Great way to end the season... Deer Creek Fall Challenge 70.3

WOW!  Amazing race!  Never felt better in a race before!  My first true 70.3 attempt and it was 4:37:06 good for 6th overall (5th amateur), 1st AG.  Followed the race plan from Coach AJ Baucco (www.baucco.com)  pretty closely and had an amazing experience as a result, especially since this is a new distance for me.  Never suffered in a bad way, felt I had the strength and power to build and build right through the very end.

After a frustrating start to the 2013 season...  August and September were solid.  After 10 years in triathlon (including lots Ironman and Olympic races), I finally made a serious attempt at a 70.3 - with only about 6 weeks of "long course" specific training.  First 8 months of the season was about road racing crits, and olympic tri.

Below is the detailed recap of the race...  it's written mostly for me and my Coach AJ Baucco to review... but provides some insight into the race plan and execution.

Swim 30:38- I started right behind Jim and dolphined right out to the front for a moment... swam hard to the first buoy (200m?), then turned and settled into a good rhythm.  Too good.  Felt like pool swimming, and when I turned to breathe like in the pool, I inhaled a wave and took a lot into my lungs.  about the scariest moment as I couldn't breathe for about 10 seconds, then coughed some out, got some air in, and was able to shake it off and get back into a decent rhythm... but I lost the fast feet.  Off and on solo swimming and drafting.  Kept focus on turnover and good early pull (and not breathing any more water).  Don't have official split yet, but was out just under 30 minutes by my watch.  about 1 minute run from beach to T1.

Bike time: 2:30:48
Out on the bike :  My HR was about 180 when I started out.  Had to work hard (going easy) to bring it down to target rate.  That took about 2 miles/6 minutes.   The targets were 155bpm for first 28 miles and 157 for last 28mi (156 avg).  Actual splits were 156 (21.0avg) for first 28 and 162 (21.7avg) for second 28... a little more aggressive, but also had 2 of the 3 sets of hills in the second 28.

At first I had a really hard time with the low HR target.  It felt stupid slow, and I was getting passed (which rarely if ever happens to me on the bike), which pissed me off, but I stuck pretty close to the plan.   Glad I did!  I passed most of those guys late on the bike or on the run.

Second loop, I worked a bit harder, and my HR followed.  At least no one was passing me now...  Still felt easy and the nutrition was  going in pretty well.  (I kind of figured out during the bike that it must be part of why the low HR is so important...  so the stomach can process what is in it, and take on more fuel... instead of bloating because I can't proces it, and then shutting down my intake, leading to a bonk later.)   Second loop was 156-160 (21.3mph)

Third loop, worked harder still, and this felt more like what I'm used to racing, intensity-wise, and I got to pass back some people, which made my ego happy.  163avg for 3rd loop (22mph)

Rode into transition still feeling pretty good, except the small of my back was getting a bit sore.  A combination of the actual cycling and pushing a lower position on downhills and into the wind, but I have also noticed that is worse when I'm pulling my head up in the swim for lots of sighting, which I think I was doing today in the swim.  Nutrition plan was pretty close.  4 full bottles over 2.5 hours (so I should have drank a little more... I have to work on that some more) and I took a gel at start of bike and every 40min thereafter on the dot with my timer.

Run 1:33:31:
Starting the run, I felt pretty good.  Came off the bike around 12th place from my estimate.  Amazingly, I ran so well and used that to move up to 6th overall.   I'm so used to running fast off the bike because of the short course racing this year, that I struggled to hold the first 1/2 mile (net uphill) at 6:40/mi pace.  I saw this and slowed down to 6:58 (172bpm) for the first mile... I knew I had to keep my HR down, so next mile felt stupid slow, and was 7:15 (175bpm).

The plan was to keep increasing my effort/HR little by little from there, which I successfully did.   The miles splits and HR avg were:
3-7:18, 176
4-7:13, 178
5-7:20, 178
6-7:21, 179
7-7:11, 180
8-7:09, 182
9-7:13, 183
10-7:06, 184
11-7:06, 188
12-7:06, 189
13-7:07, 192

Run nutrition:  I started with a 2 bottle fuel belt of EFS (16oz total).  Sucked on that between aid stations during the first 6.5 mi loop.  I kept right on the gels at 40 min which carried over from the bike.  Clockwork.  Asked for ice, water and Infinit at each aid station (roughly 1 mile between).  2nd loop I went for coke more than Infinit just to keep things mixed up... I had a LOT of sports drink this day!  I took a lot of salt caps on the run too.  Started as 3 every couple of miles as a preventative...  second loop, I could start to feel a few "pings" in my quads.  More salt caps.  last 4 miles, that was my only concern about letting myself fully fly and sprint the last mile...  more 'pings' in both quads, despite another 4-6 caps with about 3 miles to go.   Nothing slowed me down or caused a problem, but I just was wary about trying to go bananas and end up with a cramp I'd have to stop and stretch out or something.

