Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas 2012 Recap

Saturday May 19^th was the second annual IM Texas race. A buddy of mine and I drove down to the Woodlands to volunteer for this event on Friday. When we arrived I could feel the Ironman presents in the air. The town was quite and most all competitors were tucked away somewhere off their feet, hydrating and mentally preparing for the 140.6 mile challenge which waited for them the next morning.

We walked around athlete’s village and visited several booths. This for me was a perk to not racing the next day. I was able to take my time and speak with people about current and new products. There is usually a couple familiar faces so begin able to catching up with them was a bonus. I also got a chance to sit and do a small 10 to 20 second video recording to promote chocolate milk as a recovery aid. Once the link is made available I’m going to be looking for votes. For every vote I get $1 is donated to challenge athletes. I hope I can get them a few bucks. The video was non scripted I had a few minutes to think of something to say. I shot from the hip and well we’ll see what happens. J It’s for charity so I just had to do it.

Friday evening we made it a point to hit the bed early. Volunteering for an event like this is its own experience. We would have to be up at 4 a.m. and our day would not end until after midnight. I was going to carry a backpack and camera with me to try and capture some IM moments for the 10 plus people I knew doing the event. I had signed up for early mooring volunteering duty which would give me most of the day to support the athletes I was following.

Saturday morning came around and the IM buzz was in the air. There were a few people who I spoke to that stated they just could not get to sleep last night. That is a very common issue for athletes. I can’t stress how important it is to get good night’s sleep two nights before the race. This way if you run into any pre race night sleep issues you body will still be well rested.

After checking in and getting our volunteer shirts we headed to transition 1. I was able to run into all my fellow try junkies that morning. I also got a chance to run into some other non tri junkies. The excitement of race day started to get me going. My yesterday’s thought of how nice it was not to be racing so I could visit with the vendors turned into a man I wish I was racing.

The race kicked off for the pro field at 6:50 a.m. they were followed by a non wetsuit wave at 7:00 a.m. and a wetsuit wave at 7:10 a.m. first up was the 2.4 mile (3862 meters) swim. A few in the pro field would be touching land in under 50 minutes. Some amateurs would start hitting land at the 50 minute mark.

Athletes would have to run into transition 1, grab their bike transition bag and hit the changing tent. A quick change into their preferred bike gear and head on out onto the bike course. By the time the last of the swimmers were coming to land the sun was out and in full force. It was going to be a hot and humid day for the athletes.

I spoke to a few of the athletes after the event and was told that the first have of the bike had a tail wind and the second half of the ride had a head wind. This would cause the athletes to push a bit harder on the second part of the bike which could in turn kill their quads and hams for the run.

As I cheered the athletes intoT2 I could tell it was going to be a long day for some of them. There were countless athletes who had lost a lot of salt. You could see the white salt residue on their race outfits as they were handing off their bikes to go grab their run bag. It’s hard for an athlete to recover from missing nutrition on the run if you miss it on your bike.

As the athletes hit the run course so did I. It was hard to see people who I was supporting coming in off the bike. Every one has a helmet on which makes it hard to tell people apart. I knew I would have better luck on the run course.

The run was brutal until about the 5 p.m. hour when the sun started to go down and finally some tree line shade was available. I clapped, cheered on and encouraged athletes all day long. Shouting reminders to hydrate and take advantage of the wet sponges. Sometimes we are so focused and tuned into what we are doing that we can forget the small but very important things.

The sun soon started to set and I found myself at the finish line. It was now 8 p.m. Who knows where the day went. Just moments ago I was waking up at 4 a.m.  Never the less I was hanging on the finish line rails cheering the athletes through. The day ended in spectacular fashion.

One of the last athletes I saw cross the finish line was the firefighter who walked the marathon leg in full 60 pound gear. He was supporting all the fallen firefighters. He set a perfect example sheer determination and will.

There was also a local married couple from the DFW area who crossed the finish line holding hands. This lady is a great person who I’ve had the privilege of meeting and volunteered for a non prof organization here in the DFW area.

The Tri Junkie group I was supporting had several first timers all of which finished. Lisa one of our members sacrificed her time to help a couple Tri Junkies complete their first IM. One member missed her nutrition and another member fractured his foot on the swim The three of them used each others energy and support to get through the marathon. And in classy fashion the three of them crossed the finish line together. Lisa had opportunity to go on and leave them be hind but, I’m more than sure that thought never crossed her mind. Outstanding! I have to give a shout out to several other athletes who also participated.

Unknown athlete – Not sure who this guy was but, he was a beast. No fancy equipment not even tri or cycling gear. He’s bike was just a bike with pedals on it. He wore basketball shorts and a white cotton muscle shirt. He swam, biked and ran in those clothes. Without all the average triathlon luxuries he got through the whole Ironman and finished in the 15:44 mark. Hat’s of to this guy. He’s an Ironman.

