RACE REPORT: LA TRI SERIES, CHAMPIONSHIP DISTANCE
Ron Saetermoe
I’ve seen a lot of emails flying around about the quality of the lake water out at Bonelli Lake in San Dimas. Coming from the “land of lakes, “ Michigan (or is it Wisconsin), I have personally swum in over 100 lakes in my lifetime and I can tell you 99 of them had dirty water. The only exception being Torch Lake in northern Michigan.
Yes, the water’s dirty . . . it’s a lake . . . get over it!
However, don’t let the dirty water dissuade you from doing these really great races. There are a bunch of benefits: it’s on a lake so the swim is flat, it’s close, it’s a great environment, it’s challenging and it’s a small race. If you haven’t done any of these I highly recommend it. They have three races in the series and you can select from the “Tri Express” (short) or “Championship” (long) courses.
I did the Championship race on Sunday, April 18th and had a blast.
I want to preface this report by saying that while I had a good race it certainly wasn’t anything to write home about. The 92-mile bike ride (which we hammered) didn’t make my legs feel that great! (I say this again in case you missed my comments above.)
The morning was cool but the sun was starting to come out at the beginning of the 500-yard swim. And while the wave I started in probably only had 100 people in it, I was thrashed.
Since I’m a “good” swimmer I usually try to go out fast and get ahead of the crowd. I’m never alone in this thinking but this time it seemed like EVERYONE had the same idea. I’ve never been beaten up so badly in any race start!
By the time I got to the turnaround buoy we finally formed a nice pace-line. I got on the heels of another swimmer and just followed him in. By the way, if you don’t practice drafting off other swimmers, you should.
Coming up the steep ramp into transition I caught up to one of my fellow M55-59 age-groupers, Rich Pfeiffer. I encouraged Rich to speed up, which he promptly did.
The bike portion of the race was a blast because Rich, Sam Sunshine (my doctor) and I were all in the same pack. I’d pass them, one of them would pass the other two, and so on. The entire bike portion of the race was like this with Sam entering transition first, Rich second and me close behind.
We all seemed to transition about the same speed but Sam just took off and left Rich and I in the dust! He was running strong with no way for my tired legs to catch up.
Rich on the other hand was directly in my sights. I guess I passed him about a mile into the run and once again encouraged him to stay with me. No way, Rich wouldn’t be able to keep my pace.
I just couldn’t seem to get into a groove with my running so I just hung in there the best I could. Guess what? It was good enough for 1st!
In the last five races I’ve done I’ve got four 1st place finishes and one 2nd place finish. I guess the M55-59 age group suits me well. Again, sorry if I missed anyone.
Chris Davis 1:08:24 (3rd M35-39)
Mike Catanzaro 1:12:02 (6th M35-39)
Stefani McMillen 1:13:18 (2nd F30-34)
Sam Sunshine 1:13:39 (6th M45-49)
Ron Saetermoe 1:14:27 (1st M55-59)
Rich Pfeiffer 1:16:20 (3rd M55-59)
Camille Longino 1:24:27 (2nd F50-54)
Julie Vargas 1:25:27 (4th F35-39)
GOOD LUCK IRONMAN ST. GEORGERS!
Ron Saetermoe
The inaugural St. George Ironman is coming up on Saturday, May 1st. This should be a really great, but hard race. The gang I usually hang with is going out next week to tackle this monster.
All reports have indicated that the bike and run will be real challenges. The venue sounds beautiful but the racers will probably be in too much pain to really appreciate any of it.
If you’re interested in following any of the athletes on race day you can go to www:Ironman.com for up to the minute race results.
So, good luck to everyone. I’ll be checking your progress throughout the day. Sorry if I missed you.
Denise Bardsley
Blaine Bardsley
Quinton Berry
Scott Callender
Gary Clendenin
Larry Davidson
Chris Davis
Jordan Dejong
Rene Rodarte
Roy Sharp
Brian Smallwood
John Steed
Martha Szufnarowski
PICKING YOUR RACE(S)
Ron Saetermoe
We’re really coming into triathlon season now. As you may know, many of the most popular races are already sold out but there are still plenty that are available.
There really isn’t a “right” way to select your races. It really depends on what your goals are. If it’s just to have fun and not to worry about whether you “podium” or not then do whatever turns you on.
Last year I think I raced six consecutive weekends (tris and runs). I love to race and wasn’t worried much about how I did.
