Triple T Prologue & Epilogue

Oh my....where to begin.

The Triple T was both one of the coolest things and hardest things I have ever done. It definitely lived up to its billing as one of the toughest races. 4 races over nearly 40 hours all along hills that are not bike friendly. I was spent.

The race definitely broke me physically, mentally and emotionally. Physically I was beat by Sunday. The hills won. I remember climbing 'Gawdzilla' Sunday during the second lap. All I wanted to do is pull over and sit down to cool off. Between the flat and dropping my chain four times, mentally I was off my game by Sunday. The hills didn't help in the mental department. Emotionally I was a wreck. When I entered transition on Sunday, I just wanted to sit down and cry. I didn't know how I was going to pull myself together.

Someone ask me which I thought was harder...and Ironman or the Triple T. I don't think it is quite a fair comparison. They are two different races. The difference? I knew I was trained for Ironman last year. I was NOT trained for the Triple T. I had put in the time in terms of volume and greatly benefited; however, it is just a different kind of race. I am not exactly sure HOW you could train for the Triple T. There are so many variables in the equation. One wrong move in the first two races and you are spent. The race is definitely a testament to learning how to push yourself but not too much.


First, I owe a huge thanks to Jess for being my sherpa and rock all weekend. The is a pro at jockstrapping events and even she admitted that this was the hardest event to jockstrap for. There was just a lot to do. Two nights of bringing in all my gear to the hotel. Four races to plan for. Constant motion to photograph. She was a rockstar all weekend and let me whine and complain. Fortunately, she loves this type of thing and thought the whole event was super cool.

I didn't really know what to expect going in. A few days later, I have a better idea. This race is all about making the right choices.

--Bike gearing. The courses are tough as nails. A little inquiry helped. A little more inquiry would have benefitted me even more. I knew going in that I wasn't well trained for heavy climbing yet. This issue was further exacerbated by the fact that I was on my tri bike which is built for speed thus possessing larger gears. A number of times I looked down wondering if I had extra gears. Nope.

--Bike selection. It is a tough call. I keep saying that 50% of the time I wanted my tri bike the other 50% I wanted my road bike. The courses had its fair amount of flats and small rollers where I was able to tuck into aero position and make up time. However, with the climbing and fearless descents, I was aching for my road bike. I am just much more aggressive downhill on the road bike since the frame is stiffer and the brakes are better.

--Hotel location. Portsmouth, OH is far from a tourist destination. In fact, if I never go back...I think I will be fine. We stayed at the fine Ramada Inn which served its purpose. The problem is that it was about 20 minutes from the state park. Driving back and forth only added to the stress of the situation. We got back late both nights and still had to find something to eat.

--Nutrition. This was crucial for the weekend. You were stuck with long races and short recovery periods. It is vital to put back the calories and be efficient in it. I ate after each race. In fact, I probably ate the wrong thing and too much of it. I went straight to the buffet line. Next time, I need to make sure I put back my recovery drink and THEN get solid food.

--Race Nutrition. I was dead on right here. I executed to perfection my plan for 3/4 races. I was a little off on the Half Ironman by Sunday but I knew the race would throw me a curve. I made a few adjustments and it seemed to work out.

--Know your surroundings. This was a particularly small race put on by a VERY laid back race director. Many of us benefited from this. And I think karma was a bit on my side. On Saturday, one of the competitors came out of transition with a flat and didn't have time to fix it. Jess was quick to throw him my second set of wheels and off he went. Sunday morning I exited transition with a flat. I didn't make it 1/4 of a mile. I had a choice...learn to change a tubular or backtrack the course and grab my other wheel. I hauled ass back to Jess' car, grabbed my other wheel and was off. Also, I used Jess to my advantage. On the HIM, the bottle exchange was back at transition before you started your second loop. This means there were probably 500 bottles on a table and you were to find yours. Nope. I gave mine to her and had her meet me at a different location. It worked perfectly.

--Recovery. This is probably where I failed a bit. The long drive took a lot out of me. I actually felt the worst going into the Friday night race. A 6 hour drive will do that to you. I did manage to get to bed early each night. Between races on Saturday, a small group of us just hung out at the park. It was a great idea as I just propped my feet up in my lounge chair. However, I don't nap and never fell asleep. Also, I need to park myself under a big tree and stay out of the sun. I also need to get in the lake immediately after the races and let the cool temps serve as an ice bath for my inflammed legs.

--Make friends. The coolest part of the race was the camaraderie. You were also setting up transition or standing in line to start with your rack mates. You have to make the best of it. Martin Cole and I became buds for the weekend. Super nice guy racing alone. We met brothers from Illinois, a guy from West Virginia, two hotties from Ohio. It all helped on the run course where you constantly saw each other. As Jess said, she arrived with 2 people to cheer on...when she left there were about 10-15.

--Meet the pros. Gordo Byrn was there. Freaking GORDO! For more about Gordo click the Gblogs link on the side of my blog. We met him on Friday night for a quick picture. I even help him pump up his disc. Of course he smoked the competition. But he was cool about it and was even seen mingling with the other competitors.

The oddest part of the weekend was racing with little to no care. Did I want to do well? Absolutely. But I didn't care one bit when someone passed me. It was really weird to race and hold back. It was all about surviving.

I will write more in the next few days detailing each race.

Race 1: 28:36
Race 2: 2:44:14
Race 3: 2:57:44
Race 4: 6:45:59
Total: 12:54:46

Yep...nearly 13 hours of racing this weekend through the mountains of Ohio. And to think that we just booked a cabin for next years race. :)

Hungry Anyone?

As if my last post wasn't proof enough, I spent time this afternoon assembling everything. Correction...everything that I plan to eat. Here is my diet for the weekend: All of that is going with me. Clif bars, clif builder bars, granola everything, bagels, peanut butter, ensure, 20 gels, 3 bags of ensure, 3 bags of cytomax, 5 bags of Infinite, 6 water bottles, one aerobottle, one thermos bottle, 2 gel flasks, e-caps, nuun. I think that is it. All of that gets stuffed into the cooler. And at some point shoved down my throat. Yummy.

TTT Mental Preparation

A few blogs back I went into some detail about how much time is spent preparing to workout or race. Here is a prime example. I spent the majority of last night thinking through my nutrition and hydration plan. Sounds simple. Well four hours later, I put it down for the night and decided that I would revisit it in the morning.

This is basically the process I go through for every race that is more than an hour. Nutrition and training are the two most important aspects of race day execution. Mess up your nutrition and you are toast...it doesn't matter how great of an athlete you are. This weekend is a bit different. There is a LOT to think through. Plus, I am a bit concerned that I will be tired of a particular form of nutrition by Saturday afternoon.

If you click on the image is *should* take you to a large, more readable copy. For some reason blogger sucks ass in the uploading spreadsheet department.

Triple T musings

In a mere 48 hours, I depart to venture on yet another athletic journey. This time I am destined for the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and the banks of the Ohio River. Portsmouth, or Shawnee State Park, is an hour outside of Lexington nearly where West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky converge. The area known as the Ohio's Little Smokies will become my home and dearest enemy for what will likely become the longest weekend of my life.

The DeSoto American Triple Triathlon (DATT or Triple T) is often regarded as one of the most difficult races in the country. Sure there are some crazy races like 100 mile marathons through the desert or the Ride Across America. Those are multi-day continuous endurance events. Triple T uses a different format. 4 races over three days. The distance? 140.6 miles. The same as an Ironman. Which is easier--to cover 140.6 miles in 12 hours of one day or 140.6 miles in 12 hours spread over three days? That is the question for the weekend.

This race is unique in every aspect. The format is something that isn't duplicated anywhere that I know of. From testimonies and reports, I understand the collegiality to be unrivaled by other races. This year there are only 338 competitors. You all get to know one another VERY well. Instead of wave starts, everything is time trial format which means competitors start every 5-10 seconds So Martin Cole from Salt Lake City and Michael Krss from Morton Grove (IL) are my transition buddies this weekend. I am sure we will spend plenty of time getting to know one another. Another interesting aspect of the race is that they allow teams to compete. And teammates are allowed to assist one another, even drafting on the bike. This race is unique in every way.

Friday, May 23, 5:00 PM
250m Swim - 5 mi Bike - 1 mi Run
Saturday, May 24, 7:30 AM
1500m Swim - 24.8 mi Bike - 6.55 mi Run Saturday
May 24, 3:00pm
24.8 mi Bike - 1500mi Swim - 6.55 mi Run
Sunday, May 25, 7:00am
1.2 mi Swim - 55.5 mi Bike - 13.1 mi Run

Believe it or not, I am very humble in this sport. I consider myself very blessed that I am able to compete at a very high level. Of course, that doesn't come without major sacrifice and dedication. I have been quite mum on this excursion until this week...just telling people I have a big race coming up. Look at the distances...they are absurd. I have friends who just completed their first Half Ironman two weeks ago. I am doing one on Sunday AFTER racing the day before. I am mentoring a few athletes who are building toward their first Olympic distance triathlon. I am racing TWO on Saturday...just for fun. There is something not right about all this.

