racingawareness[dot]org

Reprieve

2012-02-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

I have this untested theory that my training/exercise is a natural antidepressant. The last two weeks have been filled with more down days than usual, prompting me to actually consider calling the doc for a low-dose anti-anxiety pill. Sometimes I struggle when deciding exactly how much to share in the blog world, I probably just shared too much. The mystery ailments are taking their toll on me, causing other mystery ailments that I'm sure are a result of the anxiety I feel around not knowing what the hell is going on with my body. I might get some reprieve tomorrow when I finally get to see the urologist. As for the painful ear infection thing, still no reprieve. But I did get a bit of reprieve this weekend in the form of mountain therapy.

My friend Leslie, a ski bud of mine since we were 13 years-old, invited me to the mountains to learn how to telemark ski. We spent our childhood skiing FAST, on slick groom trails and in and out of trees in the powder. We saw an older man telemarking while we rode up the lifts one day, and we both jokingly said that when we got old, we would switch over to the more graceful/mature way of going downhill. Well, I guess that day has come, and I cannot tell you how much I love tele skiing. It just felt right. The mystery ailments were still there, but the symptoms seemed to be pushed a bit further toward the background. As I figure this out, I will continue to count my blessings, focus on the good, and try my best to keep calm and carry on.

And I want to share that Michele Baldwin, the stand-up paddler I blogged about with terminal cervical cancer, died peacefully yesterday. I followed her on her Facebook page, and I was so impressed with the dignity and the grace she carried in her final moments. It seemed more peaceful than sad. And her final act? She broke the record for the longest stand-up paddle, paddling 700 miles down a river in India.

Hearing vs. Listening

2012-01-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If you are not hearing-impaired, hearing simply happens. Listening, however, is something you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences. Listening leads to learning. (source: http://www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/acad/strat/ss_hearing.html)

My yoga teacher talks a lot, or I should say preaches a lot, and I say 90% of the time, I tune him out. But last week, rather than just hearing him, I listened to him. He was going on about how yoga is healing, but competitive sports are not. According to him, "Yoga heals the body (joints, muscles, internal organs) and mind, while competitive sports wreak havoc on the body. We only participate in competitive sports for our egos."

I can't say that I totally agree, but more importantly, I found myself listening to him when most of the time, I'm just hearing him. Those of you who follow my blog know I'm big on clues from the Universe. And this my friend, is a clue. I'm taking a break from the swim, bike, run thing until I figure out the cause of the mystery ailments. Both the ear infection and excessive pissing are still there, but I do feel an improvement, so I'll just keep resting. The bright side of taking time off is that I am able to pursue other things like skiing and boarding! And I had time to edit the video I took from a recent training day. Like most of my videos, the inspiration came from the song.

Since we are on this topic of competitive sports not healing, I thought I would share this piece I wrote about four years ago on my website: http://racingawareness.org/antiendurance.html

Redefining My Limits

2012-01-21T16:20:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm in management mode, and well, this means taking the past three days off, and I'm not sure when I'll swim, bike or run again. This past Wednesday night, the pissing thing got worst and I was going to the bathroom every hour, and well, this makes for very little sleep. I now have an appointment with a urologist in early February to see if we can figure out what is going on. To add insult to injury, I'm going on 12 days of an ear infection that just doesn't want to go away. Exposing my ear to the water from swimming and the cold air from biking and running might be exacerbating the infection, so I've decided to stop doing all three until the infection is gone. I've had ear infections in the past, but I was able continue to swim, bike, and run, all the while, feeling in improvement in the ear infection. However, this time around, things are not getting better, which leads me to ask, "Do I need to redefine my limits?"

Up until several months ago, I prided myself on being a consistent athlete and being able to push pass my perceived limits. I tackled my first trail marathon and won it, and I followed it up with an ironman two weeks later. My entire athletic career has been filled with some epic boundary-pushing sessions, and my body for the most part cooperated stupendously. But the past several months have been filled with mystery ailments, and an uncooperative body. Such events have played on my psyche and have caused me to question whether I should continue. Though I question if I should continue, I know the answer is yes, because stopping is not really a choice; I love sport and I love training, I absolutely need it. Right now, it's not a matter of stopping, but more of a matter of redefining. I need to redefine what my current body can do. I've been reading some good stuff in helping me gain better perspective, and I just want to share some of the articles just in case you are in a similar situation:

http://www.succeedscaps.com/endocrine.html

http://www.lehigh.edu/~dmd1/kidney.html

http://laurengroves.blogspot.com/2012/01/fresh-start.html

And as I was sitting at home on a Saturday, when I would normally be out training, I was getting a bit depressed and turned on the radio and I know it's cheezy, but this song set my head right again.

Management Mode

2012-01-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

Since the low point last week, I've put myself in management mode and I'm sure I'm not alone. I'm sure most athletes unknowingly are in a natural state of management in order to prevent injuries. I've been doing it the past three years with this glute thing, and now I have to add this bladder/pissing/nether region thing. I was feeling fit and thus, I started to play around with races in my head, specifically a half-mary in early February. To prepare, I stepped on the track to do mile repeats and when the smoke cleared, the result was 11 miles of running. Normally, my body would have no problem with this work load, but post 50-mile trail race and the pissing incident, I guess my body is more fragile and well, it complained with yet more pissing. The symptoms were more mild this time around and I was able to resume a 5-mile run by Sunday. The past weekend included some more awesome rides in near perfect weather, but I'll refrain from saying the "H" word so as to prevent the "L" word from rearing it's ugly head.

On Saturday, I rode with a former student of mine, and he reminded me that I'm old. During a climb, he was pushing the pace and I became keenly aware of his breathing, specifically how fast and hard it was. And I thought to myself, I can't recall the last time I breathed that hard. So I tried to match his breathing by increasing my effort, and well, I felt like I would pass out before I matched his breathing. I just couldn't go there breathing-wise so instead, I went there muscular-wise. I mashed those gears and slowly, his breathing diminished, not because he was slowing down, but because the old teacher was dropping his young ass, ha ha ha! I'm sure I just won the first of many battles to come. And now, speaking of management and old people, my friend Jason sent me this link looking at the aging muscles of triathletes:

High and Low

2012-01-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

High: 75 mile ride this past Saturday to Pt. Reyes and the Bovine Bakery with my college roommate, who I reconnected with when he hit me up on Strava. The weather was near perfect, sunny and in the high 60's. I followed the ride up with a brick run along the coast and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. And then it was off for a shake down swim and dinner at one of my favorite places, Samovar.

Low: I bought this new sunblock and got some in my eye on Sunday, and I've been dealing with a chemical burn ever since. After my track workout on Tuesday, I hit the weight room and noticed a slight pain down in the nether region around my groin, similar to the discomfort I had during the pissing blood injury. Since then, I've been experiencing those same symptoms, frequent urination, frequent urge to urinate, and sleepless nights due to discomfort.

I'm reminded of what I used to tell my volleyball players during games, "No highs and lows, just keep it even and steady."

Creative Outlet

2012-01-11T11:42:00.001-08:00

Years ago, I stumbled upon Simon Whitfield's blog and though he is a pro and way faster than I'll ever be, I felt a kinship with the Canuck. For whatever reason, we both need a creative outlet. I really enjoy looking at life behind a camera lens or sharing my life through videos. The whole post production process is fun, and I can spend hours immersed in editing. Is my stuff any good? I'll let Simon speak for me:

Having fun with whatmyphonesaw.com, to be honest, it's for me, not really concerned if people like it or don't like it, it's my creative outlet, not sure exactly how creative I really am but it's an outlet, a subtle and easy distraction that I enjoy.

This kinship now extends to others, including two of my favorite pro triathletes.

The Spring in My Step

2012-01-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

Or rather the lack of spring in my step is what I need to rectify. I was doing a run last week and as I ran up and alongside another runner, he picked up his pace to stay with me. Running side by side allowed me to compare and take note of our run gait, and I immediately noticed how much more springy and more lift he had with his stride. I had him on turnover and that's how we managed to stay in sync pace-wise, but definitely not stride-wise. I suspect he is a college-aged runner not only because I was running through the CAL campus, but such a springy gait could only come from someone with youth on his side. As I age, hitting the number 41 this year, I notice more and more factors working to bring down the spring in my step, and I'm speaking literally here as in my run gait, but I'm sure figuratively there are such factors as well. I've lost flexibility and muscle mass in my old age, and both contribute to the decline in my spring. To make matters worst, I've been racing the ironman distance the past three years, and the key to a fast ironman marathon is consistent fast turnover, and not spring in your step. But since I'm racing short this season, I need to find the spring in my step.

I've been focusing less on turnover and more on bounding during my runs. I exaggerate the bounding even more so when I'm running up hills. I also focus on getting more lift and more distance out of my rear push off leg, while getting more knee-lift out of my front leg. I gotta be careful and ease into it because the last thing I need is a stress fracture. I'm already noticing an improved distance per stride after three runs, as demonstrated in a drop in pace at the same heart rate/effort. As an old fogey, I have a harder time holding onto muscle mass so not only do I need to hit the weight room more frequently, I have to back up each weight session with proper nutrition, like a big glass of chocolate milk or putting glutamine in my smoothies. After two weeks, I've already noticed an uncomfortable tightness in my speedos, and the scales confirm more junk in the trunk. I hope to run into this guy again in the next couple of weeks and if all goes well, we'll be going stride for stride.

The Handstand

2012-01-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

I gave myself one month to nail a handstand, and by nailing, I mean be able to hold a handstand absolutely still like what you see the platform divers do. I didn't quite "nail" it, but I sure did improve from where I started. It's all about setting goals folks and I'm not done with this handstand thing, I will nail it.

Moonlighting

2012-01-01T09:28:00.000-08:00

For the past month, I was moonlighting as a type B, hipster doing alternative forms of exercise at a "gym" called the The Athletic Playground, or the the A P. I learned this type A trigeek could indeed get a great workout doing things that looked more like goofing off and playing around. The type B hipsters taught me to be a lot more laid-back and a little less (little) competitive, and I taught them more type A things like being more competitive and shouting at others (for motivation) when working out. I thoroughly enjoyed moonlighting at the A P and if not for the $120 monthly fee, I would be involved year-round. Happy New Year to everyone and let's make it a good year shall we...it may be our last according to the Mayan Calendar. ;o)

The Best At What They Do

2011-12-27T20:38:00.000-08:00

Last week, I took my dad to see Cirque du Soleil's Totem for his 69th birthday. Amidst the spectacle of music, set design, and acrobatics that only Cirque du Soleil can pull off, I kept thinking, "These people are the very best at what they do." I've put in some crazy training in my lifetime, including 20+ years of swim, bike, run, but still I cannot say that I am or ever have been the best at what I do. With each act, I found myself more and more in awe of what it takes to be the best, and the more I pondered, the more removed I found myself from ever being the best..at anything. I'm the guy that took guitar lessons for two months only to not even touch it again for almost a year. I'm also the guy that dedicated 3 months of spinning fire and just when I was getting good, I stopped practicing. Kitesurfing met the same fate, as did surfing, rockclimbing, river kayaking, paddleboarding, mountain biking, cyclocross, and I could go on, with the most recent casualty being mastering the handstand. Next time you whimsically think about being the best of something, ask yourself if you are truly prepared to do everything it takes to be the best. I obviously am too ADD to be able to do what it takes, not even the best show in the world was able to keep my mind from wandering into random thoughts. Speaking of the best, I wish you all the best in the upcoming year.

Wishing You All the Best!

2011-12-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

As a way to say thanks for all of your support this past year, I am donating to the Challenged Athlete Foundation, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and Charity Water in your names. You know who you are, and if you think you are deserving, then you are. Happy Holidays and I wish you all the best!

Dear & Yonder

2011-12-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, I had an itch to watch one of my favorite movies, Dear & Yonder. My friend Judy, now a world famous bodyboarder since the movie release, is one of the females profiled in the movie. I attended the premier screening two years ago, and it was from that experience that I was turned onto some, as Oprah would put it, "of my favorite things" (how did that get in my head?):

The movie has a great message, especially for young girls (I intend to turn both of my nieces onto this movie when they are age appropriate).

The soundtrack is simply OFF THE HOOK!

It was the longboarding scene in Noosa that inspired me to seek this place out on the Sunshine Coast when I was in Australia.

Thalia Surf Shop was raffling off prizes at the premier, and since then, this artistic and eclectic surf shop is a favorite of mine.

Artist Jeff Canham does a lot of the art work for the surf shop, and now he too is a favorite artist of mine.

I know there are only five days until Christmas, but just in case you are out of ideas for gifts...

And on a slightly related note, I want to give a shout out and say goodbye to a favorite surfer chic of mine, Libby Bergman. She's taking a break from blogging and her exit, like her, is a class act. Go read it. Thanks for all of the behind the scenes advice Libster. Onward and upward!

Observations Worth Noting

2011-12-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I did my first bike ride in almost three months, since August 28 or IM Canada to be exact. I completed the ride a mere 5 minutes slower than what I had been doing during the racing season. Even more strange, I didn't need to take in any calories for a two-hour ride, no food, just water. Yesterday, I did my second ride and once again, I have some observations worth noting. I rode the same time as I had been doing all season long, and I required no calories for the duration of the two-hour ride with over 3,000 feet of climbing. All I needed was a half bottle of water. Hmmm...take three months off the bike, and when you return, ride the exact same times you've been doing all season-long, and do it with no calories. If I could only figure out how this works, I would be one damn good coach.

Random Thoughts

2011-12-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

In this digital age, where a lot of things are becoming virtual, hardware like a card is becoming more and more obsolete. A friend gave me this card more than three years ago, and it still makes my day every time I catch a glimpse of it. Thus, I've decided to make it a goal to keep my eyes peeled for tangible objects that may have everlasting appeal, such as the card my friend gave me. Don't be surprised if you get some hardware from me in the near future.

Steve recently posted on my blog, introducing himself by saying that we follow a lot of the same bloggers. We do indeed follow the same bloggers, and this got me to think about other groups of bloggers who follow each other, or blog posses. And somehow my train of thought led me to a fantasy football-like league of blog posses. You would form your team, or blog posse, and the posses would compete against each other in a virtual/fantasy triathlon league. I don't know exactly why my train of thought led me to dueling blog posses, but my final conclusion was that I know my posse would kick some serious ass! Hmmm...even though I haven't done too much of the swimming, biking, and running, I am still carrying that type A/competitive triathlete part of me.

Most People Don't Change

2011-12-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

My friend is a therapist and he gave me some staggering statistic like 80% of people never change the behavior that brings them to therapy, and that's why there are so many working therapists. The people just learn to cope. As I look forward to a new year, I can't help but to reflect on the past year, and as I do, my tally for things unchanged is quite a large number.

For example, I closed out 2010 at a paltry 123 pounds, and I vowed to increase my weight to 130+ pounds for the 2011 racing season. For the entire 2011 season, I was racing at 124 pounds, barely unchanged and much too light and fragile of a weight for a two-ironman season. I also remember hitting the weight room frequently in December and January to not only increase my mass, but to strengthen my core, and I vowed to not forsake the weight room for extra miles of swim, bike, and run. Once again, I was not able to change my behavior and at some point midway through the season, I forsook the weights for extra miles of swim, bike, and run. In an attempt to not be like the 80% of people who don't change, I'm going to revisit previous blog posts and repost them as a reminder to myself of things I want to change. So without further adieu, my first repost, and my first step toward real change:

http://racingawareness.blogspot.com/2010/12/here-we-go-again.html

On the health front, everything is back to normal (knock on wood) and I got on my bike for the first time since IMCA (Aug. 28!), I felt good and surprisingly strong. 'Tis the holiday season, and I had 4 parties this past weekend, one of which was a party where the guests dressed up to take pictures for their holiday greeting cards. Here are some ideas we came up with:

Life Clues

2011-11-29T16:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I was taking a crossfit class when I told the instructor that I was a triathlete transitioning to ultra running, and he responded by saying that marathon racing destroyed his sister's heart. Yesterday, I opened the XTRI website to find a story about a 40 year-old triathlete who died suddenly after running the Pittsburgh marathon. Hmmm...is the Universe conspiring to scare me to quit on this ultra running thing? Or is it just the car phenomena, where when you buy a certain make of car, you suddenly begin to notice that specific make everywhere. Am I just looking for reasons not to run? I do believe that life gives you clues, and I've always been pretty good at picking up on the clues.

I now think the bloody piss incident was a wake-up call of sorts. I only took one week off post IMCA and I was back at it, training for the 50-miler which included crazy things like back-to-back 30+ mile runs totaling 8000+ feet of climbing. Post 50-miler, I gave myself one week off and I was back at it running crazy miles again for the Strava 100-Mile Run Challenge. I was running one afternoon and my friend Chris, who did the 50-miler as well, pulled up along side me in his car and shouted, "Kiet, you gotta give your body a break!" As I look back on my actions, I now think that I, unknowingly, was trying to make up for a disappointing triathlon season. The crazy subconscious things we do to ourselves. In my mind, the crazy and extreme miles would lead me to redemption. I was toying with the idea of racing a marathon, doing the North Face 50-mile Challenge, and yes, I was even contemplating the Leadville-100. But the bloody piss incident and the numerous life clues gave me a good slap in the face. Also, several people emailed me and the word "balance" came up a lot. There will not be a winter marathon, nor another 50-miler, and there will certainly not be a Leadville-100 for this body. What there will be is a lot of rest and recovery, which I began this past weekend with a nice trip down south where I did not swim, bike, or run. I get it now.

To update you, I did go for a run on Thanksgiving morning, and I only made it one mile before I had to turn around. I definitely injured something "down there". But I'm happy to report that each day feels better than the previous day so I'm going to just go with it. The doctor said to give it two weeks and this is the second week. With the extra time on my hands, I'm learning new forms of distractions. TRX is not a word, really?

Spooked

2011-11-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

I haven't run since the bloody piss incident more than two weeks ago, and to be honest, I'm a bit spooked to start back up. In the days and weeks following the incident, I've experienced some anomalies around pissing. I've been pissing...A LOT, like 10-12 times during the day, and 5-8 times per night. I finally went to the doctor where I was probed and checked, including urine analysis, and everything seems to be in working order...except for the excessive pissing. I was told to give it another two weeks to see if it goes away and if not, we go to another round of probing and testing.

I was even more spooked when I engaged in what I thought to be a casual conversation with my co-worker, who also happens to be a former Olympian for the Nigerian soccer team. At some point in our "casual" conversation, we covered the topic of the "mind over matter" attitude, and at what point is this philosophy harmful. If your mental limits surpass your physical limits, is it healthy to push your body to such limits? My co-worker lived this philosophy on his way to becoming an Olympian, but he now lives with regret. The years he spent pushing his body beyond its limits have left him with an enlarged heart, and joints that move far from an agile athlete. As I sat and listened, I realized that I covet this philosophy, and I recalled with pride the times that I successfully won the battle of mind over matter. My thoughts drifted to the past couple of years filled with pushing pass my physical limits: racing multiple ironmans, puking during races, pre-, post-, and nausea during the race, IV's, 50-mile run, and finally culminating in the pissing blood incident. But listening to a former Olympian express regret further spooked me.

All I know is that I'm now a middle-aged man whose pushed his body for 30+ years as an athlete. Though there are many middle-aged men and women who continue to kick ass and push their bodies way pass their physical limits, maybe I'm just not one of them. My results this year sure seem to indicate this may be the case, and with this recent health issue, I'm more inclined to think this may be true. When I see the results that athletes like Charisa and Ian are pulling off, it inspires me to get out there, work hard, and put out some big results too. But right now, I'm thinking maybe my time has passed, and rather than aspiring to do what they do, I should just appreciate what they can do. I haven't made any solid decisions, but come turkey day tomorrow morning, I plan to slip on my running shoes, push aside the spooked feelings, and attempt a run.

Easy vs. Hard

2011-11-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

I don't really know why, but some activities are just really easy for me to do, motivation-wise, and I end up doing them all the time. But other activities are not so easy and I have a hard time getting around to doing them, they just don't feel as natural.

Easy: swim, bike, run, yoga, weights, reading my current book, handstand class, checking Facebook, writing/reading blogs, playing with my new iphone (haven't you noticed my increased participation in the social network of late?), hanging out with the same one or two friends all of the time

Hard: cyclocross, volunteering, playing the guitar, acroyoga and parkour class, spinning fire, hanging out with all of my other friends, going to the movies, listening to NPR podcasts

Speaking of easy...if you haven't done so, start sharing your life using the Instagram application on the iphone, it's just a neat tool.

In Pursuit of Good Health?

2011-11-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning...blogging. No swim, no bike, no run; I'm just trying to get healthy, I mean really healthy. I find it ironic that my pursuit to be physically active and healthy is actually the cause of my current setback. Case 1: A 19-mile run caused me to piss blood, which in turn, gave me a urinary tract infection. Case 2: I drink carrot juice because I like the taste and I know beta-carotene is good for you. But I also started taking spirulina supplements because like carrots, I think it's good for you. But combine a glass of carrot juice per day with the 200% RDA of Vitamin A from the spirulina, I got a bad case of orange palms or vitamin A toxicity. This extra time on me bum made me realize that I got so caught up on doing physical activity and trying to be healthy, that I never took time to assess if I was indeed really healthy.

I'm positive I'm not the only athlete to suffer from this type of tunnel vision when it comes to sport and life. Both Emma Carney and Greg Welch blamed such tunnel vision as the cause of their early retirement due to ventricular tachycardia. As athletes, we get so caught up in our goals, our training, and our addiction to progress that we forget to step outside of the tunnel and take a different perspective. Though she didn't explicitly state it, I got the sense that Sam McGlone eluded to this idea in this article about her recent hiatus from the sport:

I’m focusing on getting to a place of health, energy and vibrancy—not just as an athlete, but as a person. Pushing through another season wouldn’t have been the right thing to do. It would have been an early end to a career.

