Time To Put In Work

Today I begin training for 2012 and I’m looking forward to the new season. Since my last race September 25^th I’ve kept busy and really haven’t slowed down too much. I participated in the Flying Horse Half-Marathon in November and have maintained a consistent schedule of running, biking, and swimming workouts. While the workouts did the trick to keep me in “ok” shape, they didn’t have any real goals or targets, just something to do before I finalized the 2012 schedule. Now that I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do for 2012, I can start working out in earnest. My proposed 2012 schedule is:

2012 Race Schedule

Race Name	Date	Finishing Time	Field Size	Placement Division/Overall
Desert Classic Duathlon	02-25-2012
Mesilla Valley Tri	04-07-2012*	·          2012 Date has not been finalized.
US National Duathlon Championships	04-30-2012*	·         2012 Date has not been finalized.	“A” Race
Milkman Sprint	06-02-2012
70.3 Buffalo Springs	06-24-2012
70.3 Boulder	08-05-2012
Eagle in The Sun Sprint	09-04-2012*	·         2012 Date has not been finalized.
World Duathlon Championships	TBA	·         2012 Date has not been finalized.	“A” Race
SOMA 70.3	10-23-2012*	·         2012 Date has not been finalized.	“A” Race

Of course a great deal can change between now and when the season gets started. If I happen to make Team USA for the World Duathlon Championships it will certainly change my approach to how I end the season. I will be trying to focus on longer races this season and see how my mind and body react. Good luck to everyone over the winter break and let me know of any races you enjoy and maybe I can add them to the list J

Flying Horse Half Marathon

This past weekend I participated in the Flying Horse Half Marathon at Sunland Race Track. I had only done one other Half-Marathon before and it was the El Paso Half Marathon in 2010 and finished with a very blah 1:57.00. At the time I was pretty happy with that time, but hoped one day I could improve five or ten minutes. I didn’t know what to expect this weekend, but I actually did some run training for this one and didn’t just depend on my tri training so I was feeling pretty good about my chances of setting a new PR.

The race day weather conditions were perfect. The race was set to begin at 8:00 a.m. and it was nice and cool with light cloud cover, but no wind. For the past several weeks I had been training with Gretchen McElroy and we both went about our routine of stretching and warming up before the race got started. I was very thankful to have Gretchen there and hoped that I could stay with her for at least six miles and then just take it a mile at a time after that. The first mile of the race was on the actual horse race track and even though the race directors had the dirt compacted; it was still very soft and a little muddy. As the gun went off for the race to start, Gretchen set our pace and made sure I didn’t take off like a bat out of hell. After the first mile the rest of the race course was on flat pavement and made for a fast race. Gretchen had us running anywhere between 7:15 and 7:25 miles and for the first four or five miles I felt great, but I was ready for Gretchen to begin to slow down and settle us into a more comfortable pace. To my surprise 7:15-7:25 was our comfortable race pace and there would be no slowing down. Upon this discovery I knew I wouldn’t last for 13.1 miles but I was determined to stay with Gretchen for as long as I could.

We both had a chance for small talk throughout the race and it made the miles fly by. At mile 9 I told Gretchen that I was getting pretty fatigued, but she gave me some encouragement and we kept going. At last we could see the race track and knew we only had a couple more miles to go. Gretchen increased our pace and we made a strong push for the finish line. The last mile of the race was back on the soft dirt of the horse track and it really began to suck the energy from our legs. We managed to catch a couple more racers and finished the race as strong as we started. I couldn’t believe the pace we kept and I know if it was not for Gretchen I would have finished in a much slower time. Gretchen won her age group and I finished second in mine. I ended the race in 1:37 and set a new PR by 20 minutes over my last half marathon.

Besides racing with Gretchen it was great to see several area triathletes there. Scott Darling had a great race and won his age group. Misha from Las Cruces was also there and she won her age group as well. Michael Castaneda was participating in his first half marathon and did a great job.  Over all the El Paso Tri Club was well represented and made several strong showings.

So Now What?! :/

So now what? If you are new to the sport of triathlons, such as myself, you might be asking yourself what to do during the so called off season. I say the so called off season, because as many of you have found out, just not training or training very little is not really an option. Sure sitting next to a nice warm fire and sleeping in on the weekends feels nice, but sooner or later your body just can’t handle doing nothing. Plus, once you take considerable time off your body will hate you for it once you start training again. A fellow triathlete and coach, Francois Modave, has some great tips and advice on his blog that you should take a look at http://elpasotricoaching.wordpress.com/ .

So what am I doing this off-season? First and foremost I am determined to develop better swim technique and improve my times in the pool. Since I decided to commemorate my first 70.3 with a tattoo, I had to take some time off from the pool, but I’m back at it and working on several aspects of the swim. In sprint races my swim was never a big concern because the distance was so short that I didn’t give up too much time, but in the longer races (70.3) I was giving the strong swimmers a ten minute head start and that is just not acceptable.  I don’t expect to be first out of the water next season, but I hope to at least be able to see the leaders leaving the transition area as I get out of the water.

The second thing I’m focusing on is cadence. In all three disciplines cadence plays a role and I need to get better at maintaining a steady cadence and building up so that it will become faster and faster as my training increases. Just playing back the past season in my mind I can point to specific times when my bike cadence or my run cadence broke down and my pace started to slow. I want to improve on that and make sure I am steady all race long.

Finally, I’m using the off-season to layout my upcoming race schedule and plan my training schedule accordingly. I need to be peaking at the time of my “A” races and not getting to those races so fatigued. By doing long term planning, I can build in the right amount of taper for each race and not just taper because I’m exhausted.

