Thursday, May 16, 2013
Just Driving Through...Photos From The IM Texas Bike Course
This is the scenery I get to ride my bike through this Saturday!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Busy Bee: IM 70.3 St. George, Striders 30K, SLC 1/2 Marathon & More
Yesterday marked my third weekend in a row of racing in one form or another---and that's only the beginning! My schedule includes five more races in the next eight weeks, including one full Ironman, three half-iron distance events, and the Utah Spartan Beast 10-12 mile running/obstacle challenge (just to keep things interesting). Two weeks ago I ran the Salt Lake City Half Marathon, partly because I love that race so much, and mostly as a display of solidarity for the running community in the wake of the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. It was a cold and wet day for running which somehow seemed fitting, and I found myself in a real head-to-head battle with a girl named Emily who as it turns out is friends/training partners with my fellow local pro triathlete Ali Black. Small world! It was fun to engage in a real game of cat-and-mouse over the course of a half-marathon, and despite ending up on the losing side of the sprint finish I'm still happy with the effort and the tactical practice. Thanks Emily for pushing me! I followed the SLC Half up with the Striders Winter Running Circuit 30K---that's 18.64 miles for those of you who want to know---the next weekend; I highly recommend this series (which includes a 5K, 10K, 10-miler, half-marathon, and 30K) as a great training progression for people doing the Ogden Marathon or anyone looking to get some early-season running races under their belt. My goal was to run a controlled negative split which I managed to do, and surprisingly I walked away with the win as well! That's a rare occurrence for me in a running event so it's always a nice feeling no matter how low key the event may be.
My string of three-in-a-row continued yesterday when I had the honor of rubbing shoulders with some of the very best in the sport of triathlon at the US Pro Championships Ironman 70.3 race in St. George, Utah. For the past three years this race has been a full Ironman but because of the time of year and toughness of the course it never really caught on, so the WTC decided to shorten it to a half...and voila! It sold out! I read somewhere that the participation of Utahns shot from 300 registrants last year to over 1000 this year which is really exciting to see---having an accessible showcase event like this will do wonders to help the sport grow in our state, and it certainly generated a supportive crowd for a "local" girl like me. Naming it a championship event for the professionals helped draw in a larger, more competitive field as well, and the fact that it's a post-Olympic year made for an interesting mix of short-course ITU speedsters and long-course specialists. In fact, this was hands-down the deepest, most competitive pro field I've ever been a part of, and paired with the toughest 70.3 course I've ever encountered it promised to be an epic day!
St. George Town Square: a great place for families.
THE SWIM: ONE-ARMED WONDER
If anything, the past three years at St. George have proven that you never know what the weather is going to throw your way the first weekend of May in southern Utah. Heat, cold, whipping winds, frigid water, 10-foot waves...not to mention the challenge of the terrain itself...any and all of these elements could be a factor on race day. However, the weather gods were smiling down on St. George this year and race day dawned to clear skies, calm winds, and relatively mild temperatures. At 60 degrees the water was cool but not frigid, and the stunning backdrop of desert red rock and mountains around Sand Hollow Reservoir made for one of the most scenic swim venues I've ever seen. The pro men were off at the boom of the cannon at 6:55am, followed by the pro women five minutes later. It was a deep water start so we lined up between two small buoys; with a larger-than-normal ladies field, not to mention a faster-swimming-than-normal field, I knew it was going to be a furious pace right from the gun. I really dislike the "contact sport" part of the swim so I chose a starting position to the outside but in this case it was to no avail---there were about 15 of us trying to swim in the exact same spot and the washing machine effect was in full spin mode. A couple kicks to the face, a few tugs on the ankles, and several arm locks later things began to thin out a bit. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to extricate myself from the turmoil and I didn't catch any of the faster feet I was aiming for, so the swim was a bit of a frustration. For some reason I also had a problem controlling my left arm and struggled to find a rhythm---I've experienced this a few times before but am just now starting to piece together a theory as to why it happens and what I can do to prevent it. In any case, I felt pretty lopsided swimming and was more than happy to get out of the water and onto the bike.
Swim split: 26:48 (~15th place, in a pack of 8)
Sand Hollow Reservoir
THE BIKE: STRAP FUMBLE!
One remnant of my ITU racing stint is that I'm pretty good at transitions (thank you Ric Rosenkranz!) and despite coming out of the water with several other girls I was able to zip through quickly and get to the mount line before a traffic jam built up. I did my classic flying mount (again, thank you Ric), put my feet on my shoes and started pedaling---but when I went to put my feet into my shoes I noticed that the left strap had come completely of the buckle and was flapping in the breeze. Irritating! Once the strap has slipped out it's tricky to work it back through on the fly, and I fiddled with it a few times to see if I could slide it through but no luck. So I rode the entire 56 miles with one shoe unstrapped. I don't think it really affected my performance, it was more of an annoyance than anything, but from now on I'm going to put a safety pin or two through the end of my shoe straps to keep that from happening again! Aside from the strap fumble the ride was super fun and engaging. There were grinding climbs, bombing descents, a fair number of sweeping and hairpin turns, and a large enough women's field that there was always someone in sight to try to track down. I caught some girls, was dropped by a few and passed by others. I never felt great but didn't feel horrible either---just sort of flat, which is not surprising considering where my training currently is---but I really enjoyed the course and couldn't believe how quickly it flew by!
Bike split: 2:32:48 (~12th place with an Olympian and a 2x XTerra World Champ right on my tail)
A view in Snow Canyon---we rode up it!