Kevin Costa - I’m so glad he had a solid race despite a flat at mile 70. Way to get it done!

Eric Herring – Welcome to the IM club. You’ve come a long way since I met you a few years ago. You looked strong out there on the course. Well deserved.

Billy Flores – Proud of you buddy. You’re a prime example of putting your mind to it and getting it done. Share you story will anyone you can in the valley. We need to bridge more people over into this healthy living life style.

German Madrazo - Congrats on your finish. Hearing your story last year was inspirational. Continue to do great things for the people in the valley. I’m looking forward to your next race.

Garrett Underdown – Great race. I know it wasn’t the perfect race for you but, still very respectable performance. I can only hope to be able to swim like you one day. I look forward to racing with you again soon.

Stephanie Mullin – Hard to miss on the course with your signature pink set up. Congrats on your strong finish.

Mitchell Burzynski – Congrats on anther IM event! You are always in cheerful spirits. I was upset at you when I saw you on the run you looked way to happy. You should have been in pain like us volunteers. J

Laura Bruner – Fantastic job this weekend! Congrats on becoming an Ironman. You had a solid performance all the way around. I’m glad you figured out the sock issue.

Chay Miller – Da man with the plan! Congrats on your finish! Yes, I know you’re one up on me. I’m sure I’ll hear it for the rest of the year. Ha! I’m glad you didn’t go with a full wetsuit I didn’t want to have to go pull you out of the swim. J

John Morgan – You through down another outstanding effort. Congrats on your 9:50 time. You never seize to impress me.

Sean Wahrmund – Congrats on your first IM finish! It was a very strong performance for your first time out. Looking forward to what you have next on your plate.

I’d also like to congratulate Pax, Jackie, Ron, Ray for getting it done this weekend.

I was able to find and take several pictures of the Tri Junkies I was supporting, people in local DFW tri club kits I recognized and a couple other amazing athletes. I’ve posed more pictures on my facebook page please feel to check them out.

Please forgive me if I missed anyone. There was a lot going on this weekend and I tried to mention all of those who I knew were competing.

Thank you for reading this blog entry. As always feel free to email me any questions or comments you may have.

..ej
ej@trilifeblog.com
www.facebook.com/trilifeblog

116^th Boston Marathon Recap ..

In February 2010 I ran my first marathon, the Cowtown in Fort Worth Texas. I had a buddy post a congrats on my facebook account and asked if I had qualified for Boston. I had no clue as to what he was referring to. I ran the marathon because another friend of mine asked me to train to run it with him.

I checked my results and found that I had missed qualifying by 5 minutes. I had to run a 3:10:00 and I ran a 3:14:55. I was new to marathons and though my mind was focused on my second season of triathlon training I made a commitment to train for Cowtown again the following year with a goal to qualify for Boston.

It was now 2011 and I gave the Cowtown marathon another shoot. I went into the race hopping to get a feel for where my conditioning was at for the season. Unfortunately the course for the marathon was not the same as the previous year so I could not make that comparison.

I got through the race and was excited about beating my previous year’s time by about 10 minutes. I posted a 3:04 and some change for my second marathon. I was not qualified for Boston.

It’s only been one week since I ran my first Boston marathon. I went out there with the mind set to enjoy the experience. I arrived in Boston on Saturday only to find out that there was a heat advisory for Monday’s race. I thought no big deal how hot could it be at 8 a.m.? Well then I found out the race actually started at 10 a.m.

A deferment was offered to the athletes for the first time in B.A.A. history. A little over 4,000 athletes took the deferment. There were 27,000 registered and a little over 22,000 would make the start line.

Now I was a little worried. Sure I live in Texas and train in 90 to 100 degree weather at times. That’s training not racing and that’s what concerned me. I wanted to make sure that hydration was not going to be a problem for the event. I started hydrating on Saturday and made sure I hit up the hydration again on Sunday. I drank a few drinks high in electrolytes and tried to stay out of the sun as much as possible all day Sunday.

There was a 5K race Sunday morning which I was able to catch the finish. There was a purse on the line and there were many elite athletes going after the prize. The finish had 15 plus elite men crossing the line under the 14 minute mark for a 5K! Seeing these athletes doing their work can’t be described in words.

Monday morning rolled around. I found myself up later than what I’m normally used to for events. I usually get out of bed at 4 or 4:30 a.m. and here I was getting up closer to 6 a.m. We took a bus over to the start line from the hotel. The course would start in Hopkinton and it was a 26.2 mile shot to the finish line. There were thousands upon thousands of participants ready to run the roads and take back with them their own Boston experience.

