EAGLEMAN 70.3 11th Professional

Eagleman 70.3 Race Report

Eagleman 70.3 is a great race put on by Tri Columbia.  If you're looking for a 70.3 in the Central Atlantic area, this is it.  

SWIM -- 23:18

The past few races I have had sub par swim performances and in each case, the race did not start nor end well.  For this race I changed my game plan a bit; instead of going all out in the first 100 meters, I planned to hold back the first 100 meters.  I thought I could still swim with the first group, but did not want to be in the lead after 100 meters, but rather seating in 5th or 6th position. When the gun sounded, we were off, I followed my plan, took the first 100 meters at a more relaxed pace, and found myself swimming next to Craig Alexander and Richie Cunningham and in 6th place. I was really happy with this position: I was swimming with two of the greatest athletes in the sport and right in the middle of the first group.  I've been swimming well in the pool and it showed in the race, the pace felt easy and I felt great coming into T1.  Competing right next to the top guys is always a thrill.  When I'm finished racing, I'll remember coming out of the water within a couple of seconds of some of the best athletes in the world.  I came out of the water in 6th, right with the first group and looking ahead to a great race.     

Coming out of the water and happy to see Richie Cunningham,
Greg Bennett and Craig Alexander only a couple seconds ahead. I think that might even be Richie's foot in the picture. 

BIKE -- 2:10:41

I got onto the bike with Craig Alexander and Richie Cunningham.  Greg Bennett had a quicker T1 and was off hammering away.  Within the first mile Alexander put down the hammer (he is really the complete athlete, a great swimmer, great cyclist, and the best runner around) and gapped Richie and me; I did not even try to match the pace.  Richie and I soon caught David Kahn, who had about a 25 second lead out of T1, and the three of us road together for the next 10 miles or so.  As I came around Richie to take a pull, my rear shifter broke.  I was shocked, I could not shift anymore!  I yelled a few expletives and kept riding along.  Eventually I had to jump off the bike to reset my back wheel.  The broken shifter left me alone, I had lost the pace of Richie and David, and could not match the pace of TJ Tollakson as he rode by.  Fortunately when James Bowstead came along, I was riding well, my wheel no longer rubbing the brake, and I was in a position to change the my perspective on the race.  No longer was I thinking of not finishing, but now my plan was to ride with him as long as I could, and see if he could bring back into contention, even though I only had use of one gear.  When James passed me I let him know I would likely be unable to help with the pace, since I was stuck in my 53x16.  James Bowstead is a great cyclist and pulled me back to Richie and David.  This was great, a race that could have resulted in a DNF because of a mechanical, was looking up.  However, the single gear riding was taking its toll, even though the course is relatively flat.  When riding with the wind, I was spinning about 100-115 RPMs, and when riding into the wind, I was spinning about 70-80 RMPs (either too high or too low for me).  With about 10 miles to go, James and Richie dropped me, and I rode solo into T2 in coming into 6th.  Even though the bike was not great, I was in striking position to get a top 5 finish and hoping for a breakthrough performance.          

Coming in on the bike.  Check out the right shifter
it broke at mile 10.  Riding in the 53X16 was not too
bad, but not ideal either. 

Eagleman 70.3 is flat as a pancake, so if there's a time
to break a rear shifter, it was this race. 

RUN -- 1:36:45

My run plan was to put together a 1:20 or so half marathon.  Richie and James (4th and 5th respectively), had about 1:10 lead out of T2, and I (6th) had about a 3:00 lead over David Kahn.  The next athletes were all more than 6 or 7 minutes back, so I felt confident that I was going to have a top 7 performance. 