For some, racing once a year is all their time, budget or interest can afford. That’s great too. Everyone has different goals.
However, if you’re really interested in doing well in your races you need to be more strategic. My Ironman mentor, Chris Johnson, told me that if I really wanted to get serious about qualifying for Kona that I’d have to race less and concentrate on my training more. So this year that’s exactly what I’ve done.
You probably know about the A, B, Cs of prioritizing your races where your “A” race is your most important race of the season. When you select your races for the year you should start with your “A” race then work forward/backward from there.
You want to make sure you’re not racing too much (my problem) but you should be sure your races before your “A” race are going to help advance your performance. For example, I have found that half marathons are a great distance for me to help me get ready for full- and half-Ironman distance races. It helps me build my leg speed and endurance. As a result, I’ve done three half marathons this season.
Last weekend I did the LA Tri Series Championship triathlon race out at Bonelli (race report follows). This was a “C” race for me but a good primer to help me stay sharp. I didn’t expect much from this race because Lar Dog, Camille and I hammered the day before (I did 92 miles) so my legs were toast. The race really didn’t mean anything to me, but I won anyway.
More than likely I’ll race again next month to help get me ready for my first “A” race of the season, Hawaii Ironman 70.3 on June 5th. OC Duathlon, LA Tri Series? Don’t know, but it will be fun!
Cheers!
RACE REPORT: MULHOLLAND CHALLENGE
Scott Callender
Saturday, April 10, 2010. While most people are sleeping and dreaming whatever it is they dream about, eight stupid guys were up at between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. getting ready to go to the parking lot in front of the Starbucks at the corner of El Toro and Bake to meet up so that we could carpool to the Mulholland Challenge. At 4:45 a.m., I drove up and parked and was greeted by Gary Clendenin (The Kid), Ron Saetermoe and Mark Matyazic. Right after that Larry Davidson (Lar Dog), Kari Kraus, Quinton Berry (Banger) and Jeff Rhodes (Bat) showed up. Everyone was quite timely. We got the bikes loaded and gear in the cars. We then had to wait for Starbucks who was suppose to open at 5:00 a.m. but it was obvious that they are not used to having eight guys waiting outside for opening. As much as everyone wanted coffee, I think the real dash was for the restroom. Needless to say, the day was starting out good and I remember someone saying, “Why do we do this?” Since I have asked myself this question numerous times, I really had no answer.
We head out and get on the 405 and things are good. I was driving and had Kari, Lar Dog and Ron in my Car. Yes, we were driving in my wife’s Honda Odyssey but as the ride went on, everyone kept commenting how comfy it was and how smooth it rode. We had XM radio and I set it on Channel 8, which is dedicated to the 80s. Kari was very pleased as he was singing songs from the Hooters (which he informed that they were from somewhere in Wisconsin). We all were happy and had smiles on our faces.
Flashback to a year ago. Last year, five of us did this. Daniel, Quinton, Jeff, Lar Dog and myself. The whole way up Daniel was so excited that we were doing this ride because it was where he did a lot of his training. He kept saying how beautiful the mountains were blah blah blah. He was acting like someone that was going to show off his hot looking model-like girlfriend to his friends. Well, it was the most miserable experience ever for me and it was a suffer-fest. Why do I bring this up? Well, I purposely log everything into BT (Beginner Triathlete) and I use that to look at previous training and I usually put in certain notes to myself. See below from my BT after this ride last year. Note the last paragraph titles, “Note To Self.” What an idiot. As you can plainly see, I did not reference this log prior to signing up. It was all “c’mon Scooter, good for you, we will have shits and giggles.”
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7h 00m 102.50 miles 14.64 Mi/hr
Equipment: Cervelo P2C
King Of The Mountains Century
Challenge Stage 1 – Mulholland Challenge
Several things. If this isn’t an Epic Ride than nothing is. We climbed exactly 11,333 feet. What a day. The only thing good about this ride was the company. Did this bad boy with Lar Dog, Banger, DD and Jeff Rhodes.
Key Learnings: 1) Do not eat too much on the SAG Stops. Ate one too many peanut butter granola bars at SAG Stop 1 and my stomach was bloated until mile 70. 2) Never carry two nutrition bottles. Always make sure one is water. I switched out water for Heed at one stop and craved water so bad. Not good. 3) Need to learn to take salt tabs during long training rides or runs and not just races. Legs cramped up. 4) The saying that you will always go thru a rough time at some point during a long bike and run and you have to just get thru it is very valid. Between miles 60 and 70 was just miserable but after that and through prayer, I felt great and finished strong.