In addition to training I will be doing a few half-marathons and 5k’s to keep the competitive juices flowing. I don’t have a triathlon on my schedule until March, but will do a few duathlons in February to get the season underway. I also promise to post more often and will have a few product reviews for next time.

The Good and Bad

Since I’ve had a little over a week to digest the Elephant Man 70.3, I’ve been able to put this race season into perspective and reflect on the ups and downs of the many different races that I entered. First, the things that I liked this season:

1.       Really enjoyed my new bike. Getting a full carbon bike and aero wheel set made a huge difference in my bike splits. On the average I improved 8-10 minutes on a 30k course.

2.       This season I raced in 8 races that I never had raced in before and was very pleased with the Milkman race in Dexter. Great race staff, awards, ice cream and honey milk for everyone.

3.       I loved the diversity of the Southwest Challenge Series races. You have everything from super flat courses to hilly, cold to hot, open water to pool, and near and far. The many different race locations provided a great mix of racers and many opportunities to race.

4.       New friendships. Getting to train with Gretch, Bobby, Rob, and Art made the season fly by and each one of them has different strengths and approaches to a race. It was great to absorb all that knowledge and also have someone to look forward to seeing at the races. I also, can’t forget getting to know Cody Hanson from Santa Fe and John Gardea from right here in El Paso. Both gentlemen are seasoned racers and even better men.

What I didn’t like about the season:

1.       Time trial races. Either put the swim last or open water, but please no more races that have everyone starting at a different time in the pool. You lose the race aspect of the event and it becomes more of a glorified workout.

2.       The races at White Sands not being USAT Sanctioned. I know it would make the cost of the race more expensive, but not having it USAT Sanctioned just about eliminates it from a race that I will enter.

3.       Skimpy goodie bags. I don’t want a bag full of flyers for upcoming races, I want a water bottle, GU, Powerbar, or at least a candy bar.

4.    Bike shops that treat customers like idiots. I know I'm not an expert, but just because I don't have as much knowledge as you doesn't mean you should treat me like an idiot.

As you can see I don’t have much to complain about this season. The race directors at all the different races have a tough job and I appreciate all their time and effort. I look forward to next season and during the winter I will keep training and race  a few 5k’s to stay sharp. I hope to blog about some of the different products I used this season and also pass along any workout tips that I come across.

Elephant Man Half Ironman Race Report

This weekend I had the opportunity to participate in my first ever Half-Ironman event at Elephant Butte, NM and to say the race was tough would be an understatement! Let’s start from the beginning. The last time I participated in a race at Elephant Butte, it was a little disorganized, not enough volunteers, and both racers and the race directors lost their cool. I was worried that this weekend might be more of the same, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The race director, Kori, and the rest of her volunteers did a tremendous job. They had over 250 volunteers and at every aid station there must have been at least five people getting you water, Gatorade, or GU. Everyone was very nice and all of them shouted words of encouragement. The course was well marked and at every single turn there was a volunteer to point you in the right direction. The overall organization was great and is reason enough to do this race again. Now for the race.

All season I have had trouble with anxiety and open water swims. I’m not a bad swimmer, but I just can’t seem to get it going in open water. The water temperature was 74 degrees and we were allowed to wear wetsuits, so I put mine on and headed to the beach for a little warm up. I swam about 200 meters to get the blood pumping and made sure my goggles didn’t leak. Everything was good to go and it was time for the start. There were a total of 63 athletes participating in the 70.3 race and we all started the swim at the same time. Most open water swims I get kicked around and swam over a few times, but this race I avoided any trouble and settled into a nice pace. Spotting wasn’t an issue because I managed to swim next to a couple other swimmers the entire race and I just followed them. I of course checked every now and then to make sure we were going in the right direction, but it is amazing how much better it is to simply spot the swimmer in front of you and not have to worry about looking for the buoys. I finished the swim in roughly 40 minutes and felt relieved to have it out of the way.

Now I was ready for the bike and was hoping to make up some ground on people who had swam faster than me. The bike course was tough and had four pretty big climbs. I was riding my disk for the first time and wasn’t sure what to expect, but I didn’t have any issues with it and it seemed to work fine. The first 20 miles went fast and I caught at least 10 people at that point. I was trying not to go out to fast and save a little energy for the run and my body felt good at this point. I was taking in plenty of fluids and also a GU now and then. The next 15 miles on the bike had a mild head wind and one big climb. I have to admit that I did start to feel a little fatigue in my legs at this point, but after 35 miles and a few tough climbs I figured it was normal. The final 20 miles of the bike was super fast! I caught my second wind and the legs really loosened up. There is one final climb before the final 10 miles and I was able to power up it no problem until I got to the very top. I veered a little too close to the shoulder and my rear tire caught some gravel and went out from under me. I wasn’t going very fast so the bike was fine, but I did manage to get scraped up a little bit. I didn’t really lose much time, maybe 45 seconds at the most. I wanted to get to the bike transition and start the run at 3 hours and 45 minutes and sure enough I was out on the run at 3:44.

