Non-Triathlon Related Interview on Minnesota Tri News

Jerry MacNeil has a website called Minnesota Tri News.  The website, as the name implies, has to do with MN related triathlon news.  Every week or so he does a local athlete profile that is non-tri related.  He sends out a questionaire.  You fill it out, send it back, and he publishes it on his website.
He sent me a questionaire and I filled it out.  It was pubulished on the MN tri news website today.
Link is here
It was kind of difficult for me to fill out.  I guess that I am a little worried about how my likes\dislikes will be judged.  Which is dumb.  I like what I like, I dislike what I dislike.
Jerry asked me if I would write up some book and/or movie reviews in the future.  I am going try and provide him some content.  See what I can come up.

November 2010 Workout Summary and Registered for First Race

This November was about the same as last November.  This November had running, last November did not.
I did about 3 hours of strength last November, and this November about 2 hours.  Feeling pretty good this November.  I would like to get more biking in.  See what I can do in Dec and Jan, I will need to ramp it up in Feb, March, etc.
As usual, for the 4th year in a row, I am registered for St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg, FL.  This year it is May 1.  Last year I jogged the run because I was still recovering from my stress fracture.  Hopefully, this year I can run it. 

Here is a comparison of this November to previous Novembers.  November of 2007 I did very little or nothing.

YTD and totals since 2007

Totals and monthly averages since 2007

Possible 2011 Triathlon/Duathlon Schedule?

I have been thinking a little bit about 2011 and the schedule I would like to race.
I am going to go from 18 races this year to maybe 12 races, or less, in 2011 and no Half-IMs.  I would like to race less and possibly go faster.  I might look at some small shorter races to substitute for some of these popular races.
This is incredibly tenative, but I thought I would throw it out there.  No dates yet.  My girlfriend is going to Nicaragua for PA school and we might go there and go scuba diving before she starts.  This is mid-July and will result in some adjustments.  I plan on doing all the T'N'T races this year.  Hopefully, early in the year I can do some 5K and 10K runs.
 
St. Anthony's Triathlon - St. Petersburg, FL
Gear West Duathlon - Orono, MN
Apple Duathlon - Sartel, MN
Manitou Sprint - White Bear Lake, MN
Lake Minnetonka - Excellsior, MN
Lake Waconia (Long Course) - Waconia, MN
MinneMan - Oak Grove, MN
Timberman (Long Course) - Grand Rapids, MN
Brewhouse (Long Course) - Duluth, MN
Turtleman - Shoreview, MN
Maple Grove Olympic Triathlon - Maple Grove, MN
St. Croix Valley Olympic Triathlon - Hudson, WI
Dousman Duathlon - Dousman, WI
Cannon-Well Duathlon - Faribault, MN

Turkey Waddle 5K

This morning I did the Turkey Waddle 5K.  It is a 5K put on by the Augsburg PA school, which my girlfriend attends.  It is pretty informal, no race numbers, no real timing, just some people from the PA program with friends, relatives, significant others, etc.  This is the first open 5K I have done since April.  That 5K I did as a walk and jog with my girlfriend.  I was still worried about my stress fracture and I did not want to push it, I averaged over 11min/mi for that 5K
Back to this morning.  The run is around Lake Phalen in Saint Paul and is almost exactly 3.1 miles by my GPS.  This morning it happened to be about 33 degrees, snowing hard, and windy.  It was cold and wet.  I started out pretty hard and backed off a lot.  The footing was sketchy and on the west side of the lake the wind was pounding with ice pellets.  They guy who finished first came in about 20 minutes, second came in about 3 minutes behind him, and I came in third about 3 minutes behind at 26:15 (8:28 min/mi).  Not my fastest by any stretch, but pretty good for the crappy weather. 
Hopefully I can do one or two 5Ks for before the year is out in better weather

OptumHealth Performance Now Open

OptumHealth Performance is now open.  I am working part-time there at the front desk.  Checking people in and working the "register" when people buy stuff in the Gear West satellite store or when they buy training or services.  I will also probably help setup stuff for class and do other odd jobs.
OptumHealth Performances offers a host of classes, personalized coaching options, testing (VO2 Max, Lactate Threshold, etc), and analysis (Bike, Run, etc). 
They have great studio setup with mulitple TVs, Tacx virtual trainers, CompuTrainers, and the necessary tools for building core strength.  There is also the pool, where Masters swimming is held Mon, Wed, Fri morning from 6-7, and Tues and Thurs from 12-1.  I have been swimming there for a couple of years.
The phone number for OptumHealth is 952-746-4442.  If you call on Mon or Wed night after 5PM you might get me answering the phone.
The website, where you can check out all the classes and services is: http://www.optumhealthperformance.com//index.html
Email is performance@optumhealth.com

Check it out!

2010 Goals and Results

So here are the goals I set for 2010 and the results for 2010

Complete 7 out of 10 events in the Midwest Events Series - Started 9 events, DNF'd one race on a flat, and finished the other 8 events.

Triathlon T1 Average <1:50 - Averaged 2:22 for all 14 Triathlons.  I did not spend as much time as I should have lowering my T1, and T2, times.  I am pretty happy with this, but could have been better.

Triathlon T2 Average and Duathlon Transition Average <1:05 - Du Average = 1:15 and T2 Average = 1:55.  My T2 average should be better.  Next year I need to improve that.

10+ Mile Bike at 24.5MPH or greater - Averaged 23MPH at Turtleman.  I think this goal was a little too aggressive.  Next year I will shoot for 24MPH.

