The TriathleteNut

Two Weeks and NADA…

Well, I ran 3.1 miles with Donna on Wednesday of last week but for two weeks there wasn’t anything good to report.

This week is another week though right?

Not too much running but some hills.

6 miles hills.
2 miles treadmill.
4 x 100m sprints.

Triceps, Biceps and Situps are now being built into the routine.

This week LSD - Longer Slower Distance.

It was a measly 14.2 miles.

I was fighting ’something’ through the week. Sore throatish/ear infection maybe. Bad stomach issues - which continue today. God, help me!

On Sunday I was planning a 9 miler which started around 4PM. By 3.75 I was like, “If I don’t turn around now, I’ll never make it back home.”

This 9 miler was a tribute to Steve Danlag for running the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon that I proposed we run together - but I didn’t train for.

Sorry, bud. Next year!

My heart rate was way high for a longer run like this: high 180s bmp… I had a burst of energy at mile 5 which… It was the song “Vertigo” by U2 that got my heart pumping and my energy going. I picked up the pace, and gave it some serious effort. It lasted about a minute or so and then I had to slow down.

There were a bunch of 30 second walks but all together I was able to finish a solid 8 miles.

I wanted to get miles in for the week and projected close to 25 but didn’t have it in me. I nearly threw up my arms and said, no run Sunday, but got off my butt and fit it in while Donna took Jake to Performance Class. I made it back home as they got home, got showered, and met Dale, Dasie and Chip for a rib dinner at Wood Ranch Bar and Grill. Yum.

This week - its not about miles. It’s about hills.

For 3 years I’ve neglected speed training. This year is going to be different.

Yes, it took 7 days and I got to a 10K… I’m not really trying to impress anyone, but to impress upon anyone that if you just get off the couch you can run like Forest! And run yourself into better health damnit! Come on! Just do it!

Training totals for first week…
Monday 5K (32:50)
Wednesday 2mile (22 min)
Friday 5mile (57 min)

Today
10K (1hr 7min)

I’m still missing my Garmin… but there are some aps for my iPhone that I’m using. Unfortunately, they aren’t reliable.

I don’t like running without a Garmin. I’m so bound by pace, HR, distance, etc. I mean, how do I know how far I’m running when I’m out to put in certain miles?

Oh well.

I know some distances and do have TrailGuru on my iPhone. Its just sooo inconvenient!

I know where my 3.1 mile half way target is so I ran to that. But I decided to put in about an 85% effort on my uphill mile run. It was the first mile of the run and I pushed it a little.

8:04 min mile.

Good that I can do a mile in 8:04 without having exercised in 9 months or so, but bad that I did it considering I had 2.1 miles to go. The remaining 1.05 miles up past Glendale College was a pure struggle.

Coming down felt good.

I think I gagged like a million times and nearly threw up… but if you remember my “how to spit” post about 3 years ago, I can safely say… I can spit pretty damn good now!

I told Donna I’d be out for 30 minutes then we’d go to CheeseCake Factory for dinner.

I was at 25:00 and still had about maybe 3/4 a mile to go. I wasn’t going to make it in 30.

I ran through my finish, into the house, and into the shower.

It felt GREAT to be back on the street, pounding the pavement.

A couple of blisters and it reminds me of the good old TriTraining days!

So… first 5K in the books @ an embarrassing 31:55.

Goal: a consistent 22:00 5K! yeah - 22:00. You heard me. I’m aiming, baby!

It’s part of my “90 Days” commitment! Read about it here: “(“90 Days”)

Yes, the TriathleteNut is back.

No Garmin though. Its dead. So I’ll be training like everyone else. By how I feel. That is, until I get a new Garmin.

Immediate Goals: Get off my ass and do a 5K TONIGHT. Get my bike tuned up! Get a membership at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center for some serious swimming!

Long Term: IronMan of course - but not so long term - The Malibu Triathlon!!!

Here we go!!!!!!!

Testing

Pasadena Triathlon - March 8, 2008

This has to be one of my best Triathlons ever! I hit some Personal Bests on this race. I guess the course being a ‘home’ course or training area for me had a lot to do with how I planned to do this race and I’m thankful for that. I do all my BRick workouts at the Rose Bowl and my race plan was to go all out. No ’saving’ myself for the bike or swim. Just let it all out on every single event.

My only issue I had with race day was the fact that I scheduled two triathlons within 5 days apart! Mental note - do not schedule two triathlons within a week apart! Why? Well, as I started my run, I realized that I was NOT fully recovered from the UCLA Triathlon after only 5 days rest.