At this point of the race I am tired, but not like a zombie, more like someone who has just swam 1.2 miles and rode 56. I had a good frame of mind and so far had hit all my target times. I was certain I would be able to hit my goal time of 5:45. The run for both the 70.3 and the Olympic distance is brutal! Not really more than a ¼ of a mile flat spot at any one time. I started the run with the intention of going out a little slow in order to get my legs going after such a hard ride. Little did I know that the first mile would be my fastest! I completed the first mile in 9 minutes and thought there was something wrong with my watch! I was expecting to see somewhere around 8 minutes. I’m not sure what it was, but after the first mile my legs, body, and mind were toast! I wasn’t cramping and my breathing was fine, but my legs just would not move. I tried everything from the old man shuffle, to walking, to stretching, even slapping myself in the face a few times to get them going but it was no use. I had 12 miles to go and was running on four flat tires. I can’t really explain how bad it felt to know that all the months of training still hadn’t prepared me for the race, but I was determined not to quit and somehow finish the race. The next 12 miles consisted of a little jogging and lots of walking. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I actually walked an entire two mile stretch!! TWO MILES! Yes, I was THAT Guy! Good grief. I was being passed by people that I had a two mile lead on at the start of the run portion. It was a very frustrating and humbling experience and showed me that I need to keep putting in the many hours of training. I finished the race in 6 hours and 30 minutes. A whole 45 minutes longer than what I wanted to, but I’m thankful for surviving without an real injuries and can live to fight another day.

On a positive note several of my friends were there and did an outstanding job! Gretchen rocked the Olympic course along with Rob, Mark, and Juan. And Art crushed the Half Ironman course with a time of 5:47! I also saw my good friend Cody, who despite being in a bicycle accident two weeks ago, participated in the Half Ironman and had a strong finish and a time a little over 6 hours. Cody’s endurance was hitting on all cylinders and had a very good run portion of the race.

Not sure what races I have left in me this season if any. I probably won’t be racing again until February, but you can count on me training hard through the winter and hopefully have a stronger base for future 70.3’s. No more being that guy!

It's GO TIME!

Well, the clock is ticking down and I have about four days before the Elephant Man 70.3 and I have been a nervous wreck! Every night I dream about the race and every swim stroke, bike pedal, and run step that I’m going to attempt and I wake up exhausted. Even during the day at work I can’t seem to get the race out of my head. I have had a good several months of training and my body is feeling pretty good. I have never really tapered before because all my races have been sprints and I have not had the need, but I have tried to taper down for this race. Not sure if I’m doing it right, but my legs should be fresh come Sunday.

One of the things that I have been working on the past couple weeks is my race day nutrition. Once again, since all of my races have been sprints I have only needed a minimal amount of nutrition during a race. I am at the point now where I can handle drinking HEED, a limited number of gels, and the Gatorade Primes. I tried to drink the Hammer Perpetuem, but just can’t stomach the taste or the way it makes my stomach feel. I know in future 70.3 races I will have a better handle on my nutrition, but feel like I can finish this race with the energy I’ll need.

I’m committed to wearing my wetsuit if it is allowed. I had been going back and forth and at one point was not going to wear it, but to put my mind more at ease I’ve just decided to go with it. The water will be a nice 76-80 degrees so temperature shouldn’t be an issue. My swim training has been OK, but the real issue for me is just to relax in the water. If I can relax and just settle into a nice pace, the swim should be fine.

I have heard so many stories from people about their first 70.3 and appreciate all the advice and help they have given me. Gretchen and Bobby have been a tremendous help and I wouldn’t be where I am now without it. Also, Rob and Art have been great to train with and push me every time we go out for a ride, swim, or run. And I can’t forget the words of encouragement from Cody, Juan, Francois, and Matt.

My goal time for the race is 5 hours and 45 minutes and of course to have fun! Even though I’m pretty sure the less time I spend out on the course, the more fun I will have J!

Training at the Lake

This past weekend Art and I took the opportunity to have a training session at Elephant Butte and wanted to cover all aspects of the race. I have never gone over a course as much as I have for this race and hope that the extra insight helps out.

We made it up to the lake by 7:00 am and decided to do a thirty minute swim with our wetsuits just in case we decided to wear them for the race. As I stated a few weeks ago the water is still very warm and there might be an outside shot that wetsuits won’t be legal for the race, but I think the water should be just below the USAT max temperature. The area for the swim at Elephant Butte is really a nice spot and because it is in more of a large cove than the wide open lake, it offers very calm water. We ended up swimming around 1500-1800 meters and my wetsuit ended up working out fine. I was a little worried about overheating, but that was not an issue. The only real issue I had was the restricted shoulder movement that my full suit causes. If you have a sleeveless wetsuit I would go with that. Also, the transition from water to bike is a good 250 meters, so be prepared for that.

Art and I decided to ride the entire bike course at a steady pace of 20 mph and see how we felt when we got done. The first twenty miles offers up two good climbs that will get the legs burning, but for the most part the first twenty miles consist of a few rolling hills and you should be able to make good time. The roads are not in perfect condition, but we didn’t notice any large potholes or other issues that you need to worry about. There are several cattle guards throughout the course, but none of them caused any problems. Since I had trained on the first twenty miles of the course before, I was particularly interested in the thirty miles that the 70.3 riders will have in addition to the Olympic course loop. The 70.3 course does not disappoint. The first 7-8 miles are fast with a little head wind, but once you reach mile marker 7 you begin a very long climb. The climb is over a mile long and requires a steady effort. I forgot to mention the big dog that sits in the middle of the road and chases you and tries to bite your tire as you go by. During a training ride the dog was a source of comic relief and made me laugh, but during the grind of a race I doubt I will be amused. Once you reach the top of the hill you have around 6 miles before you turn around and head back. On the way back you have a slight tailwind and can really build up some speed. Five miles before you reconnect with the Olympic loop you have your final climb of the race and it is steep. The good news is that it is tiered. Once you get to the point where you don’t think you can climb anymore it actually becomes less steep and you can catch your breath before one more final climb. Once over the last hill you have 10 miles of flat ground that you can build your speed back up on.
Once we finished the bike course we decided that we would do a thirty minute run over a few of the last sections of the run course. At this point the sun was in full force and I’m sure heat will be a big issue on race day. I wish I could tell you more about the run course, but for the 70.3 people it is a little confusing. The first five miles follows the Olympic distance course and seems pretty straight forward. The remaining 8 miles involves several turns, a short out and back, and then a nearly three mile climb to the finish line.