It was HOT, the temperature at the start of the run was 93 degrees and there is no shade on the run course.  I knew if ran well I may be able sneak up to 5th or 4th.  The first three miles went perfectly; I was holding back, running a 6:20 mile pace and feeling great. I thought, "This it, I've finally put together a good race."  I passed James Bowstead between miles 2 and 3 and was in 5th place.  Awesome!  However, my optimism fell as my body temperature rose: I slowly started over heating and running slower and slower.  Miles 4, 5 and 6 were not great; I held a 7:10 mile pace.  James Bowstead had passed me to move into 5th and right before the turn around, David Kahn passed me as well.  I was in 7th, and finished the first half of the 13.1 miles in 44 minutes. I told myself that I could run a 1:28 and still take 7th.  However, the rest of the run was a real struggle.  I eeked out a couple of 8:00 minute miles, followed by a run/walk horrible mile 12, which took over 11 minutes.  I was beginning to fear I'd not finish: my vision was blurry (the only way I could see was keeping one eye closed) and I began cramping in my hamstrings.  Lucky for me a spectator was out in front of her house spraying athletes with water.  I shuffled over to her hose, asked for the the hose, and drank water for about 30 seconds.  After filling up a bit and cooling off, I ran a 7:00 mile to finish the race in 11th position in the professional field.  A 1:36 is pretty much a horrible run time for me, but I'm very proud to have finished this race.  Without that friendly spectator with the hose, I'm not sure I would have.    

Running well here at mile 2 or so.  Mile 2 was a 6:15 mile. 
I thought I had a 5th place showing coming my way. 

"

Limping across the line in 11th as the hamstrings both don't want to run any more.

The legs just stopped working about mile 4 and the result looks like this. 
Proud to have struggled through and finished this one.

I want to thank my better half for cheering me on throughout the run course.  It was fun to have you out there.  I also would like to thank my excellent homestay (Deb and Greg).  Thanks so much for the wonderful hospitality, it was great to meet you guys. And also thanks for making my icebath possible, it made all the difference for my recovery!

Next up Muncie 70.3 and Racine 70.3!  I know I am good for a top 10 finished, now it's time to put a couple together!

Time for an ice bath.  My little friends thought I was crazy.  

5150 Columbia Triathlon (12th Professional)

Over the weekend I raced the 5150 Columbia Triathlon.  Before I write about the race, I'd like to thank Tri Columbia for putting on a great race.  I'd also like to thank Jeanine and Jim for hosting me in Maryland.  Having homestays are always great and I know professional athletes appreciate it, thanks guys!    

As for the race, unfortunately, I raced poorly again.  Coming into the race I felt I could hit a top 10 and maybe even a top 5 performance if I nailed every aspect of the race.  The key to such performance was having a swim that put me out with the main group of contenders.  I had been swimming and running great throughout the week, but come race day I just did not have it.  Throughout the race, I could never get my effort level higher than 75%, and basically had sub par performances in each of the three activities.  I felt as if I was racing at 10% deficiency.  

Two positive take aways: (i) I stayed focused and psoitive even as I did not race well and (ii) I scored 240 points with a 12th place finish in the 5150 Hyvee points race.  If I score a few top 5-10 races in the next 3 races I may be in the running for scoring a race entry.  However, I'll need to over come my recent race issues.  

After speaking with my coach, we think my warm up is partly to blame for my lack of success in the last two races.  I don't think I was sufficiently warmed up to go out at the break neck speed that Olympic distance racing is.  I'll be working on this for the next race.  I'll also mix up my pre race nutrition since I've had the same meal for each of the past two races, and they clearly have been two of my poorest performances.   

Next up is Mooseman 70.3 on June 3.  Looking forward to finally putting together a good race in 2012. 

A few pictures of the race are below:



REV 3 KNOXVILLE

I headed west to Knoxville, TN to compete in a REV 3 Olympic Distance Race.  I really enjoy racing Rev 3 events, the Rev 3 staff is excellent, and they've done a wonderful job organizing and putting on races at every distance.

Leading up to the race I felt great.  I had been hitting all of my workouts and I was ready for a break through performance.  

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.  I simply had a sub par performance in each aspect of the race.  From the start of the swim, onto the bike and run, and even stumbling through T1, I just did not perform well.  One of the few positive aspects of the race, was that I finished and in finishing I learned a little more about racing.  

Back to training and to better races in the future.  Next up is the 5150 Columbia Tri on May 20th.  

Race Stats: 

Swim: 18:19

Bike: 59:26

Run: 35:42

Total: 1:56:50



I was running well here; it's only when I had to go uphill did I slow significantly.


 



Coming down the finishing chute.  



CARY LONG COURSE DUATHLON

Heading out on Run 2. 

