Race Report - Creek Streak Olympic Triathlon

There's a whole bunch of stuff to discuss here so I'll try not to go on and on. Like eating an elephant: one bite at a time, that's probably the best way to summarize this one.

If you read my rant at race directors a couple of posts back, you'll recall that I was unhappy about the lack of information about whether or not there would be a pre-race equipment check. Shortly after, they did confirm that bikes could be dropped off the day before to avoid congestion on the shuttle buses.

On Friday afternoon, my brother and I arrived at the Aurora store of Runner's Roost where packet pick-up was organized and went quickly and easily. At the strong recommendation of one of the officials, we opted to do our body marking there rather than wait until the next morning.

Then it was off to Cherry Creek State Park and the staging and transition area by Smoky Hill beach. Judging from the aerial maps, this is the largest lot in the entire park and I'd guess it can accommodate somewhere between 300 - 400 vehicles. Of course, a large section of this was taken up by transition. Although the website indicated that there would be security personnel on site to ensure that there were no bike thefts, we didn't see any indication of that. There were nicer bikes than ours there, but in the interests of being safe, we both locked our bikes to the rack and left them for the night:

Early the next morning we arrived at Smoky Hill High School to catch the shuttle bus to the race. It was around 5:45 or so and we were on our way. A fair number of people had brought there bikes with them that morning and it made for kind of a crowded bus, but we all fit and so far, everything was going according to plan. As we left the school, I saw another bus pulling into the lot. We nearly took a wrong turn when our driver (who clearly had not been given a good set of directions) asked where to go to get to the staging area. A participant from last year--apparently unaware that the location within the park had changed--told her to make a left. The rest of the bus straightened that out. Fortunately, once you drive it, you don't need those directions again, so no harm done.

Arriving in transition, both of our bikes were there and now it was just time to set up. This was only my third time setting up an "official" transition area, but bricks and aquathlons had given me enough practice to know the routine reasonably well. Then it was just time to wait. And wait. And wait.

Turns out, the transportation strategy may not have been well thought out. The event website indicated that both spectators and athletes alike needed to shuttle into the park. Pretty clearly, estimates about how long that would take were far too optimistic. This was compounded by the fact that clearly the event organizers and park officials were not on the same page. When the bus carrying my wife and my brother's family arrived at the entrance gate, the guard actually refused to let them pass without paying the $9 entry fee. Seriously. It took, I'm told, about ten to fifteen minutes to sort that out. And keep in mind, it was not just the spectators on the bus, it was athletes as well.

All of this resulted in a delayed start. I can't say I was minding all that much at this point, but also keep in mind that late July in Colorado is normally about the warmest time of the year. In other words, the day was getting later and the temperature was going steadily up. More on that later.

I had time for a short warm-up lap in the water and then it was time for the sprint athletes to start. Given the delay, the times between waves were shortened so we started about 5 minutes after the sprint rather than 15 but this was still not a real problem.

I found myself feeling pretty nervous. I think all of the waiting had finally gotten to me and I just wanted to get going. There was a very long trek before me and waiting does not help ease the tension. At last we got going. Cherry Creek Reservoir, at least along that beach, is shallow for the first several yards so I was kind of wading until finally diving in and starting my stroke. The swim felt pretty good to me. Unlike some Aquathalons, this was one long 1500 meter loop with no run across the beach and so no laps. That made the long stretch of the course go for a while, but I just kept up a steady pace though not nearly as much effort as I think I would have put into a sprint. The crowd was pretty much with me all of the way and I bumped into a few people. Before I realized it, it was time to turn back to the beach. I was supposed to keep the last buoy on my right instead of left like all of the others which meant a short back-track to go around it. Since this was well within sight of the beach, I expect I would have gotten a penalty or possibly even a DQ.

Unlike the aquathlons or the Greeley Triathlon, this was a fairly long run from the beach to transition. By my estimates, it was nearly 0.2 mile to get to my bike. Also unlike Greeley, there were no wetsuit strippers so I had to do the honors myself. That was fine. I've been doing it at the aquathlon events so I was used to it. Transition went pretty well and I was ready to go:

And this is how I felt through pretty much all of the bike:

It felt really good. I didn't totally attack it considering the 6 mile run that was to follow, but I felt good. The HR only spiked on the one big hill. It was a two lap track that I measured at just under 11 miles each. Unlike my last two competitive bike events, this one felt great at the finish.

The bike also provided the highest entertainment of the event. No there were not any bands but other people on the course were entertaining enough. Less than a mile into the ride, a woman (a very important woman apparently) was shouting "on your left) at me and shouted it again when I didn't crash my bike to get out of my way. This has happened in all three events I've been in this year. As she went by me we approached an intersection and she didn't know if she was supposed to turn or go left. I went by her as she tried to figure it out. When she passed me again, she didn't say anything. Priceless.

Later, on the second lap, I came up behind a guy on a very nice looking Cervelo TT bike. Even though he was on the lighter, faster carbon bike, I was catching him and, mindful of USAT drafting rules, I picked up the pace and went around him. No sooner had I gained the lead then there he was, drafting on me!. And it was not subtle, borderline drafting. He was right in the zone. I looked back a couple of times in annoyance before he went around me and said, "don't worry, I'm not in the race." You've got to love it. On a triathlon bike, riding on the triathlon course, during, the triathlon, but not a participant.

Finally, as I neared the bike finish, I saw a woman riding ahead of me who appeared to be standing very high on her pedals. As I got closer, I realized she was not on a bike at all but an EliptiGO. Obviously she was not competing, but it was amusing nevertheless. My description can't do it justice so follow the link if you want to see more about it. Before I knew it, the ride was coming to an end.

I got out of both pedals and came to an easy stop at the crash line and ran into transition. I do think all of the practice with the mundane things has paid off. Items were arranged in order of need on my towel and I was out in 2:32 which is not my fastest, but this is also an Oly so I think a little more time made some sense.

Then it was time to go out and face the run.

I don't know the actual temperatures during the run, but I think it would be safe to say that they were well into the eighties and probably quite a bit warmer in the unshaded areas. As I approached the turn around, I was feeling not well at all. I had taken water at each stop and as I turned around I even dumped some on my head, but I could not cool off. By the time I reached the 4.25 mark, I slowed to a brisk walk for a couple of minutes until my HR had come back down below 140. Then I started up again until reaching one of the final hills. I walked up it and then ran down and continued again until the final big hill. Again, I walked until reaching that summit and then took one more slow walk before finishing the rest of the race at a slow run. There's not a lot of detail in this picture, but my wife tells me that I looked like I was either going to puke or pass out:

I would note, however, that the guy behind me did not pass me, so at least there is that. I still finished at just over an our which was only four minutes over my goal for the run. An ice cold bottle of water and an equally icy towel were waiting for me  as I crossed the finish line and rarely have I been so relived. I really don't recall the last time I finished a race with so little left in the tank.

I have no regrets on this one. I was in good enough physical shape to do it, but the heat on the run was just too much. Would an on time start have made a difference. Maybe, but I can't say for sure.

In the end, I still met my goal for the race and although there were only 7 people in my age group, I finished fourth. More impressive still, my brother got second!

Race Review:

I like to start with the bad and end with the good. I also want to say up front that the event impressed me enough to come back next year and do it again. Ultimately, there can be no higher praise:

The bad:

Pre-Race Communication: Information about parking, start times, early equipment checks and so on were not posted until very late. I don't know for sure, but I expect that State Park officials may have been a contributing factor to some of this, so I give the race directors a partial pass. Nevertheless, I've yet to see a triathlon that couldn't improve in this area.