In all, the course offers plenty of challenges and should be a great test of endurance. Hopefully this helps a few of you out there and I look forward to seeing you at the race.

Out with a Bang!

For most of the season I have felt really good about the strides I have made in sprint distances, but have started to focus on 70.3 training. The sprint season for all intent and purposes is over for me and I’m happy with how it turned out. During the off-season I will spend a lot of time in the pool and also do more track work to get my 5k times consistently under 20 minutes. But enough of what has already happen and on to what I have been building up too.

I plan on participating in my first half-ironman on September 26^th at Elephant Butte and the training has been rough to say the least. The average week involves 150 bike miles, 25 run miles, and right around 7000 meters of pool time. First the good news, my bike riding has really taken off and I owe it to the group rides in the upper valley on Saturday and Sunday. Most of the rides are right around 50 miles and they are extremely fast!! The majority of the ride is with the hammer dropped and if you aren’t careful you’ll find yourself riding by yourself, because the pack has pulled to far away. Fellow triathletes Rob, Gretchen, Art, and Bobby are out there with at least 25 other bike riders. I plan on riding with this group during the off season and can’t wait to see how my bike splits look next year.

Now the bad, my running is very inconsistent. One day I’ll run 8 miles at 8:15 pace and the next time I run it will be 10 miles at 10:00 pace L On other occasions I’ll ride the bike for 50 miles and then run 4 miles at 7:30 pace with no problems. I’ve tried different rest days, gels, HEED, and the only thing that is consistent is my inconsistency. I know I’ll be able to run the 13.1 miles after the 56 miles of bike at Elephant Butte, the real question is will it be under 2 hours or 3?!

Swim training has been fine and really has never been an issue. The issues arise when you are in the middle of a mass start and get your goggles kicked off, swallow a bunch of water, get swam over, don’t sight well, and generally just panic. Depending on how many of those things happen to me will determine how well I swim that portion of the race. I’m hoping for the best, but have no problems taking a little extra time to gather myself in the water and push on through.

I have never raced a 70.3 distance before, but I have been to Elephant Butte to train and raced in the Dam It Man Sprint earlier this summer and here is what I can pass on to everyone who is going to be out there. 1) The water is very warm and you might want to consider NOT wearing a wetsuit. I know most people are faster with the wetsuit, but the day is likely to be very warm and you might not want to start losing a bunch of fluids during the swim. I’m 90% sure I will NOT wear my wetsuit. 2) The bike course is a good mixture of rolling hills, two climbs for the Olympic distance and three climbs for the 70.3 with a nice slight downhill grade on the way back to transition. I know every rider is different, but if you have a rear disk wheel, make sure you bring it. I plan on riding the course during a training ride with a disk and will let you know if it should be used. The bike course is also pretty easy to follow and shouldn’t be too difficult to stay on course.  3) The run will be very HOT and difficult. The run for the 70.3 goes from sand, to cement, dirt trials, to asphalt and has several climbs. Unlike the bike course, I feel the 70.3 run course can be a little confusing. Make sure you study the maps and then drive the course the day before. Pay special attention to the markings on the road.

Good luck to everyone doing the Eagle in the Sun this weekend! It should be a great event and fun for the whole family.

Vacation and Swim Clinic

Training while on vacation can be a difficult situation and I’m discovering that I didn’t handle it very well this past week. I’ve been out of town for five days and thought that the rest would be good for my body and while I do feel rested to a degree, my legs felt like jelly after my ride yesterday. I didn’t do much but a couple runs during my trip and I’m paying for it now. Next time I’ll try to schedule a few swims to go along with the running.

On the subject of training I want to get the word out that Gretchen McElroy will be leading an open water swim clinic at Elephant Butte this Saturday August 13^th. The group will leave El Paso at 5:30 am and get to the lake around 7:00 am. You need to pay for your entry into the state park and the clinic will be a minimal fee of $20. Gretchen has a ton of experience and has raced this course before, so for anyone interested in getting a leg up on the competition or just wanting to feel more comfortable in the water, make plans to attend. Also, bring your wet suit, bike, and running shoes as Gretchen will also take you out on the bike and run course. The clinic is open to all levels and ages and is a good opportunity to meet other triathletes living in this area.

Odessa Tumbleweed Tri

This week I had the privilege of traveling with my friend Bobby Gonzales to the Odessa Tumbleweed Triathlon and made the most of my time picking Bobby’s brain on all things triathlon. Bobby has such vast experience and his willingness to pass along what he knows is incredible. Since the landscape to Odessa isn’t exactly the most beautiful, Bobby and I had a lot to talk about.

The race itself was pretty straight forward. It began with a 400 meter pool swim, but the problem was that they tried to line everyone up by swim times and they were not very successful in doing so. I know several races use this format, but race directors please consider doing a reverse Tri instead. Not only do you have to deal with a crowded pool, but you have no idea where you stand in relation to other competitors. I’m a huge supporter of all things El Paso, but I purposely do not participate in the Eagle in The Sun Triathlon for this very reason. Instead of a race it becomes a time trial and I can do that on my own for free.  As far as my swim time, I had a smooth swim and covered the 400 meters in 6:39 and felt great coming out of the pool.

