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

My “Off-season” Plan

Off-season really isn’t the right term here, what I really mean is my Base Season.  I define off-season as the few weeks or month directly following my last race of the season.  It’s the period when I’m not training for a race and I allow myself some more “flexibility” with my diet…let's say about 10 lbs of flexibility.

What I’m getting at here is the “off-season” is well behind me, luckily!  I spent most of January trying to get back at it in regard to consistency and getting a handle on my eating habits.  My goals for February, March and April are as follows:

Swimming

I’m extremely fortunate to have swimming as a strength.  I spent 10 years of my life swimming between 5-8 times a week (10-16hrs/week in HS).  I typically try to get back in the pool about 10 week before my first triathlon of the season.  That means late Feb or early March I’m going to have to start getting wet again.

Biking

Dungeon

This is where the bulk of my base season hours are spent.  My first goal is to re-establish my FTP and the hard work begins.  Several times a week (3-4x) I spend an hour or so at various forms of FTP intervals.  3x10min or 3x12 or 2x20.  The nice things about working at FTP…it’s short and sweet.  1 hour on the bike in the evening and I call it good.  Some additional filler on the bike consists of 1 or 2 sessions at 85%FTP.  I like doing a short warm-up, 3x15 @ 85% and a quick cool down.  Again an hour and I call it's a wrap.

Running

I really enjoy running and it’s hard for me not to unintentionally focus on running instead of biking.  These next couple months are spent building frequency and consistency for all of the hard work and big miles to come.  I’ll do several easy 30min runs a week and usually save my “long” 45min – 1hr run for the weekend.

Core/Yoga

This is one area that I’ve gotten extremely lazy with in the off/base season.  I continue to be amazed how the loss of core strength and flexibility hinder my ability to be strong and stable in my biking and running.  I’m trying to get in at least one ½ hr core session and two ½ hr yoga sessions a week during the next couple of months.

Summary

Swim: 1hr/wk

Bike: 4-5 hrs/wk

Run: 2-3 hrs/wk

Core/Yoga: 1-2 hrs/ wk

So that’s my basic week during the base season, between 8-10 hrs.  If I’m ever not able to repeat this, week after week, I know my intensity is too high and I need to back off.  No fancy formulas or hard sets to remember, just a good, solid, consistent base effort to pull me into spring.

Next Up: The Kahtoola Mt Run.  The Truth Will Set You Free.  Core Fitness for Triathletes

Until then.  Stay warm.

Fraser Bicycle - Winter TT Series (Race #2)

For a fun little winter activity and something to throw on the calendar to encourage motivation during the cold winter months in Michigan, I signed up to do a 20 mile Time Trial hosted by Fraser Bicycle.

Fraser Bike's Training Lab!

While I know what riding at FTP feels like and I have a decent idea what my current FTP is, I had never ridden for more than 20 min at FTP or spent any time riding on a Computrainer before. Frankly, while I had followed the appropriate test to approximate FTP, I really couldn’t fathom spending a hour at FTP.

After warming up for about 15 minutes, Ron from Fraser Bike calibrated my Computrainer and I was off, well, not actually off going anywhere….he said “Go” to begin my hour of pain.

From my off-season riding I had an FTP estimate of 270 (@160lbs). My plan was to ease in during the first 5 mins @ 250ish and then settle into my 270W goal. I used 5 min splits on the Garmin to help keep me honest. Keeping the timing interval low allowed me to mentally break the ride down into more manageable segments of pain and to keep a very close watch on average FTP during each segment.

Steady Freddy

I started out strong and felt pretty good throughout. Riding on the Computrainer was a really cool experience. Have trained and raced with power for a few years now I knew roughly what to expect regarding the relationship to cadence and power as the 20 mile Kona compu-course undulated. Just like in real life, I was using my Quarq PM to hold me back on the uphills and to keep me pushing on the downhills. It was fun to downshift into my biggest gear, spin it out to see 250 watts and be “traveling” 35+ mph.

I rode strong, surprisingly feeling “good” for about 45min. Then I found myself looking at the clock a lot, HR started to climb and I found myself up shifting to try to maintain my 95ish goal cadence.

