2011 October Racing and Training Summary

I took some time off in October.  I decided to take it easy after the Dousman Duathlon and through October.  I will start to pick it back up a little in November and December.  I don't plan on really getting going until after the New Year.

In October I did the Baker Orchard Cyclecross race.  It was a cool and beautiful morning.  The coarse is a good mix of flat, climbs, decents, a sand trap (Thinking I could bike through it, I fell on one of the laps), and part of the race went through a barn.  Cyclecross is very painful, almost from the get go I continued for all  4 laps.  I finished second to last overall, which is good considering out of a field of 49 there were 7 DNFs.  Cyclecross is very humbling.

I also did a 5k around Lake Phalen.  It is a run put on by Jackie's PA program.  It was a beautiful day and I had an ok run.  I would have liked to have gone 7:30min/mi, but I will take what I can get.  What I got was about 7:50min/mi.  I was sucking wind pretty hard that day.

By far, this was not my lowest October on record.  In terms of time spent running, it was my highest.  Hopefully, I can build off that and increase my run time through the end of the year and into next year. 

Comparison of Octobers since 2007

Totals and Average Since 2007

YTD Totals and Total Since 2007

Review of 2011 Duathlon Results and Comparison to Previous Years

Below are my Duathlon results for 2011.  I had a pretty big improvement over 2010, again, when I was recovering from my stress fracture.  In 2010, I took the GW Du and Apple Du "easy" to start off the year.
My run is not back to 2008 form, but my bike, and transition times, have gotten steadily better throughout the years.  This improvement has resulted in my overall pace reducing every year, except 2010.

Now that I have all this data, and plotted much it, I have to decide what to do with it.  I can use it to show improvement, or I can try to devise away to use it to improve my training and racing.

2011 Duathlon Results (Click on image to enlarge)

Below are the trend charts for each portion of the race.  Pace is in fractions of minute/mile, bike speed is in MPH, and transition times are in fractions of a minute.
First chart is Run 1, second chart is Bike, third chart is Run 2, fourth chart is T1 and T2, and the last chart is Average Overall Pace, which, as always, is the total time divided by the distance  I have dropped almost a minute/mi from my overall average pace over the course of 6 years, more than a minute/mi from my first run average pace, and 2 minutes from second run average pace.  In 2006 I averaged 17.5 MPH on road bike with bolt-on aerobars, in 2011 I averaged over 21MPH, on a tri-bike with race wheels.  My T2 now averages under a minute and my T1 time is just over a minute.  I think that my duathlon improvments over the years have been greater than my triathlon improvements.  I started out doing only duathlons in 2006 and I was in horrible shape when I started.  I had a lot of room to improve from 2006

2011 September Training and Racing Summary

September consisted of the St. Croix Valley Olympic Distance Tri and the Dousman Du.  After the Dousman Du, basically the last two weeks, I started to take it easy.  I did begin to add a little strength work.  The strength work consists of doing some crunches, squats, tricep extensions, bicep curls, and some step ups.  I would add some more strength work and time as the season goes on.

I took Sept 2007 off, 2008 was my biggest year.  Almost every month in 2008 was my biggest month when compared to other years.  This month was a lower month, taking a little time off.  2009 was a high for swimming and biking due to my stress fracture.

Year-to-Year Comparison of September

Totals and Averages Since 2007

Total Since 2007 and YTD Total

Review of 2011 Triathlon Results and Comparison to Past Results

Below is a table of all my Triathlon results for this year.  I will put my Duathlon results in a seperate post.
Select the image to enlarge.  I am pretty happy with these results. 
I completed 10 races and in 7 of the races I had top ten AG finishes and 2 of them were top 3 finishes.    I had a very good season, probably better than I could have hoped for.

Below I have chartered my triathlon results from 2007 to the present.  The results are my averages for each leg, plus T1 and T2.  I threw out my half-IM and Escape from Alcatraz in 2008 and my two half-IMs from 2010, so that I could compare 2007 and 2011 to 2008 and 2010 for equivalent distances.  In 2009, I did two relays and walked the run at St. Croix Valley Sprint.  I did not count any of the results from 2009.
I have started 50 triathlons since 2007.  2 of those were relays, 2 were dnfs, one was a flat and one was intentional, due to my stress fracture.  One of them I walked the run, mentioned above. 
So, the data below is for 42 races.  You can see that from 2007 to 2008 I had improvement, then 2009 off, then 2010 and 2011 I was a little flat in some areas.
I am not sure that plotting averages per year against training time is useful.  Increased training time does not necessarily improve performance.  Though I might just plot that and post for curiousity sake.