The bike course for Odessa is a super flat 12 mile out and back. In years past Bobby had mentioned that there is a nice tailwind giving you a push on the way back into transition, but this year the wind was very light and I can’t say it helped very much. I pushed the bike hard and averaged right around 22 mph, but since the race had a staggered start for the swim I had no idea where I stood.

Just like the bike the run course was a flat 3.1 mile out and back. I felt fine for the start of the run, but slowly began to run out of gas. I average a 7:13 pace and finished the race in one hour five minutes, but had no idea what place I finished in. It turns out that I was second in my age group and ninth overall, but was pretty frustrated with the race set up. Bobby had a great race and finished second overall and Rob showed us all up by participating in both the Midland race on Saturday and the Odessa race on Sunday and finished 2^nd in Midland and 1st in Odessa for the Clydesdale division.

The Odessa race marked my 8^th race of the season and I’m thinking of doing only about three more before December. I continue to train for the Elephant Man 70.3 and hope to be in good enough shape to pull it off. The season has gone well, but I can honestly say that I’m only a strong second level triathlete. In the races that I have placed second in my age group, usually the individual that beats me is a good 3 to 4 minutes faster. In addition, my overall finish is always a good 8 to 9 minutes slower than the overall winner. I will continue to work hard and tighten that gap, but it will probably take several more years to get there.

Dam It Man

Triathlons are always an adventure and every time you participate in a race that you have never done before surprises await you around every corner. This week I participated in the 2^nd annual Dam IT Man Triathlon at Elephant Butte and it didn’t disappoint on both the adventure and the surprises!

First, let’s get to some of the non-race surprises. Living in El Paso I often travel to Albuquerque for various events and always pass T or C along the way. As a kid and young adult I have been to Elephant Butte several times, but really never paid attention to the distance it was from El Paso. From my house to the lake is a quick one hour and forty-five minutes. Those of us that travel often for triathlons can appreciate the short drive. The second surprise of the trip was my motel. I stayed at the Fire Water Lodge in T or C and this was my second time staying there. As you drive up to the motel you certainly are not blown away, but the rooms are nice, clean, and have hot spring soaking tubs J. It was very nice to soak in the tub the night before the race and relax. If you ever stay in T or C give it a try.

Ok on to the race report. The course had a short 400 meter open water swim to start things off and I felt like I was going to have a great swim because of all the swim training I had been doing. I thought wrong! I had a little panic attack 50 meters into the swim and didn’t think I was going to be able to finish. Luckily, I began to breaststroke for the next 150 meters and regained my composure. I gave up a bunch of time, but began free styling for last 200 meters and got out of the water 15^th. I don’t know exactly how I am going to fix this anxiety problem about open water swims, but for all of you out there who think you are the only one who panics in the open water…… you are not alone. After the swim began adventure number one. The photo below doesn’t do justice to the distance and climb, but you get an idea of how long it was to the bike transition area. The average time to transition was around five and a half minutes! Think about that for a second. The time it took to get back to transition is the same time that some racers could run a mile in!!

I managed to get to transition and started the bike portion of the race. The bike was a 12 mile loop/out and back and for the most part a great course. The roads were pretty rough at times and you had to pay attention to what you were doing. I know that sounds like a given, but on many courses you can really put your head down and pound out the miles. This course required lots of looking ahead and also a few tight turns. After ten miles on the bike you hit the big climb on the course. In just over a mile you climb somewhere between 600 and 1000 feet. It’s not the Tour de France, but it is by far the steepest climb I have ever seen at a sprint tri. Just think about the first hill at Buffalo Springs in Lubbock and multiply it by around seven or eight and you’ll get an idea of what kind climb it was. I had just enough in the tank to manage the climb and entered transition ready for a fast, easy run.

To my surprise the run was neither fast nor easy  L.  Apparently, the course was not done with its hills and climbs! Right out of transition you have a nice steady 200 meter climb and my legs were on fire once I reached the top of the hill. I needed to make up some time, because of my poor swim so I began to push it as hard as I could. I thought I was doing well, but then I saw Gretchen McElroy coming and she said “You better run hard, because I’m coming to catch you!”  I thought we were friends? LoL Well, her motivation worked and I ran the rest of the course as if a she-devil were chasing me……..because she was! JK

I ended up with a time of 1:11.39 and finished first in my age group and fourth overall for the males. Gretchen had a tremendous race and finished first overall female with a time of 1:09.00. She finished second overall for both male and female racers!!! My friend John finished second in the Clydesdale division and looked strong the whole way. I was also glad to have met a few new racers this week, one of them being Art Sanchez. Art was first out of the water and had a great race. The other racer I met was Alyx Luck. Alyx competes in the 20-25 female age group and placed first in her age group and 5^th overall.

The race director and staff did a great job of running the race and despite a few problems they were extremely attentive and made sure that everyone had a great time. For those of you out there who want a challenging course in a great setting, circle the Dam It Man triathlon on your calendar for next year.  

Upcoming Races

I know it’s been awhile since my last blog so I will try to run down some of the different things I have going in relation to triathlon training and racing. I have not raced since the Tri Raider Sprint in Lubbock at the end of June. To be honest I have wanted to race, but either a race was too far away or it wasn’t the right distance for me. I will be competing in the Dam IT Sprint this weekend and the Odessa Tumbleweed Sprint the following weekend and look forward to getting back in action.

