2013 In Review - A Big Shout to First Endurance

Background
This past season, with a growing family and an increasing level of responsibly at work I figured I only had one more iron distance race in me. It would be my last chance to train and race for a Kona qualifying spot and take a trip to that little black island in the Pacific.

In an attempt to optimize every aspect of my race, I upgraded my bike, my wheels and my helmet in the off-season. To maximize the effect of my training, I learned how to use my power meter. And finally, to prep for the most important training and racing season of my life, the last upgrade I had to make was my nutrition.

I did my research and decided to go all-in with First Endurance. The list of products below seems daunting but I used each of them for a specific purpose, at specific times over the course of my season. I've gone into more detail below.

2013 Ironman World Championship - Race Report

Background
This was my second time racing Kona. In 2009 I qualified via IMLOU. I toed the line just 6 weeks later, exhausted and came away with a 10:45. This time around I qualified at the other end of the spectrum, IMWIS 2012. This allowed me 13 months to train and prepare to race in Oct! As I've detailed in my blog, this approached was also less than ideal for me. Late in my build-up, I struggled with injury and burnout.

Pre-race Goals
On each of my qualifying runs I grabbed the last spot in my AG. Arriving in Kona, I was not delusional with any goals of being competitive within the AG. Instead I set some specific goals racing against the clock and focused on pacing with a strategy to finish strong, with confidence to bring another ironman chapter to a close.

1. Sub 1hr swim with a smart/controlled effort
2. <200W bike, nail nutrition, finish strong (hope for 5:20)
3. 3:20 marathon, ease in to goal pace
4. Sub 10
5. Sub 9:43 (IM PR)

Goals - Kona 2013

Before I go into where I want to be (IMH goals) I want to step back and start with where I'm coming from.

Background
In 2007 for my first ironman, I had no idea what I was doing. I swam biked and ran as much as I could, slowly adapting my definition of what it meant to Go Long. I made a lot of the 1st time Ironman mistakes on race day and was lucky to sneak in just under 10:45 at IMLP.

In 2009 I was still racing without a power meter and had very few commitments. I racked up big volume and knowing what I know now about bike effort and discomfort, I was likely racking up hour after hour at sub75%FTP. Big volume and a little more race experience was enough to get me by. I went 9:46 at IMLOU and snagged my first ticket to Kona. Racing 6 weeks post IMLOU was brutal but as a 1st timer to Kona it was everything I expected it to be. INCREDIBLE!....

Iron Rollercoaster

Jeesh, it’s been a while. I’d really love to post more updates but I’ve been so incredibly swamped, it’s not even funny. 

Training for an Ironman while holding down all other aspects of life is no simple task.  It’s actually one of the reasons I love the challenge of the life /race balance.  To do it successfully you need to be incredible organized and optimize every minute of every day.  I’ve always said the minute I can’t juggle it all, without one of more balls falling out of the air, I’m done.  Well, 3 kids, a working spouse, after schools and weekend sports, my career and that other little commitment of training to be competitive at iron distance racing....I think I’ve reached my limit.   The balls are still all in the air but I’m running back and forth all over the stage to make it happen.  It’s not pretty.  It’s not always fun and I’m exhausted....

4hr Energy - Training Report

Getting into the thick of things for my Hawaii build.  I posted a "Big Training Day" nutrition report over at Team First Endurance.


Train Safe - Train Smart

Expectations - Steelhead 70.3

By nature, I have a very high competitive drive. The drive to compete was experienced early during my youth and the desire continued to be fed and peaked in my high school swimming days. In my senior year at the Class A State Swim Meet, it was clear that our team had put in a lot of hard work and we were strong within our regional division. But what we found was that at the state level, it was a completely different story! We qualified for many events during my 4 years in high school and each year, on the heels of the State meet, we left with wide eyes and jaws on the floor for what it really meant to be fast. Big Fish - Small Pond is the term that was realized and it left a lasting impression. Over the years I think that feeling of awe and astonishment had been forgotten or at least had faded....until recently.

USAT Mideast Regional Championship - Race Report

Following the review of my extremely positive experience with the folks at Epic Races and the USAT Mideast Regional Championship course spread out throughout the Waterloo Recreational Area...this race report will be easily captured and straight to the point.

Race Summary:
Swim: 21:46
Bike: 59:00
Run:  37:39
Total:  2:00:23 (5th OA, 1st AG M35-39)

2013 USAT Mideast Regional Championship - Course Report

 

June 30, 2013 Epic Races and the Waterloo State Recreation Area hosted the 2013 USAT Mideast Regional Championship.

