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Wildflower 2012 5/5/12 How do I get into this race report without sounding like a complete jerk, yet get the point across that I am not happy with my performance last Saturday at Wildflower? This was my fifth attempt at the epic Wildflower long course and I have yet to figure this thing out. Let me put it this way: Swim: 23:22 Bike: 2:17 Run: 1:14 Overall: 3:58 Those were not my times. Those were the times of the Overall Wildflower Champion Jesse “#1” Thomas. My times were: Swim: 28:46 Bike: 2:34 Run: 1:28 Overall: 4:35 I know I shouldn’t be upset because I raced Wildflower and finished 29th out of thousands of AWESOME finishers, but I know I am better than my performance on Saturday. The fact that Wildflower has beaten me five times now eats me up inside. There were a few bright spots to take away from the race, as well as plenty of not so bright spots to learn from. Like I said I do not want to come across as a major “DB” by saying I am not happy with a 4:35 at Wildflower. 4:35 is over 8 minutes better than last year. My swim time improved by over 1 minute 30 seconds. My bike time improved by over 9 minutes, and my run time was 1 minute slower. So year over year there was improvement, but I did not have a solid race. The swim was fun. I got off to a decent start and settled into a pack of swimmers with similar speed to myself. I drafted on the toes of another swimmer for the entire swim which made for a HUGE energy saver and allowed me to cut back on my sighting and focus on an efficient stroke. I came out of the water feeling fairly fresh and ready to settle in for 56 miles on the bike. It’s funny. The more half ironmans you do, the quicker the race seems to go by. Although this is the case, I always seem to underestimate the bike portion of the race. I eased into this course, knowing that there was a long day ahead of me. I wanted to hit the run course feeling fresh and ready to reel in my competition. The only way I would be able to do this would be if I hung back a bit on the bike. You know the term, “Nothing new on race day?” Well, toss that one out for this race. As of Wednesday afternoon(prior to the race), I was bike-less(A story for another time). I thought I was going to have to use my road bike for Wildflower which would have been a disaster. On Thursday, the day I was set to head out for Wildflower, Cynergy Cycles, the BEST shop in L.A., came through in a big way. They set me up with a Shiv. The top SUPER BIKE on the market. They got it all together and race ready by noon so I could get on the road before Thursday traffic hit. The guys at Cynergy worked their tails off for me and I really appreciate all they did to get me going. That being said, I did not have anyone look at my fit. I was rushed for time, and I am a bike fitter, so I figured I would do it myself once I got to the lake. Bad idea. I played with it a bit and rode for 40 minutes on Friday, but come race day I was not in the ideal position. I felt cramped, my hips were tightening up, and my knees were starting to ache around mile 46. The bike was FAST. It wanted to go. I pushed through mile 40, up N**** Grade, and hit the quick, steep, descent that took me through mile 45. At the bottom of the descent I started pedaling again and my legs said “NO WAY!” I felt as if I had cement in my quads. I couldn’t turn over my legs. I was cashed. I thought to myself, “How am I going to get through these last 10 miles?” With the bike turn around so quick, I didn’t have time to get my Quark set up so I was going off of Perceived Rate of Exertion instead of power. I guess I perceived wrong because I was in trouble over the last 10 miles. I struggled through and hit T2 with no idea what my bike split had been. I jumped off and ran to my rack. Surprisingly my legs were moving pretty well. I tossed on my new Skechers GoRuns and headed out to tackle the toughest run course on the triathlon circuit. Once again, as with the bike, my GoRuns wanted to move. They bounced me from stride to stride, but 1 mile into the run I knew it was going to be a long day on the course. I didn’t have “it.” Last month, at Oceanside, I hit the run fresh and raring to tear up the course. At Wildflower, the drive and the freshness was not there. With the hills, wind, heat, trail, etc. you MUST be fresh and ready to rock or the course will eat you up. I got chewed up an spit out on that run. I took it stride by stride and mile by mile, eventually crossing the finish line. It is a long season and I can’t let one race get me down. I am just frustrated at Wildflower. It is a great early season race to gauge fitness, strengths/weaknesses, and, if nothing else, gain fitness/race experience. I am in awe of Men’s Champ Jesse Thomas and Women’s Champ Heather Jackson, both of whom dominated the race. Wildflower is a test of strength, will, determination, knowledge, and maturity. If you lack any of these traits, Wildflower will beat you. I got beat, but once again, I am smarter for it. Thanks to my nutrition from Powerbar, my Vector Pro wetsuit from Xterra, all of the support from the L.A. Tri Club, my weight/pool sessions from Tri Fit Club, my multivitamins from SportMulti, and my transition bag from Gyst. RACE HARD!