That being said… I had a plan to go all out on the run. And that’s what I did.

Coming up to the first mile I felt like maybe it was not a good idea! I was teetering with an 8 minute mile and decided that if I just get to the top and around the bend, I can cruise down and not work as hard and still maintain a pace faster than I’m used to.

Well, I did.

I got to the top and rounded the bend and I fought hard to maintain a solid pace as I passed the water station. I rounded the corner and headed down the road as fast as possible. Every so often I’d notice that my pace was a little slower than I wanted so I picked it up and tried to relax. Focusing on NOT tensing up helped me get to the finish line because I was really giving it everything I had and I was on the verge of walking!

But I didn’t slow down!

And guess what! My 5K split was a personal best for a 5K distance but more importantly for a Triathlon. As a reverse Tri, I tend to ’save some’ for the ride. But this time I figured I’d recover ’some’ on the ride before giving it my all. I was worried that I wouldn’t have anything left but maintained my race plan to run hard and to continue the pace into transition to my bike. Normally I take a walk as I reach transition just to catch my breath and rest my legs. But this time I ran to my bike in the Male 40-44 age group section.

So here are my splits:
Mile 1 0:08:08
Mile 2 0:08:25
Mile 3 0:08:22
Last .36 0:02:55
Total 3.36 miles: 0:27:50 (ave 8:17/mile, 7.24 mph)

5K Split: 25:28 (PERSONAL BEST!)

I’m a little disappointed on my Mile 2/3 splits because I felt I should have done those faster than my Mile 1 split. Usually I run my last mile faster but man, I was really fighting hard to keep it up. The downhill helped and yes, my race plan actually worked. But what if I went slower on Mile 1 and really pushed mile 2 and 3? Would that be better? I’ll have to try that run around the Rose Bowl and see if I can match it on a training day.

Transition 1 was fast.

It always could be faster but it was fast enough. I decided to take off my bike shirt because it was getting warmer. So that took a few extra seconds. I slipped on my bike shoes and put on my helmet. But then my helmet was too tight for some reason! I tried it on before the race to make sure it was fitting correctly but I guess after the run, my head swelled with the sweat and heat. I made the adjustment, which again took several seconds. Finally, I grabbed my bike and headed to the exit where I struggled with clipping onto my pedals for some reason.

Mental note: Practice with shoes already clipped onto the pedals for next triathlon!

And off I went.

So despite the extra time spent with the shirt and helmet situation, my transition went smooth. Oh… except that I left my glasses on my towel! Ugh.

T1 Time: 1:48

I didn’t dwell on the fact that I left my glasses in transition. And for a fleeting moment I thought of running back to get it but that would have been dumb. If it were a 50 mile ride, I probably would. But 3 laps around the Rose Bowl I’d let my eyes dry out and suffer a little (my eyes are really sensitive and I get infections [a stigh] if I ride or run without glasses for some reason).

I’m always thinking, I’d make up time on the downhill, but the time I really need to make up is on the uphill. This is where everyone passes me up. It doesn’t matter if they have a tri-bike or mountain bike, I get passed on inclines. Small or large, a steady incline is my monster. On a steeper shorter hill I can really do well. I just need to work on it more. I was going a little faster than I normally do when I train around the Rose Bowl so that was good. And on the downhill I pass everyone who passed me up on the incline. So I know I can be fast on flats or inclines, or as fast as the other cyclists, but I need to be faster and stronger going up. I’ve been focusing on hill training more this year, and it seems to help the endurance part, but for some reason I can’t get enough lasting strength through the climb and have to make it up coming down.

The bike went well though. I was a little dizzy the last 3 miles and tried to clear my head. I was worried I’d get off my bike in transition and fall flat on my face so clearing my head was a priority. I took it slow toward the dismount and lost time cruising to the transition area but I think it helped get my bearings together.

I posted the fastest mile splits for the Rose Bowl and overall for a 10 mile ride so it was another Personal Best at the Rose Bowl!

Mile 1 0:04:28
Mile 2 0:04:08
Mile 3 0:02:14
Mile 4 0:03:22
Mile 5 0:04:25
Mile 6 0:02:33
Mile 7 0:03:36
Mile 8 0:04:35
Mile 9 0:02:39
Last .85 0:02:54
Total 9.85 0:34:54

This isn’t the fastest ride I’ve ever had, but it was the fastest 3 laps around the Rose Bowl I’ve ever had. The fastest ride I’ve ever had was in a Duathlon with rolling hills in Sacramento. I rode 16 miles and averaged 17 mph. But this was the best effort on the Bike at a Triathlon ever! That, following a PB 5K split! Wow.

