On Saturday, August 7th, I drove back home to DeWitt to race in the Crossroads Sprint Triathlon. I had not competed in this event in the past but had heard it was very well done. I was excited to compete in my hometown! The race consisted of a 500 yard swim, a 15 mile point to point bike, and a 5k run. The swim was clearly closer to 600 yards (everyone commented on this)....many of the very good swimmers had a swim time very close to their times at the QC Tri (600 yard swim). No big deal...everyone races the same course right?!?
I arrived early to navigate the two different transition area locations. It didn't take long to meet up with my training partners Bryan and Jim. We got a bike warm-up in, did a short run, and then had just enough time to get in the water for a quick warm-up swim. The water temp was 77 degrees so we were able to wear wetsuits.
Men 40 and over started in wave 4...which was clearly the largest wave. It was a bit of a washing machine effort at the start but I managed to get some fairly clear water after about 100 yards. I had a really good swim in terms of improved sighting and avoiding the dreaded panic attack. I completed the swim in 11 minutes and 9 seconds. Jim got out of the water first in the 10 min 30 sec range, Bill Minard, myself, and Dave Burke came out together, and Bryan came out about 2o seconds after us. Transition was fairly smooth...considering all competitors had to put all of their swim gear into a plastic bag before heading out on the bike course. I got out of T1 after Jim but before Bill, Bryan, and Dave.
The bike course was pretty darn challenging! Some very good hills on this course and a decent headwind when we turned west for the 4-5 mile into town for T2. Bill passed me on the bike at mile 1 or 2....and then he was GONE. I couldn't catch Jim and actually lost ground to his 22 mph average speed. I did keep my spot ahead of Bryan (we both average right at 21 mph) and I stretched my lead slightly over Dave. I got into T2 in good shape...and actually thought I had held back just a bit in hopes of saving myself for a faster than usual run. T2 was smooth...in and out with no issues. My legs felt fairly good and after a quarter mile I hit a decent stride.
Bryan caught me right before mile 1...and then proceeded to smoke me good. He looked to be in great form and was moving at a pace I can only dream about. I finished my 5k run in 25 mins and change....which, honestly, was disappointing to me. The run course was absolutely flat and layed out nicely. I had a goal of running this in 24 minutes flat. Not to be :(
Overall, I felt like I had a very strong event. My finishing time was 1 hr 22 minutes and some odd number of seconds. This effort placed me 5th of 15 in my age category. As a point of reference, this event can be compared to the Hickory Grove Triathlon...which is the same distances with similiar challenges. Last year at this time I went 1 hr 29 mins and change at that event.
Congrats to Bill (1 hr 14 mins), Jim (1 hr 19 mins), and Bryan (1 hr and 20 mins)....very good times for all 3 of my training buddies!
I had the opportunity to see and talk with many old friends after the event! I will add the DeWitt Crossroads Triathlon to my list of "must do" events for next year.
Training this week has been very light. I took 3 days off in the middle of the week to take my Daughter and her good friend to Ohio for a fun day at Cedar Point Amusement park (roller coaster capital of the world). We had a great time...and I was glad to spend the time with her!
This weekend we head across the river for the Du State Duathlon. Run, then bike, then run again....oh no....no swim???? Wish me luck....clearly my running is not my strength!
I took some time this week to think about how fortunate I am to be able to swim, bike, and run. I've had to overcome a lot with my hip....especially since it wasn't rehabbed correctly after surgery. However, I continue to realize that I am Blessed to be able to do the things I do. Many, many people can't do these things. Even on my worse days....I need to remind myself of the good fortune in my life.
Enjoy what you CAN do....and don't take it for granted....
TJ
Friday, August 13, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Racing....Unexpectantly
After having a fairly successful event at the Holiday Lake Triathlon, I decided to "jump" into two additional events that I hadn't planned on. This meant I raced 3 weeks in a row....which is something I've never done before. I look at the sprint length triathlons as being good training sessions, especially since I use Saturday and Sundays as my long training days.
The Evergreen Triathlon in Bloomington, IL was a fantastic event! I considered this to be an excellent opportunity to do a "hybrid" event....since the swim and the run where sprint distances, and the bike was an olympic distance. My main purpose however was to get more race experience in the open water swim, and to gain more comfort in my wetsuit. Unfortunately, it was announced just prior to the start that the water temp was 79 degrees....thus not wetsuit legal. We were allowed to wear suits....but would not be eligible for awards. I made the decision to use the suit to gain the experience.
I did the 600 yard swim in 12 minutes and change. The swim split was disappointing from the perspective that I didn't sight well and got off course several times. Nonetheless, I came out of the water feeling pretty good....and had positive feelings about avoiding a panic attack. I covered the 25 mile bike course with an average speed of 21.5 mph, which was a solid bike split considering the wind and the hilly course. The run was slow but uneventful, and I didn't plan to push my effort. My overall time for the event would have been good enough for 4th place in my age group had I not wore my wetsuit.
Last weekend, I raced again.....this time in the Stoneman Sprint triathlon in Springfield, IL. I made the decision to do this event to, once again, get more open water race experience. I also knew the water temp would be warm, and wetsuits would again not be legal. I signed up for the event with the mindset that I would do the swim without the suit.
Warm water....are you kidding me? It was 88 degrees the morning of the race! Certainly not wetsuit legal...and in fact....wetsuits where prohibited. I managed the 600 yard swim by adding a couple of hundred extra yards (refused to sight)....at one point, a guy in a kayak had to alert me to turn 90 degrees to my left to find the rest of the pack! Frustrating...but I survived. For the first time in my swim life, I realized the benefits to swimming in a wetsuit. Not only does it help level you out (so as to not drag your legs), but it also helps you "cut" through the water. With the warm summer, I was happy to force myself to do an event that didn't allow wetsuits....since I expect water temps to be warm for my remaining events.
The bike effort was uneventful....and I cut a 21.3 mph average speed. I came off the bike feeling good and completed the 5k run in 24 mins and change. This overall effort earned me a 3rd place finish in my age category....another good finish for me.
I trained hard this last week....4 open water swim sessions with a major emphasis on sighting, 3 decent bike rides totally 115 miles, and 26 miles of run mileage, with my long run being 9 miles.
Training will be light this week....I will be in Denver Tuesday through Thursday for a work meeting. I hope to get one good run in on Wednesday while in Denver. Tuesday will be a rest/travel day, and Thursday I'll swim when I get back home and then bike on my trainer later that night. I'll use Friday to rest and do some easy running with a few strides, as well as a short swim. Saturday morning will be the DeWitt Crossroads Triathlon....an event I'm looking forward to performing well in!
Summer is going by quickly...don't you think? Guess what? I'm not done yet!
TJ
The Evergreen Triathlon in Bloomington, IL was a fantastic event! I considered this to be an excellent opportunity to do a "hybrid" event....since the swim and the run where sprint distances, and the bike was an olympic distance. My main purpose however was to get more race experience in the open water swim, and to gain more comfort in my wetsuit. Unfortunately, it was announced just prior to the start that the water temp was 79 degrees....thus not wetsuit legal. We were allowed to wear suits....but would not be eligible for awards. I made the decision to use the suit to gain the experience.
I did the 600 yard swim in 12 minutes and change. The swim split was disappointing from the perspective that I didn't sight well and got off course several times. Nonetheless, I came out of the water feeling pretty good....and had positive feelings about avoiding a panic attack. I covered the 25 mile bike course with an average speed of 21.5 mph, which was a solid bike split considering the wind and the hilly course. The run was slow but uneventful, and I didn't plan to push my effort. My overall time for the event would have been good enough for 4th place in my age group had I not wore my wetsuit.
Last weekend, I raced again.....this time in the Stoneman Sprint triathlon in Springfield, IL. I made the decision to do this event to, once again, get more open water race experience. I also knew the water temp would be warm, and wetsuits would again not be legal. I signed up for the event with the mindset that I would do the swim without the suit.
Warm water....are you kidding me? It was 88 degrees the morning of the race! Certainly not wetsuit legal...and in fact....wetsuits where prohibited. I managed the 600 yard swim by adding a couple of hundred extra yards (refused to sight)....at one point, a guy in a kayak had to alert me to turn 90 degrees to my left to find the rest of the pack! Frustrating...but I survived. For the first time in my swim life, I realized the benefits to swimming in a wetsuit. Not only does it help level you out (so as to not drag your legs), but it also helps you "cut" through the water. With the warm summer, I was happy to force myself to do an event that didn't allow wetsuits....since I expect water temps to be warm for my remaining events.
The bike effort was uneventful....and I cut a 21.3 mph average speed. I came off the bike feeling good and completed the 5k run in 24 mins and change. This overall effort earned me a 3rd place finish in my age category....another good finish for me.
I trained hard this last week....4 open water swim sessions with a major emphasis on sighting, 3 decent bike rides totally 115 miles, and 26 miles of run mileage, with my long run being 9 miles.
Training will be light this week....I will be in Denver Tuesday through Thursday for a work meeting. I hope to get one good run in on Wednesday while in Denver. Tuesday will be a rest/travel day, and Thursday I'll swim when I get back home and then bike on my trainer later that night. I'll use Friday to rest and do some easy running with a few strides, as well as a short swim. Saturday morning will be the DeWitt Crossroads Triathlon....an event I'm looking forward to performing well in!
Summer is going by quickly...don't you think? Guess what? I'm not done yet!
TJ
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Lake Holiday Race Report
Ever get so disappointed that you just wanted to forget it? That sums up the QC Triathlon for me perfectly. I can recap the race very quickly.....just over 16 minutes of straight hyperventilation during the 600 yard swim, exhausted on the bike but managed 20.5 mph average speed, and 26 minutes on the run course after slipping in the mud on a downhill and snapping my hip. Somehow I managed an overall finishing time that was slightly faster than last year.
Having the panic issue in the open water...I committed to spending as much time practicing in the lake as I could. In the last 3 weeks, I've completed 8 OWS sessions....each time showing improvement in my comfort level. I came into the Lake Holiday Triathlon feeling better about the 500 yard swim.
After a good warm up on the bike and a quick 8 minute run, I hit the water to see what my swim day would be like. My swim warm up was short but it felt good....and I felt quite comfy in the murky water. I started in wave 2 and swam the first 100 yards non-stop and noticed I was leading the pack. I slowed to site and make the first turn....only to allow my enemy (my panic attack) to creep in. I did some breast stroke for a bit and got passed by 5 or 6 guys. After I cussed myself out for being such a sissy....I did something I haven't been able to do before....I pulled on my "big boy" tri shorts and put my face back in the water and began to swim again! Other than some hesitations to site, I managed to swim the rest of the distance without issue. My swim split for the 500 yards was 9 mins and 39 secs....much better! The biggest advantage for me was that I didn't come out of the water exhausted.
Having a good swim (for me), I was ready to hit the bike hard. The conditions were perfect for the 12.5 mi sprint ride....very little wind and only a couple of minor rollers to deal with. I knew it would be a fast ride and I wanted to push it pretty hard. I passed many people on the bike and finished with a split of 32 mins and 34 secs. This resulted in an average speed of 22.3 mph and the 7th fastest bike split overall (154 competitors).
I felt pretty good through transition and started my run feeling decent. My run pace was slower than I wanted through the first half of the 3.5 mile run. However, my legs started to fire quite well just after the turn around. My garmin showed me that I held a 7 min 5 sec pace for the last 1 and 3/4 miles of the run....giving me a finishing time of just over 25 minutes.
My final overall time was 1 hr 9 mins and change....which landed me a second place finish in my age category (13 men total). It was nice to place 2nd and get a cool award. However, the story of my day was the happiness I achieved by finally overcoming my fear in the open water.
From a training perspective, I will continue to work hard to improve and ready myself for DeWitt Crossroads Triathlon and the Hickory Grove Triathlon....both of which take place in August. Training is going well and I am particularly please to have slowly inched my weekly long run up to 9 miles. Overall run volume for each of the last 3 weeks has exceeded 24 miles. I am also making some gains on the bike....thanks to members of Team Tri Fit and our Sunday afternoon time-trials.
Keep your chin up and your spirits high. And....when you think you can't overcome something...ask yourself to reach down deep and try again. You will be amazed at how much is still inside you....ready to dig in.
Happy training!
Having the panic issue in the open water...I committed to spending as much time practicing in the lake as I could. In the last 3 weeks, I've completed 8 OWS sessions....each time showing improvement in my comfort level. I came into the Lake Holiday Triathlon feeling better about the 500 yard swim.
After a good warm up on the bike and a quick 8 minute run, I hit the water to see what my swim day would be like. My swim warm up was short but it felt good....and I felt quite comfy in the murky water. I started in wave 2 and swam the first 100 yards non-stop and noticed I was leading the pack. I slowed to site and make the first turn....only to allow my enemy (my panic attack) to creep in. I did some breast stroke for a bit and got passed by 5 or 6 guys. After I cussed myself out for being such a sissy....I did something I haven't been able to do before....I pulled on my "big boy" tri shorts and put my face back in the water and began to swim again! Other than some hesitations to site, I managed to swim the rest of the distance without issue. My swim split for the 500 yards was 9 mins and 39 secs....much better! The biggest advantage for me was that I didn't come out of the water exhausted.
Having a good swim (for me), I was ready to hit the bike hard. The conditions were perfect for the 12.5 mi sprint ride....very little wind and only a couple of minor rollers to deal with. I knew it would be a fast ride and I wanted to push it pretty hard. I passed many people on the bike and finished with a split of 32 mins and 34 secs. This resulted in an average speed of 22.3 mph and the 7th fastest bike split overall (154 competitors).
I felt pretty good through transition and started my run feeling decent. My run pace was slower than I wanted through the first half of the 3.5 mile run. However, my legs started to fire quite well just after the turn around. My garmin showed me that I held a 7 min 5 sec pace for the last 1 and 3/4 miles of the run....giving me a finishing time of just over 25 minutes.
My final overall time was 1 hr 9 mins and change....which landed me a second place finish in my age category (13 men total). It was nice to place 2nd and get a cool award. However, the story of my day was the happiness I achieved by finally overcoming my fear in the open water.
From a training perspective, I will continue to work hard to improve and ready myself for DeWitt Crossroads Triathlon and the Hickory Grove Triathlon....both of which take place in August. Training is going well and I am particularly please to have slowly inched my weekly long run up to 9 miles. Overall run volume for each of the last 3 weeks has exceeded 24 miles. I am also making some gains on the bike....thanks to members of Team Tri Fit and our Sunday afternoon time-trials.
Keep your chin up and your spirits high. And....when you think you can't overcome something...ask yourself to reach down deep and try again. You will be amazed at how much is still inside you....ready to dig in.
Happy training!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I'm Back.....
Realizing I gave up on keeping this blog, and went several months without writing. No excuse...but...no time to explain. Let's just say life has changed significantly! Changes are good...in time.
I've trained consistently since my last entry. I can summarize it all but, let's face it, no one really cares!
Let me play catch up by stating that I have continued to train, I've stayed healthy, and I've maintained my weight between 172 and 176 lbs. My hip has managed to hang in there...some good days, some not so good days....but most of the time I am content.
So here we go....
Yesterday was a very nice training day. I completed a strength training session for my upper body, did 30 minutes of core work and stretching, and completed a 4 mile tempo run. I was excited with my run as I went 28 mins 29 secs for the 4 miles. That put me at about a 7:07 minute per mile pace. I think, with an all out effort, I could hang on to a flat 7 min/mile pace for the distance. Hip felt good...no pain...some tightness. I like a 4 mile distance for my once a week tempo run because it makes my 3 mile and 5k runs seem a little easier. I am anxious to do a benchmark test in the coming days for a 3 mile all out effort. I am hoping to go 20 min 30 secs this next test. My goal is to go 19:59 by March 1st!