Emotionally:  Swim was good except for the literal near-drowning.  That shook me up for a few minutes...  but I soldiered through.  (What a different day/outcome if I had put my hand up, or couldn't have even done that!!)

Bike was tough for me at first.  Like I said, people I know I could crush on the bike were passing me, and frankly it was embarrassing to my ego.  But I trusted in the plan, and didn't want to mis-execute and not learn from the experience of the day.  Turning up the heat on the last 15 miles was satisfying...  was quite happy to pass a lot of people then and gain some ground and still be fresh for the run.

Run was just plain fun!  Who says that about a 1:33 half mary after a swim and a bike??  I do!  The way I was able to build and build and keep taking spots from people was just a great feeling!  The second loop in particular was great fun as I really got pushing it and the body was able to consistently respond.  My speed may not have drastically increased during the run (7:14/mi first loop and 7:09 second loop)... but seeing the others suffer and slow down and get passed while I felt great was something I've not fully experienced before.



Could I have gone faster on the bike?  Of course.  But could I have held on to the run like this afterwards?  Probably not in my current conditioning state.  That's next.

Battle at West Branch - Olympic Tri - 3rd overall

My first triathlon of the year (and also my first open water swim of the year... yikes).  Although, I only did this only as a training race after a hard week of training (including 50 miles on the bike the day before), I ended up taking 3rd overall!!   All of the distances were long (per their website and my Garmin both) so my splits were "longer" than usual...  swim was >1500m, Bike 26.2mi, run 6.5mi.

The swim started well and I settled into a good rhythm.  I found some feet that I thought would be good to follow, and pace-wise, they were... however, the guy couldn't navigate to save his life, and I had to go it alone half-way into the first loop until the end.  That cost me being with the lead group.  I had no idea if I was swimming well or not, and when I got out of the water and saw 28:XX - I thought it was a bad swim,  but quickly reminded myself that I've had shorter times and placed worse - that each swim is unique, and it is only time relative to the rest of the field that matters in the race when you are fighting for the podium.  Turned out I was about 20% in the swim (which for me is higher- I'm usually 30-35%).  I did let this affect me in transition, though...  feeling a little frustrated thinking it was a bad swim and losing a little drive for a fast transition.

On to the bike.   Legs were definitely feeling tired from the get-go.  I just focused on getting into a good rhythm and pushing it.  The course did have one out and back section where I could see who was a few minutes in front and behind me.  I could see a couple in front for sure, and a bunch behind.  Better than the other way around, I suppose.  Kept pushing it, but just wasn't feeling super-fast.   Some of that was the rolling bike course - didn't "feel" as fast as just hammering along a flat road.  I averaged about 23mph (which turned out on this rolling course to be 3rd fastest bike split).  As tired as my legs felt, I started worrying about having nothing left on the run, but like always on the bike - I wanted to get all I could on the bike and let what happens next just happen...

Coming into transition, I started to get more excited about my placement, seeing only a few bikes on the rack (5 I think) before me...  I was in reach of a podium spot if I had a good run!

Heading out on the run, it was kind of a crazy serpentine through the parking lots, then uphill.  I got my legs going under me and the turn-over felt pretty good.  Surprisingly good.  I caught a couple people and one guy I followed out of transition was pulling away from me (he ended up 2nd overall). First mile split (uphill) was 6:50... good start.   But could I hold that for the next 5.5 miles?

All winter and spring, my run has dogged me.  3 months of inactivity after Rev3 Full last fall, followed by starting to quickly and getting plantar fasciitis, then 2 months of hot/cold training with a new coach, my run fitness and confidence was suffering coming into the season.   One big problem, was my mental fight and will was nowhere to be found...  in training I would stop, rest or walk way too often...  and my only race experience this year was the Cleveland Marathon debacle...  I was very pessimistic about my ability to fight on - but wanted to find out.

Mile 2 was heading toward a marina, with some out-and-back... I saw a couple guys in front of me.  Good sign perhaps.  6:45 mile... so I was holding pace... but not breaking any records.   Mile 3 was the return of the out-and-back, but I didn't realize it.  I saw like 10 more guys who I thought were in front of me (actually they were heading out while I was heading back)... that got in my head and I thought I was more like 13th place than 3rd place...   Mile 3 was about 6:30.  Coming back into the main lot, I asked Eric Gibb and Patty Banks (who were watching the race) what place they thought I was in and they said they couldn't tell either...  kind of confusing course and all...

I just focused on keeping my run pace going, as I was finally running well... back uphill to do the 2nd lap and I was about 6:45.  It was then that I had figured out the pack of guys I saw were behind me and I was truly in a top 3-5 position.  That helped provide the drive to keep pushing the legs and not back off or give in to the pain of pushing it - which has been my mental problem all winter/spring.

The last 2 miles it was now clear that I was probably in a podium spot, and I lifted the pace even more... knowing the pain would be over in 12 minutes or so.  Mile 5 was about a 6:30... mile 6 was a 6:10 (downhill)... I was flying into the finish!   last 0.5 miles of flat, serpentine was also about 6:10 pace.

