I got this question the other day and thought I'd answer it for everyone. "Doug, what do you do to improve your FTP?"
So...there are 2 things that I've found that can be VERY helpful in improving your FTP.
One) do more intervals where you're over your ftp. Do very hard efforts and then allow yourself ample time to recover. One of my favorites is 30 seconds at about 130% of my ftp, then 3 minutes at 60-70%. Do as many as you can in an hour. If you can only do 4, then build up to it.
B) some intervals just a touch above your FTP. A good workout is to do 3 minutes at 105% of FTP then 3 minutes at 50%, 4 minutes 105% 4 minutes rest. 5 minutes 105% 5 minutes rest...and so on. If 3 minutes is to easy start at a time where you're starting to get tired at the end of the first interval and increase from there.
You can do these without a power measuring device on any trainer...it's just more accurate if you're using a power meter of some sort.
Enjoy the off season and make it a time to improve your fitness and set yourself up for a great season!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Nutty Ultrarunners
Ultrarunners are nuts. That's what I kept thinking this past Saturday as I was running with my buddy Doug. He was doing a trail race with a unique format. The race started at 8am, and was a 4.1 mile lollypop type loop. You had an hour to run each loop. If you didn't make it back by the top of the hour, you were 'finished'.
So, there is some strategy there, either run fast and have a good amount of time to rest before the next lap, or run it slower, but then not have so much time to rest. I arrived at the ract at noon and Doug had been putting in really steady 53 minute laps. Enough time to refuel a bit and restock anything you'd need for the run and then head back out.
It was an entirely self-supported race, but in true ultrarunner style, everyone brought all kinds of goodies. Cookies, brownies, nutella sandwiches, pickles, gus, bars, blocks, broth, soda, and lots more. You name it, they had it.
Luckily this day was fairly warm and most folks were wearing shorts and long sleeve shirts. I had on tights and a long sleeve, and was just a smidge warm. I came out to pace Doug on those last laps. The dark ones, ones where some people get cranky, illogical, and downright nutty.
Doug and I get to that place almost instantly when we run together, so it's no big deal for us. Jim was also running and being an experienced ultrarunner, was helping coach Doug through those final laps. I was just trying to run an even pace and be there if Doug needed anything.
At about mile 28 of his run, we had a decent buffer to make it back, 1 mile in 18 minutes. But, even then, I could tell Doug wanted to stop. Mostly becuase of his body language...and the way he said, "I want to stop." I was really hoping he'd go out for 1 more lap and get his 50k. But, hey...who am I to tell anyone to run more, I'd only been there for 2 laps.
When we finished that lap, Doug told Charlie (who was counting laps) that he was finished. Charlie grabbed his shoulder and said...1 more lap and you've got 50k. Somehow Doug reached deep and decided to go out for another lap. So, I grabbed a little nutrition, refilled water, and we headed out again.
The goal was 50k...and since it was a lollypop type run, we went out...cut over on another trail and Doug crossed the line with 50k under his belt! He dug deep and gutted out those last miles...I can't even express how impressed I am that he accomplished that, way to go Doug! You're officially Nuts!
So, there is some strategy there, either run fast and have a good amount of time to rest before the next lap, or run it slower, but then not have so much time to rest. I arrived at the ract at noon and Doug had been putting in really steady 53 minute laps. Enough time to refuel a bit and restock anything you'd need for the run and then head back out.
It was an entirely self-supported race, but in true ultrarunner style, everyone brought all kinds of goodies. Cookies, brownies, nutella sandwiches, pickles, gus, bars, blocks, broth, soda, and lots more. You name it, they had it.
Luckily this day was fairly warm and most folks were wearing shorts and long sleeve shirts. I had on tights and a long sleeve, and was just a smidge warm. I came out to pace Doug on those last laps. The dark ones, ones where some people get cranky, illogical, and downright nutty.
Doug and I get to that place almost instantly when we run together, so it's no big deal for us. Jim was also running and being an experienced ultrarunner, was helping coach Doug through those final laps. I was just trying to run an even pace and be there if Doug needed anything.
At about mile 28 of his run, we had a decent buffer to make it back, 1 mile in 18 minutes. But, even then, I could tell Doug wanted to stop. Mostly becuase of his body language...and the way he said, "I want to stop." I was really hoping he'd go out for 1 more lap and get his 50k. But, hey...who am I to tell anyone to run more, I'd only been there for 2 laps.
When we finished that lap, Doug told Charlie (who was counting laps) that he was finished. Charlie grabbed his shoulder and said...1 more lap and you've got 50k. Somehow Doug reached deep and decided to go out for another lap. So, I grabbed a little nutrition, refilled water, and we headed out again.
