Race Report - 2011 Rock & Roll Half Marathon

For the past five months or so, my main enemy in training and racing has been heat. It pretty much killed me on the Creek Streak and shortened a few runs and rides to less than what I set out to accomplish. So when the snow was falling yesterday and the temperature on my car thermometer this morning was all the way down to 32*, I knew I was going to be in for a fairly significant change. The question was, how would I handle it?

My backyard around 11:00 yesterday, 10/8

I actually registered for the Rock & Roll Half Marathon way back in like June or July. It was cheaper to start early and it was also good to have it on my radar as the season progressed. I had done a little bit of reading on the website, but things were kind of at a stand still until I went to the Expo on Friday.

You have to give Competitor Group their due. They organize a packet pick-up as well as anyone I've seen and well they should given the large turnout for their races. Friday afternoon was no exception. I made my way through the stations that involve packet and swag pick-up and then onto the Expo itself. It's actually a pretty savvy business move on their part to require each athlete to come to the Expo to pick up their stuff. I'm sure it's a selling point when they want to get exhibitors to buy booth space.

The exit from the packet area put you in a large area dedicated to selling event-specific merchandise.  Brooks is one of their big sponsors and they had set up this area to promote their products:

Personally, I don't think a freak show or even free skee-ball is the best way to sell running products so I did not go in. All told, I thought the expo was a little lack-luster. Mostly it was dominated by Nutrilite which is some kind of Amway spin-off that sells vitamins or supplements or something. Not interested.

All told, I did end up purchasing one souvenir that is particularly useful on the afternoon after a race:

I didn't stay long and soon I was on my way back home to rest and relax leading up to this morning.

I'm afraid I don't have any event-day pictures to share. The blog's chief photographer (aka: my wife) was given the day off given the 5:30 departure time. She's been out there for just about everything else and it was a little too cold to ask her to come out and stand around for a couple of hours. Just as well.

As I mentioned, it was cold here in Parker this morning but things had warmed up to a balmy 42* by the time I parked at the Auraria campus garage and began the 1 mile walk to the start area.

A carry-over from the years when this race was the Denver Marathon is a gear check at no extra charge. It's a good idea and a nice way to be able to wear warm clothes until it's time to start. I would guess more than 90% of participants take advantage of this service and there were big crowds gathered to check things in with less than 10 minutes before the first wave went out. Not helping things was a big semi-truck from none other than Nutrilite parked right in front off the drop off tables forcing everyone to line up to one side or another.

At long last, my gear was checked, I had fought through the crowds and positioned myself in Coral #8 which is for those expecting a finish time of 2:10. The wave start makes sense because 14th Street is on the narrow side and more so due to some maintenance going on there. When my group left, we had a clear field in front of us. As I turned off of Bannock and onto 14th, I remembered that four weeks ago I was doing a tri in San Diego. Now I'm doing a half-marathon in Denver. Life's pretty good!

The first third of this course is a tour of downtown. There were no radical departures and we went by both Pepsi Center and Coors Field as well as through the canyons of downtown. A left turn onto 17th Avenue faces you with the steepest hill of the course. My rough calculations have it at about a 4.6% grade but it feels worse mainly because you can't see the top as you climb. If you know the area, it's where 17th Avenue goes by the Wells Fargo "cash register" building.

Fortunately, the run from there is flat and reasonably fast. I was finding that the miles were going by quickly and I still felt good. I was also making a point of trying not to look at my Garmin too much.

A left turn on York had us running along the west side of City Park. At the corner of 21st Avenue and York, we made a right turn into the park itself where the course would be for the next few miles. A short young woman, probably pushing five feet if that, decided to stop right in front of me to pick up the Gu pouch she dropped and nearly got plowed over. For that matter, a lot of people stopped in the middle of the pack or right at the front of the water station. It makes me appreciate triathletes all the more because I don't recall seeing that nonsense in any of those races this year.

Out of the park and back onto 17th Avenue for the last part of the race. I started to get a little concerned as I went by mile 9 and my watch said 9.18. I know I don't run a perfectly straight line but I had been focusing on running the tangents and adding as little extra distance as possible. It cleared up around mile 10 leading me to believe that the issue was their placement of the marker and not my running.

At this point, I saw two big challenges remaining. First, was the run up York Street (south rather than north now) to Cheesman Park. You do gain about 78 feet in less than a mile and unlike the hill before mile four, it's more drawn out. However, this turned out not to be too bad and the right turn on to the flat stretch on 13th Avenue came up faster than I expected. Second was the run through Cheesman Park itself. Although physically impossible, it felt almost like the whole loop was uphill. You enter the park on an uphill, turn down for a fairly short stretch and then run uphill again to leave the park. There was no question that the second hill hurt a little bit.

The best news of all after leaving the park is that you only have 1.1 miles to go and it's all downhill. I think that is a great way to end a race. Several people around me, as well as me, started pushing the pace. There are enough tall buildings in the way that when you make the right off of 13th Avenue and onto Sherman Street, you still can't hear the PA announcer. That changes once you turn left onto 14th Avenue in front of the south side of the State Capitol.

Could I ever hear the announcer. He was shouting with a lot of enthusiasm. What was going on? No way he would be showing the level of energy for everyone who was finishing the half in a little over two hours. Turns out, the full marathon winner was just in front of me and in the process of setting a course record.