Per my plan, I started to increase my power when I was within 10min from finishing. 278 for 5 min, 291 for 5 min and then “all out” at 325 for the final push. In my 20 min FTP testing, the final push was rarely possible so I was happy to see my 270 estimate was a little conservative. I squeezed out a few watts for a final FTP of 272 for a P/W ratio at FTP of 3.6. 

For the full Garmin File: click here

In the end, I finished up in 3^rdplace in the 19-39 age group behind my powerhouse, rookie pro buddy Tom and another local BAMFer who’s thrown down a 4:10 1/2IM. I’ll likely be chasing these two guys for the reminder of the series (2 races left) but this is just the motivation I was looking for to keep me pushing on the bike in the off season.

In conclusion, an hour at threshold hold is no joke regardless of the environment but I didn’t puke, I finished strong and probably most importantly, I broke through a mental plateau of what I thought was possible (1hr @ FTP). I continue to convince myself that the mental aspect of racing with the front pack is just as critical as the physical aspect.

Nutrition:
1 cup of coffee + bonk breaker bar 2 hrs pre-race. 100 cals of EFS Liquid Shot during my warmup, 1 bottle of EFS drink and bottle of water. Post race a slammed a bottle of Ultragen.

Thanks for reading.

Up Next: My "Off-season" Plan

2013 Sponsors!

With a great race schedule lined up for 2013 concluding with a big trip to a huge race on this rocky island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it's hard not to be excited for all the great things to come!

Enter sponsors on board for 2013!
I've been very fortunate to sign on for another year with First Endurance for all of my nutritional needs. I've been using First Endurance for several years and it hasn't been without a lot of trial and error throughout my endurance racing endeavors...after all, properly fueling training/racing and recovery is the critical 4th discipline.

Great mail day!

I first started using Ultragen as my primary recovery drink during the preparation for my first ironman. The following winter I focused on busting my cycling threshold and with the help of OpytygenHP, my FTP shot up almost 50W. I've since gone all in with First Endurance adding EFS drink, Pre-Race and EFS Liquid Shot to my training and high performance race day nutrition regimen. First Endurance products cover all of the needs for endurance athletes and are formulated to work together, this helps simplify the nutrition decision amongst the sea of options out there.

As an age group athlete, I do not get paid by First Endurance to use or to be a spokesmen for their products. I can ensure you First Endurance didn't seek me out. After years of trying different products and different combinations of products, I've found the full compliment of First Endurance products best meet my needs and help to maximize my performance. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Robert Kunz and his team and I look forward to continuing this relationship in 2013.

Ride like this for 5hrs?  No problem, with the right shorts!

Additionally, De Soto Sports will continue to be my training and race apparel sponsor for another year. De Soto is a relatively small company but has been around since the early 90's. Emilio and his team pride themselves in creative, functional and American made triathlon/cycling apparel. De Soto is also know for their premium quality, top notch customer service and 100% satisfaction guarantee. Last year, Ironman Wisconsin was the first iron distance race that I had ever considered racing from gun to tape in a tri short. After finding the Forza Tri Short, I am very happy (and faster) to now say that I will never have to change into and out of bike shorts in an Ironman again. Their products are incredible and I can't wait to continue logging long miles in comfort again this year!


Thanks for reading
Train Safe

Up Next:  20 mile Time Trial Report (w/Power)

2013 Schedule (tentative)

I’ve been reading Gordo Byrn (Endurance Corner) for years and a long time ago he said something like ‘until you can beat everyone in your home state you have no business traveling to races’. If I recall his comment came from a discussion about competition and what it really means to be fast, but also about triathlon expenses. 

I’ve taking that comment to heart and this year have decided to focus the majority of my 2013 race schedule right here in Michigan. I’ve been focusing on iron distance racing for so many years, I haven’t really been able to race very much or do much local racing.

So this year I’m sandwiching a bunch of local racing in-between the American Triple T Ohio and Ironman Hawaii. This will allow me to race more than I have in the past and minimize travel expenses so I can keep saving for our trip to the Big Island in October.