The goal was 50k...and since it was a lollypop type run, we went out...cut over on another trail and Doug crossed the line with 50k under his belt! He dug deep and gutted out those last miles...I can't even express how impressed I am that he accomplished that, way to go Doug! You're officially Nuts!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Ironman Lake Tahoe RR
Just keep running. I was at mile 5 and just saw Brigitte and Dennis who were both cheering loudly and taking some great photos. I must have been at a bad spot, because I said to Brigitte "I'm hurting". And I never do that, even if it's the worst day ever I try and smile and push through when things are painful.
My time goal was pretty loose, because I had no idea what the elevation and 8000ft of climbing would do to my lungs and legs. Just keep running, was my new mantra. My feet were hurting really bad, and I stopped at the next aid station to slather vasoline on my feet. Luckily a volunteer helped keep me standing while I pulled of my shoe. I got going again and felt good for the next mile and a half. Then the other foot...DAMN! I should have applied to both feet.
This time there was vasoline sitting on a truck's bumper, so I sat on the bumper and pulled off both shoes, socks and applied more vasoline. That should do it...and off I went. trying to hold under 10 minute miles.
When Ironman announced this race, I knew right away that I wanted to do it. I've never been to Lake Tahoe, but knew it's reputation for a beautiful and very sporting friendly venue. This was to be my 2nd IM of the year, and a good amount of time after my previous one in May. So, I was well trained and felt fairly healthy going into the race.
At the last minute, I changed our hotels to a place within walking distance to the finish and Ironman Village. That turned out to be a good idea, because it was so much nicer to be close to a lot of the action. The race is a 2 transition race. The swim start was about 15 miles away in Kings Beach. So, that is a challenge in it's own right. Luckily I'd done some other races with 2 transitions, but never an full IM.
I also decided to wear booties at the last minute and borrowed a pair from Tim. I truly think that save my feet at least 10 miles of warm up time. It surly saved me from having sandy feet.
I flew in to Reno from St. Louis on Thurs afternoon. Brigitte was actually in Salt Lake on business and was flying in at 5pm that evening. Samantha and Dennis were arriving about 20 minutes after me, so I bummed a ride with them, so Brigitte could rent the car and then meet me at the hotel. That worked out perfectly and after they dropped me off, I unpacked a bit and then headed over to the Village to check in.
They did a great job at checkin and there were no issues at all. I browsed the expo and saw most of the usual suspects. I went by the Recovery Boots tent and they had 5 chairs going and all of them were full. I talked to Hillary a bit and told her that I own a pair and love them. She asked if I brought them to the race and said no, but we had brought them to Rev3 a few weeks ago. Then she asked if I had the new travel case and I said no, I just have the older bag, so she said...wait a second and dug out a bag for me. Thanks Hillary! I love my Recovery Boots and use them regularly. I think they do wonders at speeding recovery after a hard workout.
Then I picked up my bike and wheels and bag from Tri Bike Transport. Everything was in order, and I ran into Sam and Dennis and Matt there. We chatted and Matt said he was going to ride an 11-32 cassette...I got scared, because I was riding a 12-26. He also mentioned that Dollar hill (the one we had to do 3 times) was on of the harder climbs even though it looks a lot less daunting on the profile. I took note of that and planned to ride it the next day.
I headed back to the hotel with my bike and stuff and started unpacking that stuff. I organized everything and already put my stickers and everything on my bike, helmet and bags. I got done with that and decided to go outside and enjoy the view. And right when I went outside Brigitte pulled up.
We decided to go over to the swim start and take a look before it got dark. We put our feet in the water and it didn't seem too cold. After a few minutes, my feet got used to it. So, I was feeling much better about that. There were even a few people out there swimming.
We ate dinner at a southwest place and it was very good. The whole area was full of triathletes and you can just feel that in the air.
The next morning we went to swim, I got in about 30 minutes and felt pretty good. The altitude wasn't really bothering me and I even did some bilateral breathing. I practiced a little dolphin diving and had a great feeling about the swim. Then we went over to the Endurance Nation talk and I knew those guys had been on the course, so I wanted a first hand account of the hills. Rich was very calming and assured us that it was not that difficult. He told us to sit down and spin up the hills. Which had been my strategy already, so...that was good to hear. I left that talk feeling much better about the hills and my preparations.
We also decided to go to the welcome dinner. I don't always go, but we decided to go to this one. Especially since it was Sam's first IM, I encouraged her to go. It's just pretty inspiring to see all of the people and hear some of their stories. Mike Reilly brought up one of the first IM finishers ever. That was pretty amazing. It was really cool to see a true pioneer and someone that was still involved in the sport.
Saturday morning we woke up and planned to swim. It was rainy on the way down to the beach, but not terrible. When we saw the waves at the beach though, holy crap. I didn't see how they could get much worse. I told Brigitte that she didn't have to swim, she was just there for fun. But, I thought I should do it. I always think if I can get in horrible water and endure it, then on race day it won't feel as bad.