I was in wave 1 corral 5. We were place din corrals like herds of cattle. I’m not sure how they made us all fit but, we did. All athletes were shoulder to shoulder with no room to stretch. The gun went off and we started walking every so slowly to the start line. I crossed the over the line and started my Garmin.

I was amazed with the number of athletes in the road. We were packed like sardines. You really had to watch yourself or you could get clipped from behind or cut off from in front. I decided the best place for me would be along the right side of the road. I had plans to go out and start at a certain pace but, due to the heat and the crowd that pace was impossible for me to hit.

Aside from the athlete masses I quickly noticed all the spectators lined up along the course. Adults and children lined up the course all cheering us one and most asking for high fives. I want to say the high fives for me was the best part of the race. I easily high fived over 1,000 kids during the race. I looked forward to seeing the next group of kids to high five as the race went on. It felt like I blinked and before I knew it I was on mile 3. I thought to myself this race is going to go by quick. Having fan support throughout the race makes a huge difference.

The first 4 to 5 miles were rolling hills with a descent. I wish I would have been able to go but, there were just to many people in the way. It wasn’t until about mile 8 that the crowd finally started to thin out a bit. The heat was coming on and I was making sure that I dumped water on my head at every station. I also made sure I was sipping on some water at every mile.

I crossed the half way point (13.1 miles) averaging about a 6:40 pace. I was feeling really good. I was out slower than I wanted to be but, I thought to myself that I could keep a 7 minute or faster pace through the duration of the marathon. Mile 15 came along and we were coming upon some runners who were walking through aid stations. It’s a common occurrence in marathons and especially in this hot event.

I was unfortunate and found a walker who decided to grab some water then try and walk briskly at an angle without seeing if anyone was coming up behind him. He cut off several runners including myself. I had to stop abruptly to avoid a collision with the walker. That quick stop and change in motion made my left calf cramp up.

I was near the end of mile 15 and had to fight off a cramp. I knew that this was not a good sign. As the race continued and I hit the hills between mile 17 and 22 my body started to break down. I could feel my hamstring wanting to cramp and I could also feel my right calf wanting to cramp. I ended up having to stop and stretch my left calf one time and I had to slow my pace down to avoid cramping on my right calf and hamstring area a couple other times.

At this point I was getting frustrated with my body. My repertory conditioning was fine it was the conditioning of my muscles that were keeping me from running. I was at mile 24 and out of the 22,000 runners thought I had seen someone I knew. I called out his name and sure enough it was him. Man did I luck out.

I told John thank you for showing up at this time. I was fading pretty quickly. I told him I was cramping up and I was going to try and feed off of his energy to get me through the last two miles. I was able to keep pace with John until we reached the home stretch. We had 600 meters to go and I told him if he had a kick to go for it. I wasn’t going to risk cramping again.

Crossing the finish line brought back memories of Ironman Florida. This was a huge first for me and I was excited and happy to get it done. I thanked John for helping me get through the last two miles of the marathon.

The event was very well orchestrated. Runner’s safety was their first and foremost concern. If I get the opportunity I will more than likely go back.

Here are some quick stats from the event.

Started                        Finished           Percent Finished
22,480             21,554             95.9%

My Finishing Time: 3:05:59
Overall Pace: 7:06
Temperature: High of 89 degrees
Overall Place: 787

Split     time of day      time                 min/mile          miles/h
5K        10:23:58AM    00:20:58          06:45               8.90
10K      10:44:28AM    00:41:28          06:36               9.09
15K      11:05:10AM    01:02:10          06:40               9.01
20K      11:26:28AM    01:23:28          06:52               8.75
HALF   11:31:02AM    01:28:02          06:42               8.96
25K      11:47:47AM    01:44:47          06:55               8.68
30K      12:10:29AM    02:07:29          07:19               8.21
35K      12:34:24AM    02:31:24          07:42               7.80
40K      12:58:35AM    02:55:35          07:48               7.71
Finish 01:08:59PM    03:05:59     

Thank you for reading this blog entry. As always feel free to email me any questions or comments you may have.  

..ej

ej@trilifeblog.com

www.facebook.com/trilifeblog

Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas Recap

Before I get into my blog I wanted to say thank you to all my fellow triathlon friends who I ran into at Galveston. It was good to see the group of Tri Junkies, Billy and Surge from the valley, several local DFW tri clubs and of course the rEvolution Multisport group.

Galveston 70.3 was an “A” race for me this year. Though I had some rough training patches along the way due to injury. I trained through a lower abdominal strain, a growing strain and a tendon issue above my right Achilles which kept me from running the three weeks leading up to Galveston. Pushing injuries aside the thought of pushing anything less than 110% come race day never crossed my mind.

