Earlier this month Leigh and I headed south for visit with our parents, and a little racing in Melbourne, Florida. As excited as I was to race again, I've gotta say that it was even better to spend a little time with my parents and my in-laws in the sunshine state. The Health First Battle of the Bridges Triathlon had always been on my radar while I was living in Gainesville, but I never managed to get over to the Atlantic coast for it. Earlier this summer Leigh decided this race was to be her first crack at an olympic distance tri, and I was immediately stoked for her journey- as well as some flat and fast racing.
Leigh had a great experience, and I'm really proud of her. Like many triathletes (myself included), running is her first love- but holy smokes can that girl ride a bike! With rather limited time to train, my wife put together a :30 minute swim, a 1:20 bike split, and a :48 minute run. She finished in 2:42:26, winning the F25-29 age group. Did I mention that this was her first Oly tri ever?? My favorite part of the whole day was when I made a left turn on the run course to start the steep trek up the causeway, and I saw Leigh absolutely MASHING down the causeway off ramp to finish the bike. Down in the drops, teeth gritted, pushing a big gear- an incredible sight to see.
In case you couldn't quite tell from the tone of this post, I'm a huge fan of my wife- but I really admire anyone who makes the often unnerving decision to step outside themselves to meet a self imposed challenge. There is nothing more inspiring to me than seeing someone commit to a goal where the outcome is uncertain. I feel strongly that those are the moments in life that you learn the most about yourself.
Although Leigh was the star of the day, here's a brief rundown of my experience on race day. The weather conditions were great on race morning, cool (for central FL) with almost no breeze. With the swim being held in the Indian river, I was anticipating a calm, fast swim. I was in a large swim wave, and when the gun went off I fought hard to establish a good position before the first turn in the rectangular swim loop. Hopping on some feet, I was able to settle into a nice rhythm, and I came out of the water in 6th position. The 43K bike course was pancake flat- except for the two large causeways that span the Indian River, and give the race it's name. These bridges were small chain ring climbs for sure. I was hoping that I'd be able to overtake a few ahead of me on the bike course. My legs felt great, but I came in off the bike course in the same position I started (6th). After I rather goofy/slow T2, I was off on the run course to see if I could hunt some dudes down. The first part of the run course was really pretty, unique looking houses and big oaks along the river. I was pressing a bit in the first two miles, putting myself out there and hoping to hold off any meltdowns. Surprisingly, I was rewarded with my aggressive pace out of T2, and I found a pretty good cadence that I was able to hold for the duration of the 10k. A few of the guys in front of me were paying for their big efforts on the bike, and by the time I crested the Pineda Causeway at mile 5, I had run my way into 2nd place. That's where I finished- second overall, and somehow I found myself with the days best run split (37:24).
Race results for the Health First Battle of the Bridges Triathlon can be found here:
http://www.racesmith.com/results/2011results/HealthFirstTriathlonOlympic100211ag.html
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Staying the Course
"Keep things simple, train hard, and be consistent with what you do."
Short, sweet, and full of truth. Pound for pound, the above might be one of the more powerful things I have heard- and its something I repeat to myself often when I am tired, in the middle of a big training block, or otherwise lacking motivation. As a relatively new endurance athlete, one of the harsher truths I have learned during this journey is that triathlon is a sport that rewards consistency over a period of years. After a (very) small amount of success racing last season, I figured that my ascension in this sport would incremental and fairly rapid. I couldn't have been more wrong about that, but I am buoyed by the fact that I have been turned on to the formula for athletic improvement. It happens to be pretty simple.
1. Train hard- positive changes in fitness are triggered by progressively and specifically overloading the body system you hope to improve.
2. Keep things simple- An athlete who adheres to structured daily efforts will always trump the athlete who compensates for sporadic training with crazy complex/hard, yet inconsistent sessions.
3. Be consistent- This is the most important, yet probably the hardest part of the winning formula to adhere to, yet it's as simple as it sounds. As I said above- athletic success is rewarded by consistency over a period of years, not weeks. Be the one who shows up daily, and eventually you will experience the fruits of your labor.
