Dirty Rock Off Road Tri / Kiwanis Tri Rock Sprint Tri

A busy weekend ....

Well needed summer rains in Texas meant the Dirty Rock Off Road Tri was moved to the same weekend as the Kiwanis Tri Rock Sprint triathlon.  Both events are held in Rockwall, TX.  I've done the Tri Rock Sprint before, in 2012 when I was still a Clydesdale triathlete but this was my first time in the Dirty Rock.  As a Cat 2 mountain biker and triathlete it should be an event I excel in.

Saturday: Dirty Rock Off Road Tri

More rains meant that we couldn't race on the Squabble Creek trail so the organizers laid out an on-road/off-road circuit using nearby playing fields.  It was a cool dewy morning so the grass sections were wet and likely to get slippy as we were doing three laps of the short 2-mile circuit.  This was going to be a short, fast race.

I had a high start number for the short 150yd pool swim and was expecting some traffic which proved true. I was quickly upon other swimmers. I got an elbow in the face which partially flooded my goggles, but pushed my way through.

Swim: 2:37 (1:45/100yd pace - new PR pace for a swim)

I kept T1 nice and simple.  No socks today - I used waterproof tape around my ankles to inhibit any rubbing of my shoes. This worked great. No glasses either - which proved a good decision with the amount of water and mud kicked up, glasses would quickly have gotten covered.

T1: 46 seconds

With just 6 miles on the bike, I put the hammer down.  I quickly identified some faster lines on corners that others were missing.  Lots of overtaking kept me on my toes as there were a lot of slow riders wandering all over the course.  During one fast passing move I got to close to a thorny branch so I got back into transition with blood trickling down my arm.

Bike: 19:58 (2nd fastest overall)

T2 was going great until my bike slipped off the stand as I was putting my shoes on.  Few seconds wasted picking it up again.  My mtb seat doesn't lend itself to seat-mountain on a tri bike rack.  Shoes on, no socks, grab number and vizor and off ..

T2: 52 seconds

The start of the run was a short trail and uphill on wet grass.  My legs felt heavy - definitely different running after mountain bike rather than tri bike.  But with just a 2 mile run I had to push.  Finally onto the road I kept focused on keeping my pace up and trying to catch the runners in front.  I hauled in one guy towards the end of the run and the downhill grass into the finish line made for a fast finish.

Run: 15:55 (7:58/mile pace - PR pace in a triathlon)

Race time: 0:40:10

That gave me 2nd in 45-49 Men age group, but more significantly, 5th fastest overall!  Everyone faster than me topped the podium for some category or other and quite a few that I beat topped their AG podiums.  One day I'll be that lucky ..... maybe.

Sunday: Kiwanis Tri Rock Sprint Tri

Woke to perfect cool temperatures and felt good to race again.  Same routine. Just 15 minutes earlier.

The Tri Rock is a bigger event with 145 racers.  The Rockwall Aquatic Center is a great location for a tri - plenty of parking and a great 50 meter pool.  A few familiar faces from the Saturday race too.  I planned to do the same and race without socks again.  I got there early and secured a great bike spot, mid-transition on an off-set rack so I had no-one opposite me.  Also I decided to go back to having my shoes already on the bike.  While this makes for a slightly slower few seconds on the ride to get my feet in and fastened, it gets me out of T1 super quick (in theory) - helmet, glasses, bike, GO.

The swim went well - deep pool, wide lanes.  At 300m it was too long to hammer so I just planned to keep it uneventful.

Swim: 6:33 (2:00/100yd pace)

T1 went super smooth as planned and I was in and out in 33 seconds - easily my fastest ever T1.

I probably tried to get my feet into my shoes too quick as the first 100 yds out of transition was slightly uphill.  Once on the road, though, I got quickly settled into my rhythm.  Next time I'll wait a little longer - the bike is more stable at speed which makes getting feet into the shoes less wobbly.

There wasn't much wind on the bike course which is unusual for this route.  Also the wind most often comes out of the south making the out leg from I-30 to 205 superfast.  But on this day it was a gentle NE wind.  On a positive note this would make the predominantly uphill return leg less of a grind.  It was such a great feeling to blast through the traffic signals and stop signs that normally interrupt my rides on John King Blvd.  Even though this was a sprint, I still had to leave a little in my legs for the run.  Brought back memories of one of my first races, slower riders struggling on the uphills while some fast guy steams past them at 25mph, except this time the fast one was me.  Two years training and 30lbs lost make a lot of difference.

Feet out of shoes and a fast approach to transition, nearly blew past the dismount line! Carbon wheels with carbon-specific brake pads don't have much stopping power.