Average swim time is fractions of a minute per 100 yards.  Can I get under 1.5 minutes per 100 yards in 2012?

I had a large increas in speed from 2007 to 2008 and then flattened in 2010 and 2009.  My goal for 2012 would be to get over 22MPH for an average and hit 24MPH, or 23.5MPH average, in a race

I would like to get me average run time below 8 min/mi.  Below is fractions of a minute per mile. Taking most of 2009 off for injury really did affect my run average.  I am back to my 2008 average.  In 2007 I one Oly and rest were sprints, of nine total races.  In 2008 I did 14 races, 12 in the chart data, and 5 of those were Oly distance or nearly Oly distance. 

Below are my T1 and T2 average times.  This year I was a little slower in T1, but every year I got faster in T2

I have also plotted my average pace, which is the total time it took me to complete the race divided by the total time, including T1 and T2.  This time has improved year after year.  I like this measure because it incorporates a lot of information.  2007 is the year I had the least number of tris and the shortest average distance, so my pace has improved at longer average distances.

My next post will have the same type of data except for duathlons

2011 Dousman Duathlon Race Report - Last (Multisport) Race of the Year

This will be my 6th time at this event.  When I was injured, in 2009, Jackie and I did it as a relay, otherwise I have done it 5 times as an individual.
Below are my results for this year and then below for the previous years, except for the relay.

2011 Dousman Duathlon Results
Run (2mi) - 14:02 (7:01min/mi)
T1 - 1:01
Bike (21mi) - 58:44 (21.5MPH)
T2 - 0:42
Run (2mi) - 15:05 (7:33min/mi)
Total - 1:29:31
Ave Overall Pace - 3:35min/mi
Overall - 47/601
AG - 7/40

2010 Dousman Duathlon Results
Run (2mi) - 13:59 (7:00min/mi)
T1 - 1:25
Bike (21mi) - 57:53 (21.8MPH)
T2 - 1:14
Run (2mi) - 15:01 (7:30min/mi)
Total - 1:29:30
Ave Overall Pace - 3:35min/mi
Overall - 86/791
AG - 15/62

2009 was a relay with Jackie

2008 Dousman Duathlon Results
Run (2mi) - 12:58 (6:29min/mi)
T1 - 1:25
Bike (20mi) - 57:77 (20.9MPH)
T2 - 0:55
Run (2mi) - 14:06 (7:03min/mi)
Total - 1:26:39
Ave Overall Pace - 3:37min/mi
Overall - 34/615
AG - 5/54

2007 Dousman Duathlon Results
Run (2mi) - 13:20 (6:40min/mi)
T1 - 1:19
Bike (20mi) - 1:01:50 (19.7MPH)
T2 - 1:17
Run (2mi) - 14:40 (7:20min/mi)
Total - 1:32:26
Ave Overall Pace - 3:51min/mi
Overall - 111/797
AG - 21/55

2006 Dousman Duathlon Results
Run (2mi) - 15:12 (7:36min/mi)
T1 - 1:48
Bike (20mi) - 1:07:48 (17.7MPH), not on tri bike, on road bike with bolt-on aerobars
T2 - 1:44
Run (2mi) - 16:28 (8:14min/mi)
Total - 1:43:00
Ave Overall Pace - 4:17min/mi
Overall - 238/254
AG - 13/24

Big improvements from 2006 - 2008, flattened out after injury.  I still have some work to do on the run, but I already knew that.  Need more speed.

Jackie did not head down with me, so I made the drive alone.  My dad did come with me to the race, which was excellent.  This is the second race he has been to, but the first race he came with me.  Last year he did go to the Racine 70.3.  This year the weather was very decent.  Cloudy, no rain, temperature was in mid-50s to low 60s.  Did not seem like a lot of wind, but I did feel some out on the bike and at time is felt substantial.
I was in the 5th wave of about 14 waves going 3 minutes apart.  Every year they "tweak" the run course a little.  The adjustment is around the enterance and exit for the transition on the run.  No big deal.
Up early, by 4AM, out of the house by 5AM, and in transition by 6:30AM.  Picked up donut and coffee on the way, of course.
I did not know anyone at the race, so I setup my spot in transition spot, went on a short bike ride, and wandered around either talking to my dad or by myself. 

