I planned to write a Timberman race report two weeks ago but I haven't gotten around to it. My lack of motivation to do so has a direct connection to how I'm feeling about the sport right now. I have no real desire to swim or bike and my motivation for running is only driven by a previous commitment to the DC Ragnar Relay next week. I've got three legs in two days for a total of 20 miles. And it will be a slow go since I still can't kick the tendonitis in my Achilles heels.
Perhaps there is such a thing as post-race depression. My disappointing showing at Timberman begged the question, why do I crumble at the half-Ironman distance? I figure I had unreasonable expectations to begin with. If I want to be a competitive age grouper maybe I need to do more training. But with my training volumes typically in the 8-10 hours range I don't see how I could fit more in.
Time is not the only issue right now. I have come to accept the life of a triathlete means I will ache from something; a knee, ankle, shoulder, back, groin, hip, calf, arch, or some combination of them. I can't remember the last time I wasn't in pain. My mind has finally caught up with my body and said, "Enough! Let's take a break."
I'm going to take a few months off to heal and rethink what I want from the sport and what I can actually achieve given my constraints. I may need the services of a coach to maximize my limited time. And then I may just keep to the shorter race distances for a while.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Taper Time
Timberman is now less than a week away! I can't believe I signed up almost a year in advance. It seems so long ago. I haven't been this excited and full of anticipation about a race since Vineman.
This week I'm taking it very easy in hopes that my lingering injuries finally heal up. All of you triathletes out there know about those pains that aren't bad enough to keep you from training but just enough to make you wonder if they will ever go away. It sure would be nice to finally kick the Achilles ankle and calf muscle soreness I've had for the past three months now. Or perhaps that groin pull that typically act up at mile 10 of my long run won't creep into the race. One can only hope the decrease in volume and increase in rest over the past two weeks has helped.
We shall see come Sunday!
This week I'm taking it very easy in hopes that my lingering injuries finally heal up. All of you triathletes out there know about those pains that aren't bad enough to keep you from training but just enough to make you wonder if they will ever go away. It sure would be nice to finally kick the Achilles ankle and calf muscle soreness I've had for the past three months now. Or perhaps that groin pull that typically act up at mile 10 of my long run won't creep into the race. One can only hope the decrease in volume and increase in rest over the past two weeks has helped.
We shall see come Sunday!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Charlottesville International RR
In preparation for Timberman I returned to Charlottesville, VA to take a crack at what is known as a tough and hilly course. I rode the course last October and squeaked out an average of 18.8 mph, which didn't include the two stops I made for food and pictures. My goal for the race was to see where my fitness stood by testing out the race paces I intend to keep in New Hampshire, now only a month away. I had some concerns about how my recent hip injury would respond to the hill climbing but everything seemed to work out.
.9 Mile Swim - 21:42 (1:30/100m)
The water temperature was 80 degrees so it was time to test my open water abilities sans wetsuit. I was eager to see what I could do and had a pipe dream about posting a top ten time. Reality set in about 400 meters into the swim and I decided to hang back and follow some feet. When I popped out of the water my watch only said 21:00, which was much lower than I was figuring. Turns out everyone had that thought. I calculated the course was 300 meters short.
T1 - 1:09
Not having to fight with a wetsuit was nice. I was going to try to grab the bike with shoes already clipped on but the course jumped into a serious hill right away. I figured the situation was better suited for a traditional approach.
23.5 Mile Bike - 1:08:15 (20.7mph)
I perfectly hit my mark of 20.5 and did so being somewhat reserved. I attacked a few of the steeper climbs early and noticed lingering fatigue from Friday's 25-mile ride up the Custis Trail from Rosslyn (had to test the hip). I watched my average and kept the cadence high over the last ten miles. The 41mph decent to the race site certainly helped the average. As I approached the dismount line I began to slip out of my bike shoes. In the process I felt the right shoe come unclipped so I reached down and grabbed it. I set the shoe on my aerobars but that lasted all of two seconds before it flew off, ironically landing next to my car.
T2 - 0:47
I tried the stretch laces for the first time in a race and it wasn't too much easier. I think I need to loosen them a bit.