I finished strong, and after the final results were posted confirming my 3rd place overall - I was happy.

What I was most happy about was the fact that I started the run on tired legs, questioning what position I was in the race, and kept pushing the pace faster and faster on the run, and the mind finally cooperated!

Rev3 Cedar Point Race Report - Full Rev - new PR (10:22)

This was my 6th Ironman distance triathlon, and this one didn't disappoint!  This year I set a new PR at 10 hours 22 minutes... which bested my previous PR of 10:40... finished 12th overall and 2nd in my age group in a major iron distance race... and renewed my confidence that I can break 10 hours in the next year or two.  I was on track to do so this year, but stomach/GI problems forced me to walk the aid stations and stop in the porta-potties a couple of times.  That's all part of the experience!

 This season, I was 50/50 if I was going to be able to pull off proper training for an IM distance race, given my new job as VP Operations with a new company I had started the fall before...  then in a bit of luck in early summer, I fell bass-ackwards into a Rev3 slot and that sealed the deal.

In the spring, I had been doing a lot of my run training with Jim LaMastra as he prepared for his first full season on the Pro circuit and in the summer AJ Baucco (2 years Pro) and I spent some solid time on the bike together.  I learned quite a bit about training at the next level from these two successful athletes.  I am simply amazed and impressed at the "next level" of dedication, focus, work and sacrifice that these guys have...  Much respect!

We hosted an out of town professional, Justin Harris for the days before and after the race. Another hard working and amazing athlete, who was racing his first Ironman distance as a Pro. Justin is a great guy who is going to have a bright future in the sport. I thought his goal of going 9 hours in his first Ironman was "aggressive"... but he came in at 9:02 (finishing just out of the money).

I found this note from Amy tucked into my race bag the night before the race...  It meant a lot to me!!  : )

I have to say, my family (Amy in particular) have always been supportive of what is often a "selfish" sport... especially when it comes to ironman training... many long hours on the road on the 12 weekends before the race... (6 hours bike rides, 3 hour runs).  Without their love and support, I could never do this, and certainly not do it successfully!!  THANK YOU GUYS!!


The Race:  2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile marathon... 10:22:36 (12 overall and 2nd in AG)


Swim:   2.4 miles - 1:10 (nothing special - plan was to go super-easy)
The mass start was moved off the beach into the water a bit because of extended shallows (about 400m)... so we did a "knee deep mass start" of about 400 athletes.  My plan was to start the day easy, find some feet to folow if possible, and get my day off to a good start.  I have enough experience now to know I can drive myself mad trying to save 5 minutes in the swim only to be a head case or tired when I come out of the water and look at my watch... 

I stayed extremely calm during the first 1.2 mile loop... conserving energy and emotion...  I felt great after the first loop and decided to push the pace just a bit on the second loop.  To my luck, I found a "good pair of feet" early in the second lap and jumped on them.  I let this guy "carry" me to the end of the swim course and thanked him as I passed him running into Transition.  I meant it sincerely, but I don't think he cared for it.

Bike:  112 miles - 5:02 (2nd fastest overall split - 22.2mph - plan was to be 5:10)
This is my strength, the bike, and I know this course well.  Much of my long-distance training this summer was along the main loop of the Rev3 course... a definite advantage to know my pacing and gearing and effort and such.

I held my effort back on the first loop, as planned, in order to avoid any kind of "blow up"...  this worked well and I was able to sustain my effort the entire bike course. Had I realized how close I would be to the 5:00 mark, I might have pushed the pace a bit more to break that symboic barrier

As I came to transition, knowing I had a good bike leg, Amy and the boys where there screaming and cheering for me - which was awesome.  Then Amy blew my mind and said that I was in 7th place overall coming off the bike!  I was excited to hear that, but then felt pressure of being so high up in such a large race!!

Run:  26.2 miles - 4:02 (stomach problems slowed me down 8 miles in...)
My head was spinning when I left transition... 7th place overall?  Yikes...  sad to say, that messed with my head a little at first.  I started out on the run feeling quite good, and my first couple of miles were about 7:00/mi pace... a little too quick, but felt good... but I needed to back off and slow down a bit or else die later...

About 5 miles into the marathon, I was averaging 7:27/mi pace when I was hit with a bad feeling in my GI system...   it required me to stop at a porta-potty and try to get things out.  No dice...  so after a few wasted minutes, I started to run again... but the feeling kept hitting me and forcing me to walk from time to time.  Very frustrating - as I was on pace to be very near to the 10:00 mark.

Carry on, that's what Ironman racing is all about... mind vs body vs luck.

Coming to the half-marathon turn-around, I saw Amy and the boys and some other friends... which was a great lift to my spirits... 127.5 miles down... 13.1 to go!!

I was able to see the Pros at the head of thier race... It was cool since I knew a few of them personally and others just from following the sport. They were finishing up (8:31 won the race) as I was into my second lap... I cheered those guys on and then focused on finishing up my own race.