I was in the 5th wave, so  did not have to wait to long.  I was a little nervous.  I have been feeling more fatigued at the end of the year, more fatigue than usual, and I a little worried about my upper left hamstring that had been irritating me over the last 3-4 weeks.  I took off at a decent clip and I was through the first mile in about 6:20, too fast, I was sucking wind bad.  I was at the head of my wave through most of the 1st run, and got passed by one guy in the last quarter mile.
I got on the bike and took it a little slower at first.  Took in some fluid and caught my breath.  Within the first 5 miles I passed the guy who passed me going into transition.  No idea if this guy was in my AG or not, but at least if gave me a marker.  This guy eventually passed me with 2 miles left on the bike and held a constant gap on me during the 2nd run.  I later found out this guy was in my AG and beat me by 6 seconds overall.  No big deal, just interesting.  I congratulated him at the end of the race. 
Back to the bike, I passed a lot people.  There was a lot of yelling, "On your left!".  One guy was riding down the middle and getting handed a bike bottle from a girl, this was new.  I yelled, "On your left!" a couple of times for all our safety and got an angry "I heard you!" back.  Sorry if I irritated you, while you ride down the middle of the road (sarcasm).  Anyway, the bike went pretty good, little slower than last year.  No rain, but I think it was windier than last year.
I got off the bike and started running.  The I mentioned earlier, who passed me in the last two miles on the bike, who I passed in the first five miles, was in front of me the whole way.  I ran faster than I thought, my legs felt cooked.  I was surprised at my splits for the second run, pleasantly surprised.
After the finish I had a little to eat and drink, and then cleaned up and got out of there.
I was pretty happy with how the race went, I would like to have gone faster than 2010, but it is what it is.  I was glad my dad could come and watch.  It was nice to have him along for the last race of the year.
Now it is time for a break......I will probably do one or two 5Ks, or something like that, and maybe a cyclecross race

2011 Tuesday Night Time Trial Summary

This year I felt pretty good about TNT.  My average was up a little from 2010, the year I was recovering from injury, but down from 2008.  2008 is still my fastest year. 
In 2009 I did two races late in the year and they were slower, as expected.
Below are all the results for 2011, plus the averages, and the number of races, for 2006 - 2010, for comparison.
My goal is still to hit 24MPH.  To do this I am going to have to focus on my bike even more than I do, which I am not sure I have the time to do next year.  I have to build strength (core and legs) and, of course, stamina (more time on the bike). 
Can I get away with strength and core work in the off-season, and about the same amount of saddle time, or less in 2012, with more intensity, to get to 24MPH?

Race is always 11 miles of rolling hills.
2011 Results (5 races, missed two for work and one was rained out.  First ever rain out)
West-to-East course

5/24/11 - 29:36 = 22.3MPH (65/93)
6/7/11 - 30:14 = 21.83MPH (37/62)
6/21/11 - 29:25 = 22.43MPH (18/33)
7/5/11 - 28:32 = 23.13MPH (31/52)
7/19/11 - 31:10 = 21.18MPH (41/53)

Average Time = 29:47 = Average Speed = 22.17MPH
Average Finish = 38/59

2010 Results  (5 Races)
East-to-West Course

Average Time = 29:59 = Average Speed = 22.08MPH
Average Finish = 46/61

2009 Results (2 Races)
East-to-West Course

Average Time = 30:44 = Average Speed = 21.49MPH
Average Finish = 52/62

2008 Results (7 Races)
West-to-East Course

Average Time = 28:43 = Average Speed = 23.03MPH
Average Finish = 35/64

2007 Results (5 Races, First year on a tri bike)
West-to-East Course

Average Time = 30:45 = Average Speed = 21.46MPH
Average Finish = 40/52

2006 Results (2 Races, On Lemond Sarthe road bike with bolt-on aerobars)
West-to-East Course

Average Time = 34:13 = Average Speed = 19.3MPH
Average Finish = 51/52

2011 August Racing and Training Summary

This month I had one duathlon (Turtleman Duathlon) and one triathlon (Maple Grove Oly). There were no Tuesday Night Time Trials. I missed the first one of the month due to work and the second one got rained out. I will put a post covering the TNT results of this year and a comparison to previous years sometime soon.

The time I spent swimming this year is lower than previous years, but it has been going well, in terms of race performance.  My bike and run are lower than last year, but July and August of 2010 also include more races and Half-IMs.  I am basically putting time and volume similar to 2008.

Comparison of August from Year-to-Year

Totals Since 2007 and Per Month Averages

YTD 2011 and Totals Since 2007