Note to self: Never do this ride or another like again. I had to put this in, in case I even think of signing up for something like this again.
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Ok, back to the highway to hell. So, we arrive, hit a Mickey Ds for relief from Starbucks and other manly functions and then park in the designated lot. Weather was looking good, overcast, and a little cold but not too cold. At this point, I have been relatively calm, not really thinking or referring to the hell I went through last year. I am enjoying all of the smack talk between the gang. We are ready to roll and ride across the street to the Renaissance Hotel and get checked and attach race numbers to our jerseys get our maps. Funny thing is that while I am folding my map, I fail to look at the distance. Note distance from last year, 102.5 miles and ONLY 11K in climbing. Last year we were the last group out and we were dropped after only 200 yards. This year they were starting everyone out as they were ready and so they noted our race numbers and the time and off we go. 7:24 was the time I was told to start. Key to note how observant I was at this point.
Off we go and of course, Lar Dog is leading the way. We started off much easier than last year and some of the scenery looked familiar. We were on Mulholland Hwy I knew that had a few rolling hills but was fast and nothing to hard and that would lead to PCH and the nice scenic Pacific Ocean. Last year when we got to PCH we had to wait like 20 minutes for someone and since we were in the last group, we were constantly fighting to make cut-off times. This year would not be rushed and plus, I was going to beat my time by at least 20 – 30 minutes. I am with Kari and Gary at this point and hit a stoplight and Lar Dog, Banger, Ron and Bat make the light and they are off to the races. Please note that this is the last time I see Banger and Bat until near the end. Have a great time guys. At this point I have to use the restroom but I am afraid that Kari and Gary are going to give me crap so early in the ride. As we are cruising along PCH, we get a nice little pace-line going and I am pulling at this point when I see two blue structures of pure delight …yes, porta-potties. At this point and since I am the lead, I pull-up and pull over. Relief is finally here. The funniest part was that Gary and Kari had also wanted to go to the restroom but was afraid to saying anything as well. Ron was smart and had stopped as well so he joined our group. We continue along PCH until we hit Topanga Canyon. I knew this turn well. This is like going from the Honeymoon to the real life. From this point on, it was just hill after hill after hill. The entrance to the dragon’s lair.
At this point it is really lots of giggles and talking and saying how nice the scenery is etc. We get to the first Sticker Stop and meet up with Lar Dog and get our stickers and some water. Away we go. No time to chat with this group. After this it is just hard riding. I remember Ron saying something earlier about the race being 116 miles and 12K+ of climbing. The whole time this is just not computing in my head. He must be wrong. I know they left out Stunt Hill last year but that would only add in a little bit. Kept checking my Garmin for feet climbed and it was only about 1K. Long day ahead. We ride and hit the first SAG stop. While I noted I was an idiot for not ready my BT log, I did remember that I ate way to much at the SAG stop (this one in particular – Too many Salty Peanut Butter bars) so this time I just get water and 2/3 of a banana. I feel like I am Einstein at this point and leave with a big smile on my face.
Somewhere along the way The Kid took off and I never saw him again. All I know is that he was riding strong and he was on a mission. Kari, Ron, Lar Dog and I would be together the rest of the way with some sightings of Mark here and there. Last year I was really suffering between miles 50-70 due to my stupid pig out at the first SAG stop. Feeling good and we are all riding strong. We then hit a stretch of road that was most likely laid down in the early 1900s and it has not been repaved to date. The worst part is that at first you climb on this horrid road and then you have to descend down it and I swear, you are hanging on for dear life. Your hands hurt from the vibration, you arms are so tense that you are actually more fatigued than rested after descending and in my case, I am sure my brain got knocked loose and that probably happened last year as well and is why I am stupid enough to have done this ride again. After this we are treated to some short 16% grades that you don’t think much of but they really wear you down. Finally, we are on PCH and get some nice pace-lines going with everyone taking a turn in front. At this point I am averaging about 232W and feeling good (heck, compared to what I felt last year, I am ecstatic). Things are nice and peaceful until I see what I called the entrance to Hell. Yes, you guessed it, DECKER. I spell it out in caps to give it the respect it deserves. I hear Lar Dog say “Scooter, this can’t be DECKER already.” Unfortunately, it was. When we did the race last year they had to change it a little and DECKER came about mile 85 and this year it embraced us at mile 71.6. Let me add in that I find it funny that Daniel did this race the only year Stunt Road was removed and now that it is added back in, he is spinning in the canyons and eating at The Counter. Fortunately, Kari and Ron had no idea was they were about to get themselves into. Just so you know, DECKER is where I hit my darkest place last year. I had to pull over and pray, I was so cramped up and just couldn’t go. No matter what your thoughts are, God answered my prayers and gave me strength to make it up that hill and finish the race. Ok, back to reality. Lar Dog suggests we pull over and remove vest, jackets or whatever would cause overheating. After that we hit it. First third of the ride is just a bunch of 16% grades. It is hard. And at Mile 71, it makes it even harder. We all ride strong up DECKER and Lar Dog comes up and joins me at about 2/3 of the way and is looking really strong. As the race gets longer, the dog gets stronger. We all meet at the DECKER SAG stop, which is at a Fire Station. We refuel and realize we still have a long way to go. I mention to Lar Dog that we still have 4K of climbing left and he says something to the effect of that can’t be right.
