Harvest Moon Half Iron has always been one of my favorite races but this year, maybe I should have sat it out. The season had been really good through the triathlon in Estes Park but lately it seems I lost my motivation. I've been racing and most of the time, my usual friends have been absent.
When I showed up at Aurora Reservoir, Steven was there set up ready to go. The swim sent really well for not having much motivation. I set a good pace from the start and swam pretty straight considering you have to swim staight into the sun. It would be really nice to not have to swim into the sun but I guess that's what you get.
The bike course had a small modification at mile one; the exit from the reservoir was modified and now exits like Rattlesnake. The first ten miles were typical eastern Aurora with the rolling hills to the turn around. The northbound leg to Watkins had a nice tailwind and I literally flew. Somewhere along the course, I had caught up to Steven and for some reason, I just settled in. I don't usually settle in on a race but for some reason today it seemed like the thing to do. Overall, the bike was ok, not a great performance, not a bad ride, just ok. I know it didn't take too much out of me so I should have had plenty left for the run.
I was in and out of T2 pretty smoothly and onto the long out and back that is Aurora Reservoir. The initial pace felt pretty good so I tried to dial it back a little. I know 13.1 is a long way to run and going out too fast at Harvest Moon is a recipe for disaster. The course has some small steady climbs but it has almost no shade and by the time the run starts, the temperature has climbed. About three miles into the run, I had to stop for a pit stop. Something had been bothering my stomach since mile forty on the bike and it was time for a stop.
I was running really well through the turnaround and heading back when the wheels or left calf literally fell off. One second I was running nice and smooth and the next the left calf was starting to hurt and then I was walking. I tried to stretch a little but nothing gave me any relief. With six miles to go, a short run turned into a long hike. After walking a couple miles, I was able to shuffle for a minute and then walk for a minute. It was the best I could do and it got me to the finish, not pretty but still a finish.
Showing posts with label Triathlon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Triathlon. Show all posts
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Evergreen Sprint Triathlon Race Report
Racing Underground brought back the Evergreen Sprint Triathlon and it fit into my schedule so I thought I would give it a go. I thought racing at elevation would also make it a little more exciting and difficult.
The race takes place in the Evergreen Town Lake and is a great venue for a race. The parking is somewhat limited but there is plenty of grass and trees for after the event. The lake normally doesn't allow swimming but Racing Underground was able to get permission as long as everyone wore a wetsuit. The water temperature at the start was around 68 degrees which is warm for the lake. The shore of the lake wasn't conducive to swimming with the lake bottom being pretty soft and descending quickly. The swim start was in water so you have to either be up near the shore or out treading water. I had a very good start and was able to get near the front of my wave by the first buoy. I was caught by a two people at that point but I wasn't able to hold their feet so I had to continue on my own. I had a form break from about 250 meters to 350 meters. Once I got back on form, I was ok, but it took a little work.
The bike course was one of the most challenging courses I've ridden. After a flat mile, the climbing begins and it doesn't end until about mile eight. There are a couple false flats but that's what they are, false hope that the climbing is over. I know people think Old Stage at Boulder Peak is tough but Stagecoach at Evergreen is harder in my opinion. The average grade isn't as steep but it's averages eight percent and the climb is close to seven mile where Old Stage is less than one.
The descents at Evergreen are also a little more technical. Boulder Peak has nice long sweeping curves but the curves at Evergreen are shorter and sharper.
Just like Boulder Peak and Loveland, you have to be on the lookout for wild life. One the last descent coming back to transition, I saw three elk and one was right on the course. A little breaking and quick manuevering got me around the elk with no injuries to either one of us.
Before the race, I walked the first 200 - 300 meters of the run course. Most run courses go around the lake and Evergreen is no exception. It did go around the lake but it also took a little detour through a neighborhood which included a very long and steep hill. It also had two sets of stairs, one down and one up just in case your quads weren't sore yet.
Overall it's a very good course and as always, Racing Underground put on a great event. I continued to do well with second in my age group and top fifteen overall. The overall is slightly skewed since four of the people faster than me are professionals and one was a bronze medalist in Athens.
The race takes place in the Evergreen Town Lake and is a great venue for a race. The parking is somewhat limited but there is plenty of grass and trees for after the event. The lake normally doesn't allow swimming but Racing Underground was able to get permission as long as everyone wore a wetsuit. The water temperature at the start was around 68 degrees which is warm for the lake. The shore of the lake wasn't conducive to swimming with the lake bottom being pretty soft and descending quickly. The swim start was in water so you have to either be up near the shore or out treading water. I had a very good start and was able to get near the front of my wave by the first buoy. I was caught by a two people at that point but I wasn't able to hold their feet so I had to continue on my own. I had a form break from about 250 meters to 350 meters. Once I got back on form, I was ok, but it took a little work.
The bike course was one of the most challenging courses I've ridden. After a flat mile, the climbing begins and it doesn't end until about mile eight. There are a couple false flats but that's what they are, false hope that the climbing is over. I know people think Old Stage at Boulder Peak is tough but Stagecoach at Evergreen is harder in my opinion. The average grade isn't as steep but it's averages eight percent and the climb is close to seven mile where Old Stage is less than one.
The descents at Evergreen are also a little more technical. Boulder Peak has nice long sweeping curves but the curves at Evergreen are shorter and sharper.
Just like Boulder Peak and Loveland, you have to be on the lookout for wild life. One the last descent coming back to transition, I saw three elk and one was right on the course. A little breaking and quick manuevering got me around the elk with no injuries to either one of us.
Before the race, I walked the first 200 - 300 meters of the run course. Most run courses go around the lake and Evergreen is no exception. It did go around the lake but it also took a little detour through a neighborhood which included a very long and steep hill. It also had two sets of stairs, one down and one up just in case your quads weren't sore yet.