Not being able to run for three weeks played a mean mind game on me. I’ve been injured before but, I usually bounced back within a day or two. The week leading up to the event I was finally able to put in two short 3 mile runs. The tendon was a non issue. I could feel something there but, it wasn’t painful.

I arrived in Galveston on Friday. I made my way to the expo and I ran into several athletes I knew. That helped me out tremendously. Seeing familiar and friendly faces gave me new energy. My mood was turning for the better. I was starting to look forward to race day.

Friday was an important sleep day for me. I wanted to make sure I got at least 8 hours sleep that night. My plan was to stay in bed for as long as I could which ended up being 8 a.m. That was nice to sleep late for a change.

Saturday was going to be simple. I was going to drive the bike route, get a short ride/run in, check my bike into transition, get my race gear and hydration ready and relax. Saturday flew by and I found myself walking around the expo scoping out the transition area. I wanted to make certain I wasn’t going to get lost in the sea of bikes. I found a good marker coming out of the swim and another good marker coming back off the bike.

I was able to get into bed at a decent time on Saturday night. My plan was to get up at 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning to beat the transition rush. I was going to try and sneak in another 30 minute nap but, that didn’t workout.

As I got ready for the race I was pretty relaxed. I knew going into this race that I was not where I wanted to be with my training but, it was okay. I was going to give it my best and enjoy the day. I was really looking forward to the swim. The bayside water was very calm. The morning temperature felt good but, I knew that wasn’t going to last.

Could cover was predicted to last until 12 noon. The pros went off at 7 a.m. my wave went off at 7:55 a.m. Which is just about the same time the sun broke through the clouds. Oh well, so much for 12 noon. J

Over the past 3 seasons the swim has always been my weak link. I was hoping for a little quicker time in this event. I felt pretty good in the water. I had to avoid a few swimmers who were zig zagging in front of me. I decided to avoid the traffic and swam on the out skirts of the swim course. As quickly as we started the swim we were done and I made quick work of my wet suit. T1 felt pretty good. I knew I was going to be 8 to 10 minutes off my age group leaders coming out of the water so I would have to push on the bike.

The bike was a pancake flat out and back course. There was a cross wind/head wind on the way out and a tail wind on the way back in. I push it pretty hard on the way out and it showed once I came off the bike on T2 and started my run.

My plan was to come off the bike and run as hard as I could for 13.1 miles. My worries of the tendon injury resurfacing flew out the window with my quads tightening up on me. The first 1 to 3 miles of the run were tough. Not only was it hot and humid but, my quads were on the verge of cramping. The thought of having to walk crossed my mind so I eased up on the pace and my quads finally settled down.

I was having a pretty good run. Yes, it was hot and humid but, I was running. That was huge for me. It had been 3 weeks since I was unable to run and I was so happy to be able to run. At about mile 6 my timing chip band slide down my ankle and it started to rub the lower back side of my ankle raw.

I thought about stopping to adjust it but, then I also knew that there was a chance of cramping if I did. I decided to run with it and bandage the wound later. As I came to the end of my three loop ½ marathon run I was excited that I was finishing injury free. I put fourth my best effort and I would be able to walk away with my head high knowing that I will be back stronger and faster.

Race Stats

Swim Time: 38:22 (missed my swim time by 3 mins)

I was in 137^th place coming out of the water in my age group.

I was in 972^nd place coming out of the water overall.

T1: 2:43

Bike Time: 2:30:53 (missed my bike time by 5 mins)

I was in 35^th place coming off the bike in my age group.

I was in 274^th place coming off the bike overall.

T2: 1:45

Run Time: 1:29:29 (missed my run time by 5 mins)

I finished in 15^th place in my age group

I finished in 132^nd overall.

Total Time: 4 hrs 43 mins 12 sec  (Missed my goal time by 13 minutes).

Thank you for reading this blog entry. As always feel free to email me any questions or comments you may have.

..ej
ej@trilifeblog.com
www.facebook.com/trilifeblog

8 minute blog... Running without running, tapering battles, listen to your body a hard lesson learned..

I’ve finally come up for air or at least that’s the feeling. There is so much going on and not anytime to put any of it into words. Let’s see what I can put together in 8 minutes.

I’ll start with Monday 3-12-2012. I decided to go out for a long run. My initial plan was to run until I ran out of water. I completed mile one and felt a warm sensation on the back of my right ankle area in the vicinity of the Achilles. I’ve felt a similar burn before and it usually warms up and goes away. Mile 6 came around and I realized the warm sensation was still there. I figured I’d continue running since it wasn’t prohibiting my run and reassess when I got done with the next loop which would have put me at mile 14. At mile 12 I knew I had injured myself. This was on me I should have shut it down ant mile 6 or better yet mile 1.