The bigger picture was overtraining from years and years of going full-gas all the time.

So here I am, sitting on me bum on a beautiful sunny day, where I would normally be out swimming, biking, or running, looking at the bigger picture...and eating some fruits and veggies from my morning outing to the Farmer's Market. Oh, and yes, I did complete the Strava 100-Mile Run Challenge and so far, with the fewest amount of runs. ;o)

Pissing Blood

2011-11-07T11:25:00.001-08:00

Yep, I'm going there...don't read on if you don't want details. It was high school sectionals and my teammate Eddy was vying for an individual ticket to the state championships. I remember finishing and seeing Eddy, who was still foaming at the mouth, being escorted by two teammates because he couldn't stand on his own. As we were moving Eddy, he told us he thought he pissed his shorts, and we all looked down, and to our horror, we saw his blood stained shorts. We were all so caught up on Eddy's HK (hard-kore with a "k" because it's much harder than with a "c") factor that we didn't even bother to think this actually might be a medically serious issue. Well, Eddy turned out to be okay, and from that day, Eddy set the standard for being HK.

I've vomited during and after races, passed out, suffered from hypothermia (funny story here), had multiple IV's, and even had my entire body under ice to bring my core body temp down, but I had never peed blood...until yesterday. I did a 19-miler, to break a hundo for that damn Strava 100-Mile Run Challenge, and since it was cool day, I decided not to carry any water (foreshadowing). At about the 11-mile mark, my back started to ache but I was averaging a good pace and I really wanted to PR this run (once again, damn you Strava). The back pain got progressively worst and then I started to experience some lower abdominal pain, but both were manageable. I thought the aches and pains might be due to one primary focus I had on this run: to run with better mechanics, specifically tightening my core to increase knee lift and stability. I got back to my car and headed off to the pool for a shakedown swim. I went to take a piss and OMG, saw nothing but red, actually, it was more like a red wine color. It just kept coming and I thought the red color would soon fade but the entire duration of the piss was the same red wine color. Initially, I panicked, but this was quickly replaced by pride. After almost 25 years, I finally met the Eddy standard for being HK.

But more seriously, piss in the blood is fairly common with runners, especially after a long run. It's called hematuria and it is usually no cause for alarm, just an empty bladder being irritated by all that jarring. I'm choosing to think this is what happened with me because my second urination was all clear (pun intended). However, since then, I've had frequent urges to pee and am thinking I might have given myself some type of infection, which I guess can happen from a bleeding bladder. I'm gonna drink lots of water and cranberry juice, and if it doesn't go away in 2-3 days, time to visit the good ole doctor. Hopefully, my meeting the HK standard won't come at too heavy of a price, crossing my fingers. No pictures...were you expecting some?

What's My Motivation?

2011-11-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

Remember when I told you to get on Strava? You might want to reconsider after reading this post. I signed up to do the Strava 100 Running Challenge, which involves running 100 miles in 28 days. I signed up for the challenge on October 17 and two days later, I got sick, and I have yet to fully get back to my 100% self. The delay in my recovery might be due in part to me trying to sneak in runs before I am completely healthy, all for the sake of this damn challenge. My original intent was to run massive miles and make it to the top of the leader board for miles run. But once I got sick, I saw guys and gals pass me by and leave me in their dust. As I browsed through the list of runners and their mileage, I realized that it took at minimum, 9 runs to reach 100 miles. I decided that if I couldn't be #1 for miles run, I could be the leader for most miles in the fewest runs.

On Monday, the plan was to run a 20-miler to make it 76 miles in five runs. I was pumped to do this run, putting me in better position to hit 100 miles in six or seven runs, the fewest of any runner. However, my Garmin was not cooperating, and it would not turn on. And I found myself asking, "Do I still run?" This shift in motivation caused me to ask myself even deeper questions. Am I running for myself or am I running for Strava data? Am I only running to protect my reputation on Strava? Had I become a Strava junkie? I sought advice and many of you said to just run free of data, to run for myself. Well, I set out to run for myself and I guess I'm only worth 7 miles, albeit it was 7 miles at a pretty fast clip. The next day, I got my Garmin to work again, and having it strapped to my wrist, I ran 18.6 miles. So you tell me, am I a Strava junkie?

The Not-So Mysterious Case of Orange Palms

2011-10-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

I was collecting some papers from a student yesterday and she noted that my palms were orange. Upon further examination, and consultation from several other students, indeed my palms were orange. I never even noticed. I drink a glass (about two cups) of carrot juice every morning, and without even realizing it, my body was slowly building up toxic levels of Vitamin A (beta-carotene). Vitamin A, along with D, E, and K, is fat soluble, thus too much of it can be toxic to the body. I learned this during a nutrition class while in college, but I never even thought to think how much is too much. According to the Mayo Clinic, adults and teenagers should limit beta-carotene to 6-15 mg per day. One cup of carrot juice has about 22 mg of beta-carotene, thus, I was taking about 44 mg of beta-carotene every day for some time. Hmmm...I guess that's pretty good cause for my orange palms.

This incident, along with some recent news I learned about vitamin E, led me to think about vitamins and supplementation in general. I've long stopped supplementing with vitamin E, but for awhile, I was taking vitamin E supplements during its hey-day when it was touted as being a powerful antioxidant. At some point, maybe during the nutrition class, I learned that vitamin E wasn't all that and could actually be dangerous, thus I stopped. Well, the Mayo Clinic just uploaded a video about some current findings with vitamin E, which I've shared on here. This brings me to vitamin D. I've been taking vitamin D supplements per the advice from a friend who is a physician, based on my low vitamin D levels which I had tested. I also blogged about vitamin D, and I find it (scary) ironic that I wrote "Vitamin D is the new vitamin E". I hope not! I am now going to take a conservative approach toward supplementation and cut back my dosage of vitamin D, and most likely cut it out altogether, and get all of my vitamins through a well-balanced diet.

A Whole Lot of Crazy Out There

2011-10-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Set a goal, get sick...that's been my pattern of late. After deciding I would run the 50-miler, I got sick the following week. I recently decided to do the Strava 100-Mile Challenge and boom, three days later, I'm sick and sitting here on a Saturday morning writing this post. The cool thing about being sick is that it makes you really appreciate when you are healthy and to not take things for granted. It must be the Universe's way to keep things in perspective and keep life balanced. Big woop woop to Beth Shutt for taking the leap and going pro next year, well earned and well deserved, you have my full support Beth! And big woop woop to Libby Bergman for gnawing on the endless possibilities out there for her next endeavor post Kona. Can you tell I've been catching up on blogs? Well, back to the title of the post.

Post 50-miler, I'm starting to learn that there is a whole lot of crazy out there, crazier than ironmans. A friend emailed me a couple of days after my 50-miler and reminded me that I had qualified to throw my name in the Western States 100-miler, and she encouraged me to do it. I immediately thought of this quote from a movie, "Go sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up here". I started to do some research, and well, there's a whole lot of crazy out there...and I'm not sure I'm quite ready to be that crazy...yet. The first crazy I found was a guy who raced the Leadville 100 in sandals: http://lunasandals.com/blog/14-Leadville-100-Trail-Run-in-Luna-Sandals. Just in case you don't feel like reading the entire article, I thought I would extract the best part from this read:

There's some debate at Luna whether miles run can be "junk miles," and after my experience I definitely believe in running the minimal amount necessary to get ready for an ultra. I'd like to take it one step further and say that there are not only junk miles but also "harmful miles," and on the flip-side, "golden miles."

Harmful miles are the ones that you don't want to be doing, the ones where you wish it were over. These miles will actually hurt your future performance, especially running in an event. Running with negative thoughts in your head is only going to make the negative thoughts come more easily next time. In an ultra, negativity will stop you faster than a brick wall. Golden miles on the other hand, are exactly the opposite. They're the kind of miles you spend running with your best friends, or alone on a trail feeling like you're flying through the forest, or where the rain won't stop coming down and the smile won't leave your face. These miles are worth millions. I strive to make all of my miles golden miles. Even though my training may average 5 miles per week, you'd be hard pressed to put in a better 5 miles than I do.

However, I would like to add one caveat to his golden mile philosophy. Golden miles can HURT. The term golden miles can be misleading and give an impression that all miles should be fun and feel good. But recall that he tells us golden miles are void of negative thoughts, you can hurt and still be golden as long as you don't have negative thoughts. Thus, keep doing those mile repeats at threshold or race pace minus 10. And keep doing those looooong runs of 20+miles, all the while, keeping them golden and void of negative thoughts.

The second crazy I found was a bit more inspiring, a trailer for a documentary on the Western States 100. Enjoy.

Strava Bringing Back the Love

2011-10-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

If you are not on Strava.com yet, giddy up! As the post title eludes, this little gem of a site makes running (and cycling) very very fun. I only recently started using Strava when they launched their run site, but I will definitely be using it for cycling when I start back up again. After a run, I download the data from my watch onto the site and voila, I get some awesome analysis including mile splits, zone levels, elevation, heart rate (if I wore a heart rate monitor), and PR's for different segments (400, half mile, mile, 5K, 10K, etc...). But the reason why I keep coming back to Strava is the KOM or King of the Mountain feature. Strava tracks times from different users who run the same routes and ranks the runners. The runner with the fastest time for a section, say a particular hill climb, is declared the KOM of that section. My OCD/type A self hearts the KOM challenges.

On Monday, I knew I had a good run in me because I was feeling tapered from my rest post 50-miler. I was a man on a mission, I wanted to win the title of KOM for the Strawberry Canyon Connector, a title that has eluded me in the last five or so attempts. I definitely was feeling good, and if you look at my data, you'll see that I hit PR's for every segment of the run except one. The instant I walked through the door, as with every run since joining Strava, I downloaded the data from my watch onto Strava. I was in shock when I saw that I had failed to take the KOM title, finishing second. What!?!?!?!? I felt awesome and killed myself to get up this 200m or so 15% grade section. I was devastated but upon further investigation of the section, I realized the KOM was for running DOWN this section, not up. WTF? How can you have a KOM for running down a hill? Thus, on every run, I had been killing myself running up this thing when I should have been killing myself running down it. Looks like I'm going to have to create a segment for a KOM running up the connector. Bring the love back to your running and riding, and get yo butt on Strava. If you do, hit me up so I can follow you.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2011-10-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

photo taken from Michele's website
October is breast cancer awareness month, and I had been casually contemplating what I could do in memory of my mother. About an hour ago, I came across the story of Michele Baldwin, an SUP (stand-up paddleboard) paddler, diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer. Given 6 months or so to live, Michele is going to spend her remaining time paddling 700 miles down the the sacred Ganga River in India to raise awareness/funds to prevent and treat cervical cancer in India. You can find out more information by going to: http://starryganga.com/.

I've had cancer of the mind for the past several months, and more often than I've wanted, I found myself contemplating what I would do if I had terminal cancer (I know, not the most fun of thoughts, it just happens). When I learned of Michele's story, I was immediately moved to give because I think she is doing exactly what I would do (and I totally fell for SUP while on Kona). I'll leave you with a quote from Michele Baldwin that really nailed it:

"The reason I am writing is that I have this dream of being one of the first women, if not the first person, to Stand up Paddle from Rishikesh to Varanasi in India. It would be an epic trip, my final act (I made this bold, the "final act" was such a powerful statement), encompassing a great sporting feat, a spiritual journey, and a platform to bring awareness to the evils of cervical cancer, which kills 74,000 women a year in India."

Dick Collins Firetrails 50

2011-10-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten the specific date of the 50-miler when I first signed up, but upon finding out it was on the same day as Kona, I just thought how apropos. Running 50 miles on Oct. 8 was a nice way to "be" with the Kona peeps without being in Kona, and I think it gave me something to focus on other than not being able to be in Kona. Training for this run made me realize, like I often do when I'm training for an ironman, how much the body can endure. Prior to race week, I put in a 103-mile week with over 14,000' of climbing, including back-to-back days of 30+ mile runs. But still, I had a healthy dose of fear because my longest run was only 32 miles, still 18 miles short of what I would be running. I say healthy dose of fear because it's the type of fear that motivates you in a race; it's the fear that told me the last 20 miles could be a world of hurt and to just suffer through it.

Race morning dawned and I immediately realized how simple the preparations are for a 50-mile run compared to an ironman...SWEET! The run started at 6:30 AM, still dark, and I was thankful for the experienced ultra runners who had the foresight to bring headlamps, because I was the stupid triathlete stumbling in the dark. I also thought it was pretty cool that not one single person was warming up. My friend Chris pointed out a couple of guys who are capable of actually racing this thing, because for the majority of us, it's just about survival. My plan was just to run, and let my body dictate the speed, never feeling like I'm pushing it, sort of like what we all do when we go for an LSD run. Surprisingly, this plan brought me to the 26-mile mark in 3 hours and 45 minutes, much faster than I anticipated. The only glitch thus far was a bee sting at mile 15, where I had to stop and pull out the stinger. I was in the top 20 at this point and after downing a red bull, I sprouted wings and I flew up the next three hilly miles, moving me into the top 8 or so. The picture above is of me at the 30-mile mark, still smiling. But soon after, just as I had anticipated, things started to get rough during the last 20 miles. I knew these miles, very similar to the last miles of an ironman marathon, my athletic performance would be dictated by nutrition. My stomach was definitely sensitive 4+ hours into running, and I just tried to eat whenever I wasn't feeling nauseous. Thus, my pace and effort was like that of sine wave, going up and down at steady intervals in relation to my ability to absorb food. Miles 40-50 were pretty rough and I finally succumbed to walking, but I commended myself because I saw the experienced ultra dudes succumb to walking much earlier than me. Hmm...but then again, they always flew by me on the downhills which was very discouraging, now I'm thinking their walking might have actually been a well-played strategy, I guess I am a stupid triathlete. With about six miles to go, I started to come around knowing the end was near, and I felt myself start to push it. Then I asked myself why? I was well on pace to fulfill my goal of breaking 8 hours, so I just told myself this is a bonus race, there's no reason to push, just enjoy. I spent the last 4 miles revisiting my season, and just finding the joy in running. Those last miles were pretty fast pace-wise, but they felt effortless, and it dawned on me that this must be what happens when you are able to transcend and actually embrace the effort rather than fight it. It would have been nice to learn this about, oh, three to four ironmans earlier? Next time I race for more than 7 hours, there best be some swimming and biking involved.

My Body

2011-10-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

My body tells me no but I won't quit
Cause I want more, cause I want more

Crush dreams in Kona y'all! Though I can't be there, I'll be suffering with you because I just realized my 50-miler is on the very same day on October 8. My goal is to finish faster than the first place pro male at Kona, and to help me get there, this tune has served me well in training and will be on replay in my head come race day. I hope it serves you well too!

10 Questions with Michelle Simmons

2011-09-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

My mom put me in gymnastics when she saw me sitting in the center splits on my own accord when I was 4... that lasted ~10 years until I had a decent growth spurt. I also swam as a kid and was a springboard diver in high school and college. Triathlon came right at the end of my collegiate diving career and I was very happy to finally be involved in a sport that didn't have judges deciding who won!

Pre-race ritual?

Shaving my legs. That must be leftover from my high school swimming days.

Strange place you bodyglide?

Maybe it's most strange that I don't use body glide at all? Not even for 2 hour ocean swims.

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Whataya Want From Me, Adam Lambert & Poker Face, Lady Gaga

What do you crave when you are bonking?

COKE!

How many #2's pre-race?

Depends on how big the race is. At least 2... 4 if it's a big race. Maybe 5 at Kona. Lol.

What is an obscure website you visit?

I spend too much time on Training Peaks, blogs, FB, and Twitter to spend any time on other websites.

What's in your special needs bag?

Bike: CO2 cartridges and tubes, Infinit bottles (2), e21. Run: Red Bull, e21.

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

Macca. I love it that he is so outspoken and honest!

What's your ride?

Cervelo P3. I love that bike so much that I now have two of them. :)

Michelle and I did a little training camp in Kona this past summer, and since then, I have mad respect for her. She is finishing her final prep for the Ironman World Championships in less than two weeks. You can follow her on her blog.

Was It A Test?

2011-09-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

On tap today was a 50K race in prep for my 50-miler in two weeks. Going loooooong is a bit weird. If you run 3-4 miles the day before to loosen up for a half-marathon, does that mean you are supposed to run about three times as much for a 50K? Well, that's what I did yesterday, I ran 12.5 miles as my pre-race "loosen up" run, because I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I wasn't quite sure if I should be doing the race because I caught a bad cold on Tuesday and was knocked out until Thursday. Come race day, I felt much better but I still had some congestion in the lungs, and I usually don't mess around with lung stuff. The Universe must have picked up on my hesitation because I arrived to the race this morn, and learned that the race director and his crew pulled a no-show. No check-in, no aid stations, nothing but crickets. About 10 minutes after the scheduled race start, and a lot of denial, runners slowly set out to run the unmarked and unmanned course in the Santa Cruz mountains. Of course I followed, I was getting my long run in damn it. There were several wrong turns taken, but with each mistake, there was a fellow runner present to point me back in the right direction. There was a waist deep river crossing. There were no aid stations. But all of us runners took care of each other, offering others what little food or water they had. In the end, a group of runners and I managed to squeeze out 29 miles, just 3+ miles shy of the intended 50K. The camaraderie was amazing, and though I would have loved aid stations and a chance to race, this experience was nice...quite nice actually. If this was a test, we all passed today. Oh, sorry for the lack of pics lately, I'm still working on getting a new camera.

Negative Speak & Limits

2011-09-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I was starting the second of my back-to-back 3-hour run days, and I thought to myself, "I can't do this, I've never done this. This is crazy." And it dawned on me that even before I tried, I had already placed limits on myself through negative speak. I then recalled some of my blog posts prior to races, and I realized there were a lot of negative speak. For example, I wrote about the possibility of bonking, walking, and not nailing my nutrition. Also, friends would email me telling me to crack 10 hours or race fast, and I would respond with a lackluster, "hopefully I won't bonk." Compare this to the words Charisa emailed me prior to her race at Challenge Henley, "My goal is to win on Sunday...Last day in Wales tomorrow - then off for London, on to Henley and some very hard racing and work to be done. Got to show those UK girls that us USA chicks are tough cookies and can't be written off :)" Charisa went on to place second, 50 seconds shy of the W, and PR'ed her ironman by 19 minutes.

I spent a lot of time during my run dissecting my season, and how the negative speak could have placed limits on my performance. I finally decided that when I go back to racing, I'm going to liken my racing season to a house with no roof; there will be no ceiling to limit how high I can go, and I want to be able to see and reach for the stars. And as corny as it sounds, I really thought of this metaphor during my run and before I knew it, I was finishing up my second day of a 3-hour run. Before Sunday, I had never run 46 miles in two days, but that's because I never tried.

Half-Assed

2011-09-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

In the past two weeks, I've learned you can actually get a lot of training done even if you are half-assed. My buddy Chris, the one from Clif Bar and who I lost as an ironman training partner when he and his wife decided to have two sons, has been trying to get me to do a trail run race with him all season. Now that I have time, just my luck that it's a 50-mile run with 7800' of climbing. But like I said, I'm half committed...I'm not signed up for the race and I'm just going to see how the "training" goes.

On Tuesday, I finished a 17-mile run, making it 39 miles in three days, and I immediately thought, "How the hell am I going to run 50 miles in one sitting!?!!?" I was thoroughly satiated by the end of the 17-miler, and to think that I would have to continue for another 33 miles, I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I still can't wrap my mind around it, so I try not to and just run as long and as often as I can, without making it feel like "training".

Logging in all of these run miles, without cycling, makes me think about the cycling/running balance. I know that cycling inhibits running and thus, it's important to always make sure you are cycling as much as you can without inhibiting your running. I started my 17-miler on the third of three consecutive days of running, and based on triathlon training, I was expecting dead legs and a very slow run. I purposefully did not allow myself to check my Garmin, and just ran on feel. Feel alone felt pretty good. Finally, I succumbed and checked at the 5-mile mark and I was averaging 7:09 pace, hellz no. The run was fairly hilly and when I was done 17 miles later, my watch read 7:15 average pace, I let out an even bigger hellz no. Not only am I reminded of how good you can feel running without cycling, but I'm also amazed at what you can accomplish half-assing something.

Three Years

2011-09-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, I stumbled onto this blog, and then this blog. I had recently "retired" from the ironman distance two years earlier, and I had no intentions of racing the distance again until I was in the 50-54 age group. Not long after following Charisa's and Ian's blog, I caught their passion for training/racing, and I found myself making plans to race Ironman Australia. I had a coach that told me it takes about three years to nail down your best ironman race, and thus, I gave myself three years to 1. Break 10 hours and 2. Earn a Kona slot. IM Canada marked the end of this three year period, and as you all know, I failed to break 10 hours, and I failed to earn a Kona slot. So now what? I move on.

Moving on could have meant signing up for IM Canada again next year, and continue to pursue breaking 10-hours and earning a Kona slot, I still love it that much. But I resisted because there was another voice in my head, a voice telling me to honor capping the goal at three years, a voice telling me not to obsess over the 10-hour barrier and a Kona slot, and a voice reminding me that there are other things I want to do in life. And though my finish time did not reflect it, my race at IM Canada was truly a culmination of all the hard work and lessons learned in the past three years of ironman racing.