Transportation: Again, I expect that spectators and participants were required to enter the park via shuttle bus because park officials did not want the event overwhelming the parking lots. If that was the hand dealt to the race director, that sucks. But it is also their responsibility to make sure there is a viable solution in place. A clear plan about where on the somewhat large Smoky Hill High campus pick-ups were being done, where the drivers were supposed to go and how all of those people and their bikes were going to fit should have been though through well in advance. A meeting with the transportation company, assuming one even happened, should have had all of this addressed.

Rewarding Bad Behavior: I mentioned this in my rant against race directors. Out of concern for the lack of parking, my brother and I took the shuttle and told our families to do the same. Meanwhile, others, including plenty of athletes, parked in the lot right next to transition. We might as well have done the same for all of the enforcement of their own rules.

Overnight Security: I did not see any guards nor did anyone else I spoke to in transition pre-race. That's not to say they weren't there, but a visible presence by security is part of what discourages theft. Fortunately, I have not heard of any bikes being stolen, but there should have been people present to ensure that equipment costing thousands of dollars was well secured. If you can't do that, you should not have the previous day check-in.

Course direction: I personally believe that if you are doing any kind of a race, ride, swim, whatever, you should spend some time studying the course map. This event had maps available in both PDF and on Running Ahead. However, there was one particular intersection that was confusing and I saw some riders going the wrong way. I have no first hand knowledge of this, but was told that they were given bad directions by a volunteer. Four roads come in unevenly to this intersection and its easy to see how one could get confused if they had not ever been there before. I have to ask how hard would it be to get a big piece of poster board and make a sign that says "Cyclists: Do Not Enter"

The good:

Venue: With it's self contained roads, huge lake and abundant running paths, this is an excellent place for a triathlon. The grassy area by the picnic shelter made for a great location for the awards area. The huge parking lot also made for a good transition area while still allowing an easy flow for the finish.

On-course support: The one bad direction scenario not withstanding, I thought the volunteer crew at this one was excellent. There was lots of encouragement and the direction I personally received were good. They also were handing out bottles of water and Gatorade on the bike course which is a first. It's a nice touch. Though I had my own hydration and nutrition with me, the effort was appreciated. There also seemed to be adequate water on the run course (I think only a fire truck pacing me could have kept me cool) and it was always ready. In fact, at the run turn around, the volunteer was asking runners whether they wanted water or Gatorade as they approached and had cups ready.

Value: Entryy fees for the Olympic were only $25 and then each participant had to either raise or donate another $50 for their charity of choice. All in, that's $75 and two thirds of it is deductible. You can't find anything for that cheap anymore!

Fundraising Format: Offering reduced entry fees for raising money for your choice of charities is one of the cooler things I've seen anywhere. I was personally able to raise $325 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

and the event itself raised $75,000 for various charities. It's a great idea and I hope we'll see more of it. Less important than the money I raised, though also pretty cool, was the insulated water bottle I got for my efforts:

In the time since my finish, I've been enjoying a lot of beer and pizza and doing little else (except writing this blog). I may do some lifting and an easy ride and then, weather permitting, do my final Aquaman on Tuesday. After that, I hope to have some pretty good posts up here. So stay tuned for the Italian Job!

Until then....

Finally! An Aquaman

Two weeks ago I rode my bike from a nearby parking lot into Cherry Creek State Park ready for the third race in the Without Limits Aquaman Series. The weather had been threatening but it looked like it might clear. Unfortunately, large bolts of lightning were spotted just west of the reservoir. No swim and I skipped the 5k. I was there for multisport or nothing at all.

Last week, I sat in my car in the same parking lot and watched very threatening weather move in. The lightning was like something out of a movie. I didn't even bother riding into the park. As the storms continued through the night, I guessed (correctly as it turned out) that the event had been cancelled again.

Yesterday, (now at the third Tuesday in a row for those of you keeping track at home) threatening weather moved in again. As I looked out my back door however, the really bad stuff seemed to be done south in my neck of the woods while the area to the northwest, near the park, was still looking okay.

Much to my dismay, the weather followed me up, flowing from southwest to northeast. By the time I rode to the starting area, the rain had started up and heavy winds were creating white caps on the lake. The buoys had also been pushed around and a couple had partially deflated. Not good.

The race director said, however, that they were going to keep waiting. Like a lot of us with smart phones, they were looking at the radar picture and there was some thought that the cell would move on and we would be able to swim.

So I waited. First I waited in the shelter, then I walked to the grassy area by the beach which is the transition. Then I donned my wetsuit and a light rain started again. Finally, I was about to step into the water and warm up with a few strokes when they called us back in. Thunder.

I kept waiting. I've never actually gotten to the point where my wetsuit was on and the race was called. Everyone waited some more. Then a little more. Finally, around 7:15, the race went forward. It's been three weeks since I've done an open water swim, but there I was in the washing machine along with all of the other long course participants and I actually felt pretty good. I had a decent swim at the local association pool on Sunday, but I often forget how fast you feel in a wetsuit. Almost like you're part fish!

I went through the two 750 meter laps and felt good, albeit just a little tired. I didn't where my watch and the Garmin is not waterproof so at the time, I had no idea how I did. Out of the water and up a slight hill back to transition. There's something about changing from water to land that just jacks my heart rate right up but I stayed loose and got into my socks and shoes.

Since I have the race on Saturday, I decided not to go as hard as I could but I still ended up at about a 9:30 pace on the uphill first half. Turning around I kept it to mostly under 8:30.  I finished strong and for the most part felt pretty good. The left knee is still a little sore but that's not news. It has been for weeks.

When it was all over, it was late, as in after 8:00 in the evening. This is a shot I took about five minutes or so after crossing the finish line:

That's right, it's a sunset.

Apparently, finishing late in the pack means you don't get any food because they were pretty well cleaned out. That necessitated a trip to Chik-Fil-A on the way home. Not exactly training food but I was cold, tired and wet and it hit the spot.

Today, I'm relaxing a little before riding a very easy 10 on the trainer. Then it's rest and hydrate for the rest of the week. There's not much between now and the packet pick-up and equipment check-on on Friday and I'll probably be fairly busy then. I'll post if I get the chance. Otherwise, the next one will be the Creek Streak race report.

Later!

My Rant at Race Directors

I am not a race director. I have never been one. Unless I take it up as a hobby after I retire in 15 to 20 years, I don't anticipate becoming a race director. Under all of that, I understand it's a little ballsy of me to direct criticism at these folks, especially because I freely acknowledge that they work very hard at what they do. Nevertheless, I think this stuff needs to be said and as a paying consumer of their product, I think my right to criticize is well established. BTW, I have to give complete credit for this idea to Ray Maker on the DC Rainmaker blog. He's done a similar post here which is worth a read. While my list is (mostly) different, the idea behind it is the same.

So hear goes:

What I don't like:

1. Poor communication: In an age when e-mail, social media and just plain old websites are almost literally everywhere, there's no excuse not to have frequent and complete communication. I'd love to see regular tweets on race day about my aquathalon. No one can control the weather, but sending regular updates (which take all of two minutes to write and post) would be a helpful. Likewise, any pending changes in race day directions. The upcoming Creek Streak said they might be allowing prior day equipment check-in to avoid the issue of taking both racers and their bikes on the shuttle buses. Check the website for more details they said. There are no references yes or no about this. If it can't be done, that's unfortunate, but SAY SO! I can't read your mind.

2. Meager course details: This one is part and parcel with poor communication. When there are several free mapping sites out there such as Map My Run, Running Ahead and my personal favorite, Gmap-Pedometer there's no reason not to have a detailed map of the course including an elevation chart. The Competitor Group who are responsible for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series and the TriRock triathlon series have been especially lacking in this area. The Denver event is in just over two months and there is still no course map. That's absolutely inexcusable.