I sit here 15 days later and less than 5 days from Galveston 70.3 with an uncertainty. My last two weeks have been filled with 10 plus hours of aqua jogging and maybe 7 miles of non aqua jogging. I took two sessions this past weekend one run was on a treadmill the other was outside. Both still left me with question. The injury is healing however it’s not 100%. I’m continuing with the taper this week and have one more ART session. I’m both excited and a bit depressed about the upcoming 70.3. I’m secretly hoping that adrenaline with kick in when I come off the bike and onto the run as I plan on running my butt off. Maybe I’ll figure out the mind over matter and that will carry me through the run. :)

Tapering..! A word that most endurance athletes struggle with. We all go trough it. For those of you who are tapering for the first time. Enjoy the rest. All the training is in and you are not going to lose any of your endurance. Tapering is about getting your body rested for the event and putting in a few workouts to maintain.

I wish I had more time but, my time is up. I’ll try and finish this blog entry on Friday or Saturday.
Safe travels and best of luck a competing this weekend! Most of Texas triathletes will be in Galveston. See you there..!

Thank you for reading this blog entry. As always feel free to email me any questions or comments you may have.

..ej
ej@trilifeblog.com
www.facebook.com/trilifeblog

Cowtown, Bike Fit, Tri Season Opener...

Happy daylight savings time everyone! It’s going to take me a couple days to get used to this. I’m going to quickly touch on three items which have happened in the past couple weeks.

Cowtown! This event the event that got me started into endurance sports. Back in 2009 I did my first ½ marathon, Cowtown. Coincidently it was the first year of their 5 year finisher medal series which also helped me to come back each of the following years. As I sit her now keying up this blog entry it’s hard for me to believe I’m in my fourth season of endurance sports.

I’m very thankful for what the sport has done for me both mentally and physically. Yes, I will admit that I enjoy being as competitive as I can but, when all said and done I gain most of my satisfaction when seeing all the first timers out there as they embark on their journey to hopefully establishing a new and healthier life style.

The association between who we were when we started and where we are now can sometimes be overlooked and should not go unappreciated. I’ve been through and learned a lot since I started back in 2009. I’m grateful for being able to take that path and to be able to share what I’ve done and how to get there with others who may need that helping hand.

Cowtown this year went well. I enjoyed seeing the 5k and 10k events on Saturday as much as I enjoyed running the ½ marathon on Sunday. I was out there this year with the Texas Running Center. We were able to walk away with the 1^st place team awards for the 5k and the ½ marathon. My hats go off to all who came out and showed the hard work we all put to get our team to that finish line.

I ended up with a PR on what I thought was a tough run. I was fortunate to PR by a minute as the route was hilly, windy and lonely. Yes, lonely. I made a mistake which I hope will help others out there. If you have opportunity to latch onto a pack making the fort to do so can save you energy and in the long run help your run time.

Often we think of drafting as related to cycling but, that’s not necessarily the case. We can legally draft during a run. Same concept as drafting on a bike works on a run. If you’re in a head wind and you are running with a group feel free to find a person to duck behind. The energy saved can make a difference.

Bike Fit! This was two years over due. I wanted to get a fitting last year before IM Florida but, I never acted on my want so it never did surface. This year I knew I had to get that fitting in. It had been two years since my last fitting. As we progress in the sport our bike positioning needs also change. I knew I was ready for a more aggressive position which would hopefully give me more power.

After calling around and talking to a few shops in the area I decided to go with Doug, over with Colonel’s Bicycles in Fort Worth. I got fitted 3 days before my first sprint triathlon of the season. I was a bit worried about doing a fitting right before a race but, this race was not an “A” race for me so I was able to let that fear go.

As Doug worked on getting me into the right position I was a bit upset at myself for not doing it sooner. I could already feel the difference in the new aero position. I didn’t quite know how that would transfer over to power but, I knew I was sitting in a more aero position and I was very comfortable. I couldn’t wait until Sunday to give the new position a go.

I walked out of Colonel’s with a sense of eagerness to get on my bike and ride. I felt like a child with a new toy who had to wait to open an play with it. J Looking at the forecast for the weekend I knew it the rain was going to be a coin flip.

St. Patrick’s Day Tri!  This was the season opener for many of the DFW area triathletes. There were over 600 registered and even with the rainy and cold temperature we had over 560 show up for the race. It was pretty incredible to see the inside of the natatorium filled all along the outer pool wall with triathletes ready to jump in and race.

I try my best not to put myself into situation where I can get injured. I thought twice about doing this even on Saturday as it wasn’t an “A” race and I didn’t want to risk injury for Galveston 70.3 coming up in April.