Overall it's a very good course and as always, Racing Underground put on a great event. I continued to do well with second in my age group and top fifteen overall. The overall is slightly skewed since four of the people faster than me are professionals and one was a bronze medalist in Athens.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon Race Report
With fires outside of Ft Collins and road construction on the run course, L2L had some tough issues to overcome. The fires were burning near Horsetooth Reservoir and the road construction closed one lane of the run course. The race director really stepped up, developed new bike and run courses and put on a great race.
The swim course was slightly different than previous years but it was still a swim and 1500 meters. My goal was to try and swim with Chris who was slightly faster than me in Greeley. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find him before the start so I just picked a good line and set out on my own race. The swim went pretty well except for the sighting on the east-bound leg. There were two buoys but I couldn't see anything. I just had to swim with the group and hope the person out front went straight.
Out onto the bike course, I was trying a new wheelcover. Would it really make a difference? Would I be faster? Since the course is different from previous years, I wouldn't be able to compare bike splits so this one had to stand on its own. I was passed on the bike by a couple people in my age group but other than that, I held my own pretty well. On the bike, as we neared the foothills, you could feel and taste the smoke.
With temperatures expected to rise into the low hundreds, I was glad that the new bike course was shorter. I also carried two bottles on the bike loaded with Gu Electrolyte tabs. I wanted to make sure I was overhydrated on the bike so that I wouldn't get too dehydrated on the run. By the time I finished the bike leg, I had finished both bottles and didn't feel bloated.
At the start of the run, I knew there at least three people in my age group ahead of me, the two who passed me and Greg who's a former pro. I don't really have a chance to catch Greg so I had to focus on the others in my age group. At the start of the run, I passed the first person in my age group but he didn't look familiar so maybe I was farther down the leader board.
With the temperatures climbing and not exactly sure of the run distance, I took the strong and steady approach. I wanted to go hard but not too hard, leaving something for when I made it back around the course and knew I had only a couple miles to go. It turns out that the new run course wasn't the same as the really old course and was only 5.1 miles. I caught another age grouper with about half a mile to go and made a strong move so that he couldn't stay with me. Turns out that there was another two runners up the course.
Overall, I had a good run and good race. With the new course, smoke in the air and high temperatures, a lot of people had trouble racing. My hydration strategy worked really well and I didn't have any cramping issues off the bike. Even the next day, my legs still felt good and I didn't have the usual post race stiffness and headache. Lesson learned - more hydration with electrolyte replacement.
The swim course was slightly different than previous years but it was still a swim and 1500 meters. My goal was to try and swim with Chris who was slightly faster than me in Greeley. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find him before the start so I just picked a good line and set out on my own race. The swim went pretty well except for the sighting on the east-bound leg. There were two buoys but I couldn't see anything. I just had to swim with the group and hope the person out front went straight.
Out onto the bike course, I was trying a new wheelcover. Would it really make a difference? Would I be faster? Since the course is different from previous years, I wouldn't be able to compare bike splits so this one had to stand on its own. I was passed on the bike by a couple people in my age group but other than that, I held my own pretty well. On the bike, as we neared the foothills, you could feel and taste the smoke.
With temperatures expected to rise into the low hundreds, I was glad that the new bike course was shorter. I also carried two bottles on the bike loaded with Gu Electrolyte tabs. I wanted to make sure I was overhydrated on the bike so that I wouldn't get too dehydrated on the run. By the time I finished the bike leg, I had finished both bottles and didn't feel bloated.
At the start of the run, I knew there at least three people in my age group ahead of me, the two who passed me and Greg who's a former pro. I don't really have a chance to catch Greg so I had to focus on the others in my age group. At the start of the run, I passed the first person in my age group but he didn't look familiar so maybe I was farther down the leader board.
With the temperatures climbing and not exactly sure of the run distance, I took the strong and steady approach. I wanted to go hard but not too hard, leaving something for when I made it back around the course and knew I had only a couple miles to go. It turns out that the new run course wasn't the same as the really old course and was only 5.1 miles. I caught another age grouper with about half a mile to go and made a strong move so that he couldn't stay with me. Turns out that there was another two runners up the course.
Overall, I had a good run and good race. With the new course, smoke in the air and high temperatures, a lot of people had trouble racing. My hydration strategy worked really well and I didn't have any cramping issues off the bike. Even the next day, my legs still felt good and I didn't have the usual post race stiffness and headache. Lesson learned - more hydration with electrolyte replacement.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Greeley Computrainer Impact
I was talking with Chris after Greeley and he said that my run at Pelican and Greeley had been really strong and surprised a lot of people He then said that I must have worked hard on my run. My reply was that I worked on my bike hard using my Computrainer and that had made my run so much faster.
The PIG progam helped me improve my bike by two minutes and my run by forty seconds. Overall, my total time went down just over 2:20 seconds. Not too bad for a sprint triathlon.
The PIG progam helped me improve my bike by two minutes and my run by forty seconds. Overall, my total time went down just over 2:20 seconds. Not too bad for a sprint triathlon.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Pelican Fest Triathlon
After missing Pelican Fest last year due to a toe issue, I was anxious for the start of triathlon season. Pelican Fest is a great sprint triathlon and is a good way to start the season. A lot of fast age groupers show up to see how their fitness is going and to shake out the cobwebs. My running has been going really well and after working through the Computrainer PIG program, I was excited to see how I would do.
My plan for the race was simple, stay with Steven on the swim, limit my lose on the bike and then run hard. In the past at this race, Steven would put too much time into me on the bike which would make the run irrelevant. Today, I wanted to hold him on the bike and then out run him. I also wanted to try and prevent Neil from catching me on the bike. Neil's a very good cyclist and always catches me. If I could hold him off on the bike, I knew I could take him on the run.
