keep my foot elevated at work all week sitting at my desk.  I bought a piece wild caught Alaskan salmon (omega 3's) and just ate servings of that all week.  And I just tried to eat exceptionally all week (no junk food).  I took my MultiV Supplement(lot of iron) every morning.  I did not run all week.  I massaged and stretched everyday.  By Thursday, the swelling was down 80% and I was able to get in a swim and a bike.  That was all I did all week.  By Friday the swelling was down 90% and bruising along the foot was becoming very visible.  But happy news I was able to swim, bike and run on it!

Friday for lunch I had a mixed bowl of brown rice-black bean-broccoli-avocado and for dinner the same with the addition of two small sweet potatoes.  I woke up around 4am Saturday and ate a bowl of oatmeal with granola and walnuts and sipped on some Carbo-pro.  I stayed at my Aunt & Unlces house in Warrenton, which is 1 hour away from Lake Anna.  I left the house at 4:45am to give myself about an hour to get ready at the race site.  Last year I did this race and I was very late (mostly due to the packet pick up line) and I barely made the swim start, so I was taking no chances this year and picked up my packet the day before.

The weather was overcast with a few sprinkles here and there, temps in the upper 60s lower 70s.  Except for the wet roads conditions were almost ideal for a fast race.

We began the beach start swim at 7am.  This was the first time I've swam open water since last year and I WAS RUSTY.  I felt comfortable the first 1000 meters, then it just started to feel like I was swimming forever, time was going by slow. I never found a solid rhythm and never found anyone to swim behind, which is not good.  Drafting in the swim is legal and can save a good 30% energy.  I found myself swimming a bit off course a couple times.  My official swim finish time was 32 minutes (4 minutes behind the fastest guys).  Looking at the swim splits, my thoughts are that either we were swimming against a current or the course was about 150 meters long.  I'm okay with my swim time, although I feel I should have been below 30 minutes. I will need to do open water swim training a lot this year.

Now onto the good stuff.  I grabbed my Planet X Exocet bike and my LAS helmet and I was off.  Unfortunately I could not get my cyclocomputer working during my pre race setup so I wouldn't have any clue as to how fast I would be cycling the entire race. Cyclocomputer was working fine Thursday so I have no idea what happened.  Anyways I was going to bike HARD as it would be my only chance to win this race.  The first 5 miles or so were not good for me.. I couldn't get my feet in my shoes, dropped a bottle, and I dropped my chain and had to stop for a minute and put the chain back on.  It was a rough start.  Luckily my friend Ryan (also on Team Planet X) made his way up to me and we killed the the 56 mile bike course together.  I had to be extra cautious around the corners on the wet roads.  There were a couple hills and false flats to deal with.  I suck on hills. I train on flat windy roads, so no surprise there.  We were able to pass everyone except for one guy, who we happened to catch at the transition to the run.  My bike split was 2:16.

I started out on the run in 2nd place overall.  My legs felt horrible the first 2 miles.  I was happy to hear cheers for Team Aquaphor out there from the spectators.  This was the first race I used the Team Aquaphor race kit.  I use Aquaphor pre-race on my legs and arms and face.  And post-race on my blisters.  There is one hill we had to battle with 3 times and the rest of the course was rolling.  Once again I suck on hills.  I was passed by the race winner about 3 miles into the run.  I just couldn't get my legs to fire and I struggled for 13.1 miles and saw a couple other guys pass me.  I wasn't tired and I had no GI issues or cramping issues.  My legs were just not ready to go ironman hard.  My run split was 1:32.

I finished in 6th place and 1st in the age group category.  My overall time was 4:23. http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_results&id=2374

Race nutrition was pretty spot on.  I drank 3 bottles of carbo-pro, 1 bottle of water, 4 salt tabs, and 2 powergels.  During the run I carried a bottle of water with 400 cals of CarboPro-1200 mixed in.

A decent start to the race season.  Next race for me is Eagleman 70.3 Ironman in Cambridge, MD one month from now.  I think my endurance is at a good place right now. I will work on my speed the next few weeks before that race.  But for now I need a few days rest and recovery to heal these muscles and heal these cuts on my feet from racing sockless in the KSwiss Ruuz.