3. Disorganized Race-Day Logistics: Like it or not, there is very much a cat herding aspect to running a race on race day. Directors are responsible for marshaling both their volunteers and competitors alike. The average crowd of people is just not that bright which means instructions have to be made clearly and often. Pre-race meetings are a really good idea (especially for triathlons) but telling people where they need to be and when is an absolute must. At the Greeley Triathlon in June, a call was made to line up the first half of the swim group for the time-trial-type start, but I never heard a call for the second half. Additionally, when you have several different races going off in rapid succession, which wave is starting needs to be both visually (as in unique bib color) and audibly (as in announcements from a bull horn) clear. I nearly started the wrong wave of the Pueblo Spring Runoff due to this confusion.

4. Slow Results: Electronic timing systems are nearly ubiquitous nowadays, but even if a race can't afford one, there's no excuse not to have results of a morning race posted by the end of the day. Period. Better still is to have preliminary results printed and posted in an easily accessible location at the venue as they come in. The excuses not to have this ready are getting thinner every year.

5. Rewarding Bad Behavior: I'm sure race officials are doing all they can to enforce USAT rules, but there are a lot of things they could do that prior to a race that would reward those of us who make their jobs easier. For starters, give priority parking to those who show up early. We're the ones that have our cars clear of your race course hours before the start. Don't give a priority parking place to the slacker who shows up 30 minutes prior to the gun. I've also seen runs where pre-registered runners get the shaft on their t-shirt while "day of" registrants get the prime pick. Horrible, just horrible.

What I like:

1. High Quality Volunteers: Getting people to come out and give away their time for free is, I'm sure, no easy task. So I'm really impressed by engaged, enthusiastic and helpful volunteers. No doubt, offering incentives like food or a free race entry helps in this department.

2. Tech Shirts: Given the choice between a cotton shirt that my wife probably won't let me wear out most places and a tech shirt that I can use in workouts, I prefer the latter. My guess is so do most people.

3. Finishers Medals: I know there is something to be said for finishing in the top three of your age group or even more impressive, in the overall race. However, most of us don't fall into that category and if we've devoted the time along with the mental and physical effort to complete a triathlon, half marathon, or marathon (fun runs and 10k's are exempt on this one) it means something to have a little piece of hardware to take home.

4. Easy Packet Pick-Up: Whether its on race day or at multiple venues around a larger city, being able to get my packet without driving forever or only at a narrow window makes a difference. Probably no one can come close to the BolderBoulder which allows you to select the nearest Dick's Sporting Goods store, either offering multiple pick-up locations or race-day pickup is a nice thing and I encourage it.

5. Post-Race Entertainment: Whether it is live music, or just an expo with vendors giving away plenty of free stuff, an after-race party supports the notion that you've accomplished something and it is time to celebrate.

So there you have it. My guess is that most people would agree with this list as well as have a few ideas of their own. Race directors should keep this in mind. None of it is too suggest you don't work hard enough, but perhaps one or two of these suggestions will indicate how you can work smarter.

Running at Altitude

I've always prided myself on knowing that most of my runs take place around the 6000 foot mark where my home sits. Denver may be the Mile High City, but I know that unlike most of the city, in Parker I'm always running higher. As a result, when I go somewhere to do a race--even to Boulder, I'm always competing at a lower altitude.

Well today, none of that meant squat. I did a six mile run here in Red Feather Lakes where the minimum elevation was 8200. In addition, hills here in the mountains are, well, mountains!

My parents home up here is surrounded by some particularly steep hills and with the Streak just over a week away, I wanted to avoid anything that would break me down too much. So I drove a few miles down the road to a local elementary school and parked there to start out.

The terrain was variable. I began running on the shoulder of a paved road like this one:

but I also spent more than half of it on dirt roads like this:

By the time I got to less than two miles to go, I was feeling it. In addition to thin air and hills, it was also pretty warm for the mountains, a little under eighty as I ran about. Jumping into a lake like this sounded pretty good.

Yes, that's my finger in the frame. Like I said, I was feeling it.

It was a slow day. I didn't have my HR monitor (I was using a borrowed Garmin FR205) but I worked hard not to exert myself too much. I just wanted to burn off some calories and stay ready. 

I was pretty spent afterwards. But with scenery like this, it's also hard to complain. I've not been a big fan of the weather here in Colorado lately (I did not even try going to Tuesday's Aquaman because the lightning was so bad), but today made me appreciate what a I great place I live in.

Brick# 8

Considering the heat I encountered during last week's brick, I decided I needed to get an early start on Saturday morning. That was before I didn't fall asleep until after midnight. I had to decide between being tired and hot and I chose to be hot. As a result, I was not on my way until about 8:30.

In preparation for the Creek Streak, I did this brick out at Cherry Creek State Park along the same course that the tri will use. I was very pleased to find that while not hill-free, the climbs are significantly easier than what I have been working on near home. There were also a couple of nice flat stretches where I could spin away making good time, but not spiking the HR. I came back into the transition area feeling much fresher than I did a week ago.



Transition went a little slower, but that had more to do with logistics. Specifically, I had to load the bike back into my car before proceeding. I probably could have gone a little faster, but I'll just worry about that on race day. In truth, my delay may make more sense because it's a longer run from the water to the transition area. I think it may take at least a minute from the time I exit the water until I get to the bike.

As I mentioned last week, I started strong, but heat killed me in the end and I ended up running 4.5 of the 5 miles I intended. This time I decided to fight back against the heat by bringing water with me. Same as my long run on Wednesday, the CamelBak came along on this one. It made a difference. Although I was not super thirsty to start out, I started taking water after about 3/4 of a mile and then took it at roughly that interval going forward.

By mile 3.5 or so, I was feeling the same fatigue from a week ago. My pace slowed, my heart rate increased and I began to flirt with the idea of walking (though I knew I had to finish the full distance). While I think my pace got so slow as to be not much better than a walk, I kept going and got back to the six mile point. I was pretty fried by this point (and it was about 85 degrees so no surprise) but I did manage to run the whole thing.



I'm planning on the Aquaman actually happening this Tuesday and on Friday, I have a six mile run in the mountains planned (if I don't pass out from the lack of oxygen). More on that later....

Brick 8 Results:

1) Bike : 22.27 miles, 1:14:27, 17.9 mph average
2) Transition: 3:29
3) Run: 6 miles, 57:55, 9:39 ppm average

Who'll Stop The Rain?

Bad news/good news story today. The bad: another afternoon of heavy rain and severe weather alerts. The good: I got my 45 mile ride in all the same. However, that ride was indoors on the trainer. On the plus side of that, I was able to watch the Tour de France while I did. Kind of cool watching those shots of the riders going over the summit. On a big screen T.V. it almost felt like I was riding along with them. Fortunately, I didn't have to climb those mountains.

Doing a ride outdoors where you have to deal with hills, wind, curves, an so on is definitely my preferred method of training. However, the weather hear in Colorado, especially in the afternoon, has been horrible. It's either ride out in the storms (including lightning--uh, no thanks) or take it inside.

I really need to get my swim in tomorrow so I am keeping my fingers crossed for a break tomorrow.

8 Mile

I had to go with that title for this blog. I've also been listening to Lose Yourself on my iPod when I run. That, however, is about where the similarity between Eminem and me ends.

Given yesterday's forced rest resulting from yesterday's cancellation of the Aquaman swim, I had been enjoying three days off from aerobic activity. That was no doubt a contributing factor in the success of today's run.

I'm not a big fan of running in the rain but I do enjoy the cool it provides. So it would have been better to have yesterday's weather today. Not the case, however. It was warm and worse, it was really, unusually humid again. Given those factors, I brought my CamelBak along this time and was glad to have sips of cold water at my disposal.