Until next time,
jw
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Lake Logan Olympic Race Report
Well, I'm back- and after a couple of weeks learning to manage training while balancing a few new job related responsibilities, I resolve to pay more attention to this blog thing. Two weeks ago Leigh and I made the short trip over to Asheville, NC for the Lake Logan International Triathlon on August 6th. In it's fifth year, this great race draws more than 500 racers and a talented pro field. After racing poorly three weeks prior in Charlotte, I was jonzing to get back on the start line and have the opportunity to put together a solid race.
The Swim
Race morning in the mountains was a little cooler than what I have been waking up to each morning in Carrboro, and I was stoked for the cool temps. At 73 degrees, Lake Logan was serving up a rare August wetsuit legal swim. The open wave was the first to send off, with a deep water start. With Pro/uber swimmers like John Kenny and Kevin Lisska in the field, I didn't have delusions of swimming off the front of the race. My plan was to settle into the tail end of whatever breakaway pack formed in the rectangle swim course, and just hang on. There were 30+ people in the open wave send off, and I was able to do just that. I found some feet pretty quickly after the chaotic scrum in the first 300 meters. I stayed on the tail end of a decent paced swim train of four racers, until breaking away and soloing the last 400 meters or so, coming out of the water in approximately 13th position.
The Bike
After some self analysis of past racing so far this season, I was determined to let it all hang out on the bike course at Lake Logan. I felt as if conservative riding in the past had not left me in any sort of competitive position coming off the bike. Lake Logan was going to be an experiment in finding my run legs after (attempting to) smash up the bike course. After a decent T1 I made the 50 second sprint down the gravel road to the mount line- which was kinda weird. From the transition area you couldn't even down the road and through the trees to the bike course start! Out onto the course I quickly tried to settle into a rhythm, pushing the biggest gear I could keep at a 80-90 cadence. Outside of one steep climb in the last few miles, the LL bike course was surprisingly absent of any epic climbing, given the race location. Rolling hills and winding roads keep things interesting, and I was able to pull back four racers on the ride. I stuck to the plan of mashing hard and putting myself out there on the bike, and I rolled in with a 59:19 bike split. I was pretty stoked with the ride, and hoped my legs had something left to give on the run course.
The Run
Coming out of T2 I knew I was somewhere in the hunt for the top 10, but other than that I wasn't sure of who was up the road. The Lake Logan run course was a pretty simple out and back 10k. The first three miles are a slow, steady climb out of town at a 2-3% grade, with the back half of the run cruising down the mountain back to the finish. I felt pretty good in the first mile, keeping the legs turning over and looking around each bend for the guys ahead of me. Somewhere close to mile two I started dealing with some oblique cramps (body low on salts?) that forced me to back off the pace a little, but by the time I hit the turn around things subsided a little and I was able to refocus on the task at hand. Although at times I could see two racers up ahead, I could never quite close the gap. I started the run in 8th position, and that's where I finished, with 38:55 run. I wasn't too keen on a 38:55 10k, but given the course I guess it was a decent effort. All in all I finished 8th in the open wave, with a new Oly distance PR of 2:04:35. Great race venue and great weather, and a great time with friends in beautiful Asheville after- not a bad weekend.
The Swim
Race morning in the mountains was a little cooler than what I have been waking up to each morning in Carrboro, and I was stoked for the cool temps. At 73 degrees, Lake Logan was serving up a rare August wetsuit legal swim. The open wave was the first to send off, with a deep water start. With Pro/uber swimmers like John Kenny and Kevin Lisska in the field, I didn't have delusions of swimming off the front of the race. My plan was to settle into the tail end of whatever breakaway pack formed in the rectangle swim course, and just hang on. There were 30+ people in the open wave send off, and I was able to do just that. I found some feet pretty quickly after the chaotic scrum in the first 300 meters. I stayed on the tail end of a decent paced swim train of four racers, until breaking away and soloing the last 400 meters or so, coming out of the water in approximately 13th position.
