Back in Action

Finally, another race weekend to get excited about! If you haven’t noticed this season I am spending much more time training for a few longer distance races and haven’t raced very much so far. I enjoy the training, but will be glad to compete in a race and see what I can do. This weekend I will be attending the Milkman Triathlon in Dexter, NM. This will be my third race this season and will be my tune-up for the Buffalo Springs 70.3. So how exactly does a sprint in a small rural community act as a tune-up for a very difficult 70.3 race in Lubbock? I’m glad you asked.

The Milkman Triathlon is a great race that has been around for over 28 years and is run by some of the best people in the region. Three factors make it a great tune-up for Lubbock;

1)      Competition. The race is “The Best of the US New Mexico State Championship” and attracts some of the very best in the region. Between some of the best athletes in New Mexico being there, you’ll also find racers from El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland/Odessa. Together all the top athletes make it very difficult to place, but the competition can really push you to your limits.

2)      Open Water Swim. As many experienced triathletes can tell you, swimming open water is very different than swimming in a pool. For me the hardest part is staying in rhythm while people are swimming over the top of me and smacking me in the face with their arms. The Milkman lets you experience open water, but in a very controlled environment that puts you more at ease. The wave start at the Milkman usually puts about 25 racers in the water at the same time (as opposed to a couple hundred or even a thousand at some of the bigger races). You will still get smacked around a little bit, but not nearly as bad as in Lubbock. Another aspect of the Milkman swim is the open water course. Lubbock and many other open water swims use a rectangle or triangle shaped course that requires a fairly good amount of sighting. At the Milkman the course is a straight out and back with a line of buoys attached to a rope. Even though sighting is a skill we all need to practice, the Milkman course allows you to follow the rope and buoys the whole time.

3)      Similar Roads, Heat and Wind. The roads used for the bike course at the Milkman are very similar as to what you will see in Lubbock. Rural asphalt roads that can get a little bumpy at times are par for the course. Lubbock has more climbing than the Milkman, but you will get an idea of how the roads at times have very little shoulder and have patch work repairs every now and then. Wind isn’t anything new to triathletes and especially ones from El Paso and Southern New Mexico, but it certainly can affect how you race. At the Milkman, just like in Lubbock, you can expect a decent headwind going out on the bike and for some reason instead of a tailwind coming back it is more of a cross-wind. Of course, this can change with the weather on that given day, but it should be prepared for. The heat is also similar to Lubbock. By the time you hit the run at the Milkman the temperature will start to climb and there is virtually no shade on the course. Even though the run portion is only a 5k, you can begin to get an idea of what to expect during your 13.1 mile run in Lubbock.

I hope everyone has a great weekend of racing and I’ll have a race report up early next week. Before I sign off I want to congratulate Gretchen McElroy for her incredible finish at Ironman Texas a couple of weeks ago. In her first attempt at an Ironman she completed the course in 11 hours and 59 minutes! Great job Gretch!!

Also, take advantage of the Trisports.com Promo Code: BVAN-S for any shopping that you might need to do.

Yum Yum and Yummy!

Now that Duathlon Nationals is over I can begin focusing on my longer races for this year. I plan on doing both a half and a full Ironman distance race in the next 5 months. While training will be tough, the thing that has killed me for the past two years is race day nutrition.

For shorter sprint distances I haven’t had as many problems simply because I don’t have to take in as many calories as I would in a longer race. My problem begins when I have a race that is five or six hours long and my tank starts to run on empty. Many seasoned triathlon vets have found a gel, drink or nutrition bar that works for them. They have spent years trying different products and experienced both the good and bad out there. Hopefully, my insight can help those of you out there that are just starting out and don’t have time, money, or the stomach to try dozens of different products. 

Two products have saved my life lately, the Honey Stinger Waffle and the Honey Stinger Gel. The waffle is a small 160 calorie snack that I use both pre-race and while on a long bike ride. It comes in several flavors, but I prefer the Honey one. I have had no stomach issues at all, but as the name suggest it is made with honey, so if you are allergic or not a fan of honey this might not be for you. You can find the waffles at your local bike shop or nutrition store, but they usually run about $2.00 each. If you want to save some money visit the Trisports.com on-line store and you can find them for $1.30 each when you buy 16 or more. You can also use the promo code BVAN-S for an additional 10% off and that brings the price to just a little over $1.00 each.  

The other product that I love is the Honey Stinger Gel. It works just like other gels, but if you have a hard time choking down the nasty taste of most gels, you will love the Stinger gel. It is simply honey! Once again it has several flavors, but I prefer the Honey Stinger Gold. You can also pick up the gels at Trisports.com and they will cost about a $1.00 each when you purchase 24 or more. Use promo code BVAN-S for an additional 10%.

In a follow up post I will talk about what liquids have worked well for me and which ones I now avoid.