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:

 

 

The Italian Job - Wrap Up

It had always been my intention to publish all of these posts while I was overseas, but alas, Internet connectivity proved to be either elusive or too expensive. So here I am back in Colorado with my final posting regarding the trip to Italy.

Although a day later than planned, I did manage to get a run in Venice done. Not the full five I had slated, but four and it felt pretty good. Regrettably, I did not have the means to carry a camera (other than holding it the whole time) so all I have from a visual standpoint is the following link to my Garmin Connect Account:

The Venice water front is a nice flat place to run with the exception of the many staircases that cross the canals. That was not so bad, but I'm just as happy not have stairs as part of my regular work out.

So what words of wisdom do I have to anyone who might travel to Italy regarding training? Well, the following nuggets:

1) While full of cars, tour buses and especially scooters, Rome is actually a great place to run. It's also an easy place to get lost so I recommend both studying your routes on a map as well as bringing some kind of GPS enabled device like a smart phone. You also might want to bring cab fare in case you get really lost!

2) Tuscany is absolutely as beautiful as you might imagine. I can't think of a better place to ride a bike. Drivers on the road gave me plenty of space as they passed and in a couple of cases, actually stopped or slowed so they could. I may have just been luck, but I think cycling is a big part of the culture there and accommodating cyclists is the norm. I would recommend getting your reservations to rent a bike in very early. All the shops I contacted were out of them. I'd also recommend a car if you're going to be staying out in the country as I did. Public transportation is okay, but when you're trying to use the precious time to get your ride in, it's worth having.

3) Venice may be about the most ideal place for a run. It's flat, beautiful and no wheeled vehicles of any kind (including bikes) are allowed in the city. On my run encountered several runners (of multiple nationalities) so it's obviously no secret. One disadvantage is that San Marco Island (where the Venice you know from TV and movies resides) is very small so doing a short four miler like mine was easier. Longer distances would be more challenging. Also, narrow streets and alleys are like to cause GPS drop out.

Regrettably, I did not get any swimming done while I was there. This is mostly because I was either too tired and did not want to make the effort in a short pool, or because the pool had closed early. If you really want to swim, you'll probably have to do a fair amount of advance research to find places you can go.

One final point. Europeans smoke. They do so far more than people in the states. That means you're probably going to pass someone puffing away as you exercise. Be warned.

Now that I'm back home it's back into normal training routines. TriRock is less than a month away and I want to be ready. No less pressing is the Rock & Roll Half Marathon which is less than two months away.

More posts and hopefully more pictures coming up!

The Italian Job - Tuscany

Sorry for the silence here for the last few days. My internet access in Tuscany was, well, not great. However, Tuscany and my bike ride through its hills are definitely the subject of this post.

I woke a little before 7:00 on Tuesday morning anxious to get the ride done early both to beat the heat as well as leave the rest of the day open for sight-seeing.

Prior to the trip, it had been my hope to rent a bike from a local shop and have them deliver it to the farm where we were staying. Unfortunately, that shop and nearly every other in the area did not have anything available. However, the place I was staying did have a handful of mountain bikes and I figured I'd use on of those.

They were, ahem, not exactly top of the line. As I went through them, I found misaligned brakes, flat tires and a thin layer of dust suggesting they were not often used. I finally settled on something called a "Montanna" and managed to re-inflate its tires using a compressor that was fortunately, fully charged.

So off I went down the little two lane highway, early in the morning. The bike actualy performed pretty well and as I hit the first hill, I was pleased to see it actually was geared pretty well for the climb. I got this shot as I approached the top of the first hill:

Most of Tuscany, or at least the area I was in, looks a lot like this. It's just as picturesque as you see on television or in movies. On I went and the landscape continued to be stunning:

I do wish I had been on a better bike, but that would not have changed the amazingthings I was seeing. I rode through a little town made up of stone houses and right out of central casting was an old woman sweeping her sidewalk with a broom that looked like it belonged in the eighteenth or nineteenth century.

I saw vineyards, and little hamlets built on hills with their church spires standing out distinctly over the tile roofs of the rest of the village. It was truly amazing and I can see why one might want to come here and do a biking vacation.