I was out there for about 20 minutes and stopped multiple times. I couldn't get a freestyle stroke going because the swells were just dropping me and I couldn't get a breath. So, I breast stroked for a while and kept telling myself to keep moving. After I caught my breath, I started to side stroke and figured that would be an option if the waves were this bad. I decided that I'd had enough, so I went back in.
Right as I was finished, I saw 3 guys going out...and I had this weird premonition...GO BACK OUT THERE WITH THEM. So I did...I never get those things, but it was pretty strong. I swam out again, and side stroked...soon I was ahead of them and they were treading water. They seemed to be fine, and kept going. I kind of followed them a bit, and then decided that they were fine, and I headed back into shore.
Soon after, they arrived, safe. Odd, about that premonition. I dried off and we were off to eat something.
We decided to drive the course on Saturday afternoon because this was one time they were going to open up a private road section of the course. It seemed tougher than the EN made it out to be...but, it wasn't out of my realm. I was just concerned about so many steep descents. I wondered how people would handle such fast descents. It was still raining and as we got higher, the rain turned into wet snow. Oh boy, snow...I was excited and worried at the same time. What would the RD do about the course? The WTC seems to be very sue conscious and they tend to cancel events and shorten swims very quickly and I really don't like when they do that. I like my race to be exactly what I signed up for 140.6. But, there's nothing I can do about that, so I just let that go.
So that night I was thinking about all of the different options they could do, shorten the swim, cancel the swim, shorten the bike section...it was a crap shoot. I had already planned on wearing shoe covers, socks, compression calf sleeves, knee warmers, tri-kit, cycling jersey, arm warmers and bringing a very light rain/wind jacket with me. I decided at the last minute to wear tights on top of everything. I know it sounds like a lot of clothes, but it was 30 degrees at the start of the bike. I also wanted a lot of pieces, so I could shed anything I didn't need.
They said there would be a clothes drop at the aid station #2, which was at mile 13 and 56ish. So, I also had a bag with me with my race number if I wanted to drop anything.
On race morning, we walked to the shuttle busses to take down to Kings Beach, about 2 minutes into the walk, Brigitte says..."Do you have your wetsuit?" Ooops. She ran back to the room and got it for me...thankfully she has more brains than I do. We were meeting Sam and Dennis, but as we were walking over a bus was already leaving. So, as we were waiting, I figured they'd be on that first bus. So we got on the 2nd bus.
We arrived in plenty of time and Mike Reilly informed us that the roads were dry and ready to race. No cancellation of any kind. Awesome! I got in line for my tires to get aired up, put my Garmin on my bike and tried to dry off the aerobar pads. Next time I'll keep those with me on race night. I don't put plastic all over my bike, but I might work on a plastic bag for my drivetrain.
After that, I put my dry clothes in my T1 bag, and then headed over to this building they'd oped up to keep us warm. I loved that they did this...plenty of room to change, bathrooms and water. It was nice in there. When it was about 6:20 I went out and put my Tri Slide in the T1 bag. I planned on spraying myself with that the get stuff on much easier. And that worked very well.
I kissed Brigitte goodbye and told her that I'd be safe. I got in the self seeding area at about 1:15 for my finish time. And it went very well getting in the water. There was none of the usual fist fight/mosh pit of a swim start. I settled into a nice rhythm and before I knew it was at the first turn buoy. When I tried sighting, it was pretty difficult. The steam off the water was making the buoy's impossible to see, so I just hoped that the people ahead of me were going in a straight line.
I felt really good on the swim, although my feet were starting to get numb on the 2nd loop. The deeper water is warmer than the water near the shore, so that really helped keep me warm when we were out there. When I got out of the water, I was at 1:14...not great, but not terrible either.
I made my way into the changing tent...wow. Naked dudes everywhere. It was a cluster. I battled through the crowd and hoped that I could find just a small space, but none was to be found. So, I just stopped near the end of the tent and changed. That part actually went quickly. I got on my stuff in the proper order, socks, calf sleeves, knee warmers, tri kit, arm warmers, bike jersey, tights, and shoes. I gave all my wet stuff to a volunteer and was off to find my bike helmet in hand.
Brigitte and Dennis found a spot where they could see us running to our bikes and I was able to spot her easily. She had my other bike jacket in her hand and offered it to me. I was already feeling semi warm, so I declined it, but I was very happy to have the offer. I hopped on my bike and away we went.
There was loads of drafting in the first 5 miles. It was just impossible to avoid. An official was even riding beside us and didn't do anything to anyone, which is right, because we weren't trying to gain an advantage, we were just riding. I had a little water in my speedfil, and drank from that, I knew there was a climb at mile 5, so I didn't want to have 60 oz of nutrition on my bike to get up that hill. I tried to do that all day long, fill up at the top of the climbs and make sure I was empty at the bottoms. I saw lots of water bottles at the bottom of hills too...I never littered, I just managed my water content.