We continue to ride and head toward Stunt Road. Never done it before so I have no idea. What I was able to glean was that it was not as bad as DECKER and it was 3.8 miles long. Well, let the carnage begin. While DECKER is hard, doing Stunt Road at 92 miles into a race was the most horrendous. My mileage seems like it was stuck. I was in the Pain Cave and then was escorted into a Special Room in the Pain Cave. Once again, this is when you really have to reach deep. For me, that is praying and asking for Strength from God. I think about my family and how blessed I am. This is also I time that I have a few choice words for my buddies like Lar Dog and Banger. I was also thinking about The Kid who told me that he would be holding down the rear and at this point, I am thinking he is at the top enjoying life. At this point, you hate everyone and you are going to sell your bike when you get home or toss it in the ocean, whatever is easier. Ron passed me and he looked like death and I only imagined what I looked like. I see a guy sitting in a nice shady part of the hill just relaxing and the thought crosses my mind to join him. As much as I want to, I can’t. I am stupid and have to ensure the pain. About 2/3 up the Lord did answer my prayers and I felt much better. I was now able to get up to 6mph versus the 2mph I was going. I pass a guy walking and he says, “Great job, can’t believe you are doing this on a Tri-bike. I pass Ron and tell him what a Stud he is. I look up and see people and bikes at the top. That must be a SAG stop and I am off to the races. Nothing like a finish line to something to get me going. As I am getting close I finally get to see Banger, The Kid and Bat. I am thinking to myself, something is wrong here. Find out that Bat and Banger thought the ride was a little too easy for them so they decided to ride an extra 9 miles. So the whole gang is together expect for Kari. Banger, Bat and The Kid, or what I refer to as the Elites, take off because they had already been up there too long. Bat starts taking off going left up a hill while we are all shouting at him, “wrong way!” He quickly corrects direction and off they go. See you at the finish line. Kari arrives, we all fuel up and the Lar Dog realizes he has a flat. I think we all secretly found this as great news since it meant we had an additional break.
While I have written mostly negative stuff about this ride, it was at the top of Stunt Road that I realized the beauty of the scenery we were privileged to today. I look around from every angle and it was just beautiful. The vistas, the views of the oceans, the beautiful mountains and the gorgeous homes and ranches. You truly feel that you are not anywhere near LA. I then stop and think to myself, this will be the last time I see these hills unless I am in a car!
The group is upbeat from the rest until Lar Dog says something that I had been thinking. We still have 20 miles left. As they say at IMCDA, “Get ‘er done gents.” We head off and after a very short downhill section we are climbing again. Cruel! As Bill Paxton says in Aliens. “game over man, game over!” I am at this point. We would continue to do another 2K of climbing and at this point in the ride it is survival mode. We finally hit Agoura Road with 4.3 miles to go. Lar Dog and I are riding together and as beat as we were, it was funny how we still push each other. Lar Dog would come pushing past me and I would hang on and try to keep up and then I would push past Lar Dog and he would be right there. At last, the Renaissance Hotel and the cowbells. Finally done. We get checked in. The guys kept telling me a number and I was like 4:36? Huh, it took me longer than 4 hours. Well remember how astute I was in the beginning and knew my start time, he was telling me my ending time. I had no idea. Like a Zombie, I rode my bike to the side and parked it and went in to get my Dinner. It is funny because in the e-mail you get, they say Bristol Farms has prepared a nice lunch for you all. Lunch! By the time I got in it was dinner.