Break Top 10 in my AG (35-39) - Finished Top 10 in AG in 7 races, including 3rd in AG at Maple Grove Olympic Distance.

10K <44min - This was a ridiculous goal from 2009, before injury.  I will shoot for under 45 minutes in 2011.

Three Half-IMs/70.3 Races - I did two and that was plenty.  This was kind of dumb goal.

Do some cycle-cross racing - I bought a cycle-cross bike and I have done 3 Tuesday night training races.  Not sure I will do a "real" cycle-cross race on the weekend before the year is out.

I am pretty happy with my year and what I have accomplished, especially since I was coming back from an injury.  Some time later this year, or early next year, I will have my 2011 goals.

October 2010 Workout Summary

October saw a decline in the time spent working out, to no surprise.
After completing my season I backed off a bit, both intentionally and unintentionally. I ended up spending a week in Dresden, Germany for work at the end of the month. That week I only got about an hour in, which is probably a low for the past two years.
I intended to do more cyclecross, but only got in two training races on Tuesday night. These races were tough, exhausting. Maybe, maybe in November I will get one weekend race in, otherwise it will be next fall.
I hope to get my bike at 10+ hours in Nov, Dec, etc and keep the run about 5 hours.  I would like to keep the total for the month about 20+ hours from now on. 
I got about an hour in of strength training for the month of Oct.  I would like to add to that in the winter months.  My strength training consists of doing weights, upper and lower body, on the "machines" at LA Fitness.  Also, doing core work with medicine balls, bosu balls, etc.  I would like to do 20-30 minutes 2 times a week.  Hopefully, I can do the strength work into March or April.  Once it gets close to the race season I will probably devote much less time to strength and focus on the "big three".

October Workout Summary and Comparison to Previous Years

YTD 2010 Totals and Totals Starting in 2007

Totals Since 2007 and Monthly Averages

2011 Felt DA Promo Video

Got this from the Gear West Bike and Triathlon blog.  Pretty cool promo video about the 2011 Felt DA.
This would be a sweeeeet bike to own

Triathlon Related Gear I Got This Year That I Really Like

I have wanted to write this post for a little while, and being stuck in a hotel outside Schipol Airport (Amsterdam) seems like a good time to write.  I am pretty tired.  I have been in Dresden, Germany the last week working.  I am exhausted.  Weather was bad leaving Germany and my flight from Frankfurt to Amsterdam was delayed 2 hours due to fog, so I missed my flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis and I am stuck at the Park Place Hotel Schipol Airport.  I could go into Amsterdam, but I am too tired and don't want to spend the money.
So, here are items I bought, or was given, in the last year that I really like, with some reasons why I like the items and some pictures.

Zipp Sub-9 Disc - Got a blemished one from Gear West, only way I could afford one.  New they run $2000,, blemished they are significantly less.  The obvious reason I like it, it is a disc wheel.  Another reason, it is a Zipp wheel.  It looks cool, it sounds cool, it is stiff, and just a great wheel.  If  you can afford one, get one.  Racing wheels are expensive, but they make the biggest difference of gear you can buy for the bike.  No substitute for training, but a helpful tool to increase speed.

SLS3 Compression Socks - I finally got a chance to really use compression socks.  Last year I had a pair, that did not fit right and I was injured.  This year I did 18 races, so I wore these socks before races, after races, and after hard training.  Basically, when I expected my legs to be tired.  I think they work well for me.  I think they helped my recovery.  At lot of people, pros and age groupers, use them and I now know the reason.  I have not raced in compression socks, or guards, maybe next year. 

Speedo Active Goggles - Air Seal Tri Mirror - Did every race this year in these goggles.  I swam almost every practice this year with these goggles.  They did not leak or fog up.  They fit well.  They are tinted just the right amount.  These goggles do everything goggles should do, and I got them free through the Gear West Test Team.  Nice.  I think these goggles go for about 20 bucks.

Lazer Tardis Aero Helmet - Comfortable aero helmet, looks cool, and is aero.  Need I say more.  I think the helmet retails for about 150.

CycleOps Pro Series SuperMagneto - I needed a new trainer badly.  My old one is over 8 years old and super crappy. I got a couple of trainers to test from Gear West and I liked this one the best.  It is smooth and fairly quiet.  It is heavy, in a good way, and the bike is easy to get in and out of the trainer.  I think the trainer retails for about 400 bucks. 

Felt F75X - First new bike in over 5 years.  One reason I bought a cyclecross bike is I want to try cyclecross, which I have and I have gotten my ass kicked.  The other reason is I wanted something like a road bike.  I can swap wheels and ride this thing on the road with no problem.  The new 105 setup is really nice and the bike has an aluminum main triangle, carbon rear triangle, carbon forks, and carbon seat post.  I think the bike retails for about $1800.

2010 Duathlon Summary and Duathlon History

Below is my summary for the 2010 duathlon season.  It started off slow, due to recovery from my injury, and ended up pretty fast.  I am pleased with my duathlon results for this year.  2008 was my fastest season overall, my fastest bike splits were this year.  Duathlon is where is started in 2006.  In 2006 I did them on a Lemond Sarthe road bike with bolt on aerobars.  As you can see from my times in 2006 I was really slow.