Before I knew it we were at mile 30 and on the first climb. It was longer than I expected, but I just sat in and spun up the hills. I kept my power from spiking and I felt like I was riding a very balanced race. At about mile 50 I had to pee, so having all of these extra clothes on didn't make it easy to pee on the bike. And I didn't want to have a wet leg on some of those descents...so I stopped and peed at the porta potty. I made it quick and also took in nutrition while I was peeing...hope that helped the digestion process.
I just kept pushing and it really never felt 'flat' it was always either climbing or descending. There were some screeming fast decents, and I think in hindsight, I'd ride my road bike if I ever did this race again.
I got to the turn at squaw valley and saw Brigitte and Dennis cheering. That was a welcome sight. I was so excited to see them, i must have missed the direction I was supposed to go and went outside the lines and into the traffic lane...OOPS! I finished the bike and T2 was much cleaner. I knew I was way back at that point and on a 6+ hour bike ride. So...my under 11 time goal was pretty well shot, but I wanted to go out and run hard. The first few miles felt hard, but not much harder than they usually do. I didn't feel winded at all. But my feet started to hurt. I have had some heel pain issues the last few months, but there was no pain on this day. Usually by the time I warm up with a bike ride, that heel pain disappears
So, after the 2 stops for vasoline, next I had to stop for the bathroom. That went well, and again I was on my way. I was keeping pace with a few people and just tried to keep them in my sights. Some would start to walk and then I'd pass them. Then they'd come running by me, only to start walking in 30 seconds. I wanted to keep my pace steady and even. I hit the turn and headed back to the finish line. But, the finish line was actually mile 18, and you had to go back out to get 8 more miles.
I kind of like that format, the first loop is an out and back of 9 miles, and then then second is about half of that. The cruel part is that they run you right by the finish line and you know you still have 8 miles to go. Brigitte and Dennis had found good spots to watch and they seemed in high spirits. Although every time I asked about Sam, they hadn't seen her or gotten her splits yet. Turns out she made the bike cutoff by 2 minutes...whew!
I kept running although, I was getting slower. I just wanted to finish this thing and the last 3 miles I knew I could do it. My mind started to wander to the journey, and to all of my friends and family that support me in this crazy addiction of mine. I thought about my SBR crew and all of the fun times on the Computrainer. My BRC friends and running and riding with them this summer. My cycling friends out at the Wed Night ride. And of course my friends there at the race...some I had seen, some I hadn't...and worried about where they were. Especially Brigitte who forgoes her own training to cheer me on and spend all day on her phone trying to track me and take good photos. I think about the fun rides we have had, and then tough runs. The speedwork on the track and the laps in the pool.
Then coming down the chute, all of that training, all of those great days...they all find a way to merge into one big feeling. And floating through there, hearing the crowds, hearing Mike Reilly say "You are an Ironman!" is still one of the best feelings I've ever had. And it never gets old. I look over and see Dennis and Brigitte yelling at me and all I can muster is a smile. I'm finished. I go over and kiss Brigitte and shake hands with Dennis.
The finish food was pretty good, and a step up from just pizza that they usually have. Pasta, potato salad, and salad...along with pizza. I got a bite to eat and then found out Sam was on her first running loop. So, I decided to go back to the hotel, shower and put on dry clothes. We did that and got back on the course in time to see Sam coming in on her 1st loop at about mile 17. Then we got to see her coming back out at mile 19.
We then found a spot near the finish line to wait and cheer her on in. Dennis waited at about a 1/4 mile away and then he ran up to us telling us she was coming in. Sam's mom had come down too to watch and we all got to see her cross the finish line for her first IM finish. It was so inspiring to see her finish and see her emotions when she hugged her mom. It was just inspiring!
We all talked for a few minutes and all agreed it'd been a long ass day for everyone! We were all pretty sore, so we headed back to the hotel. I pulled out the laptop and watched the finish line until the cut it off. But, with the swim start, it's hard to say who's actually the 'last' finisher...I guess that's just part of the new swim start rules.
The next morning we went over to the breakfast and that was pretty good too. Then we saw the signup line for next year...or lack thereof. I'm guessing nobody was interested in racing after a day like that. As I write this a couple of days later, it's still open online.
All in all, I had a really great time. It's a beautiful area, and if you could guarantee that the temps on race morning are 50's and above...I think it'd be a much more popular race. The only thing I think I'd change is the bigger changing tent, it needs to be twice as big. I also don't really like the idea of racing on a 'closed' part of the road. Not that it makes a ton of difference to us that come from out of town to race, but...I think the idea that we have to use a private road isn't a good one.
