Run, walk or crawl, but get to the finish....

By now most of you have heard of the tragedy at the NYC triathlon. Two fellow triathletes lost their lives while competing. While these types of events are always tragic, it should be noted that you are far more likely to die on the car trip to the race, than in the race itself. My condolences go out to the families and friends of these athletes, though I didn't know them personally, I know the apprehension we all face when we jump into an unfamiliar body of water; none of us are immune from these possibilities.

While many triathletes (and one Tri Unify member) were up north tackling the raging Hudson river, I opted to stay close to home and compete in a brand new race. The Du the 2 Duathlon had its inaugural running this weekend in Howard county. As it turns out I was talked into doing this race by my training buddy Miguel. I had finished my race program for the year, and initially when he suggested we do this race, I actually developed a training plan specifically for the race. But then malaise set in and I decided I had enough race fitness left over from my previous training to just wing it. Now I should know better. Actually I do know better. I should have just done the race as a long training day, but as the my wave start approached, the competitive juices started flowing and well, I'm sure you can guess the rest........

The Race

So the race starts and I tell myself, "Hold back a bit". I check my watch after 1 mile and I'm running 7 and 1/2 minute miles, WAY TOO FAST! I slow down and finish the first 2 mile run in a very respectable 15 minutes and 49 seconds, but not exactly holding back. Still, I didn't feel to bad and I zipped through T1 in 1 minute.

The Bike

So one of the reasons I agreed to do this race was because I train regularly on the course. Many of my training rides criss-cross the bike course so I was intimately familiar with every hill and turn and I figured this would work to my advantage. Since the bike course consisted of two laps, my plan was to take the first lap relatively easy and then pick up the pace for lap 2. The idea was to ride a negative split for the bike course, finish strong and still have a little in reserve for the last 4 miles of the run. Well I started fairly easily, and I got passed by numerous people in the first 2 miles. All the while I'm telling myself I will catch these folks later in the race. I also was aware of a very stiff climb that was coming up around mile 3.

I yelled some words of encouragement to folks struggling up the climb as I went past and then as I crested the hill my plan totally when out the window. I developed some sort of "bike racer tunnel vision" where every cyclist in front of you is merely someone to chase. While it was fun for the next 10 miles, I averaged 19 mph for the first lap, when I hit the first tough climb of lap 2 I immediately realized I was about to pay for my efforts. For the first time all year I felt tightness and pain in my lower back from all the climbing (1345 feet to be exact). Coupled with the pace I was trying to keep I was seriously beginning to doubt the whole negative split thing. I soldiered on, but my second lap was almost 2 minutes slower than the first.

The Dreaded 2nd Run

This is what makes the duathlon special. You get to run again. In a triathlon, you can spare your legs and generate power with your upper body, but since a duathlon starts with a run you've already used up some of your run energy by the time you get to run #2. I was in good position coming off the bike, probably top 10th in my age group when I started the second run. Then I felt the old heavy legs syndrome kick in. Now I fully expected this, after all, I had just hammered for a little over 26 miles, and by a 1/2 mile into the run my legs started to feel a little better. That lasted until I hit the first uphill on the run. Then the wheels (or perhaps my legs) fell off. I experienced what can only be called a full system shutdown. No power in the engine room. My legs felt like barrels of concrete. From this point (about 1 mile in) it was merely a matter of will whether I would get to the finish or not. At mile 3 I did something I hadn't done for many races. I walked. No shame there, you do what you must to reach the finish, and my training dictated I start walking. The walking actually helped, and about a minute later I started running again. It was short lived, however. I took another walk break and then I just decided I was going to run to the finish if it killed me. Be careful what you wish for, I got to the finish feeling more than a little spacey. I needed a full 15 minutes just to recover from that last 1/2 mile of running. Of course this should have been no real surprise since my training had been woefully short of long runs in preparation for this race. So much for winging it! I lost at least 7 places in my age group on the run and ended up finishing 17th.

Post Mortem

I still have a ways to go about being disciplined when racing. I had a plan, I just failed to execute it. Having a plan was good, not being disciplined enough to follow it, not so good. I also suffered a sore right knee (probably from lack of distance training) and a sore Achilles tendon. Now had I just ridden this race as a training ride, I probably would have finished unscathed. One more reason to race to the level of your training. So now I have some forced rest before I start working on my next race build up.

Coaches Corner

I was talking to some athletes this week about their opinions of their race performances. Many were unhappy with their performances, DESPITE having achieved personal bests! So why might this be? Well it seems lots of athletes THINK they can achieve times in racing, that they don't do in training. They go into races with unrealistic time goals. One athlete asked me how I determined my time goals. The answer was simple. I go back and review my training diary. If I didn't run 6 minute miles in training, it is pretty unlikely I'm going to run them in a race. On the other hand, if I have run 8 minute miles frequently in training, it's a good bet I can repeat that feat while racing. Keep your training journal accurately and you will know what to expect on race day.

Random Notes:

I raced this duathlon with a power meter which yielded a plethora of information. Power meters are fast becoming the preferred method of training intelligently. They are fast supplanting heart rate monitors as the "scientific" means of training. While heart rate monitors are still very useful, power meters give you unbiased information about your race. No excuses! I hope to use this data to race better in the future (such as knowing exactly what power output I can sustain for say 25 miles.) In a future post I will show you how to use a power meter to improve your performance.

Keep tri-ing out there and I hope to see you on the road/track/pool.

Peace

Coach Rob

Duathlon, the step-child of multi-sport

Duathlon, the name brings fear to triathletes everywhere, or so it would seem. Whenever I ask one of my fellow triathletes to join me in doing one I am greeted with answers like "I hate to run". This surprised me, since for most of the triathletes I know, the barrier to the sport was swimming and NOT running. Yet it seems that once triathletes come to grips with the whole "getting in the water" thing, then running becomes the dreaded sport (to date I have found only 1 triathlete that hates the bike portion, but I concluded that's because the bike is the only leg of the race where you can rest and still make forward progress). So I began to wonder, what is it about the duathlon that strikes fear in the legs of otherwise fit multi-sport athletes?

It could be confusion, the sport used to be called the biathlon (way back in the 80s), which made sense to me, but obviously confused the powers that be in the Olympic community, since they already have a biathlon, which is comprised of skiing and shooting (really, can you confuse these two sports?).

It could be that the really good runners show up to duathlons, since (for obvious reasons) they have a better chance to excel.

It could be that the uber bikers, for a change,have less of an advantage in the duathlon, since the running portion of the race now takes up a larger percentage.

Or it could be the fact that training for a duathlon necessarily means a change in one's training program, always a tough thing of the self coached athlete.

But there are some very good reasons to make a duathlon part of your racing (or training) program:

1. As a way to get new athletes into the multi-sport arena (just think, no anxiety about drowning).


2. As a means to improve your run, use a duathlon race to focus on your running for a few weeks as a means to improve your triathlons.


3. As race pace brick training, duathlons give you two bricks and two transition practices.


4. Much less stuff to bring to your race, no wetsuits, goggles, towels, swim cap etc.

I have traditionally used the duathlon as a way to get in shape for my A-race triathlons, since the duathlon helps improve my running. This running focus 4 to 8 weeks prior to an important triathlon, has helped me feel much stronger during the run portion of the race. Give it a try, you may find that your runs improve quite a bit.

Coaching Corner

Since I have finished the bulk of my own racing for the year , I have been hanging around a lot of new triathletes. I love their enthusiasm for the sport and I try to allay whatever fears they might. I have noticed these new entrants to the sport race a lot! I understand their desire to race and improve at their new found sport. I think, however, these new athletes miss the importance of training! When you are racing constantly, there is a great need to rest, i.e. recover from the stresses of racing. With such frequent racing, new athlete's bodies may not have the opportunity to adequately recover. In addition, I have noticed a lot of "cramming", trying to squeeze in more training, since the time between races is so short. This ultimately leads to fatigue and poor race performance. I love the enthusiasm, I just wish they would temper that with some patience. Their love of the sport would increase that much more.

Race Expectations:

I often hear athletes talking about how they would like to improve in races. This is normal, often the reason people compete to begin with is to improve. One thing that strikes me is the often unrealistic gains athletes expect to make from one race to another. When I ask them how they expect to make these gains, it often comes across that they do not have any metrics to confirm (or deny) their expectations. This is why a training journal is so crucial. Your training journal will tell you what you can expect in your next race. If you plan to run 10 minute miles after riding 25 miles on your bike, then your training journal should confirm that you have done something similar (or better yet, exactly). I can't tell you how many times I have had an athlete tell me they want to run "X minutes per mile" in a race and when I ask them how many times they have done it in training they tell me zero. If you want to excel in a race you must excel in training first. Your training tells you what your race will look like, so make sure you record your training accurately so you know what to expect.

In the month of Auguts I will be hosting 3 free coaching clinics aimed at beginners. The clinics will cover the following:

1. How to use a heart rate monitor.


2. Basic bike maintenance.


3. How to use your gears.

Clinics 1 and 3 will be accompanied by a brief ride. Dates and times will be posted on Facebook in the TriUnify group and on my website http://www.clarencecycling.com .

Random Notes

I started out as a bike racer, and although I haven't done a bike race in a while, I decided to have a go at the Greenbelt park training race series. It seems I had forgotten how brutal bike races are. It was very humbling, but not without value. I got my heart rate up above anything I ever see in a triathlon, which for better or worse, was interesting, if not painful. I also got some critical power data, so if I decide to go back and race again at least I'll know what power I need to compete. Speaking of power, I just got a new PowerTap laced to a Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL. The PowerTap works great (a review is coming soon) and when paired with my Garmin Edge 500 cycling computer, makes a nice system for gathering data. The wheel does feel a bit heavy though, which may be the result of riding mostly with the Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels which are over 1/2 a pound lighter. I know it may not sound like much, but when racing uphill every gram hurts. Being able to accurately train with power on the road is worth the sacrifice however.

Keep tri-ing out there and I hope to see you on the road/track/pool.

Peace

Coach Rob

Race Report - Tri 2 Win Sprint Triathlon

While most of my tri club (TriUnify) was down in Washington D.C. braving the Potomac's waters, I opted instead to head north to Westminster, Maryland and participate in the Tri 2 Win sprint triathlon. This race is special to me for a couple of reasons. It was my first triathlon and it also raises money for melanoma research which means by participating I can give back to those in need. This race has become a staple event on my race calendar and I usually bring a few friends along. This year I brought a couple of my old training partners, Mike and Melissa, plus two new participants. One was my boy, fellow Tri Unify member, and first time triathlete Dustun. The other friend, Sean, I met at a Tri Unify training event I led, and he caught the "fever" when he heard us talking about participating in the event. He was so excited he signed up on his iPhone as we spoke! Sean had been out of the tri game for a few years but after his great experience at the training event he decided to get back in the game. Welcome back Sean!

The Tri 2 Win triathlon is a lot of fun and a good event for those just starting out. The pool swim takes alot of the anxiety out of a new triathlete's first event, and for that reason I highly recommend it for those looking to get into the sport. The event has a wide range of fitness levels, so no one will feel intimidated by the field of athletes, while at the same time those looking for good competition will find that as well. Since the event is always on Father's day, there is a nice family aspect to the competition as there is a father/son and father/daughter competion in addition to the indiviual age groups.

I have been doing this event for about 5 years now and I have been steadily moving up in my age group, to the point I can now start looking to get on the podium. I had finished 5th and 6th the last 2 years and since I had limited training time this year I decided to make this my goal race for the year. After carefully studying my results and the results of the last couple of years I figured I would need to do about 1 hour and 17 minutes to make it on to the podium. After having a great outing at the "Flat as a pancake triathlon" 2 weeks prior, I thought I was ready. Although I should note that Tri 2 Win is definitely NOT flat as a pancake.

The Swim:

One of the victims of my reduced training schedule this year has been my swimming. Since I had less time to train early in the season (due to my future triathlete son crawling all over the place), my swimming, which is my weakness, probably suffered the most. I tried to rationalize that since the swim is only 400 meters in this race, its effect would not likely be the deciding factor. I would reassess this point of view during my post race analysis. So as you might have already guessed, I swam slower this year. Not a lot slower, just 18 seconds off last year's pace, but still, I hate to regress. I got out of the pool and hustled my way over to the transition area.

The Bike:

After a fast T1, I hopped on my bike ready to make up some of the time I was sure I lost during the swim. I had ridden the course the day before, so I knew where all the hard climbs were, and I was relying on all the hard work I had put in over the winter and spring. My cycling has seen a noticable bump in terms of power output and coupled with the new bike I worked all spring to get comfortable on, I was sure I could better last year's bike time. The question was, by how much? I averaged 19.3 mph over the 13.5 miles and while that was a nice bump from last year I knew I had my work cut out for myself on the run. I was going to have to run right around 21 and a half minutes for the 3 mile run to get me around the 1:17 time goal. I was trying to not think about that as I entered T2, because I know the last time I ran a 5k that fast I was about 10 years younger (if not more). I had my work cut out for me.

The Run:

I left T2 (after briefly running the wrong way trying to get out of the transition area) with an ominious feeling in my left quad. I've had this before, it's that feeling you get right before your muscle cramps. It's kind of like a warning signal, telling you to slow up or else! I ignored it. Quad be damned, if it was going to cramp so be it, I was going to run hard, until I couldn't run hard any longer. I was feeling pretty good until I hit the steady 1/4 mile uphill on the run. That and the "I'm gonna cramp, I mean it" feeling took a bit of wind out of my sails. I knew right then 1:17 was probably not going to happen, but I remained focused on maintaining my pace. As I hit the turn around, I heard heavy breathing coming up behind me. So far, no had had passed me the entire race, but I knew now someone was definitely trying. With about a mile to go in the run said heavy breather moved past me. I tried to pick up my pace and stay with him, that worked for about ohhhh 15 seconds, nope he was running WAY TOO FAST! I dropped back down to my original pace and held steady to line. A pretty good run, faster than last year and I didn't cramp, despite the warning.

Post Race:

I got some food, as well as some water, to ward off any impending cramps and try and replenish my energy stores. All in all, I felt pretty good. I knocked about a minute off last year's time, but I was about 3 minutes shy of 1:17. 6th place again. Not bad, but after looking at the times of those who beat me the biggest disparity was, you guessed it, the swimming. In fact, the 2rd place finisher in my age group and I had almost identical splits throughout the race but his swim time was over 3 minutes better than mine! I know where I will be spending a lot of time this winter! After a bit of recovery, I watched as my friends came in and cheered them on to the finish. When everyone was done we traveled over to Great Sage restaurant in Clarksville for a great nutritious post tri meal! Hopefully some of you will join us next year for this great race!

Coaches Corner:

I just want to give a shout out to one of my athlete's (and TriUnify member) Derrek Sanks, who broke the 3 hour mark at the Columbia Triathlon. Columbia is a challenging race and Derrek worked hard over the winter and spring to achieve this goal. I also want to wish him a safe return home as he prepares for a deployment in Afghanistan. My thoughts are with you and your family Derrek.