The swim is point-to-point and only 800 meters in length. Even with the mild winter and warm spring, the water was still cold. With a nice grassy park and sandy beach, the swim start is really nice. The exit is a different story involving running up a grassy and sometimes muddy bank. After warming up for ten minutes and getting used to the water temperature, I lined up on the front right for the start. It was a little hectic at the start but I managed to get to the middle front by the turn buoy and I was right on Steven's hip.
The buoys didn't go straight to the swim exit rather they went straight to keep swimmers from the shore. If you swam from the turn to the exit, you would have been about ten - twenty meters right of the buoys. Since I was in a good position to chase Steven, I stayed on his right. We drifted towards the buoys and I could have been a little faster if I swam straight but the draft was useful and saved a lot of effort.
Steven built up a ten second lead out of the water and added a few more through T1. He was already past the mounting line when I started to run my bike through transition.
The Pelican Fest bike course for some reason has always been hard for me. I really don't know why but I've never really had a good ride there. The first two miles are mostly uphill and that may be a factor. Other than being passed in the no-passing zone, the bike went pretty well. After the first climb, I settled in and held a pretty good pace. I kept thinking I could see Steven in the distance but I couldn't tell.
Off the bike and into transition two brought a couple of changes for this race. I'm running the Pearl Izumi Iso Transitions this year which is a departure from Asics. I almost bought the Asics Noosa triathlon shoe but it was heavier than the Pearl Izumis. The opening is a little tighter than I expected and it took a little longer to pull the shoes on. I used 2 Toms lubricating sheets instead of Body Glide and they worked really well. I think I need to practice pulling the shoes on a little more.
The Pelican Fest run course is about as flat as you can get around here. I set out with a hard pace and was determined to pull Steven back. At the turn, Steven still had a twenty second lead and there was less than two miles to run. By the two mile marker, his lead was down to ten seconds and coming down. I finally caught him with a kilometer to go and pushed hard to make it stick.
As I entered the park, I took a quick glance back on the turn and I knew I would finish ahead of Steven. I got nicked at the line by Travis who I had been pulling along during the run. Fortunately he had started five minutes before me.
Overall, the race went really well. My bike split was the fastest its ever been at Pelican Fest even though I thought it was slow. My run leg was also very good, finishing the run in 19:01. It's been a few years since I've been that fast in a 5k let alone in a triathlon 5k. In addition to finishing ahead of Steven, I finished third in my age group and finished ahead of Neal.
My plan for the race was simple, stay with Steven on the swim, limit my lose on the bike and then run hard. In the past at this race, Steven would put too much time into me on the bike which would make the run irrelevant. Today, I wanted to hold him on the bike and then out run him. I also wanted to try and prevent Neil from catching me on the bike. Neil's a very good cyclist and always catches me. If I could hold him off on the bike, I knew I could take him on the run.
The swim is point-to-point and only 800 meters in length. Even with the mild winter and warm spring, the water was still cold. With a nice grassy park and sandy beach, the swim start is really nice. The exit is a different story involving running up a grassy and sometimes muddy bank. After warming up for ten minutes and getting used to the water temperature, I lined up on the front right for the start. It was a little hectic at the start but I managed to get to the middle front by the turn buoy and I was right on Steven's hip.
The buoys didn't go straight to the swim exit rather they went straight to keep swimmers from the shore. If you swam from the turn to the exit, you would have been about ten - twenty meters right of the buoys. Since I was in a good position to chase Steven, I stayed on his right. We drifted towards the buoys and I could have been a little faster if I swam straight but the draft was useful and saved a lot of effort.
Steven built up a ten second lead out of the water and added a few more through T1. He was already past the mounting line when I started to run my bike through transition.
The Pelican Fest bike course for some reason has always been hard for me. I really don't know why but I've never really had a good ride there. The first two miles are mostly uphill and that may be a factor. Other than being passed in the no-passing zone, the bike went pretty well. After the first climb, I settled in and held a pretty good pace. I kept thinking I could see Steven in the distance but I couldn't tell.
Off the bike and into transition two brought a couple of changes for this race. I'm running the Pearl Izumi Iso Transitions this year which is a departure from Asics. I almost bought the Asics Noosa triathlon shoe but it was heavier than the Pearl Izumis. The opening is a little tighter than I expected and it took a little longer to pull the shoes on. I used 2 Toms lubricating sheets instead of Body Glide and they worked really well. I think I need to practice pulling the shoes on a little more.
The Pelican Fest run course is about as flat as you can get around here. I set out with a hard pace and was determined to pull Steven back. At the turn, Steven still had a twenty second lead and there was less than two miles to run. By the two mile marker, his lead was down to ten seconds and coming down. I finally caught him with a kilometer to go and pushed hard to make it stick.
As I entered the park, I took a quick glance back on the turn and I knew I would finish ahead of Steven. I got nicked at the line by Travis who I had been pulling along during the run. Fortunately he had started five minutes before me.
Overall, the race went really well. My bike split was the fastest its ever been at Pelican Fest even though I thought it was slow. My run leg was also very good, finishing the run in 19:01. It's been a few years since I've been that fast in a 5k let alone in a triathlon 5k. In addition to finishing ahead of Steven, I finished third in my age group and finished ahead of Neal.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Synergy Hybrid
I purchased a Synergy Hybrid wetsuit and I'm really impressed. I'm not experiencing an shoulder fatigue and the suit is fast. I'm exiting the water with the leaders in my age group and I don't feel like I'm working that hard.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Pelican Fest Triathlon
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| From Tri Buddha |
Prologue
After the tornado ravaged Windsor, CO last year, the Pelican Fest triathlon is back with a new venue. The morning doesn't look promising but hopefully the rain will hold off for the race. It's cool, almost cold, it's been raining on and off for days and it looks like rain again today.
Act 1 - The Swim
The swim this year is point to point which seems strange in Colorado. It's only 750 meters across the south side of the lake. I'm swimming in my new Synapse wetsuit, it's a full wetsuit which promises to help on this cool May morning. I've heard that full wetsuits constrict the shoulders and make it actually harder to swim. I line up near the front since it seems no one else wants to and I'm off with the lead group.