My goals for the upcoming season are simple. Stay healthy and have fun trying to beat anyone that wants to race! The goals for the biggest race of my life next October will deserve some additional detail but there’s plenty of time to mature those goals. So without further ado, here’s my race schedule for 2013.

Jan-May
Fraser Bicycle Winter Time Trail Series –MI
Kahtoola Michigan Mountain Run – 8k – MI
Bald Mountain Trail Run – 10k - MI
Willow Duathlon – 5k/20k/5k - MI
American Triple T - OH

June-Oct
Grand Rapids ½IM - MI
Beatles on the Bay – Oly – MI
Steelhead 70.3 - MI
Grand Rapids Titanium – 1/2IM - MI
Ironman World Championships – HI

Looking forward to great season, time to go lock in some entry fees to further encourage motivation.

Happy New Year!
Train Safe

Up Next Time: My Athletic Supporters ;)

Year in Review - 2012

2012 was another year of excess.  Along the way I had ample opportunities to submit.  I questioned several times if I had finally bitten off more that I could chew.  My wife and I had our 3^rd son in April, I took on some more responsibility at work and I was training for an Ironman with a Kona qualifying race as the goal.  The only way to get it all to work was to be ridiculously organized, strive for flawless communication with my wife and optimize my training time with high quality, focused work.

Quitting would have been much easier but I pushed on and surprisingly had one of my best seasons yet!

·         Run CF ½ Marathon – PR 1:19 (PR by 6 minutes) 1^st AG, 3^rd OA

·         Island Lake Olympic Tri – 2:05, 1^st AG, 3^rd OA

·         Grand Rapids ½ Ironman – 4:28, 1^st AG, 3^rd OA

·         Muncie 70.3 (ish)  3^rd AG, 5^th fastest bike split OA

·         Ironman Wisconsin – 9:43, 5^th AG, Kona Qualifier

I didn’t race a ton in 2012 but that was a compromise I made because all of the other challenges I was facing this year.  By focusing on a handful of races I was able to absolutely nail every single one of my goals.  I got some run speed back into my legs early in the year which primed me for some OLY and ½ iron distance racing.  I continued to push hard throughout the year on my bike fitness and with a new bike and optimized position, I can confidently say my biking is no longer a weakness.  And finally, I pulled it all together and held tough at Ironman Wisconsin as I ran my way into 5^th  place in my 5^th Ironman.  In doing so I qualified to race in the Ironman World Championship again next year which was ultimately my end goal for the 2012 season!

Busted, hiding from our kids!

2012 wouldn’t be complete without thanking all of those who supported me.  My wife for her patience and understanding.  She accepts my goals as her own, all the while, being a business professional and a super mom!  My team of sponsors for the 2012 season: 1^st Endurance continues to develop and deliver “best in class” nutritional products that have allowed me to exceed my own expectations.  Desoto Sports for outfitting me in the most comfortable, high quality training and racing apparel I've ever worn!  Profile Designs is a company with deep history in the tri business and their products, with the help of the guys at Fraser Bicycle helped dial in my super low, super aero position.  My success would not have been possible without their support!

Salude!

Again, thank you all for reading and cheering me on!  2013 is going to be a riot!  Much more racing and a lot less pressure!  I’m hoping you’ll all stick around to join me in the adventure.

Happy Holiday

Train Safe

See you in 2013!

I'll leave you with some of my favorite random pic from the season

Daniel-san, shovel the dirt

Team Perez

35 going on 15!

Mike Reilly gave me a woody

Top Shelf Triathlon – WTF!!

Every good blog has a theme and over a year ago Top Shelf Triathlon was born.  I started blogging blabbing on and on about myself and triathlon, mainly to get some sponsorship attention and to capture my journey to Ironman Wisconsin.

Really?  REALLY?

Top Shelf Triathlon, just like so many of my good college drinking stories begins with, “it seemed like a good idea at the time”…

Albeit a modest one, my top shelf!

So here’s a summary of how I came to my “over the top” blog theme!  Ya see, I started drinking way too early back in high school and used to get drunk and pass-out by 10pm off of a few 22oz, brown bagged Icehouses  (Deuce-Deuce in the House!).  By the time college ended I had “graduated” to top shelf liquors and all night parties.   

