Final Tune Up and Taper

 Rio Salado Olympic Distance Race Report:

  I am two weeks out from IMTX and there is an Olympic race in my backyard - to race it or not to race, that is the question.  I first brought it up to my coach (BB) a month or so before and he suggested not racing it and focusing on training.  I was thinking that training was pretty much at the end by this time and I needed something fun to break the boring training 'funk' that I was in.  So, I felt that a race was just what I needed and I was eventually able to convince him...and race we did!  Rio Salado hosted by Redrockco.
  As the race approached I didn't think I would be at my best - mostly because I had been doing a lot of miles and my legs were tired, not to mention that we had not been focusing on speed lately, as volume was the order of the past couple of months!  When I got to the race I knew I was going to have my hands full as some of the faster guys in my age group had shown up (Carlos, Dan, Jeff, Paul) but there were a few that were missing as well.  You just never know who is going to show up.  But I quickly dismissed the competition and decided that I was there to just GO FAST.  Blake had told me earlier that week, to not pay any attention to the power meter or the heart rate - just GO! 
  This was a big race for the Team standings in a chase to repeat for the Team Championship.  So, naturally there were going to be a lot of ONE Multisport team mates on the course - this always makes it fun for me.  To be able to see familiar faces throughout the course and encouraging them to 'keep it moving'.  At the end of the day we were able to capture many podium spots and pad that Team lead.  Special Thanks to Cyndi Dean for being able to pull it all off without her husband, John, who was not able to get out of bed that morning due to a lingering bad back.  Our team support is always great - but it was extra great on this day because everyone knew that Cyndi needed help to be able to get the tents up and banners hung and tables and food set out.  Thank you to all the volunteers that helped Redrockco also - wetsuit strippers and aid station workers - without you there would be no race.  Or, certainly not a race of this caliber.

SWIM 25:46
  As I lined up on the far left behind Erik I saw Paul and Carlos.  After some small talk, BANG, we were off.  It was tight quarters to start with.  Lots of bumping and touching, but eventually it opened up a bit and I was able to swim on my own.  I tried to stay on some feet early on but they were not swimming straight so I aborted that effort and ended up swimming alone most of the distance.  Pretty uneventful swim and as I exited the swim my time was about where I expected it.  I had done what Blake wanted and I put effort into the swim, but I did not red line.  As I exited the swim I didn't see anyone like I usually do as I was getting my wetsuit stripped.  I thought that was odd, but you just never know where everyone is until you get out on the bike course.


BIKE  1:03:21
  The bike course through Tempe has several turn arounds that allow you to see where everyone is. However, about 2 or 3 miles in Carlos caught me.  That was somewhat discouraging because I thought I might have put a little distance between on the swim, because I have been working on it all winter.  As Carlos passed me I knew I was not working hard enough and it was time to pick it up.  He and 2 other guys went by me and I used them as my measuring stick to pace off of.  I was able to keep Carlos in my sights for the next 12 miles or so - through the first lap of the course.  He was playing a little cat and mouse with me - first I would lead for a while, then as we approached town he would surge ahead, then I would go ahead and he would surge again as we came into town.  I noticed Dan once at the turn around but I didn't notice any others in my AG.  As the second lap started Carlos was able to put some distance into me that I was not able to recover from - but in the end he had about about a 30 second lead as we headed into the run.  With the aid of Carlos and 2 others pacing me I was able to have one of my better bike splits on this course.  

RUN  40:55
  As we started the run I figured I was at least in 3rd place in my AG, maybe 2nd place - with Carlos being 30 seconds ahead.  I knew I was able to out run him at Oceanside earlier in the season, due to a hip injury, and I was wondering if I would be able to do that again today.  I saw him about 1 mile into the run at a turn around and he was still only about 30 seconds ahead.  As I got to mile 2 I noticed a familiar gait pattern in front of me - it was Jeff.  I was able to pass him, but as I did I wondered how many more guys in my AG were ahead of me.  I didn't see Jeff on the bike course earlier, mostly because I didn't know what type of suit he was wearing.  I thought I had about 2 minutes on Dan off the bike. I didn't think he could catch me with a 2 minutes cushion, but the better question was, am I going to be able to catch Carlos.  It was time to focus on Carlos ahead of me.  I didn't have an opportunity to see him again until we got to the turn around again at approximately mile 4.  As luck would have it, he was able to pull away from me by that point - he put about 2 minutes into me.  Apparently his hip injury is healing.  That is bad news for me and the rest of my AG, because the old Carlos is back!  And that is how it finished.  I got 12th overall, and 2nd in my Age Group - 2:12:22.  Not a bad effort for me.  I'll take it. 

  Now to focus on the taper as we approach IMTX.  As Erik says, 'The hay is in the barn'.  Meaning the work is done.  Its time to take it easy and do some shorter stuff with a few intervals and speed work but nothing too long.  Let the legs come back and see what you have come race day.  I will enjoy the taper because the number of workouts is decreased as well as the time of each workout - this will make my life much easier for the next couple of weeks.  Squeezing those workouts in each day is a tough balancing act for me.  I use most of my 'free time' for workouts - early mornings before anyone wakes, occassional lunch time and then evenings while the kids are at karate or doing home work.  I am remembering why I haven't done an IM in 4-5 years.     
 

Oceanside Race Report

I was all signed up for Callifornia 70.3 approximately a year ago.  Turns out that several (approx. 20) people from ONE Multisport were signed up and it was going to be a fun destination race for many of us.  Oceanside is approximately a 6.5-7 hour car ride for us in the Scottsdale, AZ area.  So I teamed up with Klas and Lisa and their daughter, Dallas, and off we went.  They had VRBO'd a 2 bdrm house that was within walking distance to T2 - perfect!  I love staying in a house prior to a race for many reasons and luckily for me Klas and Lisa were on the same page.  We were able to cook and early dinner (thank you Lisa) including a heaping plate chicken, pasta and bread.  Then after dinner we relaxed in the living area watching DVD's of past Kona races while we packed our transition bags and made some small talk.  After that it was off to bed nice and early for a good nights sleep. Unfortunately for me, I didn't sleep well for some reason.  I think I was concerned about the cool temperatures and cold ocean swim.  But nonetheless, the alarm went off early and we were in motion - getting dressed, checking our transition bags a second time - then I went out for about a 15-20 minute light job.  I love the feeling in the air on race morning.  Plenty of people were on their way to transition and there was definately a 'buzz' out there while I ran by.  The temperatures were not bad, so I was relieved to know that.  I got home had a good size breakfast and felt ready to go. 
  In my mind I knew this was not going to be a one of my faster races because I have been doing longer rides and runs and not specifically focused on speed.  But I felt good and prepared.  This was a race for me to get reacquainted with racing, nutrition, transitions and have fun with my teammates.  I would classify this as a 'B' race for me - just getting me set up for the big one - IMTX.
As it turns out my wave didn't start until 7:45 - over an hour after the PRO's start.  Fortunately for us, they let us stay in the transition area and we were able to watch the PRO's come out of the water and get T1 set up and have some small talk while waiting for our start.  As I got to the ramp I was able to dip my toes into the water - Yep, just as advertised.... Chilly.  I had heard it was somewhere between 55-58 degrees.  As we tread water at the start line, the horn blows and my 2012 Triathlon Season is under way. 
Swim  33:54
It is an ocean swim in the harbor and then you turn the corner and swim out in the unprotected water - Wow, was it rough at this point.  After the race there was a lot of talk about how rough that part of the swim was.  Not a lot of contact - but starting as late as my wave did, there were a lot of different colored caps out there that started ahead of us.  Having to swim around and in between that many people can certainly slow you down.  I am not a strong swimmer, so don't read that wrong.  Although, after having swam 4 days a week all winter I was hoping to improve at least a little as compared to last year.  As I exited the water, I was not able to tell any improvement based on the clock, but I felt a lot more relaxed.  This swim time is certainly nothing to brag about but I figured that I didn't lose a lot of time to the top 20 in my age group.  The run to transition was quite long and on numb feet,  it hurt!
My T1 was miserable - mostly due to the fact that I was still undecided whether I was going to wear arm warmers or not and weather I would wear my vest or not.  So, I put the arm warmers on, and then took them off.  Then I decided to put them on again - while I was conversing with those that were arriving around me - sort of taking a poll.  Ultimately, I decided to wear the arm warmers and not the vest.  This turned out to be a good decision in the end.  Even if it did take me 4:45 to decide ;)
Bike: 2:41:44
The bike has always been an issue for me.  But my goal today was to focus on nutrition (250 calories/hr) and being consistant.  I didn't want to put in a lot of effort early and fade at the end like I usually do.  This was time to practice for Ironman riding.  This bike course was no joke.  At mile 28 the climbing started.  Wow, serious climbs.  If you want a bike course with a challenge, this course would be my suggestion.  Several folks were walking their bikes up this first hill.  Then there is a decent later that is a NO pass zone and speed is monitored by a radar and you can be DQ'd if you exceed 25 mph.  My plan was to ride this course about 15-20 watts more then I would ride IM - I stuck to that pretty well.  I was relieved to know that I was capable of not getting caught up in racing and stick to my plan.  At mile 38 I got passed by teammate Dan Cadriel, and a mile later teammate Carlos Mendoza caught me - from the wave behind me! But I was good and controlled and didn't let that bother me - that was not why I was here.  I guess I'm maturing as a triathlete?!  I was able to nail my nutrition as planned, even though I had lost a bottle off the back at some point on the course.  I was able to pick up calories on the course to finish up and as it came time to dismount I really had to use the porta john - So, I hung my bike, changed my shoes and found the restroom.  Ahhh, perfect!  As I'm in there, I started wondering about my Garmin 405 that I run with.  I don't remember seeing it in my bag - so I didn't go back for it because I thought I had left it in my room that morning.  SHOOT!  After the race I found it in my bag!
Run: 1:30:45
Off onto the run course - I was excited for this part.  I always like to PR when I run so this was going to be no different.  I was not holding anything back on the run.  As you exit T2 you run about 50 yds and you are suppose to do a 180 and head out to the pier.  'Suppose to' are the key words!  I missed that piece of the course review... So, I continued straight with the rest of the folks around me, not  knowing I just missed 1.5 miles of the course.  Shortly thereafter, I saw mile market 3 and I wondered what was going on.  Couldn't figure out how the markers could be that far off.  Later, I reach the turn around and head back toward the crowd and I see Dan and Carlos - behind me.  Now I know something is wrong but I'm still not sure what.   Eventually I get to that part where you were to do the 180 turn around and I realize that I  must have missed that - now I have all kinds of thoughts going through my head:  1) Do I stop and get off the course and DNF or 2) Can I try and add that mileage back into the course at the end of the run?  Either way, now I'm not chasing Dan and Carlos - I'm running on my own and not really knowing the mileage that I'm at so I have no idea what pace I'm running.  As I complete the second loop I decide to go back out and complete the last 1.5 mile loop and come back and finish - I wanted to make it legitimate as best as I could and if the course officials wanted to DQ me that was up to them.  I felt great on the run, never faded (I don't think) and I was able to take about 200 cal of gel each hour.  I finished strong and much to my surprise I was able to PR my run - by over 4 minutes!
When the race was over I went and talked to the timing official and explained what had happened and he looked up my time and saw that I crossed every mat and he was satisified that I ran the complete course.  Nothing more needed to be done.  In the end, I actually ran about another 30-45 seconds further to get back up the ramp and to the turn around point.  I was good with that.  I had a good day.  And as far as those controversial arm warmers - I was very glad I wore them on the bike as they accumulated much of the runny nose that was going on out there.  I even left them on for the run.  Good call, even though it took me nearly 5 minutes to decide whether or not to wear them at all.
In the end I finished 20th in my AG - not fabulous but it was great for some of the lessons I learned - which was exactly why I was there.  I hope I am able to retain this information for the next 6 weeks and recall it when I am riding around Houston - Lesson:  Don't get caught up in racing in the first half of the bike.  Go easy and hit your nutrition!
Overall:  The sun never came out, it was overcast all day with some wet roads and occassional mist, however, it was not very windy and for that I am thankful.  There was a lot of Orange on the course - ONE Multisport was well represented out there.  It is always fun for me to see familiar faces on the course - and on the side cheering.  I had a great time and I would not hesitate doing this race again.  The only drawback is that its so early in the year and if it was not for IMTX I don't know if I would be ready this early.  Now the real question is 'Am I ready for Ironman Texas?'  I still  have 5 weeks until I will find out that answer.  But I felt good about things coming off this race.