Transition 2 went well too. No pain, no cramps and no falling flat on my face. I took off my helmet and shoes, grabbed my goggles, kept my socks on and slipped on my slippers.

Whew.

I figured keeping my socks on would prevent me from bending down again and possibly triggering a cramp. I ran from T2 to the pool which was what, 200 million yards or so away. It was a pretty good run and I got to 20 yards away before having to catch my breath.

And that’s where I gave up a lot of time. I took off my socks and walked to the edge of the pool where I stood for about 5 seconds trying to catch my breath. About four people jumped in before I eventually went in. I plunged into the water which was nice and warm.

T2 (which includes the run, walk, and 5 second pause at the edge of the pool): 3:45

I got to the surface and focused on stroke and breathing and let me tell you, this was THE BEST swim effort I’ve ever had in a triathlon. It’s not my Personal Best swim time, but it was my Personal Best swim effort of a triathlon to-date! It didn’t matter that it was only 150 meters, what mattered was that I was focusing on moving and moving and moving!!!

The first turn was a madhouse. People touching the wall, a bunch getting under the lane, there was a couple pushes on my back (hey, it’s LA haven’t you heard of traffic?!) then it was another bump and grind for 50 meters. I was in the mix of things and it felt great to be swimming in a crowd. I was drafting someone in front of me, there was another person on my left that I was able to keep a lead on, and someone was nailing me from my right. I wasn’t reaching as far with my stroke as there were feet right in front of me but I think it helped as a draft. The 2nd lap went smoother than the first and again, a crowd at the wall where people treaded water, pushed people on the back, and fought to get over to the last lane and the swim for home.

That last 50 meters was tough. I had to catch my breath swimming on my side before digging deep and just stroking my way to the finish. I was next to another guy who every time I took a breath he did so we were practically looking right at each other as we swum in close proximity. I was by the wall so I actually got to the line of people waiting to get out of the pool first. And that was a crazy situation in my opinion.

Race Volunteers were calling out bib numbers and punching it in their hand held thing and I’m not so sure this was an accurate ‘finish’ time for 150 meters, or the race in general. I was halfway up the ramp before someone shouted out my number. They didn’t take the bottom part of my race number or anything so I have no idea how the timing of the event worked. But I didn’t really care. I just wanted to rejoice in the fact that I gave it everything I had, it was the best effort I’ve ever given to a Triathlon, and I was feeling great!

From a personal best 5K split, to the fastest average 3 lap MPH at the Rose Bowl on my bike, to the best swim effort I’ve ever had, this has got to be the best performance at a Triathlon I’ve ever had thus far.

150 meter swim time: 4:20 (great for me!) Anything under a 3:00/100 meter swim is great for me and I did this in an average of 2:53/100 meters.

Final time: 1:12:38

WOW! I want all triathlons to be like this!

It will only get better!

The Pasadena Triathlon was a well-run event. I wish there were more vendors during the early morning pre-race period, and more vendors there overall. I was hoping to pick up some gels before the race but there weren’t any being sold. The bathrooms at the Aquatic Center were nice and empty as I think most people didn’t know about them. So I had some convenient bathroom visits a couple times in the 2 hours I waited for the race to start and not that outdoor smelly, dirty public bathroom stuff. Let’s keep it hush-hush.

The transition area was extremely crowded; it could be bigger in my opinion - and closer to the pool if they could figure that out.

The swim should be 400 meters - this would definitely create more space because it was crowded in those lanes! The pool is definitely big enough for 400 meters! UCLA did it their first couple of years: A 400 meter snake swim. And this year UCLA did a 400 meter circle swim that seemed to work well despite the wave start times. Maybe Pasadena could do a Swim/Bike/Run as well.

There were a lot of beginner Triathletes there and I was happy to help them with their questions on transition area and where to exit, run with bike, and general race thoughts, etc.

There were a lot of participants, which makes me believe it was a success. I’d love to see a series of maybe three Triathlons in one year for The Pasadena Triathlon. Each race longer and more challenging - maybe utilize the neighborhood for a longer run and a longer, more challenging bike ride. Tour of California got to do a 5 mile circuit type race, why not The Pasadena Tri? And we could finish (or start) it off with a 400 meter swim or use both pools and have an 800 meter swim where you cross over from one pool to the other!