The Cary Duathlon is the last race in a 3 part series put on by FS Series.  The race consists of a 5 mile run 31 mile bike and another 5 mile run.  Each run is 2 loops of a 2.5 mile rolling hill course through Thomas Brooks Park and the surrounding communities.  The bike is full of rolling hills, views of Jordan Lake, and on Saturday, a stiff wind.        

First Run -- 5 Miles (27:11 5:26/mile pace)

The plan for the race was to run well, but not too fast, create a lead on the bike, and then run fairly easy for the second run to hold on for the win.  I took out the run at a pretty relaxed 5:20/mile pace and went through the first mile in 5:19.  I settled into around a 5:25-5:30 pace for miles 2-5 and came into T1 with roughly a 50 second lead on second place.  

Bike -- 31.5 Miles (1:17:05)

The bike was full of hills, wind and more hills and wind.  About 2.5 miles into the first run, I realized my legs were still feeling the effects of TX 70.3.  Since I wasn't feeling great, I had to ride smart.  I decided to attack the down hills and the flats, and ride within myself on all the uphills.  I was hurting and really didn't want to go too hard and then be caught by the other athletes with 5 or so miles to go.  I wanted to get off the bike with a lead, and feel good enough to run the second 5 miles.  The plan paid off, and even though I didn't have an excellent ride, I rode well enough to post the fastest bike split of the day and extend my lead.  A highlight of the ride was also having a lead vehicle show me the way around the course.  Sometimes a lead vehicle can be a smelly diesel pick up truck, but for this race, it was a Chevy Volt.  It was awesome to have an electric car ahead me!    

Second Run -- 5 Miles (30:19 -- 6:03/mile pace)

Jumping off the bike and back to another 5 miles run was rough.  Duathlons are much harder on my body than triathlons, and my legs were not so happy about the 5 miles I was about to do.  Like last week, my legs began to cramp, but unlike last week, the cramps were only in my calves.  I can run with cramping calves -- not fast, but I can make do.  Fortunately for me and my calves, with a good-sized lead I had some time to spare if my run was slow.  At the first turn around, a little over a 1.5 miles into the run, I saw the second place athlete. I calculated that I had slightly over a 3:00 lead.  I was running roughly 5:50-6:00/mile pace, not blazing fast, but knew that this would be good enough to get the job done.  I also had a a few more turn checkpoints to see if the second and third place runners were making up any time.  At the second checkpoint, my lead was still about 3:00, and I thought to myself, "perfect, sustain the same pace for the next 2.5 miles".  My lead was the same at the third checkpoint, so with only 1.5 to go, I eased up.  I was tired, and feeling the effort of last weekend; I did not want to put myself into a hole if I did not have to.  I ran about 6:30 pace for the final mile and cruised into the victory with a 2:40 win (results).

I'd like to thank FS Series for putting on a great race, I had a blast and hope to be back for a few more.  I'd also like to thank my better half for making it to the race, taking some great pictures (shown on the post) and cheering me on.  It's always fun to have her in the crowd.  She often trains with me, so having her at races just makes it another day of training.   

Starting the second loop of Run 2.  I was little tired by now. 

Coming down the finish chute.  

IRONMAN TEXAS 70.3

IM Texas 70.3 had a stacked field.  Two world champion athletes, the current world record holder at the IM distance, a seven time Tour de France winner, and many other athletes that have won 70.3 races.  My fitness is great right now and I anticipated surprising a few athletes.  If things went well, I thought I could have a top 10 showing.  The plan was to have a good swim and exit before the super cyclist, work with them for the ride, and then run as well as I could. 

SWIM -- 24:22

This was the roughest swim start I have ever participated in.  From the moment the gun went off, everyone was fighting for position.  I usually sprint out and settle into a nice position sitting in second or third position of the first group.  However, in this swim, I was simply beat up too much to make it out of the main pack and to the front.  The first 1000 meters of the swim consisted of three or four kicks to the face, a well place fist to my right eye, filling up my goggles, and lots of swimmers swimming into me and I swimming into them.  It was pretty miserable.  So much for my game plan.

After about 1000 meters, I decided to swim wide, find some open water and try to swim my way back to the first group.  The first group was about 75-100 meters ahead of me, and I went for it trying to catch back up.  I passed about 10 guys but exited the water in 16th place.  I led the second group of athletes and we found ourselves about 1:00 down on the first swimmer and 30 seconds off the tail end of the first group.  