The swim is pretty non-eventful until I reach the exit and T1. You have to climb up the bank which by now is wet and slick from the earlier wave. Fortunately there are volunteers to help you exit the water.
800 meters - 13:31, 1:41/100
Into T1, I have a decision to make, to jacket or not. It feels cold now that I'm wet but do I want to waste the time with a jacket? I opt for the jacket since hypothermia isn't my idea of racing. It cost me a little time but hopefully it's worth it.
T1 - 2:20
Act 2 - The Bike
I'm riding the newer P2C. It was the bike I had on the trainer all winter so this is going to be the carbon summer.
I thought Windsor and the Pelican Fest was supposed to be flat. The course is basically a big square around rural Windsor. It starts with a long, steady climb from T1 to the first turn. It's not steep but I can't find a good cadence or rythym. Maybe it's the cold and I'm must having trouble warming up. The most fun part of the course is went it detours onto the bike path. It's narrow and winding so you really have to watch your speed. Speaking of which, I failed to produce any speed on the bike.
10 miles, 26:29, 22.7 mph
I'm glad I grabbed the jacket but it's time to run and lose the jacket in T2.
T2 - :45
Act 3 - The Run
The run is out and back around the lake so it's really flat. The only bumps are little bridges crossing creeks. I settle in early and pace off a man and woman who are running pretty good. After about 3/4 of a mile, she drops him so I pick up the pace to stay with her. She's running strong so I just focus on keeping contact. I hang on for most of the run and she only gets away on the last 1/2 mile so I don't worry to much about it. Overall the run was really good.
5k - 19:34, 6:18/mile
Epilogue
The rain held out long enough for Holly to finish and for me to grab some dry clothes. That was about it and then it started to pour. I feel so sorry for the people still coming in because the temp is dropping and everyone is getting wet. After the race, I meet Steven who won the age group. It was pretty close between us. He had me a little on the swim, a lot on T1 and a little on the bike. I closed the gap on the run but he had too much of a lead. Still, you can't complain about second at a sprint when you've been training for Ironman. Oh yeah, I moved up an age group this year.
1:03:09, 21st overall, 2nd M45-49
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
2009 Goals
Most years I have a list of goals but this year there are only two: qualify for the Ironman World Championship and help Bob complete his first triathlon which happens to be Ironman Florida.
When I competed at Ironman CdA, I was more concerned with finishing than going fast. When the gun went off, I waited on the beach until the crowd had started the swim. On the bike, I tried to be steady and well within my limits. On the run I stopped a few times to say hi to friends and didn't push myself. At the end, while I didn't feel fresh, I didn't feel trashed either.
This year it's going to be different. To improve upon CdA, there are three areas I'll focus on. The first is transition. At CdA, the first transition was around 10 minutes and the second around 6. I have enough experience to know those can both be safely dropped to around 2 - 3 minutes each.
Over the last three years, I've improved my cycling a lot. I've went to holding 19 mph on the rolling Harvest Moon half-iron course to holding 23. I am going to train to be able to hold 23 for the Ironman distance while still having enough in reserve to have a strong run. This will be my biggest challenge, to ride faster and longer while being more efficient and saving more energy for the run.
Compared to the bike, the run should be easy. Last year at Harvest Moon, I held back on the run and finished in 1:38. As long as I don't go too hard on the bike, I should be able to complete the run in 3:15.
Helping Bob may be the bigger challenge this year. Bob is aerobically one of the fittest people I know. The challenge is that he doesn't know how to swim and he signed up for Ironman. If I can get him to finish the swim under the cutoff time, he should be able to finish without any problems. His cycling needs a little work since he mostly uses the bike to cross-train for running and his run needs no work at all.
Just two goals this year but I think both will be very challenging for completely different reasons.
When I competed at Ironman CdA, I was more concerned with finishing than going fast. When the gun went off, I waited on the beach until the crowd had started the swim. On the bike, I tried to be steady and well within my limits. On the run I stopped a few times to say hi to friends and didn't push myself. At the end, while I didn't feel fresh, I didn't feel trashed either.
This year it's going to be different. To improve upon CdA, there are three areas I'll focus on. The first is transition. At CdA, the first transition was around 10 minutes and the second around 6. I have enough experience to know those can both be safely dropped to around 2 - 3 minutes each.
Over the last three years, I've improved my cycling a lot. I've went to holding 19 mph on the rolling Harvest Moon half-iron course to holding 23. I am going to train to be able to hold 23 for the Ironman distance while still having enough in reserve to have a strong run. This will be my biggest challenge, to ride faster and longer while being more efficient and saving more energy for the run.
Compared to the bike, the run should be easy. Last year at Harvest Moon, I held back on the run and finished in 1:38. As long as I don't go too hard on the bike, I should be able to complete the run in 3:15.
Helping Bob may be the bigger challenge this year. Bob is aerobically one of the fittest people I know. The challenge is that he doesn't know how to swim and he signed up for Ironman. If I can get him to finish the swim under the cutoff time, he should be able to finish without any problems. His cycling needs a little work since he mostly uses the bike to cross-train for running and his run needs no work at all.
Just two goals this year but I think both will be very challenging for completely different reasons.
Monday, July 28, 2008
2008 Boulder Peak - Epilogue
I was the twelfth person to cross the line but that meant little considering the number of athletes in later waves. I quickly found Brad and Ben to congratulate them on great performances and then went searching for shade. At Boulder Res, shade is always in short supply and high demand. After a quick massage, I set out to find Bruce waiting for Holly near the top of the hill. She was on pace at the start of the run but the heat finally caught up with her.
As I write this a few days later I only now realize how good by bike was. I didn't hear the whoosh-whoosh sound of any disc wheels passing me. I passed a few disc but none caught me.