There were at least three moments at IM Canada that I had very valid and justified reasons to quit. But when faced with those moments, I was poised, I made clear decisions, and I problem-solved, and in doing so, I bettered my chances of getting to the finish line. Though I didn't break 10 hours, I raced myself to my best finish time on that day. Yeah, I'm disappointed that my best days did not happen on race day, but man, I did have some best days in the past three years. I take solace in knowing that I did the work (30+ hour training weeks, 400 mile ride weeks, 80+ mile run weeks, 10+ hour training days), and for the most part, I enjoyed it. No regrets. And my best days weren't always about miles or effort, but it was also about good company, the amazing view, the places I went, and the fact that I just could. When I look at the past three years with this perspective, I feel satiated and fulfilled, and I can move on. I mean really move on, like spending next summer swimming the open waters of Croatia, running through Turkey, experiencing the awesome bike culture that is Copenhagen, using my Spanish in Spain, or possibly visiting my good friend Peter in Austria.

And finally, maybe it's because I'm left with neither of the goals I set out to fulfill, but I can't help but to think how narrow minded I was when I set the goals. There was nothing about having fun, building relationships, visiting new places and meeting new people, blogging, inspiring, being present, and overcoming challenges; but lucky for me, these things unfolded organically during the process. Thank you to everyone I've met along the way and as I've heard so many time these past three years...onward and upward!

IM Canada Race Sentiments

2011-08-30T13:05:00.001-07:00

No racing logistics in this post, just feelings...before I forget. First of all, unlike full Vineman and IMCDA, where I also failed to go under 10 hours, I feel no shame or embarrassment. In the last three weeks, I've come to learn that racing an ironman is a part of life, but not life itself. Just like at full Vineman, I went into Canada totally confident in my training, my strategy, and my ability to break 10 hours or at least come very very close. At race check-in, once I learned that I was #1000, this feeling of "this is oh-so right" came over me. This was going to be the race. I can't think of a better mentality to carry into an ironman.

Race morning, my attitude felt just like it did at IMOZ, my best ironman. Jill and Taylor left a note on my transition bags wishing me good luck, and to suffer...it was a good start to the day. Everything was just in sync and I conducted everything I needed to do in a calm matter, and I carried a quiet confidence. I never felt rushed and I was at the swim start early so that I could swim out into the lake. Once I was about 200 yards from shore, I took a moment to pray for my friend Jeff, and to have a quick chat with mom (as I'm accustomed to doing before almost all of my races). Then I headed back to shore and not long after, it was go time!

I remember rounding the last buoy of the swim, and thinking, I nailed the swim. Each time, it felt hard, I focused on the task at hand, I tried to keep my stroke long and strong, or I tried to inject some speed to make it even harder. Jeff popped in my head and I thought, as promised, I pushed that swim, even when it hurt.

Ironically, though my bike race was unfortunate, there were a lot of highlights. First, so many competitors came up on me and said, "YOU HAVE THE COOLEST NUMBER!", and they were so genuinely excited that it always filled me with that ironman race magic that competitors give to each other. Second, a guy (John) comes up on me and he looked over and said, "I read your blog and I like the stuff you write about" or something to that effect. John and I have been racing against each other for probably over 12 year, but I've never spoken to him because race day always brought on our game faces. When John took the time to shout what he did to me, when I was feeling horrible, it gave me a much needed boost. Also, I've always had so much respect for John as an athlete (this guy can ride and run like a banshee) but like I said, game faces just always made things a bit too intimidating. So John, if you are reading, thank you for telling me you like my blog, I have mad respect for you and that compliment, paid at that moment, did more than you probably know. I was in awe of the women out there on Sunday. I've never seen so many women mix it up with the boys and come out on top. One woman came up on me and she took the time to say, your pedal stroke looks so smooth and beautiful. I struggle a lot with cycling, and I have never considered myself a cyclist. To be told that I look good on this machine that I've always thought I had no affinity was a bit shocking to hear, but injected me with some good race mojo. And finally, I've never ridden a bike course that was so well spectated in the least likely of places, deep deep into the course. There were TN multisport athletes dressed in speedos and afros, and of course, there were Taylor and Jill telling me to suffer more!

I was in a world of hurt coming into T2. My initial thought was I can't run a marathon after barely making it through the bike, and throwing up all of my nutrition. Once again, Jeff popped in my head, and that's all I needed. I was going to finish at whatever cost (other than death, I've come close to learning that lesson and never again). For the first time, I wish the course wasn't so well-spectated. I knew a good ole vomit-fest was working its way up, and sure enough, right at the crowd tipping point, it all came out. But rather than hearing, eeewww or gross, I heard so many people shout to me, "You got it out, now start running! You can do it!" I was carried on by the crowd for the remainder of the run. And as I ran, I saw friends, or newly made friends from the bike ride, and with each exchange, my quiet confidence came back, and so did my enjoyment and love for this sport and the people. I saw my teammates, and knew they were struggling, but they were keeping up the good fight, like I knew they would. On the way back, I saw John ahead walking, very unlike him and his mad run skillz. I wanted to return the favor and give back to him the strength he handed to me on the bike. I slowed, patted him on the back and asked if he was taking care of himself nutritionally, and I told him he doesn't have to prove anything to me, I've seen him crush dreams on the run. And then further up the road, I saw my friend Tyler, who is doing his first ironman. Tyler is a former college swimmer and he has a HUGE engine. I was actually shocked to see him walking, he is just so tough. I made a decision to break my goal of not walking once I got to him to exchange some words, I mean, when are we ever going to be in THIS moment again. After Tyler, with each person I passed, some memory of the past three years of trying to break this damn 10-hour barrier and getting a Kona slot would pop into my head. Without knowing it at the time, I guess I was saying goodbye to this 3-year project, and leaving it all out on the course. My walk down memory lane was brief as I entered another world of hurt between miles 22-24 and I just focused on not walking and getting to the finish. And then when I heard the announcer say that I had a chance to break 11-hours, the mushy, sentimental stuff was replaced by an instinct to race, to get across that damn line under 11 hours. And I did with 29 seconds to spare.

IM Canada Race Report

2011-08-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to arrive a bit later to the race venue to save some money, and to spare myself all of the sitting/waiting in a hotel room that is associated with racing an ironman. I won't do this again. I arrived to Penticton on Friday, and it was too stressful trying to get everything done, all the while suffering from dehydration/headaches that usually accompany traveling. My advice is to arrive no later than Thursday afternoon for a Sunday race (for no time zone change that is). I flew into Spokane Thursday night and stayed with Matty and we drove up to Penticton the next day. This is a pretty good option for those wanting to avoid driving from Seattle or flying into Canada. Jill hooked me up with a homestay in Kaleden, which is just outside of Penticton. At $75 per night with no night minimum, Jill and I had the entire first floor to ourselves and we had access to a kitchen, swimming pool, and a great deck overlooking Skaha Lake, good stuff. Onto the race:

The swim: 58:25

I am really shocked by my swim time, based on feel, I really thought I dialed both my effort and my strategy to swim a 54-55. Some speculation: the day before the race, I hopped in the water and felt great. By "felt great", I mean I had great feel for the water (it's a swimmer thing). Come Sunday morning, I had no feel for the water during my warm-up. I swam with one other guy the entire time, and though I put in some hard efforts to pull away from him, we always stayed together. Maybe I ended up doing his swim race? And finally, maybe it's the Blue-Seventy? My swims have been mediocre all season and the only difference is the wetsuit. Two weeks ago, I swam a straight 4000, holding 1:17's for the first 2000 and 1:15's for the second 2000. On Wednesday of race week, I was holding 2:15's for 200's on the 2:30 and I was holding back. I KNOW I had the swim fitness to swim a 54-55. Though the Blue-Seventy has great shoulder flexibility, it doesn't feel as buoyant as my Zoot or a Sailfish. Like I said, all speculation, but I really am shocked because I felt the effort was the equivalent of a 54-55 minute swim.

The bike: 5:56:40

From the get go, my legs burned! My glutes hurt the most, and even sitting on the saddle was painful (and it was not a saddle sore pain, but actually the glute muscles themselves). Every time I tried to push to establish my pace, they just hurt. The pain was a combination of tightness, feeling bruised, and just burning. It's a good thing I had posted this the day before because I definitely needed this attitude to overcome this crazy burning in my legs. I just told myself to pedal, at whatever pace, just pedal and maybe things will come around. 40 km into the ride, the legs loosened up, but I just couldn't find the race gear just to hold my "conservative" pace toward Richter climb . Though I couldn't ride at my goal pace, I was looking forward to hitting Richter because if there is one thing I can do really well on the bike, it is climbing. But once again, I couldn't find that gear that I know I can when I'm climbing. Very few people passed me on the climb, but I also passed very few people, and really, climbing is my strength, even when I'm not trying to climb hard. But not today. I felt like I was in my training gear the entire bike ride. With about 40K to go, I started to feel a bit nauseous, I'm sure as a result of the 90°+ heat. At 30K, I tried to put food down my sensitive stomach to prepare for the run. At 20K, I vomited and with it, all of my precious calories and fluids. The last 10K, I bonked and I could barely turn the pedals over against the headwind. My speculation: My body was just having a really off day? Or maybe I was out of shape on the bike? I've been accused of overtraining all season, so my mantra going into Canada was better to be undercooked than overcooked. I now know with me, it is actually better to be overcooked. I lose my fitness too quickly. Before IMOZ where I rode a 5:30 , I rode 3 hours hard the Thursday before the race. Two weeks before the full Vineman, I raced hard and won a trail marathon with 5000' of climbing; and the following day, I rode 5 hours and ran 6 miles off the bike. Then, the Thursday before the full Vineman, I once again did a hard 3-hour ride. Three days later, I ended up riding my fastest ironman bike split (5:22). This time around, my longest ride in the last two weeks before the race was 3.5 hours, and during race week, I only rode 3 times, with the longest ride being 90 minutes. Once again, all speculation give me your thoughts!

The run: 3:55:05

Though this was not my best ironman run split, it is the run I am most proud. After getting off the bike totally depleted, I mentally prepared myself for a 14-hour ironman finish. I thought about my friend Jeff, and I set a goal to finish no matter how long it was going to take. I spent a good 5-6 minutes in transition, sipping water and taking what little food my stomach could take. One mile into the run, I threw everything up, right in front of the maddening crowd, which seemed to get even more mad. After throwing up, I felt much better, and set out to take it one mile at a time. I started on coke at the second aid station, a new record for me. I also set a goal to only walk the aid stations. Miles 2-15 were simply amazing. I couldn't stop thinking about my runs on Kona and how the heat in Canada wasn't even comparable. I drew so much strength just from this thought alone. Miles 15-18, I started to slow and I knew I had to take in food/salt and not fluids, but my stomach was also sensitive again. I tried to take a salt tablet at mile 17 and started dry-heaving and the pill came right back out. Miles 18-24 were slow but I never walked except for the aid stations. I came so so close to walking at a non-aid station but for the first time, I actually won the battle and I kept running. Turning onto Lakeshore for an out and back section before the finish, I heard the announcer say that those just turning onto Lakeshore have 10 minutes to break the 11-hour barrier, and something in me came to life. I dug deep and crossed the line under 11 hours with 30-seconds to spare. On this day, I equate breaking 11 hours to that of breaking 10 hours. I am proud of my run.

The result: 10:59:31 [290th OA, 57th AG]

It's late as I'm writing this and I'm tired. I just wanted to focus on the logistics of the race, but I will give more sentimental moments from race day in a later post. Because as my friend Tom posted on my FB wall, "Ironman is like pizza, even when it's bad, it's good!"

Because I Can

2011-08-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

I've been holding my cards pretty close to my chest for IMC, unsure if I wanted to share what's been on my mind of late. But they say ironman is a journey, and many of you have followed me and will be following me online tomorrow, so I thought I would give you some insight on the title of the post. Three weeks ago, I learned that a friend was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was even more stunned when a top-notched doctor at Stanford told him rather coldly, "I give you 4-5 months." Jeff didn't like that answer so he hustled over to UCSF, and he is being treated with both chemo and a clinical trial drug. Cancer is my biggest fear. I know cancer all too well, from my mother's death to breast cancer, to my studies as a cellular/molecular biologist, there are a lot of reasons for me to fear cancer.

When I first learned about Jeff's diagnosis, most days were normal with me living life as usual. But on several occasions, my mind would drift to Jeff, and I would empathize. When I put myself in his shoes, this whole IMC thing felt rather frivolous, and it was really hard to put my game face on for the race. Last week, my mind drifted again to Jeff and for some reason, rather than feeling frivolity, I felt gratitude. I was grateful because I can race. Since then, when I think about IMC, I think, "Because I can." And for some reason, I feel strong, and I feel ready to tackle whatever race day brings. It's a good feeling.

So come tomorrow when my arms start to burn during the swim, I will dig a bit deeper to shave off more time...because I can.

If I push it too hard out to and over Richter pass and I bonk, I will dig to get myself through the bonk...because I can.

If my stomach shuts down on me, I will be patient and wait until it comes back...because I can.

If I overheat, I will cool myself down or I will simply sit in the shade and rest until I can make my way to the finish..because I can.

Whatever the day brings tomorrow, I will race to go under 10 hours, race for an opportunity to earn a Kona slot, race to race, and I will enjoy every moment of it good or bad...because I can.

Jeff, you are a champion, I love you.

10 Questions with Matt Cusack

2011-08-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

Nada, previous to getting into triathlons I spent my time in the mountains; rock and ice climbing, so compared to some of my days in the mountains, Ironman is kinda short.

Pre-race ritual?

Coffee, I tend to pace around transition and get into my zone, love soaking up race morning energy!

Strange place you bodyglide?

Hmmm, anywhere there could be friction pretty much.

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Welcome to the Jungle- GNR and We run this town-Jay Z

What do you crave when you are bonking?

Coca Cola! a cold one and some plain ol' salty potato chips

How many #2's pre-race?

Usually 2

What is an obscure website you visit?

Cascadeclimbers.com but not sure if its obscure.

What's in your special needs bag?

Bike: First endurance liquid shot flask
Run: Red Bull (defizzed)

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

After reading Macca's book, I really have even more respect for him. Plus, he keeps in interesting, Crowie is too low key.

What's your ride?

2006 Quintana Roo Seduza, its been very good to me.

*I'm looking forward to ripping it up with Matty on the IM Canada race course this weekend. You can follow Matt at his website.

Recovery e21 and the Breaststroke Kick

2011-08-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

During my Kona training camp, Michelle (I now know why she goes by Mama Simmons, that's her drug-pushing name) turned me onto this magical little pill. She told me not only does it ward off cramps, but it also helps you to push and work the muscles even under fatigue. Hmmm...I consider that performance enhancing, but Michelle assures me that this pill has been used by Olympic athletes who come out clean after drug testing. As a trained scientist, I can't say for sure if this pill actually does what it claims, because Michelle told me of its benefits before I took the pill, thus, I could be experiencing the placebo effect. I'm going to take e21 at IM Canada because regardless if it truly works or not, my body seems to think it works. During long training sessions, when I felt the bonk come on, I would take two pills and almost immediately (much faster-acting than salt tablets), I was more mentally alert and my muscles felt like they were firing better. However, Michelle warns not to take too many over the course of a weekend, I believe 10 is the limit, or you might get the runs. Thus, I still take salt tablets but supplement with e21 during more dire situations.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with my massage therapist extraordinaire. He charges a pretty penny but he is worth it because after two years of this nagging glute injury, he was the one that finally shed some light on the the probable cause. Even though we train for three different sports, evidently, our bodies can still be weak. According to him, all of my movements are in one plane (mostly forward and back), thus the muscles I use to move in that plane are really strong. However, since I don't move in the side-to-side plane very often, those muscles are weak, and supposedly the glute muscles are used for lateral motion. Not only are my glutes weak but parts of my hip and inner thighs are week too. Thus, he suggested I play more volleyball, soccer, and ultimate frisbee. Really? He obviously does not specialize in OCD ironman athletes, otherwise he would know we have no time for such nonsense. He did mention yoga would be great, and that, I'm doing. But I had an "A Ha!" moment while swimming a month ago. I grew up as an IM'er only because I was really strong in the butterfly and the backstroke. My breaststroke, as my coach used to say, is unfortunate. In fact, some people used to ask how I was able to swim in the reverse direction during the breaststroke leg of my IM (when your competitors go by you that fast, it makes you look like you are going in reverse). Not only is my breaststroke kick weak, my legs feel like they are going to rip from the hip socket when I kick breaststroke. I now know that my breaststroke kick is weak because my glutes and my hips are weak (and evidently, having a badonkadonk butt does not mean you have strong glutes). Thus, I need to do MORE breaststroke kicking. Thus, I make it a habit to do some breaststroke kicking during every swim session, especially if I just got done running; the kick totally loosens my hip up and it feels like I'm stretching. So much for thinking I was done with breaststroke when I retired from competitive swimming.

Go for Broke: Folsom Olympic Distance Race

2011-08-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

I had no goals for this race other than some glorified speed work in prep for IM Canada. Driving to the race, my teammate and I were discussing what little we did or how much too much we did leading up to this race. I turned to Peter and said, "Regardless of what we've done or haven't done, let's just race with whatever we have on this day." And now, my stream of consciousness throughout the race:

Warm-up: Wow, my legs feel great, I must be fit; I feel no fatigue from the 4-hour ride yesterday.

Swim (21:31): How did it get so crowded all of a sudden. Dude, give me some space and stop kicking me in the stomach. He doesn't look fast at all, why is he lining himself at the very front. Be good Kiet, just let your swimming do the talking. Alright, let's build this. Sure enough, 10 strokes in and I've already dropped that guy. Wow, where is everyone? I feel great, I can totally feel the benefit from all of the open water swim sesh's in Hawaii. Both my kick and stroke are there, am totally in the groove. Man, this swim is feeling long for 1.5K, but the longer the better. Alright, rounding the last buoy, I'll ease up. No, GO FOR BROKE KIET! Don't ease up, you've got a big lead, now swim hard to even build more time on that lead. GO FOR BROKE! Right on, first out the water and not a guy in sight. Don't worry about the time, don't look at your watch, race on feel, RACE!

T1 (:42): I must be fit, I'm not dizzy standing up and my legs feel light and fast, right on!

Bike (1:05:33): Where is Pete? Why hasn't he come up on me yet. Wow, I must have had a good swim. La di da, di da, di da. La la di da di da. Dang, this guy flew by me, damn, he's in my age group. There's Peter. Damn, Peter looks so smooth and he looks like he's going at 80% and still pulling away from me very fast. I should have known I was going too slow, it felt way too easy. Alright, let's pick it up and see if you can keep them in sight. No way, those guys are hammering. La di da, di da, di da. La la di da di da. Oh crap, those guys are hunting me down. Another guy in my age group, damn! Kiet, unless you want to get passed all day long, you best GO FOR BROKE! Now this is racing! You've got this wind Kiet, you trained in this for the past two weeks, this wind is nothing. Now you're racing, remember how you rode when that Radio Shack guy went by you and Michelle from Hawi. Do it just like that. Man, this is starting to hurt, legs are getting fried. Alright 5 min left, back off a bit and spin the legs in prep for run. NO! GO FOR BROKE! You can drop another 30 seconds, just keep going.

T2 (:30): I must be fit, my legs are turning over! Wow, I'm not dizzy and I'm actually moving quite fluid and fast.

Run (39:51): Wow, my legs feel great, I feel like a runner, the turnover is fast. I love me those 170 cranks! Just run the fastest 10K you can Kiet, don't worry about the time, just run. Is this too fast, this feels too fast, can I hold this? Just run and take care of yourself nutritionally. Wow, Pete isn't as far up as he usually is. And there's the second place guy, I've made up some time on him. Oh, it's Robin. [Robin shouts, "Don't ease up Kiet! Get that second place guy!"] Will do Robin. Oh, there's third and I can tell he is trying to hunt me down. Whoa, was that a twitch in the hammie? Okay, take deep breaths, run relaxed on the risers and gun it at the crest and through the flats and downhills. Keep taking deep breaths and make sure you get lots of fluids at the next aid station. C'mon Kiet, don't let those guys from behind catch you. Wait a minute, don't focus on the guys behind you, focus on the guy in front of you and work on catching him. Wait, I can see him, I'm pulling him in, but I'm running out of real estate. C'mon Kiet, just GO FOR BROKE even though you may not catch him. There's the finish, I see people cheering me on, I see ya Jay, I hear you Nick, thanks for all of the shout outs.

Finish (2:08.07, 8th OA, 3rd AG): Finally, I raced this season! It wasn't my fastest time but I think I got my race mojo back.

I didn't embark on this season thinking that I would lose my race mojo; it just happened. Racing is so mental and sometimes, you just lose your mojo. I lost my mojo during the bike leg at Wildflower Long Course. Then at San Jose Long Course, I blew up again on the bike leg, and more mojo slipped away. IM CDA was no different, and I started to race with fear, fear of blowing up. During each leg of the swim, bike, run portion of Folsom, I found myself wanting to ease up for fear of blowing up. And for some reason, each time, GO FOR BROKE entered my mind. I had no intentions to go for broke, it just happened, just like losing my race mojo just happened. But as quickly as I lost it, it was equally sudden in coming back. I can't think of better timing.

Sans Feedback

2011-08-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

I am thinking about racing my next ironman with no feedback (power meter, Garmin, etc...), except for maybe a watch but only so that I can keep track of my nutrition. Though I think feedback is generally useful, where it can go wrong is when you are having an off day, or a bad patch on the course. If you aren't hitting your wattage or holding your pace, what good is it to quantify how bad you are doing? Racing for most people is about getting to the finish line in the least amount of time, and for those chasing championship slots, finishing ahead of your competition. At any point in the race, you should be going as hard/fast as you can but still finish the race in the shortest time possible. Also, feedback can lead to self-imposed limits, but what if your body is totally "on" and ready to race to a PR; and in the process breaking previous wattage/pace barriers. I wouldn't recommend racing "blindly" for most people, but for someone like myself, who has had such bad luck at the ironman distance, I'm ready to give this a go. I have yet to nail down an IM distance race, and I carry lots of demons from previous races. I just want to race IM Canada on feel, and just be in the moment with no clue as to how good or bad I'm doing.