10K Run - 41:56 (6:52/mile)
The most exciting part of the race was the trail run. I had never competitively run through a wooded course before and could not wait. I quickly realized its dangerous to run full speed over roots, mud, rocks, hills, and streams, right after you biked. I almost ate a tree when I attempted to turn at the bottom of a hill. I decided to keep a pace that seemed safe until my legs rebounded from the bike. My splits were: 7:10, 7:08, 13:56 (two miles), 6:38, 6:26, 0:38.
Total Time - 2:13:47
I was pleased with the results, especially since I swiped my first AG win! It was a small race of 101 men so there is only so much cheering I can do. I placed 7th OA so that was nice too. But more importantly, I know where my fitness stands and I can now gameplan for Timberman.
.9 Mile Swim - 21:42 (1:30/100m)
The water temperature was 80 degrees so it was time to test my open water abilities sans wetsuit. I was eager to see what I could do and had a pipe dream about posting a top ten time. Reality set in about 400 meters into the swim and I decided to hang back and follow some feet. When I popped out of the water my watch only said 21:00, which was much lower than I was figuring. Turns out everyone had that thought. I calculated the course was 300 meters short.
T1 - 1:09Not having to fight with a wetsuit was nice. I was going to try to grab the bike with shoes already clipped on but the course jumped into a serious hill right away. I figured the situation was better suited for a traditional approach.
23.5 Mile Bike - 1:08:15 (20.7mph)
I perfectly hit my mark of 20.5 and did so being somewhat reserved. I attacked a few of the steeper climbs early and noticed lingering fatigue from Friday's 25-mile ride up the Custis Trail from Rosslyn (had to test the hip). I watched my average and kept the cadence high over the last ten miles. The 41mph decent to the race site certainly helped the average. As I approached the dismount line I began to slip out of my bike shoes. In the process I felt the right shoe come unclipped so I reached down and grabbed it. I set the shoe on my aerobars but that lasted all of two seconds before it flew off, ironically landing next to my car.
T2 - 0:47I tried the stretch laces for the first time in a race and it wasn't too much easier. I think I need to loosen them a bit.
10K Run - 41:56 (6:52/mile)
The most exciting part of the race was the trail run. I had never competitively run through a wooded course before and could not wait. I quickly realized its dangerous to run full speed over roots, mud, rocks, hills, and streams, right after you biked. I almost ate a tree when I attempted to turn at the bottom of a hill. I decided to keep a pace that seemed safe until my legs rebounded from the bike. My splits were: 7:10, 7:08, 13:56 (two miles), 6:38, 6:26, 0:38.
Total Time - 2:13:47I was pleased with the results, especially since I swiped my first AG win! It was a small race of 101 men so there is only so much cheering I can do. I placed 7th OA so that was nice too. But more importantly, I know where my fitness stands and I can now gameplan for Timberman.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Rest Sucks
The past month I've been able to log some good training. I've hit a few long rides, runs, and even an open water swim. Last week I had planned to go easy so I could start my hard speed work weeks before the big taper for Timberman. I felt great recovering with the slower paced days.
The Tuesday of the slow week I had an opportunity to play softball with a friend and I jumped on it. The next day my hip flexors were sore like I had lifted weights. When Sunday rolled around I rode one loop of the Kinetic Half course hard. During the ride I felt a slight pull in my hip but didn't think much of it. A few hours later I had a tough time walking. On Tuesday my hip felt 90% so I opted to play another doubleheader of softball instead of training, figuring it would be easier on the hip. Wow I was dead wrong. The muscle quickly knotted up and I limped through the games.
The injury forced me to chill on the couch and watch the Tour de France all week. I kept wishing I could be tap dancing my way up those mountains. After watching Contador take yellow this morning I felt well enough to try some easy riding. I managed a meager 27 miles at 15 mph before I called it a day. Don't think I'll take any stages with that kind of effort. I probably could have gone further but what's the point. It looks like I'll be taking a forced taper this week for Charlottesville International. Bummer since I had planned to train through. Oh well, I hope to be healed and able to race respectable by next Sunday. We'll see how the week goes.
UPDATE 7/23/09: Had a decent tempo run yesterday but still experienced tightness and pain. Probably brave some bike training tonight to see if its a go for Sunday's race.