Oceanside 70.3

I haven’t raced a triathlon in 5 months. I will tell you, I was nervous Saturday morning. I didn’t know what to expect from my body, the race, my equipment, etc. Nothing like jumping back in against the best athletes in the world. My training had been going well. I have been running faster than ever and holding great watts on the bike consistently. My swim was feeling as if it was starting to come around, but, as we all know, anything can happen on race day. In the past month I have tried to get a few tune up triathlons in to no avail. Food poisoning and weather had put a damper on any hopes that I would get a smaller race in before Oceanside. I was hitting the course not knowing exactly where I stood. I can tell you now, I have a good grasp. It is early in the season and it is nice to know where I need to go from here. I rode my bike to the race start which was about a mile from the hotel. As soon as I stepped outside I felt the mist. An annoying rain that consisted of tiny droplets that pelted my face similar to someone spraying you with tiny pieces of ice chips. I knew this wasn’t enough to cancel the race, but I also knew this annoying rain could cause for some readjusting of the race strategy. Like I said earlier, my swim has been really coming around in the pool. I have been hitting times I have never hit before, my volume is growing consistently week over week, and I have been getting really comfortable wearing my wetsuit. When the gun went off on Saturday morning I surprised myself a bit. I am usually off the back of the pack pretty quickly, but, finally I felt as if I was in the mix. I had feet to draft off of and I felt as though I could turn up my effort when needed and make passes fairly easily. This stayed consistent throughout the first half of the swim. When the harbor opened up to the mouth of the ocean, the tide turned (Like what I did there?). I lost my pacing/feel which, in turn, caused my focus to fade. The swells that were coming in were really big. They weren’t breaking, but it took a lot to swim through them. I lost the feet I was hanging onto and found myself alone. Eventually a pack of women pros swam by and I managed to get back on it and hang with them for the remainder of the swim. I can out of the water in 30 minutes. 8 minutes behind Andy Potts who swam 22 minutes. I have major work to do in the water. Although my time was poor I did come out feeling fairly fresh. In the past few triathlons I have done, the swim has worn me out. This was not the case. In T1 I did have a little diffuculty getting my wetsuit over my timimg chip, so I was a bit slower out of transition. I got on the bike and eased into my ideal Half IM wattage (310 watts). I am not a huge fan of the first 15 miles of the Oceanside course because of all of the turns and rough road, but I managed to power through this section keeping my effort consistently around 310w. In the first 10 miles is also when the rain picked up. It was that same annoying rain, but now it was falling in buckets. It didn’t let up for the remainder of the bike. The plan was to go moderate/hard for the first 45 miles then give it a good push for the last 10 miles. I executed this to the T. I felt great. The only problem was that I dropped my chain around mile 40. This took a couple of minutes to deal with and caused me a bit of unnecessary stress. Once I got the chain back on I quickly found my tempo again. I averaged 311 watts and 23 m.ph. for the 56 mile bike portion. I loved the power my new Felt DA gave me. When I put it in, the bike responded. It was awesome! I got off of the bike and went to put on my run shoes. The only problem was my feet were completely frozen. It was like trying to shove a brick of cement into a matchbox. My foot would not go into my shoe. I shoved and jammed and eventually it went. The same went for the other foot. I burst out of transition with no feeling in my feet, but my legs were raring to go. I got onto the new California 70.3 run course which was much more technical than the previous course. They had added a bunch of new turns as well as plenty of new, steep inclines and declines. I had not had that fresh leg feeling coming off of the bike in some time. Saturday, I had that feeling. I pushed from the start. I didn’t pay too much attention to my pace/distance. I just pushed. When I felt I was falling off I picked up my turnover and got back on it. The miles seemed to fly by. I was passing other male professionals pretty consistently. I didn’t have a good swim, and my bike time was no where near many of the other pros, so I had some ground to make up. There was a pretty good headwind every time I headed south, so I just took the pain, put my head down, and tried to drive