BIKE -- 2:12:50

The bike is a tough one, you ride into a crosswind/headwind for 28 miles, turn around, and then ride with a crosswind/tailwind for 28 miles.  Getting onto the bike I felt great.  I've been riding really well of late and my confidence was high going into the race.  I'm also  sporting a new ride, an Argon 118.  The bike is super face and simply cuts through the wind.  I took the first 10 miles at a relatively easy pace, and then picked it up.  I caught a group of guys that had exited the water in the first group and kept riding pass a number of riders.  At the turn around, I found myself in 11th place, and right with the 10th place rider.  This was a great showing.  I was feeling great.  However, I had a mechanical problem at mile 35, my areo bar dislodge from the insert.  This changed my position on the bike and forced me to favor my left side.  I eventually slowed a bit over the last 15 miles of the ride, and jumped off the bike in 15th place. 

RUN --  DNF

Jumping off the bike, my left hamstring was completely cramped and I knew my day may be over.  I started the run and tried to get a smooth stride going, but my cramps would not subside.  Not wanting to injure myself, I decided to call it a day.

In all, I learned a bit more about racing today.  I had a blast competing against some of the greatest athletes in the world, and I am looking forward to getting back out there.

I'd like to thank my homestay in Houston, Matt and Megan, thanks so much, and my homestay in Galveston, John and Sherry.  Everyone in Texas seemed to be so friendly.  Thanks again!  

More Pictures --





NEW GEAR FOR 2012!



Rudy Project

I'd like to thank Rudy Project for the 2012 sponsorship.  Rudy Project manufactures the best TT and road helmets.  In addition, their sunglasses are top notch.  I can't wait to race in the new my Wingspan Helmet and sunnies.  Thanks again Rudy Project, it's going to be a fast 2012!   

Wingspan Helmet






Sterling Helmet

Sunglasses (Ekynox Sx Sport)

Sunglases (Horus)

OFF SEASON TRAVELS

After about 10 days in San Francisco and Los Angeles, I traveled to Australia and New Zealand for a 20 day adventure.  The trip was incredible.  Full of fun; we ran, swam, mountain biked and hiked all over the Noosa Queensland and the South Island of New Zealand. 

Below are few pictures from our travels, as well as some runs and mountain bikes.  The trip was awesome!



Day 2 of the Routeburn Trail.





Moke Lake just outside Queenstown.  Another great place to Mountain Bike.




Wanaka Lake.  Great place to mountain bike and relax.





Christmas Day hike up to Mueller's Hut.  Mt. Cook in the background.




Kayaking in Milfrod Sound.




New Year Day jump into the Milford Sound post Kayak.



Happy New Year and hope your 2012 has started off on the right foot. 

TRAINING PARTNERS

My season has finished and I wanted to thank my training partners and pass along an old article from the NY Times, "To Train Harder, Consider a Crowd".  To the pro-swim group, riding partners, P-Ride cyclists and running friends, thanks for making me faster!  I could not have done it without you. 
    

NY Times Article "To Train Harder, Consider a Crowd"

Group training is an aspect of performance that has never been scientifically studied. Exercise physiologists say it can be impossible to demonstrate its value because usually too many things change simultaneously when people start to run in groups: the coach, the location, the training regimen. To do a proper study, it would be necessary to assign athletes at random to train alone or with a group, assessing their performances after a period of time — something that would be extremely hard, if not impossible.

But despite the lack of solid evidence that group training helps, more and more athletes are starting to think it does. And, they say, there are lessons for amateurs who want to run or swim or cycle faster. The right workout companions, they say, can make all the difference.

“In sports, you need to train at race pace,” said Edward Coyle, an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas at Austin. “To do that, you need a coach and you need teammates to push you.”

Recreational athletes can benefit, too, Dr. Coyle said. Many run by themselves or without a specific program. “They probably underestimate their ability,” he said. Group runs “would help them tremendously.”

The article makes it simple, to go faster, train harder and train with a group. 

See everyone out there.

 

BEACH 2 BATTLESHIP (1st OVERALL)

Beach 2 Battleship was an excellent race to end the year.  Any one looking to finish with a half iron distance or full iron distance race should definitely race B2B.  Set Up Events puts on a top-notch race and the City of Wilmington has a lot to offer.  I'll be back next year!