I took it slow and steady tonight but I think that helped me stay relaxed the whole time and finish the full distance without visions on quiting early dancing in my head. The real test will be tomorrow when I go for a long ride. We'll see how my recovery went.

Rained Out!!

For the second time in five days and the third time this summer, the swim portion of my aquathlon has been called on the account of rain--well lightning to be more specific.

This afternoon I was ready to do the third in the Aquaman Series out at Cherry Creek Reservoir but as (bad) luck would have it, lightning was seen in the area. I don't blame them for calling the race, but the lousy weather makes it tough to get my swimming in.

It also wreaks havoc on my training schedule which is now going to be redone and will include only one swim instead of my preferred two.

Fortunately, it looks like things are going to dry out around here in the next few days so I'll be able to run long tomorrow and ride really long on Thursday. That leaves a Friday pool swim and then the third and final brick before the Streak on Saturday morning.

Here's hoping that the weather holds for the next couple of weeks and that I'm truly ready for my first Oly.

Later...

Brick # 7

It's been another busy week but less so than the one before. My plan to do the Stroke & Stride on Thursday was aborted by very heavy rain all up and down the Front Range that night. I knew there was trouble when I saw the buoys had not been set up less than 20 minutes before the start. Sure enough, the swim was called. Shortly there after, the rain started coming down heavily so my brother and I decided to bag the whole event.

I managed to get a 1500 meter swim done at the community pool on Friday so that left yesterday for the big work out of the week.

Having done another 40 mile ride up in the Bennett area on Wednesday, I wasn't too concerned about doing the 22 plus mile ride that made up the first part of my brick. It was a local ride so that meant some very big hills again and speeds that ranged from the single digits to just under 40 mph. There was also a stiff breeze blowing out of the south so that made for some difficult stretches.

I was back home in just over an hour and twenty minutes. Not exactly flying but not terrible either considering there were some very long, steep uphills.

I got home and felt like I transitioned reasonably well. I was out in two minutes and if I can do that in a race, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

As usually, I took the early part of the run at a short stride and I felt pretty good. My HR was down in the high 130's and I didn't feel any heat exhaustion. No doubt the breeze was actually helping in that regard.

Making the turn back toward home I began to feel the effects of the heat and the humidity. Folks living near the coasts or in Midwestern states may not think this is much, but because of all the rain we've had here, humidity levels were in the upper 30's which is much higher than most of us around these parts are used to. I was also running back into the sun and my black tri shorts started to get warm along with the rest of me.

By mile four I was sucking wind and feeling pretty lousy. Though I had set five miles as my goal, I allowed myself to stop at 4.5 which is 90% and I think close enough. Had I known how warm I would be, I would probably have run with my CamelBak so I could stay better hydrated. I also think I would have brought two bottles on the bike rather than one.

So another week in the books. While I don't think I'm going to tear things up at the Creek Streak in three weeks, I'm also feeling reasonably good about my ability to do it and to do it in under three hours. Weather is going to be the factor in training again this week. There are storms in the forecast again for Tuesday so we'll see whether or not I get to swim at the third Aquaman. I was fortunate enough to do so last week but the folks swimming the longer distances ended up being called in from the water some time after I had started the run. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Here's the summary of Brick #7:

1) Bike : 22.55 miles, 1:25:09, 15.9 mph average
2) Transition: 2:01
3) Run: 4.5 miles, 42:38, 9:28 ppm average

FYI: barring any unforeseen events, I'm planning on doing next week's brick on the Creek Streak course. Ought to be helpful to see it all first hand.

Race Report - Liberty Run 4 Mile

There was typical July 4th weather for the Liberty Run this morning which is to say it was warm. With yesterday's high in the mid-nineties, it's hardly a surprise that it was still pretty warm this morning. Nice thing about a holiday is that there 's almost no traffic so I got from Parker to Washington Park in short order.

There was no problem picking up my packet and technical shirt (though I wish they would tell you in advance if the shirt was technical so I could get the right size). They were also distributing HydraPouches as this was a cupless race. If you're not familiar with then, they are small pouches that hold about two small cups of water and clip onto your shorts. They are refilled at any water station using a spout that hooks up to a standard water jug. It fills the pouch in a couple of seconds. More on that later.

I managed to arrive early enough to have time to pick up my stuff, but not so early that I had to stand around for a while. That's the way I prefer it.

Wash Park is a great place for a fun run type of event like this one. The scenery is nice, there is lots of shade (important on a day like today) and it's large enough that you can run a four mile race in four loops. It's also adjacent to South High School so that means plenty of parking.

I felt good through the whole race. I wasn't trying for a PR (I still have tomorrow's Aquaman and I'm going to do a Stroke & Stride again this week) but I still kept my pace consistently under the 9:00 mark without having to push it too hard.

There's not much more than that to tell. It was a four mile run, I was in, I was out and it was a good way to start my July 4.

Here's my review:

The bad:

Clarity about shirts - Unlike some other races, this one actually had a decent website including a course map which for some reason seems to be hard to find for certain events. And by that I mean a good, big map (I'm talking to you Rock and Roll Marathon). What the site did not say was that the t-shirt is actually a technical shirt. I'm more than happy to get a shirt I can run in, but I also get them a size smaller than the usual cotton shirt. It would be nice to know in advance.

HydraPouch - Not to be all un-earthy, but for a shorter race like this, the pouch does not make much sense. I'm not a speedster, but I don't want to sacrifice time filling up a pouch to take water (or worse waiting in line to do so). I think this technology makes a lot of sense for longer races (particularly marathons and half marathons) where a few seconds of stopping does not really impact the overall time.

The good:

Timing bibs - My timing chip was a metal strip covered by a foam pad on the back of my bib. No chip, no hassle, just an easy way to be electronically timed. This race was using an outfit called Hallucination Sports for their system. As of this writing, results aren't up yet, but I expect they will track pretty close to what I have on my Garmin. It's a good idea and my guess is you will see more of it in races.

Course - The internal streets in the park are a good venue for a race and they were properly conned off with turns clearly marked. I've done one other race there and it really is a nice place to enjoy a race. It was worth the drive.

Post Race - I've come not to expect too much from smaller races on the post race front but this one had plenty of food and beverage available. No, there was no beer like after the BolderBoulder, but that's kind of a rarity at a race anyway. I did get one of those reusable grocery sacks with some goodies in it and the sack itself has some utility.

I'm usually not around town for this holiday so it's hard to say if I'll be back next year. I may find myself up north. If not, though, I may very well be back for this one. If you live or are going to be in the Denver area on the Fourth, I give this race a recommendation.

Happy Fourth of July everyone and talk to you soon!

Brick # 6

It's been several weeks since I did a brick work out. At least if you define a brick as a bike followed by a run. While it's true I have done a duathlon and a triathlon in between (not to mention a couple of aquathlons) it's still been about two months.

I've been feeling a little tired again this week. Enough so that I scrubbed yesterday's pool swim from my workout. I think that was the right choice. This morning I felt well rested--even if my enthusiasm was not there.

Unlike my last ride up in Bennett, today was around my own neck of the woods so that meant hills. It was a good ride, but I did climb a couple of monsters. The profile looks like a roller coaster:

Considering how hard my Thursday run was, I had some concerns going into the five mile run-portion of today's brick. Fortunately, I felt pretty good. I stayed to a relatively flat course and that helped. I also slowed my pace quite a bit from my usual faster rate for the 5k distance. That helped even more.

Certainly not my speediest day, but it did give me cause for optimism for four weeks from today when I'll be doing the Creek Streak. Tomorrow is just a strength day and then I have the t-shirt run in Wash Park on Monday. Until then....