I practiced this type of racing during my ride out to Hawi today. I did the entire ride on feel, with my sole goal being to finish the ride feeling strong. I didn't quite nail the feeling strong part, but I found it a nice change to not know how off the mark I was when I was riding tired. I just kept asking myself if I was riding as strong/fast as I can knowing that I have this much of the ride left. So at any point during those last fatiguing 25 miles, I was always trying to ride as fast as I could and still finish in the least amount of time. And the result? I finished averaging just 0.1 mph slower than my PR pace for this ride. I would have never guessed I was that close to my PR based on the way I was feeling. Had I saw numbers, I think I would have just beaten myself up mentally. What's that saying, "Ignorance is bliss?"

I fly home tomorrow, and I have a lot of fond memories from this trip. In typical fashion, I made a video of some of the highlights from the trip. There were definitely more highlights (training with Michelle), but my camera stopped taking pictures and videos.

And finally, I have a new Kona favorite. Check out Basik Acai! I had a nice talk with one of the very young owners yesterday, and the guy impressed me. He came off as a compassionate capitalist, and his desire to feed people good food in a place with a good vibe is worthy of your support. I'm a big fan of wheat grass shots and he told me, good wheat grass, like the organic stuff he sources from Kona, taste a bit sweet and not bitter like the cheap stuff. Basik Acai also has a Facebook page. My favorite is the Banyan Bowl.

10 Questions with Kim DeNovellis-Schwabenbauer

2011-08-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

When I wasn't picking flowers and talking to plants I was running with my Mom at a very early age (like 10). From there I ran cross country & track in high school and then eventually walked on to the Penn State Cross Country Team (and graduated a Captain - who would have thought!). I loved running so much I ran a few marathons after college I was bored and ready to do something knew - enter - duh duh duuuhhhhh, my new love of all three sports!

Pre-race ritual?

Well, I have to be honest about this one. I don't really have one except lately I've had this lovely issue race morning of needing to not walk, but RUN to the bathroom at Mock 2. In Lake Placid it was the woods, twice, because the lines were so long. I hope that ritual doesn't continue much longer, but maybe it's my pre-race nerves and maybe it means I'm ready to race! Who knows!

Strange place you bodyglide?

I wish I had some.. just the standard P.G. answer here - Neck, under my arms, ankles, sometimes feet. Cleavage - ha.. just kidding.

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Marching On (Timbo Version - Featuring One Republic) & I Need a Doctor by Eminem!

What do you crave when you are bonking?

COKE. It's all about the coke. I try to hold on as long as possible without it but man.. that stuff is a little like liquid gold out there sometimes!

How many #2's pre-race?

Well, I think I already answered this one but it depends on how nervous I am or if I'm in a foreign country! I'd say at least two! I supposed its my body's way of not carrying extra weight for the race.. who knows!

What is an obscure website you visit?

I'm so boring. I visit all the regulars - blogs, Facebook, Trainingpeaks, slowtwitch. I DO like to shop online though (little too much so I'll hit up a piperlime or Alloy etc. when I want to put things in the "shopping bag' but not actually buy them!

What's in your special needs bag?

Bike - three more bottles of Infinite, extra Powergels (in case I drop mine), extra salt tabs, pepto bismol chewable tablets, immodium.

Run - extra gels, same items as above, some little treat like a candy bar or gel blasts in case I'm like so over gels by that point and then a throw away pair of running shorts.. well, in case I poop my pants or heaven knows what else. Listen, it's Ironman people, anything can happen!

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

Honestly, I would have always said Crowie but I just read Macca's book and it was pretty dang compelling. I'd have to say Macca these days.

What's your ride?

Trek Speed Concept / Ultegra with 404 Zipp Wheels affectionately known as "The Green Speed Machine"

*Kim recently placed 1st amateur overall at IM Lake Placid, and now she has a matching first place trophy to go with her overall amateur win at IM Cozumel. The best thing about Kim? She calls me "kid" all the time, and she is six years younger than I am.

Three Day Camp

2011-08-05T00:44:00.000-07:00

I'm still on a training high from my three day training camp with Michelle, maybe that's why I'm still up at 9:41 PM composing this entry (or maybe it's all the e21 recovery pills Michelle was pushing on me...gladly received I might add). I'll do another blog on my experience with this remarkable little pill. All I can say is that Michelle is the real deal. Our first bike ride was a 109 miler to Hawi, and I was scared shitless. Yeah, it was blowing like hell that day, but even more scary was the speed at which we started the ride. I had already been on Kona for close to one week, and I had gone on several group rides, mostly with men, and not once, did we start a ride as fast as the day I rode with Michelle. If you could see Michelle ride a bike, you would get a strong sense that she is in her element. All the way out to Hawi, even more scary than the wind pushing me off my bike, was the fear that I would bonk trying to keep her pace. But with each check of the body, I was hanging in there and gaining confidence. On the way back from Hawi, this guy on a Trek Speed Concept wearing a Radio Shack kit (i.e. he looked like pro) went flying by us and yes, Michelle hopped on his wheel. I was immediately dropped and for two miles or so, I was riding about 15 meters behind them, in no man's land, torn if I should be sensible and drop back or just commit to a potential blow up and sprint onto a wheel. I eventually decided to sprint and get on their wheel. After 5 or so minutes of being on their wheel, I realized that I had some spunk in me, especially on the little risers so I decided to take the lead. It was both scary and exhilarating. I was scared that I would bonk because the effort was just too hard for a 109-miler, and exhilarated because I was hanging in there. We hammered it all the way home, splitting a 5:13 for 100 miles. The ride was such a confidence booster because I actually felt strong the last 20 miles, a rarity for me.

The second day started with an hour warm-up followed by 8 x 5 minute hill climbs in the big ring, holding 30-40 rpm's. Michelle asked me if I had any IT band issues, and when I responded no, she said that I had the green light to grind the gears so hard that I was going to rip my knee caps off, or some part of my glute/hip muscles (she didn't quite say this but this was the feeling I had). During the warm-up, I felt like death. But once we started the hill climbs, I really really enjoyed the nature of the workout. We were able to keep a low heart rate and rather than fatiguing our heart, we were fatiguing our muscles. Before the workout, Michelle said we had the green light to ride as much as 4 hours and I was thinking, yea right. But after the hill climbs, somehow I was so motivated to ride and we ended up getting in 3.5 hours and 63 more miles of saddle time. After the ride, it was an 8 mile run off the bike, and I felt absolutely freaking amazing! It was pure type 1 fun as I was running, and I was getting goose bumps during the run because I was so happy because I felt so great. We finished the day with a pool swim at Kona Aquatics.

The final day started with a morning ocean swim followed by a great breakfast sitting on the rocks right by the water. Michelle was being the poster child for the benefits of being a coffee drinker, and I was struggling to stay awake. The plan was to back up two solid days of training with an ironman effort focused long run. And we nailed it! In fact, we nailed every workout, and that my friends, is why I'm on such a training high.

Michelle was an awesome training partner, but a picture-taker, not so much. My camera is kaput, finito and though she brought a camera, it never made an appearance. Where Michelle lacks in picture taking, she more than makes up as a training partner. She is both tenacious and detailed. I've never ridden with anyone who carries ALL of their nutrition for every ride. I was a patron of at least 3-4 different markets while Michelle never stepped foot in one. The other great thing about Michelle is that she always thinks like a coach. I have a tendency to sabotage workouts because of stupid things like going out too hard, or not paying attention to nutrition. She was always saying things like, if you bonk because you are riding too hard or not eating enough, I'm not pulling you home. At every point during our training, she always appeared to be in control. Our time together was a perfect balance of intensity, relaxation, and laughter. Can you tell I'm now a big Mama Simmons fan? And finally, when I think about this training camp, I have to thank her husband (Scott) for agreeing to let his wife fly to some island to stay with some man she met over the internet. You gotta love the 21st century.

Fun Scale

2011-07-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have a scale to rate the different types of fun in my life. Type 1 fun is when you are enjoying the fun in real time. Type 2 fun you don't actually enjoy until it is over. Type 3 fun takes months or years of reflection, and only then do you recall it as fun. I flew into Kona on Wednesday and ran 8.5 miles, and followed it up with a swim at Kona masters. Both activities were type 1 fun, I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I was running and swimming. The following day, I biked the South Loop with the Kona group and once again, it was type 1 fun, even the hammerfests up the hills. Friday was an early masters swim workout and I was tired, relegating the fun to more of a type 2. However, there were definitely moments of type 1 fun during the swim. I ran 9.5 miles in the afternoon and once again, it was a mixture of type 1/2 fun. The plan called for a hundo ride on Saturday, and my body was feeling both the heat and the previous two days of training. I did not want to ride hard at all, and I just wanted to get time in the saddle. My plan was to start with Kaitlin and the Kona crew at a social pace and then break off and do my long ride. I flatted and my friend Jano waited for me, telling me that he would be my domestique to pull me back to the group, what a nice gesture I thought. The nice gesture, however, was lost when I was swearing at Jano in my head as we basically time-trialed 25 miles to get back to the group. This was not how I wanted to start my 100-miler. Thoughts of changing the plan and just cutting the ride short crossed my mind. But type-A/OCD triathlete reared his ugly head and next thing I knew, I'm rolling toward Hawi and doing my 100-miler. The last 20 miles were rough, not bad enough to be type 3 fun, but definitely type 2, and I couldn't wait to be done. Today's 50 mile ride and 10 mile run off the bike was definitely type 2 fun. I just wanted to be done with the training, and once done, I knew I would be happy (and think it was fun) because I finished another solid block of training.

Unlike my prep for IM CDA, I made a goal to never hit type 3 fun in my IM Canada training. If I think it's going to be a type 3 fun day, I'll take the day off. Tomorrow is a rest day, just an ocean swim and some canoe paddling with my friend Jason, both very much type 1 fun. And then on Tuesday, Michelle flies in for what she promises to be three epic days of training, and knowing Michelle, she's gonna be pushing my type 3 fun limits.

My Favorite [Kona] Things

2011-07-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Unlike Oprah and her favorite things, I won't be able to give you anything other than some advice. Since arriving on the island Wednesday, training is going really swell. Superman is a mere mortal on his home planet of Krypton, but on earth, the sun gives him superpowers. I feel like Superman and Kona is my sun. I don't know why but I always train really well over here. I know some of you will be on the island in a couple of months, for reasons far more bigger than my little training camp. Thus, I've been documenting some of my favorite things:
• Hayashi's: It's not the best sushi I've had but it is damn cheap, best eaten post hard and long workout because it will taste a lot better, and it won't empty your wallet.• South Loop Ride: This was one of the first rides that Bree shared with me, and I still have fond memories of the painted church, picking mangos and avocados, and coming across a bunch of free lemons. It's nice to get off the Queen K and if you like climbing, this is the ride for you. Southern Kona is also very different scenery and a must see.• Island Naturals: I think I end up here at least once per day. The hot food and salad bar is great. It ain't cheap but if your philosophy is that your body is your temple, then you'll want to eat and shop here.• Kona Aquatics: Good people, good coach, good facility, and it's free (I think, I've never paid)! But if you swim a masters workout, Coach Steve does not do the paddle and buoy thing, so out of respect, save the equipment for when you swim on your own during rec hours.• Farmer's Market on Alii: Not everything is certified organic and it's geared toward tourists, but great if you are looking to pick up cheap papayas and mangos.• And finally, if you are lucky, anything from Bree's kitchen: I came over to borrow her car to do some shopping, and waiting for me was some homemade granola. This chica is so generous, and I'm so lucky to know her.

Hell Hath No Fury Like...A Nutritional Bonk

2011-07-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days of training, I was reminded of the importance of nutrition. On Wednesday, I had an epic bonk while doing a very hilly trail run with my friend Chris, who is training for a 50-miler. Not only did Chris extend our 90-minute run to almost two hours, but he did so setting a torrid pace. My longest run had been 80 minutes and nutritionally, my body could not take both the distance and pace. The last two miles were not training, it was survival. Upon arrival home, I was nauseous and my stomach was sensitive and I couldn't eat much. I basically had a smoothie and went to bed. The next day, I started what was intended to be a 3-hour hilly ride with some strong efforts. From the start, I knew I had not met my caloric needs from the bonk the day prior, but I soldiered on hoping for the best. Thoughts of turning around and going home crossed my mind, but staying true to my OCD/Type A triathlete self, I pushed on hoping I would come around. Well, 90-minutes into the ride, I was now trying to figure out how I would make it home. Like the run the day prior, this ride was no longer about training but about survival. Hell hath no fury like the nutritional bonk.

The nutritional bonk is absolute hell. It's the reason why you see age-groupers passing fit professionals on the race course, specifically ironman races. Once you are in the nutritional bonk, it is no longer about athleticism. You are no longer trying to move fast, but instead, you are just trying to move, or worse, stay upright. Not only does a nutritional bonk take a physical toll, it wreaks havoc on the mind as well. Your head is in a haze and you can't even think clearly to rectify the situation. At some point during my ride, I realized that I was no longer training but just trying to get home. I was still one hour from home and with two daunting climbs remaining, I somehow pulled a somewhat coherent thought, "Kiet, all you have right now is your attitude. Just keep a good attitude and keep trying..and keep eating." And just like that, I was doing very specific ironman training.

After two days of bonking, I decided to skip my run on Friday (mental note: the threshold for an OCD/Type A triathlete to make a wise decision is two consecutive bonk days). Saturday was a 7-hour training day and can you guess what I absolutely made sure I nailed besides the 3 x 40 min tempo climbs...my nutrition. My teammates were teasing me all day long about the amount of food I was eating. But guess who pulled away during the last 40-minute tempo climb with a full belly and equal amount of energy, guilty. Come Sunday, you would think I would be quite the sagacious one with nutrition. Nope. Once again, a nutritional nightmare but l problem-solved and got the work done. I'm now convinced that when it comes to triathlons, we are a couple of gels short of a disaster. I banked 22 hours this week and most of it, very ironman specific training. And yes, that is an egg on top of two meat patties, waiting for a bun with both bacon and cheese to lay on top. You only have one life...albeit a shorter life after putting that in my body.

Skipped Workouts = 5

2011-07-19T21:08:00.001-07:00

I've been keeping a running tally of workouts skipped in my preparation for IM Canada. I'm trying to prove to my type A, OCD self that skipped workouts do not equate to a bad race. In fact, I have a hunch that I will race better if I allow myself to be more flexible and skip some workouts. My friend Leslie asked me to show her and her kids around Tilden Park today. I've known Leslie since we were writing Aristotle essays together in the seventh grade. I decided to make it a family affair and have the knee-biters come up for a two-day vacation with their uncle. It was a bit surreal to sit with Leslie, 25+ years later, as old farts with kids. As much as I love the knee-biters, I am happy to be able to trade them back for my training. I'm definitely fired up for the 6 AM masters swim workout tomorrow.

I Failed to Take the High Road

2011-07-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

Before I go into details about the title of the post, I thought I would start with something more positive. Charisa and Steven stopped and stayed the night on their way to Vineman 70.3. Besides sharing some awesome meals of deep dish Chicago style pizza (in honor of Charisa's home town), and some soul food with a twist (gotta give them a taste of Oakland), we shared some great conversation. Charisa and I went for a short run this morning through my hood, and it really made me appreciate where I live seeing it through her eyes. Most of you know Charisa is one smart cookie when it comes to racing, but Steven equally impressed me with his thoughts on racing. I leave you with two quotes from Steven that really hit home:

"It doesn't matter how many times you nail it in training, it only matters that you nail it on race day."

"That Kevin, when it comes to racing, he is low expectations and high performance."

And speaking of racing, my friend sent me this great article on winning. I've got a lot of people looking out for me.

And now, the reason for the title of the post. During my ride today, I was climbing and approaching a right hair-pin turn when all of a sudden, this guy on a skateboard was coming right at me. He was hugging the inside of the turn, on my side of the road, and I had to swerve far right almost into the guard rail to avoid being hit by him. As he passed me, he laughed and shouted, "Suckaaaa!" At first, I told myself to take the high road and carry on. But something in me snapped when I recounted that he shouted suckaaaa as he went by. I decided that this skate punk needed to learn a lesson the hard way. I turned my bike around, sprinted down the hill, almost crashing when I hit a pothole because I was so determined to catch him. I caught the punk and I began blocking him to slow him down, and I eventually got him to stop in his tracks. I was so pissed off that I didn't care he was about six feet tall, as I pushed him off his board. I grabbed his board and said something like, "If you want to be extreme, go extreme down the hill after your board", and I chucked his board down the hill. Ironically, during the remainder of the ride, I was quite jovial and happy, making small talk as I came upon other riders. I'm not a pugilist but sometimes, you just gotta. I have to admit, I was a bit fearful that he and his buds would hop in their car, and drive up the hill to get payback. Needless to say, I climbed the hill quite fast.

Addressing the Issues

2011-07-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've spent the weeks post IMCDA addressing some issues that will hopefully improve my chances of success at IM Canada. First up is cranks. Thanks to Frankie Kim, I've got some size 170 FSA carbon cranks, and this will hopefully resolve my bike maladies this season. A huge thanks also goes to my teammate David Condon for taking the time to put the cranks on my bike, and to his wife Maureen for sitting around and chatting while Dave did all the work. I'm really lucky to have good people in my life and I will do my best to pay it forward! I will post an update once I've been able to put some solid training time on the cranks.

Next is my saddle. I got a really bad case of saddle sore in the weeks leading up to IMCDA, and I was glad that I got some reprieve from the saddle during my taper. I'm testing a new saddle out and the initial ride felt good. I will ride it a couple of more times to make sure it really is a good fit.

And finally, I need to address my training, specifically training to run better off the bike. I think the shorter crank size will give me fresher legs for the run. I also plan to do a lot more of my runs in similar conditions as that of an ironman, that means more quality runs on tired legs or off the bike. And since I've often said ironman is about the journey and not the day, I want to make my training more fun. I want to look back on my training days and remember them as fun days rather than days about wattage, heart rate, cadence, or numbers. To ensure my training is fun, I'll be flying over to Kona to do some swimming, biking, and running with some of the most fun peeps in the world.

I also decided to address the issue of spending more time with my niece and nephew. After a train ride and playing in the park, we went for a swim. Then it was off to Santa Cruz to feed chickens, steal their eggs, pitch a tent, look through night vision goggles, and learn to pee in the outdoors. Hanging out with children is really good for the soul.

Hypothesis #1

2011-07-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Since IMCDA, I've been thinking more about crank length. Bree initially put this idea in my head because she recently learned that she is riding too long of a crank (172.5), thus explaining why she can't spin and why she struggles to run off the bike. During my sabbatical, I trained a lot with Bree and we came to realize that we are twins when it comes to triathlons. We have identical bodies (well almost), both of us standing 5'5", with long torsos and stumpy legs. We can't spin to save our lives and for some darn reason, we struggle to run off the bike. During our training runs, we would do 13-milers averaging 7-minute pace and often finishing the last 2-3 miles holding 6-minute and sometimes sub 6-minute pace. Yet, we struggled to carry this running speed off the bike in our races. She is now running a shorter crank length (167 or so) and it seems to be making a difference.

This year, I've been training almost exclusively (about 90% of my rides) on my road bike, because not only does it feel better, but it is better suited for Oakland/Berkeley riding, where you are either going up or down, never flat. Also, I just seem to ride better on the road bike. I would say that I've been on my tri bike for a total of 15 times this season. I've been operating under the impression that the crank length on my road bike is the same as my tri bike, 172.5. I just checked my road bike to learn that I was indeed wrong, the cranks on my road bike are 170. And thus we have hypothesis #1 as to why I've been having "off" bike legs this season.

Last year, I trained exclusively on my tri bike because I was traveling and I could only bring one bike with me. I was training and racing on the same cranks, thus come race day, my legs felt no difference. On those cranks, I rode to a 5:30 time at IMOZ (even with my disastrous pacing plan and bonking) and a 5:22 at the full Vineman. And both times, as in my previous ironman races, I struggled to run off the bike. This year, I've been training on 170 cranks, but come race day, my legs are trying to turn over 172.5 cranks. I'm pacing myself for 5:22-5:30 bike splits like I've done in the past, but on longer cranks than what I've been accustomed to in training, just enough of a difference to cause my slightly off, and inexplicable bike mishaps this year. I think this is why as the ride went on, I got more and more fatigued at IMCDA even though I started at the proper pace and I had no nutritional/GI problems.

Since IMCDA, I've had many people tell me that I'm overtrained and that's why I had a bad race. I am positive I am not overtrained. I've just had some inexplicable problems on the bike this season, and this in turn, made me lose confidence in my training program, my ability, and my mental fortitude. All this makes me realize how interwoven things are when it comes to training, racing, and equipment. My equipment affected my training, which in turn affected my racing, and finally played on my psyche.

I don't know if this is truly the answer. I know that as with injuries, the causes of a bad race is a bit of a mystery and it's a bit of trial and error when it comes to finding solutions. But I have a start, and it's time to figure out this crank length thing. I can either train exclusively on my 172.5 cranks in prep for IM Canada or swap out for 170 cranks. I'm inclined to do the latter because though I'll be training my legs to ride 172.5 cranks, it doesn't resolve, the issue of running off the bike. If I drop down to 170 cranks, I'll be able to spin more, and hopefully have fresher legs off the bike for the run. Like I said, this is hypothesis #1. But more importantly, KNOW YOUR GEAR!

SAT Words

2011-07-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

gump·tion /ˈgəmpSHən/
Noun: Shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulnes.

met·tle /ˈmetl/
Noun: A person's ability to cope well with difficulties or to face a demanding situation in a spirited and resilient way.