There was also the hour change that was taking place that weekend which caught me off guard. I knew it was coming and I still almost missed it. It was after 10 p.m. and I finally realized the time was going to change at 2 a.m. so my 10 p.m. was now 11 p.m. and I had to be up in less than 5 hours.

I was looking forward to seeing friends I had not seen through the off season. I decided to go out and enjoy the day as best as I could and to be as cautious as I could be while doing so. I’ve heard too many stories of people falling off their bikes in wet conditions and I did not want to be the next story.

Pre race announcements were made and the race officials made a decision to cut the bike course in half. I was a bit upset as I was counting on the bike to help me make up lost time on my weaker swim leg. On the flip side I was also a bit relieved because frankly I did not want to be out on the wet road. I wouldn’t have minded if they had extended the 5k to a 10k run. Now I would have been in favor of that decision. J

The race was over as quickly as it began. The 300 meter swim, 6 mile or so bike and 5k run made for a super sprint event. My swim went well. I felt faster than what my time showed but, it is what it is. Entering T1 I fumbled with my Garmin. I thought I had locked the display so I tried doing so with wet hands while it was raining. I finally told myself leave it and get going. My mental break down. In a sprint seconds count. I knew I had messed up.

The bike was blur. I had now idea how fast I was going or where I was. I had two goals on the bike. First goal was to be extra cautious to help avoid falling. I didn’t care if I almost came to a complete stop on the turn I was not going to slide off and fall down. My second goal was not to get passed.

About 3 miles in on the bike I got passed by a person climbing up a hill. He was as strong rider and was going to try not to let him get too far in front of me. He came down the hill and I noticed he wasn’t slowing down for the turn. I just felt he was going to fast and sure enough he tried to go wide around three other cyclists and ended up eating the pavement.

His bike went one way and he went the other. As I approached the turn he jumped up pretty quickly to try and grab his bike. That was a good sign for him as I knew he wasn’t seriously hurt. I’m sure he suffered some road rash. I never did see him again so he may have had bike issues after that fall. After seeing that wipeout I reinforced the slow down before each turn pre ride thoughts I had. I wanted to finish the ride safely and that’s exactly what I did.

T2 was tough. I lost some seconds as I had issues putting my shoes on as I found out my toes were numb. This is the second event where this has happened. I need to get this taken care of. I talked to a fiend of mine who said he always wears toe covers in these conditions. I’m going to have to go that route. I felt pretty good on the run. I had a slight calf cramp during the first ¼ mile of the run but, it went away.

The run is one of those areas where I feel I can push beyond my limit so the only limiter is me. If there isn’t anyone to run with I have to push myself. I feel I’ve not yet figured out how to push my own limits. One day I’ll figure that out.

I had two more goals on the run. One was to be safe and not to fall the second was not to get passed. I was able to complete both those goals. I was happy with the run and how I was able to finish it off.

The chip timing was a bit off. Results have been published but, I believe they are incomplete. I didn’t see the top 3 finishers on the online results. What I do know is that I finished with a time of 45 mins 42 seconds.

300 meter swim time: 5:56 (1:59 pace)

6 ish mile bike: 18:35  (21 mph)

5K run: 18:29 (5:48 pace)

I’ll take these results along with a safe finish. I had a great time out there seeing all my tri buddies. Next up is Galveston 70.3 on April 1^st followed by Boston Marathon on April 16^th.

Congratulations to all who raced today. A huge congrats to all the first timers out there who race Sunday morning. The conditions were tough so be proud you got out there and completed it. Your first one is now under you belt!

Thank you for reading this blog entry. As always feel free to email me any questions or comments you may have.

..ej
ej@trilifeblog.com
www.facebook.com/trilifeblog

Frost Yer Fanny Race Recap

February 19 2012, Texas Motor Speedway was the scene for the 2012 Duathlon Regional Championship event. Always a great venue and always attracts fast cats. The race format is a 2 mile run, 15 mile bike and 2 mile run. Jack with Ironhead Race Productions along with Raul with Run Far put on another flawless race.

Entries to the event were up by almost 70 participants over last year’s numbers. The field was stacked this year with top notch athletes. Taking the overall win was ITU pro William Huffman who turned in a 5:05 pace, 24.6 mph and 5:02 pace for his splits. Michael Wilkinson, a college athlete from Texas A&M took second. A Stefan a power house cyclist out of Austin, TX smashed the bike averaging 27 mph took 3^rd overall. Korey Sessions a local triathlon prodigy, Patrick Schuster (IM Texas 2011 amateur Champion) and Ben Drezek another heavy hitter rounded up the top 6 spots.

I was happy to be back out competing this morning. I was able to see lots of friends who I had not seen over the off season. I’m still training for Galveston and though I didn’t taper for this event I always put forth my best effort.