Training has been going well, but I’m at somewhat of a crossroads. I still have lots of work in order to increase my speed for sprints, but I’m also preparing for the 70.3 at Elephant Butte. I have been juggling both types of workouts and I know it’s not ideal, but everything has been going according to plan. I might not have all the endurance I need for the 70.3, but I’ll be in good enough shape to finish middle of the pack.

Maintain your bike, maintain your bike, and maintain your bike! I took my bike in for a little tune-up and couldn’t believe the difference in performance. I had the brakes adjusted, the gears tightened, and the chain and cassette cleaned and it almost seems like a totally new bike. I have been putting around 500 miles a month on the bike and hadn’t gone in for a tune-up in over four months. For those of you just starting out make sure you get a tune-up at least every six months and while the work is getting done pay attention to what the technician is doing and you could do most of the stuff yourself, especially the cleaning and lubricating of the cassette and gears. I also have ordered my first disk wheel and I’m excited to start training with it and using it in races. I know hills and lots of winds are not ideal for a disk, but if I can train enough with it this winter I’m hoping to use it at least 50% of the time next season.

Hope to have a race report for the Dam IT Sprint up by Monday.

Picks-Up in Red Raider Country

Wham, Bam, thank-you……..Tri-Raider Sprint. In what turned out to be a very fast trip (22 hours) I ended up participating in the Tri-Raider Sprint in Lubbock this weekend. I normally like to get to a race the day before and have enough time for packet pick-up, a good dinner, and plenty of rest. Unfortunately, that was not the case this weekend. Lubbock is a 5 ½ hour drive from El Paso and because I didn’t leave work early enough I didn’t get checked into my hotel until a little after 11 pm. I didn’t have dinner, didn’t get to pick my packet up, and was going to be short on rest because I needed to be at the race by 5:30 am to take care of all the registration requirements. Needless to say I was not in the best of moods Saturday morning, but I was determined to shake off the bad race I had in Lubbock in May. Those of you that read this blog (thank-you all three of you) will remember that at the race in May I cramped up within the first five minutes of the swim and was not able to finish. The weather for the May race was 55 degrees and the water temperature was roughly the same. This time the weather was almost the exact opposite. Water temperature was 74 degrees and by the end of the race the outside temperature was pushing 100.

For those of you that have never done a race at Buffalo Springs in Lubbock, it is a great race location with many challenging elements. Marti Greer and the other race organizers do a great job and even for the sprint distance races you get the feeling of a big time race. I highly recommend doing a race there. I arrived at the race and had no problem receiving my race packet and putting all my stuff into transition. I was happy to see a couple of my friends and fellow racers Bobby and John and went about continuing to warm-up and get ready for the swim. One of those challenges that I mentioned earlier in regards to buffalo springs is the 500 meter swim. It is a counter clock-wise arch that goes around a small point in the lake. The water levels were very low this year and for most of the swim the water was probably only four to five feet deep. The challenging aspect is that with a mass start and over 150 people entering the water, the course does not allow for much spacing. Now I know that is part of triathlon swimming, but usually you are able to find space after the first 100 meters or so, but that was not the case Saturday. I swam the entire 500 meters in a tight group and was kicked, slapped, and pulled the entire way. I managed to have an “ok” swim (just under 7 minutes), but really need to strengthen that part of my training.

Everything in transition went fine and I was off towards the bike portion of the race. Leaving the lake and heading out for the bike portion you have to climb two steep hills. I didn’t have too much trouble, but at the top of the second hill I noticed my front wheel was wobbling really badly. I stopped and got off my bike and discovered that I must have hit a small pot hole and had jarred the wheel loose. It was no big deal and I was able to tighten it up and only lose a minute on the other riders. The wind was blowing hard and going out on the bike portion I was able to push pretty hard. The challenge was at the turn around point I was now headed back into a pretty fierce headwind. I was able to lower my head and push the pace as hard as I could. I passed several riders that looked like they just ran out of gas and continued pushing it until I reached transition. I finished the bike portion in a little over 51 minutes.

The run course is flat with a couple tiny rolling hills, but by this time the temperature was starting to climb. I headed out on the run knowing that another racer in my age group was probably 15 seconds behind me. I settled into a nice pace and received shouts of encouragement from Gretchen who was there cheering us on as she waited for the 70.3 that took place on Sunday. It really means a lot to have a fellow triathlete, who knows what you’re going through, cheering for you and giving you words of encouragement. Long story short, I held off the other age grouper and finished the run in a little over 23 minutes. I was hoping for a better run time, but I think the heat played a role in keeping the run times a little slower than normal.

I finished second in my age group and thirteenth overall. Bobby won the master’s division and finished second overall. Despite having a fall on the run, John had a great race and finished second in the Clydesdale division.

To Do List:

Increase bike miles for 70.3 in September.

Work on negative splits during run training.

Learn to swim J     

Racing with Mountain Goats

I had previously blogged about how the Super Sully race in Alpine has the hardest 5k in all of the Southwest Challenge Series………I was horribly mistaken! This weekend I had the chance to race at the Ruidoso Sprint Triathlon and this course had the hardest 5k by far I have ever raced. I’ll get to more about the course, but first a little about the race itself.