Unfortunatley, I had to walk each aid station to refuel what my body was begging for, but my stomach was rejecting...  UGH... that feeling just sucks...

But then again...  that's what Ironman racing is all about... mind vs body vs luck.

Coming into the last couple of miles, I kept an eye on my watch and saw I was  close to being under 10:25... a significant milestone... so I pushed myself to make sure I did that.  I actually started to run and feel well again (go figure) and had a decent last couple of miles.

Amy and the boys were right there to greet my exhausted self as I crossed the finish line, stopping the clock at 10:22:36 - an 18 minute PR for me, and good enough for 12th place overall (out of ~ 400 who did the Full Rev) and 2nd place out of 48 in my age group.

Post Race:
Well, I was exhausted, as you might imagine... all I wanted to do was sit down... and sit I did...

They had a NorTech tent (compression recovery equipment) and I happily took a turn in there.  I liked the equipment and the way it helped make me feel as the day began to sink into my mind.  I did it... at 40 years old, I got faster yet again, and beat most of the field racing... many (most?) of whom were younger than me.  I know I only have a couple years left before I start the inevitable decline... but I am enjoying every minute of it right now!!

After getting some needed post-race nutrition and family time in...  I collected my gear, said good-by to the family (who drove back earlier because it was a 'school night').  I then stayed for a few more hours cheering in teammates, friends and random strangers who were putting themselves through the mental and physical torture that is an Ironman distance triathlon... 140.6 miles... 



What a great event!


It was a pleasure to have to call off work for the next day (Monday) so that I could attend the awards banquet / ceremony to collect my "goodies" for my 2nd place AG finish, and to see the "big checks" being handed out to the Professional Men and Women.

"And Boom Goes the Dynamite" - Caesar Creek Triathlon Race Report

SUMMARY:
My highest Olympic Triathlon overall finish yet - 5th in a fast, deep field, and on a very hot and humid day. I had a killer run which sealed my high placing. I finally nailed my nutrition - something I've been working on for Olympic Distance races.

I was concerned in the hour before the race. When I rode my warm-up on the bike - my legs were dead and I was feeling pretty out of it. I was worried that doing this race was a mistake. My family was upset that I entered at the last minute, after having been traveling just before. I decided to get up at 2:45am to drive down to the race venue, so I could spend as much time at home with my family as possible. I then stupidly stayed up until almost 12:00 midnight watching the Tour after then went to bed. Ooops..

Prior to this race, I spent 2 weeks overseas - one in India, the other in Germany. Traveling takes it out of you, and I have very little time to train while I was gone. I ran 4 times in India - each time was a hot, sweaty mess - as you might expect... Germany was hot too (95-100F) and I was so busy and tired I could only muster a 5k run here and there... maybe my body used these two weeks to rebuild itself. Let's go with that...

I was still feeling flat when I went down to the water's edge. There were 650+ athletes buzzing around getting ready - and all of their support crew / family / friends. I just wasn't feeling it. I swam out for my last warm-up and to get some sighting landmarks... but still didn't feel my mojo. Maybe this was a huge mistake and waste of time today. Well - I'm here, I might as well make the best of it...

Count down to the Elite Men's start...


SWIM: (21st Overall - 22:49...)
I've been pushing the pace on the swim, and getting good results this season. My swim times are by no means "impressive" - but compared to my times last year - I've consistenly taken 3-4 minutes off my swim time vs 2010 - I'm so happy!

I pushed it hard from the shore, and was about the 3rd to the first turn buoy. Time to find some feet and a good fast pack, and see if I can hang with them. I quickly found some feet... then lost them... then found them... then lost them... then found them... then realized I was following someone who was having a difficult time holding a line and sighting. Not good. Problem was, when I went to find the rest of the lead pack - it was gone. I picked the wrong feet... and now I had to go it alone.

I was frustrated by this, but being inefficient and wasting energy wasn't going to make things better - so I quickly re-focused my mind on perfect form, and rapid turn-over. I did most of the first lap completely on my own. At the start of the second lap, I could see a group at a turn buoy - so I pushed it even harder to catch up to them. Eventually I did... and used the pack for a while - but then we got into the reminents of the sprint wave, and the pack broke up weaving in and out of them. I lost the pack again and finished the swim alone. Before I knew it, the swim was over, and I was scrambling onto my feet.


Running up the hill, I saw a friend and asked how many were ahead... I didn't like the number I heard... 15 or so... damn...

BIKE: (8th overall - 1:03:30)
The bike course was rolling and had a lot of twists and turns in it. Felt like I was never really in "steady-state", but rather always shifting or turning. I'd never been on this course before, and I'm better suited for the flat, steady-state courses, so I felt a disadvantage.


I pushed and pushed on the bike - trying to count how many I was passing that beat me in the swim. It just didn't seem like enough! The only good thing for me about this particular course, is that it had a long out-and-back section - where you get a chance to see who is in front of you, and by how much time... and also who is behind you. As I neared the turn-around, I realized that there weren't many people left in front of me- but the ones who were were a good few minutes ahead.