Duathlon is tricky for me, as I think it is for a lot of people.  I think that everyone wants to go out and run that first run hard, but doing that can kill you for the bike and second run.  I went to a duathlon clinic held at Gear West earlier this year, where cutting back on the first run was recommended and discussed, and it makes sense, but it is hard to do.  I think it takes a lot of discipline to temper that first run.  I don't have that yet.

In 2011 I plan on doing the same four duathlons I did this year.
Click on images below to expand

2010 Duathlon Results Summary  (Average of 4 Duathlons)

Average Run Pace - 8:02 min/mi (Average Distance - 2.55mi)

T1 Average - 1:10

Average Bike Pace - 21.3MPH (Average Distance - 18.1mi)

T2 Average - 1:20

Average Run Pace - 8:38 min/mi (Average Distance - 2.65mi)

Average Overall Pace (Total Time/Total Mileage) - 4:12 min/mi (Average Total Distance - 23.3mi)

Average Overall Finish - 108/386

Average AG Finish - 19/43

2009 Duathlon Season Results (Injured Season)

2008 Duathlon Season Results

2007 Duathlon Season Results (First season coached, first season also doing triathlon)

2006 Duathlon Season Results (First season doing multi-sport, did all race on road bike)

Another Tuesday Night Cyclecross

I did the Tuesday Night Cyclecross again.  Go to http://www.mcf.net/ for more information.  This time the course was flatter and had fewer barriers.  The barriers were in two groups.  One group of two barriers and one group of three barriers.  It was equally as technical with many turns, both uphill and downhill.
Again, I got my ass kicked.  I think I finished dead last, or close second to last.  Of course, I will continue to do these Tuesday night races.
The people who do this well, really know how to cross those barriers fast.  If I came up to a barrier even with someone, by the time I got through the barriers, they were on their bike and a good 50 feet or more ahead of me.  I am fast enough getting off the bike, I am just not smooth getting over the barriers and back on the bike.  I think I need to go out and get a barrier and practice on my own.
My legs really are not that tired when I finish, I am just breathing hard.  Breathing hard through the whole race.  I can do a sprint or olympic tri and I don't think my heart rate gets as high as it does during a half hour of cyclecross.  This the opposite of a TT or the cycle portion of a tri.  Here I am in a gear where I am spinning a lot, because of the uphill.  In a TT or tri I am pushing a big gear at a constant pace.  Cyclecross is a very different creature that requires very different training than what I have been doing.
I took some random pictures of the Masters and Female race that was after the Cat 4 race I did.  I tried to give some sense of what the course was like.

September 2010 Workout Summary and Season Workout Summary

This was my last month of triathlons and duathlons. One triathlon and two duathlons in September. I also did my first cyclecross race, it was painful.
The last day of September I added in 20 minutes of strength workout. For the next few months I will be cutting back on the swim, bike, and run, and adding some strength. I think I need a little break from swimming, I think I am getting a bit burned out on it. I also think I need to build strength. Not only arm and leg, but core. My back and abs, especially back, are weak and need building.

I have also stopped with a coach for now, coaching ended today. I have a coach for more than 2 years. I might start up again next year.

The main reason for the stop is money. The second reason is that I need to do some unstructured workouts and to do my workouts in more of a relaxed way. I fear burnout and getting sick of working out.

I do think that hiring a coach was the best decision I made for my training. I don't think I would have reach the point I have reached without the structure and insight of a coach. It is really the best way to focus workouts, make workouts more efficient, and save time. I do recommend OptumHealth Performance (http://www.optumhealthperformance.com/) and Kris Swarthout. Kris has been my coach for over 2 years and has done a fantastic job. I hope to return at some point.

Below are summaries for Sept, YTD, 2007 to date, averages, and the breakdown for every month of this season. Enjoy!

September 2010 Summary and Comparison

YTD Summary and Since 2007 Summary

Since 2007 Summary and Monthly Averages

Month-by-Month Breakdown of 2010 - Includes races

First CycleCross "Race" - Tuesday Night CycleCross Training Race

Tonight I did my first cyclecross "race", I put it in quotes because it is labeled a training race. It was, to say the least, humbling. I finished dead last. I learned that triathlon in shape, is not cyclecross in shape. The race made me feel very out of shape.

I don't have pictures of the course, so I will try to describe it. It is in Aquila Park in St. Louis Park and the course is marked out with stakes and yellow tape. The course changes every week. After listening to a couple of conversations, it appears that this weeks arrangements was one of the more difficult. The course had multiple climbs, all of them steep, one end of the park is a hill and the course stayed mostly on the side of that hill. All of the barriers, except one, are at the bottom of a climb. So you had to jump off your bike, jump over the barrier, and then run the bike up the hill and then mount at the top of the hill.

The race is 30 minutes long, Cat 4 and Jr, and the winner is the first person to cross the finish line who does the most laps. I did 4, I was lapped at least once. I think a single lap contained about 7 climbs. By my second loop I was basically stopping at the top of the hills to catch my breath. I thought I would going to loose my legs a number of times and just fall over while trying to get on and off the bike.

I need to practice my high speed mount and dismount, many of the people racing out there would put triathletes to shame with how fast they dismount, jump over the obstacle, and remount. They are incredibly fast.

I will continue to do this on Tuesday nights. It is a really kick ass workout and gives me something new to work on. I can see how doing this type of cycling can make you a much better cyclist. It is one hell of a workout. Next Tuesday I will try to take some pictures.

Cannon-Wells Duathlon Results - Final Race of the Season

It was cold and wet last weekend for the Dousman Duathlon, it was cold and a little less wet for the Cannon-Wells Duathlon. It was in the high 40s/low 50s during the race. It started raining before, not too hard, and was not raining at start time. It was cold.