I kind of doubt this race will be around in 5 years...the difficulty and cold will deter a lot of people, and I feel like it'll go the same way that St. George did. But, time will tell.
I think that's about all I know for now...I'm sure I left something out, and if you're thinking about racing this in 2014, feel free to contact me and I'll give you more details. As if there could be any more details than this novel!!
Thanks!
Doug
My time goal was pretty loose, because I had no idea what the elevation and 8000ft of climbing would do to my lungs and legs. Just keep running, was my new mantra. My feet were hurting really bad, and I stopped at the next aid station to slather vasoline on my feet. Luckily a volunteer helped keep me standing while I pulled of my shoe. I got going again and felt good for the next mile and a half. Then the other foot...DAMN! I should have applied to both feet.
This time there was vasoline sitting on a truck's bumper, so I sat on the bumper and pulled off both shoes, socks and applied more vasoline. That should do it...and off I went. trying to hold under 10 minute miles.
When Ironman announced this race, I knew right away that I wanted to do it. I've never been to Lake Tahoe, but knew it's reputation for a beautiful and very sporting friendly venue. This was to be my 2nd IM of the year, and a good amount of time after my previous one in May. So, I was well trained and felt fairly healthy going into the race.
At the last minute, I changed our hotels to a place within walking distance to the finish and Ironman Village. That turned out to be a good idea, because it was so much nicer to be close to a lot of the action. The race is a 2 transition race. The swim start was about 15 miles away in Kings Beach. So, that is a challenge in it's own right. Luckily I'd done some other races with 2 transitions, but never an full IM.
I also decided to wear booties at the last minute and borrowed a pair from Tim. I truly think that save my feet at least 10 miles of warm up time. It surly saved me from having sandy feet.
I flew in to Reno from St. Louis on Thurs afternoon. Brigitte was actually in Salt Lake on business and was flying in at 5pm that evening. Samantha and Dennis were arriving about 20 minutes after me, so I bummed a ride with them, so Brigitte could rent the car and then meet me at the hotel. That worked out perfectly and after they dropped me off, I unpacked a bit and then headed over to the Village to check in.
They did a great job at checkin and there were no issues at all. I browsed the expo and saw most of the usual suspects. I went by the Recovery Boots tent and they had 5 chairs going and all of them were full. I talked to Hillary a bit and told her that I own a pair and love them. She asked if I brought them to the race and said no, but we had brought them to Rev3 a few weeks ago. Then she asked if I had the new travel case and I said no, I just have the older bag, so she said...wait a second and dug out a bag for me. Thanks Hillary! I love my Recovery Boots and use them regularly. I think they do wonders at speeding recovery after a hard workout.
Then I picked up my bike and wheels and bag from Tri Bike Transport. Everything was in order, and I ran into Sam and Dennis and Matt there. We chatted and Matt said he was going to ride an 11-32 cassette...I got scared, because I was riding a 12-26. He also mentioned that Dollar hill (the one we had to do 3 times) was on of the harder climbs even though it looks a lot less daunting on the profile. I took note of that and planned to ride it the next day.
I headed back to the hotel with my bike and stuff and started unpacking that stuff. I organized everything and already put my stickers and everything on my bike, helmet and bags. I got done with that and decided to go outside and enjoy the view. And right when I went outside Brigitte pulled up.
We decided to go over to the swim start and take a look before it got dark. We put our feet in the water and it didn't seem too cold. After a few minutes, my feet got used to it. So, I was feeling much better about that. There were even a few people out there swimming.
We ate dinner at a southwest place and it was very good. The whole area was full of triathletes and you can just feel that in the air.
The next morning we went to swim, I got in about 30 minutes and felt pretty good. The altitude wasn't really bothering me and I even did some bilateral breathing. I practiced a little dolphin diving and had a great feeling about the swim. Then we went over to the Endurance Nation talk and I knew those guys had been on the course, so I wanted a first hand account of the hills. Rich was very calming and assured us that it was not that difficult. He told us to sit down and spin up the hills. Which had been my strategy already, so...that was good to hear. I left that talk feeling much better about the hills and my preparations.
We also decided to go to the welcome dinner. I don't always go, but we decided to go to this one. Especially since it was Sam's first IM, I encouraged her to go. It's just pretty inspiring to see all of the people and hear some of their stories. Mike Reilly brought up one of the first IM finishers ever. That was pretty amazing. It was really cool to see a true pioneer and someone that was still involved in the sport.
Saturday morning we woke up and planned to swim. It was rainy on the way down to the beach, but not terrible. When we saw the waves at the beach though, holy crap. I didn't see how they could get much worse. I told Brigitte that she didn't have to swim, she was just there for fun. But, I thought I should do it. I always think if I can get in horrible water and endure it, then on race day it won't feel as bad.