As for me, well the down hill was really down hill at this point and I was flying toward the finish with a big goofy smile on my face both for being nearly done and for finishing ahead of my 2:10 goal. The final number on the day was 2:06:53 or about a 9:37 pace. I felt really good. Not the usual I think I'm going to faint that often comes with the end of the race, but that "runners high."

With that finish, my 2010/2011 season comes to an end. I'm taking the next week completely off and then I start a new plan for my off season conditioning. The biggest decision, pending the outcome of this race was whether or not to attempt a 70.3 next year. And.....yup. Going to give it a shot. That's a hell of a hill to climb, but I have 10 months.

There's a lot to talk about regarding how much I accomplished during the last year, and I'm thinking that will be the subject of another post this week.

I know this has gotten to be a lengthy post, but it would not be a race report if I did not do the good and bad.

The bad:

Price:  This sucker is expensive at something like $130 (and that was discounted). Gotta love the venue and all of the bands, but that's a lot of change.

Pre-Race Info: When I did the Rock&Roll San Diego, they had an okay map, but they also had a video of the course shot from a car and played back at high speed. Now that seemingly every large metro area in the country has a Rock & Roll event, the website has become generic and only gets informative in the two weeks leading up to the event. They really ought to be using MapMyRun, Gmap-Pedeometer or a comparable service to provide course maps and details. Additionally, the turn-by-turn directions were wrong in a couple of places. Not a problem for a local like me, but I can see how an out-of-towner could get confused.

Expo: If you're going to force me to go, make it worth my while with something other than the weird Brooks carnival thing a bunch of lack-luster vendors. Do I really want to go by the State Farm tent? If the vendors want to keep me interested, start slinging the free stuff like water bottles, etc. Not the biggest deal, but sometimes these things just fall flat.

The Good:

Organization: The lack of pre-race communication not withstanding, things went off pretty well this morning. It was easy to check my stuff, easy to get to the start and there were no problems following the course. It helps when there are thousands of people out there, but still, no questions about it. Also, water, Cytomax and Gu were plentiful and adequately spaced.

Venue: Rock & Roll more or less inherited this course from the original Denver Marathon, but they've done a good job of not screwing it up. In fact, moving the start from Broadway to Bannock in front of the City & County building is a nice touch. What's more, they took some time to actually put some pretty good bands on the course. I liked all of the music I heard and I think the performers were really into supporting the runners. That's no easy thing when your audience is changing every 10 seconds!

X-Factor: No not the singing competition that looks just like American Idol to me. It's the intangible quality that makes it fun to run a race. It probably comes about as the result of all the little things like bands, enthusiastic supporters, helpful volunteers and the professionalism of the race staff. Whatever it is, this race has it and I leave it with fond memories.

Overall, I would like to return and do this one next year and would recommend it to others (specifically the half since I've never done the full). Denver has had trouble keeping its Marathon as a going concern. I do like that Competitor adds a vibrancy and vitality that suggest this will be an annual tradition for years to come.

Neapolitan Pizza Dough

On my trip to Italy last summer, I became particularly enthralled with the local version of pizza. I had already had some exposure through a place in Boulder called Pizzeria Locale where they do the completely authentic wood-fired thing.

For us mere cooking mortals, this recipe might be the next best thing. It is not, strictly speaking, my own, but rather a combination of others I've found around the web.

Step 1: Yeast Preparation

Just about any baking project means getting your yeast going. I know there are recipes out there that just have you add it to the flour mix, but I'm convinced this works better.

In a small bowl, add a teaspoon of your basic household yeast such as Fleishmann's.

To this add about 3/4 of a cup of very warm but not hot water. If you can't run your hand under it, it's too hot. Mix the yeast and water until the yeast if fully dissolved.

The key distinction I found in Neapolitan dough is the use of cake flour. I suspect you could also use sifted flour but not owning a sifter, I settled for a brand like this:

Since we're already using our own yeast, you want to make sure it's not a self-rising type.

Any of this can be done by hand, but if you have one of these bad boys with a dough hook, it will make the process easier and much faster.

While your yeast is doing its thing, combine a half cup of the cake flour and a full cup of regular all-purpose flour. Too add a little taste, you can also add a teaspoon of salt. I think kosher salt is best:

Start the mixer (or your arm if you don't have one) to combine the dry ingredients.

Once that is done, slowly add your yeast liquid.

If the result is not a nicely formed dough ball, slowly add a little more warm water. Ultimately you want dough that is tacky. That is to stay it will feel sticky but when you pull your finger away, no dough sticks to it.

A dough ball that is ready to rise looks about like this

In a medium sized glass or plastic bowl, add a little olive oil, about a table spoon. This will prevent the dough from sticking as it rises and also impart a little bit of flavor.

Mix your dough around in the oil to fully coat it and then cover the bowl with some plastic wrap

Any warm place will work for the rise, but what I do is set my oven to "warm"  until it pre-heats which is about 170 degrees. Then I turn it off. Prior to putting my bowl in, I leave the door open for a moment and let it cool back a little bit. Then the dough goes into the oven, power off, for about an hour. When it's done, it should pretty much fill up your bowl:

In future posts I'll talk more about toppings, but now you have the foundation. By the way, when using the oven (as opposed to the grill) I always use a pizza stone that I preheat with the oven to 500*. Once the oven reaches that temp, I toss corn meal on the stone to prevent sticking. Cook time is about 10 minutes.

The finished product, is always good!

The Racing Industry

 I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately. Some of my off-season planning includes deciding which races to run next year and that invariably brings me around to outfits that are in the business of putting on races. The nearest comparison I can think of is a concert promotion company. While the mode is different, both are basically in the entertainment industry.