Brick 6 Results:

1) Bike : 15.62 miles, 58:00, 16.2 mph average
2) Transition: 2:18
3) Run: 5 miles, 48:28, 9:41 ppm average

Running

It's no secret that running is my least favorite aspect of triathlon. That's mostly because I've done so much of it over the years. I ran cross-country and track in high school. When I was in college, it was my main mode of exercise. In the years since running has been my way to get back in shape and until I discovered tri's, it was also the one place I had to compete.

When I started biking and swimming, I really enjoyed the new sports breaking up my routine. Nevertheless, running is the third sport and it has to be done. So today, even though I was tired I dragged my butt out onto the road and did a long 7 miler. It was a rough one, especially coming on the heels of yesterday's 40 mile ride.

I also committed today, to run the Rock & Roll Half Marathon in October. It will be the first one I've run in four years. It means I need to keep building the running miles--especially after finishing the TriRock Olympic in September.

Another factor in deciding to do a half marathon is to use it as a gauge in determining whether I want to/can do a half Ironman. Obviously doing a stand along 13.1 is not the same as doing the full thing, but if the half is too much, it's probably safe to say that swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56 before hand will be way too much.

In the meantime, I'm glad I'll be in the pool tomorrow where the bulk of the work is done by my arms (I'm not much of a kicker on the swim). Then it's the longest brick so far on Saturday. I'm also breaking one of my rules about running two days in a row. Monday morning I'm going to do the four mile July 4 race in Washington Park. It's really just a t-shirt race but hey, I like getting t-shirts. That will be followed Tuesday but race #2 in the Aquaman Series. Back to back, but more than 24 hours so I think I can manage.

For now, I really need to get some sleep.

Catching Up During a Busy Week

It's been quiet here for a few days here on the blog, but that's not because I haven't been busy. I did enjoy a nice day off after last week's Stroke & Stride but then it was back on the run Saturday followed by another long ride in the country on Sunday (hence the new header on the site).

Monday was my usual day off but yesterday I was back at it with the first race in the Aquaman Series.

This is essentially the same format as the Stroke & Stride with a few subtle but important differences. One of the pluses is that this series is at Cherry Creek so rather than a 90 minute drive through lousy traffic I had 20 minutes....still through lousy traffic but it was a lot closer and I didn't have to go through the usual rush before the race.

Cherry Creek State Park, I'm sure, goes back to a time when it was well outside the city limits. Nowadays it's bordered on one side by an interstate spur and a very busy thoroughfare on another. Nevertheless, the park is peaceful and a great venue for a race.

Unlike the Stroke and Stride, there are no timing chips. Your number is written on the back of each of your hands and your are instructed to tell it to the timers at various checkpoints such as between swim laps (you get out of the water briefly) after the swim, exiting transition and finishing the run. In essence, you are the timing chip. It works though I'd be curious about how well if things got bunched up.

I felt pretty good as I swam the course. I'm getting used to the washing machine and it was very present as we started. Even well into the first lap I was still bumping or getting bumped.

The run course was an out and back with the benefit of being mostly downhill on the return.

Overall I had a really good swim at 26:03 and a pretty good run at 27:48. I opted to swim with my jersey on and I think that saved me some good time.

Today I brought my bike with me to work. I didn't ride it, just loaded it in the back of my car and after work I drove out to Bennett which if you don't know sits out on the eastern plains about 30 miles east of Denver. It's a good place to ride because there is minimal traffic. It's also nice and flat which is nice after all of the hills I ride around home. I managed to hit 18.1 average which is as fast as I've gone on a long ride.

Tomorrow I'll be back on foot for a long run. Then it's back in the pool on Friday for a swim and then bricks resume on Saturday morning.

Yep, pretty busy.

Race Report - Stroke & Stride #4

The bad weather held off so I was able to complete the whole race this week. Just like a week ago, traffic from the DTC was nothing short of lousy so despite leaving the office a little after 4:00, I did not arrive at the reservoir until after 5:30.

Fortunately, that was still enough time to get into my wetsuit, set up my transition area and get down to the water. I expect I had about five minutes or less to spare, but then again, it was that much less time standing around in a black wetsuit in eighty-some degree heat.

Considering the unpleasant "washing machine" experience I had last week, I decided to hang back. No way I was going to lead the pack in any case. So off we went and I stayed calm and took it easy as I had committed to swim 1500 meters rather than the shorter 750.

As it often does, the trip out to the first buoy seemed to take a long time. Until you've swum a course, you just don't get a good feel for how far out it is. Nevertheless, I sighted reasonably well and was soon making the right turn on the clock-wise course. The distance between the first and second was fairly short making the course look a little like a tall, skinny trapezoid. The problem after rounding the second was that I was swimming west and looking back into the sun. Not directly, but still enough to make a lot of objects in front of me look somewhat silhouetted. That unfortunately included the intermediate tracking buoy. At the time, this did not seem like a problem because the big red flags marking the exit were easy to pick out. So I just pointed myself at them and swam and of course, sighted every so often.

After a while of this, I noticed I was by myself which seemed weird because even if I was at the back of the pack, the swimmers from the second wave--swimming the 750 meter short course--should have caught me. Strange but I kept going. Then I saw a rope in front of me that marks the normal swim area. Then I heard a lifeguard hollering at me from one of the floating platforms that I had needed to swim around that buoy I couldn't see before. So I had to swim around and it made my first lap look a little bit like this:

I actually have found I can sight reasonably well as long as I have some idea of where I'm going. So this was clearly a case of knowing that I really needed to find that buoy and keep it on my right.

The course here is unusually in that after getting out of the water and crossing the timing mat, you run along the beach and get back in the water at the same start point (the one at the top of the map above). Already feeling tired, I ran along the sand at what I thought was a fairly easy pace. Nevertheless, I was panting pretty hard when I got back into the water. I slowly eased in to that second lap so that my heart rate would come back down.

Lap #2 was not any easier, but it did seem to go by more smoothly and by this point, there really was not much company, just me and a few other slow swimmers. One of the things about doing a race in the Boulder area is that it draws out some of the best amateur triathletes in the state and makes average Joes like me look pretty weak by comparison. I also expect that a lot of the slower folks opted for the 750 meter swim.

I was not dead last out of the water, but I'm also pretty sure they reeled in the buoys not long after I stepped out and ran for transition:

Since the swim event last week was cancelled, this was my first experience with transitioning without any assistance. You my recall I took advantage of wetsuit strippers at the Greeley Triathlon. No such luxury here so as I made my way up the hill to the grassy area that served as transition, I managed to get the suit off down to my waist.

Getting out of the suit proved not to be too much trouble and then I was putting on socks and shoes and heading out. I managed to forget the wrist strap from my Garmin so here I am tucking it into my shorts:

I had no particular need to need to PR on the run portion of this my first aquathalon so I just went at the best pace I could. I knew the course having run it last week and I just went at my pace. After about a mile, it actually got a little better and I felt my pulse calm down a bit and my breathing steady. I got turned around and then headed back down along the dam with the finish line out of sight, but the PA system and music within earshot.

Considering I need to do a six mile run tomorrow, I saved a little strength and headed into the finish at a respectable pace but not a sprint either.

At least no one clipped me at the finish.

When it was over, my results broke down like this:

Swim Lap 1: 15:49
Swim Lap 2: 16:42

Total Swim: 32:30

Transition: 3:07

Run: 27:54

Overall time: 1:03:30

Given that the Stroke & Stride Series is not a full on event in the sense of a triathlon or even a running race, I won't be doing my usual list of good and bad. Overall, it's a very good event. I like that I can get timed for my efforts and they've set up at a venue that is host to some of the bigger triathlons in the state, including the Iron Man Boulder 70.3 which will be later this summer.