So you may ask where are the pictures of these things. Well about that...

When we arrived in Siena and then Monteroni d'Arbia (the town where we were staying) I was pretty worn out. I went to bed Monday night early and didn't think about the needs of a long ride. As I result, I got up in the morning and had only some orange juice, water and a few cream wafer cookies to fuel the ride. Not exactly a sound nutrition plan.

So, naturally, I bonked. That combined with my Garmin behaving less than ideally. It had me going down some roads that were not paved and even on a mountain bike, I was less than thrilled with them. So I stayed on the paved roads and that got me a little off track. I was fortunate to have my iPhone and the Google Maps app to help me navigate my way back to Monteroni D'Arbia. However, as I dealt with these challenges, photography sort of went by the wayside.

Ultimately, if you want to have the kind of experience I did, you should really see it for yourself. A good photograph is nothing compared to the sights, sounds and smells (the fertilize a lot of the fields with cow manure) you get on the ride.

For reasons I don't understand, my Garmin decided to use my running footpod rather than the satellite for the first part of the ride until I stopped and corrected it. Imagine a line connecting the start and stop icons and you get an idea of the full loop.


If you go to the details, you'll see what I mean about the hills as well. Some of them were 15% grade according to the road signs!

I'm in my hotel room in Venice as I write this getting ready for our first full day here. I'm planning on doing a run tomorrow after I get the lay of the land. If I'm able, I'd like to bring the camera along for that since, again, the scenery here is nothing short of magnificent. Until then....

The Italian Job - Running Around Rome

Jet lag seem to have the effect of making me very tired on day one and then up early on day two. Such was the case today when I was wide awake a little after 4:30. That was still to early to go running so I killed a couple of hours reading and headed out a little after 6:30.

It was much cooler than yesterday afternoon had been, but the humidity is still very high and I was sweating profusely almost as soon as I started.

The first stop on my running tour was the Pantheon

Later there would be throngs of people, but at this early hour, it was nice and quiet. On I went down a narrow alley and then back onto a major street. A right turn had me facing the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuelle II:

:

And of course, the most famous of Roman monuments, the Colosseum:

Shortly after this I managed to get myself somewhat lost and spent the rest of the run working on getting myself back to the hotel. It worked and I got in a fairly easy six miles. I was fairly sweaty but not overly tired or warm. All told, it was one of the most scenic runs I've taken in quite a while

Tomorrow is a non-exercise day but I'll be doing an easy three on Sunday then off to Tuscany and I get to add bicycling to the job!

The Italian Job - Arrival

ROME--It takes more than a little while to get here, but here we are. Frankly, I've probably slept six out of the last 36 hours and yesterday and today have effectively blended into one.

Despite a plane change in Newark, we got on without any difficulty and arrived in Rome only 20 minutes later than scheduled.

After a breathtakingly expensive cab ride from the airport to our hotel, we checked in and went out to see the sights.

The first was the Spanish Steps:

Later, after much walking around and a much needed nap, we made our way to the Trevi Fountain.

And now we're relaxing before going for some dinner. I have plans for a six mile run around Rome in the morning and as long as it's not to heavy, I'm going to bring along the camera for some pictures along the route. Until then...Buneo Sera!

The Italian Job - Day 1

NEWARK, NJ--After I finished the Greeley Triathlon I kicked up my training in anticipation of the Creek Streak. Now that the Streak is over, I'm looking ahead to the TriRock in San Diego on 9/11. Training this week?

Well....I guess that's the Italian job--doing a least a little training while I'm running around the land of Gelato and lots of really tasty but often not-so-healthy food.

As I write this, I'm sitting in Newark's Liberty International airport for my flight to Rome. No, I won't be doing some core exercises on the overnight flight and tomorrow I'm going to just try and recover. Friday, however is slated for a six mile run around the city. I've programmed the course in the FR305 so hopefully that will keep me from getting (too) lost.

I'd post a picture here, but as I mentioned, I'm in Newark and there is really nothing picture-worthy around.

Talk to you later.

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....