If you have never been to Ruidoso you are in for a treat. The sleepy village of Ruidoso is only two hours from El Paso and is generally 10-15 degrees cooler. Race day was no exception. The early morning was nice and crisp and it warmed up into the high70’s, great racing weather.  The race begins with a 3.5 mile run that takes you from pavement to trail and back to pavement. I had heard that the run is very pleasant with a few rolling hills and a great view of a lake that we run around. Apparently, to meet USAT standards they change the course a little bit and those changes involved monster hills that only a mountain goat could climb! I started off at a good pace but held back a little as the thin mountain air was making it a little tough. Everything was going fine until we moved off the pavement and began a climb up a narrow path that couldn’t have been more than a foot wide. At the top of this hill I saw several runners begin to walk, but I kept my focus and continued on the course. Despite the narrow path I managed to keep my footing and pushed myself more than I have in past races. I made it to the transition area roughly in 18^th place and proceeded to get my bike and head out.

The bike out is up and down but mostly up! There are several good size hills and lots of bikers were having trouble with the climbs. I felt pretty good even though the hills did take their toll on my legs. I passed six or seven people and made the turn in good shape. The bike back was super-fast! Several times on the way back I hit 42-43 mph and made my way to the swim transition area.

The swim for this race is in a tiny pool that you actually swim 200 meters and get out, then run back to the beginning and swim another 200 meters. I didn’t mind the set up except that the pool did get pretty crowded and slowed things up a little bit. After you get out of the pool you have to go outside and run approximately 50 yards before you cross the finish line. As I left the pool I noticed the guy in front of me was just jogging so I took off and him and I had a full on sprint to the finish. He ended up sticking his chest out and beating me to the line, but my sensor crossed a split second before his and I ended up placing 1^st in my age group and 8^th overall.

Bobby crushed the course under an hour and won the overall title and Gretchen finished strong and took home first in her age group. Rob bounced back from the Milkman and had a strong race finishing 3^rd in the Clydesdale division and John wasn’t far behind with a fourth place finish. The awards were carved bears and really were a nice touch. The only problem was that they only gave awards to the top two finishers and third place was left with nothing. I’m not sure why they did it that way, but it is something they should consider changing next year.

Milkman Race Report

 

I had never been to the Milkman Triathlon before and wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a well run race with plenty of ice cream and Honey Milk for everyone. As you might recall my last race lasted all of five minutes at the Buffman and Squeaky in Lubbock. A cramp 100 meters into the swim ended the race for me and left a bad taste in my mouth in regards to future open water swimming. I was determined to just relax and let the swim happen and not press to hard. The water was a little chilly at 68 degrees, but I decided to not wear a wetsuit and just tough it out. I had a very relaxed swim and didn’t tighten up at all. I thought I swam faster than my time of 10:02, but I guess all racers say that :)

After the swim came a 20k bike ride that was very rough. The course was pretty straight forward, but lots of bumps and very uneven pavement. Going out on the ride was fast because of a tailwind, but the return trip made us pay with a head wind of probably 10-20 mph. The later the wave you started in the harder the wind was for you. Rob, Gretchen, and Bobby all had major wind to deal with. The bike ride for me was uneventful and I felt pretty strong going into the run and I finished the bike in 36:22.

This was my first race of the season that had the run last and I wasn’t sure if I had done enough bricks to train for it, but everything went smooth. It began to heat up at the end, but I managed a respectable 22:15. I ended up second in my age group and fifteenth overall for males and seventeenth overall male and female with a time of 1:11.

Bobby and Gretchen both placed first in their age groups and second overall in the male and female categories respectively. The individuals that beat them were absolutely flying! The male champ completed the course in under an hour at 59:20!! Rob also had a strong race and finished fourth in his category and improved over last year’s race by over 6 minutes. John Gardea won the Clydesdale division with a 1:17 and had a very strong bike performance.

What really made this race enjoyable though was spending time with Rob, Bobby, and Gretchen. Those three are not stop laughs and I feel like a sponge soaking up all the triathlon knowledge I can from them. It was also great to see childhood friends Casey Vander Dussen and his mother Jane. The Vandivorts and Vander Dussens practically lived with each other growing up and some of my fondest memories are hanging out with them and enjoying each others company. Hope to see them again soon.

Shoes, shoes and more shoes

Since starting this blog I haven’t had the time to give my opinion on some of the products that I use or have used in the past, but in the future I hope to have time to write about everything from bikes, apparel, and race day nutrition, but today I want to focus on footwear.

A shoe is a shoe right? For the once a week jogger or the occasional 5k race this might hold true, but when you combine intense training with highly competitive races the need for proper footwear becomes critical. My background is in basketball and if someone were to tell me that all basketball shoes are the same I would laugh them out of the gym. After years of spending a tremendous amount of time on the basketball court wearing the right basketball shoe was a necessity. I tried every brand you could think of and then even within a certain brand I tried several different models before I decided what worked best for me. So it should come as a surprise that when I started training and competing in triathlons I thought that a running shoe was a running shoe. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

When I first started training I made several mistakes in preparing for the run portions of a race. First on that list was over training and not listening to my body. The second mistake was running in a $150 pair of Nike’s that must have been designed for looking good in a music video and not for putting 30-40 miles a week on. After several painful months that completely drained my will from wanting to run I went into Up and Running, a local running store, for some help. After speaking with them about what I was doing and what I wanted to do I was guided toward a pair of New Balance 1225s. I use this shoe to both train and race in and since purchase have put roughly 650 miles on them. I have since replaced them with the newer version the 1226s and couldn’t be happier. Both shoes weigh 12.7oz and have great stability. I wear a size 13 and have a narrow foot with long orangutan toes. I have always had trouble finding a pair of shoes that would fit length wise and not allow my foot to shift from side to side. The New Balance have been great, but after watching more and more top performers I started to believe that I needed not only great training shoes, but a separate pair of racing shoes. How I came to this conclusion was simple….experience.