After the turn-around, I had one guy I could see to chase, and I caught him... after that, I was all alone... Sometimes that makes it difficult to keep pushing the pace when it hurts. That's why they have a "rabbit" at a lot of marathons... to keep the pack from getting complacent. I had no rabbit and no one to chase... My overall placement of 8th tells me I might have let off the gas a little in the last 5-7 miles. (I was 1st overall and 3rd overall fastest bike split in my two prior races this seaons).

I finally got my nutrition / hydration right on the bike! 2 races ago, I under did it and started to cramp the last 30 minutes of the race... this past race, I over did it and wanted to puke for an hour of racing... today - I nailed it! 20oz of HEED first, and then 20oz of a weak electrolyte only solution was just what I needed on this hot, steamy day.

Coming into transition, my legs felt pretty good... and my belly was very happy!


RUN: (5th overall - 42:47 - slow time, but this was a trail run and it was HOT)

I came out of transition with one other guy. I had never done this race, and was surprised to find it was a very uneven, rocky surface. In the first mile, I kept surging to drop this guy, but he kept hanging on. We came up to a gradual hill - and I decided that I was going to drop him on this hill - "because I was going to". I actually said that to myself... BOOM - I was off like a shot and ran full speed. I could hear his footsteps fading behind me, but didn't back off the pace because I wanted to break his spirit and not have him climb back on.

After the hill, I was flying and feeling strong. I saw my high school friend Darryl Miller finishing up the sprint race, and had a chance to say a quick "LOOKING GOOD DARRYL" and sneak a low-five as we passed each other. It was HOT and I was glad to have brought my fuel belt along with 2 bottles of electrolyte solution, and 2 bottles of plain water. Time for a drink. Most of the run was out in the exposed sun - and it was just hot. Did I mention it was hot?

I relized there were more targets in my sights ahead and kept the pace going hard. I could reel in and pass these guys one by one... each time, sneaking up on them quietly, pausing long enough to gather a little extra strength and then going full-speed to pass them and not have them try to stick with me.

At the 5k (half-way point of the run), I could see there were not many more in front of me... 3 or 4 tops. This was great! I just kept pushing it, and keeping the hydration coming. Last thing I wanted was to cramp up in this heat like so many others were. I kept fueling and dumping water on my head at the aid stations... and kept pushing. I only had one target to chase, and he was way in front of me (maybe 45 seconds at the last turn-around). I gave it everything I had... and closed 1/2 of the gap, but just couldn't catch him before the end of the race.


As I came to the finish chute - I heard them call my name and team (SnakeBite Racing)... then I saw my brother Steve, and his three kids waiting for me at the finish line. How very cool!


I felt exhausted, but really quite happy with how the day went for me. My strongest run placements for the season (relative to the field), and my highest overall placement in Olympic Distance - 5th and a time of 2:11:22. (I've won 1st overall duathlons and overall podiums in sprint triathlons... but this means more - the competition in Olympic Triathlon is so much stronger...)

Now, I have to focus my training on the 6 weeks between this race, and my "A" race - the USA Triathlon National Championships in Burlington, VT on August 20th.

Maumee Bay Olympic Triathlon Race Report - June 19, 2011

SUMMARY:
Maumee Bay yielded my highest overall finish so far in an Olympic Triathlon – 6th, against a challenging field and and a PR (2:09:57) on a very windy day. I “went for broke” in the swim and bike and held on in the run. I battled the wind and ended up with the fastest bike split overall in both the Olympic Triathlon and Duathlon! My swim improvement continues, with a 17th overall swim split (compared to 55th last year and 29th at Deer Creek). My run was a bit disappointing, a combination of upset stomach from over-hydration on the bike and fatigue from the bike. I was 1 minute slower than my consistent 40-41min 10k... But this has been the goal this season to date – race harder from the gun, earlier in the day and see what effect it has on my run and overall position.


Last season, I suspected I was holding back too much in the swim and bike. I'd feel (too) good during the run, and while finishing the run strong, I was wondering if I was leaving too much on the table. What I am learning so far this season is that I can push myself harder and earlier in the race, and have a better total race!


SWIM:
This was my second race in the Elite category, starting in the first wave with the fastest athletes. My strategy this year, was to go all-out in the first 5 minutes or so, to stay with the faster swimmers, and then find some feet for drafting/pacing (totally legal in triathlon). It worked pretty well in Deer Creek, so I tried it again this week. It is a physical bunch, really fighting for position. No one backs down. There is a LOT of contact (incidential and sometimes intentional) - so you really have to be aggressive and careful at the same time.

My disadvantage in years past continued to be my swim. I worked on that a lot this winter, and I'm happy to say that I have made a big improvement, with more work to do. So, I had confidence that I could sustain faster speeds, and pushing it so hard from the gun was to put me with the faster swimmers who would help set a faster pace. In the lake, with no "walls" to help you know your pace per 100m, you have to rely on the other swimmers as well as your perceived effort to gauge your speed.