THE RUN: UP AND OVER AND BACK AGAIN
One benefit of living in Utah is that I have done races in St. George before and had the opportunity to do some training on the course leading up to the race, so I pretty much knew what to expect. A simple description often used for the run is that you go up for 6.5 miles then turn around and come back down, but it's really more "up and over" and then back again---with a few other undulations along the way. It's by far the hardest run course I've ever done and I can't imagine doing it twice like they did the first two years of the full Ironman! As with the bike, my running legs were a little flat but I never felt horrible, just steady. The uphills were definitely challenging, but oddly enough it was the last two miles downhill that hurt the most! The grade wasn't quite steep enough to just let gravity take over, and I knew there were some girls breathing down my neck so I was pushing hard to try and fend them off---but despite my best efforts I got nipped right before the line by my friend Charisa Wernick. Darn! It's actually kind of hilarious to end up in a sprint finish at the end of a half-ironman if you think about, especially on a course like St. George. Kudos to Charisa for charging hard right to the end!
Run split: 1:38:03 (sprint finish and no hamburger feet---my personal victory!)
Race time: 4:40:30 (19th place)
One foot in front of the other.
"HAPPY BUT NOT SATISFIED"
This was an epic race and it was thrilling to be a part of such a competitive field, and even more thrilling to be one of the thousand-plus Utahns representing our state on race day. It's really wonderful to see how the St. George community has embraced this event. On paper my performance might not look very impressive---the course and the competition pretty much handed it to me---but overall I left feeling mostly good about it. Andy Potts summed up my feelings pretty well in his post-race interview: "Happy but not satisfied." I was happy to be racing, happy with the course, happy to see so many familiar faces and feel the support of the crowd, happy to give the best effort I had on the day, happy knowing that despite a low placing it was amongst a stellar field and there's no shame in that...but I'm definitely not satisfied. I'm aiming higher than where I landed yesterday; I know the potential is there, it's a matter of fine-tuning the art of drawing it out and then putting all the pieces together on race day when it really matters.
THANKS
First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who cheered for me out there, whether you were racing, spectating, or volunteering---your good will gave me wings! Particular thanks to Albert (& dogs), Mallory, K-Rob ("it's just a little hill!"), Todd & Matt, BJ & Amanda, "Lead Bike" Leslie, Romney, and the girls on Bluff St. with the sign that said "Go Random Stranger". Thanks to all who sent me kind pre- and post-race messages---the encouragement means a great deal to me. Also thanks to my sponsors and supporters: Powerbar, Recovery Pump, REV3, Rudy Project, BlueSeventy, Reynolds, Fezzari, Maxxis, CycleOps, and The Bike Shoppe. Finally, congratulations to everyone who competed and conquered the course. It was a doozy but we did it!
Next up:
IM Texas (May 18th)
REV3 Quassy (June 2nd)
IM 70.3 Boise (June 8th)
REV3 Williamsburg (June 23rd)
Utah Spartan Beast (June 29th)
July----OFF!!!
Funny faces.
My string of three-in-a-row continued yesterday when I had the honor of rubbing shoulders with some of the very best in the sport of triathlon at the US Pro Championships Ironman 70.3 race in St. George, Utah. For the past three years this race has been a full Ironman but because of the time of year and toughness of the course it never really caught on, so the WTC decided to shorten it to a half...and voila! It sold out! I read somewhere that the participation of Utahns shot from 300 registrants last year to over 1000 this year which is really exciting to see---having an accessible showcase event like this will do wonders to help the sport grow in our state, and it certainly generated a supportive crowd for a "local" girl like me. Naming it a championship event for the professionals helped draw in a larger, more competitive field as well, and the fact that it's a post-Olympic year made for an interesting mix of short-course ITU speedsters and long-course specialists. In fact, this was hands-down the deepest, most competitive pro field I've ever been a part of, and paired with the toughest 70.3 course I've ever encountered it promised to be an epic day!
St. George Town Square: a great place for families.
THE SWIM: ONE-ARMED WONDER
If anything, the past three years at St. George have proven that you never know what the weather is going to throw your way the first weekend of May in southern Utah. Heat, cold, whipping winds, frigid water, 10-foot waves...not to mention the challenge of the terrain itself...any and all of these elements could be a factor on race day. However, the weather gods were smiling down on St. George this year and race day dawned to clear skies, calm winds, and relatively mild temperatures. At 60 degrees the water was cool but not frigid, and the stunning backdrop of desert red rock and mountains around Sand Hollow Reservoir made for one of the most scenic swim venues I've ever seen. The pro men were off at the boom of the cannon at 6:55am, followed by the pro women five minutes later. It was a deep water start so we lined up between two small buoys; with a larger-than-normal ladies field, not to mention a faster-swimming-than-normal field, I knew it was going to be a furious pace right from the gun. I really dislike the "contact sport" part of the swim so I chose a starting position to the outside but in this case it was to no avail---there were about 15 of us trying to swim in the exact same spot and the washing machine effect was in full spin mode. A couple kicks to the face, a few tugs on the ankles, and several arm locks later things began to thin out a bit. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to extricate myself from the turmoil and I didn't catch any of the faster feet I was aiming for, so the swim was a bit of a frustration. For some reason I also had a problem controlling my left arm and struggled to find a rhythm---I've experienced this a few times before but am just now starting to piece together a theory as to why it happens and what I can do to prevent it. In any case, I felt pretty lopsided swimming and was more than happy to get out of the water and onto the bike.
Swim split: 26:48 (~15th place, in a pack of 8)
Sand Hollow Reservoir
THE BIKE: STRAP FUMBLE!