MY 2011 TEAM PLANET X & TEAM AQUAPHOR TRI KITS

Here is a preview of my tri suits I'll be racing in.  No doubt I will miss the one piece ITU style Team USA suit.  These are the race suits for 2011.  I'll be wearing both teams' jerseys, jackets, and run gear all year so gimme a shout if you see me out there training or at a race (or even food shopping). I will have samples of Aquaphor with me wherever I go so don't hesitate to ask for one, I've got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds.  If you're unsure of what Aquaphor is, see below.
And as far as representing Planet X bikes goes, I'm just going to let my bike splits this year speak for the brand. I will be riding their newest Exocet frame with Sram components and Planet X 50/82 wheelset.

So what is Aquaphor? Eucerin? A healing ointment?

Aquaphor‟s unique formula prevents chafing by forming a protective barrier against the friction caused by sweaty clothing and/or skin rubbing together. Aquaphor contains mineral oil and ceresin that, along with petrolatum, help to protect skin to enhance healing.

Aquaphor has been dermatologist recommended for 25 years by doctors and pharmacists for fast, effective relief of very dry, chapped and irritated skin. They trust it because it‟s free of any preservative and fragrances. It‟s non-irritating, even on sensitive skin.

Aquaphor protects and helps heal skin. Trust it for all the following:

 Help prevent chafing and blisters

 Moisturize very dry skin and smooth cracked heals

 Help heal chapped lips

 Soothe irritated, chapped skin

 Protect minor scrapes and cuts AND BLISTERS to help enhance healing

 Soothe a red, irritated nose that‟ been blown once too often

 Protect skin from wind and cold

Aquaphor creates a long-lasting breathable barrier against friction. Because it forms a semi-occlusive breathable barrier, it allows air to reach the skin while holding in vital moisture.

Aquaphor does not contain any unnecessary ingredients or additives that can be irritating – which can slow the healing process. It‟ formulated with all the ingredients needed (only seven), and nothing more.

Petrolatum and mineral oil both work to protect and condition the skin by creating a protective film that helps retain moisture within the skin; Lanolin alcohol helps replenish essential lipids (fatty acids) to restore smooth, healthy skin; Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B5) helps promote healing; Glycerin helps attract moisture to the skin to soften and moisturize; Bisabolol is a chamomile essence that helps soothe irritated skin.

If this isn't enough info for you then...

Visit AquaphorHealing.com

Raelert's Training Vid via TriathleteMag

These are two triathletes I really look up to. Rarely will any super elite athlete allow videos of them training like this. I thought it was so dope I had to blog it.

http://bcove.me/67mp2k39

Stacking Mileage

The day after my half marathon I went out for a 4 hr ride with 10 sets at race effort with a short active recovery run afterwards.  I've gotten right back into running after my half marathon.  Low intensity stuff mostly except for some interval sets during an 80 min trail run.  Most high intensity this week was done on the bike.  Although its been a little frustrating always having to power through the ridiculous winds we've been having.  It's consistently 15-25 mph winds out there.  It's a lot of fun coming back going 32+ mph with the winds at my back.  I actually find I can finish a ride with an average pace equal or faster than it would be had there been no wind.

Friday I put in one of my longest swim sets to date as well as tough strength session.  I'll do a hard strength session every couple weeks, usually not on Friday's though.  Man I was really feeling those lunges and squats Saturday on my 30 min run - 4hr ride.  It was even tougher Sunday during a 90 min run - 90 min bike - 30 min run.  But I made it through and am better for it.  It was my first training weekend back in the heat with temps in the high 80s.  I enjoy training in the heat.  Luckily the jungle humidity isn't here just yet.  The ocean is still cold enough (53 degrees) to ice the legs for recovery.  I stay in for around 10-15 minutes.  Its so awesome being able to go from a beautiful trail run straight to the ocean. 

Swimming is going pretty good still.  Because I need to fit in longer run and bike sessions I'm not swimming 4-5 times a week like I was in the winter.  More like 3-4 times/wk. And it's typically a mixed bag of sprint and endurance training.  The main thing for me is to swim first before I run or bike so that I am fresh for swim training and not dragging ass and wasting time in the water.  Thanks to it being light out later in the day now, doing the swim first routine is no problem.  Swimming first definitely makes my runs tougher.  Which is a good thing.  The harder I can make my training the more prepared I will be for my races.