The Tuesday of the slow week I had an opportunity to play softball with a friend and I jumped on it. The next day my hip flexors were sore like I had lifted weights. When Sunday rolled around I rode one loop of the Kinetic Half course hard. During the ride I felt a slight pull in my hip but didn't think much of it. A few hours later I had a tough time walking. On Tuesday my hip felt 90% so I opted to play another doubleheader of softball instead of training, figuring it would be easier on the hip. Wow I was dead wrong. The muscle quickly knotted up and I limped through the games.
The injury forced me to chill on the couch and watch the Tour de France all week. I kept wishing I could be tap dancing my way up those mountains. After watching Contador take yellow this morning I felt well enough to try some easy riding. I managed a meager 27 miles at 15 mph before I called it a day. Don't think I'll take any stages with that kind of effort. I probably could have gone further but what's the point. It looks like I'll be taking a forced taper this week for Charlottesville International. Bummer since I had planned to train through. Oh well, I hope to be healed and able to race respectable by next Sunday. We'll see how the week goes.
UPDATE 7/23/09: Had a decent tempo run yesterday but still experienced tightness and pain. Probably brave some bike training tonight to see if its a go for Sunday's race.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Keeping Rubber on the Road
After my spill a few weekends ago I started to wonder why I had fallen so easily. Certainly the combination of rain, fresh asphalt, and right-angled corner were the major contributing factors. But I wondered, at 5 mph or so, could I have avoided the accident all together? An investigation of my Trek Equinox's tires uncovered I had zero tread left. I bought the bike used a year and a half ago and haven't paid much attention to the wearable items since.This week I decided it was a wise investment to purchase a new set of tires instead of ending up with a broken wrist/arm/thumb somewhere along the way. After some online research I decided to roll with Vttoria's Diamante Pro Techs for roughly $55 a piece at the local bike shop. The manufacture boasts they're good in wet weather and puncture resistant. Works for me. I strapped them on, pumped them to 100 psi like normal, and rode to work the next day. What a completely different feeling from before.
The new tires seemed to zap power and felt squishy, like I had a flat. Now worried about dropping $110 on junk, I did further research about road tires, specifically about pressure, weight, tread, rolling resistance, and Threads Per Inch (TPI). Prior to the purchase I had read plenty of consumer reviews on tires, much geared towards the ability to resist flats and wear. A new search turned up studies on the rolling resistance of certain tires and the watts required to overcome them. In some cases, a pair of tires might require an extra 5 watts to move at the same speed as another. The resistance factor is largely based on the width, tread, material, weight, and inflation. I didn't see my Diamante Pro Techs on the list but I knew it was harder to hit 22 mph on the new tires then on the old and bald Rubino Slicks. I wasn't happy with my new purchase since I was trading speed (estimated 1.0 mph) for safety. I then noticed I purchased 220 TPI tires, which means higher internal pressures allowed, which means I can achieve less resistance with more pressure. I went back to my bike and pumped them up to the recommended minimum of 115 psi instead of the 100 psi I was using. The next test ride I felt strong and more in control with less squish, but still some of that flat tire feel remained. I'll have to keep playing with the pressure to see if it makes a difference.
If you want to learn more about tires I recommend checking out this guy's site: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
ITU World Championship Series
I had an interesting weekend to say the least. Besides the normal studying and paper writing for my summer graduate class I managed to find time to ride with coworkers. The 6AM start time on a Saturday was not my choice. I'm told until I get married and have family obligations I won't be able to appreciate the early morning workout.
The ride was pleasant and along quiet roads filled with plenty of rolling hills. I left the group after 30 miles to do a few threshold repeats. Along the way it began to rain lightly. I prefer not to ride in the rain but I was determined to get in a much needed long ride in that day. I wanted to take Sunday off to watch the ITU World Championship Series race in Washington, DC. As I turned a sharp corner on freshly paved asphalt my front wheel lost its grip. Before I knew it, I was sliding down the bike trail on my side. The injuries consist of a bruised and swollen ankle, hip, shoulder, hand, elbow, and knee. I have a bit of road rash but not too bad. I think my bike took the worst hit because the handlebars are a little out of whack. I've been taking it easy this week, which has allowed me to concentrate on my final project for school. You got to find the positive, right?
On Sunday I rode my beach cruiser into DC to watch 4 of the 5 top triathlon finishers in Beijing compete for ITU points. All the big guns were in town: Javier Gomez, Simon Whitfield, Hunter Kemper, Jan Frodeno, Jarrod Shoemaker, and Andy Potts. I had a special interest in one athlete, Matt Chrabot, because he's a member of Coastal Racing from Virginia Beach.