I see Banger, Bat, The Kid and we all get our sandwiches and sit down for some shits and giggles. I was so craving hard food, that I think I downed a bag of Fritos in one gulp. We all eat, get dressed, load the bikes and go to Starbucks and head home.
Some observations:
First and foremost, Glory to God for getting me through this and for keeping us all safe.
The only good thing about this ride was the company. I am blessed to be friends and training partners with such quality people like you all.
This is only my third year riding an it was the toughest race I have ever done.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Kudos to Lar Dog, Bat, and Ron for doing this on Tri-Bikes. This is my second time doing it on Tri-bike, which again shows my low IQ.
Bat, you are an uber biker and a beast. Next time I am bring a cord and attaching it to your bike and just hanging on.
Banger, same for you, uber biker and great job going the extra 9 miles. Less is more for you bru!
The Kid, whether you think it is or not, you are uber biker and you put us younger guys to shame. If we can ride and look like you at your age we are golden.
Lar Dog, you never cease to amaze me with your abilities. Awesome job on the ride and thanks for doing it on a Tri-Bike and keeping me company.
Ron, you are riding and racing the best ever. Keep it up.
Kari, you did great and you never gave up and what I liked most was that you always had a smile on your face.
8 hours and two minutes in the saddle to do 116.5 miles and over 14K of climbing.
IMSG – Bring it baby!
Out.
PREDICTIONS
Ron Saetermoe
We all make predictions. We predict the stock market, the weather and of course our race results. Sometimes we’re right – often we’re wrong.
We did the Mulholland Challenge last weekend (see Scott Callender’s race report below) and it was tough! 116 miles with 13,000 feet of climbing. Ouch!
As our gang started out Gary Clendenin predicted that he was going to go easy and just use this as a moderate ride. You see Gary is training for Ironman St. George and is a member of the Mark Allen Triathlon Team. I mean he lives and breathes this stuff.
Well, easy was anything but what he “predicted.” Gary was an animal out there climbing the hills (mountains) like Lance. And because he was starting to stiffen up he barely slowed down at the SAG stops.
So watching Gary for the first dozen miles or so I “predicted” that he and I would bonk at the same time during the day. Guess what? He never bonked and rode like a madman possessed. For the record, neither did I, but I didn’t ride like Gary did either.
So I just registered for the Hawaii Ironman 70.3 (Honu) on June 5th. I really wasn’t planning on doing another big race this year (besides Ironman Arizona) but since I “killed” my race at Ironman California 70.3 I figured, what the heck! I’m feeling strong, I’m healthy and I’ve got the time to adequately prepare for it. And, I’m a huge fan of the Hawaiian Islands and I’m always looking for an excuse to go. As you may know I’m shooting to qualify for the “Big Dance” on Kona so Honu will give me another chance.
Before any important race I try to predict who is coming, how well they’ll do and what I need to do to place well. Since there’s only one Kona slot at Honu I’m going to have to have a killer day again. Fortunately, the top dog (Kevin Moats) won Kona last year and will probably win Honu again this year but since he won Kona his slot will roll down to the next guy . . . with any luck that will be me!
So here’s my prediction for Gary at Ironman St. George. Since he’s racing as a 59 year-old I predict he’ll have a great day but won’t qualify for Kona this time out. However, I do predict that he’ll beat the top guy in the 60 – 64 age-group. This is significant because it will really set Gary up well for 2011, which is when I predict he’ll punch his ticket to the Big Island.
Good luck Gary!
Cheers!
RACE REPORT: CALIFORNIA IRONMAN 70.3
Mark Chavira
Last June I took my wife and twin 15 year-old boys to Grand Cayman for our annual family vacation. While we were there we participated in the Cayman Island Mile swim. It is a yearly race on the island that brings competitors from as far as Australia.
In addition to my family, some friends who also go to Cayman each year also participated. Since I was the ‘veteran’ triathlete with about ten sprint and Olympic distance races under my belt, my family and friends expected me to have the best time in our group. I know I swim like a brick with arms but I had been training for several years and the others were only recreational swimmers.
At the end of the event, the only person who I beat was my son Jeremy who went kicking and screaming to the starting line. He was on vacation and didn’t feel like swimming in a race. Needless to say, I was embarrassed and decided right then and there that as soon as I got home I was going to hire a swim coach.