Bike: 34:14 (22.4mph - fastest bike speed of the year)

No bike shoes to worry about - just hang the bike, slip the Zoot Ultra Race 4.0 shoes on, grab number and vizor and go.

T2: 37 seconds.  Beat that!

As ever after a short, fast bike leg, the legs are a little heavy.  But I knew the run was my weakest discipline and there were quick runners in the field.  If I was going to make the podium I had to push to lose a little time as possible.  The run was changed from last time - more compact, twists and turns and some short inclines.  Lots of runners were following the curves around the roads but I kept to my mentor's advice and ran cone-to-cone, no need for unneeded extra yards!

Mile 1: 8:22

In the second mile, I started to feel the two races.  Running was getting harder and it seemed a long way to the finish. Push, push.

Mile 2: 8:26

Finally with the last turns, the Aquatic Center was in sight.  I summoned everything I had left, lifted my feet and ran hard for the finish, my last 0.1 mile at around 7:00/mile pace.

Mile 3: 8:12

Run: 26:05 (official pace 8:22)

A couple minutes slower than my 5K PR recently, but ok for the second race in two days.

Total race time: 1:08:04. 13 minutes 12 seconds faster than my previous time on this course and a sprint tri PR.  I thought I might have been a couple minutes faster but I put it down to two races in two days just sapping me a little.

Despite concerns about being a couple of minutes slower than I expected, it was still good enough for 3rd place in 45-49M age group.  Second podium in two days.  A productive weekend and good preparation for two weeks time when I will be racing the Arkansas Double - Olympic distance on Saturday, Sprint distance on Sunday, personal wager on the line with friends.  The big takeaways from these races were the success of my simplified transitions, without socks or messing with Garmin watches, and if I'm going to challenge for top spot or Masters wins n sprints then I'm going to have to get faster on the run.  A little more swim speed wouldn't go amiss either.

Race Report - Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon

Introduction

This race was a late addition to my schedule this year.  Other members of Team Zoot from Texas and elsewhere were doing the race so I signed up too.  An Ironman 70.3 in Lubbock, TX in summer ... no problem!  This would be my third IM70.3 of the year and my first since my DNF at New Orleans so my key focus was to finish.  It's a tough course so not likely the place for any PRs.

Race Preparation

My race planning has now settled into a regular plan.  Arrive two days prior to the race.  Don't plan on doing anything other than eating, sleeping, picking up packet and driving the bike course.  Hotel was well located for an easy drive out to Buffalo Springs Lake and near to all the restaurants and race HQ.  Went to the movies for a relaxing change of scenery.

Packet pick-up was in hotel in Lubbock.  I was surprise at the low key nature of the race compared to my other two Ironman 70.3 races this year.  Very little in the way of Ironman branding, no big Ironman clothing store, etc.  A lot of people like that about this race.  I was surprised but in hindsight it lends to the appeal of the race.  Small, old school and only those looking for a real challenge turn up.

Driving the bike course is so important at a new race and especially here.  I got a look at the rather daunting climbs on the course.  It would be very easy to try and attack this bike course and blow up spectacularly.  My plan was to watch the power meter closely - stay around 300W on the long steep climbs.  I could easily power up them at 500W but there would be nothing left of my legs for the run.

Race Day

As ever, nice early arrival.  Avoided the traffic queue for parking that started soon after and got a nice close parking spot.  Pre race organization was a little haphazard.  Body markers got stuck in traffic too and there were too many non-racers wandering around transition despite requests from the announcer for them not too.  It's disturbing for my race prep when this happens.

This is a wetsuit swim - only just.  The water was definitely not cold.

Swim

The race start at IM70.3BSLT is awesome.  Wide beach start.  Huge amphitheater for supporters to watch the action.  Amazing scenery with the sun just peeking over the canyon edge.  The water was flat calm.  The beach very gently shelves into the water so you can walk/run/stumble quite a long way.  There were about 150 swimmers in my wave and we got off smoothly as you could expect in a wave start.

The swim has one right turn (into the just-rising sun! Tinted goggles a necessity!) then all left turns around a rectangular course taking you right across the lake.  As promised the water was cooler on the opposite side near the springs that feed the lake.

My swim felt about average for me, though I just couldn't seem to get much open space.  Half way around, several waves were merged together so there always seemed to be traffic.  As it turned out this was my slowest 70.3 swim so far by about a minute.