I love competition but almost didn't sign up for this race because I had never heard of it.  In fact, no one had....well, sort of.  Boy am I glad I didn't pass this one up!

Grand Rapids 1/2 Ironman - Race Report

Typical race report protocol says that if a race goes really well, a report will follow within 48hrs. If a race doesn’t go well, a report might follow at some later date.

The Grand Rapids 1/2 Ironman falls into the latter category. It wasn't a horrible race, but all the details between the start and making it to the finish line are what made it awful.

Race Summary:
Swim: 29:39
Bike: 2:22
Run: 1:29
Total: 4:24 (1st AG, 7th OA)
Garmin Link

As usual, before the race I set three goals....

2013 American Triple T - Race Report

The American Triple T lived up to the hype, again! It honestly is one of my favorite events due to the unique event layout, challenging course and camaraderie that is built throughout the weekend! I am truly grateful to my main sponsor 1st Endurance. Throughout a whole weekend of "talking nutrition" and handing out lots and lots of EFS and Ultragen single serve samples, I met a ton of new people and was finally able to put faces to names!

Race Highlights

American Triple T - Nutrition Report

I've detailed 3 days of race and recovery nutrition over on 1st Endurance Team Page.

Please follow the link below to give it a read

http://team.firstendurance.com/profiles/blogs/american-triple-t-nutrition-report

As always, ask a question and I'll respond!

American Triple T - Results

I had a great weekend down in Ohio for the kick-off to my season.  I was a bit surprised at my level of fitness for the lack of any really long rides.  Spring this year in Michigan has been brutal and I thought I'd really be suffering because of it.

More details to come when the final results are posted but I was in 8th overall after race 3.

I finished strong on Sunday for the finale and I think I ended up in 4th for race 4.   That might have been enough to crack into the Top 5 Overall, but for now I just wait.

More details to come, including power numbers, run splits and nutrition!

Train Safe.

American Triple T Tips

There have been a lot of blogs and forum discussion about every minutia of this race. This blog post isn't to rehash those details. What follows is a list tips and course highlights that if I were a first time TTT racer, I'd love to know.

#1 Triple T Rule - if you're adjusting your effort any time during the weekend because you feel like you're going too slowly...come Sunday afternoon, you’ll probably wish you hadn’t.

The Swim

Tri Season Kick-off (and it's a doozy!)

It's almost kick-off for my tri season, to say I'm excited would be an understatement. Two weeks to go!

The American Triple T is one of my favorite triathlon events in the mid-west. It has a 10ish year history of being a grueling 3 day, 4 race challenge drawing out some of the mid-west's most competitive AG racers. The results sheet read like the top of the USAT mid-west ranking at year end. Lots of Kona guys and 70.3 winners/Vegas qualifiers, and some incredibly speedy Olympic distance guys. This year is no different, the race director even touting this year as having the most competitive fields yet!

The Format
Race 1 - Friday, Super Sprint
Race 2 - Saturday AM, Olympic Distance
Race 3 - Saturday PM, Olympic (bike/swim/run)
Race 4 - Sunday, 1/2 iron distance

Spring Training Update: 3 weeks to Triple T

It's been a while, again.  So long I had to look up my damn password to post this!

Swimming
After a great debate on Slowtwitch (here), I’ve decided to put forth a little more effort toward swimming but not because I’m a bad swimmer. Quite the opposite actually, I’m a lazy swimmer. Historically, I’ve done the bare minimum (1hr swim, 3K yds a week) to get me into 1hr IM swim shape. My key set to determine this is 10x200s on 3 min. When I can complete that set, I’m in 1hr swim shape. What lead to a change of heart was the consideration for the energy expenditure to get me to a 1hr swim. My effort during an ironman swim is typically significant, usually resulting in an average HR in the first hour of my race, some 10-15 higher than the rest of my race. That’s less than an ideal way to start a long day.

So I’ve upped my swimming 150%. 

Time Trial Tunnel Vision

Having never time trialed before and looking for something to provide a additional motivation over the winter I decided to sign up for the Fraser Bicycle Winter Time Trial Series. 

Fancy Dungeon

All raced indoors at the Fraser bike lab on one of their 16 synchronized Compu-Trainers. 5 Races, best 4 scores count. I missed the first race in December as I was already in Christmas Cookie eating mode so I raced #2-#5. A nice little variety of courses with unique terrains and lengths. 

Training Update

I continue to suffer though the mid-winter months of the Mid-West. Spring is really starting to sound good. Hopefully in another month, I'll be riding outside.