I ran my first foot race in 1978 in my hometown of Greeley, Colorado. The United Bank Fun Run was the biggest race in town for years and it's 5 plus distance went over well and pretty much anyone who was part of the fledgling running community at the time was there.

In 1983, I ran in my first Bolder Boulder. It was the first year for that race's wave start and though still only its eighth year, it was a big deal. The venue through the streets of Boulder, the finish at Folsom Stadium, and the field of world class athletes all made it (and still do) the big race it is today.

What these two races, along with the myriad of others I ran over the years had in common were their amateur status. Though I suspect someone was "working" on the Boulder race just about year round, there really was not the professional organization behind it that's there now. The Fun Run was an all  volunteer event from the race director on down.

Today, of course, that has changed. My first event of the season was Summer Open Sprint which is produced by Without Limits Productions. The Creek Streak in July was organized by a non-profit but nevertheless professional organization called Your Cause Sports. Both the TriRock and this weekend's Rock & Roll Half Marathon are productions of Competitor Group, Inc. The big race in Boulder that I'm considering for next summer is one of dozens run by the World Triathlon Corporation.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Events that were once organized for fun and charity by volunteers who did it in their spare time are, more and more, professionally produced events. While some still do benefit charity, many have become for profit endeavors and include full time paid staff.

None of this is necessarily a bad thing. I actually appreciate the fact that there aspiring to elevate races to big events. Furthermore, doing so still has not seriously damaged the community-organized races as anyone who runs in their local Turkey Trot or July 4th race can attest. The issue with professionally produced events comes in the gap between the quality to which they aspire and the actual results they produce.

Past readers of these pages may recall my thoughts about race directors. I've also had more than a few things to say in my various race reports. This is not because I am an overly negative person or particularly enjoy delivering criticism. I'd like to think it's because I've spent my adult years as a good critical thinker and the thoughts I express here just reflect that.

In any case, when it comes to an event produced by an organization like the one of the ones mentioned above, my expectations increase. The first, and probably most blunt reason is cost. Races, triathlons in particular, are expensive affairs. No doubt, the overhead is not cheap either. Even with an army of unpaid volunteers making up the majority of an event-day staff, I have no doubt that equipment, event permits and most significantly, insurance all add up. Still at the end of the day, the production company is making a profit. My question is, did they really earn it?

I don't mean that in the "do they deserve it:" category since that's a far more subjective value judgement. Instead, think of it like the professional baseball player who hits .210 for the season but still pulls in an eight figure salary. Does his lackluster performance really rate the salary that drives things like ticket prices and television contracts? Unless he has some other intangible "wow" factor, probably not.

So in that vein, what does one get for a race entry fee from $130 and up? Most of us spend hundreds of hours and even thousands of dollars on our sport. We think about a race months ahead of time and the anticipation leading up to race day builds along with our expectations. From a hassle free packet pick-up to an enjoyable post race experience and everything encompassed in between, there has to be value for what I get.

Nordstrom is more expensive than most other department stores. Certainly more so than a Macy's or Dillards. What sets them apart? In other words, how do they get away with being pricier? To some extent it's due to higher quality merchandise (though some items have also become largely commoditised). More so, however, it's because they are unrivaled in the quality of their service. When you make a purchase at a Nordstrom store, you know they appreciate your business. The company is resplendent with stories of outstanding customer service.

Successful companies like Nordstrom got to where they are because they executed successfully. By the same token, an event production company risks losing participants due to sloppy execution of their events. This is only compounded by a high entry fee.

It's my hope that as the sport continues to grow and evolve, the more skilled, participant-focused companies will thrive while those that clearly aren't up to snuff will fade away. Such is the way of the open market place. In the triathletes and distance runners, these companies have a target market that is willing to spend big money, highly engaged in their sport and likely to generate return business. Shouldn't they have to work hard to generate more to their bottom line?

A Look Back at the First Season - What I Learned

By crossing the finish line in San Diego last Sunday, I completed my first season of triathlons. All told the count was three tri's and one du (that one having originally been scheduled as a tri).

I've chronicled a lot of that in the last nine months or so and I don't plan to rehash it all here. That would be like watching a television show where an episode is mostly just a bunch of flashbacks to previous episodes. Not here.

However, there is something more to be gleaned from looking back at this first year: the most important things I've learned and what I'll talk with me going into my next year. So in no particular order, here's the list:

1. A well-thought-out and faithfully executed plan is a road map to success. I made the decision to get into triathlons just as last season was coming to a close. It gave me lots of time to prepare and then tweak a plan to get ready. I made use of a lot of great online resources including Trifuel, Trinewbies and blogs like this one. While any plan needs to be flexible, having a fairly good idea of what you want to do and by when does much to drive success.
2. There is nobility in working hard during the off season. No one completes a successful triathlon without a lot of hard work. I believe that is as true of a sprint as it is of a full Ironman (though granted I've never done the latter). It says a lot about your character and your perseverance to keep slogging out those early morning swims, long tedious rides on the trainer and runs in the bitter cold. The payoff is evident when you're in the event and you feel like you're prepared.
3. Equipment is fun, but having the best stuff does not make you better. I'm a big fan of those Xtra Normal computer generated cartoons. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out this one:

There's another along a similar vain in which one of the characters points out that triathlon causes diseases such as "major douche-bag syndrome" and "self important bitch-itis." That's too true. I would love to have one of those feather light carbon tri bikes with a really cool set of carbon wheels. They look like bikes from the future. Hell, I'd be happy with a new Garmin 310! But the fact of the matter is that the real work is done with your arms, your legs, your head and your heart (the later in both the literal and figurative sense). I've got just as much respect for the lady that finished last in the Greeley Triathlon riding an old heavy steel bike as I do for the guy with the $5000 set-up.