After competing in a full season of triathlons and reading everything from magazines to blogs it became apparent that a lighter pair of race shoes could dramatically make a difference in how fast I could run on race day. Race day shoes are typically light weight with limited cushion and stability and usually don’t last for more than a couple hundred miles if you are lucky. (For those of you out there that are just starting out a good pair of high mileage running shoes can be used for both training and racing no problem. But if you have reached a fitness level that has you looking to shave seconds instead of minutes off your race time, it is probably time to get that pair of race day shoes.) I did my due diligence and purchased a pair of KSWISS Kwickey Blade-Lights. They weigh 9ozs and I can really tell the difference between them and my training shoes. I have used them for several runs and have seen a 15-20 second improvement on my mile splits, but have to admit that they are too wide. I haven’t used them in a race yet, but look for that to change in the next couple weeks.

So that brings me to my next shoe that I’m super excited about trying on and using for races, the Spira Stinger XLT. Spira is the revolutionary shoe company from El Paso that developed Wave Spring technology and has made incredible shoes for over a decade. The Stinger XLT comes in at 9.2ozs and is supposed to have the durability to last a couple hundred miles. I have worn Spira shoes before and I’m always amazed at how comfortable they are and can’t wait to use the Stinger XLT for competition. You can find more information about Spira and the Stinger XLT at http://www.spirafootwear.com/index.php

Well that’s all I have for today, but let me know what shoes you race and train in. Also, as soon as I get my new Stinger XLT’s I’ll let you know how they perform.

Devastated..................................

 

Devastated, crushed, and embarrassed beyond belief. That pretty much describes my race today in Lubbock. So far this season I have made some pretty big strides in both speed and endurance and I had been training for today super hard for the past four weeks. I wanted to have a strong showing against a tough group of racers and get an idea of where I stand in the Tri community. Well if today was any indication I stand somewhere between the tile on the floor and the grout! The weather in Lubbock today was brutal! Water temperature started out at about 55 degrees and peaked at 57. Combine that with the 49-51 degree air temperature and you can get an idea how bad it was, but the good thing about tri’s is that everyone has to battle the elements and you can’t be a baby about it. I put on my wetsuit and eagerly awaited the start.

I made a few mistakes to begin with and one of them was not warming up in the water soon enough. Everyone was freezing and no one stepped into the water until about 15 minutes before the race started. I swam out and back about 100 meters and then spent the rest of the time messing around with my goggles which totally SUCK by the way! As soon as the gun sounded to start the race I entered the lake and began with a nice easy stroke. I didn’t want to get the heart pumping to fast, too soon. After about 50 meters I was having some trouble spotting and was probably 100 meters away from everyone else. Yep, I was the idiot that looked like he was competing in his on race off to the side! Once I corrected course I felt an incredible pain in my right calf. At first I thought I snapped my Achilles, but soon realized it was cramps. I tried to keep swimming, but my entire right leg was just dragging in the water and wasn’t getting any better. I made it to the side of the lake about 150 meters into the swim and tried to work out the cramp, but nothing was working. I told myself to take your time and just work the cramp out and then finish the swim in what ever time it took, but the cramp just didn’t go away. So my $400 weekend race (race fee, rental car, gas, hotel, food) lasted 5 minutes!!!!!!

To add insult to injury as I was limping back to the start, one of the race officials thought I was part of the sprint race that was about to start and began telling me that I need to hurry up and get ready for the swim L Oh ya that’s just what I needed.

One positive was that I did get to see Cody and John race and they both did a great job! Cody is getting faster every week and it reminds me why I need to work hard everyday. Not sure I will end up doing the 70.3 in June now. I just don’t have the confidence to get back in that lake. I have to admit that lake swims can be a little nerve racking and then when you have an experience where you can’t swim and you are struggling, it makes you not want to do it again.

Up Coming Race

I haven’t had a chance to blog much lately, but it has more to do with time than will. For the past three weeks I have been ramping up the training to get ready for the Buffman & Squeaky this weekend in Lubbock. Training has been going well and my body feels great. Ultimately, my training routine is to get me ready for the 70.3 in Lubbock at the end of June, but I’m at a point where the mileage that I’m doing is perfect preparation for the intermediate distance of Buffman & Squeaky.

One thing about endurance racing that I still have trouble accepting is the fact that you really can’t speed up the building of a base in your fitness level. A strong fitness base truly comes from several years of training. For someone like me that is just starting year two it can be very frustrating. There is nothing like someone telling you that if you keep it up in a few years you’ll be really fast! A couple years? Really? As I have slowly started to accept this fact it has made training more enjoyable and focused. I no longer train for the immediate results of this year’s races, but instead focus on how this base will allow me to start next year that much stronger. I must say though that I have made HUGE gains in speed this year over last year. Of course, a ton of credit goes to my new bike, but I have shaved more or less 12 minutes off my typical sprint times of a year ago. Twelve minutes is roughly a 20-30% improvement. I fully expect the gains to be smaller in the future, but it is very rewarding to improve by minutes and not seconds!

This weekend should be an interesting race and if I can make it out of the water under 25 minutes I should be able to finish with a strong bike and run. Speaking of the swim, I tried on my wetsuit last night and just think Halle Berry as cat women! I don’t get it, I am at least 5 pounds lighter than last year but the suit fits like it was painted on! I kept trying to get out of it as if I was racing and could not manage to do it without my tri shorts being pulled down every time! Hopefully the shorts don’t come down this weekend or I’ll be blogging from jail for indecent exposure!