Swimming
I had to hop back in the pool with the Triple T on the horizon. I get plenty of aerobic training with my biking and running, so early in a swim block I focus on muscular endurance. Long, exaggerated, strong pulls, using a lower stroke count than I would ever race with. I'm swimming 1-2x a week for an hour (2-2.5k yds). For an early season Main Set (MS) I like 10 or 12 x 100s on 2mins. I can hold 1:15-1:20 per 100, so about 40sec rest. Arms, shoulders and back really feel the burn on these. As I progress throughout the season, I'll lengthen the MS to 200s. During my peak training volume, when I can hit 12x200s on 3 minutes without passing out, I'm confident that I'm in 1hr Ironman shape. Understandably, I'm quite a ways from that right now.

Biking
It's coming along. FTP is a few watts north of where I've ever been before but I'm also about 10 pounds heavy. Power to weight ratio isn't too impressive, yet. I was hitting about 4 FTP workouts a week, which was leaving me a bit drained. As we move closer to spring, I'm planning on replacing at least 2 of these sessions to build in some more tempo riding. I'd like to have about 7 biking hrs a week right now, but lately it's been a struggle to hit 5hrs. Fatigue is the main factor. The Fraser Bicycle Winter Time Trail series has been a fun little distraction. Whatever it takes to keep the pedals spinning until spring.

Run
I was running more than I typically do in the winter, about 3hrs a week (20-25ish miles) . I think mostly because it's easier to squeeze in a 1/2hr run than it is a 1hr on the bike. At times, with my other obligations, a 1/2 hr at a time is all I can muster. Last week I got a little niggle in my left knee, maybe from running too many hills, but probably from playing human snowplow. No worries, I'll give it another week of rest which will help me to continue focus on swimming and biking (which gladly doesn't aggravate the knee).

Core/Yoga
I'm getting better with this and am much stronger than I was early in January, but I'm still not doing as much core work as I should be. Swimming and shoveling really activities the core, but I'd be even stronger and more stable if I could just get myself to spend more time planking and super-manning in the basement. Push-up, pull-ups and dips have also been activating the swim muscles without getting wet.

Nutrition/Recovery
As I've said I'm still about 10lbs over race weight. My diet is much improved from back in January. I'm eating less processed carbs and I've cut way back on the sweets and am snacking much healthier again. I'm leaner now that I was in January, so I think I'm converting flub to muscle, although my quads are still trampolining off my gut in the aero bars. I like the philosophy "train heavy, race light". With my existing diet, I have no doubt the pounds will start falling off as I continue to increase my volume leading into spring; it always does.

That's all for now.

Train Smart.

The Truth - Part 2

Train and recover, train and recover. That is likely the cyclical nature of every day, week and month of a competitive triathlete. In order to optimize this cycle, the training, recovery and nutritional protocols are critical to become the fastest, most durable athlete you can be.

As promised, here's a run down of everything that "I'm on". Note; my supplements of choice are very First Endurance centric. The reasons for this are many but I've been using their products for years and most importantly they work for me. I'm a sponsored athlete. All first endurance products have been formulated to work together and are all legal by WADA, USADA and UCI standards.

The Truth Will Set You Free

This off-season there has been no shortage of doping scandals, suspensions and some heated discussions within the Age Group ranks on Slowtwitch about doping probability and motive. In my 10 years in this sport, I can honestly tell you that I have never heard or witnessed anyone talking about doping to gain a competitive advantage. Maybe it's because I live in Michigan, maybe it's because my local peer group of triathletes is small or maybe because I expect the best from everyone in this sport rather than the worst as commonly portrayed on Slowtwitch.

How prevalent is doping in the AG ranks? How many Kona Qualifiers dope to get there? How will the USAT, USADA, WADA, UCI, etc. ever identify a way to ensure the competitive AG playing field is level? My answer for each of these is the same. I have no idea. Call me naive but I'm not convinced that there is a problem. How can anyone be certain that an in and out-of-competition testing protocol needs to be implemented until it's been identified that there's a problem?

I'll throw out my own simple, although likely expensive, idea for 2013.

1. Randomly test Kona qualifiers at the event in which they qualify.
2. Test Top 5 in every AG this year in Kona.

(what about big USAT non-ironman events? sure, do that too)

This will be a far cry from identifying a solution, but it will certainly identify if there is a problem.

Having qualified last year in Wisconsin and subsequently signing up for the Ironman World Championship (to be held 13 months later), I've also agreed to enter the pool for out-of-competition drug testing. I doubt out-of-competition testing very prevalent but I welcome the day I get a knock on the door from someone from the USADA holding a little plastic cup. And I'll tell you what, when it happens I'll be sure to Blog and Tweet and Slowtwitch my brains out because the mere hint of an accusation that "most" age groups dope to get to Kona is not only offensive but completely unfounded!