4. This sport is really addictive. After every race I finished, I found myself anxious for the next one. Even after this past Sunday when I knew the season was over, I felt a little urge to do more. There's something so cool about doing three sports. It's like we all get to be Olympic athletes for a short period. It is the Randian notion of man as heroic being in its very best sense. I can't wait for next season!

 5. The support of friends and family is the fuel that keeps this all going. My wife showed up to all four events I did this year. That meant some really early mornings just to take pictures and yell "Go Paul!" a few times as I ran in and out of transition. My parents and in-laws were also in attendance at various races. My nieces cheered me on to the finish of the Creek Streak. Even just the likes I got on Facebook regarding my status about doing a triathlon were encouraging. I'd still do all of this if no one cared, but it sure is nice to have so many people behind me.

So the season has ended. Lakes will soon be too cold for open water swims. The days are getting shorter and that means cycling after work will become more and more difficult before just becoming impossible. In my part of the world, there are very few events scheduled. Some already have their 2012 information up on their website.

For me, the next few weeks involve my prep for the Rock & Roll Half Marathon on October 9. I had a good 9 mile run this morning and followed it with any easy fifteen minute spin on my hybrid bike. Once the race is over I'm going to take a week and do nothing at all. Then it's time for off-season conditioning including the building of a big mileage base. I'm leaning toward trying a Half Iron Man next summer. I think I can do it, but I'm going to take a little more time to make that decision. And, of course, I've got a plan. Two of them in fact: one for conditioning and one for a HIM in August.

I think I'll still have a lot to write about on these pages. There's a little bit of travel (Hawaii in about six months for example) and plenty of stuff going on this winter. It's a time of year I tend to spend more time in the kitchen and I think that's going to find it's way here as a new blog feature.

Thanks for reading and I'll be back with more soon!

Race Report - Tri Rock San Diego

Much as was the case after the Creek Streak, there's a bunch of stuff though talking about the expo yesterday ought to pare it down somewhat

Today's race day started like all of the others--early.

I rolled out of bed a little before six and began with a Mix1 shake and a bottle of Gatorade. I decided to forgo my usual early morning wake-up for a smoothie. In hindsight, that worked out just fine. By a little after six, my wife, sister-in-law and I were on our way south the the race site. It did not take me long to get into transition and into my own specifically designated space. As you can see, it was crowded:

I nevertheless got everything arranged. After having already done three multisport events, getting my transition area set is getting to be routine and not difficult.

I lingered around there watching a No Doubt tribute band called No Duh (funny, huh) until a little before the transition close at 7:30. From there it was a short walk over to the swim starting area.

It was nice to see the in-water start go a few times before it was time for my wave. Not much to it, but this is the first time I've done or even seen a start where you had to float in the water before the starting horn.

There was also live entertainment. This is a boat, of course, but it was also a stage for a band called Sum Mojo that was playing as each wave started. Very cool:

Time actually passed fairly quickly and before I knew it, my wave was in the coral and ready to enter the water. Ours was the first wave of the Olympic so we got a few instructions on the course but the emphasis was on few.

While not balmy, the water was basically cool and not at all unpleasant. Water in the bay is much warmer than in the open ocean and of course, the water was calm. Here's my wave right before the start. Can you see me? I'm the one in the black wetsuit and blue cap:

And then we were off on our 1500 meter adventure:

I felt pretty good during the swim. I tried to push it a little bit after swimming slower than I would have liked in the last race, but I was still fairly cautious considering the ride and run that would follow.

Things were going, well, swimmingly as I made the turn to swim back to the inlet where the start and swim exit were located. The sun was up, but not right in my face so I was able to site fairly well or so I thought. Not long before making my last turn, I started encountering oncoming traffic. Despite the best efforts of the safety people in the water, our wave was coming head on into one of the later waves.

The guy in the yellow shirt has the job of water safety, not course direction so I don't really blame him. Might have made sense to have a wider space between outgoing and incoming swimmers so there would not have been the collision.

No matter. I didn't collide with anyone and once I rounded the last buoy I was out of traffic and on my way back to the stairs that lead up the sea wall to the sidewalk that showed us into transition.

The transition area is really big so I ended up running for well over a minute to get back to my bike. I took my time getting the brand new wetsuit off considering the tear that resulted from my haste in the last one. I felt like I moved with reasonable speed and before long I was on my way out of transition onto Harbor Drive, heading south.

The ride was harder than I imagined. That's probably mostly because it was a three lap crit with a couple of short but steep hills that did much to slow down my speed. The original course would have had two laps so I hit the hills an extra time. Still, it went pretty well and I did not feel tired nor hot which is a very good thing.

My three laps went by quickly and then it was time to hit the final stage the run. As I mentioned in my report of the Creek Streak the run was the hard part. Heat did me in and I felt pretty awful by the time I finished.

I guess there is something to be said for cooler weather and running at sea level (about 6000 feet lower than my normal training altitude).