Overall, this race was extremely fun. It was especially fun because this is my ‘home’ training area - for BRicks. And - it was just a few miles from home and extremely easy to get to. Within thirty minutes after I got out of the pool, I was in a hot shower at home! And by 10:15 I was sitting with my family at Granville’s in Burbank for breakfast; which is one hour after I crossed the finish line.

I’m definitely doing this race again next year!

UCLA Iron Bruin Race Report
March 2, 2008

“Triathlon will humble anybody.”

I was waiting for my wave to start when I overheard someone make the above statement while watching the race. I thought to myself, yes, that’s true. I don’t do Triathlon to compete against others. I don’t compete with my age group. I race to compete with myself - to overcome a challenge and to persevere.

And here we are waiting for our lowly “Sprint” to start. This is not even close to an IronMan distance; it’s a Sprint. So, how can this itsy bitsy teeny-weeny little race be humbling? Well, it is.

UCLA decided to change their course. I was mentally prepared for the 4 mile run, 10 mile bike, ½ mile Run and a 400 meter swim. It used to be more like a “Quadathlon” than a Triathlon but, although it was a challenge, I was looking forward to the ‘old’ setup.

A few days before the race I check out the course to prepare for race day. I am already mentally prepared for the race and I find out they change the course. I quickly looked at the map and thought, 4 laps around UCLA? This is going to be tough!

Instead of a reverse triathlon, it was a regular Swim/Bike/Run. It was still a 400 meter swim but the ride was 13.5 miles around the campus followed by a 2.75 mile run that has a pretty decent run up an incline.

They proudly announced, during the 6:45 AM orientation, that the bike course is now longer with more hills. [sarcasm]Great[/sarcasm].

How hard could it be though?

Okay, so here’s the biggest problem this new format has. First, the race started 10 minutes late: at 7:10AM. But due to the ‘circle swim’ in the pool, they had to start waves of 20 racers every 10 minutes which meant my start time was at 8:50 AM (originally 8:40AM). I was in wave 11 of a total of 12 waves. Waiting for that long for start times is horrible. It’s cold, you get hungry, you build up more and more apprehension and you get mentally fatigued.

I had to wait ONE HOUR AND FORTY MINUTES for my wave to start! It was cold out there waiting, but the worst part, an hour and forty minutes of waiting really got my hunger going. I was so hungry I didn’t know if I had the energy to even swim 400 meters! I ate 3 more SHOT BLOKS about 30 minutes before my wave and hoped for the best.

I got in the water about 5 minutes before start and got adjusted. I figured I’d take it easy and swim at my pace. My projected time was 12 minutes. Which is actually fast.

3-2-1 and I was off. Swimming your own pace is good when training, but when you are in a competitive atmosphere you tend to forget.

So there I was, trying to stay inside the group. I got kicked in the chest, I got kicked in the face, my left ear was nailed, it was a madhouse. I was fighting guys as I rounded the 2 first buoys and believe it or not, 125 meters I was still in the fray. But that was my downfall. I overexerted myself and decided to back off and find some space. Whew. I was tired with 275 meters to go. I took some deep breaths and finally found a comfortable, slow pace.

As I finished the 2nd lap I thought, that wasn’t so bad. One and a half more laps to go and I’m on the bike. Nine minutes into the swim I passed the next wave of swimmers in the pool waiting to start so I tried to push it to the finish before getting eaten up by their wave. I was about 20 meters away before they caught up and the next thing I know I’m out and happy to be on solid ground.

400 Meter Swim: 0:10:56

So 10min and 56seconds later I had finished a full minute faster than I projected.

Transition 1 was quick and easy. Again, it always could go faster but I had to pack my T1 bag with everything so that it could be transported down to T2 for after race pickup.

T1 time: 0:1:30

Down the hill I go, wet and freezing cold. My legs were fatigued which meant I used too much legs during my swim which was bad. But I managed to get down the hill and started to make my first climb up along Sunset blvd. I ripped open a ‘gel’ taped to my bike’s top bar and swallowed it down with a gulp of water.

Then disaster. Two miles into my trek, my chain popped out – and it was on a straight-away! I jumped off, fixed it, and then struggled, for some odd reason, to clip on to my pedals. I lost at least a minute struggling with the chain and wobbling on my bike before getting it going again.