It was a mass start, everyone at once. Including the relays, there was probably about 140 people, so it was not too crowded. The run is flat, like last week, so it is basically a 2 mile sprint. I was a little slower than last week. I felt it, I was sucking wind last week, this week it felt like I was sucking more wind and had to put a lot more effort in for less of a result.

I would say the bike is 50/50 flat and hills. No major climbs, but many rollers.

The final run is mostly flat, there is a little uphill at the turnaround, nothing big, but you know you are going uphill.

I felt sluggish/fatigued during the week, and that morning.

I think my times show that I was fatigued, when compared to last week, they were not as good. The bike course last week was longer and more difficult, and my time was faster. My second run this week was a little off. I am pretty happy with my results. Last race of the year, so I cannot complain too much.

Interesting story during the bike. I was making up some time on the bike. About 5 miles in I come up on this guy, got next to him, and he started cranking away. He was probably about 3-5 minutes in front of me, at least, so I came up on him pretty good. When he started cranking, I backed off and got out of the draft zone. After about a minute he seemed to be slowing, so I passed him, and he stayed in my draft zone. We came up to a hill and he passed me, then I passed him, and he stayed in my draft zone. He continued to stay in my draft zone. On a climb, he passed me, and as he was passing me he said, "Rules say that drafting is not recommended, but nothing about being illegal". I just shook my head and did what I usually do, race my race. He continued to draft off me, when he had the opportunity. There was a guy on a road bike who was in our general area, and he came back and forth around us. He did not draft. I will come back to the guy on the road bike, he is 47 years old, I read his calf. In the last two miles of the bike we get on a bike path and I picked up the pace. The guy drafting off of me was still on me. I passed someone on the trail, the person passed me back, and the drafting guy passed me and drafted off that person. Anyway, I came into transition, and ran out. The guy on the road bike came out of transition faster, and so did the drafting guy. So on the run I caught the guy on the road bike and he told me he was doing his first race and we chatted a little. I am not much of a chatter while running. I have enough trouble breathing. At the finish, I patted the guy on the back and congratulated him. He was talking to the drafting guy. The first time guy came up to me in transition after the race and chatted about a couple things. He said that he knows the drafting guy and did not agree with him. He told the drafting guy he should probably not be drafting, even though the rules don't prohibit it, because he is pissing off the guy in the Gear West kit, that would be me. Drafting guy did piss me off a little. Drafting guy told his buddy that he barely had to pedal during the bike and his legs felt good during the run. Really? I race my own race, so I was not that pissed. "Drafting not recommened" is not draft legal in my mind. I have done 18 races this year, and nearly 60 in my short career, and I have never drafted. I want to know how well my legs/body can take it when pedalling the whole time and then coming off and running as hard as I can. That is why I do this. If I ever do a draft legal race, which I doubt I will do, then I would probably draft, because it is legal and part of the tactics of the race.

Enough with that. It was an interesting experience.

2010 Cannon-Wells Duathlon Results

Run (2mi) - 14:28 (7:14min/mi)

T1 - 1:05

Bike (14mi) - 40:14 (20.9 MPH)

T2 - 0:57

Run (3mi) - 23:46 (7:56min/mi)

Total - 1:20:28

Overall - 29/133

AG - 6/16

I am going to have a number of posts after this one that summarize different stats from throughout the year.

2010 Dousman Duathlon Results

The weather was crappy and the race went better than expected, even though I was off my goal times, just for the runs and transitions. I am really happy with my results.

This race has gotten very big. I think I mentioned it before, but the first year I did it, 2006, there was a total of 254 individuals. This year the total was 791. It is also getting much more competitive, very fast times. The winner, who was in my AG, went right around 1:14.

My transistion spot had a tree behind it, see picture, which as a little bit inconvenient, but no real biggie. Prior to the race start there were no real issues. Went for a short ride to make sure the bike was ok. They had changed the transistion around, so I familiarized myself with it and made sure there were no hazards. Everything looked good.

I was in the 13th wave, so I had to wait about 26 minutes to start. Waiting to start I felt myself getting a little nervous. I had not done a duathlon since late May, and for those two I decided I was going to go out on the run super easy because of my leg. I was unsure of how I would do going out fast.

At the start of the race, it was cloudy and about 50-55, with some patches of sunshine. That would change.

I had my watch with GPS, so I could watch my pace. I went out about a 6:30 min/mi pace, maybe too fast. I was breathing pretty hard and rapid by the middle of the first mile. I finally settled down about the mile marker to a more steady pace, and breathing.

Once into transition I took a deep breath, I was still breathing pretty hard, and got my shoes, helmet and glasses on, and unracked the bike and got out of there.

Starting with 600 people ahead of you has some disadvantages, the main one being the amount of traffic you have to combat. There were people riding 2-3 abreast. There were people on the wrong side of the road. There were people swerving back and forth. I spent a lot time time yelling "on your left" and "coming up behind fast on left". It was a good bike, just a tad frustrating. I think on clear shot, no traffic, I could have averaged over 22MPH. It is what it is, people are a part of the race.

About 15 miles into the bike it started raining. Pretty hard, very hard. Sounded like pebbles off my helmet. I felt I kept a pretty good pace with the rain and the cold. The last few miles my legs started to feel the cold and dampness. They felt like they might get tight and I could see myself slowing down, I had my GPS on. The first 10 miles or so I would guess I was averaging close to or faster than 23MPH. Just a guess based on checking my speed occasionally.