This is where things got a little weird. We were heading out of the transition area on  boardwalk that runs along the harbor. Not actual boards mind you, but a seaside sidewalk. That's fine. Tri's typically are smaller events than foot races so a road closure might not have been feasible. But how about a sidewalk closure? Nope. All the tourists, panhandlers, buskers and whoever else happened to be down at the harbor this morning and most were oblivious to the fact that they were walking in the middle of a triathlon course. Seriously. I had to dodge around people gawking at the Star of India, and pedicabs and throngs of tourists. That's not any of their fault, but it raises some serious questions about what the hell the race organizers at Competitor were thinking.

Frustrated though I was, the run was going really well. I was in the low 9:00 range and I felt good. The breeze coming of the bay kept me cool and I was drinking in oxygen at a much higher rate than high altitude.

So here's the breakdown of the race:

The bad:

Pre-race communication: I don't know why this is so hard but why can't a website have detailed maps of each stage, a race day schedule, and all of the other information that would be helpful. Yes, it did show up eventually, but not until about a week before. Seriously people.

Cost: I believe I got a discount, but this one still cost me something like $150 to run. That made it by far the most expensive race I've ever done including the 2006 Rock & Roll marathon. My entry fee was before my costs to travel out here. For that kind of price, I expect a much higher standard than the one delivered today.

Course: The swim course was great. It was even scenic which does not matter all that much but it was still nice. The bike course was pretty bland or just downright ugly since it was just a loop through an industrial area. I can forgive that a little bit because the original plan was to run us through the Navy base and that would have been cool. Credit for trying even though the threat level ended up scrubbing that. The run....the run could have been better if the sidewalk had been closed. Not sure how that would have been done or what the cost might have been, but that's also not my problem. Did I mention that I paid $150? The weaving in and out of pedestrians is something I might expect at a "mom and pop" event and in that case it would even be a little charming, For this event, it was just poor execution.

Expo: Expo's are not a really big deal to me, but since you have to attend this one to get your packet, it might have been nice to have more vendors show up. It would have been particularly nice to snag some free samples of Foggle or VeloShine.

The Good:

Venue: The convention center and adjoining park made for a great transition and start and finish area. Both racers and spectators had a nice place to hang out before, during and after the race. I enjoyed the time I spent there very much.

Swag: I got some nice stuff including a cool tech shirt in my bag and the bag itself is pretty cool. There was the usual garbage as well but I think only the BolderBoulder has better stuff.

Finish Area: Even though the sprint awards ceremony was going on as I finished, they still had a guy doing a finishers announcement as I came across the finish line. It was through an arch and in view of a big grandstand. There was also a stage on which an AC/DC tribute band was playing. Awesome!

Bands: From No Duh, to Sum Mojo to a few others I never learned the name of, the music on the course is perhaps the strongest aspect of Competitor's brand. It wasn't just that there was music, but most of them were pretty good. It's, I'm sure, not an easy gig but I hope they all know how much the athletes on the course appreciate the effort.

Remembering 9/11: The folks who put this race on knew that today was the tenth anniversary of that awful day a decade ago. San Diego is a big military town with lots of Navy and Marines around and they made sure that a proper observation of the day was done. It culminated with a parachute drop next to the transition area:

In summary, will I be back to do this next year? I don't know. It's hard to pack everything up and travel for a race and even with family in the area and frequent flier miles, the costs can add up. There are a lot of competing events going on back home including a Century ride at my Alma Matter in Boulder. I had a really great time and finished better than I expected. But I'm not sure I was so blown away that I'd do it all again. It remains, for the time being, an open question.

Results:

Swim:  30:51

T1:   4:13

Bike: 49:34

T2: 3:06

Run: 58:39

Overall: 2:26:24

And like that, my 2011 triathlon season is over. That brings a sense of relief and melancholy all at once. What an amazing year my introduction to the sport has been. How much have I learned and experienced? Well that sounds like a good subject for an upcoming post.

Thanks for reading and God Bless America on this day of days!

Ready To Go!

It's now just the waiting. I've been to the Expo, picked up my packet, seen the transition and start areas. The only step left is to wait about 16 more hours for the start. In other words, the worst part!

For 1800 registrants and the fact that it is a competitor event, I kind of thought that there might be more exhibitors at this one. I think the Summer Open Sprint, an event only a quarter the size of this one, actually had a bigger expo.
Nevertheless, the point of attending was, first and foremost, to get my packet. The process was orderly and smooth which is a good sign. After checking to make sure I had a properly signed confirmation sheet, I then picked up my packet, t-shirt and swag bag.
The line was never long and always moved easily:

Then it was on to see the meager selection of exhibitors. I think there were only about 10. A couple were impressive including the Blue Competition Cycles where I talked to one of their reps about this aluminum composite triathlon bike:

 As I've read and as he explained to me, they design their bikes with triathletes in mind so it's more of a tri bike than a TT bike. At $1800 it's actually not a bad price. I think if I ever end up going this route, however, I'll spring for the carbon frame.
Another cool thing that Blue is doing or at least attempting to do is designing their geometries toward the triathlete. That means that, in theory, your legs should be more ready for a run than they would be after riding a time-trial bike. I think it will be interesting to see if that proves out over time.
In addition to seeing the exhibitors and picking up my complimentary bottle of Mix1, I also got to see the finish area. This being a Competitor event, there's a stage for the headliner concert that follows the race:

 

They have also set up a grandstand that over looks the finish arch:

Ought to be a cool way to finish!

Finally it was a trip over to the swim start which will be in the water:

This floating platform is the way into the water but not the actual starting platform. A coral is behind me as a I took this picture and they will be putting waves in the water a few at a time.
Finally, it would not be complete if I did not post a picture of the vast, empty transition area:

Those are wood blocks to slip a bike tire into. I've found I prefer the more upright stands like the ones used at the Creek Streak but that's not the most important thing.