I'm also pleased with my run. It wasn't my fastest but it was one of my smartest. Last year I caught and passed a runner with about a mile to go. I didn't catch and recover, I just went straight to the front. Last year my pass didn't stick. This year when I caught Ben, I settled in and recovered for a couple minutes. When I finally made my move with a mile to go, I had recovered enough to make it stand up.
All in all, a great race and a fabulous PR.
Total time: 2:16:35, 32 overall, 3rd AG M 40 - 44
As I write this a few days later I only now realize how good by bike was. I didn't hear the whoosh-whoosh sound of any disc wheels passing me. I passed a few disc but none caught me.
I'm also pleased with my run. It wasn't my fastest but it was one of my smartest. Last year I caught and passed a runner with about a mile to go. I didn't catch and recover, I just went straight to the front. Last year my pass didn't stick. This year when I caught Ben, I settled in and recovered for a couple minutes. When I finally made my move with a mile to go, I had recovered enough to make it stand up.
All in all, a great race and a fabulous PR.
Total time: 2:16:35, 32 overall, 3rd AG M 40 - 44
2008 Boulder Peak - The Run
Grab the hat, number belt and dash out of T2. It's early, the temp hasn't climbed much and it's time to put some time on the run and see if I can hold off the rest of the wave. I pass a few runners from the first two waves on the hill and when I head out on the first part of the dam, Brad catches and passes me. I know I can't match his speed over 10k so I'm content to let him go and hold my pass.
On the way to the turn around there aren't many people going out and fewer people coming back. I start to count runners to the turn and there are only fifteen people in front of me. I saw Brad and Ben so I know there are at least two people in my AG. I set my sights on Ben but it's a long way to go. Remembering the lessons of the Taos marathon, I know I don't have to catch him right away. Working consistently I slowly close on Ben and finally catch him on the north portion of the dam.
Knowing how I passed and couldn't escape from a runner last year, I settle in behind Ben for a little while to recover. I decide to use the last aid station to make my move and by quickly grabbing a cup I'm able to open a small gap but Ben is able to close the distance. I keep pushing hard on the last section of the dam until I can't hear Ben's footsteps. All I have to do is hold the pace to the downhill and I'm able to hold off Ben.
10k - 41:06. 6:38/mile
On the way to the turn around there aren't many people going out and fewer people coming back. I start to count runners to the turn and there are only fifteen people in front of me. I saw Brad and Ben so I know there are at least two people in my AG. I set my sights on Ben but it's a long way to go. Remembering the lessons of the Taos marathon, I know I don't have to catch him right away. Working consistently I slowly close on Ben and finally catch him on the north portion of the dam.
Knowing how I passed and couldn't escape from a runner last year, I settle in behind Ben for a little while to recover. I decide to use the last aid station to make my move and by quickly grabbing a cup I'm able to open a small gap but Ben is able to close the distance. I keep pushing hard on the last section of the dam until I can't hear Ben's footsteps. All I have to do is hold the pace to the downhill and I'm able to hold off Ben.
10k - 41:06. 6:38/mile
Thursday, July 24, 2008
2008 Boulder Peak - The Bike
This is probably the last race for the P2SL and I'm really interested to see how much it will help on the bike leg. The results on the P2SL have been great so far so there should be a good improvement here.
Out of the reservoir, down on the aerobars and off to Jay Road and another bout with Old Stage. At Loveland there weren't many people ahead of me and there aren't a whole lot out there at Boulder. Having two waves in front help with the focus. I get passed by BC on the way to Old Stage but at the time I didn't know that. I caught and passed him near the top but on the descent he passed me.
The P2SL handled the climb quite well and on the Left Hand Canyon run out, I was maxed out on the gears. I think the P2C will do better on the run out with the 53 tooth chain ring.
Focus is key and I try to keep catching people in front of me. It gives me a target to fix on and keeps my mind from wandering which would cause my pace to drop. On the road back to the reservoir, I catch BC again and roll into T2 with a small gap.
42k - 1:09:45, 22.4 mph
On my way to my rack, I do a quick bike count and there aren't any in my row and only a few in the rest of my wave. That's a good sign.
T2 - :57
Out of the reservoir, down on the aerobars and off to Jay Road and another bout with Old Stage. At Loveland there weren't many people ahead of me and there aren't a whole lot out there at Boulder. Having two waves in front help with the focus. I get passed by BC on the way to Old Stage but at the time I didn't know that. I caught and passed him near the top but on the descent he passed me.
The P2SL handled the climb quite well and on the Left Hand Canyon run out, I was maxed out on the gears. I think the P2C will do better on the run out with the 53 tooth chain ring.
Focus is key and I try to keep catching people in front of me. It gives me a target to fix on and keeps my mind from wandering which would cause my pace to drop. On the road back to the reservoir, I catch BC again and roll into T2 with a small gap.
42k - 1:09:45, 22.4 mph
On my way to my rack, I do a quick bike count and there aren't any in my row and only a few in the rest of my wave. That's a good sign.
T2 - :57
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
2008 Boulder Peak - The Swim
Originally I was supposed to start in the third wave at 6:45 wave but with the long lines, the race director decided to postpone the start about 15 minutes. After zipping up and warming up, I scooted over to the start arch. Last year, I started near the front in the middle and had a terrible time. This year I was going to start at the front off to one side but no one was lined up at the front. With everyone hanging back a yard or two, I lined up front and center.
At the horn, I take off and try to put in a hard 100 and it pays off. When I take my second or third sighting, there are a few swimmers in front of me but not too many. I look for some feet but I'm sort of in no mans land behind the leaders but in front of the chasers. At the first buoy, I pull the pace back and settle in for the swim. At the home turn, everything feels pretty good and the sighting is pretty good with the big inflatible Clif Bar arch.