It was 40 degrees driving out to TMS this morning and it was hard for me to find motivation. Thoughts of the cold were in my head. I do not like riding my bike in the cold. I played some music on the way to the venue to try and get me going. I arrived at TMS and it was pitch dark. First event of the year and I didn’t want to be late. I was there early enough to be able to rack my bike where I wanted.

Now I had about an hour and a half to burn. I went back to my car and rested for about 30 minutes before heading back to transition. I probably made three trips back and forth to my car because I either forgot something or was indecisive about what I should wear. I did trail raced just last week in 27 degree weather so I knew the run would not be a problem. The bike is what I was worried about.

Twenty minutes before start time I went and ran a quick mile to try and warm up a bit before the race start. Finishing my run I decided to forgo my gloves and keep my Under Armour shirt on for the first leg of the run and the bike. I figured if I got hot I would through take it off for the third leg of the race.

Jack called the first wave up to the line and then played the national anthem. At the end of the anthem the crowd and athletes cheered an applauded. A switch went on at that time and for the first time I felt ready to race. It’s an odd but, welcomed feeling. I went from no want or motivation to a “lets do this”. I finally felt ready and focused.

Jack sent off the first wave and the second wave, which I was in moved up onto the line. I saw a few familiar faces but not many. Some of the faces I knew and raced with were in another age group. Ben was in my wave so I knew I wanted to either be at his hip on the run where he would push me or I would push him.

We were off and in a blink of an eye about 20 guys jumped in front of me. I’m still have a problem with my right upper groin area so it’s hard for me to push off during the start of the race but, once I’m up to speed I’m fine. The 2 mile course leaves out of one of the parking garages and heads on over to the an inner track which is a little less than one mile long.

Once we made our way onto the inner track I was able to get a hold of my stride and started to move up. I wore a Garmin but this year I’m forcing myself not to look at it. I want to be able to go and not hold myself to a pace. I was able to fight temptation for the first leg. There was a front runner then Ben and I. We flipped flopped places once or twice during the first two miles sitting in 2^nd and 3^rd place in our wave.

As we approached the transition area someone yells at Ben and I “Great job guys now no drafting off each other out there”. Ben looks over to me and asked, “What was that all about?” I was also clueless as Ben and I don’t train or ride together. Ben’s also stronger on the bike and I knew there was a slim chance I’d keep up with him.

We’re in T1 and quickly make it out onto the bike course. I had a slow transition but, it wasn’t bad. Ben and a few others were able to head out before I could. Getting onto the bike area I knew it was going to be cold but, didn’t account for how cold. The 15 mile course looped the TMS parking lot three times.

My first loop went ok I was happy but, knew I could push better and harder. I just could not warm up enough to get going. It’s just one of those things. Everyone has to deal with it and I knew I wasn’t the only one. During my first loop Stefan (27 mph avg) blew right by me as if I were standing still. Made it look so effortless.

Onto my second loop still not feeling all that warmed up in fact that’s when I started feeling how really cold it was as my sockless feet were freezing. Toes were like ice that’s when I knew I should have worn socks. Nothing I could do about it now I must push forth. Half way into my second lap Korey also blew by me. Good to have this experience because it gives me reason to work and push harder. Seeing other people able to kill the bike like they did makes me believe I can get there and I hope I do some day.

I was on my third lap and almost freaked out as I was second guessing myself as to how many laps I’ve put in. All I could think of is Jack saying in his pre race meeting, “If you can count to 3 you’re set.” I’m glad I had my Garmin on and had a distance on display. It helped me realize that I was on lap three. J

Coming into T2 I started to get out of my shoes so I could dismount. It’s something I did all last year without any issues. This was the first time my feet were as cold as they were and I had major issues getting my feet onto the shoe once I slipped out of them. I almost bit it coming into a tunnel area.

Entering T2 I quickly put my bike on the rack and grabbed my shoes but, again I had issues. My feet were cold and numb and it took and extra couple seconds to get them on. I ran out of T2 and began the last leg of the race. There were two miles to go.

I knew a couple of people had passed me out on the bike and I was hoping to real some of them in on the run. It was time to push but, at the same time I could not feel my toes or my balls of my feet. It was a different feeling. I was going and in stride but, could not feel my feet hitting the floor. I heard foot steps about a ¼ mile into the run. They were hard and heavy foot steps. About ¾ mile into the first lap I was passed up by the foot steps it was a young lady and she was working the run hard. I was impressed with her effort and pace. I decided to stick at her hip and follow her around as she was moving at a good clip and I had a gut feeling that she would push me.