The large grey building you see on the left is the San Diego Convention Center which will also provide free parking for participants and spectators which is a nice touch.

Once I had chowed down on a footlong BMT from Subway, it was time to go through the packet and swag bag.

There is no shot of it here, but I was a little dismayed to see they are requiring a helmet sticker. Not a big deal but I think they are too small to see and a lot of helmets (like mine) don't have a flat surface on which to stick it.

Otherwise, it was pretty standard fair inside:

It all came in a nice draw-string bag backpack thing that's particularly useful for packing shoes. The tech shirt is also cool since I don't believe I currently have any blue ones:

So that's about it. I've checked and rechecked everything so it's just water, rest, sleep and then go. Next post (which I hope will be tomorrow but might not be until after I'm back home) will be the race report which is, of course, the last triathlon race report of my inaugural year in the sport. But fear not, I've been busy writing my 2011/2012 training plan and determining how ambitious I want to be when the season starts up again. I've also got plans for a new feature or two for the site.

In the meantime, I'll talk to you soon.



A Nice Day in San Diego

This morning started pretty early to ensure that we made our 8:00 flight. Things were going fairly well until it came time to check my bike. Contrary to what is said on their website, the gate agent saw fit to hit me up for a $50 fee. Never mind that the bike weighed less than the suitcase we were checking. Never mind that it was smaller than two suitcases (for which I would not have had to pay a thing). Never mind that Southwest routinely brags in their ads that they don't charge for bags. You may be noticing a theme here. I've calmed down some, but overall, I'm pissed. The $50 charge is a nuisance fee. It's out of character for Southwest and it's the sort of thing that can cost them a customer.

Okay...this is not a bitch about airlines blog. It's about the tri. I guess my $50 at least got me my bike safe and sound to San Diego.

Between arriving and unpacking the bike, we spent a nice afternoon at Pacific Beach. There are a lot of beaches in this town, but PB is still my favorite. There's lots of character, some great "street food" types of places to eat and just a generally laid back feeling that used to typify Southern California. .

It was actually much brighter than it looks but apparently my iPhone filtered out a lot of the sunshine.

After the beach it was back to my sister-in-law's place to reassemble the bike. I've probably been the most nervous about this. It was fairly easy to take it all apart, but getting it back together and having it work...well, that's harder.

I took my time, but everything went back they way it was supposed to and a short ride up and down the street had all gears and both brakes working. That's a big relief.

Speaking of the bike, when I turned my phone on after landing, I had an e-mail from the TriRock indicating a course change. Given the recent warnings about something possibly happening on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, the portion of the course that was going to run through the Navy base was canceled. I can't blame them. There are a lot of ships there and who knows what other kinds of security risks and letting a bunch of people who have not been screened probably does not make a lot of sense.

All that said, it does make me wonder why the race organizers didn't anticipate that there would be a potential problem with a race on the 10th anniversary of a major terrorist attack running through an active military base. It's not unreasonable to think that either the threat level would be elevated (as it is) or that the powers that be would restrict access just to be cautious.

Well, if it was anticipated, nothing was done. As a result, the 20 mile bike ride has been reduced to 14.5 miles. I'm not devastated (we still get to ride a closed course after all) but a little frustrated at the lack of planning.

Tomorrow is the expo where I'll try and grab a few pictures and then of course, at this time tomorrow I hope to be in bed if not completely asleep.

Until then, have a pleasant evening.

Delayed!

An as of yet not explained power outage on the west coast canceled my flight to San Diego this evening. Fortunately, we've been re-booked on an 8:00 am tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Not that I'd want to carry it around too much, but the bike has been really easy to manage. The satchel bag with my laptop has been less comfortable although quite a bit smaller.

Another piece of good news, about 20 minutes before we needed to leave for the airport, the UPS guy showed up with my new wetsuit and it fits. Much relief there!

So an early start tomorrow and then we're off!

Going Mobile!

In three days I'm headed to San Diego for the TriRock. Since this involves a flight rather than a drive, it means special preparations for my bike.

Back in May, I found an Aerus Biospeed soft case on Craig's List for a little over half the list price. Given this is the sort of thing that is going to get dirty and scratched up after just one use, I was more than happy to buy second-hand.

Well, since May it has been sitting in my basement waiting for the day I'll put it to use. Today was that day.

While the case is essential, there were also some more steps that needed to be taken.

Quick note here. Everything I learned about this I learned on DCRainmaker.com. If you want to learn this from someone who has done it many times, go there. My post is more just for entertainment purposes.

The first step was to measure the various parts on my frame and then cut foam pipe insulation to fit:

I also used some Velcro straps and zip ties to hold the rear derailleur  and chain in place:

Before removing the seat, I placed some cellophane tape around it so that the height would be properly marked and I could replace it at the same height for which I was professionally fitted.

Another Velcro strap holds the cranks in place while a wad of bubble wrap goes around the sprockets. There was nothing more artful to this then tearing off a long strip and wrapping it around several times. The bubble wrap came on a big roll with squares that can be torn off. Kind of like toilet paper but less effective, I suspect.

 

At various stages along the way and where possible, I tied secured the pipe insulation to the bike using zip ties. They aren't long enough to wrap around the main parts of the frame, but I had not problem using them to secure the foam to the forks.