Since I had socks on and it was wet, I opted to not do a flying dismount.

I got through transition pretty fast and ran as fast as I could for two miles. It actually felt a little better than the first two miles. It still hurt. I felt I could control my breathing better on the second run. The rain had stopped and it was cool and not humid, thankfully.

I finished strong and was really happy with my performance. I proved to myself that I could go fast, not as fast as 2008, but I proved to myself that I am back on my way to getting as fast as I was, and maybe faster. Next year.

It did pour after the race and I hung around for a little food and to watch some of the awards. I did not get warm clothes on right after, because it was pouring, and I ended up shivering cold for about about 30 minutes in the car, with heat on, once I left the race. I finally warmed up when I stopped at a Rocky Rococo's for two huge slices of sausage and pepperoni. Yum.

2010 Dousman Duathlon Results

Run 1 (2mi) - 13:59 (7:00 min/mi), my goal was 6:45 min/mi, which may have been unrealistic. I went out at a pace that was 6:30 min/mi. That might have been a bad idea, but it all worked out.

T1 - 1:25, I stopped to take a deep breath, gather thoughts, and then put stuff on

Bike (21mi, initially thought it was 20mi so goal based on that) - 57:53 (21.8MPH), fastest bike in a duathlon, ever.

T2 - 1:14

Run 2 (2mi) - 15:01 (7:30 min/mi)

Total - 1:29:30

Overall - 86/791

AG - 15/62

My last race of the year is this weekend, the Cannon-Wells Duathlon.

2010 Dousman Duathlon Preview

This will be my 4th time doing this duathlon as an individual and my 5th time overall. Last year I did at as a relay with Jackie. She did the runs and I did the bike.
I have improved at this race every year. It is a FAST run course. Two 2 mile runs, both are the same course, and it is nearly pancake flat. I cannot recall the bike that well, but it is not that hilly. It will be interesting to see how I handle a two mile sprint. The first two duathlons I did this year were the first two races of the year, not counting St. Anthony's nearly a month earlier in FL, and I took those easy. I still had worries about my leg.
Now I would like to go flat out as fast as I can. I am not sure how fast that will be since I have done little speed work this year, compared to previous years.
Below I have posted my results for this race from previous years, along with a goal/hope for this year. I don't expect to run as fast as 2008, but I would like to bike fast, which is a possibility.
This is my second to last race of the year, my 3rd duathlon of the year, and the 17th race I will be starting this year.

2006 Dousman Duathlon Results
Run (2mi) = 15:12 (7:36 min/mi)
T1 = 1:48
Bike (20mi) = 67:48 (17.7MPH), this was before I had a tri-bike, and a coach
T2 = 1:44
Run (2mi) = 16::28 (8:14 min/mi)
Total = 1:43:00
Overall = 238/254
AG = 13/24, actually this was Clydesdale. I was still over 200lbs.

2007 Dousman Duathlon Results
Run (2mi) = 13:20 (6:40 min/mi)
T1 = 1:19
Bike (20mi) = 61:50 (19.7MPH)
T2 = 1:17
Run (2mi) = 14:40 (7:20 min/mi)
Total = 1:32:26, dropped nearly 11 minutes from the previous year
Overall = 111/797
AG = 21/55

2008 Dousman Duathlon Results
Run (2mi) = 12:58 (6:29 min/mi)
T1 = 1:25
Bike (20mi) = 57:17 (20.9 MPH)
T2 = 0:55
Run (2mi) = 14:06 (7:03 min/mi)
Total = 1:26:39, dropped over 5 minutes from previous year and a total of 16 minutes from first year
Overall = 34/615
AG = 5/54

2009 Dousman Duathlon Results - Bike Only (20mi) = 59:08 = 20.3MPH

2010 Dousman Duathlon Goal/Wish
Run (2mi) = 13:30 (6:45 min/mi)
T1 = 1:00
Bike (20 mi) = 56:00 (21.5 MPH)
T2 = 0:50
Run (2mi) = 14:00 (7:00 min/mi)
Total = 1:25:20, I would be happy to drop more than a minute, especially if I run slower than 2008. I expect that my run will be trimmed down a little. I would like to go out a little slower. I will see if I can be patient. It is hard to do with such a short run.

Product Review 25 - SLS3 Tri-Kit (Two Piece)

Pros

Tri-shorts fit comfortably and do what they are supposed to do, not get in the way while wearing them. I have not worn the tri-top racing, only swimming and biking, it is comfortable and has a nice pocket built in the back.

Cons

None at the moment

I have done multiple duathlons and triathlons with the tri-shorts. I also wear them for Master’s swim. I have not had a variety of tri-shorts, but these are best pair I have come across so far. I think the most important thing about a tri short is that it is not in the way of swimming, biking, or running. It should not bind, chafe, or be uncomfortable in anyway. These shorts fit comfortably for swimming, biking, and running. There is enough padding in the crouch to be comfortable, but not so much as to be intrusive, and not so little as to be useless.

I have not worn the tri-top racing. I have worn it for swim workouts and bike workouts; it is comfortable and breathes well.

I am not sure I would buy the tri-top, not because it is uncomfortable, but because I prefer my Gear West tri-top for racing or my Speedo FastSkin. I don’t really wear a tri-top when working out. I would buy the tri-shorts because they work great for both racing and training.

2010 Triathlon Results Summary

Last week I did my last triathlon of the year, I have two duathlons left. That makes 14 triathlons started and 13 completed. I DNF'd Pigman Sprint on a flat tire. I am very happy with my results. I am very happy that I could race this year, after being out last year.

The screen capture of the Excel spreadsheet with my 2010 results, is below. If you click on it, it will expand. I am not sure how to embedded a spreadsheet in a blog in a good way, so this will have to do. Below the spreadsheet I will highlight my averages, with past results. I have shown some improvement this year over past years, which is all I can really ask for. When I am done with duathlons I will post those results. I will post my goals and if I completed them.

2010 Average Swim Pace (14 triathlons) = 1:40/100yards (2008 = 1:51/100 yards, 14 races and 2007 = 2:26/100 yards, 9 races)

Shortest swim = 440 yards, Longest Swim = 2112 yards, average swim distance = 1259 yards

2010 Average Time Spent in T1 = 2:22 (2008 = 3:16 and 2007 = 3:11)

2010 Average Bike Speed = 21.2MPH (2008 = 21.2MPH and 2007 = 20.6MPH)

Shortest Bike = 13 miles, Longest Bike = 56 miles, average bike distance = 25.1 miles

2010 Average Time Spent in T2 = 1:55 (2008 = 1:52 and 2007 = 1:59)

2010 Average Run Pace = 8:59 min/mi (2008 = 8:20 min/mi, 2007 = 8:02 min/mi

Shortest Run = 3 miles, Longest Run = 13.1 miles, average run distance = 5.72 miles

2010 Average Pace (Total Time/Total Distance of Triathlon) = 4:44 min/mi (2008 = 4:46 min/mi, 2007 = 4:57 min/mi), average triathlon total distance = 31.5 miles

Last Triathlon of the Year - St. Croix Valley Olympic Triathlon Results

It was a cold morning. The temperature at about 6AM, when I got into transition, was about 45-50 degrees. I can't imagine that at 7:30, when the race started, the temperature was much above the mid-50s. This was both a good and bad thing.

I got there and got setup plenty early. Not alot of people there that I knew, basically 4 people, Jerry, Dustin (from Masters swim), Dan, and Courtney. I did a little "warm-up", it was pretty cold and it did not help much. I mainly did it to make sure the bike was good.

The race director did some annoucements, then we all went down to the beach. It was cold, the wetsuit definitely helped this morning. Did a brief swim before start, and the water felt pretty chilly. There were only 3 waves and I was in the first, it was pretty strange.

It was a two lap swim. I decided to come out faster than usual. I did and it worked out pretty well. It was pretty good swim, I was a little chilled, but warmed up partway through the swim and it went pretty well. No real issues on the swim.

When you get out of the swim, you run up the beach and up some stairs to the transistion area. The run up went well, I had a little trouble getting the wetsuit off, as Jerry announced to everyone over the PA system.

I did not realize how cold it was until I got on the bike. The course has some decent climbs and is combination of brand new black top and rough road. I would not have called the course flat. I don't think I warmed up until about 10 miles into the bike, at least. My bike split/speed was about my average for the year, but it felt really slow. I didn't think there was much of a wind out that day, but when I was out on the bike it felt like it. I just felt a little flat on the bike.

I did a "flying" dismount this race, two races in a row! I almost went down, I unintentionally had my hands on the brakes and as I came off the bike I kept braking and I almost flipped the bike. I realized, just in time, what was happening and let go of the brakes.

My feet were numb getting off the bike and I was slow to get shoes and socks on. Once on the run my feet were still numb and it took a mile or more before my feet started to warm-up. The run was pretty flat. If I remember correctly, there was definitely one short, steep climb, and another longer, climb, also possibly a shorter, flat climb. About 3 miles into the run, I came upon Dustin, from Masters, son who is 10 and doing the relay with his dad. He ran with me for about half a mile to a mile. Good to see a kid that young run like he was running. Very cool.

I had a strong run, so strong it was a PR 10K. So, I had an average swim and an average bike, but my fastest 10K off the bike.

2010 St. Croix Valley Olympic Distance Triathlon

Swim (1640 yards) - 28:12 (1:43/100 yards), right about my average for the year

T1 - 1:41

Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:10:49 (21 MPH), right about my average for the year, surprised I was this fast considering how I felt.

T2 - 1:31, a little slow

Run (6.2 mi) -48:49 (7:51 min/mi), PR 10K off the bike, previous best was 2008 Saint Paul Triathlon at 49:21 (7:57 min/mi). I would say the Saint Paul course is a flatter course.

Total - 2:31

Overall - 26/103

AG - 6/14

I am happy with my last performance of the year. A little sad to be done with Triathlons for the year, but I still have two Duathlons and, hopefully, a few Cyclecross races. I am going to try and post a Triathlon results summary by the end of this week.

August 2010 Workout Summary and Last Triathlon of the Year this Weekend

Below is my workout summary for August of 2010, compared to previous years. The workout summaries include races. This August I did 1 TT and 4 triathlons, one of those triathlons was a half-IM.

Below is the YTD summary and the summary since 2007

Below is the summary and averages since 2007

This weekend I am going to be doing the St. Croix Valley Triathlon, the Olympic distance, which is on Sunday. The sprint is on Saturday. I did the sprint last year, and the bike has a very long and steep hill. I walked the 4 mile run, because of my stress fracture, so my time is very slow.

The Olympic course swim is two loops of the sprint course swim, I think the bike is a different course, and the run follows part of the swim course. Not knowing the course that well, and assuming the weather is not too bad, I am going to project a faster time than last weekend as my goal. I think the run at St. Croix is going to be faster than Maple Grove. If I remember the course it is fairly flat.

Goal time for 2010 St. Croix Valley Triathlon (Oly Distance) will be 2:30. It would be awesome to go 2:30 or faster for my last Olympic Distance race of the year.

Maple Grove Triathlon Results - Olympic Distance

The inaugural Maple Grove Triathlon was better than expected, especially for a first year triathlon. I would do this race again.

The toughest part of the day was the wind, it made the swim a little more difficult, and it made the bike a lot more difficult. The swim had some chop, but nothing I that could not be dealt with. On the bike, it was pretty brutal. With the wind to my back I ran out of gear on the bike, even in the flats, the wind was that strong. Going into the wind, or with some of the cross-winds, it felt like I was using everything I could do go forward. The bike course itself, is relatively flat and the road surface was great. I like the bike course and look foward to trying it again with less wind. I think it is a course I could PR on.

Back to the swim, I thought the swim layout was good, only issue is that when you make the last turn into shore the sun is right in your eyes. It required me to do a little breaststroke on a couple occasions to make sure I was coming in ok.

The transition area was probably the roomiest, and one of the nicest, I have been in all year. It was nearly the entire park parking lot and there was plenty of room. The bike out of transition is uphill, so coming in is downhill, and care is need coming in and out. Luckily, I had no traffic coming in or out, but I could see issues if there was traffic, especially with all the novice racers on the course.

The bike was interesting, the Olympic distance people went first, and I was in the 4th wave, and at the head of my wave. On the bike I was going back and forth with another guy, I passed some people in the first quarter of the course, after that I saw barely anyone until I got back onto the last portion that shared with the sprint. Once I got back on that part of the course, the sprint waves were out, so there was some traffic, not too bad.

Coming in from the bike, I made my first successful "flying dismount" and had my fast T2 in a triathlon, ever. I was out of T2 in 54 seconds. The "flying dismount" helped a lot.

On the way out of transition there is a significant hill to run up. There were also some decent uphills along the course. More than I expected, all of them doable. Once off the part of the course that was shared by both sprint and olympic, I was running by myself, for the most part. It was strange. Again, there was one guy I was going back and forth with. We cheered each other on a little bit. It was a good run for me, I ran hard, and it felt good to run after last week's 13.1 mile run/jog/walk at Pigman.

A number of people complained about the lack of signage or direction on the run and bike. Apparently people had missed turns. I had no real issue, when I came to a corner I was not sure of, I slowed down and confirmed. I looked at the map a couple of times and had a decent picture in my head of the course. It is the racer's responsibility to know the course.

The water stops and volunteers were great. There were people cheering along the course, which is always great. Jackie and her friend Sarah came and watched, which is always great.

To my surprise I finished 3rd in my age group. I admit, it was a weak field compared to other races, but every once in awhile you need a bone thrown to you. It is only my second podium finish (3rd AG at 2008 MinneMan) as individual, and 3rd ever (Also, 3rd relay finish at Cannon-Wells Duathlon in 2009). I have a picture of my 3rd place "trophy" posted above. It is a hand made pottery plate, nice trophy. I like it better than a medal.

It was a really good race day for me, possibly the best of the year.

I would definitely do this race again. I can find no glaring fault with the race. If it gets too big, then it might be problematic, the current size, maybe a little larger, is good. Maybe a little different food at the finish (cut oranges, watermelon, and some soda), and some more directions on the course, but now I would be nit-picking.

My goal was to go 2:35, I went about 2:37, I think without the wind I would have gone under 2:35.

2010 Maple Grove Triathlon "Olympic Distance" (Bike a little long for Oly) Race Results

Swim (0.9mi) = 28:26 (1:48/100yds), 2nd in AG to an Elite

T1 = 1:57

Bike (26 miles) = 1:13:14 (21.2MPH), 3rd in AG, again Elite was first

T2 = 0:54, this was FAST for me

Run (6.2mi) = 52:12 (8:25min/mi), fast for this year, and I happy with this, especially for the course

Total = 1:37:09

Overall = 31/167

AG = 3/22, 1st Place was an Elite. I got some hardware :)

Brian also has his comments on the race here - http://www.tundrat-zone.blogspot.com/

Maple Grove Triathlon Pre-Race Thoughts

I am not sure I have much to say, since this is the inaugural running of this race, and I am trying to keep my expectations in check. They limited the participants to 500, which I think is a good idea for a first year race. Also, there are no relays.
Brian, has a very good pre-race post at: http://tundrat-zone.blogspot.com/2010/08/race-preview-maple-grove-triathlon.html
I agree with his comments. They seem be talking this race up a lot, especially for a first year race. Hopefully they can keep up with thier hype.
There is an Olympic distance and a Sprint Distance race. I am doing the Oly and I am feeling really good. I will throw out an estimated result.
Let's assume I have the best Oly of my life, I PR this race - 2:35, I think this is realistic. Fast, but realistic. I feel good this week, so I think a PR is possible. I think I can pull off the swim and the bike, it will hinge on the run. If I can run 6.2 in 50minutes or less I can probably pull out a 2:30ish Oly. If I did that it would be huge.
As usual, I just have to race my race.