I had more trouble finding a good person to draft on... I bounced between a few sets of feet, and sometimes just had to swim in open water on my own to hold the correct line to the next turn. I wasn't sure if I was in a good position in this swim, because of the trouble to find other fast swimmers, so I kept pushing harder, thinking I started too slowly.


Bottom line, I came out of the water 17th - my highest swim rank ever in Olympic - compared to consstent 50th-60th places last year. BIG improvement in position and time. Good start to the day.


BIKE:
It was quite windy at the start of the race, and I expected it to get worse as the morning went on (and it did!). I was mentally prepared for the cross-winds, and the relentless headwinds - as Maumee is quite flat and open and there is nowhere to hide from the wind.

After being encouraged by a strong swim, I started hammering the bike from the start. I've learned how to ride in the wind, when to push it in the tailwind sections where other people take it easy, and how to push just enough into the headwinds to drive forward, without blowing my legs out. It was working and I was picking off cyclists one by one.

At one point, I passed two guys who were battling for position, and they told me they were the last ones, that I was in the lead. What? I didn't believe them fully... but used that thought to become the rabbit being chased by the hounds, and took the motivation to push the pace harder yet. Turns out they were wrong, and I came up on a couple more competitors during the bike course. Regardless, they added just another spark to drive me forward.



The second loop was noticably windier than the first. Could really feel it in the cross-winds - to know it wasn't just my legs getting tired. It was windy!

2 weeks prior, at Deer Creek, I didn't drink enough, and that hurt my run. This time, expecting the wind to add to dehydration problems, I drank extra on the bike. Plus, in a stupid move, I mixed my fluids stronger (still don't know why I thought that was OK to do... I know better)... and by mile 18 on the bike, my stomach was upset. Stupid!

I later learned that I had posted the FASTEST BIKE SPLIT on the day. That was a very cool feeling to know I did that, even though my bike time was 2 minutes slower than last year (which was the 3rd fastest time), knowing the effects of the wind on the time - seeing I had the fastest split was a new achievement for me and a testiment to how hard I pushed it into the wind.



RUN:

I came into transition ready to run. There was one guy in particular that I hadn't raced before, Brian Stern. I knew I was a faster swimmer and cyclist, and that he was a phenominal runner. I figured I needed a 6 minute buffer against him to have a chance to hold him off in the run. I would later determine from the splits posted, that I had a 6 minute gap on Brian...

My first 2 miles were strong, but my stomach was really sloshing... there was still wind, and it was changing the conditions from reasonable but strong headwind pushing us, or a tailwind that didn't slow us down with force, but took away the feeling of cooling - it got really hot.


Coming to mile 3 I was pushing through the discomfort (I just wanted to puke it out and feel better, but I was concerned that I would then dehydrate as a result, and decided not to take that option). Still posting good splits, and holding the gap on the guy in front of me - wasn't getting away but I wasn't closing in either. I wanted to hold that gap until after the turn-around, when he would see me. I didn't want to pass before then.

At the turn-around, you can see where everyone is and how far ahead/behind they are, and how they look. I was happy with my position, and how I felt compared to how some of the others looked. This was going well, and I knew I was in 5th.

I saw Brian, and knew he was coming... I also threw up in my mouth a few times, and knew things weren't going well in my gut. I needed some extra calories / rush from a gel, but the thought was literally making me puke. Ugh... My nutrition plan / execution sucked today, and cost me 2 minutes in the run, and hurt my chances in the showdown with Brian.

Just about mile 5, I passed the transition area and a number of teammates and friends cheering me along. I still felt OK, but sick inside, and I just wanted to hold off Brian. I could hear people cheering for him now... he was close, and made the pass right at mile 5. I tried to go with him, but something in my brain went "snap". I knew he had me, and the suffering wouldn't undo the pass. I had a goal of PRing at this race, but the windy conditions on the bike killed that. I had no one close chasing me. I hate to admit it, but his pass broke me. With my super-upset stomach... and at the moment, nothing to chase or chase me... I walked for about 30 seconds to try to settle things, regroup, refocus and get going again.


I knew some of my friends and teammates saw me stop and walk. I was embarrassed, but there was nothing left at the moment. The engine room was overheating, my gut was over-sloshed and my targets escaped me.

After the mental reset, I got pissed at myself, and started again. Pushing faster and faster for the last 1.2 miles. There was no one chasing me - but now it was to reclaim a little pride for my stoppage. My last full mile was a 6:12... I was pretty happy with that, despite the other problems. Little goals, little achievements sometimes...


When the final results were posted, I was proud to see that my hard-fought day earned my 6th overall - my highest overall placement in the field, and a new personal record (PR) of 2:09:57 at the Olympic Distance. I was quite proud of this.

The suffering was real, and some of the most intense I have experienced in Olympic distance racing - but that has been the goal this season - race as hard as I can from the start - find out what I am truly capable of - no questions about having something left in the tank at the finish. Mission accomplished - I was SHREDDED at mile 5, and struggled in. But it gave my best result yet - so it was another well learned lesson.