And, of course, spare parts go into a Ziploc bag so that nothing is missing when I arrive in California and it's time to put this all back together.

And the finished product before zipping up the case:

If you look closely you'll see one of the wheels in its own pocket. There's another one on the other side of the case. They snap in using buckles and straps and when it's all done I have a nicely packaged case that's light enough to carry around on a shoulder strap.

While I don't leave for three more days, packing up early gave me the peace of mind of knowing that everything was ready. If there had been some problem or I had needed some crucial supply, the extra time would have been needed.

I'm flying on Southwest Airlines who in addition to already having a bag-friendly policy also permit bike bags as one of your checked pieces of luggage so long as it is not overweight (50lbs) or over size (62 inches on any side). This meets both qualifications.

As for other airlines, well again I'd refer you to DC Rainmaker and his advice on how to deal with that.

There will be more follow-up on how all this goes including successes and failures. Then you can take some advice on how to travel with your own bike!

A Birthday Ride

I've just finished my first week at work after having taken a five week sabbatical. While it was good to be back making an honest living, it also has meant less flexibility in my training. I pretty much have to make it to whatever I have planned each morning or afternoon because there are no longer enough hours in the day for me to make something up.

As I left the office yesterday afternoon I saw the now all-too-familiar clouds rolling in and felt my motivation for going on a ride start to melt. It was after all, my birthday and I sort felt entitled to a day off.

Nevertheless, on the way home, I managed to compromise with myself and turn the planned 30 mile ride into a 20. It was a nice cruise on the Cherry Creek Bike Path heading south. I did manage to catch a little bit of the rain, but it was over quickly and I barely got wet.

Once home, I went out for a nice Italian dinner with my wife. Yep, even after nearly two weeks of it, I still love Italian food.

This afternoon I spent some time at the LBS getting my derailleurs adjusted and getting some pointers from the tech about how to safely remove my handle bars. In the next few days, the Cannondale goes into the Aerus BioSpeed case I bought used on Craig's List way back in May. The San Diego race will be my first opportunity to use it. I plan on dedicating a post just to that.

I've also got a new Zoot westsuit on the way from OneTri. Much to my dismay, I discovered a big tear about mid right leg on the Orca which apparently happened in my hast to remove it in transition at the Creek Streak. It looks as though some of the stitching gave out and the the tear grew from there. I did manage to put it back together, crudely, with some neoprene glue, but it is no longer going to be my primary suit.

Last week, a new 2XU T:2 arrived but it was just too tight in the chest for me to even zip up by myself. I sent it back to OneTri in exchange for the Zoot which I am hoping will fit.

A note on OneTri. The process of returning the suit and getting a new shipped out right away could not have gone more smoothly. I asked them to apply the slight price differential between the two to expedited shipping and they did me on better by giving me enough credit that I had no more out of pocket cost. This is they way you win loyal customers and I must say that if you are looking to do any business on a suit or other equipment I highly recommend them. Their service was nothing short of outstanding and that's a rare thing these days.

Tomorrow sees me back at Grant Ranch for the last time this year. Their season ends 9/4 so that will be my last hurrah for open water swimming in Colorado. The next time in this state will see me in open water, I expect it will be in the chilly stuff I encountered way back at the early part of the season.

This afternoon its off for an easy four mile run and then a relaxing evening down at the Taste of Colorado.

There's soon going to be lots more good stuff to post about here including backing for my first destination race, training for the Rock & Roll Denver Half Marathon, and my plans for off-season training. Tri season may be coming to an end, but the content here on the blog ought to start kicking up a little more.

Until my next post, enjoy the rest of your Labor Day Weekend!

Brick # 10

My alarm was set for 7:00 yesterday morning and when it went off I had every intention of getting up and completing my brick--just as I have nine other times in the past. But with each successive hit of the snooze button, my resolve melted away like--well--ice in Colorado this summer.

I slept in thinking I would just do it on Sunday. As the morning passed, my energy level came back up a little bit as did my guilt over not having completed a fairly important training milestone. Around 12:30 I decided I would head out in the afternoon despite temps in the mid to upper nineties.

Rolling out a little after 1:30, I was pleased to see afternoon thunderstorms rolling in. The cloud cover quickly brought the temperature down and it spared me from running in the blistering sun. As a result, I felt good (really good in fact) on the ride. My cadence was nice and smooth and the course seemed to go by much faster than it did a week ago.

Coming into my transition, I still felt good. While the temp had gone down, it was still fairly warm so I had my CamelBak ready with ice cold water to take along just as I did on my last brick before the Creek Streak. Unfortunately, my Garmin FR305 hiccuped as it has on other bricks and two steps out of my driveway it showed me having run 2666 miles! Not good. I did my best to estimate my run and ended up coming a little short of the planned 6.0. The Actual was 5.83 miles but that's 97% of what I planned so close enough.

I was pretty fried afterward but that may have had more to do with lack of nourishment (I wasn't hungry at mid day so I skipped lunch) than with exhaustion from the exercise. Still, I felt reasonably strong and still think I'll be able to handle the TriRock in just over two weeks.

Brick 10 Results:

1) Bike : 23.18 miles, 1:18:32, 17.7 mph average
2) Transition: 1:52
3) Run: 5.83 miles, 1:02:02, 10:37 ppm average

*   *   *

Open Water Swimming Resumes

Today was my first trip back to Grant Ranch since early June. It was a nice return and swimming there was just as enjoyable as I recalled. It was also much warmer than it had been.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was that I swam the 1 mile course with relative ease. The last time I was out I did it, but it seemed harder. By comparison, this went by quickly and while I certainly wasn't leaving a foamy wake behind me, I did move at a steady clip of about 54.4 yards per minute. While a little tired at the end of it, I still felt pretty good and getting on the bike would not have been a problem--even after yesterday's brick.