through it as quick as possible. I was hurting but I had fuel in the tank. Within the last mile I believe I passed four more pros. I really finished it off strong which helped me with my confidence for the day. My run time was 1:15:22. I would have liked to go faster, but this is a good testament to my early season form. Overall I came in 26th place in a time of 4:16:41. I am no where close to where I need to be in order to compete for the podium, but California 70.3 was a good measuring stick of where I am and where I need to go. I like to learn from every race and give myself constructive criticsm that I can build on. A few things I will take from this race are: #1. SWIM- Longer tempo efforts with surges within the sets to mimic race like conditions #2. Lose a few LBs- I am not a huge fan of losing weight, but I believe I can take a few pounds off to improve my bike and run. 311 watts is a pretty good number for 56 miles, but the speed is still lacking. I think by taking off a few pounds my wattage will not suffer and my speed will increase. #3. Longer tempo sets on the bike at a slightly higher wattage- Like anything, your body adapts. If I can get my body use to pushing a few watts higher for a longer period of time I will benefit with faster speeds and stronger legs. #4. Focus on strength- I have been consistently in the gym the past few months, but now that the season is upon us I think I can add a few more core based workouts per week and really benefit through greater muscular endurance. This season is long. It is not a sprint. It takes time and periodization. Many athletes come out of the gate strong, but falter in the fall when the real racing starts. I know where I have to go. It will be tough and it will take dedication, but as long as I remain consistent, positive, and driven I know things will come together. RACE HARD!

Photo in Triathlete Magazine

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Race Report 10/2/11 Overall Time: 2:37 As I was attempting to change into my clean clothes post-race while in the Elite Athlete Tent, I was rehashing the race and contemplating how I was going to approach this race report. I was in phenomenal shape coming in. My focus has been on the Twin Cites Marathon for months and I have dedicated a lot to having a successful race. What is a successful race? Sub 2:19 which would qualify me for the Olympic Trials in January. I though I did everything right. Trained hard and consistently, ate a nutritional diet, tapered adequately, and conceived a solid race strategy. I did all of this, but I made one mistake…….(Buckle up, this is going to be a long one). Last Monday I went for an easy run and I felt like poop. I felt as though my legs didn’t have the POP! they normally had. Tuesday I swam a good effort at Masters’ and I was to run an interval workout post-swim. I figured my legs needed to get turning over again so I opted to do the intervals on the treadmill. If only I could go back in time. I hadn’t done a hard workout on the treadmill in a while. I made it through 3 of the 5 intervals when, all of a sudden, my IT Bands on both sides locked up. So badly that I could not bend either knee. I had to walk out of the gym looking like and athletic version of Frankenstein. This had happened after a treadmill run one other time, years ago, but I had no inkling of it since. Last time it happened, they were fine and loose the next day, but last time I didn’t have a marathon the following weekend where I was expecting to push the pace the entire course of 26.2 miles. So last Wednesday I got a massage, and Thursday I did ART. By Friday I was feeling great again and my IT’s were loose as a goose (or so I thought). So keep that detailed information in the back of your mind because I am going to come back to it. I arrived in Minnesota Friday feeling good and ready to kick some butt. The race was the most professional race I have ever been part of. The way they treated the Elite runners was astounding. They picked us up at the airport, put us up at the hotel, gave us free massages, had a hospitality suite fully stocked with food at all times, and made us feel as if we were truly professionals whose livelihood depended on performing well. One thing I did notice throughout the weekend is the skin and bones physique of the top runners. These guys do not have any unnecessary weight on their bodies and when they run it is more as if they are floating than they are running. Still, I was convinced I was prepared to compete with the best. Quick side story: I was a victim of discrimination while walking the streets of St. Paul with two Kenyan runners. The three of us were heading to the VIP reception Friday night and countless times random people walking down the street stopped these two Kenyan guys and asked them what time they were planning on running and if they were shooting to win the race. Keep in mind I was right next to these guys. The problem was, I looked as if both of these Kenyan guys could fit into me with room to add a third. I had actually had the same PR’s as these two guys, yet they were the one’s getting all of the gawkers. This got my juices going. I wanted to perform Sunday and show all of these people that they should be paying attention to the “white boy” as well. Ok, so theres’s the back story. Let’s get to the race. I was raring to go. Relaxed, confident, and feeling fresh. My plan was to go out ultra conservative. 