Kiet will demonstrate his true mettle as he tries to prepare for IM Canada armed with gumption and a bit of moxy.

I came upon the word gumption on Meredith Kessler's blog. Given her string of bad luck, I thought I would find an ally in Meredith and see how she might be dealing with her predicament. When I saw the title of her most recent post, I immediately knew I came to the right place. Moving forward, I covet these two words as I prepare for Canada. Thank you to all of my supporters for still believing in me, and encouraging me to keep up the fight...at least one more time.

Recovery was oh-so easy. I wanted to swim, bike, and run the following day but I knew better. When I step back and go outside of myself, it's wild to think that I just swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and ran a marathon just last weekend--and both physically and mentally, I was jonesing to start back up this past week. Instead, I started back up on Sunday, with a nice and tapered feeling during the swim workout, and carried that feeling to a nice bike ride. Thank you to my PacWest teammates for the great company!

I Am Not Alone

2011-07-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

It could be that misery loves company or that there is solace knowing that others share your struggles. Whatever the case, I've come across some stories of others who share similar struggles with the ironman distance. So hit the play button for the accompanying music and enjoy some good reading!

Joanna Zeiger

A story of unrequited love

You’ve heard the tale so many times before, maybe it has even happened to you, it is the tale of unrequited love. My tale begins on the Big Island of Hawaii in a small town called Kona. I have been to this sleepy hamlet more than a dozen times for racing and training. While most of my time in Kona has been spent riding along the lava fields and running up and down Alii Drive, I have lounged on many of the beautiful beaches, enjoyed the aquarium-like water (I even swam with dolphins near the pier this year), explored the Volcano and taken in the vast waterfalls and lush foliage. Each trip to the island enhances my appreciation for all that it has to offer and remains one my favorite places to visit. It is the diversity in terrain and landscape, the weather, and the escape from reality. But, alas, this relationship is very one-sided as the island does not love me back. It tortures me with an annual pilgrimage called the Ironman World Championships. Each year I prepare for this event wholeheartedly, my fitness increasing weekly, my times on the track improving, my bike rides getting faster, my hunger for the ultimate race unsated. For many years, the race eluded me due to injury and then last year, amazingly enough, I started the race healthy and fit. A blow to the head during the swim ended my race prematurely with a concussion. Wow, more bad luck on the Big Island. But, my love for this place and the desire to conquer my demons there conned me into racing another year.

A new training regimen brought me to the start line relaxed and ready to tackle the challenges of the day. I had everything dialed in, with a plan for the effort I would produce on the swim, how many watts to generate on the bike and the pace I would try to hold on the run. My nutritional plan successfully saw me through my training and was ingrained in my head for race day. So, you can only imagine my surprise when the place that I love foiled me yet again. A great swim put me on the bike course in second position. I monitored my wattage carefully so as not to let the excitement of the race make me go too hard. I was feeling quite strong when a pack of 8 or so women caught me. I locked onto the back of this group feeling like the pace was very comfortable. I knew I could maintain this effort for the remainder of the ride. Things started to crumble around mile 56 when a familiar dizziness took over. For the next 90 minutes I fought through this terrible light-headedness. At the 90 mile mark, I was able to increase my pace through the end of the ride. I was not where I wanted coming off the bike, but I felt a strong run would still put me in a good position. My legs felt good in the first mile, no effects from the ride. By mile 2, I was on my hands and knees retching and vomiting and feeling generally miserable. I truly believed my race was over and another DNF was impending. By then, I had water baby (i.e. extreme bloating) and stomach cramping. I slowed to a walk and continued for the next 24 miles inching my way forward walking and running. It came as a great relief to cross the finish line for the first time since 2000. While I still do not have a complete handle on what happened on race day, I believe that extreme thirst leading to the consumption of 50 oz. of liquid each hour may have been problematic. When the answers become clearer, I will post an update on my website.

It was an extremely disappointing day, yet again. I was buoyed along the course by the incredible support of not only my family and friends, but spectators and competitors as well. So many kind words were uttered by those around me that I knew that I had to get to the finish. The next morning, sitting on the lanai of the house we rented, overlooking the beautiful Kona coast, I knew that I would come back next year to make the Island love me back.

Thanks again to all of my sponsors. Without them the finish line would be much further.

Race hard, have fun.

Scott DeFilippis

For the first time in my career I stepped off the bike and was in the game! I wasn’t just participating in Ironman France, I was finally in the thick of things having arrived into T2 with the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th placed athletes. I had played every move up until this point perfectly! I fumbled quite a bit getting my shoes on and once out of the transition I realized that my fellow competitors were gone up the road. I didn’t think it would matter because I truly believed and felt this was going to be my day to run like so many know I am capable of, I quickly started to rethink think my run strategy at just 5km in when the heat of the day was already taking its toll on me. By 10km I had lost a place falling back to 11th when I started to cramp in my legs thus forcing me to walk the transitions and take in as much fluid as I could. At some points I would come around and find my rhythm and think, “well, if I can keep this up I will run 3hours, and that should put me top 8!” Soon after I put in a surge, the nausea would return with cramping in the hamstrings. I played every game I could think of both mentally and nutritionally but theses were only temporary solutions, like putting a band aide on a bullet wound.

Bananas would help for a bit as well as spending a few seconds standing under the cold showers on course but all in all from kms 10-42 it was the toughest running I have done in my life! After crossing the finish line I spent a good hour and a half vomiting in the bushes while fighting cramps all over my legs before finally being taken to the medical tent to get an IV, thank God for that as I don’t think I would have been able to ride my bike back to my home stays house!
Thinking back I don’t have any regrets nor are there any excuses. For what ever reason, and it is not mental, I melted on the run today! I swam and rode my heart out, at 2 hours into the bike I swallowed a bee, which stung the inside of my throat on the way down…I didn’t care as today was to be my day….But after 3 hours and 25minutes of torture on the run I lay in agony not of victory but defeat!! There needs to be a discussion about why I seem to crumble when the temperature rises into the 90s but this is not an excuse as others ran wonderfully out there!

Two years and 4 months ago when I first met Brett Sutton and he agreed to give me shot on the team, he said that it was going to take 3 years to make me a real Ironman athlete. He asked if I was willing to put that amount of time in…Well, here I am closer than ever before but I thought today I would be writing to say that I beat his time prediction but you know what? We don’t call him the “Doc” for no reason as he is usually right 99% of the time. And I am coming to grips with the hard truth that it will in fact take the entire 3 years until I have successfully put together the Ironman that we have been working so very hard towards!

Over this 28 month period, many people have come into my life that would have never if it were not for Team TBB and our growing network of fans and athletes. Some are disappointed tonight not in me but for me as they have followed my progress and some too believed today was to be my coming out party!! I have received some wonderful messages and I thank you guys for your thoughts and positive energy! It is coming my friends I know it, just going to have to be a bit more patient that I like to be…. Thank you so very much for following me as the climb up the mountain is getting steeper and steeper as I get closer to the top……
My home stay host, Pierre, asked me last night if I will return to Nice for a 4th time next year?? I responded, with, “Yes! I must come back to Nice, even though it puts me through so much pain, I will figure this race out!” He said I was crazy Thank you to Pierre and his family for having me once again this year! I very much enjoy my time with you all and for the second year in a row I arrive to your home post race defeated but you treat me like family and that is nice to come home to when you are shattered like I was this evening!!

And finally Julie Dibens. I found it ironic that though she broke the course record and won IMCDA, she still doubts herself at the ironman distance.

U know it's gonna be a long day when at the first turn buoy on the swim you wonder why the heck you are doing this silly race because you are so cold.
U know it's gonna be a long day when you exit the first lap of the swim, and head back in for lap two, and you are still thinking "why don't I just stick to 70.3, I'd be jumping on my bike now"
U know it's gonna be a long day when you think you see Barrack Obama standing at the side of the ride at mile 30 on the bike. Oh no that's right it was actually my Manager Franko goof'ing off. It gave me a good chuckle at the time though.
U know it's gonna be a long day when u realize that you are having way too much fun on the bike, and actually forget you are in a race. That means you probably are riding too hard…and trouble is ahead. I just couldn't contain myself, the course was awesome.
U know it's gonna be a long day when you see a fresh tampon in the road half way through the second lap on the bike. Some poor lady obviously thought she was going to be in for a really long day and wanted to be 100% prepared. That was my first tampon sighting in a race. Again put a smile on my face which can't be a bad thing.
U know it's gonna be a long day when you find that the snaggle toe already has a little cut on it from the bike. That only means one thing….a bloody running shoe to come. It's amazing how much a tiny little cut can bleed.
U know it's gonna be a long day when you start seeing stars at about mile 14 on the run. My initial thought was….this is gonna be a long walk in! How long will 12miles take me to walk. SHIT!
U know it's gonna be a long day when a chocolate powerbar and latte powergel taste good (I really don't like chocolate or coffee), and a cookie tastes bad (my favorite). My taste buds were truly out of whack
U know it's gonna be a long day when you see a gorilla in a tree cheering you on and you don't do a double take.
And last but no means least

U know it's gonna be a long day when you think you might have done a tiny little poo in your pants but you are really not sure. (sorry TO..probably TMI again there)
All in all, I'm not going to lie, I am disappointed with my performance yesterday here in Coeur D'alene. The jury is still out as to whether I am cut out to be an Ironman athlete…or at least to achieve my dreams as an Ironman athlete. But as I learnt with pretty much everything else I have done in life, just because you don't get success immediately doesn't mean it should stop you from trying. I just have to look back at the 70.3 worlds in Clearwater. I had to go there 3 times and come 4th twice, before I raced how I wanted to. Lets to hoping my 3'rd IM will follow that trend.

Congrats go out to Crowie who put in another awesome performance, and all the other Ironman CDA finishers!

I have to send a big shout out to my sponsors. I know a lot of you groupies out there think us pro's just do this because you think we get paid, but I really couldn't do it without them. My shout out of the week goes to Trek - the Speed concept is the beast of all beasts! Unless you come up with a faster bike, I doubt I will ever race on anything but! Not to mention the best bike mechanic, Mark Andrews, from Trek. A huge thanks to all my other sponsors too. I love you all and love that I have in my eyes the support of the best products and companies out there. Kswiss, Tyr, PowerBar, Nuun, Oakley, EFX, Saris, Flatlines, Lazer, Fuelbelt, ISM, Bontrager

Oh and lastly, it is without doubt that I can say, IRONMAN is just SILLY! Until next time…

The Iron(y) in Ironman

2011-06-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

I drove 15 hours post IMCDA so I had a lot of time to reflect. Here are some ironic moments from the day:

• In the days leading up to the race, I experienced nausea due to nerves. Come race day, nothing.

• I wore white on a day that saw me piss my pants at least 6 times on the bike, a record for pissing on the bike for me.

• I was smiling all day even though I was racing to my second worst time for an ironman.

• I'm the 40 year-old with a 2:39 marathon to my credential, but it was the 55 year-old woman that went flying by me during the run telling me to hang in there.

• I spent hundreds of hours preparing for what could go wrong, but during miles 18-22 I was totally clueless and walked aimlessly (and all I had to do was eat, which I eventually figured out at mile 23).

• For something that is supposed to be fun, I sure went to some dark places with these thoughts being an all-time low: I'm not doing IM Canada; I'm going to quit blogging because I'm so embarrassed, I'm probably going to be the butt of a lot of jokes; but not once, did I think about not finishing.

• Though I fell FAR short of my goals and had a bad race, I was so happy running down that finish, and so happy post race in the athlete area talking to my teammates and friends.

• After 11+ hours of pain, I'm doing it all again in two months at IM Canada.

And now, my thank you's:

Bree Wee for sending those texts pre-race and and telling me something that made me happy post race.
John Murphy for that voicemail message, I too thought this was going to be my year. The year is not over and I do have Canada?
Charisa Wernick for your text messages pre and post race to check-in.
Matt Cusack for making my first day there one of my most memorable ironman first days, it was easy, relaxed, and fun.
Teresa Nelson and Mark Webb for inviting me to your pre-race dinner and to Mark's mom for boiling my eggs for race day.
Kim Schwabenbauer for sending me the bat phone number just in case.
Libby Bergman for taking the time to compose one of the best letters I've ever received. Regardless of my result, I really really read the letter...four times.
Michelle Simmons for using energy to advise me to spin up the hills during the second loop of the bike.
Mary Tanner for that hug right before the start of the race.
Joshua Schoenfeld, Evan Kerr, Jay Ridgeway, Mirek Boruta, and Jason Jacobs for always cheering me on when we crossed paths.
Kara Teklinski, Sandy Liaw-Myers, and Tricia Gellman for the best bike support crew and post-race support crew.
Gardi Jackson and Bert Schaeffer for being everywhere on the course.
Frank Kim for telling me to run with him...but I only lasted 400 yards?
Beth for introducing herself on the run saying that she reads my blog, and then proceeded to leave me in her dust, made me laugh.
Genevieve Priebe for that huge shout out, I was totally out of it and couldn't respond but it hit me about 5 seconds later.
Jamie Brooks and Ray Pajek for dinner convo and just generally hanging out.
And to the rest of you who sent me messages on FB and such. They say ironman is a journey and not a day, I wholeheartedly agree.

Ironman Coeur d'Alene

2011-06-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Going into the race, the goal was to either break 10 hours or sneak in and a get Kona slot…or both! It became apparent once I saw the list of names racing and the size of the 40-44 men’s field that a Kona slot was not likely, so I focused on breaking 10 hours. In the days leading up to the race, I was yet again suffering from nausea, a new pre-race phenomena for me this year, but I managed to take it all in stride. Physically, I felt great everyday during the taper, and at times, I thought maybe too great. I actually like my body to feel a bit tired, like a couple of days after a good training day (foreshadowing). Socially, race week was simply awesome. I got to finally meet Michelle and Matt, hang out with Teresa and Mark some more, and I had a lot of teammates and friends from home doing the race. Spending time with good people is the other draw of the ironman experience. Onto the race:

The swim: 58:06
I lined myself far left in the front with a straight shot to the first buoy. I was prepared to battle as this was probably the ideal position for the shortest line. The cannon went off and I was surprised at how quickly I found clean water. Within 100 yards, I had nobody in front or on either side of me. But once we reached the first buoy, everybody converged and things got a bit busy, but never bad. Throughout the swim, I knew I was having a good swim instead of a great swim. A great swim (54 min) feels like my heart is about to pop out of my chest, but yet I can maintain. I weighed the factors and I decided that it wasn’t worth the increased heart rate for a 2-minute time gain, unbeknownst that it would actually be a 4-minute time gain. I was a bit disappointed in the time, but knew I was still pretty high up in the field. Unlike many people, the cold was not an issue, must be from all those years of racing Escape from Alcatraz.

The bike: 5:53:56
I took the first lap out very controlled and focused on my nutrition: about 100 calories every 20 minutes, sip of fluid every 10 minutes, and a salt tablet every 35 minutes. The plan was to split the first lap in a 2:45-2:50 and pick it up a bit in the second lap for 5:30 bike split. In order to go under 10 hours, I had no choice but to split 5:30 or faster. I started to feel a bit fatigued just before the end of the first loop, but you always have a low point during an ironman, and then you come back to life. Thus, I just kept calm, carried on, and I waited to come back to life. I went through the first loop in 2:48 and thought, I’m still on pace. But I never came back to life, and I just kept getting more fatigued until I bonked. It was during this time that I felt like I was just plain out of shape, sort of like when I do my first long ride of the season. So many times, I fought to get back into the race. When Michelle went by me, I set a goal to stay with her until the end of the ride. All I can say is that on this day, I learned that even though the mind is willing, the body can’t respond. My mind was so willing but my legs burned so bad and had nothing. It was at this time that I let go of breaking 10-hours and focused on getting back to T2; and in the process, find the joy in this ironman as though it was my first.

The run: 4:20:34
As I was approaching T2, I decided that I would at least salvage this race and try to PR my ironman run split. I felt great starting the run, my turnover was quick, and I was in really good spirits. Nobody passed me the first 11 miles and I played the game, how many runners can you pick off. I started to get tired at about the 12-mile mark but soon saw Michelle up the road. I set a goal to run up to her and if I got tired, we could help each other through the second loop. But it took me another one or so mile to even catch up to her, she picked up her pace! Once I got up to her, I felt good so I continued my pace and passed her. But as soon as I made the pass, a wave of bonk came over me. I hit the aid station and had to walk, and slowly, things deteriorated. From mile 18 on, once again, the mind was willing but the body would not respond. I would will myself to run but the body couldn’t do it. For the next 5 miles, it was mostly walk with attempts at shuffling, and eating everything in sight: pretzels, orange slices, and chicken broth. Finally, the nutrition kicked in and with it my spirit and the drive to run the last two miles. And oh the finish, did I milk that finish. I was waving my arms, taking bows, kissing my biceps (a little trick I learned from my new friend Hank), and pumping up the crowd. I found the joy in ironman racing as though it was my first. When I crossed the line, I wanted to turn around, run back out, and do it all one more time.

The result: 11:19:40 [362nd overall; 73rd age-group]
This FB update from my friend Mark expresses my sentiment quite well: “Ironman CDA yesterday was not my best day for 140.6 BUT I got er' done. There are some days you just have to finish what you start. Yesterday was one of those days! :). Onward...” And remember the foreshadowing part? My gut instinct tells me the reason I felt great during the taper was because I was just plain out of shape. I know myself and I know that I lose my fitness real quickly, thus, I don’t usually rest that much during a taper. But I also wanted to try and see if resting a lot more would work because statistically, most triathletes go into races too tired and not rested enough. At least now, I know with confidence exactly what works for me.

A Tale of Two..Uh, Seven Ironmans

2011-06-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

My first was Vineman in 1999, where I suffered two flats and spent an hour on the road waiting for support. The second was IM France where my buddy and I did not do our homework and flew in five days before the race, not enough time to shake the jetlag. The result was a DNF for both of us. The third was IM CDA and a disappointing 4:40 run split. The fourth was IM CDA part deux where I decided to take a nap under a tree in the 90° heat, and awoke in an ambulance ride to the med tent. The fifth was IM OZ last year where I finished with a PR of 10:27, but still far from a good race. I got a bit excited exiting the water with the second pack of pro's and somehow thought I could ride with them for the first 40K. Th result was a blow up and a 3:58 run split. The sixth was Vineman again last year and after a 56 swim, 5:22 bike, I blew up on the run once again.

I haven't had too much luck at the IM distance and this weighs heavy on my psyche. Also, apparently pre-race prep involves nausea this year, something totally new to me. I am positive it is nerves, but from everything I've learned, this is fairly common with people, just new to me. But this week has been absolutely awesome: feeling good, feeling fit, and spending time with some good people.

The best remedy for a shaky psyche is support from your friends. All this week, I've received some amazing messages from friends and with each message, my psyche gains stability. I want to thank you all for taking the time to shoot me a quick message, I store your words to recall them on race day. I have every intention of being a game-day'er tomorrow, and to bring it when it counts...on race day. Besides racing tough as nails, I also plan to smile, acknowledge some spectators for their cheers, thank some volunteers, and support my fellow racers. Let's rock and roll!

15 Hours to Fulfill A Goal

2011-06-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I drove 15 hours in hopes of fulfilling a goal. By 10 PM, I hit my breaking point and called it a day, just a little over one hour shy of Coeur d'Alene. This morning I arrived to CDA amidst a thunderstorm and showers, and a much anticipated ride with Michelle, Teresa, and Matt was delayed. By 11 AM, Matt and I were able to ride 2+ hours, and the sun and warmer weather eventually greeted us. Then it was off to check-in and I run into the awesome Sue Hutter, looking way cool jetting around town on her scooter. After check-in, I went for my 30-40 minute run with some pick-ups. If only 6:40 miles would feel as easy on Sunday as they did today. Good stuff.

And then I got back to my hotel room to a barrage of text and FB messages. I got the sense that a lot of people were thinking about me today, and I definitely felt the love. This "thoughtfulness" is so unique to ironman. I was riding with Matt today and I told him, I feel like I'm carrying each of my supporters with me on this ride, I feel their presence. Today was a full day and even after 15 hours of driving yesterday, I felt like I had more than enough energy to attack the day. Thanks for the energy my friends. It was a great start to this ironman adventure. Some pics to better tell the story:

10 Questions with Beth Shutt

2011-06-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

I grew up as a runner. Lord knows I don't have enough eye-hand coordination to play any other sports! I ran cross country and track in high school and then for Penn State University. I was by no means a superstar but I absolutely adored running growing up and in many ways it has shaped my life. I think running will always be my first love!

Pre-race ritual?

I have a pre-race happy dance that I do every race morning! Luckily though, only my husband gets to see it because I usually do my happy dance in the hotel before we leave for transition. :)

Strange place you bodyglide?

Just the normal places. Ankles, wrists, neck (and everywhere else in between).

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Right now I'd say they are Manifesto (by The City Harmonic) and The Greatness of Our God (by Hillsong). At Eagleman I had The Greatness of Our God song stuck in my mind for the entire race. I sang the chorus over and over and over again in my head. Not a bad thing at all but by the end of the day I was ready for a new song! :) Hillsong is one of my all time favorite groups and they are actually coming to Pittsburgh in August!!!!!! (they are from Australia and don't tour in the US often)

What do you crave when you are bonking?

Usually something really salty. Like Fritos. But then again I've been known to dream of ice cream Snickers bars on long, hot rides too... :)

How many #2's pre-race?

At least 2! (or there is trouble...)

What is an obscure website you visit?

I visit LetsRun.com pretty much every day. It's not obscure to those runners out there but triathletes from a non-running background might not know it. It's how I keep up on all the running news!

What's in your special needs bag?