One remnant of my ITU racing stint is that I'm pretty good at transitions (thank you Ric Rosenkranz!) and despite coming out of the water with several other girls I was able to zip through quickly and get to the mount line before a traffic jam built up. I did my classic flying mount (again, thank you Ric), put my feet on my shoes and started pedaling---but when I went to put my feet into my shoes I noticed that the left strap had come completely of the buckle and was flapping in the breeze. Irritating! Once the strap has slipped out it's tricky to work it back through on the fly, and I fiddled with it a few times to see if I could slide it through but no luck. So I rode the entire 56 miles with one shoe unstrapped. I don't think it really affected my performance, it was more of an annoyance than anything, but from now on I'm going to put a safety pin or two through the end of my shoe straps to keep that from happening again! Aside from the strap fumble the ride was super fun and engaging. There were grinding climbs, bombing descents, a fair number of sweeping and hairpin turns, and a large enough women's field that there was always someone in sight to try to track down. I caught some girls, was dropped by a few and passed by others. I never felt great but didn't feel horrible either---just sort of flat, which is not surprising considering where my training currently is---but I really enjoyed the course and couldn't believe how quickly it flew by!
Bike split: 2:32:48 (~12th place with an Olympian and a 2x XTerra World Champ right on my tail)
A view in Snow Canyon---we rode up it!
THE RUN: UP AND OVER AND BACK AGAIN
One benefit of living in Utah is that I have done races in St. George before and had the opportunity to do some training on the course leading up to the race, so I pretty much knew what to expect. A simple description often used for the run is that you go up for 6.5 miles then turn around and come back down, but it's really more "up and over" and then back again---with a few other undulations along the way. It's by far the hardest run course I've ever done and I can't imagine doing it twice like they did the first two years of the full Ironman! As with the bike, my running legs were a little flat but I never felt horrible, just steady. The uphills were definitely challenging, but oddly enough it was the last two miles downhill that hurt the most! The grade wasn't quite steep enough to just let gravity take over, and I knew there were some girls breathing down my neck so I was pushing hard to try and fend them off---but despite my best efforts I got nipped right before the line by my friend Charisa Wernick. Darn! It's actually kind of hilarious to end up in a sprint finish at the end of a half-ironman if you think about, especially on a course like St. George. Kudos to Charisa for charging hard right to the end!
Run split: 1:38:03 (sprint finish and no hamburger feet---my personal victory!)
Race time: 4:40:30 (19th place)
One foot in front of the other.
"HAPPY BUT NOT SATISFIED"
This was an epic race and it was thrilling to be a part of such a competitive field, and even more thrilling to be one of the thousand-plus Utahns representing our state on race day. It's really wonderful to see how the St. George community has embraced this event. On paper my performance might not look very impressive---the course and the competition pretty much handed it to me---but overall I left feeling mostly good about it. Andy Potts summed up my feelings pretty well in his post-race interview: "Happy but not satisfied." I was happy to be racing, happy with the course, happy to see so many familiar faces and feel the support of the crowd, happy to give the best effort I had on the day, happy knowing that despite a low placing it was amongst a stellar field and there's no shame in that...but I'm definitely not satisfied. I'm aiming higher than where I landed yesterday; I know the potential is there, it's a matter of fine-tuning the art of drawing it out and then putting all the pieces together on race day when it really matters.
THANKS
First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who cheered for me out there, whether you were racing, spectating, or volunteering---your good will gave me wings! Particular thanks to Albert (& dogs), Mallory, K-Rob ("it's just a little hill!"), Todd & Matt, BJ & Amanda, "Lead Bike" Leslie, Romney, and the girls on Bluff St. with the sign that said "Go Random Stranger". Thanks to all who sent me kind pre- and post-race messages---the encouragement means a great deal to me. Also thanks to my sponsors and supporters: Powerbar, Recovery Pump, REV3, Rudy Project, BlueSeventy, Reynolds, Fezzari, Maxxis, CycleOps, and The Bike Shoppe. Finally, congratulations to everyone who competed and conquered the course. It was a doozy but we did it!
Next up:
IM Texas (May 18th)
REV3 Quassy (June 2nd)
IM 70.3 Boise (June 8th)
REV3 Williamsburg (June 23rd)
Utah Spartan Beast (June 29th)
July----OFF!!!
Funny faces.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Hamburger Feet
Last weekend I headed down to Texas to kick off my triathlon season at the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 event in Galveston. This race was originally not on my calendar, but I was feeling antsy and ready to test out my fitness so I decided to get things rolling about a month earlier than planned. I had a couple of other reasons for doing this race as well: I'm using some new gear this year and wanted to have a slightly lower key event than the US Pro Championships in St. George to try things out and blow out the cobwebs, plus I'm slated to do Ironman Texas in May and I was looking to get a hot & humid race under my belt to simulate likely race conditions in the Woodlands next month. The weather was a little cooler than I would have liked for that purpose (did I just say that?!) but overall the mission was accomplished on those fronts.
Among other things, I was testing out my new Reynolds Element disc wheel in a race for the first time.
The biggest surprise of the weekend was the announcement at the pro meeting on Friday that the water temperature was only 63 degrees, which meant that barring an unnatural rise in temps overnight it would be a wetsuit-legal swim. Last year at this race the water was a balmy 80 degrees and I believe that in the four-year history of the race it's always been a non-wetsuit swim for the pros, so I was expecting more of the same this year. Luckily I've learned from experience to ALWAYS bring both a wetsuit and speedsuit to races just in case, so I had my trusty BlueSeventy Helix on hand.
My Helix wetsuit got an unexpected maiden voyage of the season!
I've been putting in a little more time at the pool this year and it was pretty awesome to see the swim reflect that. I chose a starting spot to the far right with the idea of finding clean water and avoiding tangling up in the "washing machine" of other swimmers at the beginning of the swim. More time in the pool has translated into better speed + swim endurance and I was able to start strong with high turnover (for me at least) and a good kick then hold it pretty well for the entire 1.2 miles. I settled into the first chase pack of four girls and swam comfortably at the back of the group the whole way. This was a nice change from last season, when time after time I found myself missing the first pack and then hauling the second pack around the swim course. The other thing I'm really pleased about is that we got out of the water only about a minute down from super-swimmer (and former NCAA Div. I stud) Haley Chura, who swam 5 minutes faster than me at Ironman Arizona in November. Bonus!