The Bike
After some self analysis of past racing so far this season, I was determined to let it all hang out on the bike course at Lake Logan. I felt as if conservative riding in the past had not left me in any sort of competitive position coming off the bike. Lake Logan was going to be an experiment in finding my run legs after (attempting to) smash up the bike course. After a decent T1 I made the 50 second sprint down the gravel road to the mount line- which was kinda weird. From the transition area you couldn't even down the road and through the trees to the bike course start! Out onto the course I quickly tried to settle into a rhythm, pushing the biggest gear I could keep at a 80-90 cadence. Outside of one steep climb in the last few miles, the LL bike course was surprisingly absent of any epic climbing, given the race location. Rolling hills and winding roads keep things interesting, and I was able to pull back four racers on the ride. I stuck to the plan of mashing hard and putting myself out there on the bike, and I rolled in with a 59:19 bike split. I was pretty stoked with the ride, and hoped my legs had something left to give on the run course.
The Run
Coming out of T2 I knew I was somewhere in the hunt for the top 10, but other than that I wasn't sure of who was up the road. The Lake Logan run course was a pretty simple out and back 10k. The first three miles are a slow, steady climb out of town at a 2-3% grade, with the back half of the run cruising down the mountain back to the finish. I felt pretty good in the first mile, keeping the legs turning over and looking around each bend for the guys ahead of me. Somewhere close to mile two I started dealing with some oblique cramps (body low on salts?) that forced me to back off the pace a little, but by the time I hit the turn around things subsided a little and I was able to refocus on the task at hand. Although at times I could see two racers up ahead, I could never quite close the gap. I started the run in 8th position, and that's where I finished, with 38:55 run. I wasn't too keen on a 38:55 10k, but given the course I guess it was a decent effort. All in all I finished 8th in the open wave, with a new Oly distance PR of 2:04:35. Great race venue and great weather, and a great time with friends in beautiful Asheville after- not a bad weekend.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
It's HOT out there!
Here's a quick update as to what I have been up to training wise. Like just about everyone else in the continental U.S., I have spent considerable energy the past several weeks trying to figure out how to manage training sessions effectively with the summer heat. In the way of strategy; I have started longer bike efforts earlier in the morning to avoid the hottest part of the day, and moved afternoon recovery rides indoors to the trainer. At least once a week I am logging a run on a treadmill. I typically like to tackle swim workouts in the morning, but I have moved a few swims (at Chapel Hill's fantastic Homestead Aquatic Center) to the afternoon. This has been allowing me to smash a quality ride or run in the morning, and hide from the 112 degree heat index in a lap lane during the hottest part of the day.
As an exercise physiology geek, I feel that treadmills and bike trainers are great supplemental tools that can be leaned on sparingly during a training week- but neither can truly provide the specific benefits of an outdoor ride with multiple hilly climbs or the quick turnover of a track session. I've been looking at daily training decisions with a critical eye, picking my battles with the North Carolina heat wisely. The potential value of certain workouts can only be reached outside, but there is definitely a point of diminishing returns when working in high heat/high humidity conditions.
I had a great week in the pool- with right at 15k yards of quality group workouts. Fast dudes Mark C and James D pushed me hard this week, and I'm glad they tolerated the slow dude in the lane with them. This was also a bit of a big volume bike week for me, with a little over 10 hours in the saddle from Sunday to today- topped off with the Carrboro P ride this morning. Tomorrow's long run rolls right into a week of high volume/high intensity, while looking ahead to the Lake Logan Olympic Triathlon on August 6th.
Wishing everyone a healthy, safe week of tackling your goals.
jw
Chapel Hill, North Carolina....or at least how it feels on a July afternoon.
As an exercise physiology geek, I feel that treadmills and bike trainers are great supplemental tools that can be leaned on sparingly during a training week- but neither can truly provide the specific benefits of an outdoor ride with multiple hilly climbs or the quick turnover of a track session. I've been looking at daily training decisions with a critical eye, picking my battles with the North Carolina heat wisely. The potential value of certain workouts can only be reached outside, but there is definitely a point of diminishing returns when working in high heat/high humidity conditions.
I had a great week in the pool- with right at 15k yards of quality group workouts. Fast dudes Mark C and James D pushed me hard this week, and I'm glad they tolerated the slow dude in the lane with them. This was also a bit of a big volume bike week for me, with a little over 10 hours in the saddle from Sunday to today- topped off with the Carrboro P ride this morning. Tomorrow's long run rolls right into a week of high volume/high intensity, while looking ahead to the Lake Logan Olympic Triathlon on August 6th.