5:25-5:30/mile pace for the first 10k, then turn on the jets and hover around 5:15 for the remainder of the race. If had more juice towards the last 5-6 miles I would close hard and try to reel some people in. This would put me below 2:19 and make my professional marathon debut a success. I started off right on track. I came through my 5K around 16:30, and my 10K around 33 minutes. I was feeling great. Then the downward spiral began. Remember that mistake I made by running on the treadmill? Yeah, at mile 7 I felt my right IT Band start to tighten up. I knew, from past experience, this was not a good thing. I knew it was only going to get worse. I pushed through and took the pain as it got tighter and tighter with each step I took. I hit mile 11 and all of a sudden the left one went. The only way I can describe the feeling is by comparing it to a guitar string. As you turn the tuning dial at the top, that string gets tighter and tighter, until it snaps. This is what I was feeling. I felt it from my hip to my knee, and it felt as if the band on either side was going to snap. I hit the halfway point(13.1) in 1:10, but I knew my miles were falling off abruptly. I was still on my race plan, but I knew it was only a matter of time before all was lost and I would be out there struggling to survive. I was dreading every undulation in the course. Uphills, downhills, turns, etc. They all caused greater discomfort. By mile 16 I was hobbling more than running. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that I had not completed a marathon in some time and I had a huge contingent of family out at the race. Every time I passed the 14 of them(family) on the course(3 times) they were shouting at deafening levels and this pushed me to drive through the pain. I was getting passed left and right, especially in the last 10K which didn’t deter me, but I knew I should have been the one doing the passing at this point. I came to the last quarter-mile which was a steep downhill to the finish and this was misery. I could see the finish line, but I couldn’t lift me knees higher than an inch on either side. I was in the most pain I have been in, in quite some time. I crossed the line in 2:37 and I stood a foot past the line for about 10 minutes. I couldn’t move. I hobbled to the Elite tent where I found my clothes. I considered calling my brother, to come in and help me put on my shoes and pants, but I struggled through it and that was just as much of an accomplishment as finishing the race was. So how do I feel about the run? I always like to take positives away from every race and learn from my mistakes. I am in phenomenal aerobic shape. I could have run forever. I look at it like I had a mechanical problem. My fitness was there, my bike(or body in this case) broke down. I need to loosen my hips up and learn to run from my gluteus. Right now my hips are crazy tight which means I have a short stride, which means I use my quads to propel me forward, which leads to tight IT Bands. Sound familiar? If I want to stay with this running thing I need to have self-control when eating. I am not saying I need to lose a ton of weight. I just need to lose the lbs. I don’t need. I hate being hungry so I eat, but I think I can be better at eating fuel that is better for me. Continue to build on my run fitness. I am super strong, and with consistent training I will only become stronger. Although I didn’t have the day I would have liked I still had a great experience in the Twin Cities. I would like to thank Matt Dowin and the rest of the TC Marathon staff for putting on such a well-organized race which showed me how professionals should be treated. I would also like to thank my family for pushing me throughout the course. You guys inspire me to keep driving everyday. Thanks Mom, Dad, Ken, Phyllis, Sophia, Pat, Joanne, Colleen, Joe, Meredith, Monica, Mike, Heather, Nora, and Liam. Up next, Austin 70.3 October 23rd. I can’t wait to get back on the triathlon circuit and see the gains I have made. S**** *** IT BANDS, YOU ARE STUPID! RACE HARD!