I was out there for about 20 minutes and stopped multiple times. I couldn't get a freestyle stroke going because the swells were just dropping me and I couldn't get a breath. So, I breast stroked for a while and kept telling myself to keep moving. After I caught my breath, I started to side stroke and figured that would be an option if the waves were this bad. I decided that I'd had enough, so I went back in.
Right as I was finished, I saw 3 guys going out...and I had this weird premonition...GO BACK OUT THERE WITH THEM. So I did...I never get those things, but it was pretty strong. I swam out again, and side stroked...soon I was ahead of them and they were treading water. They seemed to be fine, and kept going. I kind of followed them a bit, and then decided that they were fine, and I headed back into shore.
Soon after, they arrived, safe. Odd, about that premonition. I dried off and we were off to eat something.
We decided to drive the course on Saturday afternoon because this was one time they were going to open up a private road section of the course. It seemed tougher than the EN made it out to be...but, it wasn't out of my realm. I was just concerned about so many steep descents. I wondered how people would handle such fast descents. It was still raining and as we got higher, the rain turned into wet snow. Oh boy, snow...I was excited and worried at the same time. What would the RD do about the course? The WTC seems to be very sue conscious and they tend to cancel events and shorten swims very quickly and I really don't like when they do that. I like my race to be exactly what I signed up for 140.6. But, there's nothing I can do about that, so I just let that go.
So that night I was thinking about all of the different options they could do, shorten the swim, cancel the swim, shorten the bike section...it was a crap shoot. I had already planned on wearing shoe covers, socks, compression calf sleeves, knee warmers, tri-kit, cycling jersey, arm warmers and bringing a very light rain/wind jacket with me. I decided at the last minute to wear tights on top of everything. I know it sounds like a lot of clothes, but it was 30 degrees at the start of the bike. I also wanted a lot of pieces, so I could shed anything I didn't need.
They said there would be a clothes drop at the aid station #2, which was at mile 13 and 56ish. So, I also had a bag with me with my race number if I wanted to drop anything.
On race morning, we walked to the shuttle busses to take down to Kings Beach, about 2 minutes into the walk, Brigitte says..."Do you have your wetsuit?" Ooops. She ran back to the room and got it for me...thankfully she has more brains than I do. We were meeting Sam and Dennis, but as we were walking over a bus was already leaving. So, as we were waiting, I figured they'd be on that first bus. So we got on the 2nd bus.
We arrived in plenty of time and Mike Reilly informed us that the roads were dry and ready to race. No cancellation of any kind. Awesome! I got in line for my tires to get aired up, put my Garmin on my bike and tried to dry off the aerobar pads. Next time I'll keep those with me on race night. I don't put plastic all over my bike, but I might work on a plastic bag for my drivetrain.
After that, I put my dry clothes in my T1 bag, and then headed over to this building they'd oped up to keep us warm. I loved that they did this...plenty of room to change, bathrooms and water. It was nice in there. When it was about 6:20 I went out and put my Tri Slide in the T1 bag. I planned on spraying myself with that the get stuff on much easier. And that worked very well.
I kissed Brigitte goodbye and told her that I'd be safe. I got in the self seeding area at about 1:15 for my finish time. And it went very well getting in the water. There was none of the usual fist fight/mosh pit of a swim start. I settled into a nice rhythm and before I knew it was at the first turn buoy. When I tried sighting, it was pretty difficult. The steam off the water was making the buoy's impossible to see, so I just hoped that the people ahead of me were going in a straight line.
I felt really good on the swim, although my feet were starting to get numb on the 2nd loop. The deeper water is warmer than the water near the shore, so that really helped keep me warm when we were out there. When I got out of the water, I was at 1:14...not great, but not terrible either.
I made my way into the changing tent...wow. Naked dudes everywhere. It was a cluster. I battled through the crowd and hoped that I could find just a small space, but none was to be found. So, I just stopped near the end of the tent and changed. That part actually went quickly. I got on my stuff in the proper order, socks, calf sleeves, knee warmers, tri kit, arm warmers, bike jersey, tights, and shoes. I gave all my wet stuff to a volunteer and was off to find my bike helmet in hand.
Brigitte and Dennis found a spot where they could see us running to our bikes and I was able to spot her easily. She had my other bike jacket in her hand and offered it to me. I was already feeling semi warm, so I declined it, but I was very happy to have the offer. I hopped on my bike and away we went.
There was loads of drafting in the first 5 miles. It was just impossible to avoid. An official was even riding beside us and didn't do anything to anyone, which is right, because we weren't trying to gain an advantage, we were just riding. I had a little water in my speedfil, and drank from that, I knew there was a climb at mile 5, so I didn't want to have 60 oz of nutrition on my bike to get up that hill. I tried to do that all day long, fill up at the top of the climbs and make sure I was empty at the bottoms. I saw lots of water bottles at the bottom of hills too...I never littered, I just managed my water content.