As we started the second loop we came upon an Aggie athlete. He shared a quick comment with the young lady. At that point I knew they were both in the 3^rd wave. The Aggie passed me on the bike and the young lady passed me on the run. I was in a real comfortable stride at this point so I just hung in behind them. I glanced at my Garmin and saw we were moving at about a 5:30 pace. With about ¼ mile left to go I decided to test the waters and begin a kick.

The young lady fell of pace a bit but, the Aggie stuck at my hip. We turned out of the inner track area and headed for the finish. Let’s go I was ready to kick it up another notch. I knew he was ahead of my on time but, I wasn’t going to just let him have the run. My kick held him off as he fell off about 30 feet before the finish line.

This is the second time this year I’ve had what I’d like to call run duals. I enjoyed them both. Makes me push to a level I know I would not go to if there wasn’t someone there next to me. I look forward to more of these as the season progresses.

When all was said and done I hit a PR by a little over 3 minutes and through I was faster this year I only moved up one place in the overall ranking. There was a much faster group this year. I also moved up a place in my age group. Here are some stats from my race this morning. I’m happy with the overall result. Though I felt slow on the bike I was 1.2 mph faster than last year so I can’t complain.

Next week my training continues. I’m signed up to run the Cowtown ½ marathon. I’m going to also train through this event but, as usual I’ll push hard and leave it all out on the course.

Again it was great seeing all of you guys out there today. For those who missed this event it’s a must do. Put it on your calendar for next year. You actually do not have to wait till next year as Ironhead hosts a similar event at this venue in November called Bronda’s Du.

Overall 20^th

Age Group 2^nd (35-39)

Leg 1 - 2 mile Run: 10:49 (5:25 avg pace – 9^th fastest overall run)

T1: 56 sec

Leg 2 - 15 mile Bike: 42:36 (22.5 mph – 37^th fastest overall bike)

T2: 59 sec

Leg 3 - 2 mile Run: 11:21 (5:41avg pace – 7^th fastest overall run) neg split on 2^nd mile (5:31 pace)

Chip Time: 1:06:43

Thank you for reading this blog entry. As always feel free to email me with any questions or comments you may have.

..ej
ej@trilifeblog.com
www.facebook.com/trilifeblog

The new season approaches…!

There is a buzz in the air as February rolls in. I’ve been presses for time and have been out of touch with my blog for over a month now. I apologize and will try and get more of my thoughts down as this season opens up.

- Let’s get it started..! -

There are many reasons to be excited about February. Cowtown is right around the corner. This will be my fourth year doing Cowtown. This year I drop back down to the ½ marathon distance. I’m eager to give the new course a try.

Frost Yer Fanny, a duathlon at the Texas Motor Speedway is also this month. This year the event is the Regional Duathlon Championship event. I guarantee there will be a lot of fast people out there at this one. I hope to see many of you out there.

Bicycles, Inc. in Arlington is playing host to a Tri Expo. Their guest speaker for the evening is Jarrod Shoemaker, U.S. Olympian Triathlete and a 2009 ITU Duathlon World Champion. If your Wed. evening on Feb. 15^th is open I highly recommend coming to listen to him speak.

- Injuries -

January was an interesting month. I’ve been training injured for over a month now. The lower ab strain I had is finally healing. It still hurts a bit when I cough but, other than that I’m fine. It’s been more of a frustration for me as I feel I’ve not been able to push as hard as I could have in my training sessions.

I suffered a second injury a couple weeks ago. In case you missed my facebook entry I was pushing my personal limits on a treadmill one Wednesday night. I ended up with a high groin pull which made me miss my Thursday work out. This injury scared me as I limped around the office the next day in pain and discomfort. I ended up with an easy swim on Friday morning and I tested the waters with a 4 to 5 mile run Friday evening. I could still feel the strain but, it wasn’t a training limiter. I went ahead with my weekend workout as planed.

A week after the injury I decided to push limits again. I was unaffected this time by the workout and I was pretty excited about that outcome. I’m fairly confident I had a running break through. I’m planning on incorporating this workout into my training. I’ll keep you posted. Once I see positive results I will share the details. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

- What’s new for 2012? -

This year I decided to start coaching. With a full time job, training and everyday life in hand I knew I would be really be stretching the hours in my day so I’ve set a limit of 3 to 5 clients. This is new uncharted territory for me and I’m so excited to have this opportunity. I truly enjoy this sport and all the benefits it has to offer. Please see my coaching information page for more detail. http://www.trilifeblog.com/p/coaching-information.html

I’m going to keep this post short and simple as I stare at the clock wishing I had more time to sleep. J

Thank you for reading this blog entry. As always feel free to email me any questions or comments you may have.

..ej
ej@trilifeblog.com
www.facebook.com/trilifeblog