We flew home a few days later. When I walked in the door there was a stack of mail that had piled over the days we were gone. I went through the mail and found a tri-fold brochure for a place called Triathica. “Train like a triathlete” was written on the front fold. I located Triathica and met Ron Saetermoe.
Forward almost one year later. I utilized Ron’s coaching program for swimming. After completing my lessons I had become a much better swimmer and wasn’t wasting so much energy during the swim portion of the races. Since I wanted to move to the bigger events, I hired Ron to create a training program for my Oceanside 70.3. The program was tough but I felt myself getting stronger. I knew I was ready to try to “race.”
I slept poorly the night prior to the race. I knew I was fit but I still had some nervousness mostly due to the fact this race was much longer than anything I had completed. I know I was not going to be a contender for anything other than a good race. But still, those competitive butterflies were running wild. Stu, a friend of mine from work was also doing Oceanside. It is his fourth time doing the race. I just wanted to finish in front of him. I hoped to finish just under 6 hours but truly expected 6:15.
I ended up falling asleep watching an old episode of Miami Vice on television. In its day that was the coolest show on Friday night. I woke up with plenty of time to get to meet Stu at Denny’s in San Juan Capistrano but still left my house 10 minutes later than I planned. I met up with Stu and had a stack of pancakes and a few egg whites. We finished breakfast and headed down to Oceanside.
My wave was scheduled to go at 7:00 which would make it easy to keep track of my pace. Stu is in my age group and the same wave so we got things set up in the transition area and slid into our wetsuits. I was surprisingly mellow as we got into the herd to get set up for the swim. At this point there is nothing else I can do but just go and do it. We got into the water and I was pleased to discover it was warmer than I anticipated. That was good because I had not done any open water swims except for the Toyota Desert Tri. All my training was in an 80 degree pool at my gym.
When the horn sounded, I found myself in the middle of the crowd being slapped around. How did I do this? I got into my rhythm thinking about Ron’s advice to me. “Push yourself in the swim”. Too many people don’t go hard enough during the swim.” So I stepped my pace up a notch from what I usually do. As I made the turnaround and headed back to the boat ramp, the glare filled my goggles. I was warned about the glare but opted to stick with what I trained with. I just used the bodies around me as a guide. I started to increase my pace being that I felt really relaxed and was probably holding back a bit. I finished the swim in 37:25. That was 5 minutes faster than my mile time in Cayman and at that time, when I finished I was exhausted.
I came up the boat ramp feeling really good. I ran to the transition area and had what I thought was a good time. I got out of my suit and into my shoes. I put on my race belt with my bib facing rearward just like the rules require. I ran out and hopped on my bike. Since there were people lined up at the transition exit I was tempted to race down the road as if I was actually a contender for a podium spot. I chose to take Ron’s advice again and just be cautious for the first half of the bike portion and see how my legs would hold up. So, I kind of went for a bike ride for the first 25 miles. I let people pass me and that was okay. It was my first 70.3 and I did not want to blow my wad on the bike. Also, my legs would not warm up. The air had a chill and my tri suit wasn’t drying. I held a decent pace until just before the first climb. My heart rate did not get above 130 bpm.
I needed to use the porta-potty so I decided to stop to relieve myself. I also had a PB and J sandwich that I had brought along. I re-mounted my bike with a sandwich in my mouth and I got the strangest looks from people as they rode by. I made my way to the first climb and saw a big ball of riders slowly going up the hill. I tried to settle in with the crowd but quite honestly, they were too slow. So I stood up and went up the hill. It was not as bad as anything I have trained on, so up I went. I passed the big ball of riders and once I got over the top I figured it was time to push it harder.
I pushed myself harder for the second half of the bike. I got my heart rate up to 150 and I knew I could hold it there with minimal difficulty. The rest of the ride was uneventful aside from the wind. That sucked.
The last long straight heading back to Oceanside was great. I got into my best TT position and just hammered. I looked at my speedo from time to time and it was always 26 or above. I figured I was making up some time and I passed some of the guys that had passed me at the beginning. When I got back into Oceanside and into the transition area, I felt really good. My heart rate was at 155. My legs felt good and I was glad I had Ron create that program for me. I did the bike in 3:00:06. I am sure I could have knocked at least 10 minutes off if I pushed a bit harder at the beginning and didn’t take a potty break.
I have only run four half marathons before and only once did I do it in less than 2 hours and that was 1:59:58. I looked at my watch and saw that I had 2 hours and 20 minutes to finish the run and I would make my 6 hour goal. I got off my bike and put on my running shoes. The rules state that during the run the bib must face forward, so I grabbed mine and went to move it to the front. As I pulled on it my bib ripped. Uh oh. I was concerned that I would be DQ’d if I ran without a bib so I stopped and asked a volunteer for help. It took an extra 30 seconds or so but we got my bib reattached and I was off and running. I could hear the announcer saying Michael Realert was the race winner. Damn those guys are fast.
I held a pace that I thought was doable for 13 miles. The sun was out and the day was warming up. I prefer the warm over cold. My heart rate was at 160 and I know I am good holding it at 170. I saw some of the leading pro females finishing their last loop as I was in the beginning stages of mine. Also saw my coach Ron and I shouted out encouragement to him. He looked too busy working on a podium finish to bother with a “middle of the packer.”
At the first turnaround I saw my heart rate was still just 160. I decided to try to pick up the pace but my legs wouldn’t go any faster. As I was coming to the end of the first loop, I began to get a cramp in my calf so I stopped to stretch it out. I looked at my watch and figured I might break 5:45 if I hold this pace. I decided to run through the cramp and hope for the best. At the 2nd turnaround I was able to push it a tiny bit more but still couldn’t increase my pace by much. My heart rate was still under 170.
At mile 12 I started to realize that I was going to be under 5:45. That was much better than I thought I was capable of doing. I made the final turn and headed to the finish. I had hoped to just finish the race and had a much better time than I anticipated. Although this was not Kona, I still filled up with a great sense of accomplishment. The picture my wife took of me as I approached the finish line, I think says it all.
I ended up with a run time of 1:57:39. It was my fastest half marathon yet. My overall time was 5:42:13. I placed in the middle of my age group but I am still dammed proud of my time. However, I wanna go faster.
Thanks Ron. Your program was a huge part of my “success.”
Oh yeah, and my buddy Stu did 6:15:22. Way to go Stu!
STAYING ON COURSE WHEN SWIMMING IN OPEN WATER
Swimming in open water is much different than swimming in a pool. Yes, you’re still swimming and it requires most of the same muscles but it is different. To be effective in open water swimming you need to get adept at staying on course.
A good friend of mine, Scott Calender, wore his Garmin at the Desert Triathlon a couple weeks ago and downloaded the route he swam afterwards. While he thought he was swimming on course he was amazed at how much distance he added by not swimming straight.
So here are a couple tips:
- Wear good goggles: Old, scratched up goggles impair your vision. Pony up the $10.00 for a new pair.
- Get some defogger: New goggles aren’t any good if they’re all fogged up. Yes, they make anti-fog goggles but use the defogger in case.
- Wear the appropriate goggles: I always take a pair of clear and a pair of smoke goggles and wear the ones that are appropriate for the light.
- Sight: Effective sighting is the best way of staying on course. Check out the course early if you can to find out what landmarks you can use to help you stay on track. At the Desert Triathlon there was a palm tree I used on the way out and the peak of a mountain on the way back.
- Sight frequency: Early in the race, and as you approach a turn buoy, you should be sighting more. I generally start out sighting every four strokes and stretch it out to six, eight, 10 then 12 as I go. Sighting slows you down and takes more energy so you want to minimize it as much as possible but not to the detriment of staying on course.
- Practice swimming without looking: Most people favor their left or their right. As a result, if you don’t watch where you’re going you’re going to veer off a straight line. You can practice swimming in a straight line by swimming in a pool, in your own lane, with your eyes closed. You’ll find out very quickly which way you favor. Try this in open water as well. When you know the direction you favor you can compensate for it during your races.
I hope these tips help YOU stay on course during your next race.
OVERTRAINING
I never had to worry about overtraining because I was a chronic undertrainer. I have always enjoyed the triathlon lifestyle but I liked racing more than training. That’s probably where my son got it . . . he likes doing 5Ks but hates training!
These days it’s sort of the opposite. I enjoy training more now but I’m on the edge of overtraining. So how do you know when your body has had enough? Here are some thoughts . . .
Heartrate
If you’re not checking your heartrate on a regular basis you should. One great indicator of overtraining and oncoming illness is an elevated heartrate.
Try to get into the habit of checking your heartrate either the first thing in the morning before you get out of bed or last thing at night just before you turn out the lights. Grab your sports watch and find your pulse (neck is easiest). Count the beats for 10 seconds and multiply by six. That’s your resting heartrate.