Once I had cleaned up a little bit and changed into some fresh clothes, my wife (who gets all of the photo credits) and I headed into Boulder where I enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Pizzeria Locale downtown. I've had one or two Neapolitan pizzas before, but this was really good. I highly recommend it if you find yourself looking for unique dining experience in Boulder.

Today I'm enjoying a day off from work with no more workout than some strength exercises. Tomorrow is back on the run for six miles and that will be followed Sunday by a long ride.

Bike 2 Work

While I'm pretty sure I would not/could not do this every day, participating in Bike To Work day was actually a lot of fun.

Much like any other work morning, I left the house a little after 7:00. Unlike other mornings though, my conveyance was not my Volvo but rather my Cannondale!

Along the way a fairly extensive breakfast stop was setup along the Cherry Creek path near E-470. There were bagels, coffee and water. All very thoughtful though I was not interested in riding the rest of the way to work with a bagel sitting in my stomach like a rock.

It's probably best that the altitude at which I live is higher than the one at which I work. All in, it's a little over a 1000 foot drop between the two locations. It was also cool this morning and both factors meant I wasn't too sweaty (read: stinky) when I pulled up in front of my office.




A few fresh strokes of deodorant and a change of clothes later and I was ready for another day at work. I actually felt pretty good though as the morning went by, the need for some lunch was stronger than usual.

A little after 4:30 this afternoon I was back in my bike gear and on my way home. Since my office sits near the very busy intersection of I-25 and Dry Creek Road, I decided to take advantage of any opportunity to avoid riding through heavy traffic. Hence, I cruised over the highway on one of the pedestrian bridges that provides light rail access.

And it gave me the opportunity to appreciate the fact that I wasn't dealing with this:

The rest of the ride home was a mix of bike paths and streets but no problems. I had to add a couple of miles to ensure that I trued my mileage to at least 30 for the day.

 All in all it was a nice way to change the typical riding workout. It was no doubt easier than putting in a full 30 miles all at once, but still it was enjoyable. It also gave me a chance to practice my on-bike photography.

Okay, it still needs a little work!

Tomorrow is the Stroke and Stride. After last week's struggles, I'm still a little concerned about swimming the full 1500 meters (which includes a 100 meter run in the middle) but I'm also feeling the pressure to be ready for the Creek Streak in about five weeks. Probably still a game-time decision.

Feeling Better

Two days off, lots of rest, lots of water and yeah, I'm feeling much better. It also didn't hurt that today's workout was a swim rather than a bike or a run.

Better still, unlike my last trip to the local pool, this time, a swim lane was set up. It's amazing how much easier it is to swim when you're not swimming around people. I spoke to a life guard after the swim who told me that if the lane marker isn't there they'll be happy to set it up. It's the little things that make me happy!

Tomorrow is a ride workout of a sort. It's Bike-to-Work day so I'll be doing about 14 miles each way. Not the most strenuous work out but not bad either. I also don't mind being a little more rested ahead of this week's Stroke & Stride.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to post some pictures and talk about Bike-to-Work.

Forced Rest, Slowtwitch Muscles and Other Musings

I mentioned in my last post that my swim on Thursday was kind of rough. In truth, I wasn't entirely disappointed to have the 1500 meter event cut short. I did the run at a faster than normal clip and by the end, I was pretty fried.

Add to that, my Wednesday 30 mile bike ride left me feeling a little dizzy (after I got off the bike, fortunately) and on yesterday morning's run, my HR was up around 159 even though I was going no faster--slower in fact--than the BolderBoulder where it was lower.

So when the alarm went off this morning for me to go and ride 35 miles...well I rolled over and went back to sleep. I think I've hit something of a wall and indications are I need a couple of days off.

The list on Runner's World located here suggests I'm hitting around four of the ten warning signs with those being sleep, energy level, pain, and performance. As I don't own a pulse oximeter, I don't know where my oxygen saturation stands, but it would not surprise me to see that it is low.

Running has also been a particular struggle. With the exception of the BolderBoulder, my pace has been off and finishing longer runs has been a challenge. I expect I've been focusing a little too much on run shorter distances in shorter times. I won't go so far as to say faster because I am definitely not fast. However, my 5k time has been dropping quite a bit, and I think that my be to the detriment of my longer runs. In essence, the fast-twitch fibers have been developed but less so the slow twitch. That's a theory, but what I'm seeing seems to fit with it. My plan does call for me to start increasing the distance over the next couple of weeks so hopefully that will help.

Perhaps best of all, I don't feel too guilty about missing this morning's ride. I miss being out on the open back roads of eastern Douglas County, but they are not going anywhere. Having a day or two to rest my body actually sounds pretty good. My next scheduled work out is for 45 minutes in the pool on Tuesday afternoon so more than 48 hours from now. What's more, the pool is easier on my body, particularly my left knee and my right foot, than any ride or run.

If my time off does not re-energize me, then the problem may be bigger than I thought, but I'm feeling fairly confident that things will improve this week.

Stroke & Stride #3 Race Report -- Kind Of...

Well, unlike the SOST three and a half weeks ago, I did actually get to get in the water today. Unfortunately, about 3/4 of the way to the first buoy, the lifeguards sounded the horn for everyone to turn around and come back. Lightning was observed and it's the policy of the Boulder Reservoir (a sensible one I think) to pull everyone out for half an hour.

For me, that may have been just as well. I was having a hard time of it in the water and I think I may have bit off more than I could chew this week trying to swim 1500 meters. I've also kind of forgotten that I can be pretty tired in the afternoon and the energy levels definitely dip. We'll see about staying with the distance next week. I was prepared to start again but in the 750m wave when they called the swim event completely due to more lightning.

So there was basically no transition and probably just as well because I forgot to attach my timing chip before the swim...oops!

I got out of the wet suit (harder without strippers) and put on my running gear. By now the sun was back out and it was still in the mid to upper eighties. I was well hydrated (maybe too hydrated) so it was not a problem, but it was still kind of a rough run. I wanted to push myself to run a little faster than I did in Greeley on Sunday and I did that, but it was starting to take its toll in the last mile. I still finished at 26:21 which is an 8:32 pace and I can live with that.

Overall, its a nice setup. There's a little less formality than a lot of races, but it is still definitely a race which is kind of cool. My wife is coming out with me next week so, weather permitting, I'll be doing another report with some pictures to go with. For now, you'll just have to make due with this map from the run.

Correction

Last night I was looking again at the results and saw that my swim time and overall place had been updated and appear to be accurate. I am ghettoes retracting my negative comments toward Flatirons Timing and will be removing the comments from that post.

I am relieves that I have a full time an a place.

Race Report - Greeley Triathlon

The first race is in the books! After something like eight months of waiting, I finally know what it is like to do a triathlon. I'm pleased with how I did and very anxious to put more under my belt.

The pre-race set up was at the race sight and included a meeting which was more of a Q&A session. This was particularly nice because, this course, like all courses, had its own nuances. We were briefed on a couple of particularly tight turns and the safety risks associated with them (things like crashing or pulling out in front of cars doing 70 on the highway). We also got a summary of how the swim course would work. Unlike the more typical mass wave start, this race used a time trial start due to the relatively small size of the lake.

Once that was done, we were free to roam around the lake and transition just to get a feel for the place:

The transition area sits empty in anticipation of the next day's race



Giant rubber duckies mark the swim exit



My bro and I agree...Chamois Butt'r is no good on toast!



Once we were set we did a spin around the bike course just to be familiar with the hills, turns and twists. I've been over it a few times on Google street view, but seeing it first hand is helpful. Then it was home for rest, more water and pasta for dinner!