San Diego will present it's own challenges with much colder water and possible currents, but I think I can handle that. Cold does not bother me once I'm in (I've been playing in the waves there for years) and the salinity combined with the westsuit ought to make me nice and buoyant.

Another week of training awaits and then it's time to taper down for the race. After that, it will be time to start focusing on the run in preparation for the Rock & Roll Half Marathon on October 9.

More to come.

Thanks for reading!

Beat By The Heat!

I put yesterday's post prior to heading over to the association pool to do a 30 minute/1500 meter swim. It went well and as usual, heat is not a factor in the pool. I felt pretty good and swam at a respectable 48 yards per minute.

After some lunch and a stop by the sporting goods store to pick up some Gu Brew, it was time for the ride. Regular readers here know that I don't like to ride where there is much traffic. For that matter, what cyclist does?

So off I went to Aurora Reservoir which would serve as the start and finish for what I planned to be a 47 mile ride around the back roads of Arapahoe County. It's essentially the same course I've done a couple of times in the past, but instead of starting and stopping in Bennett, I went to the Res. This is mainly because school is back in session in Bennett and I didn't think I'd better use their parking lot.

It was, to put it mildly, a very warm day. Nevertheless, while challenged by hills and heat, I still felt pretty good. More than 30 minutes in, my insulated water bottle was still providing ice cold water and that was nice.

This was a typical view along the ride. Not much of anything out there at all. Fortunately, that was also true of cars which were infrequent and always gave me a nice wide berth.

After about 16 miles east on Quincy Avenue, it was time to turn north toward Bennett. That's a mostly downhill stretch which was good because I was hitting a head wind that was probably 20 mph! And yes, it was still hot.

Here you can see sunflowers and (faintly) the mountains in the background:

Sorry for the angle, I was fighting wind here and also my own fatigue.

It felt like a long time, but before long I was in Bennett and then past it and heading west toward Watkins. The road has recently been sealed and it made for a smooth ride:

That, however, was about the only positive. The heat was starting to affect me, my water was running low and even my feet hurt at this point. Not wanting to have an incident, I called my wife to come rescue me in Watkins. When she got there, her car thermometer indicated an outside temp of 98*. I'm sure it was even hotter out on the black top.

That cut my ride to just 34 of the 47 I set out to do, but I still feel like I had a respectable ride and no doubt, in cooler weather I would have completed the whole thing. New rule from now on, long rides are not to be done in the heat are especially not to be done far from home.

I'm still struggling to get back into the run, but I'm hoping to get at least a short one in later this afternoon.



Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

I've been back from my Italian vacation for about a week, but I still feel like I have not fully returned to my normal training routine--particularly the run. That said, I've managed to hit the major points of my work out, most notably the brick I did last Friday.

This weekend was spent at my father-in-law's for his 60th birthday and I had thought that might put a dent in my training plans. Fortunately, Saturday included a trip to their association pool where I was able to get 30 minutes and 1500 yards in the narrowest lane pool I've seen:

There are 3 lanes on the left side of the picture. The right side is a shallow (like two feet) play pool.

I had a good strength workout yesterday and later this morning I'm off  to the local pool for a swim and then it's off to so a 45 mile + route through Bennett though today it's going to start out at the Aurora Reservoir.

Since it's going to be dry, I'm plan on bringing the camera along. There are not a lot of great shots along the route, but there are a few.

Until later...

Brick # 9

Not even a week back from vacation and here I am back to bricks. No choice, however since the fourth and final multi-sport race of the season is three weeks from Sunday.

I woke up this morning to the pleasant discovery of overcast skies. While I normally like my summer days to be sunny, this was a good thing because heat has truly been my enemy, especially on the run.

Considering I was out when a lot of folks are commuting to work, I decided to stay on the bike path for my ride. It's a little less challenging than some of the other brick rides I've done, but also safer. There's also the fact that the TriRock is a more or less flat course along Harbor Drive so climbing huge hills doesn't serve much of a purpose.

As usual, the bike was fine. I've come to find that success in triathlons is not being able to swim, bike and run, it's being able to run after having swam and biked. In other words, the real test is on the third leg of the race. That's also true on the run leg of a brick. Considering the struggles I had at the Creek Streak I went into the run with a few concerns.

My average HR in the Streak was in the mid 150's which is high even for me. With that in mind, I decided to not worry about my time and instead focus on my heart rate. I'm considering using a heart rate-based training plan for next year's races anyway so this was a good chance to field test it.

For most of the first three miles, I kept it around 130 which is about as low as I get on a run. Gradually, as I went further along it picked up but the max was 160 and that was only in the last few steps. All in, it was a slower brick than I normally run, but I also didn't devastate my body and it was just a little further than the one I ran two weeks before the Streak.

With three weeks to go, the fact that the race is at sea level and the usual increase that comes with a race, I'm confident I can knock some more time off of this one:

Brick 9 Results:

1) Bike : 23.52 miles, 1:22:32, 17.1 mph average
2) Transition: 1:29
3) Run: 6 miles, 1:05:44, 10:57 ppm average

 

I know I mentioned more pictures but bricks don't really lend themselves to photo-ops. So instead, here's my favorite picture of Venice from my recent trip: