Two Weeks After the Longhorn Ironmn 70.3
It's been two weeks since the Longhorn Half-Ironman 70.3 race. Each day of the last two weeks I've meant to sit down and write a race report but haven't. My heart wasn't into it. My heart wasn't into the race as well. The last month before the race I missed a lot of my workouts as I was taking care of my mom, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She passed the Wednesday before the race. Each day after her passing I went back and forth in my mind whether or not to show up.
I showed up not knowing what to expect. Last year, I went through all types of emotions. I was happy, sad, mad, elated. What would happen this year with so much that happened in the last week? Nothing happened. I was so emotionally drained by the time of the race I felt nothing for the six-plus hours on the course.
I finished which was the main goal of the day. Get out there and complete. But it wasn't easy. While the heat was a little less than last year, the temperature was still in the 80s and the UV Index was intense.
Nutrition-wise, I changed course a little this year. I downed gels on the bike with water and they seemed to work. They caused my stomach to be a little upset but it usually subsided within minutes. On the run I took between 2-4 endurolyte tablets each aid station. This really helped with the cramps. Those things worked fast. I also didn't take Gatorade but instead took water and flattened cola. For the run this worked great.
The swim was faster than last year and without much time in the pool. The run was faster as the nutrition was better. The only problem came with the bike section. My bottom bracket started to fail at mile 40. It would make a grinding noise. When I stopped where a bike support wagon was the guy sid by the time he could get me a replacement bike or fix it the race would be over. It was best if I could continue so I hopped back on and grinded out the last 16 miles.
I think I may have experienced my last 70.3 half ironman race. It's not that I'm displeased with the race. The organizers and volunteers do a fantastic job. I'm getting to where the bike portion of the race is my least favorite, even if the bottom bracket holds together. For this reason I'm going to switch over to Xterra-type events in 2009. Trail riding and running suit me more I think. I'm hoping for a more organic feel to the race.
Labels: 70.3, Longhorn Half Ironman, triathlon
Let's See....Uh..No!
I received an email this morning from the triathlon race directors from the race that was cancelled last year. It's been almost a year since the cancellation of the spring event and this is the first I've heard from them. They have offered a discount to this year's event and planned for a rain date. I was intrigued. A little late but I wanted to find out how much of a discount for athlete's that payed the money only to not be able to race and not hear where the money went. Did the race beneficiary get their money?
It looked like the fees were more than last year. I checked the discount versus the regular price and it's a mere $20 discount. Wow, why bother. The regular fee is $120 and the discounted fee is $100. Big deal. And the price is really high for not being an Ironman distance or Ironman event.
I Googled other events in the area and found a few that are around $50. Half the cost. I think I'll be skipping the expensive spring race and adjust the schedule to find another one for half the cost. I'll put my money in support of the events that are a little more communicative with their athletes, support worthwhile causes and put on a kick-ass race.
Labels: money, race fee, registration, riathlon, triathlon
A Danskin Morning
I noticed on the Runtex Web site Friday that the Danskin Women's-Only Triathlon was short some volunteers. I used the online form and signed up for the kayak, swim patrol. Scratch that, the run course. I got down to the volunteer tent about 6:30 am and the coordinator sent me to the kayak area. Crap, I'd worn shorts instead of a suit and brought no ziploc bags. After the horror stories of tipping kayaks from previous years and a matching of local lifeguards with a kayak captain the boats launched onto the course. I hesitated thinking they would run out of boats and I'd be sent over to the swim exit area but it didn't work out that way. There was one lifeguard and one kayak left. The director instructed us to head out. Let's just say the new pair of Brooks got sopping wet instantly. My butt, wet as well.
The lifeguard and myself had both heard most of the panicking occurs in the first 50 yards. We didn't want to be there so we eased the kayak down by the first buoy and between two kayaks. The self imposed guy in charge on the water quickly came over and pointed us toward the other side of the course. We got there and settled into the last open gap before the end of the swim course.
There was relatively little action for the first 30 minutes. Nobody needed to hold onto the kayak. We didn't need to get anybody back on course. Then it seemed like a whole wave of newbies were released into the water and at one time we had four swimmers holding on while paddling toward a fifth.
Outside of swimmers out of breath or anxious we had one woman with leg cramps. Pretty good for 3,500 swimmers. No tipped kayaks. No lost cell phone. Just a few soggy ones and fives.
It was a great way to spend a Sunday morning and also get psyched to start the half-ironman program tomorrow. This week will include getting a handle on the baseline numbers and measurements. Like last time I'm following the Triathlete Magazine HIM plan with my modifications, which means adding weight lifting, some xFit strength work and some yoga on the weekend.
I just saw on News 8 Austin where they had a great story on the triathlon and they got a shot of Justin and I moving to a swimmer and extending a noodle.
Labels: Danskin, kayak, triathlon
Triathlon Cancelled
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It was a very triathlon-like weekend even though no triathlon took place. Rained out. Flooded out is more like it. At 5:30 am, my temp tattoo #139 was still drying, I sat next to the transition area with my yellow raincoat top hood pulled over my Nike cap, watching my cell phone in a zip-lock baggie for a text message stating the swim was cancelled. It never came but another athlete sitting next to me got one. "The swim is cancelled. We'll evaluate and inform you at 7:30 am." I left to go back to the car and at least warm up a little and drop off the wetsuit. I knew what had happened before the text message came and before 7:30 am arrived. People started walking past my car with their bikes. One person and a bike could've meant he'd had enough. Ten people with their bikes and walking to their cars meant the event had been cancelled. It had been.
At that point I was ok with the cancellation. I mean I didn't sign up to do a duathlon. The swim had to be part of the event. I also wasn't so sure of my bike at that point. See, I bought a used Cannondale CAAD4 Road frame for $35 on Saturday and then proceeded to see if I could get all of the components transferred to the new frame and re-cabled in time for bike check-in. Kind of crazy but it all worked. I got the new bike set up by 3:00 pm, Sunday and checked it in to the transition area. For the first time, my bike blended in with the other tri bikes. It wasn't a pawn shop bike with serious components. It now was a tri bike that looked like the others. By the way, not only did I get the 2.8-pound frame for $35, but I also got a carbon seat-post for $5.
The bike swap-meet went well. The above bling-bling was paid for by selling all the wheels and spare parts I had putting the last three bikes together. The "Lawsuit" wheel was the first to go. The Shimano front wheel was next. The swap-meet brought out all types of cyclists; hairy legged, no hair, old schoolers, Yellow Bike Project wrenchers, and of course a couple of triathletes. Go to Frankenbike.org for more information.
So today my mind and body are out of whack. They don't know what to do. I was supposed to be recovering today with a break from exercise for the rest of the week. Now, I have to wait and see if the event will be rescheduled, cancelled altogether or some other option. So I guess I'll keep the workouts scheduled until I hear what's going on. I wouldn't imagine they could reschedule for this coming weekend so it would make sense not to continue to taper but go back to full interval/speed training and the corresponding diet. I was so looking forward to being able to eat and drink anything I wanted this week, but it's not to be.
BTW, I couldn't resist the suds. Who could unless they didn't drink at all. Sitting in a beer garten and not having a beer. Who was I kidding?
Frankenbike Photos
Labels: cancelled, CapTexTri, Frankenbike, rain, triathlon
Last Three-Workout Day Until August
Yesterday wrapped up the last of the three-workout days before the Capital of Texas Triathlon on Monday. A swim in Barton Springs for distance, a 38-minute cycling session with countdown intervals of hills versus cadence, ending the day with a 3-mile tempo run at Town Lake. Three workouts turned into four workouts while I was cooling down from the run, my next door neighbor called and said he was heading to the veloway for a couple of laps. I couldn't pass that up.
When I got back from the veloway, FedEx had left a package from Nashbar.com. It was my new 12-21 cassette. I put it on and took Salsa Verde for a spin. OH, OH, OH what a difference. In the Jan/Feb 2007 Bicycling Magazine Kenneth Acklin, a bike mechanic for 36-years, stated that lube and air were the two best things you could do for your bike. Not to disagree, but I think getting the correct cassette for the terrain would be a strong third, if not after air and before lube. The new cassette worked better than the old with the bar-end shifters. Just a little adjustment on the derailer and voila, a smooth riding machine.
The new diet started to kick in and the second ten pounds is being shredded before Monday. No telling how close I can get to race weight but it'll be closer than any other race the past few months. That is as long as I can stay away from the suds for the next few days.
Labels: Bicycling Magazine, diet, Nashbar, Salsa Verde, triathlon
Drunk On Training
I don't know if it's because I did more swim sessions this week, which always make me light headed, or it seemed I was always going to do another workout. When I was driving home tonight, I felt the same feeling as when I've had one too many beers. I thought it could be over-training but I still look forward to the workouts. It's the first thing that pops into my head in the morning. What's the weather going to be like today? I was more tired this week. I was hungrier this week. After todays swim I had no problem with the Monster Freebird Burrito and then four or five oatmeal cookies. One more intense week before the taper to the Capital of Texas Triathlon.