Today, I did more strength training (chest, lats, and triceps), core work, balance exercises, and a 1 mile easy run just to stay loose. I followed the run with a good stretching session and then hit the pool for a short swim session. I am ashamed to say this was my first time in the water since the IowaMan Triathlon in September. I "played" in the water for about 30 minutes and managed about 600 yards of actual swimming. I have a long ways to go...but I'm hopeful it will come back quickly. I plan to swim 3 times per week leading up to the QC Tri in mid-June.
I've established my event schedule and goals for this coming season. I'll post that info tomorrow, time permitting. I'm a believer of setting challenging goals and making them public. It helps from an accountability stand-point. Provided I stay healthy, I'm going to be significantly faster this season. I expect my run times to be much faster than last season. My hip is tolerating the training and I've found success in running indoors this winter. The indoor running track at Bettendorf Life Fitness Center is allowing me to run train all winter long. In previous years, I didn't do much running in the winter....as my hip wouldn't tolerate the cold and slippery surfaces. I am way ahead already!
Ok...I'm committed to doing my best to keep up on this blog! It's been a long time but...I'm still the same "never give up" guy. I'm 44 years old, I've had 3 reconstructive surgeries on my left hip (including total hip replacement, twice), and my best training and racing is yet to come!
Thanks for reading...and remember....It's not over until I say it's over!
TJ
I've trained consistently since my last entry. I can summarize it all but, let's face it, no one really cares!
Let me play catch up by stating that I have continued to train, I've stayed healthy, and I've maintained my weight between 172 and 176 lbs. My hip has managed to hang in there...some good days, some not so good days....but most of the time I am content.
So here we go....
Yesterday was a very nice training day. I completed a strength training session for my upper body, did 30 minutes of core work and stretching, and completed a 4 mile tempo run. I was excited with my run as I went 28 mins 29 secs for the 4 miles. That put me at about a 7:07 minute per mile pace. I think, with an all out effort, I could hang on to a flat 7 min/mile pace for the distance. Hip felt good...no pain...some tightness. I like a 4 mile distance for my once a week tempo run because it makes my 3 mile and 5k runs seem a little easier. I am anxious to do a benchmark test in the coming days for a 3 mile all out effort. I am hoping to go 20 min 30 secs this next test. My goal is to go 19:59 by March 1st!
Today, I did more strength training (chest, lats, and triceps), core work, balance exercises, and a 1 mile easy run just to stay loose. I followed the run with a good stretching session and then hit the pool for a short swim session. I am ashamed to say this was my first time in the water since the IowaMan Triathlon in September. I "played" in the water for about 30 minutes and managed about 600 yards of actual swimming. I have a long ways to go...but I'm hopeful it will come back quickly. I plan to swim 3 times per week leading up to the QC Tri in mid-June.
I've established my event schedule and goals for this coming season. I'll post that info tomorrow, time permitting. I'm a believer of setting challenging goals and making them public. It helps from an accountability stand-point. Provided I stay healthy, I'm going to be significantly faster this season. I expect my run times to be much faster than last season. My hip is tolerating the training and I've found success in running indoors this winter. The indoor running track at Bettendorf Life Fitness Center is allowing me to run train all winter long. In previous years, I didn't do much running in the winter....as my hip wouldn't tolerate the cold and slippery surfaces. I am way ahead already!
Ok...I'm committed to doing my best to keep up on this blog! It's been a long time but...I'm still the same "never give up" guy. I'm 44 years old, I've had 3 reconstructive surgeries on my left hip (including total hip replacement, twice), and my best training and racing is yet to come!
Thanks for reading...and remember....It's not over until I say it's over!
TJ
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