Had I not given myself the total gut-bomb of overcompensation for the Deer Creek dehydration, i'm sure I would have been one place higher, and given Brian a better run for his money at the end... but his jets would probably have held me off anyway. He's a total stud!



COMRADERIE: Friends, team mates and new faces:

Great to see my SnakeBite Racing team out in force - 15+ people there to race and/or cheer (injured taking pictures, etc). We had a great showing there, and a lot of fun, and good exposure for our sponsors.


My friend Darryl Miller from High School (Lakota '90) did his second sprint triathlon ever - and his 18 year old daughter Gabby did her first one. I'm so happy and excited for them - they are totally hooked on the multisport lifestyle!

My college buddy Steve Kauffman was there as well! Did his second sprint triathlon ever and had a fun day, depsite some knee trouble.

Others from the triathlon community were there as well - Maumee Bay is a fun triathlon becaue of all of the local people there!

The Monday right after the race, I departed for a 2 week trip to India and Germany. It was a great trip that I will write about later... and a good chance to rest and recover after Sunday's hard effort.

ANOTHER GREAT WEEKEND RACE!

Shifting Gears - Preparing for the 2011 Triathlon Season -

My 2011 spring running season is now behind me. 3 races, 3 PRs! 5K (18:36), 15K (1:00:58) and Boston Marathon (3:08:33). I'm quite pleased! Now, on to my real strength and passion - triathlon!! Last season, I won my age group in all but 1 races I did, won the HFP Series, did a 10:40 Ironman at Rev3 and made USAT Honorable Mention for the first time. It was a good season, but I want more out of this season!

This year, I am focusing on the Olympic Distance... and I will compete as an "Elite" in the USAT Olypmic distance races this season - as well as race in my first USAT National Championships. I need to focus on getting faster, in the shorter Olympic Distance Triathlon (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run).

This season will be a different focus and training situation for me. 5 of the last 6 years, I've had an Ironman as my "A" race and focus. Lots of long endurance rides and runs. This season, my Coach, Gregg Brekke (www.gbcoaching.com) and I are working to a different program. Speed, speed, speed and speed... I can feel the difference in intensity already!

The combination of a difficult northeast Ohio winter/spring, and my focus on Boston means that I've spent very little time outside on the bike. I have to change that - like NOW! Dodging rainstorms, I've been able to ride outside finally - and I'm happy with my output so far. The winter spinning and focused marathon run training have laid a good foundation for my cycling, which is usually pretty strong relative to the field. But I want to get faster, stronger and... well... faster!

We had a really great winter spinning group at our sponsor Ride + Workout in Lakewood. We (Gregg, Mike, Angie, Eric and I) took turns leading some seriously tough spinning classes. I'm still using some of those workouts on my own when I'm stuck on the trainer now.

My swimming is the biggest area for improvement. I made some good advances during the fall and early winter, when I was focusing on it. Then I had to travel a lot to Asia (easy to run, difficult to swim) and then came the home stretch to get ready for Boston. I need to get my swimming back on track - RIGHT NOW! I need to get back to that frequency and focus. I'm ramping up my yardage again, and I can feel it in my shoulders, chest and lats. Gotta work on the speed, and then the endurance.

So, the weather is finally coming around - and in 6 short weeks, my first Olympic Distance Triathlon... YIKES!

- Better get moving!!

PS:
I really don't write these posts about my day-to-day training for other people to read, so much as to help myself. I benefit from the process of thinking through what is going on, writing out what is honestly going on, and making some public statements to challenge myself. I doubt these get read by anyone who cares... but for me to sit down, organize my thoughts and put some pressure on myself - that helps me a lot!

My first trip to INDIA! (July 2010)

WOW, Colorful, Intriguing, Uncomfortable, Crowded, Beautiful, Poverty...

"It is the only place to offend all 5 senses at once"...

Such a stark contrast of extreme poverty and vast displays of wealth.

I was in three very different cities and regions of India during my 10 day trip: Chennai (Madras), Vadadora (Baroda) and Mumbai (Bombay). The "old English" names are in paranthesis after the proper Indian names.

I've been all over the world... enjoy traveling and discovering new cultures, food and places. This was the most difficult and uncomfortable trip for me. Plus, I'm doing an Ironman Triathlon 8 weeks after this trip, I was very nervous about getting sick, and should be in the peak of my training. It certainly didn't help that my luggage was lost for the first 4 days I was in India!

The food was excellent! I love spicy curry, and there is such an amazing variety of flavors and spices!! I allowed myself to be adventurous in my eating there. I was absolutely careful/paranoid about drinking. Sure to only drink from bottles that I saw had the seal on, etc. One funny meal was a Chinese lunch... I was taken there by Martin - the same guy who, while I was in China, refused to take me to a Chinese restaraunt and instead took me to an Indian place!