1500 meters - 23:58, 1:35/100
On the run into T1, I notice a lot of bikes still racked in my wave which is always a good sign. Drop the wetsuit, sunglasses, Carb Boom gels, helmet, bike and out running. I pass a few people walking out of T1 and a couple more with the flying mount.
T1 - :51
At the horn, I take off and try to put in a hard 100 and it pays off. When I take my second or third sighting, there are a few swimmers in front of me but not too many. I look for some feet but I'm sort of in no mans land behind the leaders but in front of the chasers. At the first buoy, I pull the pace back and settle in for the swim. At the home turn, everything feels pretty good and the sighting is pretty good with the big inflatible Clif Bar arch.
1500 meters - 23:58, 1:35/100
On the run into T1, I notice a lot of bikes still racked in my wave which is always a good sign. Drop the wetsuit, sunglasses, Carb Boom gels, helmet, bike and out running. I pass a few people walking out of T1 and a couple more with the flying mount.
T1 - :51
Monday, July 21, 2008
2008 Boulder Peak - Prologue
The saying is that timing is everything and at Boulder Peak this weekend the saying was proved right. On Saturday we went to packet pickup early, leaving my house around 10. When we arrived, there wasn't much of a crowd and we were out of the expo in about 15 minutes. On the way out of the reservoir, a line was already forming at the gate.
On Sunday morning we decided to leave my house at 4:30. An ungodly hour at which only owls and triathletes are awake. When we got to the reservoir there was a small line to get in but were through by 5 when the transistion opened. We shouldered our bikes and walked to body marking. After a few minutes in line, we were in transistion setting up our bikes. Last year I was much later and had to hunt for a spot. This year, I was in the second rack in my row.
After setting up my gear, I walked to the bathrooms where there wasn't a line. Since I had over an hour before my start, I checked over my gear a few more times and just relaxed. Looking towards the reservoir entrance, the line of cars was almost as long as the line for body marking. There were so many people still trying to get in that the race was postponed for fifteen minutes. I just relaxed happy that it wasn't me this year.
On Sunday morning we decided to leave my house at 4:30. An ungodly hour at which only owls and triathletes are awake. When we got to the reservoir there was a small line to get in but were through by 5 when the transistion opened. We shouldered our bikes and walked to body marking. After a few minutes in line, we were in transistion setting up our bikes. Last year I was much later and had to hunt for a spot. This year, I was in the second rack in my row.
After setting up my gear, I walked to the bathrooms where there wasn't a line. Since I had over an hour before my start, I checked over my gear a few more times and just relaxed. Looking towards the reservoir entrance, the line of cars was almost as long as the line for body marking. There were so many people still trying to get in that the race was postponed for fifteen minutes. I just relaxed happy that it wasn't me this year.
Monday, June 30, 2008
2008 Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon
Prologue
Clouds. Sweet overcast skies with temps in the low 60s. The weather looks perfect for racing. The sleep on race day eve was terrible. Last year I didn’t have any expectations before L2L but after last weekend, maybe I’m expecting myself to finish high. Last year I was seventh in my AG, just dipping below 2:30 for the first time. Toss, turn, toss, turn. At least I slept well Thursday night.
3:30 time to get up and get going. I’m carpooling with Bruce and Holly so at least I can zone out on the drive. By the time I get to transition, the area is packed. It looks like a row of racks are missing. I find a space with just enough room for my running shoes and hat so I take it. Some people really need to learn how to minimize their space.
Act 1 – The Swim – 1500 meters – 24:43, 1:38/100The L2L swim is in Lake Loveland I really like the swim here. I am in the first wave which means clear water and makes for an easier swim from last weekend. I catch a set of feet at the first buoy and I work hard to hang on. The feet are swimming pretty straight so I don’t have to work too hard on sighting. Somewhere before the second turn, I lose the first set of feet but I find a second set with the same pace. The second set of feet take me all the way to shore and it’s a nice grassy run to T1. There’s only a handful of my AG in front of me so I’m in a good position.
T1 – 1:04
Act 2 – The Bike – 30 miles – 1:19:03, 22.7 mphThe bike at Loveland is in my opinion one of the harder courses in Colorado. First there is the climb as you leave transition and head through the neighborhoods. Then there is the long steady climb on highway 38 to Masonville, the short drop, followed by another steady climb to the south end of Horsetooth. Once you peak at the south end, there is a short drop followed by another long steady climb and short descent to a sharp hairpin turn. The rollers coming south on highway 19 aren’t any fun either.
I felt really good through most of the ride. I tried to stay in the aerobars the whole time including climbing and was able to except for the last long climb. I really like the compact cranks for climbing. I was able to stay in my big ring the whole time and had a couple of cogs to spare in the rear. I only passed a handful of people but that’s probably because there weren’t a whole lot of them out there. I did get passed by an AG as we neared T2 but I was able to stay close and I dropped him when we exited T2.
T2 - :42
Act 3 – The Run – 6.2 miles – 40:26, 6:31 pace/mileThe bike hurt and after last week’s run, I knew this run would hurt too but isn’t that why it’s called a race? The runners were strung out along the course and I didn’t see many people until mile 2 when the race leaders were returning. Without a lot of people to catch, focus was critical. There weren’t a lot of people ahead so I had to focus on my own race. I was in good shape heading into the turn around with only eleven people ahead of me. Around mile 5 I finally caught another AG. I settled in a little to catch my breath and then made a move after a turn. The left hamstring started to cramp but with less than a mile to go I was going to push hard and try to hold my place. Fortunately I was able to hold him off and finished strong.
Total Time: 2:26:00, 25th overall, 2nd AG M40-44
Epilogue
I love L2L from the swim, the grassy transition, the tough bike course and the shady run but what I like the most is the food. The burrito bar is great with meat, rice, beans, potatoes, scrambled eggs, green chili, salsa, cheese, tomatoes and hot sauce. Yummy. After eating I talked to Brad (1st AG) and Ben (3rd AG) and we’ll all be back together again at Boulder Peak. It’s going to be a fun, fast time at Boulder in a few weeks.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tri the Creek - The Rest of the Story
One reason for racing Tri the Creek was Pelican Fest being cancelled, another reason was the location and the last reason was the raffle. The race has a couple raffles before the race for early registration and a couple at the post race party.