Did I mention that the course in the Little Smokies? Oh yeah. It's not flat. Adding to the horror of the distance over numerous races is the monumental undertaking that one must climb, climb and climb in the mountains. The run...yep...uphill. I am fairly certain that they will release water from an upstream reservoir to make the swim upstream. Anything to add to the challenge.

Run course profile: All the runs are on the same course. The first run is a simple and fast 1 mile out and back. No real elevation gains. The second and third races are 6.5 miles. A complete out and bike on the entire profile. UP and down; UP and down. By Sunday, I will know and hate the course. I have to run it twice. Better yet, I have to walk it once and run it once (or so I hear).



Bike Course #1: In a sick and rather enjoyable way, this might be the highlight of the weekend. The first race is just a mere 5 miles on the bike. Simple. Well there is a monster hill. And there will be the tendency to go really hard. I mean, last years winner did average 30 mph on this course. That is killer. I will be happy riding in the mid-20s and feeling fresh for the rest of the weekend.

Bike Course #2: Welcome to the mountains. This is when I think the race will really begin. 7:30 Saturday morning. In my opinion, go out too fast in this race and you are done with for the rest of the weekend. The key is striking that perfect balance between racing hard enough but holding back plenty. I think miles 7 & 8 are going to hurt some kinda good.






Bike Course #3: Back to the mountains...OH BOY! This is where I think pain will begin to set in. I will feel the fatigue of the first race coupled with learning if I hydrated and nourished my body properly between races. I guess IHOP or a giant burger is out of the question. I will have a good idea what is facing me at mile 16 after descending it at mile 9 and watching the faces of other competitors climb the monster of a hill.



Bike course #4: Sufferfest. I don't think I will be able to feel my quads at this point. I am told some people get off the bike and walk to just stretch out these legs. The course isn't as brutal as the previous days but an out and back stretching for 56 miles isn't exactly inviting.






Sound fun, huh? Who wants to sign up for next year? Let's just say that the first objective for the weekend is to survive. The second is to have fun. Finally, I want to race smart.

I don't really know what to expect out there. I am told to add an hour to your normal HIM time for Sunday's race. I don't know if that is accurate or not. So in terms of time, my first goal is to beat my 12:34 time from Ironman. Second, I want to break 12 hours. If that is the case, then the break down might look something like this.

Race1: 30 minute
Race 2: 2:45
Race 3: 2:45
Race 4: 6:00

I think that might be about right. I will also be focusing on two aspects this weekend. First swimming. I want to have strong swims. This is an excellent time for me to experiment a bit in the water. I need to work through some issues in my wetsuit and then push myself in the water. I seem to never live up to my expectations on the swim leg. More importantly, I need to draft off someone. There is ample opportunities this weekend. I also plan on focusing on nutrition. This is where I think I might succeed or fail. If I nail it...then I will be good to go. If I fail, the wheels will fall off. I need to keep my calories higher than normal. I need to keep electrolytes in the body. As mentioned, the key will be nourishing my body between races on Saturday. Eat the wrong thing and race #3 is going to put you in a world of hurt. And finally hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

So there it is. A LONG weekend ahead. It will likely be one of the most memorable. I just hope to make the best of it and race smart and safe!!!

Tapering Madness

AHHHHHHH! I hate this madness. Tapering. It really sucks. I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemies. Well most of my worst enemies are my competitors so they are probably aware of it too.

Tapering--"A reduction in training intensity before a major competition to give the body time to recover and adapt so as to reach a peak in performance."

To the common person this seems simple. As your event approaches you begin to back off and rest up. It seems like your body would openly accept and look forward to the break. Well it does in weird, uncomfortable way.

I don't know all the science behind it with neurotransmitters and dopamine levels, but tapering for a race only proves to me that this sport is truly a drug. I feel just like a rehab patient attempting to kick a chemical dependency. Once peak training (if I can call it that) is complete, the body completely shifts gears. If you think about it, my levels of adrenaline and testosterone are altered. I was focused on the goal for so long but now I can begin to taste it. I go from happy go lucky to very irritable in the matter of moments. I lose complete focus on work and training. I am very sleepy however, I can't sleep at night. I want to go out every night and play catchup on my social life.

It is one of the weirdest feelings in the world. I do NOT want to workout. I act totally lethargic. Yesterday I swam for 20 minutes. Simply, I didn't want to swim...so I didn't. I wanted to curl up on the couch and sleep. Yet, I haven't fallen asleep before midnight all week. I get into bed tired but my body isn't exhausted. My chemical levels have shifted.