Years later, I sighted a new challenge and began racing small local sprint triathlons, now almost 10 years later I’ve graduated to the Ironman World Championships.

Top Shelf, is not who I am, but what I'm always striving to be, no matter the challenge!

The whole story starts here.

ICEMAN Cometh - Race Report

I swear I saw this guy at the 10K to go flag

Race: Iceman Cometh

What is that?:  30mile point to point MTB

Where: Traverse City, MI

When: November 3^rd, 2012

Time: 2:03

AG Rank: 7^th

Overall: 298 / 2900

The Iceman lived up to its name this year.  Morning temps were hovering right around freezing with a steady 10mph breeze out of west.  About an inch of snow was on the ground and a freezing rain, snowy mix was falling.

Another cool thing about the ICEMAN…9am starts!  Who starts a race at 9am you ask?  Well, mountain bikers for one and also when day break in northern Michigan doesn’t come until 8:30, the elements leave you little choice.

Iceman Cometh Challenge!

My off-season is well underway.  Like all of my other Ironman seasons, the post-race high and excitement to quickly find something to put on the calendar has struck again.  It really is the most bizarre thing, 6+ months of consistent training to build up for an Ironman and right about went taper begins, the biggest thing I look forward to is a break from the structure, a break from the training regimen, a break from the constant strain of trying to squeeze it all in.  And then, after about two weeks from this break , without fail, it happens.  I get tired of eating like garbage and sitting on the couch all night and just generally feeling slothish.  So this year, to keep a little motivation in to the off-season, I decided to sign up for The Iceman Cometh.

Product Review - Saucony Kinvara

For the past several years my race shoe of choice has been the Brooks Ghost / Launch.  My feet have always received quite a beating on race day and I attribute that mostly to running in wet, heavy shoes and socks for 26.2 miles.

This year, I was willing to try something new.  I wanted a shoe that was light weight and would drain/breath a little better.  I have always shopped at my local DSW because 1. I’m a cheap bastard.  2. I have no issue sporting last years model.  All that said, I found a pair of Saucony Kinvaras that fit like a glove, were feather light and best of all, were only 40 bucks!  Score!

Oops, nip slip!

I had done a ton of research about the Kinvara and was a little concerned about the minimalist make up, low rise and acclimation period that most people had warned about and had had issue trying to convert too quickly.  Over the years I’ve converted myself to being a fore foot runner so I felt that it was possible to make the change.  I still approached with caution and ended up putting more miles on these shoes prior to a race than ever  before (almost 50).  By working into them over 4 weeks with numerous mini runs (2-4) miles, come race day I was confident that it was the right choice...or at least that I wouldn't rupture my achilles!

I race with thin little sock liners that don’t absorb water and provide the perfect amount of protection from friction.  Also, as with all of my shoes, Xentex are my laces of choice!!

Drill holes and durability concerns evident

Another thing that I did, on recommendation from slowtwitch was drilling several tiny holes through the sole of the shoe to further enhance drainage.  My neighbors already think I’m crazy but I further confirmed this by also placing a bucket of water at the end of my driveway and on several training runs, upon passing my house for another loop, I’d step through the bucket.  This allowed me to further test sock absorption and shoe drainage as well as toughen the feet for race day.  Train like you race, no?

We Tradin' War Stories

Race day came and went.  The Kinvara’s are badass.  They are by far the lightest shoe I have ever worn.  There is a consequence for that though and half way through the race my quads and calves were feeling pretty beat up.  I attribute some of that to the lack of fore foot cushioning but also to the 112 miles I tackled hours before.  The great thing though is that my feet never felt water logged, nor sloshy. 

I swear this really is after the race!

 After the race my feet were in great shape!  I was so astonished that I actually took a picture and a month later am even posting it on my blog for all to see! 

I think the Kinvaras are a great race day shoe.  They’re feather light, breath well and with a little help drain well too!  The soles are not very durable to really hold up to the rigors of training miles but that's mostly due to the light weight nature and my fore foot, supinating run style. I’m not 100% confident that I would use them again for a full distance race, my quads really did hurt that bad on race day….I wonder if with a little more cushioning I could have minimized my run/walk breaks over the course of the 26.2 miles.  But one thing is for sure, if you're a racer looking to fly and you want to go minimal, I'd definitely recommend the Saucony Kinvaras.

2012 Training Summary

One of the most common questions I got from my race report as posed on slowtwitch.com is what

did my season volume look like and what taper stragegy did I execute.  So here's Part 1, training volume.

Understanding that volume is not everything and the devil is in the details, here is my cumulative volume from my 30 week approach to IMWI.  My average training time for 30 weeks was 12hrs/wk.

My swim volume is almost embarrassingly light.  I swam competitively from age 6-18.  While I'm many years removed from 30,000 yard swim weeks and two-a-day practices, there's a lot of muscle memory and technique that just comes back to me.  I am very fortunate to only have to swim once a week for an hour to swim sub 1hr.

My biking took a huge jump in 2009 when I qualified for Kona at IM Louisville but then I got a power meter meter last year and was fooled that quality was way more important that quantity.  Comparativly, I only biked 180 hr in 30 weeks in my IM Lake Placid build and I paid the price.  Sure I was strong but my biking endurance was inadaqute to compete with the best in the age group.  This year, I swapped some quality sessions to build in some good old plain, bike volume.  Granted, this increase in hrs wasn't just joy riding in a casual group ride, as I was likely cranking out hours at 75-85% FTP.  So working on my weakness from '11 resulted in an increase in hours spent on the bike by 35 hours.  Surprisingly, my FTP was the same from '11 to '12.  Maybe "more is more"!!!  (slowtwitch reference to one biking philosophy on volume).

My running also saw a slight increase.  Up 7 hours from my qualifing attempt at IMLP in '11.  My peak weeks saw little volume incease, but my early season run training for a spring 1/2 marathon was the main cause for this bump.

Core work and yoga is something that I started in '09 and got lazy with in '11.  After a long day of work, family activities and working out, the last thing I wanted to do is push-up, planks and standing triangle pose in my basement.  This year I was dragging my ass out of bed at 4:30am a couple of times a week to make sure I got it in.  Getting out of bed was the hardest part and kind of like my 5am swims, I always hated the idea, but after completing it, man, it really was a great way to start the day!

So in a nutshell, there's the answer to the volume question.  I do love to train but I'm heavily committed so I can't train as much as I'd some times like to, or nearly as much as other, but like I said the devil is in the details and I'll go into much more about that next time.

Enjoy the off season!

Peaks and Valleys

It's already been 2 weeks since Ironman Wisconsin and much like training all year for a race, life is full of extreme highs and pretty crappy lows.

Qualifying for the Ironman World Championships is exactly what I set out to do.  The level of satisfaction of setting a goal, busting my ass for a year and achieveing what I set out for is very hard for me to put into words. The first time I qualified for Kona was at Ironman Louisville '09.  It's the absolute last qualifier for the given year, which meant I had exactly 6 weeks to recover from the race and plan for huge trip and the biggest race of my life.  It had all come and gone before I even realized it!  This year, qualifiing at IMWIS is the polar opposite.  It's the first qualifing race for the following year, so now I get to ride this wave of euphoria and plan another trip to the Big Island but I get 13 months to do it!  Seriously, when describing this feeling, Cloud 9 isn't even remotely high enough.

I've taken the idea of taking "some time off" to the extreme (see a theme here?)  I've been eating like an absolute hog and haven't spent a minute exercising since the race.  To achive what I have in this sport, hobby isn't an appropriate word.  I developed a lifestyle around eating well and exercising, everyday.  The habits I've formed are obsessive and in my opinion it's what's required to competitive.  So needless to say, removing myself from this lifestyle has been very tough.  I feel like crap when I eat like crap, I feel like crap when I don't exercise and I sleep like crap because frankly, without exercise my body isn't really tired.  See this vicious cycle I've built.

So with the high highs come the low lows, and I wish me feeling like garbage was the low I'm describing, but it not, it's way worse.  A friend of mine was making her final preparation to race in Kona this year.  She was in a horrific bike accident and is now literally fighting for her life.  Even though she's from the Metro Detroit area, the first time I met her was in '09 in Kona.  She's in this group of "cool" kids that are bad ass enough to race Kona every year, and one of the things I was really looking forward to was hanging out with them again next year!

And then it happened...in the blink of an eye, Amy went from 5x USA Triathlon All American and 5x Kona Qualifier to being the subject of massively organized Power of Prayer session at Henry Ford Hospital.  I've been obsessively checking her Facebook page for updates from her sister and boyfriend on her condition.  I've been in denial since the accident and have been waiting for the post that says she's feeling great and is thinking about getting back on  her bike.  Sadly, it's going to be a terribly long road and a victory will be scored by the 1000's of people pulling for her if she can wake up from her coma.  This is serious stuff and what scares me most is that it could have happened to any one of us.

We all have mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, friends and spouses and children that are way more important than this, or any race. 

I still have a ton to share but for now my message is a simple one but it's the most important:

Please, please, please be careful out there.
Train SAFE.
Corey

Ironman Wisconsin 2012 - Race Report

Summary:
Swim: 57:55
Bike: 5:19
Run: 3:17
Total: 9:43
5th in M35-39 / 30th Overall

Goals: Going in, and as was highly publicized here, I wanted to get back to Kona. As my race goals further evolved leading up to the race I wanted to get on the podium and figured I’d need at least a 9:45. My time predictions from my training and race simulations were sub 1 swim x 5:20 bike x 3:15 run, so a 9:45 was within reason.
 

Pre-race
2 days out, I always start by cutting my toe nails just a little too short and removing all of my nose hair. Just kidding, it’s really 4 days out for the nails. Race morning 4am rise for breakfast, coffee and pre-race evacuation. My staple pre-race breakfast is a .....

Never Say Never

Ironman Wisconsin Results

Swim: 57:55
Bike: 5:19
Run: 3:17
Total: 9:43

5th in AG / 30th Overall and I'm going back to Kona!

Midway through the year I had doubts if this was even possible again.  Then yesterday, a dozen times on the run course, it would have been so much easier to just give up.  If there was any doubt, doing well in these races isn't all about who has strongest body.  The mental aspect of hanging in there until the very end can't be captured in a picture.

I was gonna hang it up for iron distance racing if I didn't place Top 5 and qualify to go back to Hawaii.  So it looks like I get to keep pushing along for my really long victory lap next October on the Big Island.  I've learned a ton along the way and now that I'm no longer competing for a Kona slot, it's time to spill it.  No more secrets.  I'm completely open to questions and topics.  Please feel free to ask, as I will certainly elaborate to the best of my ability.

Upcoming topics include:

• A detailed breakdown of my race by discipline.
• My Go Fast "secrets"
• "These dudes must be on something!"
• The "OFF" season
• "Are you gonna eat that?"

Stay tuned.

The Odds Makers - Ironman Wisconsin 2012

Back in the day they used to call it stalking and it was creepy. Now a days, with the advent of social media and internet sites like athlinks and slowtwitch learning about your competition can be classified as doing 'research'...although it's still a little creepy, it's really not much different than a scouting report and college recruiters. Regarding my competition, I've always said it all depends who shows up.  It's not uncommon for a FOP age grouper to get whooped up on by a former pro runner at a local sprint triathlon but said FOP age grouper could run away with win at a big Iron-branded race.  It all depends who show's up.   All that said, I've done a limited amount "research" to identify some potential contenders in the M35-39 AG at Ironman Wisconsin....and let me tell you, the FIELD IS STACKED! ....

That’s a wrap

Summer's Almost Gone!

Well, that just about does it for another ‘iron summer’.  I just finished up my final big week before things slow down and I start my taper for Ironman Wisconsin.  I'm more than ready to be done...and to race!

Surprisingly, Hell week (s) went quite well this year.  Last year, prior to Ironman Lake Placid, I was so fried I ended up compromising and modifying my final big weeks so I could survive and make it to the starting line.  As a result, my “big weeks” didn’t end up so big.   Not sure what the difference was this year.  Could have been a couple things:  another year of distance training, strategic placement of key workouts, improved recovery techniques…quite possibly all of these things combined.