I got a look at the preliminary race results so I knew I would stay for the results. For winning my age group I won a Nalgene water bottle. Fortunately it was the new non-toxic kind so I don't have to worry about using it.
The raffle was supposed to happen after the results so why not stay another minute or two and see what I could win. My friend Brian told me that in 2007, they had to draw four numbers before they had someone present to win the prize. Remember, you must be present to win.
According to the race website, you could win an untouchable bike and untouchable according to the race was defined as a Cervelo P2C with a Zipp 404 front wheel and a Zipp disc for the rear.
The crowd was like the Roman Coliseum. The announcer would read a number and everyone would groan and then try to look over the crowd to see if anyone was moving. No one would approach the stage and the announcer would start counting down like an auctioneer, going one, going twice, gone. When the announcer said gone, the crowd would cheer.
First number called, second number called, third number crowd. The crowd is anxious. It took four numbers last year. The fourth number is read 3 - 5 - 8. Wait, that's my number. I yell out, that's my number and start moving forward, the crowd groans and then applauds. I move to the stage pulling my sleeve up to show the number on my arm.
Wow a brand new Cervelo P2C.
I got a look at the preliminary race results so I knew I would stay for the results. For winning my age group I won a Nalgene water bottle. Fortunately it was the new non-toxic kind so I don't have to worry about using it.
The raffle was supposed to happen after the results so why not stay another minute or two and see what I could win. My friend Brian told me that in 2007, they had to draw four numbers before they had someone present to win the prize. Remember, you must be present to win.
According to the race website, you could win an untouchable bike and untouchable according to the race was defined as a Cervelo P2C with a Zipp 404 front wheel and a Zipp disc for the rear.
The crowd was like the Roman Coliseum. The announcer would read a number and everyone would groan and then try to look over the crowd to see if anyone was moving. No one would approach the stage and the announcer would start counting down like an auctioneer, going one, going twice, gone. When the announcer said gone, the crowd would cheer.
First number called, second number called, third number crowd. The crowd is anxious. It took four numbers last year. The fourth number is read 3 - 5 - 8. Wait, that's my number. I yell out, that's my number and start moving forward, the crowd groans and then applauds. I move to the stage pulling my sleeve up to show the number on my arm.
Wow a brand new Cervelo P2C.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
2008 Tri the Creek
Prologue
It's the start of the triathlon season and the return of swimming in Cherry Creek where I swam over twenty years ago growing up. Triathlon season was supposed to start four weeks ago but was put on hold after the tornado wiped out Windsor. The race was originally postponed and was finally cancelled for the year. So it Tri the Creek at Cherry Creek.
I wasn't sure how the race would go since I've been traveling for work the last week. I didn't get in a lot of swimming and very little cycling. I was in St Paul and no one knew where a public pool was. Life Time Fitness wanted $25 for a single day which seemed a little steep so being cheap meant no swimming.
Act 1 - The Swim - 800 meters? - 17:27.7,
It's the first open water swim of the season. I've been working on my stroke, getting good pool time and hopefully it will pay off. The course is a very slanted triangle that almost parallels the shore on both the out and back. The first buoy seems to be missing or it's just a long way out. Either way, it's the course that's set and it's what we'll swim.
There are eight waves but for some reason the waves start only eight minutes apart. It spreads the crowd out a little but the swim is still crowded. I move to the start of my wave for the start and start out with a quick minute sprint to get into clear water. That doesn't last long as I start to catch the earlier wave and after three or four minutes, I'm in the thick of the earlier waves.
I had a little trouble staying focused on the way back to the shore and I found myself having to work to keep my head in the game. I saw some people stand but I think I misjudged the depth once when I tried to stand. Time to keep the head down and swim to shore.
T1 - 1:12.6
Like always it's uphill to transition. I've spent a little time practicing transitions and one thing I've learned is it's not about speed but about patience. Slow down a little, focus and don't make mistakes and you will get out faster than if you rush and forget something. I run out passing a couple in transition and a couple more as they mount up. Jump and start to ride.
Act 2 - The Bike - 14 miles - 33:06.4, 25.4 mph
A quick out and back from the marina to the spillway loop. The course started with a little downhill stretch and then flat across the south end of the reservoir. There were some small climbs on the east side which helped break up the ride and I tried to stay on the aerobars the whole way.
The turnaround was the parking lot by the dam spillway where I used to fish growing up. Even though it was early, there were fishermen out just like I was years ago.
Most of the way I was doing the passing but on the return leg someone finally passed me. The P2SL rode great and it's a lot of fun flying by people on bikes that are much more expensive. I was also reminded about the discussion I had about wheels at the bike store. The aero wheels look great but you need a good engine to make them work.
I kept with me for most of the way to back to transition and felt pretty good about my ride. I was in the aerobars almost the whole way including up the hills. Another interesting thing was that I rode near the front of the saddle most of the way. It wasn't really a conscience decision, it was just how I became positioned.
T2 - 45.8
I left the shoes on the pedals and on the way into transition I heard some kid comment that they don't even take their shoes off the bike.
Act 3 - The Run - 5k - 19:40.4, 6:20/mile
A quick downhill to start the race and then out on the bike path. I tried to get the legs to stretch out but settled for turnover. I had some right calf cramping on the bike and it was a little tight on the run which I think kept the stride short. I was able to keep the turnover high which helped keep the speed up. I caught someone around half a mile into the run who I thought would be good to pace off of but passed him after about ten seconds when I figured I should run my race. About twenty seconds later, a young shirtless guy passed me and I couldn't go with him. I kept the pace for the rest of the race and at the turnaround I was the sixteenth person. I passed two more of them on the way back to move up to being the fourteenth person over the line.