In my 10 years in this sport there is one certainty I've witnessed, NOT ALL AGE GROUP ATHLETES ARE CREATED EQUAL. You have your Couch to 10k athletes, you have Weekend Warriors, you have the Genetically Gifted and finally your Professional Age Groupers. The monetary value and personal time allocated to this hobby of ours can be a night and day between within these different categories of athletes. I guarantee you that the athlete that spends more time training, more money on equipment and coaching and also has the benefit of some genetic gifts, will likely beat any athlete in to the ground to who has less of these resources to "spend".

Can I compete with a group of guys who are independently wealthy, have coaches and the means to train 20+hrs a week year round? NOPE! So my best bet is to do what I can and hope that too many of these guys in my Age Group don't show up to races are really important to me. Is there a chance that 10 former Kona guys could show up at one qualifier and whoop the snot out of all of us?  Sure!  And if that ever happens, is every guy that beats me to the line "all doped up"? I highly doubt it but I will put money on that fact that their lifestyle is more likely set up to enable them to train harder and race faster than me.

Wow, that kinda rambled away from my intended direction...anyway, next time I'll continue with 'The Truth Will Set You Free' theme and present a full disclosure of exactly what it is that I'm on and the products that I'm a full believer in!

Until then,
Train Smart 

KAHTOOLA!

"F" is right!

Social media reminds me daily that a whole lot of people live in a much nicer, warmer winter climate than I do. Outdoor lap pools in Florida, long bike rides in Arizona and nice sunny, warm runs in California. 

Living in the mid-west, you've got to play the hand you're dealt and as such I've been "dealing" with this weather my whole life. 

Winter running allows me to get outside to enjoy some fresh air, the undulating terrain allows me to continue to build muscular endurance and durability and getting out also allows me to continue logging run mile without wanting to stab my eyes out on the treadmill. While running on trails, snow and ice can present it’s own risks, I think when approached correctly, running on adverse terrain encourages a quick cadence that promotes efficiency and a proper body position/foot fall for good bio-mechanics. (read: forward lean, forefoot strike)
 
So the Kahtoola Mt Run is this funny little local race that has us crazy Michiganders running an 8k up and down the local ski hill. The race is put on by Infiterra, a Michigan based Adventure Racing Company, and this race is just that, an adventure! Only about 60 brave souls showed up this year, and if racing up and down Pine Knob doesn’t sound like much “fun”, the Arctic Blast from the north brought the wind chill down to about 5 degrees to further skew our definition of a good time!

ONTO THE RACE
Right when the gun sounded some fast dude blasted out into the lead. “Fast Dude” lead the way for the whole first lap, he held about 15 seconds on me as we yo-yoed up and down the different slopes. I finally caught him at the beginning of lap 2 and we ran together for a while, no doubt measuring our efforts, trying to gauge what kind of finish would be required. I’d put in a surge and he’d close the gap. A game of cat and mouse ensued and after my second failed attack I was certain I was the one getting toyed with. And then, during the last long, steep climb up the far side of the hill, I attacked one last time, glanced back and he was gone. I recovered at the top, quickly traversed to the other side and then back down to the lodge. Two of my boys greeted me at the finish. It was really the first time they been to a race and it was fun for them to see Daddy win!

Brooks ASR + Yak

FOOTWEAR
I’ve always run in a trail specific form of running shoes, the Brooks line always have a few options to offer but I’ve also had success with Adidas trail runners. Pictured below are the Brooks ASRs that I’ve been lovin!. They’re incredibly durable and short of actually having metal screws in the soles, they have an amazingly aggressive tread.


This year I’ve also added some YakTrax to my winter gear selection. As I’ve said, I’ve been running on adverse surfaces for years now and I don’t think anyone really NEEDS YakTrax to enjoy some winter running. I have however been amazed at how well these things work. They’re awesome on hard packed snow and ice, especially when there is layer of fresh power covering the hard pack. They improve toe-off and traction when changing direction and generally just allow you to confidently cover the distance a little quicker.

So if you’re stuck in a wintery climate and lack a strong affinity to miles and miles of dread-mill running, like I do, do yourself a favor and invest in some season specific gear. It’ll help you cope with the winter months, continue to boost base season fitness and just generally get you outside to enjoy some fresh air. 

That’s it here.

Train Smart
 
Next Up: The Truth Will Set You Free