My first impression of the Olympic triathletes was, "Damn they're skinny!" At 5'8" and 150lbs I look fat next to these guys. I guess the less weight you carry around the better when you're at that level.
The swim portion of the race was a two loop course through the nasty, brown, debris filled Potomac. I felt bad for the guys because they spent much of the time dodging logs and trash. Afterwards, I managed to watch most of the bike on the big screen they had at T2/Finish. It was pretty awesome.
The lead group of five turned a 10 second lead out of T1 into a 45 second lead on the chase pack of 15 or so guys. The chase pack never could put things together. Shortly after the run started it was clear it was going to be a two man race between Javier Gomez and 21-year old Alistair Brownlee. Seriously, this kid looked like he could have been 16. He dropped the hammer over the last 2km and won his second race of the year.
The ride was pleasant and along quiet roads filled with plenty of rolling hills. I left the group after 30 miles to do a few threshold repeats. Along the way it began to rain lightly. I prefer not to ride in the rain but I was determined to get in a much needed long ride in that day. I wanted to take Sunday off to watch the ITU World Championship Series race in Washington, DC. As I turned a sharp corner on freshly paved asphalt my front wheel lost its grip. Before I knew it, I was sliding down the bike trail on my side. The injuries consist of a bruised and swollen ankle, hip, shoulder, hand, elbow, and knee. I have a bit of road rash but not too bad. I think my bike took the worst hit because the handlebars are a little out of whack. I've been taking it easy this week, which has allowed me to concentrate on my final project for school. You got to find the positive, right?
On Sunday I rode my beach cruiser into DC to watch 4 of the 5 top triathlon finishers in Beijing compete for ITU points. All the big guns were in town: Javier Gomez, Simon Whitfield, Hunter Kemper, Jan Frodeno, Jarrod Shoemaker, and Andy Potts. I had a special interest in one athlete, Matt Chrabot, because he's a member of Coastal Racing from Virginia Beach.
My first impression of the Olympic triathletes was, "Damn they're skinny!" At 5'8" and 150lbs I look fat next to these guys. I guess the less weight you carry around the better when you're at that level.
The swim portion of the race was a two loop course through the nasty, brown, debris filled Potomac. I felt bad for the guys because they spent much of the time dodging logs and trash. Afterwards, I managed to watch most of the bike on the big screen they had at T2/Finish. It was pretty awesome.
The lead group of five turned a 10 second lead out of T1 into a 45 second lead on the chase pack of 15 or so guys. The chase pack never could put things together. Shortly after the run started it was clear it was going to be a two man race between Javier Gomez and 21-year old Alistair Brownlee. Seriously, this kid looked like he could have been 16. He dropped the hammer over the last 2km and won his second race of the year.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Bike MS 100 - Washington, DC
This past weekend I took part in the National Capitol Chapter MS Ride outside of Washington, DC. Coworkers, friends, and I donated $300 for my old roommate Ryan's Team OutSPOKEn. In return, I pledged to ride the century course. I had no idea what the profile looked like but I figured I could handle another 100 miler.
When the ride began I realized I was going to be doing most of this alone. There weren't any "competitive" cyclists around to ride with so Ryan and I headed out as usual. At Mile 36 we split ways since he only wanted 60 miles. Feeling pretty good I took off and attacked a surprisingly hilly course. Despite the grades I managed 19mph for the first 60 miles. It was at that point my left knee began to ache again (remnants from MoM). I backed off but finished strong over the last 15 miles.
So over the past three weeks I've completed my first two century rides. And I don't think I'll be doing any more in the near future. The good news is... 56 miles now seems like a short ride.
When the ride began I realized I was going to be doing most of this alone. There weren't any "competitive" cyclists around to ride with so Ryan and I headed out as usual. At Mile 36 we split ways since he only wanted 60 miles. Feeling pretty good I took off and attacked a surprisingly hilly course. Despite the grades I managed 19mph for the first 60 miles. It was at that point my left knee began to ache again (remnants from MoM). I backed off but finished strong over the last 15 miles.
So over the past three weeks I've completed my first two century rides. And I don't think I'll be doing any more in the near future. The good news is... 56 miles now seems like a short ride.
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