Total Time: 1:12:12, 6th overall, 1st AG M40-44
Epilogue
Wow, my first age group win at a competitive race. It was hard to know where I was on the course since the swim start intervals were so small and body marking didn't include age. After the race I met Ed the shirtless runner and Brian Todd from ski patrol. Brian's wife was racing so he was cheering her on with their daughter. For the first race of the season, I was really pleased with my effort and the results. Hopefully the rest of the season goes as well as the start.
It's the start of the triathlon season and the return of swimming in Cherry Creek where I swam over twenty years ago growing up. Triathlon season was supposed to start four weeks ago but was put on hold after the tornado wiped out Windsor. The race was originally postponed and was finally cancelled for the year. So it Tri the Creek at Cherry Creek.
I wasn't sure how the race would go since I've been traveling for work the last week. I didn't get in a lot of swimming and very little cycling. I was in St Paul and no one knew where a public pool was. Life Time Fitness wanted $25 for a single day which seemed a little steep so being cheap meant no swimming.
Act 1 - The Swim - 800 meters? - 17:27.7,
It's the first open water swim of the season. I've been working on my stroke, getting good pool time and hopefully it will pay off. The course is a very slanted triangle that almost parallels the shore on both the out and back. The first buoy seems to be missing or it's just a long way out. Either way, it's the course that's set and it's what we'll swim.
There are eight waves but for some reason the waves start only eight minutes apart. It spreads the crowd out a little but the swim is still crowded. I move to the start of my wave for the start and start out with a quick minute sprint to get into clear water. That doesn't last long as I start to catch the earlier wave and after three or four minutes, I'm in the thick of the earlier waves.
I had a little trouble staying focused on the way back to the shore and I found myself having to work to keep my head in the game. I saw some people stand but I think I misjudged the depth once when I tried to stand. Time to keep the head down and swim to shore.
T1 - 1:12.6
Like always it's uphill to transition. I've spent a little time practicing transitions and one thing I've learned is it's not about speed but about patience. Slow down a little, focus and don't make mistakes and you will get out faster than if you rush and forget something. I run out passing a couple in transition and a couple more as they mount up. Jump and start to ride.
Act 2 - The Bike - 14 miles - 33:06.4, 25.4 mph
A quick out and back from the marina to the spillway loop. The course started with a little downhill stretch and then flat across the south end of the reservoir. There were some small climbs on the east side which helped break up the ride and I tried to stay on the aerobars the whole way.
The turnaround was the parking lot by the dam spillway where I used to fish growing up. Even though it was early, there were fishermen out just like I was years ago.
Most of the way I was doing the passing but on the return leg someone finally passed me. The P2SL rode great and it's a lot of fun flying by people on bikes that are much more expensive. I was also reminded about the discussion I had about wheels at the bike store. The aero wheels look great but you need a good engine to make them work.
I kept with me for most of the way to back to transition and felt pretty good about my ride. I was in the aerobars almost the whole way including up the hills. Another interesting thing was that I rode near the front of the saddle most of the way. It wasn't really a conscience decision, it was just how I became positioned.
T2 - 45.8
I left the shoes on the pedals and on the way into transition I heard some kid comment that they don't even take their shoes off the bike.
Act 3 - The Run - 5k - 19:40.4, 6:20/mile
A quick downhill to start the race and then out on the bike path. I tried to get the legs to stretch out but settled for turnover. I had some right calf cramping on the bike and it was a little tight on the run which I think kept the stride short. I was able to keep the turnover high which helped keep the speed up. I caught someone around half a mile into the run who I thought would be good to pace off of but passed him after about ten seconds when I figured I should run my race. About twenty seconds later, a young shirtless guy passed me and I couldn't go with him. I kept the pace for the rest of the race and at the turnaround I was the sixteenth person. I passed two more of them on the way back to move up to being the fourteenth person over the line.
Total Time: 1:12:12, 6th overall, 1st AG M40-44
Epilogue
Wow, my first age group win at a competitive race. It was hard to know where I was on the course since the swim start intervals were so small and body marking didn't include age. After the race I met Ed the shirtless runner and Brian Todd from ski patrol. Brian's wife was racing so he was cheering her on with their daughter. For the first race of the season, I was really pleased with my effort and the results. Hopefully the rest of the season goes as well as the start.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Perspectives
My first triathlon of the season was supposed to be this Saturday and I was wondering how everything would go. I raced Pelican Fest last year so I have an idea of the course and I think my training has been going as well as last year. We had a few warm days so the lake shouldn’t be too cold and it’s only a sprint.Should I take a couple easy training days or just maintain my training. I still had to change the tires on the Cervelo from the trainer tires to the race tires. When would I get the time? And then there’s the graduation parties the night before the race and the race is an hour from my house so it’s going to be an early morning. I haven’t checked my race gear for a year so I should pull everything out and make sure I have body glide and everything else I need.
That was the thoughts Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Around noon a massive tornado hit the town hosting the race. The tornado was traveling around 50 mile per hour and was reported to be a mile wide. The hail was reported as baseball size. The damage to cars, homes and businesses was devastating. Hundreds of people are homeless without power and utilities.
It puts my case of nerves in perspective.
Monday, May 19, 2008
USAT All American
A few weeks ago, I found out that I was ranked 158th in my age group and I was pretty excited. Well imagine my surprise when I received a mailing from USAT stating that I earned All American status for 2007. I've never been All American at anything. Needless to say, I was very excited. I guess all that basement time paid off.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
158
USAT posted the rankings for last year and I was ranked 158 in my age group. I know that doesn't sound too great but it's good enough to put me in the top 5% of my age group nationwide. There are about 3360 registered USAT members who raced at least three sanctioned races in the country. All in all, I think 2007 was a very good year.
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