You’ll notice that your resting heartrate will be elevated when you’re overtraining or getting sick.
No Fun
If you usually enjoy your workouts but they simply aren’t fun anymore you could be overtraining. Some of you will say that it’s never fun, but you know what I mean.
If you’re training in large volumes but find it tougher and tougher to get “up” for your workouts you may be overtraining.
Sloth like Workouts
Some days your workouts may not have the “zip” that they usually do. If you find that you just can’t hit that 100-meter pace in the pool or the MPH pace you’re used to, you may be overtrained.
Sleep Problems
Most days I try to sneak in a short 15 – 20-minute nap. I’m successful at napping about four to five days a week. If you have the time and ability to nap go for it. However, if you “need” a nap because you’re not getting enough quality sleep at night you may have a problem.
When I’ve overtrained I may get to sleep easy enough but I can’t stay asleep. I’m tossing and turning for no good reason.
Muscle Soreness
So should you train when you have muscle soreness from a previous workout? In my opinion, it depends.
For example, if you’re early in your training season and don’t have any important races coming up, blow it off. On the other hand if you’re in your race phase with an approaching report I’m more likely to do the workout but either cut it short or do it with less intensity. This also helps prevent from over doing it.
When you’re shooting for a podium finish you’re going to be pushing yourself to new limits so be careful with your training. There’s a huge downside to overtraining including increased illness, injury and prolonged recovery.
When you think you’re overtraining you probably are. Back off, smell the roses and you’ll race better in the end.
Cheers!
NEXT LEVEL OF COMPETITION
Q: “When do you know when it’s time to try the next level of competition? I’ve done a few sprint triathlons now and am looking to move forward to an Olympic. Should I try to conquer sprints first and then move on to Olympic? And further… when will I know to move forward from there? Is it just a personal goal?”
-Joe
A:The simple answer is that you are ready to move forward when you want to move forward. With a few exceptions, almost anybody can complete any distance of triathlon, as long as they put in enough time and effort in training. So it really comes down to whether or not you want to try longer distances and if you have enough time to get in enough quality training.
If you have already completed a few sprint triathlons, you should be ready to step it up to Olympic distance if you think you are ready. Just because the Olympic distance it is nearly twice as long as a sprint distance does not mean it is necessarily that much more difficult. Your pace will be slower since it is a longer distance, so it actually could be more enjoyable for you than the faster paced sprint race.
It is definitely just a personal choice when you want to move to longer distances. Don’t do it because you think you should, do it because you want to. Some athletes are perfectly content racing exclusively sprint distances and going fast. Some people don’t feel fulfilled unless they are doing Ironman distance races. It’s all about personal preference.
Just give Olympic distance a shot, and if you don’t like it or it seems too difficult, go back and do a few more Sprint races. Just make sure you can complete the distances in your training and you should be able to do the same in the race. Good luck and let us know how your first Olympic race goes if you decide to go for it.
WHEELS 650 OR 700?
Q: “What is the difference between 650 and 700 wheels besides size? Does one have an advantage over the other?”
A:Great question.
They each have advantages and disadvantages depending on rider size, bike frame size, and what a particular course is like. So the answer is both yes and no.
The most common wheel is the 700. They have a larger circumference and less rolling resistance. This means they will decelerate slower than a smaller wheel would, which is beneficial in races like triathlons where you mostly maintain a constant speed. If you were to stop pedaling, a larger wheel would roll faster and longer than a smaller wheel, which translates into saved energy when you are trying to maintain a high speed.
The smaller 650 wheels accelerate and climb better due to their lower mass and size, but have a harder time maintaining high speeds. You basically have to work harder to hold a certain speed with 650’s than you do with 700’s.
You will find 650’s mostly on smaller framed bikes. One of the reasons for this is to eliminate toe overlap with the wheels. When frames get smaller, your toes get closer to the wheel. If you have a small bike frame with large wheels, there is a chance the front wheel could hit your toes while turning, especially if you have large feet.
Up until recently, it was more difficult to find replacement parts for the 650’s. The age of the Internet has changed this and you can pretty much any part you need for any size wheel.
So it really comes down to what fits your body and your bike. If you are less than five feet tall, you might want to think about getting some 650’s. If you are a taller rider, you should probably stick with the 700’s. If you are somewhere in the middle, the best thing to do would be to go into your local bike shop see what they think based on the size and shape of your body and your bike. There is really no be all, end all answer. In the end, it comes down to your preference and feel.