But the first climb wasn’t bad and I decided to take the first 3.3 mile lap (of 4 laps) easy to see how it would be, then I’d put in more effort. The toughest part was mile 3 of each lap. This was a serious climb made for mountain bikes and not Triathlon bikes in my opinion. I passed up several riders who were walking their bikes up, but I wasn’t going to fall into that trap. I convinced myself to keep pedaling despite how hard it was. I still had to do it 3 more times and believe me, I was not looking forward to it. I was wishing for more gears on my 9-speed bike. I wonder if I can get a 10-speed on this thing.

The hills were tough and coming down them wasn’t even enough time to catch your breath or rest your muscles. The downhill was extremely fast and the next thing you know you were back on a climb.

Mile 3 of lap 2 a guy gets on my side and we hold a little conversation up the hill. “We have to do this 4 times right?” he asked. I was like, “Yup, number 2 for me. How about you?”

It was number 2 for him. I wished him well as he pedaled past me.

I caught him on up at North Campus and passed him up.

Again, the mile 3 of lap 3 he caught me on the climb and we gave each other encouragement and joked about coming into Transition 2 early and nobody would know.

I told him that for $75 entry fee, I’m not going to cheat myself out of the torture I paid for. He laughed and agreed. He pedaled past me once again.

I caught him a little further away this time and again, he came up to me on mile 3 of the last lap. I told him I couldn’t believe I made it and he said the same thing. I told him I’d see him at the finish line and he continued on past me.

Finally. Transition 2.

13.5 mile bike: 1:05:26

I walked my bike to the rack and reached down to put on my socks but couldn’t reach down to get it. My left hamstring was tighter than it ever has been and when I tried to sit down, pain shot through my whole left leg. I thought I was done. Over.

I noticed tightness with about 3 miles left in my ride and tried easier gears with a higher pedal cadence just to keep it warm and moving but it was sore and tight. My left side ached, my left calf was cramping, my whole upper chest cramped up and my hamstring was so stiff I couldn’t even bend down. I stretched out my chest, praying to get loose. I was thinking, oh my god, this is it: just lay down and get a DNF (Did Not Finish).

Believe me, the bike ride alone made me want to lay down and give up. But I kept pedaling - finding just enough to get me to the top of each hill. But this was physical pain that I wasn’t sure my mind and body could get past. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t bend down. I couldn’t even get my socks on!

Finally, through pain, torture and a helluva’ struggle, I slipped each sock on. And my pain was so bad I couldn’t get them on correctly. They were a little crooked on my right foot as I felt the crease of my sock inside my shoes. Thank goodness for “Yankz!” (http://www.yankz.com/). Instead of having to tie my shoes, I just slip them on and run.

T2 time: 0:2:19

Slipping my shoes and socks on was easy compared to the hard part - running. I walked as fast as I could to the exit of T2 and started to pick up my feet and my pace. It was tough and thank goodness we got to run around the Intramural Field for about ¼ of a mile because the next thing we had to do was run up where we biked down.

I kept thinking, in 3 miles I’ll be done. Over. No problem. It’s just a 3 mile run! I’ve done several of these with no problem. Just move your feet and run. So I did.

It took a mile for my legs to loosen up. And wow, mind over matter got me through the bike, and now it got me past all the pain and things were good to go.

This is the best part of Triathlon. Getting into the run after all the struggle of the two other parts. This is where you find out that if you put your mind to it, you can actually do it.

And there was that guy again; the guy who shared conversation with me up the hill. He kept looking behind at me and every time I got closer, he sped up.

I was going to catch him. No matter how hard it would be I made up my mind to catch him.

He kept looking back. And he kept speeding up. But every time he did that, he seemed to tire out a little bit more. I kept my pace. It was steady and strong. It was a half marathon pace so it was definitely not fast. But it was strong. I was at full capacity as far as breathing. My heart rate was skyrocketed. But it wasn’t affecting my run. I kept pounding and finally, he looked back over his left shoulder this time, and I was at his heels close to the 2 mile mark.

He gave me a pat on the back as I got next to me and I said, “we made it!” We actually shook each other’s hands and congratulated each other for making it this far. It’s nice to make these small connections while doing a race. It seems to happen every time I’m out there.

And then I was off to catch three more runners ahead of me.

Coming down the hill was such a relief. The finish line was not too far ahead; just a swing around the Wooden Center on a flat surface and a nice long look at the finish line that you could sprint to.

I gave it everything I could that last quarter mile or so.

I couldn’t feel the pain. In my head, there was no more pain.

Just heart.

I strode past the finish line knowing I gave it everything I had. I felt I could have run another mile if they asked, because I was in such a runners high, but I was glad it was over.

FINAL TIME: 1:48:14

My post race activities were to find a drink, pack up my stuff and leave. I still had Jacob’s baseball practice to attend and a dinner I was planning on making.