Right now I am just focusing on being ready to kill it at Kinetic Half Ironman in May.  I basically have a a few more days in the "building phase" before I dial the mileage down for some high intensity stuff.  I can feel I am getting a bit run down mentally and physically from about 3 weeks of high mileage training and I am looking forward to shorter faster training sets and longer rest time.

Dismal Swamp Stomp Half Marathon RR

Updated with race photos and video:

One more mile to go.

Finish Line

Half way there.

First run race of the year is in the books.

Around 10pm Friday night I get a text wishing me luck on my race Saturday and I am like wait wait wait, my race is Sunday??   Checked online and sure enough the race is Saturday morning.  So that was fun rushing around getting my gear together for the morning. And chugging a bottle of Carbo-Pro before bed.  Luckily I had ate almost a whole broccoli onion almond pizza that afternoon after a long swim and easy 45 minute run and thinking I was going to do a long ride Saturday I wanted to be carbo-loaded. 

Honestly it really wasn't as big of a deal as it might sound... it's only a tune up race for me.

That morning I had two packets of oatmeal with my First Endurance MultiV.  Then a bottle of Carbo-Pro on my drive out to the Great Dismal Swamp in Chesapeake.  The coarse is pancake flat on a paved bikeway through the woods. I did this race like 4 years ago.  I think it was my second half marathon ever.  I think it took me like 1:50 to finish and I injured my IT band really bad running in shoes I shouldn't have been running in.

During my drive I realized I forgot my Garmin.  But, turned out I was better off without it.  I just ran based on how comfortable I felt and that was for the best I think.  I had no idea what pace I wanted to keep for the race therefore my Garmin would of been pointless.  I do like to have it just for comfort purposes though. I checked my watch every few mile markers to see where my timing was at. Turned out that my comfort zone was around 6:10-6:15 pace.  I was pleasantly surprised how good I felt throughout the race.  I had even given myself I chance at a sub 1:20 finish time as I crossed the halfway point at 40:30 (yeah I would needed a negative split, but it was doable).  I took in a few cups of water throughout the race as well as two PowerGels 2x caffeinated.  The coarse was an out and back.  So it was nice running back with the other mass of runners giving me shouts of encouragement for a few miles.  I appreciate that more than they know.  There were over 1000 people running I think. 

My official time was 1:22:07.  Finished 12th overall.  I'm pleased with how I raced.  It's so early in the season right now.  For better or worse I needed to race 13.1 miles.  This gives me confidence that my new training plan is working.  My legs were far from fresh for the run.  But I think I did a good job of staying on top of my training recovery through the week, which put me in a decent condition to race 13.1 miles.  Hopefully this gives me a good measure on how I might do during the run leg of a half ironman.

I'll need a few days to recover from this run before I get back into speed training.

I'm looking forward to seeing if anyone can break the World Record Marathon in London this weekend.  And the Boston Marathon is on Monday and hopefully Ryan Hall can win.  Maybe I'll remember to sign up for Boston 2012 this year.

Next up for me is Dismal Dash 40K TT #2 in Suffolk, VA next weekend. Which I still need to sign up for.

Pressure

As the triathlon season begins I have to ask myself am I race ready. My short answer is no, I don't feel like I am. Having said that, I do feel race ready in the swim-bike disciplines. But triathlon is a three sport deal, you have to ready for all three. The main reason I'm not race ready for the run is a lack of consistent off season training. This being due to the fact of having a fractured foot, runners knee during the winter and just small things here and there that would make me miss a day or two of running in order to heal. Its pretty frustrating coming from last season averaging 6 min-miles for a half marathon to now where I'm not capable of that speed. Ideally I wanted to carry my speed and endurance over from the end of last season to this season. So it is frustrating taking a step back like that.

I feel pressure to be at the top of my game right now, especially running. The thing about running is that I just need time. I need time to put in quality miles in order to get my endurance back. I haven't had a 40+ mile week since December. I would like to be running around 50 miles a week within the next month if my body allows me.