Pigman Long Course (Half-Ironman) Triathlon Results

2010 Pigman Long Course Results

Swim (1.2 mi) - 37:23 (1:47min/mi)

T1 -4:04

Bike (56 miles) - 2:50:00 (19.8MPH)

T2 - 3:16

Run (13.1 mi) - 2:55:13 (13:23 min/mi)

Total Time - 6:29:54

Overall - 263/398

AG - 31/37

This is was my second trip to Palo/Cedar Rapids, IA this year. First trip for the Pigman Sprint ended with a DNF due to a flat. Again, Jackie came with me, thankfully. Her support, as usual, helps alot, especially on this day.

Drove in on Saturday, checked into hotel, got race stuff, ate dinner (Actually ate my dinner, at Olive Garden, of breaded pork chops and pasta and then ate about a quarter of Jackie's leftover chicken, brocolli and pasta when returning to the room), went back to hotel, and went to sleep. Got up early, as usual, and had breakfast of two yogurts, a banana, OJ, and some water. I thought I ate something else, but cannot remember right now. Got the usual coffee and donut on the way. Transistion setup was no problem and had another banana, more water, and some Power Bar Ironman drink, which I bought the previous day at the Gear West stand at packet pick-up. I like that beverage, less sweet than a lot of the other pre-made stuff.

The morning was foggy and a little warm. The race start was delayed about 45 minutes to an hour, due to the fog. The water temperature was almost right at 78, so it was wetsuit legal, barely. The delay left time to stand around and think, and sweat in the wetsuit.

It was a TT swim start and everything went well. There were no issues on the swim. It was not my fastest swim, nor slowest. It went well. The run to transition is long and uphill. I ended up walking most of the way from the swim finish to my area. No need to hurry too much, it was going to be a long day.

Got out on the bike a little easy, I didn't want to burn it up right away (sarcasm). The course was hillier than I expected and it got hot out there. My only real complaint is the water at the water stops, there were 4 of them, was hot. I basically put some water in my mouth, spit it out, and sprayed the rest on myself. The water I kept in my lower bottle cage stayed cooler than the water I got at the stops. During the bike I took one gel, half a Clif bar, two Clif Shots, my large bottle with Clif drink (can't remember the name), and then my water bottle. This was probably not enough, but basically all I could stomach.

Took my time heading out on the run once into T2. I should have taken a little more time and put on some more sun screen. I got a bad sunburn, maybe post pictures in a future post.

I went out on the run in a jog/run, plan was to take it slow and survive. On the way out, Kevin O'Connor, owner of Gear West, was riding his bike (he did not race but was there and out on the course on his bike) and made the comment to me to race smart and take it easy, because a lot of people were having trouble. He was right. It is two miles out of the park and then down a large hill and then the course is flat to the turn around, the turn around is up and down a decent hill. I ran/jogged to mile 4, at that point I started fading. The heat really started getting to me. There was not an inch of shade and the road just radiate heat back up to you. I walked/jogged from mile 4 to the turn around, from mile 7 to 10ish I did more walking, and from 10ish to the finish I was doing a lot of walking, but ended up jogging some more. I walked/stopped at each water stop and took water, occasionally a little HEED, maybe a little bite of orange, and ice. I felt pretty lucky to make it through the day. I can say I was closer to calling it quits then when I was at Racine 70.3. I think the fact that people were still out there kept me going.

When I finished, Jackie was there waiting for me, which was great. She spent the whole day out there and got a sunburn for it. She helped me over to the ice bathes they had setup, which felt fantastic. I don't drink regular soda, usually, but I got myself one here. Sat in the pool for a little while with a Mello-Yello and cooled off. Once out of the pool, more food, lots more fluids, a cold shower, more food, more fluids, and then out of there

I am always grateful that Jackie comes to watch, but today I was especially grateful. It was nice to have someone waiting at the finish of an especially grueling day.

Interesting side note, I have done 3 Half-IMs (This one might be my last for awhile. I am not sure I want to do anymore until I can train specifically to do one and do one when I am doing less races in a season, it is just not my distance) and I get out of T2 at basically the same time for all of them. The only real difference is the run time.

2008 Longhorn 70.3 - Out of T2 time = 3 hours and 24 minutes - Total Time = 5 hours and 45 minutes

2010 Racine 70.3 - Out of T2 time = 3 hours and 34 minutes - Total Time = 6 hours and 17 minutes

2010 Pigman Long Course - Out of T2 time = 3 hours and 34 minutes - Total Time = 6 hours and 29 minutes

Very, very consistent

Pigman Long Course (Half-IM) Thoughts and 2010 TNT Results

I have not done the Pigman Long Course (Half IM) before. What I have heard is that if it is hot day, it will be a really hot day on the course since there is almost no shade. From what I know of the course it is fairly flat. This will be my third half-IM race, second this year, and my goal is to finish. I would like to finish under 5:30. I can get a swim in around 30 minutes, the bike should be about 2:45, under 3 hours, and then the run is a toss-up. It pretty much all hinges on the run.

I did 6 of 8 Tuesday Night Time (T'N'T) Trials this year. I am fairly happy with the results. I did not break 23MPH this year, which is a little disappointing to me. I consistently broke 23MPH in 2008. I think that in terms of my speed on the bike, and definitely the run, I am still recovering from the time off due to the stress fracture.

2010 TNT Result

2009 TNT Results and All TT Results

2008 TNT Results (Fastest Average)

2007 TNT Results and All Results

2006 TNT Results and All Results (no TT bike, LeMond Sarthe with clip-on aerobars)