This was the toughest Triathlon I’ve ever done, I thought. And it was.

I look at the race: 400 meter swim, 13.5 mile bike, 2.75 mile run and think – that’s simple and short but:

“Triathlon will humble anybody.”

Yes, that’s what Triathlon does to a person. Experienced or beginner (like I still am). If you give it your all, Triathlon is no means an easy task despite the short distance traveled. It’s what you do during the short distance that matters.

And it’s not about the Triathlon. It’s about the distance traveled just to get to the starting line. And, for me, it’s the distance traveled after the finish line. I have a long way to go. And believe me, I am humbled by that fact and I’ve said it before – I’m not going to quit.

IronMan here I come!

2007 Redlands Triathlon Race Report

But it wasn’t without a T2 (Transition 2) dizzy spell where I had to hold on to a wall before continuing on with my journey to the pool!

There seems to be drama every time I do a Triathlon doesn’t there? Well, this one isn’t as big as it seems but it sure made a difference in my Personal Best!

The weather was perfect. Compared to last year’s flood, this was ‘walk in the park’ weather.

As I sat in my car at 5:30 in the morning, I went through the triathlon checklist in my head. Did I bring everything? Well, I was sure I did. But then when I got to Redlands I realized I didn’t bring my energy gels. Oh well, it’s only an hour race, I reasoned; I didn’t need energy gels.

Hmm… interesting- as this one very thought actually had a key result in the race!

I didn’t go into this race at peak condition. I’m in pretty good physical condition, but after the San Diego Marathon I burned out. It took a lot out of me. So, since June 3, 2007, my training has been next to null. In fact, other than swimming recreationally, playing golf, having a couple of runs and weight lifting sessions here and there, I have slacked like a true slacker that I am.

Since June 2007 I ran less than 50 miles, I biked ZERO miles since February of last year. That’s a whole year! And I swam maybe two miles at best and that’s only recreational swimming at Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii back in August and LaCosta Resort and Spa in San Diego in September. I am very meticulous when logging my training. From tenths of mile on runs for EACH pair of running shoe I use, to logging yards to meters conversions on swims for each goggle I own.

Since June 3, 2007, my log is blank. It’s pretty pathetic.

Since the beginning of this year I ran approximately 30 miles, biked 35 miles and swam ZERO meters. ZERO.

So considering the lack of training, I wasn’t expecting to hit a personal best at all. I just wanted to finish and finish strong considering all of the above.

My race plan: Run hard but save some for the bike ride. Then, get on the bike and give it EVERYTHING I could while focusing on the climb. I figured if I gave it everything and really pushed myself on the bike ride, my time would speak for itself in the end. After a hard ride, all I had to worry about was a measly 100 yard swim. That’s 91.44 meters for those metric folks.

Of course we all know what happened the first time I did the swim back in 2006; it was a near death experience. Two years removed from that situation, a 100 yard swim is nothing. In fact, a quarter mile ocean swim in 40 degree water and 10–12 foot waves is nothing!

So expectations were that this Triathlon would be well, like the weather: walk in the park.

It was all according to plan. My run was smooth. I felt great throughout the whole run even thinking my pace was faster than it should be but it wasn’t a struggle to keep so I kept it up. As I turned the last corner I was in really good stride. I remember at this point last year I was struggling to keep up with some 9 year old girl while I struggled with a quarter mile left. This year, I was still running smooth with a quarter mile left. It wasn’t an all out sprint to T1, but it was a really good pace that got me to my bike with some serious energy!

5K run: 27min 5sec (Slow, but decent considering).

T1 was really good. It could be better, but I always have a mishap with something or another. I took off my hat and accidentally snapped off the ear piece of my Oakley sunglasses. It’s fortunate that I have an extra pair of glasses at my transition area and this was one of those times I was glad I was prepared. I also have an extra pair of shoes and goggles just in case.

Other than that, T1 was smooth and fast. I decided not to wear gloves, got on my bike and was off and pedaling pretty hard considering I gave the 5K run a strong finish.

T1 Time: 1min 8sec (average time for me and could improve)

I checked my speed and was at a speed better than the other two times I did the race. Staying on my big gear for as long as I could helped. I practiced this at the Rose Bowl every time out. It made a huge difference in my climb. Then it was downhill from there.