Wishing everyone a healthy, safe week of tackling your goals.
jw
Friday, July 8, 2011
Quick Update
The weekend before last I raced at the Morton Plant Mease Triathlon, a sprint triathlon in Clearwater, Florida. The MPM triathlon is unique in that it is a sprint race that offers a fairly big prize purse, which in turn attracts a pretty competitive pro/age group field. Unfortunately mother nature decided on race morning to change the dynamic of this race, so I don't have a full race to report on.
On race morning we were greeted with cloudy skies and thunderstorms in the distance. Maybe 35 minutes before the scheduled start the skies opened up, and the rains came down hard. I wasn't sure how this was going to affect the start, so I continued my pre race routine as normal. Lightning delayed the start by 45 minutes, and just before the race got underway it was announced that much of the bike course was flooded- forcing the race directors to change MPMT to a swim/run biathlon. I wasn't too excited about the new 600m swim/ 5k run format, but sometimes you just have to take what the day gives you, and I felt like I was ready to run a fast 5k.
I toed the line at the waters edge with the rest of the 25 man/woman elite field- which also included 30 or so kiddos who are a part of the USAT Elite Athlete development team. With over 50 of us attempting to make the left turn at the buoy less that 75 feet from the beach, I knew I was going to have to charge the swim with absolutely everything I had- or be swarmed by mob of 13 year old super swimmers. As it turns out, I was dominated by these guppies. I had kids swimming over me, under me, and just about right through me. I thought my size/weight advantage would help me hold my own for a third of a mile- but several several of these kids gave me an adult sized thrashing. Swim: 7:29....11/19 elite wave.
With a short swim and no bike leg, I blasted up the beach and through T1 holding nothing back. I was looking to chase a few people down and absolutely redline the effort for 5k. The run course was on the sand and had 3 complete 180 degree turns, (certainly not set up for PR's) but the course did give you several looks at who was up ahead, and what it would take to catch them. There were several places where I had to pick my line to avoid the softest sand, but I felt like I was running so hard I was going to bleed from the ears. I crossed the finish line in 9th place, out of the prize money but somewhat pleased with 5:54/mile on the beach. With a shortened race, only 67 seconds separated the 3rd place dude and me (9th). Who knows- maybe if we had been able to keep the bike leg I might have been able to chase down a few more of those up ahead? Maybe next year. Run: 18:21....8/19 elite wave.
On race morning we were greeted with cloudy skies and thunderstorms in the distance. Maybe 35 minutes before the scheduled start the skies opened up, and the rains came down hard. I wasn't sure how this was going to affect the start, so I continued my pre race routine as normal. Lightning delayed the start by 45 minutes, and just before the race got underway it was announced that much of the bike course was flooded- forcing the race directors to change MPMT to a swim/run biathlon. I wasn't too excited about the new 600m swim/ 5k run format, but sometimes you just have to take what the day gives you, and I felt like I was ready to run a fast 5k.
I toed the line at the waters edge with the rest of the 25 man/woman elite field- which also included 30 or so kiddos who are a part of the USAT Elite Athlete development team. With over 50 of us attempting to make the left turn at the buoy less that 75 feet from the beach, I knew I was going to have to charge the swim with absolutely everything I had- or be swarmed by mob of 13 year old super swimmers. As it turns out, I was dominated by these guppies. I had kids swimming over me, under me, and just about right through me. I thought my size/weight advantage would help me hold my own for a third of a mile- but several several of these kids gave me an adult sized thrashing. Swim: 7:29....11/19 elite wave.
With a short swim and no bike leg, I blasted up the beach and through T1 holding nothing back. I was looking to chase a few people down and absolutely redline the effort for 5k. The run course was on the sand and had 3 complete 180 degree turns, (certainly not set up for PR's) but the course did give you several looks at who was up ahead, and what it would take to catch them. There were several places where I had to pick my line to avoid the softest sand, but I felt like I was running so hard I was going to bleed from the ears. I crossed the finish line in 9th place, out of the prize money but somewhat pleased with 5:54/mile on the beach. With a shortened race, only 67 seconds separated the 3rd place dude and me (9th). Who knows- maybe if we had been able to keep the bike leg I might have been able to chase down a few more of those up ahead? Maybe next year. Run: 18:21....8/19 elite wave.
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