Swim time: 44:44 (slowest of 3 70.3s this year, fastest 41:46 at New Orleans)

Division rank: 72nd of 118

T1

There was a concrete step just before swim exit that I managed to whack my shin on but otherwise got out easy enough and got wetsuit stripped.  However, the "run" into transition was a narrow path in front of the portapotties and slow walkers backed everyone else up with little room to get around.  I had a long run with my bike to the bike exit at the other end of transition.

T1: 3:36 (fastest 70.3)

Bike

Right out of transition is the first steep climb.  Not a real problem as long as you've selected an easy gear to set off.  I was amazed to see people trying to ride it in aero position (doing approx 5mph!).  There's a steep downhill followed by another climb, longer but not quite so steep.  Once up that climb it became clear the wind was going to be a challenge.  A strong steady breeze out of the south (I think) blowing at around 20mph I would guess and gusting up to about 30mph.

I reality I didn't find the hills a great problem as I have good climbing legs from mountain biking and my power meter to keep me within my target limits.  The wind was the real challenge with long segments directly into the wind meaning you were doing 14mph and pushing just over 200W.  It drains.  I'm so glad I have the power meter because it helps me realize I'm doing "enough" and it's the conditions defining my speed.  I felt like I was steadily moving up through the field on the bike, especially at the top of the long climbs and on the downhills.

I touched 47mph on one downhill but got a shock with a sharp sidewind as I entered the canyon.  I lost confidence and hit the brakes.  Otherwise I would easily have topped 50mph.

One the last ten miles of the bike the cross wind was a real issue.  Lots of people including myself were riding disks and/or deep section carbon wheels.  Looking up the road seeing a line of triathletes with their bikes leaning into the sidewind told me everyone was suffering the same.

My bike split was slower than my New Orleans bike (where I blew up spectacularly) which just shows how tough this course is.  I finished feeling good though.  This was my first 70.3 with the Speedfil hydration system.  Filling it with a bottle at each (10 mile) aid station kept it sufficiently full for me not to run out.

Bike: 3:04:28 (slowest 70.3)

T2

By the time I got back to transition, the temperature was rising significantly.  Knowing what my bike split was it was clear this wasn't a day for records.  So I resolved to take my time through transition and go out well-prepared for the run.  I stopped for a nature break in transition, grabbed some water and set off.  

T2: 3:58 (slowest)

Run

The two miles seemed ok.  An easy-ish sub10:00/mile pace, flat, sheltered although instantly very warm.  But quickly, the lack of wind in the canyon and the first of several steep climbs and it was clear this run was going to be a grind.  Trying to run (or jog) up the hills was sending my heart rate through the roof.  So I walked parts of them.  The wind was little relief, starting to feel like a hairdryer.  There was little in the way of shade either.  It became a challenge of running between the aid stations.  Drinking two or three drinks, ice cloths, ice down the trisuit and then off to the next.  The long straight road past the power station (Energy Lab 2!) seemed to go forever - thankfully there was an extra aid station at the turnaround. Coming back through the mile 9 aid station the road felt sticky .. but it wasn't spilled Gatorade, the road surface was melting.  Their thermometer over the road read 119F.  No wonder it was a struggle.  I had no thoughts of stopping - I kept hydrating and moving along.  The last three miles around the lake were like running in a sauna.  No wind down in the bottom of the canyon, baking hot temps.  Finally I saw the finish line.  No finish line sprint today - just enough strength to drag myself over the line.

As it turned out I was one of the ones who finished in reasonable condition.  The medical tent was packed with triathletes on IVs - many of them clearly in a bad way.  I'd stayed within my capabilities so recovered fast though tired.  Free cold beer was a great idea but all I wanted was food and cold water.

Run: 2:42:25 (slowest 70.3)

Overall I was glad to complete this race.  Definitely a "been there done that" achievement.

Post Race

For the first time, we stayed for the post race party.  It was cool.  Back at a Lubbock hotel.  Drinks. Food. Conversation.  I felt like part of the community.  Chatting with pros, coaches and getting my picture taken with Jordan Rapp.  Felt like a little kid again.

Ironman 70.3 New Orleans - Race Report

Overview

For the first time in my short triathlon career I didn't finish a race.  I've done a great deal of soul-searching, questioning and reviewing to determine what caused it.  What it comes down to is not preparing for the event with the same focus that I did for Ironman 70.3 Texas a week earlier, and also trying to do two Ironman 70.3 races on back to back weekends and not realizing the impact that this never-before-attempted amount of racing would have on my body.

Preparation

It's a long drive from Dallas to New Orleans.  I traveled on Friday - most of the day.  This time, my parents were accompanying my wife and I.  Friday evening we ventured into the French Quarter after packet pickup and enjoyed a fantastic meal (just water, no wine or beer).