I flew down hitting 34 mph at one point and passing up other cyclists who were also in aero position. I was like, I guess my bike is pretty fast! I’ve never really passed up cyclists coming down this hill before. Especially cyclists on tri-bikes, in aero position, and who were already ahead of me coming into the bike portion of the race! They either ran faster than me and were already in front, or biked passed me going up. I was able to catch a bunch of people on the way down regardless! It was awesome.

The second time up was tougher.

First, I imagined how motivating it would be if Donna and the kids were there cheering me on like they did two years prior. Other people were cheering family members on as they headed back up, I got a few cheers of encouragement, but it wasn’t ‘my family’. I took it for what it was and smiled and continued on my push to the top.

I really thought I had more in me but I struggled back up and decided to ride on my small gear practically all the way up. I got off my saddle a couple of times but managed maybe 30 revolutions on my pedals before having to sit back down. Those that I flew past on the way down were now passing me on the way up.

Looking back at my HR data shows I was really pushing it every step of the run and every revolution of the ride! So I did what I planned on doing.

On the way down I was flying but I could barely get past 30 mph it seemed. I also nearly flew off my bike when I was passing another cyclist on the way down. I yelled, “LEFT” and as I made my move there was a little dip in the road that I wasn’t prepared for and it bumped me off my seat a little. Fortunately I was holding onto my aero-bars securely as I passed the rider or else there would have been disaster! Needless to say, it put a scare into me that made me think: HOLY SHIT I ALMOST DIED!!! Whew.

I took the last u-turn and got off my saddle and biked as hard as I could to T2.

It was awesome. My race plan was going perfect. I was giving it everything I could…

And then T2 happened.

10 mile ride: 37:28 (That’s 2 ½ minutes faster than last year and 3 ½ minutes faster than 2006!)

I got off my bike and I was woozy. I gulped down some Gatorade and it made me feel nauseous… Note: Don’t drink Low Calorie “G2” Gatorade during a race!

And remember the part where I forgot my energy gels?

Well, this is how it works: I usually take a gel about 20 minutes before the start of the race. Then, after about a mile or so on my bike ride I take another gel.

I try to fuel every hour when training and especially during a race. And today, I didn’t fuel before, and I didn’t fuel during. But come on… does it really make a difference?

Yes it does!

You see, lack of calories, protein, and carbs, can ruin your long training day and can definitely jeopardize your race day. Your body needs enough fuel to maintain itself throughout the race and help prevent early fatigue. There are three things to think about in order to train and race properly. 1) preparation (which I lacked), 2) pacing (one I focused on despite lack of training), and 2) fueling (one I completely ignored on race day).

With more preparation, this Triathlon would have been a serious personal best and not what it eventually was. With a little more care to pacing, maybe my all out bike strategy would have not caused my T2 demise! (you’ll see why). And if I had fueled properly, this race report would have been over already!

So here I am, off my bike and struggling to stay on my feet. No cramps, fatigue was not a problem (I thought), I was breathing fine and my heart was feeling good. But my brain wasn’t functioning properly. The world was spinning. I wobbled like a weeble. I felt feint like a fallen foe, and I thought I was going to collapse hard on the cold concrete. How’s that for an illiteration.

I gagged, thinking I was going to throw up the Low Caorie “G2” grape Gatorade crap, but held it in. I grabbed my goggles and walked, for a lack of a better word, to the pool like an alcoholic walking into his house in a stupor after a night of drinking.

I leaned against the wall at one point trying to clear my head. I remember trying to spit into a trashcan and instead dribbled down my arm. I think. Were those girls grossing out over what I just did? Why are they laughing? Do I have yuck all over my arm? What’s going on? Where am I?

I struggled to the edge of the pool. People were diving in – you’re not supposed to. The life guard wasn’t saying anything. I had the inclination to go head first and get a good start. Instead, I let myself fall in.

I was able to relax despite my state of, how can I call it, unconscious consciousness. Or conscious unconsciousness. Anyway, I took stroke after stroke after stroke.

In my head I went over a conversation I had with Donna the night before. I told her I had planned on swimming but didn’t get around to it. 18 holes with Chip & Dale was my choice of training on Saturday and not swimming in a dark lonely pool at the gym. She said she thought it would have made a difference. During my first 25 yards I thought… would it? Later that afternoon I thought it wouldn’t have made any difference at all. Today, I believe it would have made a huge difference. I forgot technique. If I swam on Saturday, at least I would have had a mental checklist on technique and would have brought that with me into the Triathlon.