Rock and Roll Half Marathon

San Diego Rock and Roll Half Marathon- 1:10:14 Joanna called me last Monday and told me to try to get into the RnR Half in San Diego the following Sunday. I e-mailed Matt Turnbull of Competitior who promplty put me into the Elite Wave of the race. I have never raced as an Elite runner, but I was psyched to see what I could do. I never know how to approach a running race. I tell myself to stick to a pace and close hard at the end, but when it’s race time, I just go. I guess I treat running races as if they were time trials on the bike. I go hard, and see what I got. So, let’s fast forward to the start of the race. I was standing at the start line, waiting for the gun to go off, surrounded by miniature people. All of these elite runners are about half my size. I felt like the Incredible Hulk. I could have smashed any of these guys with my foot. There were several Olympic medalists in the field, and some really big names who have won some really big races. The gun goes off, and I go. I start at a hard pace that feels comfortable. I don’t look at my watch to see my pace, but I know that the only two other runners with me at the front are Olympic Silver medalist Meb Keflezigihi and London Marathon winner Martin Lei. We cruise through the first two miles. There were camera motorcycles on either side, as well as, a truck with 25 camera men directly infront of us. It was amazing. I wish triathlon had this much publicity. We hit the two mile mark, and this is the first glimpse I had of my pace. The race clock at the two mile marker was around 9 minutes 50 seconds. HOLY CRAP! I went out way too hard. Meb looked smooth and I felt good, but I knew I wouldn’t last. I had to back off, so I did. I have been reading all of these race recaps and they all mention Meb and Martin, but none of them mention ME. What the heck, check the pics, it was the three of us. Martin dropped out around mile 5, at least I finished (Sorry about going off, but give me a little credit, I am a triathlete for God Sake). So I backed off to around a 5:20/mile pace. Now, before the race, people were saying this is a flat course. I can tell you, this was not a flat course. I don’t think there was a flat portion of the course. We dropped down on this huge freeway and began a 1 1/2 to 2 mile climb, and it was a good one. I had run up for a while, when a spetator said, “The top is at the second bridge.” I couldn’t even see the first bridge! No matter the terrain, I kept telling myself, “Push the pace!’ I did not let off the gas the entire race. I drove the uphills, worked the downhills, diligently ran the tangents, and always tried to keep a high turnover. It hurt, but that’s how you get better, right? Around mile 11 there was a turn around where you could see who was close. I saw a few elites closely behind, so I knew the next few miles would be tough. I pushed the pace and tried to get as much out of my legs as I could. I held those dudes off, and finished in a new PR of 1:10:14. That’s 4 PRs in 4 half marathons this season. It was exactly a minute better than my time in Palm Springs. Post race I felt great. I finished 9th overall. I am psyched, top ten in a race this big. Meb finished in 1:02, so I have some work to do to catch him (And I need to lose about 60lbs.). I waited a few minutes and saw Joanna finish in a new PR as well, she came in second overall female. We were pumped. Both of us had outstanding days. I love running races, but God they hurt. Things are coming together. More good things to come. I put my splits below. The Garmin is a touch different than the race miles, but it all adds up to 13.1 in the end. RACE HARD! 1.4:55 2.5:10 3.5:02 4.4:54 5.5:35 6.5:34 7.5:12 8.5:30 9.5:31 10.5:27 11.5:34 12.5:34 13.5:18

FINALLY!

Finally! Santa Barbara Long Course Triathlon 8/28/10               It’s been a long season thus far.  I haven’t had the results I have wanted and I knew I was capable of more.  It just hadn’t come together yet, until today.  I finally got my first overall win at the elite level.  I have been getting [...]