Saturday is where I started to get it all wrong.  I ate the usual high carb breakfast of bagels, peanut butter, bananas.  Then we went to downtown New Orleans to enjoy the French Quarter Festival.  A whole day of entertainment with activities spread all across the French Quarter.  The weather was pleasantly warm and dry.  I tried to spend as much time as possible sitting.

In retrospect, between lunch and dinner I drank probably only a bottle and a half of water.  It was warm, sunny and windy.  Plus with the activities being all over the area I probably walked a few miles too.  So much for "resting all day".  Dinner (pasta) was slightly late after a hike back to the car and a round-trip to the remote bike transition area.

Race Day

Nothing unusual. Arrived in plenty of time. Followed my normal pre-race routine.  Felt good and ready to go.

Swim

Probably the easiest open water swim you will ever get at an Ironman 70.3.  The swim is inside a marina so we were protected from the elements and had plenty of landmarks/walls on both sides to navigate without much need to sight buoys.

Swim time: 41:46 (2:01 faster than previous PR)

T1

The run from swim exit to transition was not short.  Wetsuit strippers were a blessing again although far fewer than at Texas so I made sure they knew I was coming.

T1 time: 4:27 (22sec longer than Texas due to the longer run)

Bike

The aim on the bike was to go 10bpm harder than at Galveston, where I took the bike well within my (perceived) capability.  I'd got some water in my goggle right eye on the swim which had caused irritation to my right eye and this continued on the bike, especially with the cross-wind blowing from the right too.  At times it was hard to see from that eye.

For the first 28 miles on the bike I had no issues.  I was hitting my effort level (mid 150's bpm).   Nutrition (Gu every 20 mins, Saltstick every 30 min) all good.  My heart rate always jumps on the start of the bike and takes 15 minutes to settle down.  I don't eat anything during that period but do sip my drink.  In this case I had Skratch Hydration mix in my first two bottles.  I drained the two bottles by mile 27 (on schedule) but the expected drink station didn't appear?  It was supposed to be at Mile 28 according to the Athlete Guide.  I hadn't thought to make a mental note of where it was (or wasn't) on the outleg so had no idea if it was further up or just not there.  I only had flat Coke left on the bike and - possibly terminally for my race - decided not to drink it yet and just wait for the aid station.

Further and further it went.  Speed was still good and heart rate ok but my right eye irritation was evolving into a painful headache.  I wasn't sure why - can't be the irritation causing it?  I kept going.  I didn't really have a good mental picture of the mileage at the turns so when I passed the aid station (on the other side) it didn't register that it was Aid Station 2 at Mile 37 or 38.  I should have stopped and picked something up from them but I didn't and soldiered on.

Mile 36: 1:41:28 (21.3mph) and I knew I only had one more stretch of 6 miles into the wind and the rest was tail or cross wind.

At the Mile 36 turnaround, into the wind, suddenly dehydration really kicked in.  I had nothing left.  Headache, nausea starting, no energy.  I tried sipping the Coke but felt like I'd never keep it down.  At mile 38 I finally picked up Perform and water and tried to get it into me but by then it was too late.  I was really struggling and felt worse with every mile despite the fluids.

I struggled back to transition with a bike time of 2:58:32 and pulled out of the race at that point with a BP of 100/60 - no argument whether it was dehydration!

Extrapolating my data, without the dehydration I think I'd probably have done a bike split of around 2:39:00.  It seems crazy that all that extra effort only gained me about 3 minutes over my Galveston time - which I took at an easy pace.  That is until you consider that I wasn't anywhere near recovered from Galveston just 7 days earlier.  I need no more evidence than this to prove it.

Lessons

My lack of hydration and rest on Saturday caused my early exit of the race.  But insufficient recovery clearly impacted my performance level.  It seems unlikely that I'd have had good energy on the run so overall probably would have been on a par or slower than Galveston.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  Rest, rest, rest.

Don't plan big races so close together.  Build a plan and stick with it.  I changed my plan to accommodate my new team and my parents.  If I'm racing, the plan needs to be built around racing, not entertaining.  I have all the evidence I need to show myself the impact of not doing this.

I will come back to New Orleans at some point and exorcise this race failure.

Training and Sponsorship

Update

Well how things can change in a short period of time.  Since my last post my triathlon life has moved on to new levels of commitment and involvement.

Firstly the Dallas Marathon got cancelled - I was due to run the half marathon but the Icepocolypse wiped the event out completely.  Most importantly for my long-term tri training plan, I'd done the training for the event, significantly improved my endurance running ability and fitness and running no longer sucked completely.  I'm physically on the large side for a competitive triathlete and running in particular presents a challenge when you are large-framed and weigh 190-200lbs which is why diet is such an important and key component of my plan.