My goal coming into B2B was to set a course record and go under four hours for the race, but I didn't acheive all of those goals because the wind and weather had different plans. I battled the 20 mph wind, slight rain, and cold weather to set a new course record, 4:08:19, but missed out on going under 4:00.  Next year! 

Swim: 20:42

The B2B swim takes place in a channel connected to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and is timed with an incoming tide providing a nice strong current for the swimmers.  The current is a bit slower for the half iron distance than the full (because the half starts quite a bit later than the full), but the current was still moving.  The gun sounded and I went straight to the front of the pack and off the front.  I had a lead kyaker paddling with me for about 500-600 meters and I thought all was great.  However, suddenly, the lead kyaker splashed me and pointed to the red buoy about 75-100 meters to the left of me and shouted for me to go left. I was shocked! I had not been sighting other than to look for him, and now I'd swum about 100 or so meters off course. (Lesson for the future: don't rely on the kayaks! from here on out, I'll always do my own sighting.) I still made it to the first buoy in first place, however, my lead was only about 25 meters.  I swam well and on course for the rest of the swim and had about a 90 second lead coming out of the water.  Without the little sighting problem, I think I would have exited the water in just about 19 minutes, and with a lead of almost three minutes.  Oh well..it was time to bike, no time worry.    

Bike: 2:18:29 (Fastest Split of the Race)

This was the toughest 56 miles of riding I've done all year.  The first 35-40 miles were almost all into a head/cross wind. I rode nearly as hard as I could but was only going 21-24 mph, making for a long day in the saddle. In addition, the temperature dropped to about 50 degrees, and my super fast, but skimpy Kiwami tri kit wasn't offering too much warmth. About 30 miles into the ride, I was shivering but kept a positive mindset and hammered away.  I kept saying to myself, "ride strong, create a big lead, and maybe I can still get under 4 hours."     

Run: 1:24:16

Coming into T2 I was super cold and shivering, but with a lead of a little more than seven minutes.  I handed off my bike to the T2 volunteer and went to get my running shoes on.  I had a little trouble getting on my shoes, my hands were not cooperating and were shaking too much.  My shivering likely costs me about 30 seconds but once the shoes were on, it was out onto the run to warm up.  

The first few miles of the run were excellent and I maintained a 5:45-6:05 mile pace.  I made it to the run turn around at mile 6.55 in 39:18 and was excited to be on pace for a sub 1:20 run.  At the turn around, I also was able to see where my competition was.  It took nearly three minutes to see the next runner, Kenneth Svendsen, a very strong runner and triathlete.  Kenneth took 9th overall at Augusta 70.3 so I knew there was a fast guy behind me but I had just under a six minute lead.  Miles 7-10 were not as fast as I had wanted, my right hip started to give me some trouble. I knew I was in for tough final few miles.  I also knew Kenneth was running fast.  I came through mile 10 in 1:01 not a blazing fast time, but fast enough to still run under 1:20.  However, the final 5K was a struggle.  The combination of my hip and fatigue slowed me down and I shuffled the final 5K in 23 minutes. I was a little worried Kenneth would catch me, however, I kept my focus and stayed positive.  I came through the finish chute with a new course record and won by a bit over one and half minutes.     

Full Results

Rounding out a great race was all of the support I got during the weekend. I had a wonderful homestay, and want to thank them for the hospitality. Also thanks to my coach Dave Williams, his wife Monette and my better-half for cheering me on. 

B2B was an excellent way to end the season. I've raced twelve times this year, including eight 70.3 distance races, and I have had a great time racing at the elite level again.  I can't wait for next year, but first, some rest and recovery.  



Post race I was wrapped up like a burrito and got a massage. 



BEACH 2 BATTLESHIP

I'm very happy to announce I'll have one more shot at racing a half iron distance triathlon this year.  I'll be racing the Beach 2 Battleship race on October 29.  B2B is one of North Carolina's best races and it will be a great way to end the season.  I'm also looking forward to hanging around and cheering on all the participants in the full iron distance race.  This will be first time at an iron distance race and watching everyone cross the finish line will be something else.