So 25 yards in, a conversation replay in my head, and dizziness and lack of direction yet making it to the wall, I was almost done I took a quick breather at the wall then kept going. And unlike two years ago, despite my fatigue and dizziness, I was still doing what I was supposed to do. It was pretty amazing. My brain was blank, all I knew was I had to swim. My eyes were so blurred that goggles didn’t help. I was so dizzy but I was still breathing well almost like I may be able to do a quarter mile swim! I was a robot in the water. This is good right? I’m thinking, yes.

50 yards in I saw a guy holding on to the wall. The look on his face was defeat. I didn’t think he’d make it. Normally, I’d give the person some encouragement. Even at my toughest moment (LA Triathlon) where I yelled to others “Lets go!” as we struggled back to shore, I couldn’t muster any words for this poor fellow. I wonder what he thought of me as we looked at each and I just left him there to die as I went on my way to the other side.

I bumped into a woman swimming on her back and called out “sorry!” I think she acknowledged me with “that’s okay.” But for all I know she was cursing me out for swimming into her. I couldn’t see, lady! I was about to faint! So sue me already! I believe she said, “that’s okay” though.

I was far from finishing strong. I was ready to pass out. I looked up and saw an older man at the side of the pool encouraging me to swim to the steps. “You’re almost there! Keep it up! Get to the steps and you’re almost done!” he yelled.

I made it. I MADE IT! I got to the steps and crawled out. I managed a feeble “thank you” to the older gentleman who was encouraging the next person (the woman on her back) to keep moving.

I barely made it to the finish line where I was rewarded with some sort of brown ribbon. My medal of honor for, again, finishing a triathlon. They should at least give us a trophy. Or a gift certificate to Yard House! It’s a friggen triathlon!

Okay… swim was better than both years past. Even in my woozy-dreamlike-conscious-unconscious-state.

Swim: 2min 44 sec. (Yup, 40 seconds better than last year and close to 3 whole minutes better than 2006!)

With some pretty good times I posted I thought a personal best was recorded. Guess what… IT WAS? But… I only beat last year’s time by 20 seconds! TWENTY FRICKEN SECONDS!

I finished at 1hour 11minutes and 25seconds.

You’ve got to be kidding me!

It’s amazing how the little things in a Triathlon can make a big difference in a race. From fueling (which isn’t such a little thing) to Transition time. Transition time should take a minute or less. Seriously. It’s quick.

In a Reverse Tri (Run/Bike/Swim), T1 is: take off shoes, put on bike shoes, helmet, get on bike and go. Less than a minute right? T2 is: park bike, get shoes/socks off, get helmet off, grab goggles and jump into pool and finish the race. Should be even less than T1!

So what was my T2 time?

First lets look at T1…
In 2006, my very first ever triathlon, T1 was great. I did it in 1min 10seconds.
In 2007, my T1 time was 1min 9seconds.
This year my T1 time was: 1min 8seconds!
Pretty damn consistent if I say so myself? And I want and can improve on that big time!

Now on to T2.
In 2006, my T2 time was 1min 50seconds. Long! And this is getting a foot cramp on the way to the pool!
In 2007, my T2 time was 1min 5seconds! Nailed it!
And in 2008 my T2 time was… wait for it…

TWO MINUTES AND FORTY FOUR SECONDS! 2min 44seconds! TWO MINUTES AND FORTY FOUR FRIGGEN SECONDS!!!

Two what? It took me 2 min and 44seconds to get off my bike and into the pool! That’s worse than 2006! It should have taken a minute max this year with all my Transition experience! And if I take that into account my time would be better by almost two minutes!

So last year I did the race in 1:11:55.

This year I beat that: Barely. I did it in 1:11:25 (official).

What a bummer. I didn’t figure this out till later that night. I didn’t realize how important that one thought I had at the beginning of the race was. I thought, it’s only an hour race, who needs an energy gel?

Well, I will go out on a limb and say, if I had that ‘fuel’ I wouldn’t have been so empty after I got off the bike. I screwed myself TWO WHOLE MINUTES all because I left my energy gels at home.

I learned a HUGE lesson this year. HUGE.

Here are my year by year comparisons of the Redlands Triathlon.

There you have it. Another drama filled race by yours truly. All because I forgot my energy gels at home!

POST RACE - I had to eat a danish, drink my cold coffee, and take a 15 minute nap to clear my head before driving home…

So I got a brown ribbon. But the most rewarding thing about completing a triathlon is coming home, getting a hug from Donna and again, hearing her say, “I’m proud of you!”

LIFE IS GOOD

Next up: The Pasadena Triathlon. March 8, 2008. I’m going to tape energy gels to my bike tonight!