Before I knew it we were at mile 30 and on the first climb. It was longer than I expected, but I just sat in and spun up the hills. I kept my power from spiking and I felt like I was riding a very balanced race. At about mile 50 I had to pee, so having all of these extra clothes on didn't make it easy to pee on the bike. And I didn't want to have a wet leg on some of those descents...so I stopped and peed at the porta potty. I made it quick and also took in nutrition while I was peeing...hope that helped the digestion process.
I just kept pushing and it really never felt 'flat' it was always either climbing or descending. There were some screeming fast decents, and I think in hindsight, I'd ride my road bike if I ever did this race again.
I got to the turn at squaw valley and saw Brigitte and Dennis cheering. That was a welcome sight. I was so excited to see them, i must have missed the direction I was supposed to go and went outside the lines and into the traffic lane...OOPS! I finished the bike and T2 was much cleaner. I knew I was way back at that point and on a 6+ hour bike ride. So...my under 11 time goal was pretty well shot, but I wanted to go out and run hard. The first few miles felt hard, but not much harder than they usually do. I didn't feel winded at all. But my feet started to hurt. I have had some heel pain issues the last few months, but there was no pain on this day. Usually by the time I warm up with a bike ride, that heel pain disappears
So, after the 2 stops for vasoline, next I had to stop for the bathroom. That went well, and again I was on my way. I was keeping pace with a few people and just tried to keep them in my sights. Some would start to walk and then I'd pass them. Then they'd come running by me, only to start walking in 30 seconds. I wanted to keep my pace steady and even. I hit the turn and headed back to the finish line. But, the finish line was actually mile 18, and you had to go back out to get 8 more miles.
I kind of like that format, the first loop is an out and back of 9 miles, and then then second is about half of that. The cruel part is that they run you right by the finish line and you know you still have 8 miles to go. Brigitte and Dennis had found good spots to watch and they seemed in high spirits. Although every time I asked about Sam, they hadn't seen her or gotten her splits yet. Turns out she made the bike cutoff by 2 minutes...whew!
I kept running although, I was getting slower. I just wanted to finish this thing and the last 3 miles I knew I could do it. My mind started to wander to the journey, and to all of my friends and family that support me in this crazy addiction of mine. I thought about my SBR crew and all of the fun times on the Computrainer. My BRC friends and running and riding with them this summer. My cycling friends out at the Wed Night ride. And of course my friends there at the race...some I had seen, some I hadn't...and worried about where they were. Especially Brigitte who forgoes her own training to cheer me on and spend all day on her phone trying to track me and take good photos. I think about the fun rides we have had, and then tough runs. The speedwork on the track and the laps in the pool.
Then coming down the chute, all of that training, all of those great days...they all find a way to merge into one big feeling. And floating through there, hearing the crowds, hearing Mike Reilly say "You are an Ironman!" is still one of the best feelings I've ever had. And it never gets old. I look over and see Dennis and Brigitte yelling at me and all I can muster is a smile. I'm finished. I go over and kiss Brigitte and shake hands with Dennis.
The finish food was pretty good, and a step up from just pizza that they usually have. Pasta, potato salad, and salad...along with pizza. I got a bite to eat and then found out Sam was on her first running loop. So, I decided to go back to the hotel, shower and put on dry clothes. We did that and got back on the course in time to see Sam coming in on her 1st loop at about mile 17. Then we got to see her coming back out at mile 19.
We then found a spot near the finish line to wait and cheer her on in. Dennis waited at about a 1/4 mile away and then he ran up to us telling us she was coming in. Sam's mom had come down too to watch and we all got to see her cross the finish line for her first IM finish. It was so inspiring to see her finish and see her emotions when she hugged her mom. It was just inspiring!
We all talked for a few minutes and all agreed it'd been a long ass day for everyone! We were all pretty sore, so we headed back to the hotel. I pulled out the laptop and watched the finish line until the cut it off. But, with the swim start, it's hard to say who's actually the 'last' finisher...I guess that's just part of the new swim start rules.
The next morning we went over to the breakfast and that was pretty good too. Then we saw the signup line for next year...or lack thereof. I'm guessing nobody was interested in racing after a day like that. As I write this a couple of days later, it's still open online.
All in all, I had a really great time. It's a beautiful area, and if you could guarantee that the temps on race morning are 50's and above...I think it'd be a much more popular race. The only thing I think I'd change is the bigger changing tent, it needs to be twice as big. I also don't really like the idea of racing on a 'closed' part of the road. Not that it makes a ton of difference to us that come from out of town to race, but...I think the idea that we have to use a private road isn't a good one.