The swim exit was just on the other side of the Colonel.
With the help of a quick transition (thanks to Ric Rosenkranz and my ITU training) I was able to start the bike ride in 2nd place. That was short-lived though, as the eventual winner Emma-Kate Lidbury came steaming by within the first few miles. She's a taller girl like me and at the pace she was going I honestly wasn't sure if I had just been passed by a girl or a guy. I decided it would be suicide for me to try and re-pass her to find out, so I let her go and kept my eye on the next rider up the road.
The bike course is a completely flat out-and-back affair that allows you one chance at the far turnaround to see where you are in comparison to the rest of the field. Flat may sound like it should be easy, but mentally it's a challenge to stay focused and keep the pedal to the metal, and the winds in Galveston are legendary. The weather on this day was actually relatively tame, with partly cloudy skies and winds hovering around 15mph. I liked what I saw at the turnaround---I was about 1:40 out of first, :35 behind 2nd, and had built a cushion of around 1:40 over the 4th place rider. Over the second half of the ride I was able to whittle down the space between me and the next rider up the road so we ended up entering T2 in a virtual tie; however, there were some big moves made behind us and we were passed by one other girl with just a few miles to go, and she managed to pull a large group of riders much closer than I would have liked by the start of the run.
The famous Teapot House. You can spot it along the bike course---if you're looking!
Now, if the race had just been a swim-bike I would have been in pretty good shape; however, there was still the run to tackle and (as I found out at the first turnaround about a mile into the course) there was a pack of hungry wolves right on my tail! I ended up having one of the more spectacularly dismal runs of my career. I'm annoyed with myself because I made a series of poor choices that added up to a bigger problem which I let get to me, and I mentally checked out of the race about 2 miles in. It's disappointing because the mistakes I made were elementary---neglecting to apply bodyglide to my feet, wearing a newer pair of shoes without socks for the first time in a race, trying a new sunscreen that apparently wasn't waterproof---and although the run fitness isn't superb at this point it's still better than what I displayed on Sunday. Slipping from 3rd place to 15th is not a result I'm proud of, but the good news is that it was a lower key early-season race and (hopefully!) I've gotten all the rookie mistakes out of my system! I also finished the race, and despite hobbling through the run and ending up with "hamburger feet", racing is always good training and you can learn a lot from the things that don't go smoothly. I'm actually pretty heartened by this spring fitness check and am looking forward to what the rest of the season holds. Back to the drawing board for a few more weeks of solid training, and then St. George here we come!
The run course made three circuits of Moody Gardens and its pyramids.
I would be remiss if I failed to thank the following sponsors for their support: Powerbar, Rudy Project, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, CycleOps, Fezzari, BlueSeventy, Maxxis, The Bike Shoppe, and Revolution3 Triathlon. Also, thanks to Coach KT, Hud Hopkins, and Brandon Marsh for the cheers out on course...it was great to see you all and I'm sure our paths will cross again next month at the Woodlands!
Among other things, I was testing out my new Reynolds Element disc wheel in a race for the first time.
The biggest surprise of the weekend was the announcement at the pro meeting on Friday that the water temperature was only 63 degrees, which meant that barring an unnatural rise in temps overnight it would be a wetsuit-legal swim. Last year at this race the water was a balmy 80 degrees and I believe that in the four-year history of the race it's always been a non-wetsuit swim for the pros, so I was expecting more of the same this year. Luckily I've learned from experience to ALWAYS bring both a wetsuit and speedsuit to races just in case, so I had my trusty BlueSeventy Helix on hand.
My Helix wetsuit got an unexpected maiden voyage of the season!
I've been putting in a little more time at the pool this year and it was pretty awesome to see the swim reflect that. I chose a starting spot to the far right with the idea of finding clean water and avoiding tangling up in the "washing machine" of other swimmers at the beginning of the swim. More time in the pool has translated into better speed + swim endurance and I was able to start strong with high turnover (for me at least) and a good kick then hold it pretty well for the entire 1.2 miles. I settled into the first chase pack of four girls and swam comfortably at the back of the group the whole way. This was a nice change from last season, when time after time I found myself missing the first pack and then hauling the second pack around the swim course. The other thing I'm really pleased about is that we got out of the water only about a minute down from super-swimmer (and former NCAA Div. I stud) Haley Chura, who swam 5 minutes faster than me at Ironman Arizona in November. Bonus!
The swim exit was just on the other side of the Colonel.
With the help of a quick transition (thanks to Ric Rosenkranz and my ITU training) I was able to start the bike ride in 2nd place. That was short-lived though, as the eventual winner Emma-Kate Lidbury came steaming by within the first few miles. She's a taller girl like me and at the pace she was going I honestly wasn't sure if I had just been passed by a girl or a guy. I decided it would be suicide for me to try and re-pass her to find out, so I let her go and kept my eye on the next rider up the road.
The bike course is a completely flat out-and-back affair that allows you one chance at the far turnaround to see where you are in comparison to the rest of the field. Flat may sound like it should be easy, but mentally it's a challenge to stay focused and keep the pedal to the metal, and the winds in Galveston are legendary. The weather on this day was actually relatively tame, with partly cloudy skies and winds hovering around 15mph. I liked what I saw at the turnaround---I was about 1:40 out of first, :35 behind 2nd, and had built a cushion of around 1:40 over the 4th place rider. Over the second half of the ride I was able to whittle down the space between me and the next rider up the road so we ended up entering T2 in a virtual tie; however, there were some big moves made behind us and we were passed by one other girl with just a few miles to go, and she managed to pull a large group of riders much closer than I would have liked by the start of the run.