I have a half marathon race in 1 week which I feel like anything over 1:20 will be a disappointment for me. I feel like it was a little premature to sign up for a race in which I wasn't ready to RACE. I just have to remember that I've only been back running for a month. I'm going test my endurance out this weekend and assess where I am at as far as half marathon pacing goes. One thing I can guarantee is that I am not tapering for that race. I will more than likely do a 100+ mile bike ride that Saturday before the race on Sunday if the weather is right.

On a brighter note I have improved as a swimmer and cyclist from last year. I've also improved in just all around strength and stability, which in affect has made me a faster triathlete. I've found my perfect position on my new Planet X bike. I really look forward to my Time Trial race in 2 weeks. I think there will be a major difference from my last time trial effort due to the fact my new bike position is more aerodynamic and my race wheels are straight now.

The weather is finally coming around to where I can be consistent with my run-bike training. My main focus right now is the Kinetic Half Ironman in 5 weeks. Last year it was the first time I did a half ironman and wow did I learn a lot from that experience.

FLUID

Review: Fluid
By Cross Bike Review

We Liked

What I really like about Fluid is what is not in it. What do you mean by that you ask? Unless you have been living under a rock somewhere you have had to notice the abundance of sport nutrition products marketed to all types of athletes. For the last 7-10 years I personally review 10-30 complete studies published in per reviewed bio-medical journals each month about nutrition and ingredients found in sports performance products. I do this as part of my continuing education to increase my knowledge as a coach and trainer ultimately to benefit the athletes I train and coach as many come to me with questions about a particular product they may have heard about. What I read a great deal of the time is that many of these nutrition products contain ingredients that really do not offer any benefit. Some companies make wildly exaggerated claims for a newly developed compound or proprietary blend of ingredients found only in their product based on research that is seriously flawed then later proved to be ineffective. Many ingredients actually are harmful, other times ingredients may be effective but the product may contains very little of the ingredient hiding behind a proprietary blend designation. What this means is the total amount of the blend must be listed but the individual ingredient amounts do not need to be. So in fact you may or may not be getting what you think you are paying for in that case I recommend taking a pass on that product.
How is Fluid Muscle Recovery different? To answer that question you first must understand how Fluid came to be, learn about the founders the mission of Fluid and the five elements of Fluid that are back up with incontrovertible science to the efficacy of all the ingredients in Fluid recovery drink.
The Fluid founders Richard Smith and Dave Brown gained local and national attention for their research in nutritional biochemistry and their work with athletes both nationally and internationally. Today they continue their sports science research and are developing new products to diversify the Fluid line of recovery drinks. The original mission: Fluid, Everything you need, nothing you don’t.

Fluid Does NOT Contain: • Artificial ingredients • Artificial colors • Artificial flavors • Gluten • Lactose • Stimulants • Anything trendy or unhealthy
Fluid contains 5 elements of recovery to enhance its effectiveness:

• L-Glutamine a very generous 2500mg per serving • The Carb:Protein Ratio 4:1 right in the middle of range of ratio’s proven to enhance recovery. • Whey Protein Isolate easily digestible no lactose or fat, excellent amino acid profile • Foundational Carb Complex Maltodextrine, Crystalline Fruit Sugars, Fructose, Dextrose • Electrolyte Complex Sodium and Potassium your body needs it post exercise as well.

To learn more about the five elements that define Fluid click here.

During the six-week intensive testing period I used Fluid after every workout I did. With Fluid Muscle Recovery I recovered very well, soreness was diminished despite some intense strength training sessions and 2-3 two a days each week generally feeling ready for the next training session. Not an easy task while working 50-60 hour workweeks most likely due to generous amount 2500mg of L-Glutamine in each serving. One thing that is of importance in order for continual use of is the user likes the taste of the product. With Fluid the taste kept me coming back for more almost cutting some workouts short just so I could have it sooner. Fluid is available in three naturally flavored and sweetened variations: Tropical Escape, Berry Treasure my personal favorite, and Chocolate Wave, all three are mildly sweet with a hint of tartness for the Tropical Escape and Berry Treasure flavors are excellent mixed in plain water the Chocolate is good in water, more satisfying but less effective as a recovery fuel when mixed with 2% milk due to the fat and lactose slowing down carbohydrate and protein absorption. Of the 30 sample packs I handed out to athletes I coach or meet on the trail or gym every single one of them liked the taste of Fluid, just as I said just the right amount of sweetness and tart to make it enjoyable to drink.