Well last year I did my first IM and I was utterly overwhelmed at the concept of special needs bags. I had no idea what to put in them! So I put one of everything extra (gels, salt, PowerBars, flat fixing materials in the bike bag, etc...). I never took the bike special needs bag but I did take the run one. Mostly because I was moving so slowly through the energy lab that at that point, the special needs bag seemed like something fun to do. :)

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

I was always a Team Crowie member because I really admire the fact that he just gets the job done. Not a lot of talk or bravado, just solid results year in and year out. But then I read Macca's book and realized that perhaps I had some misconceptions about him. I have a lot of respect for Macca and what he does for our sport and also for his passion. Can I be a member of both teams?

What's your ride?

Cervelo P3 with Sram components. I don't know a lot about bikes and all their parts but here is a picture of it! :)

*Simply put, Beth rocks! She recently won her age-group at Eagleman 70.3, finishing 10th woman overall, pros included, and earned her slot to both Worlds 70.3 and Kona. But more importantly, she is a damn good person!

Fresh and Loose!

2011-06-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

7:40, 5:27, 4:01, 2:37, 75, 31: these are numbers I have not seen on the track all season...until last night. I had no intentions of running this fast, my hips and joints dictated the speed. I know bodywork is important, and I learned just how valuable it can be last night. This sport costs a pretty penny and well, I don't have the financial resources to do everything I would like to do. Yesterday, I bit the bullet and paid $125 for a 70 minute session with an awesome massage therapist. To my surprise, there really wasn't much massaging, mostly stretching and pressure point stuff that felt somewhat like an ART session. I have to admit that once done, I was a bit disappointed because I didn't feel much of a difference, and I felt a bit cheated that my muscles didn't really get massaged. But later that night, when I was warming up for my track workout, my hip and joints just felt fresh and loose. I instantly noticed the difference when I did my first interval, my body just felt young. I didn't feel like a 40 year-old, but more like my 20's (well, I might be embellishing here, probably more like my 30's). I've had massages and ART sessions but to be honest, none of them made quite the difference like the one I had yesterday. I'm sold that you get what you pay for and that if you pay enough, bodywork makes a huge difference! My plan is to cut back on eating out 4 times per month so that I can substitute one bodywork session.

Well, summer has finally made it here to the Bay Area and I LOVE the freakin summer! I turned my grades in on Wednesday and was officially finito with school. On Thursday morning when I woke up to swim, I realized that I did not have to go to work for the next two months, and I let out a big "Woohoo!" (yes, I really shouted woohoo at 6 AM from my bed). Summer means light at 5:30 AM until 8:30 PM, naps, mid-day coffee shops, reading, volunteering, recovery, warm weather, visiting Kona, and of course training and racing. My serotonin levels must be really up and up right now. I'll just ride the wave. And I'll leave you with a quote that one smart cookie told me, and it really hit home:

Your dreams should inspire you and not haunt you.

Silicon Valley Long Course

2011-06-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

©Brightroom 2011
A half ironman two weeks out of an ironman is tricky, but this race made it less tricky in that it was only a 1-mile swim and 9-mile run. The run is what destroys your body and makes the recovery part difficult, so I was confident that 9 miles instead of 13 was A okay. What I didn't realize was how mentally hard it is to do a race but not race. The most difficult part was having people go by me, people that I knew I could hang with in a race. But once I let go of my ego, things got better. Pre-race, I felt nauseous. I'm not sure if it was nerves or what but every now and then, a wave of nausea would come over me, definitely not the norm for me.

The swim: 22:12
I really wanted to swim focused, always looking for the best line and finding feet. The swim seemed to go by so fast because I was always trying to focus on these two things. The only disappointment was that I felt like I had way too much at the end, almost like I was swimming ironman pace. Looking at my time, my gut response is mediocre. If I don't get some fast swim splits, I'm going to lose what little credibility I have left as being a fast swimmer.

The bike: 2:39:17
From the get-go, I just didn't have it on the bike which is understandable given that I had a full week of training. I just focused on finding that slightly faster than ironman pace and hold. Once again, just like at Wildflower, I started to get nauseous on the bike and felt like I need to hurl. I took a salt tablet and gagged and had to hold down some vomit. Thus, I thought swallowing a pill might be the culprit and went off my salt pill plan. The nausea did subside but not taking salt wore on me and I definitely began to feel the bonk come on. With about 15 miles remaining, my remaining bottle of fluids went flying off the cage-just like it did at the full Vineman last year. Mental note: find a new drinking system for the aerobars. I rode the last 15 miles or so with no fluid so I really had to back off my pace and effort. I started to get angry with myself and then, just like when I let go of my ego, I let go of my disappointment and any judgment of myself, and things got better. From then on, I just problem solved and was kind to myself. Also, number 2,358 reason not to wear a white race kit: if you pee on the bike, people are gonna know.

The run: 1:04:11
I was definitely scared of the run given the water bottle fiasco on the bike. But once I got into T2, I took my time, grabbing a bottle of water and downing the entire thing. The plan was to treat the 9-mile run like an ironman marathon. Thus, that meant a stop at the porta potty. Once I got running again, the stomach was definitely sensitive and on the verge of a hurl. So I sipped and took small amounts of gel. The first two miles, I was holding 7:30 pace. I felt better as the run went on, and other than an episode of dry heaving at mile 4, which had the aid station workers backing away from me, things really did get better. I ran controlled and it never got painful, even when I dropped down to 6:45 or so pace. I was now known as the happy guy, smiling from ear to ear, cheering for everyone. The run really did feel great and mentally, I felt like I could have held that pace for an entire marathon, very unlikely, but it felt like I could. I ended up averaging 7:07's (probably faster had I not jumped in the porta potty) which is much faster than my goal ironman pace.

The result: 4:08:30 [20th overall, 8th age-group]
Post-race, I was feeling good and mentally I wanted to get out and do my extra ride to get the mileage up for the day. I asked and asked but nobody could wrap their mind around as to why I would want to do this. A lot of people responded that mentally, they couldn't get up for a ride. I took it as a good sign and an indicator of good fitness that I wanted to get out there and ride. Fortunately, my teammate Natalie was on the same plan and her schedule called for a 1.5 hour ride (she too is doing IM CDA). To both of our surprise, we felt really really good on the 26 mile ride, like scary good. The overwhelming feeling I'm now left with is that things are going to go wrong at IM CDA, it just seems to be the year of racing mishaps. But the lesson I learned today is to not beat myself up, to be kind to myself, and just problem solve. Being reminded of this lesson alone is good enough of a reason to justify doing the race. Onward and upward folks. Sorry for the lack of pics, I couldn't find any.

Major Props

2011-06-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

In January, I bought a Schwaggle for a half-off entry to the Silicon Valley Long Course triathlon. However, I failed to read the fine print that said I actually had to register for the race, and that my buying the Schwaggle did not enter me into the race. Fast forward to race week (yesterday and two days before race day), and I noticed I still had not received confirmation. Well, I learned of my unfortunate mistake and immediately emailed the race director. I got this response just 1 HOUR later, "Kiet, not a problem, please check in with Janice tomorrow at packet pickup and she will get you all setup in the race."

I know the Ironman branded races are really in right now, but please please if you can, support the local races put on by smaller operations like USA Productions. We should all do our part to spread and share the wealth that is triathlon. I've raced with USA Productions for the past 15+ years, when they went by other names. They are really good people. When I sent off my email informing them of my mistake, I was very ready to accept consequences and either not get an entry or pay an extra fee. But deep down, I knew all would be okay because Ryan, the man behind USA productions is a good person. And good people always make you feel better when you are down. I've been asked to plug a lot of things on my blog, and my rule is that I only plug things as they become relevant in my life. I'm plugging Ryan and USA Productions because they bailed me out in a big way, and I would love to see their operation grow and thrive. Good people deserve good things.

And thanks to Ian for setting me up with these Reynolds clinchers. I'm testing them out for IM CDA. In fact, this whole race is really in prep for IM CDA. I know it's not a good idea to race a half-ironman two weeks out of an ironman, but:

This race is not a full half, the swim is only 1 mile and the run is only 9 miles.

This is a big team race for PacWest.

I want to practice my bike set-up, my nutrition, and my ironman pacing. The plan is to swim very hard, bike less hard, and don't even have hard come to mind when I'm running. I've had a very full week of training so I don't think I could even go hard for 4 hours.

And finally, my main reason for doing this race? I've learned that you can have the best of preparation going into and ironman and still have a bad race, so it should hold true that you can have less than ideal preparation, and have a great ironman race.

PR's

2011-06-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

We've all been out on a training ride, run, or swim, feeling surprisingly good, and thus we continue to increase the effort. Next thing we know, we establish a PR. This type of PR is always a pleasant surprise. I've had several season PR's go this way, in fact, I think the majority of my PR's this season are happenstance. The happenstance PR is win-win. If you get one, great! If not, you weren't supposed to get a PR so you didn't fall short of anything. Yesterday, I went out and earned a PR the hard way.

The schedule called for a strong effort ride with hard efforts on two climbs. Since I've been claiming how fit I feel of late, I knew I had to back up this statement. There is no reason why I should NOT believe that I should get a PR. I'm three weeks out of my A race for the season, and I feel well prepared and ready to rock and roll! I should be in the best of shape and well capable of a season PR. The PR where you plan and then must execute is much tougher psychologically. The difference is the element of failure. But I had no time to think about failure, I was too busy working on believing in my capabilities. As luck would have it, I had read the article on Lukas Verzbicas, the high-schooler who just set a national record for the 2-mile (8:29:46), just before my ride. In the article, he said, "Setting a goal time is the first step in a record assault. I knew in my mind I had it the whole time, belief in oneself is a very powerful tool in my opinion." And with this thought in my head, I set out to set some PR's.

The first climb went off without a hitch, and mentally, I was in it to win it. The result was a minute plus season PR and about 30 seconds off my lifetime PR. Approaching the second climb, I was in a tougher place mentally due to fatigue. I found myself beginning to cushion myself for possible failure. Kiet, it's okay if you don't get this, you ran 16+ miles two days ago. I started to come up with excuses as to why I would not set another PR. And all of a sudden, the word "BELIEVE" popped in my head. I BELIEVE I can do this! And I spoke this word over and over again, all the way to the top of the climb in a season PR. As I was rolling home, I also realized that it was great that I got that second PR, but even more important than earning the PR, was believing I could do it and going for it. Believing in yourself and putting yourself out there to succeed has nothing to do with the outcome. You've succeeded the instant you decided to believe in yourself and go for it! I love this type of reflection when I'm out swimming, biking, or running. And this story was for you Libster.

Benchmarks

2011-06-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

We all have benchmarks that give us feedback about our fitness. With three weeks remaining until IM CDA, my benchmarks lead me to believe I am fit and ready to race. Today's 2-hour run felt speedy, effortless both physically and mentally, and I maintained a 7:15 pace for 16.60 somewhat hilly miles. Yesterday's straight 3200 swim, descending 800's, felt best the last 1600. This past Saturday's 4-hour ride on the trainer ("turbo" for all you Aussies/Kiwis) was mentally easy and went by in a flash, even the 1-hour at IM effort/cadence. The 9-mile run off that ride was equally effortless. I am in good spirits.

I told Charisa this past weekend that I wished IM CDA was this coming weekend. I made this comment mostly out of fear, fear that I would screw things up in the three weeks of waiting for the race to come. If anything, I need these three weeks to do some increased intensity and to taper. I know I won't screw up but if I were to screw up, here's how:

My OCD mind thinks I need to keep up the volume and train more to keep my fitness. But my body needs something completely different. My body needs less volume, more intensity, and proper recovery. I need to shut my mind down and just listen to my body. It's important to plan at this time, to avoid those "extra" or "padded" miles just to appease the nervous mind.

And speaking of Charisa, here is a comment I left on her blog: So proud of you, looking at you on the stage with all those big names, in a race format that doesn't necessarily play to your strengths, I am inspired...as always. Good stuff Charisa! This girl just keeps getting faster and faster.

The Wheels are Still On!

2011-06-03T16:17:00.001-07:00

I'm happy to report that after the massive volume weekend, the body is still happy. I really focused on proper recovery and I think it's made a huge difference. Yesterday, I was able to do a more intense trainer workout in the morn, and then a speedy track workout in the evening without any hiccups. Unlike my last volume push where I felt really run down the ensuing days, this time around, I just feel really fit, whew! La Niña is starting to play havoc on the training, we've had nothing but rain and more rain. The ski resorts are actually planning to be open for SKIING over the 4th of July weekend. There is a 70% chance that I'll be doing a 4-hour ride on the trainer tomorrow. No worries because I'll be occupying my time with movies and tracking my favorite peeps racing Hawaii 70.3. Go out and make it a great weekend!

Hills Hills Hills

2011-05-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my last big push in prep for IM CDA, and the theme was hills, hills, and more hills. I couldn't get to sleep on Friday night and I think it's because I didn't want Saturday to come. Saturday meant a 124-mile ride followed by a 30-minute run (broken down as 5 minute warm up, 5 minute build IM plus pace, 15 minute maintain, 5 minute warm down). Did I mention this 124-mile ride has about 14,000 feet of climbing? Well, I got about 101 miles, 12,000 feet of climbing, and 6.5 hours of riding before the rain fell and I had to head home. I spent the remaining hour on the trainer. The T-run went off without a hitch and I remember thinking, damn, I got this ironman run down! Confidence, I could use more of this. The next day was basically the same ride but shortened to 80 miles and about 5,000 feet of climbing followed by a shake-down swim. Monday was a double run day, consisting of 2.5 hours in the morn followed by 1 hour in the arvo. The plan was to make the first run very hilly to work the calves on the uphills, the quads on the downhills, and combined to give the overall sensation of dead, heavy, ironman legs. My OCD self got a bit fixated on the numbers in the morning, and I ran a tad longer so I could see the number 19 appear on my Garmin. I got home to some awesome messages on Facebook, and got really amped so I dedicated my second run (7.04 miles to make it a full marathon for the day) to Amy, who coincidentally was my girlfriend in the seventh grade (Facebook is so awesome like that). I was running on fumes but I got the work done, and so happy and relieved to bank all those miles. I have to admit that I'm walking with a bit more swagger today, and feeling much more confident than I was last week. Here are a couple of other observations I made over the weekend:

• When I was at my most fatigued, I pushed through to find that there was more energy in the well on the other side (well, I first learned this last year during the sabbatical but I was reminded this weekend)

• When I was feeling like I wanted to quit or I just wasn't having any fun, all I had to do was eat and my mood changed

• It doesn't matter that they are just little kids or cute puppies; when I'm low on sugar during a long run, I have thoughts of kicking them out of my way so that I don't have to take extra steps to get around them

• I still had some spunk in me after an 8 hour training day, making it all the way until midnight for a double birthday celebration. And FYI, that lady on the right in the pic below is actually a dude. If you've never been to AsiaSF, the catch is the servers are "gender illusionsists". It's good, but not the least wholesome, fun.

Open Water Swimming

2011-05-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

I wasn't too happy with the swim times in my last two races. The slow time in the first race was understandable: I didn't do the required intensity. But in between the first and second race, not only did I do more yardage, but I did more intensity, only to be disappointed again because of a slow time. I think the slow time was a result of poor swimming rather than slow swimming. I didn't site often enough and I didn't pay enough attention to try to swim the smartest/shortest line. I swam fast, it's just I swam fast over a longer distance, thus resulting in slower time. Also, I did not have the good fortune of having feet to draft, instead, I pulled a pack of swimmers the entire time. Open water is tricky that way. A fast swim time is rarely produced from speed alone, but rather a combination of speed, proper sighting to take the best/shortest line, getting a good draft, and water conditions. I have no control over water conditions, but I certainly will be more diligent about proper sighting, and finding a good draft in my next race. And I can't wait to get more open water swimming practice when I'm in Kona in July, because to get fast in the open water, you really have to swim in the open water (something I don't do here in the 50° water of the SF Bay).

Quietly Doing My Homework

2011-05-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

I realized that I haven't posted since last Monday, and this post is a bit contrived for the sake of posting. I'm just quietly doing my homework in preparation for IM CDA. I have both a plan and a philosophy for the remaining four weeks until the big day. I have a training skeleton that I will follow, but at the same time, will be flexible with proper recovery taking precedence. I am following Macca's tip to pick the one workout you need to nail for the day, and the rest of the workouts for the day are amenable depending on recovery. I am also working on rebuilding my confidence. Last summer, before racing the full Vineman, I had no doubt about my ability to go under 10 hours, I believed 100% that I could do it. My confidence is a bit shaky this time around. There is no way I'll break 10 hours if I don't BELIEVE I can do it. The first step in rebuilding my confidence is to start nailing my key workouts. The more key workouts I nail, the more I deposit into the confidence bank. I made some good deposits this past weekend, and this coming weekend will give me lots more opportunities to make deposits, about 20 hours of swim, bike, run deposits. When I think of all the work I have to do this weekend, I'm reminded of the the times that I've been able to sit quietly at the SFMOMA enjoying my favorite piece of artwork. The picture does not do this Rothko justice, put it on your bucket list to sit in front of this painting one day.

10 Questions with Rebekah (Bek) Keat

2011-05-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

I played every sport: basketball, Netball, soccer, etc it was then I realized I'm not a team player!!

Pre-race ritual?

Good sleep, eat as much as I can, run to a last minute toilet stop! Lots of special stretches with my twin sister only she can do them properly she is my little good luck charm!

Strange place you bodyglide?

Haha my fanny.... By the way it's not your butt in Australia!!!

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Pink "so what" and Angus and Julia Stone "and the boys"

What do you crave when you are bonking?

Salty chips!!! Or my girlfriend haha!!!

How many #2's pre-race?

Oh dear it's all just continuous so no idea haha!!

What is an obscure website you visit?

Can't tell u... Too much googling

What's in your special needs bag?

My name and phone number as by the finish line I may forget it!! Chocolate and Redbull

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

Sorry Macca I love Nerrie n Crowie so team crow has to get my vote!!

What's your ride?

Cervelo P4 the Best bike I have ridden by a mile!

*I had the good fortune of meeting and training with Bek for a bit while living on the Goldie (Gold Coast, Australia) last year. What separates Bek from most (well except Bree Wee) is her energy. She is UP all the time and well, talking to her is like reading a Valentine's card, every other word is "babe", "gorgeous", "hugs", "sexy", etc...You can follow her on the TeamTBB website: http://blogs.teamtbb.com/rebekahkeat/

Recovery

2011-05-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you looking for my recent blog post titled "Feedback", it's lost in blogland. I'm not sure what happened but Blogger was experiencing some technical difficulties the past two days, and since then, my post is MIA and I'm too lazy to repost it from memory. In a nutshell, I was asking for feedback about my training volume. But Beth and Michelle provided some insight rather quickly, and during my swim workout last night, I had my "A HA!" moment.

I am following the same training schedule that I used for Ironman OZ last year because I stepped off that course, alert, feeling fresh, eating ice cream, and drinking beers and cheering the night time finishers all the way until midnight. I was fit going into the race and that was apparent post race; I was not sore, no GI issues or in pain immediately after the race nor the days following. But following the plan this time around has been less successful. I feel more fatigued and my times are slower in all three disciplines. Thus I cried out for help. Both Beth and Michelle brought up the idea of recovery, and during my swim, I revisited the idea and thus came the "A HA!" moment.

Though my training is not any different, my recovery is definitely different. I was on sabbatical last year, thus I wasn't working 40+ hour weeks and doing the training. I got to take naps and all of my training was done by 6 PM. This time around, not only am I working, but my workouts are getting done as late as 9 PM, and I have to turn around and wake up at 4:30 AM for the next workout. I really think the culprit is lack of proper recovery. I can't do all of this training and work a 40+ hour job...duh! the answer is so obvious and I'm feeling pretty stupid that I did not account for this (very important) detail. Looks like I'll be making some changes.

*Too funny, just as I posted this and checked my blog, the missing "Feeback" post reappeared.

Feedback

2011-05-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

I've been a self-coached athlete for the past 16 years, and it has worked out well because I didn't have too lofty of goals. I'm now thinking my goal of breaking a 10-hour ironman and/or earning a Kona slot is/are quite lofty. I still want to coach myself, but right now, I could use some feedback. As I stated in my last post, I feel like I'm doing the homework but I'm still failing the test. Well, it dawned on me that maybe I'm not doing the right homework problems. Or maybe I'm doing too much homework, and not taking enough down-time to absorb the information. Okay, no more speaking in metaphors. My gut instinct tells me I'm just having a case of bad luck, and to soldier on with my plan. However, I've had several teammates tell me I'm training too much, and after a couple of rounds of this, I'm starting to vacillate. I need feedback. There are so many of you training for ironmans(men?), how this does compare to your training? The pictures are of my final build-up and taper for IM CDA. Thoughts? Don't worry, I will take all feedback with a grain of salt.

Wide Pull Update

2011-05-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Before I update you, I just want to say my last post on test taking was meant to be a humorous anecdote. Yes, I'm a bit frustrated but really, I was seeing the humor in it all when I posted that day. I guess sarcasm is mostly delivered in tone and can get lost in writing, but thanks to all of you who sent me encouraging emails. Alright, onto the wide pull update.

After three plus weeks of playing around with the wide pull, I've come to the conclusion that it's not the first pull I utilize when I start a swim workout; but it usually is a pull I end up utilizing at some point in the workout. In other words, when I start a set, I go with the pull that I'm accustomed to doing. As I start to experience fatigue, and I'm trying to maintain my pace or hold the interval, I find myself going to the wide pull--it's kind of like my emergency stroke. I just find this pull more efficient and easier to execute when I'm experiencing fatigue. I treat the wide pull as one more arsenal in my list of swim tactics such as: strong kick, fast turnover, distance per stroke, and body rotation. I'm attaching a series of videos with Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen that are quite informative. She really does a good job of explaining stroke mechanics, and even better, she has videos of her stroke and it really is amazing to watch her swim.