The famous Teapot House. You can spot it along the bike course---if you're looking!
Now, if the race had just been a swim-bike I would have been in pretty good shape; however, there was still the run to tackle and (as I found out at the first turnaround about a mile into the course) there was a pack of hungry wolves right on my tail! I ended up having one of the more spectacularly dismal runs of my career. I'm annoyed with myself because I made a series of poor choices that added up to a bigger problem which I let get to me, and I mentally checked out of the race about 2 miles in. It's disappointing because the mistakes I made were elementary---neglecting to apply bodyglide to my feet, wearing a newer pair of shoes without socks for the first time in a race, trying a new sunscreen that apparently wasn't waterproof---and although the run fitness isn't superb at this point it's still better than what I displayed on Sunday. Slipping from 3rd place to 15th is not a result I'm proud of, but the good news is that it was a lower key early-season race and (hopefully!) I've gotten all the rookie mistakes out of my system! I also finished the race, and despite hobbling through the run and ending up with "hamburger feet", racing is always good training and you can learn a lot from the things that don't go smoothly. I'm actually pretty heartened by this spring fitness check and am looking forward to what the rest of the season holds. Back to the drawing board for a few more weeks of solid training, and then St. George here we come!
The run course made three circuits of Moody Gardens and its pyramids.
I would be remiss if I failed to thank the following sponsors for their support: Powerbar, Rudy Project, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, CycleOps, Fezzari, BlueSeventy, Maxxis, The Bike Shoppe, and Revolution3 Triathlon. Also, thanks to Coach KT, Hud Hopkins, and Brandon Marsh for the cheers out on course...it was great to see you all and I'm sure our paths will cross again next month at the Woodlands!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Short & Sweet, Or The Most Expensive Half Marathon Ever
Last weekend I made a very quick little trip down the the Phoenix/Tempe area for the Arizona Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. At least, I originally intended to do the full marathon, but a case of the sickies during the week leading up to the event made me change my mind (and entry) to doing the half instead. I still wasn't feeling great on race morning---in fact, even now I'm battling some lingering effects of the illness---so I decided to take it out conservatively then try to push around Mile 8 if I was feeling up to it and see if I could pull off a negative split effort. The weather was great, the sunshine was divine, it was wonderful to escape the nasty cold & dirty air of the Wasatch Front for 29 hours---and I accomplished the negative split! So even though it wasn't a particularly blazing fast time I'm still pleased with the effort and feel like it was worth the trip.
In other news, REV3 Florida was recently broadcast on TV. If you missed it, you can view the whole thing below. So grab your popcorn, sit back, relax & enjoy!
In other news, REV3 Florida was recently broadcast on TV. If you missed it, you can view the whole thing below. So grab your popcorn, sit back, relax & enjoy!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Out From Under The Rock
It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that doesn't mean I haven't been a busy little bee the past couple of months! The holidays and off-season always present a bit of a challenge for a routine-driven animal like me and I tend to get a bit grumpy when I'm out of my groove, but this year I've made some changes that have helped me manage that issue more effectively. One change is that I've stayed more actively focused this winter and taken less down-time than in past winters. The result is, shall we say, a "less soft" me than usual in January. Another change is that I'm taking a giant leap into the 21st century and---gasp!---learning how to use power on the bike and making friends with the heart rate monitor again...and really enjoying it! I've also been logging some good running miles and the plan actually calls for doing the Arizona Rock 'n' Roll Marathon this Sunday (although that might go out the window considering a poorly-timed illness that has me sidelined). In any case, it feels great to be logging some good base work and I'm excited to see how these changes impact my performance come race season!
I'm not really one for making formal New Year's resolutions per se, but there's no denying that a new year provides a nice marker to reinvent your routine. Since my life doesn't revolve solely around triathlon (what?!!), here are a few non-triathlon related things that I want to include more of in my life this year, in no particular order:
Art: creating, viewing, enjoying, discussing
Plants: not just outdoors, but indoors too!
BBQs: we have a backyard, we have a grill, we have friends...we have NO excuses!
Neighbors: get to know them better, and do what neighbors do
“Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Community: volunteering & becoming more active in civic events
And on that merry note...let's get out and do this!
I'm not really one for making formal New Year's resolutions per se, but there's no denying that a new year provides a nice marker to reinvent your routine. Since my life doesn't revolve solely around triathlon (what?!!), here are a few non-triathlon related things that I want to include more of in my life this year, in no particular order:
Art: creating, viewing, enjoying, discussing
Plants: not just outdoors, but indoors too!
BBQs: we have a backyard, we have a grill, we have friends...we have NO excuses!
Neighbors: get to know them better, and do what neighbors do
“Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Community: volunteering & becoming more active in civic events
And on that merry note...let's get out and do this!
Friday, November 23, 2012
Mixed Moss---Or Should I Say Sagebrush?
Welcome to the off-season and to my last race report of 2012! Last weekend was my first trip to Ironman Arizona, affectionately dubbed "Kona 2.0" because of its proximity to the Hawaii Ironman and the all-star field that it typically draws. I'd been thinking about this race for over a year and had high hopes to put together the breakthrough performance that has alluded me all season. Don't get me wrong, it's been a good year---probably the most consistent season I've ever assembled---but I haven't really had that race where everything just flows and you come away thinking, "WOW, did I just do that?!". Unfortunately I'll have to wait for next year to continue the pursuit of that "perfect" race. While Sunday's effort fell a little short of my goals, I still managed a respectable 8th place finish and another sub-9:30 finishing time. I'm beginning to think that maybe Consistency is my real middle name! Since my initial foray into the Ironman distance when I went a 10:07 at IM Coeur d'Alene (and had absolutely NO CLUE what I was doing!), I've clocked times of 9:19, 9:22, and 9:28. I don't especially like the direction that those times are trending, but considering that it's a 9+ hour event I have to admit that a 9-minute span is a pretty good batting average. The next step is figuring out what changes to make in training to develop consistency at the next level...say, in a range that is closer to the 9-hour mark!