I kind of doubt this race will be around in 5 years...the difficulty and cold will deter a lot of people, and I feel like it'll go the same way that St. George did. But, time will tell.
I think that's about all I know for now...I'm sure I left something out, and if you're thinking about racing this in 2014, feel free to contact me and I'll give you more details. As if there could be any more details than this novel!!
Thanks!
Doug
Monday, June 17, 2013
Cheating the wind
I have been thinking about some ways to get faster with just a little effort in training. Getting aero is always a good way to earn some free speed. So, here's the top 10 ways to cheat the wind.
1) Get a professional bike fit.
2) Practice being in the aero position on the trainer. If you need to, stack a towel on your pads to make it more comfortable and slowly remove those as you get more comfortable over a couple of weeks.
3) Rest your back. You don't need to get out of the aero position, but just move around enough to get the blood flowing. Minute adjustments will keep your back from locking up.
4) When training, spin up hills in the aero position. Shift down until you're spinning up the hill. You'll learn to push hard in that position and that'll help on the flat parts of your race.
5) Check your weight. If you've got a little belly...get rid of it.
6) Stretch and Lift. Work on flexibility and strength. It'll pay benefits in being comfortable in the aero position.
7) When training, do 1 minutes of hard efforts in aero position. Stay low and ride hard. Sprinkle these in to every ride.
8) Did you know the human head weighs 8 lbs? Keep your neck loose and make sure it doesn't lock up just like your back. In longer races the weight can be overwhelming.
9) Train like your race, if you train with groups that stop every 45 minutes, you'll be used to getting up and stretching every 45 minutes. Ride in the same position for close to the same time as your race. Then on race day, you won't be surprising your body.
10) Balance. Learn to balance an aggressive aero position with comfort. If you're not comfortable and can't hold a position for your race, you'll break the position and sit up, and almost negate all of the benefits of being aero in the first place. Find that happy medium where you can stay out of the wind, but also finish and be ready to run!
Just a few things that come to mind...feel free to comment on some of your aero tips!
Doug
1) Get a professional bike fit.
2) Practice being in the aero position on the trainer. If you need to, stack a towel on your pads to make it more comfortable and slowly remove those as you get more comfortable over a couple of weeks.
3) Rest your back. You don't need to get out of the aero position, but just move around enough to get the blood flowing. Minute adjustments will keep your back from locking up.
4) When training, spin up hills in the aero position. Shift down until you're spinning up the hill. You'll learn to push hard in that position and that'll help on the flat parts of your race.
5) Check your weight. If you've got a little belly...get rid of it.
6) Stretch and Lift. Work on flexibility and strength. It'll pay benefits in being comfortable in the aero position.
7) When training, do 1 minutes of hard efforts in aero position. Stay low and ride hard. Sprinkle these in to every ride.
8) Did you know the human head weighs 8 lbs? Keep your neck loose and make sure it doesn't lock up just like your back. In longer races the weight can be overwhelming.
9) Train like your race, if you train with groups that stop every 45 minutes, you'll be used to getting up and stretching every 45 minutes. Ride in the same position for close to the same time as your race. Then on race day, you won't be surprising your body.
10) Balance. Learn to balance an aggressive aero position with comfort. If you're not comfortable and can't hold a position for your race, you'll break the position and sit up, and almost negate all of the benefits of being aero in the first place. Find that happy medium where you can stay out of the wind, but also finish and be ready to run!
Just a few things that come to mind...feel free to comment on some of your aero tips!
Doug
Thursday, March 7, 2013
I'm rebirthing this blog, so I hope with this fresh start will come some interesting and fun topics. So, I'll reintroduce myself. I'm Doug, triathlete and dork/geek. But, geek doesn't rhyme with sport. Hence...
I've been participating in a friend's doctoral thesis on Ironman training, so I thought I'd put some of that information and relflection in this blog.
Ironman the Woodlands - May 18 is coming up soon. It'll be a great day, Brigitte is racing 140.6 for the first time, and we've got a bunch of friends going down as well.
I'm really looking forward to that race. I feel like my training is going well, and I hope that my run is better this year than in 2010. Which won't be hard.
Anyway, I'll keep this short, I've gotta look for a decent playlist for tonights computrainer class.
I've been participating in a friend's doctoral thesis on Ironman training, so I thought I'd put some of that information and relflection in this blog.
Ironman the Woodlands - May 18 is coming up soon. It'll be a great day, Brigitte is racing 140.6 for the first time, and we've got a bunch of friends going down as well.
I'm really looking forward to that race. I feel like my training is going well, and I hope that my run is better this year than in 2010. Which won't be hard.
Anyway, I'll keep this short, I've gotta look for a decent playlist for tonights computrainer class.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)