P.F. Chang 1/2 Marathon Race Report

Well the 2012 season has officially kicked off for me.  This started with the P.F. Chang ½ marathon on January 15^th.  I typically use this race as my litmus test for the upcoming season.  It’s nice to know where I stand and how much work is ahead of me to get where I want to be this season.  With that said, I rarely (if ever) enter a race without thinking/wanting to PR.  This race was no different.  However, this year with Coach BB on board my pre race thoughts changed.  By that, I mean that I received a text the day before the race asking what my ‘race plan’ was.  And I was honest, when I said that I did not have one.  The only thing I was thinking about my race 'plan' was that I wanted to run as fast as I was able to maintain for 13.1 miles.  At that point, he took the opportunity to earn his money and let me know that there was more to running races then just running as fast as you can.  He told me to start out about 20-30 seconds slower than my ‘goal pace’ and then after the first 5K pick it up to goal pace and then at the last 5K, KICK.  Okay, so now I had a plan.

                After meeting Coach BB for the first time just minutes before the race started, the gun sounded.  BANG, and we were off.  I went out a bit faster than I had intended, which usually happens because of the adrenaline and the faster people around me.  But I tried to hold back which probably helped me in the long run.  During miles 2 and 3 I was able to pull back a bit more and I was feeling very good.  As, I got to mile 3 I made a conscious effort to pick it up just a tad.  I did look at my HR and was not surprised that it was running pretty high (low 170’s).  This is pretty typical for me when I run.  As I approached mile 7 there was a slight incline that continued til the 10^th mile marker.  I had started to feel the fatigue setting in around mile 9 and my HR was climbing to the upper 170’s now.  At this point I took the only gel I had and decided if it was going to be it was up to me… Time to push.  The last 5K was a slight downhill and I attempted to use that to my advantage.  I was able to take my pace down another 20-25 sec/mile and finished strong (relatively speaking, of course).  I was very ‘spent’ when I crossed the line! 

As I received my finishing medal I looked up and there was coach BB standing in the finish shoot waiting to check on me and my time.  Taking a look at the clock and knowing what I had hoped for, he gave me the nod of approval.  I was able to PR by 3:30 minutes and I felt good about that.   Mostly because I wasn’t sure I had done enough running leading into this race to be able to PR.   Blake was more convinced then I was that the work had been done and it was just up to me to execute.  He was right – I guess that is why he gets the big bucks! 

I did just barely cracked the top 10 in my AG, but I'll take it.  Now I know where I stand and its time to start building for the triathlon season that lies ahead.