All smiles after the practice swim. I like cold water!
The weekend was destined to be a great one whether or not I performed well because I had a lot of people at this race rooting for me and the energy was really something special. The IMAZ course is extremely spectator-friendly and I think my "official" cheering squad (Mom, Aunt Candy, Kira, Albert, & Shay) managed to catch me sixteen times throughout the day. There were so many other people cheering for me along the course as well----for fear of leaving anyone out I'll not mention any specific names but instead offer a big THANK YOU to everyone who gave me a holler; you know who you are and I appreciate every single one of you!
One of the more flashy aid stations. Thanks for the support!
Here is a recap of my impressions from the day:
The swim start is the coolest race start I've ever done, with all the spectators looking down from the Mill Avenue Bridge and lining the sides of Tempe Town Lake. I was even able to spot my cheering squad as I did some warm-up laps, thanks to my aunt's ability to project her voice! Memorable to say the least!
Spectators perched on the Mill Ave. Bridge.
Once the cannon went off the swim felt like it lasted FOREVER. I think this must have been because it was the first single-loop Ironman swim I've ever done. 2.4 miles is a long way and it's amazing what a little break in the middle can do for you both physically and mentally! I was surprised that it only took 55 minutes---not an especially great time, but probably a fair reflection of where my swim training has been and good enough to get me out of the water in the top five.
And we're off!
The first half of the first bike loop felt EASY and I was pleased to be able to stay within striking distance of reigning World Champ Leanda Cave and still feel like I was holding back. Once we made the first 180-degree turnaround though I felt like CRAP and the string broke. It wasn't a particular pain or GI issue or anything along those lines, I simply felt like I had no power. This was a new experience for me on the bike (in a race, that is) and it lasted through the remainder of Lap 1 and all of Lap 2. Once I hit the third lap I started to get my legs back under me and was able work back up into 5th place by the time I hit T2. It was a healthy reminder that it's a loooong day and anything can happen, so it's good to stay positive and pack some patience & perseverance in ye olde bag 'o tricks on race day. Bike time: 5:03---again, not my best and not what I was aiming for, but still a solid ride.
A smile for my cheering squad.
Similar to the bike, I felt AWESOME starting the run---nice and light on my feet, like I was jogging. I was really trying to control the pace the first loop and not repeat my mistake from Cedar Point of going out way too fast. My splits show I did a decent job with that. The problem is that despite still feeling pretty good, I wasn't able to increase my pace as planned (sound familiar?). I started tightening up a bit around Mile 18, but I hung on gamely and even finished with a pretty good kick in a last-ditch effort to catch 7th place. My run split was not spectacular---3:25---but overall it seems to have been a slower day across the board for whatever reason so I'll take it.
Digging deep.
Despite falling shy of what I was aiming for, finishing an Ironman is still a big deal and I'm proud to have another one under my belt. I'm very lucky to be able to do this sport at all and it's a tremendous honor to toe the line with such an accomplished field of athletes. Now it's time to kick back, relax, and soak up the season!
High fives down the finishing chute.
Wrapping it up, I'd like to thank my sponsors: REV3, Powerbar, Recovery Pump, Pearl Izumi, Rudy Project, Blueseventy, Fezzari, Maxxis, and The Bike Shoppe for their awesome support throughout the year. Thanks of course to my family & friends for their support and for becoming real groupies over the past year! It's always great to have you along for the ride. Thanks to those who have offered me advice, wisdom, and motivation along the way. And of course, a special thanks to Albert for understanding, accepting, and supporting the lifestyle that is required when you're immersed in the "relentless pursuit of excellence".
In good company.
All smiles after the practice swim. I like cold water!
The weekend was destined to be a great one whether or not I performed well because I had a lot of people at this race rooting for me and the energy was really something special. The IMAZ course is extremely spectator-friendly and I think my "official" cheering squad (Mom, Aunt Candy, Kira, Albert, & Shay) managed to catch me sixteen times throughout the day. There were so many other people cheering for me along the course as well----for fear of leaving anyone out I'll not mention any specific names but instead offer a big THANK YOU to everyone who gave me a holler; you know who you are and I appreciate every single one of you!
One of the more flashy aid stations. Thanks for the support!
Here is a recap of my impressions from the day:
The swim start is the coolest race start I've ever done, with all the spectators looking down from the Mill Avenue Bridge and lining the sides of Tempe Town Lake. I was even able to spot my cheering squad as I did some warm-up laps, thanks to my aunt's ability to project her voice! Memorable to say the least!
Spectators perched on the Mill Ave. Bridge.
Once the cannon went off the swim felt like it lasted FOREVER. I think this must have been because it was the first single-loop Ironman swim I've ever done. 2.4 miles is a long way and it's amazing what a little break in the middle can do for you both physically and mentally! I was surprised that it only took 55 minutes---not an especially great time, but probably a fair reflection of where my swim training has been and good enough to get me out of the water in the top five.
And we're off!
The first half of the first bike loop felt EASY and I was pleased to be able to stay within striking distance of reigning World Champ Leanda Cave and still feel like I was holding back. Once we made the first 180-degree turnaround though I felt like CRAP and the string broke. It wasn't a particular pain or GI issue or anything along those lines, I simply felt like I had no power. This was a new experience for me on the bike (in a race, that is) and it lasted through the remainder of Lap 1 and all of Lap 2. Once I hit the third lap I started to get my legs back under me and was able work back up into 5th place by the time I hit T2. It was a healthy reminder that it's a loooong day and anything can happen, so it's good to stay positive and pack some patience & perseverance in ye olde bag 'o tricks on race day. Bike time: 5:03---again, not my best and not what I was aiming for, but still a solid ride.