We Didn't Like

Would like to see a larger 32 serving size.

The Final Say

It can be said the most important part of any workout is the recovery period following the workout. The high quality proven to be effective ingredients in Fluid work together to provide endurance athletes what their bodies need after a workout and nothing more. Fluid muscle recovery is developed and made by a small group of talented and passionate individuals that truly have your best interests in mind. Give Fluid a try in any one of the three excellent flavors when you are as serious about your recovery as you are about your training. You can’t go wrong with Fluid Muscle Recovery to replenish muscle energy levels, repair damaged muscle tissue, aid in building new lean muscle, manage inflammation, to reduce aches, pains and muscle soreness, provide electrolytes to replace those lost in sweat and support a stressed immune system. With Fluid muscle recovery you will recover faster, so you can come back stronger.

Race Updates/ Sponsor Updates/ Training Methologies

No, you're not crazy, I've reformated my blog page.  For the better I hope.

First, a bit of an update on a few things...

I raced my first Time Trial cycling event mid March in Suffolk, VA.  Since it was my first cycling event I had to register as a CAT IV cyclist.  It was also my first opportunity to really test out my new Planet X bike. The day was pretty windy, similar to what I trained in here at the beach, 15-20 mph winds.  The coarse was exactly what I train on too, flat.  I went into the race trying to be conservative the first 20K and save energy for the last 20K, as I really had no idea where my race endurance was and I wanted to finish strong.   Long story short I averaged about 25 mph the first 20K and 26 mph the last 20K. And won 2nd place.  I really didn't start pushing until the last 5K, when I was at my limit, which I found out I could have kept this pace up a lot longer. So maybe next time trial race I will be more confident in my endurance and just push my limit the entire race.  Also found out in need 21" tires on my bike as the 23" tires rub on the frame.  Yes, this absolutely affected my race. I was just a bit frustrated about that (to say the least).

Now that my injuries are healed up (for the most part) I've been able to drill the run again.  Hitting the track for leg burning feet burning runs and long trail runs and hill intervals on the tready, man it's good to be back running.  I'm now getting used to always having tired legs when training again. I'm really trying to stick to my new training schedule this year.  Something I never ever ever did in the past.

I just read a terrific post from Ironman World Champ Chris McCormick, http://www.chrismccormack.com/ about how he feels training should be done.  Basically he is promoting training by perceived effort rather than training by the numbers.  Training by the numbers meaning using power meters and GPS watches.  I absolutely agree with him about training by perceived effort.  After all that is how I train, most of the time. 
There are times during training when I need to make sure my "perceived effort" is on a certain target pace.  Such as, I will use my GPS watch to make sure I don't go too fast on a day where I am suppose to take it easy or going to slow when I need to be going faster.  But basically all my training is done by just listening to my body. 
I think people tend to lose touch of their surroundings if they are always looking down at a power meter on the bike or checking their GPS watch every minute of the run (something I am definitely guilty of doing in the past).  There is nothing wrong with using these items.  Most athletes that are coached will train this way because most coaches use numbers to train their athletes. Its easy to do. I've trained with these athletes before... everything is about time and speed and power numbers. 
I once told a group of pretty serious cyclists who had asked me how I trained on the bike and I told them that I would train by going almost as hard as I could for about 2 hours or until I didn't feel like I was going fast anymore.  They kinda looked at me like I was crazy. You see they train by intervals of power.  Keep up say 300 watts for 15 minutes then take a 6 minute spin break.  It gets so much more complicated than that though.  When doing these types of training sets you are so concentrated on the numbers you forget why you are outside cycling.  Not only do you miss out on listening to your body you miss out on the environment around you.  Once again there is nothing wrong with training that way if you all you want to get out of your training is hitting your numbers. It's not for me.  I know when I am not cycling as hard as I should, I don't need a power meter to tell me.

In sponsorship news I have teamed up with Team Aquaphor for 2011.  Aquaphor is dedicated to providing athletes the ability to train and compete while being free from uncomfortable chafing, blisters, and other skin conditions that often occur during strenuous exercise. Teaming up with Aquaphor will allow me to pursue the sport in other ways I haven't yet as well as represent their fantastic brand throughout the year.  I very much look forward to it.