Our mission was to find Free Trade Zone warehousing and distribution options to better support our importing into India for the rather large market we have been servicing there. We visited with a dozen different possible options and came away with some good ideas. Doing import business into India is very difficult to say the least.

When you arrive in India - the HEAT, HUMIDTY and POPULATION density are the immediate things you notice. You can't help it... it's IN YOUR FACE everywhere you go! Chennai is at a lattitude of 12 degrees or so above the equator (Panama City, FLA is about 30 degrees north).

The people I dealt with are generally very pleasant, friendly and eager to help. The population as a whole is well intentioned - but there are some "quirks" in this region you need to understand.

1) It is a caste society - meaning very specific, structured social classes that are rarely if ever crossed exist. If you are born into one of the low castes... that's it. It isn't like America - the land of opportuity to pull yourself up by your boostraps... and the upper castes talk down to and treat the lower ones as if they are sub-human. It's hard to witness. They say it is getting better - OK... I can only imagine life when it "wasn't better".

2) When they are agreeing with you, they shake their heads from side to side (like how we indicate "no"). it is VERY confusing and distracting when you are trying to explain a complicated financial/legal transaction like I was doing. You are talking along - looking to them to see if they follow you, and they are all shaking their heads. You stop to make sure they understand? (yes) Is what you're saying wrong or not allowed? (It's fine!)... this is how the agree as you talk. Very, very hard to get used to!

3) There is a "poverty mentality" - and many of the basic things we all assume as fundamental things simply are not over there. It's difficult to explain the basic thought process being so different, but it is. Hard to wrap your mind around because from birth, we are conditioned to think a certain way - which can be different to other ways - but because we know it from birth, we don't even realize that we are "programmed" that way. As basic as "trash collection" (which really doesn't exist from what I can tell in most of the areas of India I visited)... you dump your rubbish right onto the street - for the "Rag Pickers" (super poor people) to sort through and collect whatever they can from it. Scraps of rubber, shards of broken glass, food scraps, etc. Imagine a month's worth of garbage piled up in the 90-120F heat! Pretty gross! The movie Slumdog Millionaire didn't exaggerate (might have held back!)

4) There are huge divides between rich and poor there. The split in the USA is trival compared to the millions and millions in Mumbai alone that live in the shack slums and live off picking through the garbage and begging... with the handful of super-rich and the splendor they live in. Unreal difference, and I feel fortunate that when I traveled there, I was in the "latter class" there. Our hotel was a simply amazing multi-acre 5 star resort complex in the middle of the city, surrounded by slums. You forget where you are, until your car pulls out of the complex into the huge throngs of people everywhere... and you see their living conditions, and can't help but feel bad about it. You want to help - but you can't. There are too many... and if you do give a beggar something - you will immediatly be swarmed by 1000 (no exaggeration!) more beggars... small naked children begging... old sick, crippled people... it's heart breaking.

Having said all that, there is a rich culture and heritage in the country. Amazing art and a few beautiful monuments, historic sites and the like. Again, the people are quite nice, despite their situation... and the FOOD IS INCREDIBLE!

The food could cause a 20 page blog alone. Such strong and amazingly different flavors, textures, sights and tastes. Some so simple, some complex! I was quite adventureous with the food, and it didn't disappoint. Wow. The curries are all so different! The heat/spicy is so intense (sweating more than you already are there!), yet you can taste all of the complicated flavors.

Before arriving in India, I researched running groups - and found a very nice group in Chennai and also in Mumbai that helped me find places to run (difficult to find safe places in India to run!). I ran with the group of runners in Mumbai on a Sunday morning. What a great group! I ran 25k (the first 10K with another runner at my speed, the rest were 9-10min/mi pace runners). It was really a nice place to run along the Mumbai coast (actually along the Mumbai Marathon course) and they had guys on scooters with water to support the runners along the way! That was great! (Except that I took some, and drank it, and then realized a few minutes up the road that it was probably LOCAL water - and therefore a really bad idea to drink it!!). The heat and humidity were INSANE! Also, it was windy and monsooned a litte during the run, then the sun came out and evaporated it all back into the air again to make it even more hot and humid! You can see a picture from after my run of all of the water bottles I drank to rehydrate! That was a highlight for me - to meet a group of like-minded runners on the other side of the world and share the run with.

I did great from a "not getting sick" standpoint... until I made one mistake - the water from the guy while doing the run. I'm used to taking and chugging water during a race. This was the same scenario - except that this water apparently came from the contaminated local water source. A couple minutes after I took the big drink, I realized that this was probably a bad idea (funky taste in my mouth was the first clue...). Next day, I was SICK AS A DOG! The other possible contributing factor was drinking a lassi at a restaurant which probably also had local water in it. This was at lunch on the same day I was sick. Not sure which one did it to me... but both were gaps in judgement in an otherwise fully "on guard" trip. Oh well - I'm human I guess!

I'll be back in India again - probably before the end of 2010. And I'll have a guy working for me there starting in the next couple of months... so... I'll be back! And next time, visiting Kolkata (Calcutta) and Jamshedpur. Stay tuned!