A smile for my cheering squad.
Similar to the bike, I felt AWESOME starting the run---nice and light on my feet, like I was jogging. I was really trying to control the pace the first loop and not repeat my mistake from Cedar Point of going out way too fast. My splits show I did a decent job with that. The problem is that despite still feeling pretty good, I wasn't able to increase my pace as planned (sound familiar?). I started tightening up a bit around Mile 18, but I hung on gamely and even finished with a pretty good kick in a last-ditch effort to catch 7th place. My run split was not spectacular---3:25---but overall it seems to have been a slower day across the board for whatever reason so I'll take it.
Digging deep.
Despite falling shy of what I was aiming for, finishing an Ironman is still a big deal and I'm proud to have another one under my belt. I'm very lucky to be able to do this sport at all and it's a tremendous honor to toe the line with such an accomplished field of athletes. Now it's time to kick back, relax, and soak up the season!
High fives down the finishing chute.
Wrapping it up, I'd like to thank my sponsors: REV3, Powerbar, Recovery Pump, Pearl Izumi, Rudy Project, Blueseventy, Fezzari, Maxxis, and The Bike Shoppe for their awesome support throughout the year. Thanks of course to my family & friends for their support and for becoming real groupies over the past year! It's always great to have you along for the ride. Thanks to those who have offered me advice, wisdom, and motivation along the way. And of course, a special thanks to Albert for understanding, accepting, and supporting the lifestyle that is required when you're immersed in the "relentless pursuit of excellence".
In good company.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
REV3 Finale: Venice Beach
I made my third quick trip of the month to a REV3 event, this time to Sarasota, Florida for the final installment in the 2013 REV3 Triathlon Series. This was a big race with a large prize purse and double points on the line to decide the final standings in the REV3 Pro Series. It drew a strong field with an interesting mixture of athletes which made for an unpredictable and exciting day. Added to that were the unusually high winds from Hurricane Sandy's steady march northeast, presenting a good challenge on what might otherwise have been a more mundane course. In fact, the winds were so bad that riptide warnings were issued and the Coast Guard informed REV3 that they absolutely could not stage a swim. It's a good thing the staff are so nimble on their toes and readily adapt to the challenges that are thrown their way. The solution was to cancel the swim for everyone and do a run/bike/run for the pros and a time-trial started bike/run for the age groupers. This was the third race I've done within the past 12 months that was altered due to weather-related issues so I wasn't really fazed and simply reorganized my gear to fit what the day called for.
Sunrise and wind. Photo by Eric Wynn.
It was really fun starting off with a quick little run first---with the exception of short-course ITU racing you don't often find yourself in that large of a pack on the run in a triathlon. It felt like a real horse-race! I think the purpose of doing a 1.5 mile run first for the pros was to attempt to break up the field somewhat but most of the ladies ended up coming into T1 together anyway. It was a bit frantic with everyone trying to kick off their shoes and grab their bikes at the same time, not to mention that it was a really narrow space to begin with, but I had a good spot and was able to get through without any issues.
The 1.5 mile horse-race. Photo by Eric Wynn.
My strategy on the bike was to ride conservatively for the first half and let the tailwind do a lot of the work for me before pushing the pace and trying to make a move once we made the turn into the wind. Alicia Kaye and Becky Lavelle took it out REALLY hard and established a gap right away, but I hung back in a group that included Nicole Kelleher and Lauren Goss. I felt that I could afford to let Alicia go because she was not competing for the overall series, and while Becky was in the running for the series it was a tighter battle points-wise going into the race between Nicole, Lauren, and myself so I wanted to mark them for a while instead of risking a major blow-up by pushing too hard too early. This plan unfolded exactly the way I envisioned and I was able to bridge up to the leaders while building a gap on Nicole and Lauren in the second half of the ride. There was a short out-and-back section with about 10 miles to go where you could get a good look at everyone---and I liked what I saw! Rolling into T2 in 2nd place just steps behind Becky, I knew I was positioned about as perfectly as I could hope for going into the half-marathon.
Changing shoes...yet again. Photo by Elaine Kratz.
I made quick work of T2 and actually got out onto the run course in first place. My lead was short-lived, however, as Becky came storming by within the first half-mile. I didn't panic because I had done the math and knew that I still had some wiggle room in the overall series in relation to Becky. I've been guilty of taking the run out too fast on more than one occasion this season and my plan was to start off more conservatively and then build the pace. However, when I tried to tighten the screws down a bit there was nothing there. My legs felt really heavy, I could tell my form was not pretty and no matter how I tried I could not seem to get my feet to turn over any faster. Nicole passed me somewhere late in the first lap, then I began a steady slide backwards through the field. The second lap of the run was something of a death march and I'm pretty sure that Mile 9 was the longest mile of my life. By the time I crossed the finish line I had slipped to 8th place, which was exactly where I did NOT want to be: in a position that did absolutely nothing to improve my overall series score and would in fact drop me down to 5th place in the final series standings.
Who looks better in this picture? Photo by Eric Wynn.
To say I am bummed is a major understatement. I was in a perfect position going into the run and I let it slip away from me. I'm not really sure what the root of the implosion was---nutrition, hydration, over-exertion on the bike, or if it was simply all in my head. Whatever the case, it provides me with some good food for thought in the off-season and a project to work on so that I will come back stronger next year. I can't really dwell on it now though because I've got an Ironman coming up in less than three weeks and a reunion with my fan club in Arizona to look forward to!
Post-race with Trish, my high school swim coach's wife. She's a stud! Photo by Matt Rydson.