Race morning started at 5:00 am. Since my parents live less than 5 miles from the course, it was a nice short drive and it was time I was able to spend sleeping rather than driving. That's always a plus.

We were at the site before 5:30 and though it did not officially open until 5:45, we were able to get into transition a little early and set up:

Then it was off to body marking. Since the last event was a duathlon, this was a new experience, but no problems. Both upper arms were marked with my number along with the back of my right hand. My USAT age was written on my right calf.

Earlier, I had mentioned the decision to forgo the wetsuit given an anticipated water temperature of 70*. However, a couple of factors lead to a change of mind. One, a group of volunteers would be serving as wetsuit strippers. That's something I've never heard of outside of an Ironman event. All I'd need to do was get the suit stripped down to my waist, sit on my butt and let them pull it off of me. Then get up, take the suit back and run to transition. Additionally, the guy there setting up the buoys recommended it for the sake of speed. Decision made, and it felt like the right one.

So after loitering around transition and making the requisite bathroom stops, I put on the Body Glide and pulled the suit halfway on. It was a little cool still at this point, but it would have been too warm to pull the suit all the way on.

It was shortly after this that I noticed my ankle strap containing my timing chip was missing the chip. It had apparently come loose from the strap. Not good. I found a coordinator and she and I went to the tent for Flatirons Timing where the guy running the show there was good enough to do an exchange. I was given a new chip and he scribbled down the change on a sheet of paper. Hmmm...well he's the pro at this, not me so I figured he'd get it covered.

This year's race was the site of the Rocky Mountain Region Junior Championship and that race, along with a shorter version for 13 - 15 year olds were set before us. Due to some issues on the bike course, the start was delayed. Finally, after about 30 minutes, the younger kids did there version. Once the last of them was out of the water, there were a few minutes to spare before the championship race went. All of this gave me the benefit of watching the swim course before my start.

Not long after the last swimmer in that wave went, it was time for our group to start. I had heard a call a little earlier for higher numbers to line up near the finish line, but my number was lower. The time trial start was in sequential numerical order which meant reverse age order. The first guy in the water was 82 years old! After he went I realized there was only about 50-some numbers between his and mine. But I had not heard a call for our number group. I suggested to my bro that we head over and sure enough, there were all of the lower numbers lining up. We made it, but with less than five minutes to spare.

So now I'm set. I'm standing in line with guys about my age, nearly all of us in wet suits and a line that is moving up one position about every five seconds. There was no mat at the start, just a race official and the time who had brought some kind of manual key-punch device with him. More on this later, but keep in mind that the number that was being read to the timer by a race official was the one on the right hand.

Probably not going to win any awards for this dive, but it my goggles and cap stayed on and the shock of the cooler water was minimal. I easily got into my rhythm of bilateral breathing every third stroke and siting on the buoys by looking forward every 9 -12 strokes was proving to be pretty easy. Then something really surprised me. I started catching the guys who had started in front of me.

Through all of my swimming, I've almost always been the slow guy in the pool or the lake. I've been able to swim since childhood, but swimming with form and technique are new to me and it's probably never going to be my forte. Nevertheless, there I was catching a number of people with relative ease. I went by several and there may have been one or two passing me, but not many. Granted everyone I went past was older than me or at the oldest, my age, but still, I was cutting through the water with ease. The wetsuit made me feel like I was the keel of a boat and I seemed to glide through the lake.

I finished the swim strong, was helped up onto the finish ramp and ran for the wet suit strippers. I was fumbling with the velros strap on the neck to strip down to my waste when one of them helped with that. Within 14 seconds or so, I was out of the wetsuit and running into T1.

I had decided to leave my jersey on the bike rather than swim with it. I was wet and it didn't go on cleanly. I probably lost 15 seconds messing with that. Otherwise, I got out of there with relative ease and clocked a 2:27 T1.

My feet did not go into the peddles all that easily but after a couple of tries, I was in and peddling out of the bike start, heading for the series of turns and traffic circles that made up the early part of the course. After completing those, I was out on to the business route of US 34 and crusing through a flat to downhill section.




Going back by the transition area on my way out to the highway



I had hoped to be faster through here, but I was putting a fair amount of effort into it all the same. My cadence was about 92 rpm which is faster than a lot of training rides, and, from my understanding, fairly close to the ideal range. I figured I was still over the average pace I anticipated so I'd just roll with that.

About four and a half miles in I hit the first serious hill, but I went after it fairly well. I had to balance my desire for a good bike time against the need for energy on the run.

Unlike SOST three weeks earlier, drafting rules were more applicable. The former was a three loop course so were always in the process of passing or being passed. This was a single loop course so there were lots of both, but it was more spread out. As I made the turn back west off of 83rd Avenue onto 20th Street, I came up on a guy who was a little slower than me, but not a lot. I was also passing him as I went by a group that might have included an official. At the speed I was going, I had to attack the pass more than I would normally be inclined to do. So I kicked up the cadence a little bit and went by him. It felt pretty good. More so as many more guys on high end TT bikes blew by me.

To this point, my pace was pretty good. I had a couple of slow spots, but overall, I was riding right about where I wanted to.  Then came 95th Avenue. Until a few years ago, this was just a dirt road and today it's the next best thing, A somewhat paved road with no lane markers, very narrow and pretty bumpy. It also represents some of the steeper, albeit shorter hills on the course. It definitely threw me off my pace. In addition to that, it features a U-turn on a narrow road that is the next-worst thing to coming to a stop. However, everyone has to deal with it and I did as well.

Turning off 95th Avenue to the US 34 by-pass route was the danger turn we had been warned about. Cyclists had to stay within the cones or they would be pulling in front of highway traffic and would also be disqualified on the spot. That proved to be no probem for me. I was moving, but the turn was easy at my speed. The climb up on the higway was long, but not very steep and even had a slight downhill section. Then it was up back into the business park where the race was being staged. This too was a steep hill and I knew despite best intentions, my bike pace would be slower than I hoped for. I did manage a little speed as I rolled in to T2:

The T2 was typical of a lot of my bricks. Unlike the SOST Du, I had to put on socks. I just can't run without them and a few extra seconds means no blisters so I think it's worth the trade off.

That said, I feel like I did okay with it and soon was running out. I worried about putting the Garmin on the wrist strap as I went and I'm sure that saved time. This run started out like they all do after a bike--I felt exhausted. More specifically, I felt like my heart was pounding out of my chest and I could not catch my breath. Fortunately, past experience taught me that my body would catch up and after about a quarter to half a mile, it did.

This was a great course to run since the first three quarters of a mile are on a gentle downhill. That allowed me to run a sub 8:30 pace which was great. I was hoping I had a good swim, and seemed to, but I also new I had a few minutes on the bike to cover. After that first stretch of down hill, I made a right turn and headed up a fairly steady and drawn out up hill. It was nothing like the monster on the SOST runs, but it was enough to push my heart rate back up and slow down my pace. However, I was still running ahead of my goal.

It was an interesting course in that it wound back inside itself so as I was going out, others were coming back in the opposite direction. The field was pretty thin however, so there were no traffic issues. In addition the bikes were still coming in, but they were well separated on the left side of the road so again, no issues.

The turn around was near the finish line which can be a little frustrating since you're hearing the finishers called but you still have nearly two miles to go. Fortunately, it's at this point that you get to go back down hill for quite a stretch and I felt better as well as saw my pace improve. Before long, a left turn put me back on the same hill I had run down at the start, along with a little in and out loop and then I was running around the swim lake on my way to the finish. I had wanted to finish stronger than I did in Longmont three weeks earlier and though I was breathing pretty hard at this point, I also knew I could stride out the finish. I did and it felt good:

And this is the very cool finish line that was set up:

Right between his legs and then you're done. There were refreshments and iced towels and that was most enjoyable as it had gotten pretty warm by this point.