And one last noteworthy news. The DNF from Wildflower is already serving me well. This morning, I finally nailed this workout on the trainer that has eluded me the past four months. Close to my breaking point, I thought about my DNF and it got me up and over the hump that in previous tries, I was unable to do. Onward and upward.

Test Taking

2011-05-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

You have no doubt heard of the term nervous nelly, but I want to introduce you to negative nelly, the alter ego I took on today during my ride. After an awesome swim workout with my team, probably my best of the season, I was at lost as to why negative thoughts kept creeping in my head during the ride.

I'm training too much. I'm training too little. Oh hell, I have no idea what I'm doing.
I'm not doing enough speed work.
I'm not cut out for the ironman distance, there's no way I can go under 10 hours. I'm backing out of IM CDA and IM Canada.

It's been a frustrating start to the season. It's like I'm doing all of the homework but still failing the test. I'm actually not that surprised. I graduated high school with a 4.3 GPA but if you looked solely at my SAT score, you'd think that I spent my entire time in high school cutting classes and smoking behind the gym. And then there were my friends who never did their homework, and they aced the SAT. I used to half-jokingly say, "I'm not smart, I just work really hard." It appears I'm reliving high school all over again.

It's Not Always About HTFU

2011-05-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last year, during my sabbatical, I learned to HTFU. This year, at Wildflower, I learned when not to apply HTFU. I vomited twice within the last 4 miles of the bike, and out with the vomit went the precious calories I needed for the run. My stomach could not take anything other than sips of water for the first four miles. I was running on fumes, and to my surprise, fumes carried me to mile 7 of the run. As I was approaching my campsite at mile 7, I made a decision to call it a day. There is no doubt that I could have finished the race, but in doing so, I would have run myself into the med tent, an IV, and two weeks of recovery. Instead, I made the choice to DNF, and in doing so, avoid the med tent, take little to no time to recover, and be able to resume my training for IM CDA right away. I didn't know it then, but I made a good logical decision over an emotional decision.

Jesse Thomas, the rookie who had his breakthrough race to win Wildflower, and my former teammate, does a great job of explaining the difference between a logical and an emotional decision. I'll paraphrase here but you can read the whole thing at his blog.

Logic, NOT Emotion.

It was like I heard Matt say it to me…in my mind. I know that sounds like a cheesy Yoda analogy (Nerd Alert!), but that’s seriously what happened, so I’m sticking to it. Logic, not emotion is a mantra Matt has ingrained into my brain the last 6 months to help us decide when to push through, and when to pull back in training. It forces me to logically listen to my body’s signals, and do my best to remove the emotional inputs and consequences of the decision before making it. In this case:

Emotionally, I want to run fast, I absolutely don’t want to drop out, I could finish well if I keep running.
Logically, it’s my first 70.3 of many this season, I risk serious injury, a gap in training/racing, and my leg hurts A LOT. This is not racing pain, this is actual pain.

Reading this totally put me at peace with the DNF, and made me realize that I made the right decision. And it taught me that a DNF can allow you to succeed down the road, as it did with Jesse. Sometimes, it's not about HTFU.

*The blurry pic is a metaphor of how I felt on the bike

I Wanna Be Just Like the Cool Kids

2011-05-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

I raced Wildflower and all I got was both a bee sting and two rounds of projectile vomiting on the bike, a DNF, and a dent in the VW bus I borrowed from my brother. There's definitely a story to be told but I'm going to follow Fast Brian's advice to not think about the race and enjoy the rest of the weekend; and then after a couple of days, write down all of my observations from race day, free of analysis, to be reviewed at a later time. After following all of my blog friends race, and then seeing my teammates and Charisa and her crew crush it yesterday, I'm left with this feeling that I just want to be like the cool kids. I just really want to be one of the cools kids.

But having a bad race also made me realize that racing is just one reason why I do triathlons. Here are some other reasons:

Sharing cupcakes, laughs and stories with good company the night before the race.
Being serenaded "Happy Birthday" by my teammates and close friends in a cozy RV.
After looking the day prior to no avail, casually bumping into Teresa as I was walking down to the swim start.
Reminiscing with my friends Troy and Jim as we waited for our swim wave to start, our 20th+ year in this sport.
Listening to Mark go on and on and on about the tough course after completing his first Wildflower, a ritual for every newbie doing the long course.

10 Questions with Anna Cleaver

2011-04-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

Swimmer for NZ. When I was about 13 I had to choose between Netball (editor's note: netball is similar to basketball but there is no dribbling, pretty big in OZ and NZ) and Swimming. Very glad I chose swimming.

Pre-race ritual?

I have a cup of tea! Creamed rice and banana for fuel and High5 energy source to sip on. Laugh, smile, relax.

Strange place you bodyglide?

I rarely use bodyglide. The Champ Sys suits don't chafe :)

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Its on shuffle so I'm not sure it counts… But I Gotta Feelin' and Viva la Viva (Coldplay).

What do you crave when you are bonking?

Cold coke. Then I think about having eggs once I get home.

How many #2's pre-race?

Depends on how many bathrooms I can find pre race!

What is an obscure website you visit?

There aren't any, sorry to be boring! I might look at some finance news sites when my brain needs a switch from triathlon.

What's in your special needs bag?

Any race that offers a special needs bag is a race that is too long for me to enter!

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

I'll sit on the fence. Both are triathletes and clever businessmen.

What's your ride?
Argon18 E114 for non drafting and Argon18 Gallium Pro for drafting races. Wheels FFWD, helmet Louis Garneau

*I met Anna while living and training in Sydney during my sabbatical last year. She really extended herself and made me feel welcomed during our group rides. She is so humble, she never led on as to how fast she really is, I thought she was just a fast age-grouper. Well, she just quit her full-time job and will be taking America by storm this summer. You can follow Anna on her website: annacleaver.com

The Natives are Restless

2011-04-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

My friend Bree is at it again. This time, she and the Kona peeps are not only playing do-good'ers but also race directors. They are organizing a one-mile run race for high schoolers in the Phillippines, and they need your help to equip the runners with shoes and clothing. Here's how you can help:

http://breeweehawaii.blogspot.com/2011/04/good-friday-do-good-for-philippines.html

Concerns

2011-04-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason, my mind is full of concerns this week. I'm thinking maybe if I write them down, they'll go away:

I'm really tired after the race, should I stay the course and follow the plan until my rest for Wildflower or take some rest days.

If I stick to my 8 days on, two days recovery schedule, I'll have recovery on Saturday, which is one of the sole two days that I can actually ride outdoors.

My left knee has been bothering me since the race on Sunday.

My right heel is still bothering me.

My right glute and hammie is progressively getting tighter again.

If I wasn't a triathlete, would my only concern be what am I going to eat for dinner?

Reservoir Triathlon Race Report

2011-04-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this race was to put the mind and body through the rigors of racing, and to hopefully make any early season race mistakes here rather than at Wildflower. And sure enough, I made mistakes even before the race like forgetting my race belt, forgetting to get bodymarked, and forgetting my bike tool box with essentials like electrical tape and valve extenders.

The swim: 22:29
I took too long putting on my wetsuit and I got down to the water too late for a warm-up. The first 10 minutes of the swim was spent trying to flush out the burn in my arms, and I slowly watched my teammates (a.k.a. my draft) pull away. I felt better and stronger as the swim progressed and yes, I utilized the wide pull, and it felt good. Believe it or not, I struggle with wetsuit swims, mostly because I can't "feel" the water. Also, I use my kick a lot when I swim in the pool, and the wetsuit limits my kicking. But the name of the game is triathlon, so I best learn to become one with a wetsuit, and I will, it just usually takes me 1 to 2 swims to get it down.

The bike: 1:06:38
I am most happy with my bike leg on the day, and it's the only discipline that lived up to my expectation. The effort felt honest and strong. I really focused on pacing properly with the goal to ride the bike leg as strong as I could without the effort taking away from my run. The funniest part of the bike was when I was about to turn it on and really make my move only to find that T2 was just down the road and I was done with the bike, too funny. Mental note: know the bike course.

The run: 40:30
The effort and racing was good, the time not so much. I passed the people I needed to pass and I diminished the amount of people who passed me. Unfortunately, the people I needed to pass weren't running so fast and that left me with a false feeling that I was running fast. Though I like to run off feel, I want to use my watch more as confirmation or motivation. The one thought that kept creeping into my head was "this hurts" and my response every time was, "racing hurts, move on." I like that.

The result: 2:11:39 [14th overall, 1st age-group]
The racing was successful, I did what I needed to do to get the age-group W. The time was not as successful. Ideally, on this day, I would have been a minute faster in both the swim and the run. I need to keep looking for speed. Onward and upward.

Learning New Tricks

2011-04-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

I've been trying something slightly different with my swim stroke for the past two weeks, and I'm happy to report that the change is netting me faster times, and an improved efficiency. In fact, I felt faster almost immediately but like a good scientist, I wanted a larger sample size before I reported my findings. What is this change? I've been taking a wider pull.

Back in May when I was in Kona, I was doing an open water swim sesh with Bree, and we got to talking a bit about swimming. At some point, she told me that Karlyn (Pipes-Neilsen), an amazingly fast masters swimmer who qualified for the Olympic Trials as a 40 year-old, was preaching a wide pull (where the hands pull down and back along the side of the body rather than underneath). For some reason, two weeks ago, this bit of advice came back to me and I started to try a wider pull. Not only did I feel faster, but I felt more efficient, almost like a delayed onset of muscle fatigue. Now, when I say faster, I mean my pace for distance sets. Last night, I was holding 32's on the 40 second interval, and it felt so much more effortless than in the past. I'm not sure how this wide pull would hold up in the sprints, but I suspect it is less effective because there is less lift in the water with the wide pull. Since I've only been doing the wide pull for two weeks, I have no idea what, if any effects, there will be on biomechanics that may result in shoulder or other injuries. I like the result thus far and I plan to use the wide pull in my olympic distance race tomorrow. Will keep y'all posted.

Camp Irony

2011-04-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

My team and I headed down to Lake San Antonio, the site of the Wildflower triathlons, for a training camp this past weekend. The point of a training camp is to put in A LOT of training, race-specific training. The camp coincided with my volume block, and I had already put in 15 hours of training by Friday, or day 1 of the camp. We rode the long course bike loop in reverse and followed it up with the Olympic run. We definitely rode way too hard; at times, it felt like I was racing the olympic course. On Saturday, we basically rode two loops of the long course (100 miles) and once again, we definitely rode too hard. Well, maybe I rode too hard to try and keep up with my teammates, who are amazingly fit. Speaking of teammates, watch out for Rachel Main (pictured below) at IM St. George. On Saturday, it was 10 boys and Rachel. By the end of the 100 miler, Rachel had dropped all of the boys (including me) except for two. And the boys she dropped are respectable racers, some of whom are Kona and Worlds 70.3 qualifiers. Good on ya Rachel, and I can't wait to see you crush it at St. George.

You would think with so much volume, the training camp should be a confidence booster. It was ironic then that the overwhelming feeling I had post 100-mile ride (plus 4-mile brick run), was fear. I was fearful of the ironman distance. I was fearful of the world of hurt that involves racing an ironman. I was not alone in my sentiment. Several teammates expressed the same fears, and one even asked rhetorically, "Why are we all such gluttons for punishment, and when are we going to stop abusing our bodies?" It was one of those training sessions, we all could have eaten more. I stopped thinking and I decided to just keep doing. And doing meant 34 hours of training by today, the eighth and final day of my volume block. And with a full stomach, I can say I'm not as fearful of the ironman distance...I think.

I'm Lovin' THIS Life

2011-04-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

Life has its ups and downs, and for whatever reason, there were a lot of downs last week. Thus, going into my volume block on Monday, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But sure enough the Universe provided: the sun, heat, breathtaking scenery, and a body that was willing and able. I put in close to 11 hours of training the past two days, and the goal is to hit a little over 30 hours this week. The timing couldn't be better for this volume block. I'm only teaching half days this week, and why half days? Well, our school abandons regular classes this week for alternate classes, and I'm leading a class on how to kitesurf, right on! And next week is Spring Break! For those of you who follow my blog, you know I'm all about making videos. The "creative" process goes something like this: once I hear the right song, I compose much of the video in my head, then, it's just a matter of going out and collecting the images. I collected these images from my training day on Monday. Enjoy the video and let it be a reminder that when life hands you nothing but downs, more than likely, an up is just around the corner.

10 Questions with James Walsh

2011-04-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

Baseball, surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding. I didn't start any endurance sports until 2006.

Pre-race ritual?

coffee and bathroom FIRST thing in the morning. other than that just trying to laugh and stay relaxed. not taking myself too seriously.

Strange place you bodyglide?

anywhere and every where... but I prefer this: http://www.uddercream.com/dry-skin-udderly-smooth-udder-cream.shtml for the "special areas"!

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

recently. rise against - satellite & Tinie Tempah - written in the stars

What do you crave when you are bonking?

bonking... what's that? haha... usually a big bag of kettle chips.

How many #2's pre-race?

hopefully one and done!

What is an obscure website you visit?

not really obsure but i spend quite a bit of time browsing http://beeradvocate.com/ & http://beernews.org/

What's in your special needs bag?

still figuring that out... never had a special needs bag.

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

Macca for sure. I love his confidence and what he brings to the sport... he makes it a sport.

What's your ride (pic would be cool)?

Specialized Shiv. Love it!

*James recently won his age-group, placed 5th amateur overall, and 35th including the pro's at California 70.3. You can follow him on his website: http://jameswalshracing.com/

What I Learned from Project Runway

2011-03-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

I often watch movies or TV shows when I'm on the trainer. If it's a hard session, I need to watch something low on plot and high on visuals. Though there is something to watch, I often find myself riding with my head down, especially during the hard effort intervals. And if I'm watching, I'm not really paying close attention as I'm focusing on recovery for the next hard interval. I was watching an episode of Project Runway the other day during a session and I did take notice of something. A designer got eliminated and he was sobbing, repeatedly saying that he gave up so much to pursue this dream. He was crying because he didn't want to go back home to his family and friends because he had failed. There was so much regret in his tone, regret in taking a risk to pursue his dream...because he had failed. And as I sat on the trainer, all I could think was a quote that goes something like:

The best feeling in the world is to take a risk and win.
The second best feeling in the world is to take a risk and lose.

Simply put, get off your arse and put yourself out there. There's no way you're going to get anywhere near your dream if you don't even take a risk and try. Who knew Project Runway would be so relevant to my triathlon training.

This time last year, I was in Port Macquarie about to race Ironman Australia. I thought I would relive this moment with a video of myself, Jason, and Luke riding the bike course the day before. Jason went on to finish in 9:40 something and just missed his Kona slot by 30 seconds or so, and I think Luke in his first ironman, finished in 9:20 something...simply amazing.

Practicing What I Preach

2011-03-28T14:39:00.001-07:00

After a 3 hour ride on the trainer, I hopped off to do my brick run. The plan was to go 1 hour or 8 miles, with 5 miles at "dream" half-ironman pace. The first two miles were 6:45 and 6:42, whew! Starting number 3, I felt a bit low nutritionally but I just didn't want to stop to take my gel and water, so I soldiered on - until I felt my right hammie twitch. Still, I didn't want to stop. All of a sudden, I got this overwhelming feeling of being the biggest hypocrite. How many countless times have I preached about the importance of nutrition. As a coach, I've stressed many times that nutrition trumps holding pace. If you don't take care of the nutrition, you won't be able to hold the pace. And here I am, not following my own advice. This isn't the first time I've acted in a hypocritical manner, in fact, looking back, I've often abandoned my own advice and forsaken my race or that important workout. But as I stated several months ago, this year feels different. And maybe this is one of those differences...I'm evolving, I'm listening to my own advice. Whatever the case, I actually stopped to take some water. And that mile, a 6:47, only two seconds slower. What I lost in two seconds, I gained in having the energy to run the next mile in 6:38. During my last mile, I felt great and thought about adding another mile.

Like many athletes, I equate a good workout with being absolutely smashed. In my head, if you're not thrashed, you didn't work hard enough. But as a coach, I've always defined a good workout as when you've executed near perfectly what you're supposed to do, and you hit all of your numbers and goals, how you feel after is irrelevant. If you feel great, great, if not, so what, did you execute and did you hit your numbers? And in this different year, during that fifth and final mile, I decided that it would indeed be my final "dream" pace mile. I jogged it on home knowing that I had a good workout because I executed the plan, hit my numbers, and the icing was that I felt great afterwards. Cheers to a different year.

On another note, I found this video on Simon Whitfield's blog. Courtney Atkinson put a camera on his bike and now we all get to experience what it's like to race in an ITU World Cup...absolutely brilliant!

10 Questions with Ian Mikelson

2011-03-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

Youth: Surfing and Jr. Lifeguards
High School: Football
College: Sport Drinking

Pre-race ritual?

Powerbar and Banana immediately upon rising 3hrs 10mins before race gun sounds

Strange place you bodyglide?

Toes

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Eminem- Lose Yourself, Metalica- Master of Puppets

What do you crave when you are bonking?

Soda and Salty chips

How many #2's pre-race?

2- minimum

What is an obscure website you visit?

Your blog. Obscure enough?

What's in your special needs bag?

Bike: Red Bull, 2 PowerBars chopped in half
Run: 2 Fuel Belt flasks: 1 Red Bull, 1 w/ 4 PowerGels and water

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

Neither, I like them both.

What's your ride (pic would be cool)?
Specialized Transition Pro.

*You can learn more about Ian at his website: http://www.ianmikelsonracing.com/

Volume Block

2011-03-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be my eighth and last day of this volume block. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and thus, that meant 12 hours of the cycling was on the trainer. I got to do my part and support documentaries, watching King Corn and Client 9: Rise and Fall of Elliot Spitzer. The Elliot Spitzer story made me even more disgusted with Wall Street and white collar crime. Another rant. With each day, more and more volume was added. By Friday, the sixth day, I thought the wheels would come flying off. They didn't. On Saturday, I told myself this must be the day the wheels come off. But nope. By Saturday afternoon, I was on a training high, and you know what that means...FACEBOOK status update: Kiet Tran is loving this volume block, bring it, I want more! Today, the wheels didn't quite come flying off, but they are definitely coming loose.

After living in Oakland for twelve years, I have only run around Lake Merritt three times, with today being my third. Now I know why. I had to cut my run short because I got sick of having cigarette smoke blown in my face, and the stench of homeless drunk people also did me in. And to add insult to injury, some random guy called me out. I decided to take Bella, my favorite pooch, along for the run. Bella is fit, she often runs 10+ miles with me. But as I ran by this guy for the third time (I was doing loops around the lake), he yelled at me saying that I was abusing Bella and that I shouldn't be running her that long. Bella was fine, in fact, she was still controlling the pace. But that was the final straw, I had had enough of Lake Merritt; time to cut the run short and call it a day.

The highlight of this volume block was that I got to wear my Zoot compression knickers. I love this thing! Too bad I only have one pair, thus, that meant a lot of washing. And speaking of washing, volume block means a lot of sweaty and smelly lycra. And with the rain and tons of indoor riding, my home was slowly being invaded by lycra hanging out to dry. The lowlight of the volume block is not making my bed. I'm a bedmaker, it's just my thing, it's the way I like to start my day, it's how I roll. I don't leave the house unless my bed is made and the curtains drawn open. But this week, I noticed that on four separate occasions, I came home to an unmade bed and the curtains drawn closed. I'm such a slacker.

Salt Tablet Junkie

2011-03-16T13:26:00.001-07:00

Up until my sabbatical last February, I was a salt tablet junkie. When I made the switch to long course and Ironman racing, I was constantly bonking both in training and races. I thought the culprit was lack of salt/electrolytes. Thus, I started popping salt tablets whilst training (mostly biking), as much as one every 20 minutes. But during my training stint in Kona last February, I started to rely less and less on salt tablets. I finally decided to kick the habit when I trained with Bek Keat on the Gold Coast. She told me salt tablets are rubbish and that she only carries them for emergencies. I wouldn't say they are rubbish but I definitely don't need them as much as I thought I did. In fact, during my time on the Goldie, I realized that the more fit I was, the less dependent I was on salt tablets.

My current philosophy on salt tablets, like Bek, is that I only carry them for emergencies. If I feel the shakes/bonk coming on, I know that I've made a mistake in training, specifically, I've done too much too soon; in other words, I'm training above my fitness. If I pace my training correctly, I should be able to build volume and still not require salt. I am currently in a big volume training block. This past Saturday, I did a 3 hour hilly bike ride followed by a 50-minute brick track workout. No salt. I wouldn't have been fit enough to do this workout a month ago, and had I done it a month ago, I would have needed to take 1-2 salt tablets. Thus, I use my dependence, or rather my lack of dependence on salt, to guage my fitness. However, when I race long, I do put myself on a regimented "salt drip" of sorts. Besides salt, here are some other signs that make me realize I am getting fit:

I have a lot more patience when doing my long run/bike because I don't have the urge to go faster to gain more fitness.

I just do my training sessions rather than think/vacillate and then do the sessions, training feels more automatic.

I'm usually more motivated because I want to nurture the progress.

When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror (like after a shower), I think DAAAAAY-AM!

Oh, and the picture is of Bek Keat swimming...not me, but I think you already figured that out?

Something About Mary

2011-03-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

I had a mini-meltdown two weeks ago, and from that, I started to question my discipline and work ethic. During idyll moments, I would reflect on my decision to race two Ironmans this year, was it just whimsy on my part? Then I got a comment from Mary saying that she too has mini-meltdowns. Let me catch you up on Mary. She wakes up at 3:50 AM and she has 3 Ironmans on the schedule this year. This woman does not lack discipline. This got me to thinking then, what is the cause of our melt-downs? I was then reminded of something my sister, our amateur family therapist, told me years ago. She said, "People rarely get mad from anger, but rather, they get mad from hurt." From this, I deduced the idea that Ironman triathletes don't have meltdowns due to lack of discipline, but rather due to fatigue. When Mary and I wake up at the wee hours of the morning, if we are more fatigued, it is harder to get started. But we don't lack discipline. Thus, there's no reason to question our discipline. We just need to reduce the fatigue, either by rest or keep up the training to get more fit. And this leads me to another quote I read on Mary's blog, "progress is a drug". YES IT IS! Since taking 4 days off from the stomach flu, I'm starting to feel progress again and it is addicting. After a long 10 hour day of work, I was riding my bike home and caught myself getting really excited to sit on the trainer. I was getting fit again and I wanted to nurture the progress.

And for those of you still curious, yes, I belted out the song at the wedding. The night before and up to the morning of the wedding, I had decided that I was not going to do it. It's a wedding, a sacred ceremony, I'm not gonna stink it up with my silly notion of singing a song and playing the guitar...badly. But my friend and the groom, Kevin, said something to me in passing, and probably with not much thought, that changed my mind. He said, "We are all going to need a little courage today Kiet." I'm so I glad I did, I guess this act was more special than I could have imagined.

10 Questions with Charisa Wernick

2011-03-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

Gymnastics

Pre-race ritual?

Warm up run

Strange place you bodyglide?

I got nothing for you - unless you think it's weird that I bodyglide beneath my timing chip

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Someday by Flipsyde & something by Wolf Parade or Sia, also the Raveonnettes

What do you crave when you are bonking?

Pizza, mac & cheese - dirt - pretty much anything with calories in it :)

How many #2's pre-race?

Hmmm I'll go with two

What is an obscure website you visit?

apartmenttherapy.com - awesome and creative decorating ideas for small spaces

What's in your special needs bag?

Gels & maybe a bar

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

Crowie

What's your ride?

QR CD0.1

*You can learn more about Charisa at http://charisawernick.com

Back on the Horse

2011-03-02T07:09:00.001-08:00

I'm back training. Strange, four days felt like an eternity, maybe the more fit you are, the longer days off feel. Work is still hectic and the kids are still needy. But a little Beiber Fever and a good laugh with my team always puts things into perspective. Find something to laugh about today.

Personal Leave Weekend

2011-02-27T19:41:00.000-08:00

I had at least two blog entries stewing in my head about how well the training was going and how fit I felt of late. And the numbers confirmed what I felt, I was hitting season best times and approaching several PR's. I was getting the training done, but the rest of my life was quite hectic. This past Wednesday, I woke up at 5:00 AM to what I can only explain as a mini meltdown. What am I doing? This is not my job. Isn't this supposed to be fun? What was I thinking signing up for two Ironmans? Somehow, I was able to get on the trainer and complete my brick workout, even PRing my run loop for the season. One meltdown avoided.

This time last year, I didn't have a full-time job, and I was living the real life of a pro. This year, a different story. Not only am I working 10+ hour days, but I'm also coaching again. During my coaching season, I like to tell my friends that I feel like a single dad to 23 children. Yes, they can be quite needy. And like every parent with children, you pick up whatever illnesses they have. In my case, there is a stomach flu going around. Sure enough, Friday night, it was coming out of me at both ends (TMI?), the stomach flu. If you ever want to get down to your fighting weight, contract the stomach flu. It's a horrible feeling, you're starving but the thought of food just makes you even more sick. I'm sitting here now, able to get some food down but my energy level is definitely waaaay down. I don't see myself starting the training back up until Tuesday. I try not to focus on the gains that I've made in the past 10 days slipping away. I believe consistency is the way to get faster, and well, this is not helping my consistency, oh well.

And to make matters worst, this guitar keeps staring at me. My friends are getting married this weekend, and they asked their friends in lieu of gifts, to contribute something (a story, poem, etc..) to the ceremony. Somehow, I got it in my head that I would learn to sing and play this song on the guitar. But after meeting with my guitar teacher for our first lesson, she gave me a bit of a reality check and she said there was no way in hell I was going to do it in the time that I have. So I suggested another Cat Stevens song and she said this is doable...but I might want to consider the appropriateness of singing a song called Father and Son at a wedding. I told her it doesn't really matter, everybody is going to be too distracted by my singing and playing to even notice the words. All of my friends know I have no musical talent whatsoever so they'll just be in shock the entire time. I have one more week to get this damn thing down. Dig deep Kiet, dig deep.

A Different Take on Discipline

2011-02-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

5:00 AM...mile repeats, really?

Man it's cold. C'mon body, wake up. Crap. I gotta take a crap. Maybe I should turn around and go back home and take care of business. Nah, I think I can hold it. Suck it up, suck it up, hold it in, it'll go away.

Damn it, the track is flooded. Plan B, hill repeats.

One down, 5 more. Crap, the crap is back. Maybe the bathroom at Golden Bear is open. Locked, damn it. Carry on.

Number two, that hurt more than the first. Just get the work done.

Number three, one second faster. Number four, another 2 seconds faster. Should I try to keep descending? Why do I need to make this harder and descend. You don't have to descend, just getting it done is good enough.

Number 5, another one second faster. Alright no fear, I'm going for it, I'm going to keep descending. If I fail so be it. I rather go for it and fail than to make an excuse and not try. It's not just about getting the work done anymore, it's about descending.

Number 6, another six seconds faster, right on! Man, so lightheaded, don't lose consciousness, breathe, if you pass out, you're dead, ain't nobody gonna find you out here at this hour. Breathe. Breathe. Alright, let's jog it home. Oh crap, the crap is back.

How does "it" know I'm close to home. Pinch, pinch, pinch, c',mon hang in there, fight it. Get the shoes off, get the shoes off, run up the stairs, not too fast, control, control...RELIEF! Discipline!

10 Questions with Henry Hagenbuch

2011-02-15T13:51:00.001-08:00

Sports Background before triathlons?

I played all sports as a kid, but I excelled at racquet sports and anything endurance related. Don't exactly know where I got the endurance aspect, but I'm happy to have it!

Pre-race ritual?

The night before: about the worst night of sleep possible - waking up every 30 minutes out of fear that I slept through my alarm; my T1/T2 area dawns a large bright pink and white striped beach towel, making it easier to spot coming out of the water and off the bike; pretty much acting like a duck on water - above the surface, I'm calm and collected; below the surface, I'm churning a mile a minute in anticipation!

Strange place you bodyglide?

Ha. I would have to say my good ol' bunions (thanks Mom), although no matter how much bodyglide or protection I put on those puppies, they get torn to shreds without fail!

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

That's a tough one. I have quite the eclectic library of music.. Off the top of my head, "Can't you hear me knocking" by the Stones..and.."Da Funk" by Daft Punk.

What do you crave when you are bonking?

Good question. I've never actually bonked before in my short career (watch I just jinxed myself), but when I'm running low on energy, honestly the first thing I can grab! I would probably say chips, wheat thins, and if I have left overs, I won't even bother heating it up, doesn't matter what it is!!

How many #2's pre-race?

Nothing out of the ordinary, sorry to disappoint!

What is an obscure website you visit?

I've got nothing. Let'srun.com is about as odd as it gets for me.

What's in your special needs bag?

Probably too much stuff! Extra everything, because I'm the type to make sure everything goes as planned. Race belts, body glide, head bands/hats, glasses, sun block (even though I always forget), about 500 rubber bands, liquids that I never drink, and a pair of flip flops so my bunions can breathe after the race!

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

Team Crowie

What's your ride?

Cervelo P3 on American Classic wheels - In the shop as we speak but here's the old configuration!

*How old am I? Well, let's just say that I taught and coached Henry when he was in the seventh grade. It was amazing to watch him run then and still is amazing to watch him chase his triathlon dreams. Follow him on his website [http://www.gohhgo.com/] and blog [http://gohhgo.blogspot.com/]

Get the Work Done

2011-02-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

During my sabbatical, the Aussies and the Kiwis taught me about HTFU; this past weekend, Ian taught me GTWD, or get the work done. Saturday was my longest ride of the season, 96 hilly miles, followed by an 8 mile brick run. Then it was off to the pool for 3200 yards of swimming. But one long day is not that hard, it's backing up that long day with more training, that there is the ironman training secret. It's the second day that you gain iron fitness. The second day involved a 12-mile run followed by 2 hours on the bike. By the time yoga came around that evening, my legs were thrashed and I suffered in chair pose. My yoga teacher, oblivious to what I do over the weekends, kept pushing me to sit lower, too funny. I really need to clue my teacher in as to what I really do before I hit her class. I also really need to do these things:

Take an ice bath after a long day-my legs were very sore the next day.
Refuel properly after a long day-I was calorie deficient starting my workouts the day after.
Always bring an emergency gel-on both runs I kept thinking to myself, "A gel would really improve my mood right now."

I started my coaching season last week which meant my training day started at 5:00 AM and ended between 7:30-8:45 PM depending on the day. After one week, there is no way I can sustain this schedule. Charisa to the rescue. She suggested I try an 8-2 schedule. Eight days where the focus is bike-run with some swimming and yoga thrown in as maintenance. Then two day recovery where I do weights and swim. The first two cycles are speed emphasis and the third cycle is volume. This schedule is much more sustainable, even leaving me some time to do things like clean my house and hang out with friends. The change-up is nice and there is reprieve every eight days.

And finally, the Libster gave me a pretty nice gift on Sunday. I was sitting at home thrashed after my 12-mile run, and opened my email to this picture. She ran her half-mary in memory of my mom, and seeing the picture made me realize how awesome sport can be. Simply put, you rock Libster!

I've Got Some Work To Do

2011-02-07T19:45:00.000-08:00

The last three weeks, I've had some good runs including two 14+ milers where I held 7-minute pace or faster. Naturally, I had high hopes for my upcoming race, the SF Half Marathon. But come race week, I felt flat on every run, barely able to hold 7:45 pace. I carried on with my training for the week including a 63 mile ride with about 5000 feet of climbing the day before the half-mary. The plan was to train through the half-marathon and race on tired legs, but still go for a fast time; basically what I want to do in a half or full ironman.

Race morning, I didn't feel good nor did I feel bad, just a bit of heavy legs. As I waited at the start, this thought came into my head, "shoot for the stars." It set me right and I smiled to myself, hoping race day magic would come through. The plan, like all of my run races, is to start conservative and let the speed come naturally. When I ran my 2:39 marathon, my first mile was a 7:30 and I just kept building until I was running 5:50's, and then I just held on for dear life the last 4 miles. I really like this type of race strategy. I hit the first mile in 6:30, and I waited for the natural speed to come. The natural speed never came and I held 6:30's all the way to mile 8. I was content with 6:30's and I decided to focus on my nutrition and set myself up for the last five miles. The last time I did this race, I fell apart at mile 8, suffering from both calf and quad cramps and hobbled my way to the finish. I was determined not to make the same mistake. I really thought I had both my pacing and nutrition dialed in so when I made my move and picked up the pace at mile 8, I was shocked to feel a calf twitch half a mile into the pick-up. By mile 9, both calves seized up. In a nutshell, the finish was identical to my race in 2006, hobbling the last 4 miles to the finish (except in 2006, I hobbled to a 1:23.xx time and this year, 1:26.xx, an all-time worst half-marathon time). But there was a silver-lining.

At about mile 3, a runner comes up on me and tells me that he reads my blog, too funny. Good on ya Frank and thanks for the mid-race laugh. The other silver lining? I am highly motivated by disappointment, and I was disappointed in my time (but not my effort). Disappointment drives me to work harder. I've got some work to do.

I Swear By the Yoga

2011-02-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

After 10 weeks of 90-minute yoga practices twice per week, I'm happy to report the tight glute and hamstring are feeling, well...waaaay less tight. I'm sold on the yoga because after two years of trying various remedies, most of which were half-assed on my part, the yoga has really stuck and I enjoy the practice. I'm also happy to report that since that disastrous yoga class (some of you might recall this story), I've since found a class that is, well...less yoga like. The instructor has a good sense of humor and she often makes fun of yoga "traditions". The class is full of former gymnasts, dancers, and martial artists, and I constantly feel pushed. It's like the triathlon of yoga. I'm getting very close to lifting myself up into a handstand and holding it, something these two girls in my class do quite well, to the amazement of everyone else in the class. Check out FlyingYoga in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland. Temescal is like the east bay version of the Mission in SF.

But yoga is not just about stretching and increased flexibility, it's also great for core strength. I did my first track workout last week and my mind kept coming back to how solid and strong I felt. In the past, as the speed and intensity picked up, I sort of felt like my legs and arms were slowly breaking apart and coming out of their joints/sockets (imagine a scene in an action movie where a car or plane slowly breaks apart as it nears combustion). But last week, as the effort picked up, I just remembered thinking to myself, I feel solid. I'm sure it is a combination of both the yoga and the weight program...or maybe I just wasn't running fast or intense enough.

The theme of this week is tired, not good since I'm racing a half marathon on Sunday. I did a ride with my teammates on Saturday, and not only was it my longest ride of the season, it was the most hard effort ride of the season. And every workout since, I am reminded of that ride. But this is ironman training, which means pushing through the physical and mental states of tiredness. The half marathon is not so much a race but more like a hard effort run with a lot of other people. The run is precluded by a full week of training including a 4 hour ride, swim, and weights the day before. Reality check...checked. Setting up excuses for a slow time...checked.

10 Questions with Libby Bergman

2011-01-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

Sports Background before triathlon?

When I was little, anything I could get my hands on. From middle school on.....hard core swimmer. but not a very good one :)

Pre-race ritual?

Jon Kabat Zin meditation CD night before the race, Ipod chill/focus mix while getting ready and peanut/butter banana sandwich with ensure for breakfast. Get there super early then chill on the beach with my husband and enjoy the sunrise. Appreciate that I'm about to race and get in my happy place.

Strange place you bodyglide?

Ankle strap and upper chest in addition to all the places no one wants to talk about :)

What are the two most played songs on your ipod?

Changes a lot but right now....Ice Cube- It was a good day and Black and yellow, Black and yellow..... (But I'm a die hard packers fan! go pack!!!)

What do you crave when you are bonking?

Coke on ice, those 79 cent cheese and peanut butter crackers from the gas station

How many #2's pre-race?

Haha. If its my lucky day, several.

What is an obscure website you visit?

101cookbooks.com

What's in your special needs bag?

Fig newmans, warm clothes, doubles of all nutrition, a letter of inspiration

Team Macca or Team Crowie?

Team Crowie. Love Macca's passion and deep knowledge of the sport but not a huge fan of the cockiness.

What's your ride?

2008 QR Lucero!

I Cried In My Sleep

2011-01-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

Last night, I cried in my sleep. I dreamed that I finished 4th at Ironman St. George, and I qualified for Kona. I woke up crying in my sleep. I am feeling both inspired and a bit embarrassed. I don't ever recall having a dream like this. This must be a different year.

Secrets by OneRepublic

2011-01-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

"Harsh winter" training in Cali.

Bubbles

2011-01-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

I don't really do swim drills, I just try to swim with the most correct swim stroke all the time. I only have so much time in the water and rather than breaking down my workout to warm-up, drill set, pre-main set, main-set, drill set, cool-down, I just try to combine it all into one or two really really big sets. Once per week, I go to a masters workout and get all of that. Lately, I've been looking for bubbles when I swim. Bubbles equate to trapped air in the water. And if you have trapped air between your hands and the water, well, that's less water when you are pulling. Every now and then when I'm swimming, I'll pop my head up or move my head around to follow my stroke, and I look for bubbles. I need to improve my left arm, specifically during the breathing cycle. Now I just need to rotate just a tad more, finish my stroke a bit more, and stop moving my head up and down (something I've been doing since I was 12). I'm including a link to a video analysis of Jodie Swallow's swim stroke, it's good stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiNkAMU8syI

From Burnout to Two Ironmans

2011-01-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

I was hopping on the trainer at 5:15 AM and thought to myself, two years ago I was on the verge of burnout. I was only doing olympic distance races, my training was riddled with missed workouts due to lack of motivation, and forget about getting up for a 6 AM swim workout (been there, done that...ever since I was a kid). I didn't even race the first half of the year and only came back to racing after some teammates urged me to in order to get some points for a team race. After 17 years in the sport, and doing my first triathlon at 19 years-old, I wasn't sure how much longer I wanted to race. After several failed attempts at the ironman distance, I gave up and decided I would come back when I was 60 and most of my competitors were either playing golf or having reconstructive knee surgeries. Then I stumbled onto the blogosphere.

I can't remember how but I came across Bree Wee's blog and well, it was like a breath of fresh air. Her energy and enthusiasm for the sport was inspiring and contagious. As I followed, I started reading comments on her blog and from there, I was guided to other blogs, like Ian and Charisa. Over a rather short period of time, I was feeling inspired and motivated. As I kept following these blogs, and adding several more, I was stoking the fire within to race, and specifically to race the ironman distance. I had unfinished business. The whole process back was pretty organic and organic is good. Since then, I've armed myself with a gaggle of blogs for motivation and inspiration. Thus, when I'm up at 5 AM, I feel like I have company knowing that Libby was 30 minutes ahead of me (actually 3 hours and 30 minutes since she is in Florida), and several others whose day of training begins well before sunrise. It's funny how I went from burnout to two ironmans in one year, and if I'm lucky, I'll get a bonus ironman in October.

Running Attitude

2011-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

Years ago I was training with a running group in San Francisco and came across this coach named Jack Daniels. Yes, his name is really Jack Daniels. That alone made him stand out. I never saw or met Jack Daniels but every week, we would get an email with these awesome workouts. Turns out Jack Daniels really knew his stuff, and it is from him that I adopted my running attitude:

"Don't run as hard as you can. Run as fast as you can without straining."

The difference between running hard and running fast without strain is subtle to some, but clearly different to those who "get it". When I read this quote, dark clouds parted, the light came shining through, I heard angels singing and doves were flying everywhere, I think you get the point. Running as hard as you can will most likely lead to injuries, while running as fast as you can without strain will most likely result in fast and efficient running. If on every run, you only push a pace that is still smooth and strain-free, running will be fun, no matter how fast. And the only thing that should be hard is your breathing when you're doing those fartleks, hill repeats or track workouts. Find your running attitude this season.

Case Study: Charisa Wernick

2010-12-29T21:26:00.001-08:00

I thought I would close out 2010 with a story to inspire y'all for the upcoming race season. Charisa just completed her debut season as a pro, and she is itching to start her second year racing with the big girls. A major goal Charisa had all season long was to break the one hour barrier for the ironman swim. She was hovering between 1:03-1:06 all season long. How am I qualified to tell Charisa's story? As a swim coach, every now and then I get triathletes who ask me for swim advice. In early October, Charisa came a knockin'. If you look at Charisa's swim stroke, she looks pretty damn good for someone without a swimming background. She rides really high in the water, she has good rotation, great posture, good head position, and her pull is adequately sufficient. Mind you, I'm looking at Charisa's stroke in the context of open water swimming and specifically triathlon swimming. If she wants to be a swimmer only and race in the pool, then yes, we would have to get picky and work on the little things about her stroke, because pool races are won in seconds or less. But because Charisa is a triathlete and most of her swimming is done wearing a wetsuit, we don't have to get picky. Time is better served working on other things.

As triathletes, there is so much out there in the way of training. Between TRX, yoga, dynamic stretching, Pilates, weights, swimming, biking, and running, and so on, we just don't have the time to do everything that is "supposedly" good for us. We need to be critical and choose what we as individual athletes need most to get fast. In the case of Charisa, I advised the following:

• Her stroke is more than adequate for triathlon swimming, don't do stroke work other than during warm-up or warm-down.

• Hit the weight room to gain more swim-specific muscles in the shoulders, back, and hips. Her stroke looks fine, it just isn't strong. She lacks functional swim strength.

• Kick! Real swimmers kick, even when they are not trying to, it's just ingrained in them from all those years of swimming. And if you are female, even more important. If you don't believe me, swim behind Bree Wee or Teresa Nelson, two very strong swimmers. Standing only 5'6", I guess you could say I have the frame of a woman. I learned the value of kicking during my age-group swimming years. All of my guy friends would grow to like six feet tall, big hands and big feet, and then there was me, stuck at 5'5". The cool thing about swimming is that boys and girls can train together. I noticed that the girls always kept up because their kicks were always so much faster than the boys. Thus, I too relied on my kick to keep up with my six feet competition. That and doing events that nobody wanted to do like the 200 fly and the 400 IM (watch a pool meet and notice how short the guys are in these two events). Sorry, tangent, where were we? Oh yea, I told Charisa that the philosophy is not to make her swim all about kicking, but about making her legs strong enough that after 2.4 miles of swimming, her legs and hips are not fatigued and feel fresh.

• Do ironman swim-specific workouts. Such workouts focus on efficiency and maintaining a fast stroke rate, which is very important in open water swimming. I gave Charisa my bread and butter ironman workout and two other workouts meant to improve her efficiency/stroke rate in open water swimming. These sets are not masters swimming friendly, and are usually done solo. The sets average more than 6000 yards/meters and are painfully boring to most...but not to Charisa.

So how does the story end? Charisa cracked the one-hour barrier in her last ironman of the season, in a non-wetsuit swim! As much as I would like to take credit and say it was due to my advice and workouts, it just ain't so. And here is my point: any coach who would take credit, or say do this one thing and I'll make you fast, is not a good coach. Charisa cracked the barrier as a result of years of swimming with her masters team, years of pushing her limits, years of HARD HARD WORK, and combined with the advice I gave her, and a tiny tiny bit of luck, the sum of the all the parts led to success. Thus for 2011, remember, it is the sum of all the the little things you do that lead to success. Happy training!