I'd like to express my gratitude to the following for their support over the weekend: to Ray & Lynn for their incredible hospitality; to Brittany for the good company and introducing me to Ray & Lynn in the first place; to Chris Jarc for the much-need post-race piggyback ride; to Charlie, Eric, Sean, Stu, Ashley, Alex...oh gosh, there are too many to name! To the entire REV3 staff for being the most wonderful, friendly, fun, supportive, and professional event staff around; to the media crew for the great work (can't wait to see the TV coverage!); to the city of Venice Beach for the venue and to all the volunteers who donated their time to make this event a success; and of course to my sponsors who help make it possible for me to get to the starting line in the first place (REV3, Recovery Pump, Powerbar, Pearl Izumi, Rudy Project, Blueseventy, Fezzari, Maxxis, and The Bike Shoppe).
Special congratulations to Brittany Banker for capping off a stellar season and celebrating 8 years of kicking cancer in the butt, to Trish Rydson on her age group win (great to see you Trish & Matt!), to Becky Lavelle & Jesse Thomas on their impressive victories, to Nicole Kelleher and Richie Cunningham for their spectacular seasons and the well-deserved series titles, and to my teammate Jessica Meyers for a great performance and clawing her way up to third place on the day. One day I will be tough as nails like that!
Any excuse to play dress-up! Any guesses as to what I am? Photo by Ray Pecharich.
Sunrise and wind. Photo by Eric Wynn.
It was really fun starting off with a quick little run first---with the exception of short-course ITU racing you don't often find yourself in that large of a pack on the run in a triathlon. It felt like a real horse-race! I think the purpose of doing a 1.5 mile run first for the pros was to attempt to break up the field somewhat but most of the ladies ended up coming into T1 together anyway. It was a bit frantic with everyone trying to kick off their shoes and grab their bikes at the same time, not to mention that it was a really narrow space to begin with, but I had a good spot and was able to get through without any issues.
The 1.5 mile horse-race. Photo by Eric Wynn.
My strategy on the bike was to ride conservatively for the first half and let the tailwind do a lot of the work for me before pushing the pace and trying to make a move once we made the turn into the wind. Alicia Kaye and Becky Lavelle took it out REALLY hard and established a gap right away, but I hung back in a group that included Nicole Kelleher and Lauren Goss. I felt that I could afford to let Alicia go because she was not competing for the overall series, and while Becky was in the running for the series it was a tighter battle points-wise going into the race between Nicole, Lauren, and myself so I wanted to mark them for a while instead of risking a major blow-up by pushing too hard too early. This plan unfolded exactly the way I envisioned and I was able to bridge up to the leaders while building a gap on Nicole and Lauren in the second half of the ride. There was a short out-and-back section with about 10 miles to go where you could get a good look at everyone---and I liked what I saw! Rolling into T2 in 2nd place just steps behind Becky, I knew I was positioned about as perfectly as I could hope for going into the half-marathon.
Changing shoes...yet again. Photo by Elaine Kratz.
I made quick work of T2 and actually got out onto the run course in first place. My lead was short-lived, however, as Becky came storming by within the first half-mile. I didn't panic because I had done the math and knew that I still had some wiggle room in the overall series in relation to Becky. I've been guilty of taking the run out too fast on more than one occasion this season and my plan was to start off more conservatively and then build the pace. However, when I tried to tighten the screws down a bit there was nothing there. My legs felt really heavy, I could tell my form was not pretty and no matter how I tried I could not seem to get my feet to turn over any faster. Nicole passed me somewhere late in the first lap, then I began a steady slide backwards through the field. The second lap of the run was something of a death march and I'm pretty sure that Mile 9 was the longest mile of my life. By the time I crossed the finish line I had slipped to 8th place, which was exactly where I did NOT want to be: in a position that did absolutely nothing to improve my overall series score and would in fact drop me down to 5th place in the final series standings.
Who looks better in this picture? Photo by Eric Wynn.
To say I am bummed is a major understatement. I was in a perfect position going into the run and I let it slip away from me. I'm not really sure what the root of the implosion was---nutrition, hydration, over-exertion on the bike, or if it was simply all in my head. Whatever the case, it provides me with some good food for thought in the off-season and a project to work on so that I will come back stronger next year. I can't really dwell on it now though because I've got an Ironman coming up in less than three weeks and a reunion with my fan club in Arizona to look forward to!
Post-race with Trish, my high school swim coach's wife. She's a stud! Photo by Matt Rydson.
I'd like to express my gratitude to the following for their support over the weekend: to Ray & Lynn for their incredible hospitality; to Brittany for the good company and introducing me to Ray & Lynn in the first place; to Chris Jarc for the much-need post-race piggyback ride; to Charlie, Eric, Sean, Stu, Ashley, Alex...oh gosh, there are too many to name! To the entire REV3 staff for being the most wonderful, friendly, fun, supportive, and professional event staff around; to the media crew for the great work (can't wait to see the TV coverage!); to the city of Venice Beach for the venue and to all the volunteers who donated their time to make this event a success; and of course to my sponsors who help make it possible for me to get to the starting line in the first place (REV3, Recovery Pump, Powerbar, Pearl Izumi, Rudy Project, Blueseventy, Fezzari, Maxxis, and The Bike Shoppe).
Special congratulations to Brittany Banker for capping off a stellar season and celebrating 8 years of kicking cancer in the butt, to Trish Rydson on her age group win (great to see you Trish & Matt!), to Becky Lavelle & Jesse Thomas on their impressive victories, to Nicole Kelleher and Richie Cunningham for their spectacular seasons and the well-deserved series titles, and to my teammate Jessica Meyers for a great performance and clawing her way up to third place on the day. One day I will be tough as nails like that!
Any excuse to play dress-up! Any guesses as to what I am? Photo by Ray Pecharich.
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