Upon looking at the results, we also learned that my bro had not only placed, but won the 40-44 age group. He beat the next closest person by a comfortable 21 seconds. As for me, well it should have been about 9th out of 16, but more on that in a second. Given my brother's win, we stayed around for the awards ceremony. Then it was home for some much needed/desired beer and a barbecue!

Race Review

I have some criticisms, but I want to say up front that I think the race organizers did an excellent job. This was a well-run event and I had a blast. I'm glad this ended up being my "official" introduction to the sport and I plan to be back next year. I would also, without reservations, recommend it to anyone who is looking for a sprint early in the season.

The bad:

**Timing -After initially not getting a swim time, it later posted so despite having run with a replacement chip, all was well. What's more, I was actually the second fastest swimmer in my age group.
Pre-start communication - The call for everyone with number 238 and higher to line up lead me and my brother to believe that there would be a second call for lower numbers. I might have missed that, but I don't think so. There were a lot of participants and spectators about. You need to make those calls clearly and probably repeat them.

The Good:

Pre-race communication - The days leading up to the race included multiple e-mails with details, water temperatures, etc. I like being kept up to date and this was helpful. I never felt out of the loop.

Venue - A great sight for a race. The lake was small, but a short swim course is kind of cool and great introduction to rookies like me. In addition, the transition area was spacious and the run and bike courses offered great scenery, interesting challenges and above all, a good location for our family to watch us race. It means a lot to have your own cheering section.

Course support - There are apparently close ties between the Greeley law enforcement community and the race. As a result, several off-duty officers showed up to man the turns on the race and keep us all safe. They did this voluntarily for no pay. That's one of the more commendable things I've seen at a race and I tip my hat to all of them. There were also a lot of volunteers manning the run turns and of course, the wet-suit strippers. That was a very nice touch!

Race-swag - Not a ton of stuff, but what I got was pretty cool. It included a big red reusable grocery sack, the iced towel (suitable for transition) and a  pint glass from the local Crabtree Brewery. There was no beer on site, but they did give you a coupon for a free glass at the brewery.

Door-Prizes - I didnt' win any, but they had some pretty cool stuff including Rudy Project sunglasses and Road ID gift certificates. There was also a lot of it and several people got a little something extra for hanging around after the race.

Overall, I think this was a great race. While I look forward to the challenge of longer Olympic distance events coming up, I still plan on coming back next year. As I mentioned before, this is a great one to check out early in the season.

Today's a rest and recovery day and tomorrow morning I'm back in the pool. Thursday is a quasi-race as I'll be in Boulder for this week's Stroke & Stride event which is a 1500m swim followed by a 5k run. Lots more swimming, biking and running ahead in the next six weeks so plenty of posts coming up as well!

**A side note, even though I'm no longer a first-timer, I'm keeping the blog name for now. Although not official, I may have one or two followers out there and I don't want to lose anybody with a URL change. Next year, I'll see about an update and will do so with plenty of advanced warning.

Ready to Go!

It's been quiet in these parts recently so I apologize for going so many days without a post.

I've had a fairly easy week after the big ride on Sunday. I got one more short 15 miler on the trainer Tuesday and that's been about it. My attempt to swim laps on Wednesday got skunked by lightning--they would not let me in the pool, and on Thursday between a sore knee and hamstring, I decided a three mile run was really not going to do any good.

I had a couple of good strength days, but the tri training has been very light. I think I'll be better off for it.

In about an hour or so, I'm heading up to Greeley where I'll attend the 2:00 pre-race meeting and pick up my packet. My brother and I are also going to drive the bike course just to get a first hand look. We grew up in Greeley, but didn't spend any of that time around the course which lies mostly along the western town limit.

Pre-race e-mails have indicated a 70 degree water temperature so I'm still planning on swimming sans-wetsuit but it's going to make the trip just in case I change my mind. Not wearing will probably shave as much as a minute off my T1 and that seems like it's worth it.

Other than the meeting, there's nothing much to do but wait--not my favorite thing. However, I'm excited, I'm ready and by the time I make my next post, I'll no longer be a First Timer triathlete.

A Ride in the Country

I was up before 8:00 this morning to get out for a 30 mile ride on the back roads of Douglas County. In truth, I should have been out much earlier, but my wife and I went out to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary last night and it was a late bedtime.

Nevertheless, I knew I needed to get out there and work off last night's steak au poivre and duck-fat-fried fingerling potatoes (those are really good by the way)!

So a little after 8:00, off I went. Many may think of the area east of the front range of the Rockies as being essentially flat. In most cases you would be correct. However, my little stretch of the Front Range is the exception. Eastern Douglas County is characterized by rolling hills and a fairly high altitude. In fact, my average altitude for the ride was over 6300 feet. In addition, it was one of those rides where I felt like I was always going up hill. As you can see from this profile, there was definitely a lot of up and down:

Despite all of that, traffic was light and the cars I did encounter were always courteous enough to give me a wide berth. What's more the scenery was fantastic. My iPhone does not do it justice but these may give you some idea:



Looking back west at one of the rolling hills I just climbed



Looking southeast toward the town of Elizabeth.

Some of the climbs were steep enough that I actually went into the small ring and still pushed mightily to ascend some of the hills. It's a sure sign you're climbing a steep one when it's about all you can see in your forward view.

Having completed the ride, I feel pretty good. In addition to the training, I got a chance to test out Gu Brew Electrolyte drink. Unlike the much-too-sweet Powerade I had along during the Summer Open Sprint, this was much more diluted and went down without any trouble. I have an extra packet so I'll probably be bringing it along in Greeley next week.

I have a much deserved day off tomorrow and then light workouts Tuesday through Thursday. I think I'll be feeling nice and rested on Sunday morning and ready for my first "real" tri.

A Good Morning on the Water

So maybe it's the fourth time that's the charm. Today was my fourth trip out to Bowles Reservoir Number One and by far the best of my four open water swims. I think a couple of factors contributed to that. First, the water felt much warmer. There have been no official postings, but it makes sense given the string of warm weather we've had over the last week. It wasn't balmy but it was not nearly as shocking. I also think knowing the buoy course a little better.

Given that I wasn't freezing, I felt more comfortable and went out with a little less intensity than usual. Knowing that my swim was a long one also helped me take it easy in the early stages. Having a good swim like that gives me more confidence going into next week's Greeley Triathlon.

Speaking of which, I got my first communication from them this week. Indications are that the lake at the course site will be about seventy degrees. Much as I enjoy the buoyancy and speed I get from the wetsuit, I think I'll be swimming in just my tri shorts. It's only a 500 meter distance and given the water temp, I think the benefits would be negligible.

Planning a long ride in the country tomorrow and then I start easing up a little bit in anticipation of the race.

It's been really nice the last few days and that's been a real benefit to the training. Hopefully that keeps up because after next Sunday, the pace really picks up!

A fairly close approximation of the mile course.

Outdoor Swimming

Today was my first attempt at swimming at my local outdoor pool. It's 25 meters as opposed to the 25 yards I've been swimming at the indoor pool at the rec center. That being the case, I was a little off about what would constitute a "normal" lap. The other challenge was swimming around people. Unfortunately, there was no lap lane set up and the mass of people there on a hot afternoon seemed a little oblivious of me.

Nevertheless, it went pretty well and a little over 40 minutes later I had put 1600 meters behind me. It was not my fastest swim but the dodging and weaving didn't help. Next time, I'm going to try later.

For the next swim, it won't matter. I'll be back at Grant Ranch on Saturday morning and folks who go out there are more interested in swimming than splashing around. Fifty some degree water will have that effect!