Looking at the workouts, they were on par with the other weeks but the intensity has ramped up quite a bit. Everything has been tempo pace or intervals. Everything just below lactate threshold. Even when I planned to go easy to have a recovery day the workout went tempo again. I told Da Fish when we ran seven miles the other day that I wanted to stay at 150 heart rate. It was higher and on the second loop averaged 159 which meant it went in the 160s at times or average miles were in the 7:30 range. I think my subconscious took over as coach and had me pushing each workout a little bit more. Thank my lucky stars I found NUUN tablets with the heat and humidity. Headaches and dehydration are a thing of the past.
The time trials have been going well. The swim test came in faster than the targeted 33:00. 31:30 for the 1500K on Tuesday at Barton Springs. That's 2:08 per 100m which not great but much better than last year. The run came in a minute faster for each average mile. The only thing left is finding out what will happen on the bike. Tomorrow I'll go out and do a 24-mile TT on the Mopac 8-mile TT route. With all the time spent on the bike this winter, I hope it's at least a little faster. If it's not, there's not much I can do about it now.
I also spent the week checking out the Race Athlete triathletes at Wildflower. Iron Kahuna and the merry band of the Tri-Geek Alliance were in rare form early in the season. The smack-talk was thick before the race but it came down to Bolder getting spanked by Simply Stu and Rural Girl taking Roman to school. I wanted to go but other plans had me in Dallas last weekend while "K" won her first three first place gold medals at an ice skating district championship. Maybe I'll meet up with the tri-gang in 2008.
Labels: CapTexTri, time trial, triathlon
GYGO New Year's Day Tri Course Set
The GYGO virtual triathlon, scheduled for Jan. 1 with world-wide participation is going to happen. I've registered and found my course. It looks like it'll be
Barton Springs for the swim. The springs are 1000 feet long, so doing some math, 750 meters of the sprint swim portion I committed to equals 2460 feet or 2.5 the length of the springs. Cool! It will be cool as the springs stay around 68 degrees all year round.
I'll make the parking lot at the springs my first transition area. The bike route will be a 10-mile hilly course going south on the Mopac feeder and then going west on Loop 360 (more hills) for a couple of miles before returning to Zilker Park. The ten miles are less than the 20K slotted for this sprint but there are some tough hills there so it evens out. Here's another course map using Map-My-Run with elevations, although the elevation feature wasn't working this morning.
Upon the return to Zilker Park, I'll go to the second transition area under the Mopac Bridge, next to the hike and bike trail. I'll run 3.47 miles on the trail, from the Mopac Bridge to the Pfluger Bridge and back. This is a little longer than a 5K but it has to be as there's no way to cross the river sooner.
The last thing to do is to get Da Fish to sign up and we'll be set.
GYGO list of worldwide participants and the triathlon lengths they'll be running Jan. 1.
Labels: GYGO, New Year's, triathlon
GYGO Virtual Tri
I just added the GYGO Virtual Tri to the schedule. I signed up last week. It's Iron Wil and Iron Kahuna's mix-your-own triathlon. Check back here for a race report Jan. 1.
Labels: Iron Wil, Kahuna, New Year's, triathlon
A Triathlon Christmas
Santa must've picked up the
USAT rosters and found my name because I got lots of triathlon booty for Christmas. A new
Giro Atmos helmet, a
Speedo skin suit, weights and a
healthstation. What's a healthstation you ask? It's a fancy way of saying a weight scale that can also calculate your body fat, body water, and muscle mass.
I wasn't prepared for the numbers the healthstation flashed at me the first time I stepped aboard. I was still close to the 10 percent body fat which was good. But I also was close to the weight when I started this whole program, 184. The difference, my body's atoms have shifted from fat to muscle. In the last week, more fat atoms have been added but they should come off in the next week or so with more cardio. I guess what is hard to get used to is having a different body for triathlon than the one I had for the marathon. For the marathon, I got down to 154 and there wasn't a whole lot of muscle there. Now it's 184 with some definition here and there and definitely some more muscle.
Yesterday, I switched over to the P90X yoga routine. It was more intense than my normal routine. My glutes were screaming for rest by the end of it. But it really got my heart rate up and I could feel it stretching areas that needed some work. So now I'm including two P90X routines weekly; back and chest and the yoga routine.
Labels: Giro Atmos, healthstation, P90X, triathlon