Training Plan

The Dallas Marathon marked the beginning of my focused training plan for Ironman 70.3 New Orleans.  I am self-coached but use Joe Friel's Triathlete's Training Bible to construct my training plan.  I've had the book for a while but this is the first time I've made the concentrated effort to build an annual plan.  Previously I've relied on iPhone apps from JammyCo which are great for anyone beginning as a self-trained triathlete.  Joe Friel's book seems complicated at first but with the help of Microsoft Excel I was able to build up a plan for myself.  It feels much more personal because it's shaped around me, rather than being a generic plan (although the JammyCo apps do provide for some level of customization).

Building the plan has a number of steps:

- Determine race plan
- Build personal objectives
- Work out how much time you can commit to training through the year
- Organize your week (I used the suggested week plans and just switched long run & bikes at the weekend)

With that, Joe Friel helps you fill in the rest.  It seemed daunting at first but following the process in the context of my own objectives made a lot more sense than just reading the book.  What I ended up with is shown below, a day-by-day schedule that extends out a full year (my year starts in December)

Excerpt from my Excel-constructed Weekly Training Plan

The times for each of my activities shown at the top are just a guide.  One the structure of the week is set, I manually adjust the workout times so that they sum up to the weekly training hours target.  Where there are multiple options for the type of workout I rotate the options between weeks for variability.

Keep a Training Diary!

Even though I have the plan constructed on Excel, I transfer each week into a training diary folder and record my actual activities, notes, changes to plan, etc. into that by hand.  This seemed a rigmarole at first, but I now understand how useful it is.  It is a source of great pride to complete it each day and after each workout - it helps keep me focused, it ensures I review what I've done, how I feel and what I am doing next.  It also lets me think realistically about how my training needs to fit in around my life, such as holidays, family events and work commitments.

I use the template provided in Joe Friel's book for now.   I think I might tweak it a little in future now that I've got used to it and my own process of compiling it but for now it works great as is.

Tracking My Data

I'm an Excel addict.  So as well as keeping the paper-based diary, all my metric data goes into my training spreadsheet.  In addition, I use the basic (free) version of TrainingPeaks to record my workouts, some metrics, diet (sometimes) and upload the recorded data from my Garmin ForeRunner and CycleOps PowerTap power meter.  I also record all outdoor runs and rides on Strava - for sharing on Facebook and Twitter and also because there are a few Strava segments I have my eye on to get near the top of the KOM list.  All my runs also get recorded using Nike+.  I really like the Nike+ voiceover announcements of pace and distance.  

Tracking My Location

Lastly, I run the free RoadID eCrumb app which I cannot recommend highly enough especially as the vast majority of my training is done alone (the same for a high proportion of triathletes?).  This simple app lets you send a web link to a list of phone numbers and email addresses that links to a map showing my route taken and current location.  It also has a Stationary Alert feature to alert the contacts if I should ever be stationary for more than a few minutes, in case I have an accident of some kind.  It doesn't replace my RoadID bracelet, which I always wear, but it provides security and peace of mind.  It also gives my wife an idea of when I'm likely to be done based on where I am! I'd totally pay for this app if I had to.

Needless to say my iPhone battery takes a hammering when I run and ride so I often carry a booster battery to keep it charged.

Sponsorship

Late in 2013 I saw a Facebook post inviting invitations to apply to be a part of Team Zoot for 2014.  I decided to put together a resume and apply.  I didn't hold up much hope of getting picked but I applied using my best professional approach and kept it honest and truthful.  During December I got a message from the Texas captain that I'd been successful! I was shocked, amazed and thrilled!

I haven't personally met up with any of my Team Zoot Texas colleagues yet but we've connected on Facebook and just reading about them and their activities inspires me to trainer harder and be more focused.  I can't wait to get into our new kit and start representing the Zoot brand.  It's a new experience for me but one that is already providing great motivational benefit.

Since I'd taken the time to put the resume together I sent it off to a few other companies who openly invite sponsorship applications.  In late December I also got a message that I'd been selected to be part of the Gu Crew sponsored by Gu Energy Labs for 2014.  Fortunately Gu are also a sponsor of Team Zoot so the commitments should align nicely.  I've used Gu products since I started on my journey a couple of years ago,  starting with energy gels (Orange!) and now including Gu Recovery Brew and Roctane gels.  I'll be spending some time over the coming months developing my race nutrition strategy, of which Gu products will be a key component.