And all of this is normal. My body is in a bit of shock...despite still working out 7-8 hours this week. But recovery is the MOST important part of training. This is the time where you heal and actually gain speed.

One week from today I will be in Ohio. Like a light switch the adrenaline will be back and it will be time to race. I am ready for the madness to end.

Going to Belgium

Well it is official. I registered for the Belgium race. I view it as possibly one of the greatest experiences and stupidest decisions I have ever made. But seriously, how could I turn down the opportunity to race across Belgium with "DOLLAR" printed across my ass. That is so fitting for me.

Now I just need to set my travel agenda. If 48 hours in Panama City Beach gets me into trouble, I don't want to know what 2-3 days in Amsterdam can entail. Fortunately, I will be exhausted and it will be mid-week. I promise to be on my best behavior (that statement is for mom).

Belgium Update

Still no decision. I have until Friday. At this juncture I am leaning towards racing it. I don't really know how I can pass up this opportunity. I have to decide by Friday if I am going to register or not. That is $300 up front. Unless I find a compelling reason to change my mind, I am going to register on Friday and that will buy me a seat on the bus. I can always pull out if I don't feel like I can do it. Worst case scenario, I am out $300. I think that is the easier route than regretting it a month later and not being able to do anything about it.

While I am grateful for the opportunity, I am also fortunate in that I have a few good resources at my disposal. My friend Dan has raced with Team USA twice before and is an elite athlete himself. So I am frequently picking his brain about things. Also, I have access to a number of other people who raced with them in the past few years. At the least, I can say that I am going to make a very informed decision.

I spent part of my time at the beach this past weekend talking to coaches about the race. While they ALL said go for it, each one shivered at the thought of racing the distance. Yeah...me too. But they did reconfirm what I suspected....I will have to hire a coach if I want to be competitive at both the World Championships AND Ironman Florida. I can handle the IM FL training. I have my plan laid out. But I don't have the expertise to structure it so that I can properly train and recover for Worlds then turn around for Ironman 10 weeks later. So there is another expense.

And finally, the trip is going to be expensive. In all likelihood, if I choose to go to Belgium then I will not be buying a house in the next 4-5 months. It simply can't happen. I am coming to terms with that notion. Fortunately, I don't think the housing market is about to change anytime soon so I can postpone that decision to the first of the year.

So really the only thing holding me back right now is the cost. Here is what I estimate based on the information I have thus far:

Flight: $1200
Hotel Package: $1000
Event Registration: $300
Race Apparel: $200
Coaching: $900
Misc/Tourism: $500
Total: $4100

That is a lot of money and a pretty conservative budget. I think I can save a few hundred dollars here and there. But I feel for every penny I save I will get hit with another one. For instance, I didn't factor in shipping my bike or extra luggage.

And on the 79th day he rested

Well something like that.

February 22nd was my last rest day. That was the last time I did not run, bike or swim at least some distance worth calling a workout. 78 straight days of training. I was due to rest at some point. Interestingly enough, my rest day included swimming in the ocean where I swam in some of the roughest conditions I have ever experience. I thought it was good mental preparation for Ironman Florida.

Over that time I covered
Swim: 65,600y or 37.3 miles
Bike: 1041.8 miles
Run: 240.53 miles
I worked out for 121+ hours or 93 minutes per day.

(that sounds much more impressive than it really is).

May 5-11

Not really a good weeks worth of training. The first half was ok but the wheels fell off at the beach...as they probably should.

Monday--2000y swim; 23 mile ride
Tuesday--60 mile ride; 4 mile run
Wednesday--2.9 mile run; 3.5 mile ride (to a bar)
Thursday--2 mile run
Friday--15' of ocean swimming; 60' ride
Saturday--5 mile run
Sunday--Rest

Swim: 2000y plus some time in the ocean
Bike: 104 miles
Run: 14 miles
Total time: 8.2 hours

I have been loosely following an Ironman training plan for my Triple T training. The race is 140.6 miles over 40 hours instead of at one time. Given that, I didn't really see any need to spend 6 hours in the saddle. Instead, I *should* ride one morning then again in the evening. But that never really happened. Instead, I did ride for 4 straight days. My legs were a little beat after that.

But this week marked the beginning of a 2.5 week taper. That means I take my training load and intensity down. I let my body recover from months of pounding so that I am fresh for my race. Going to the beach this weekend helped. It forced me to slow down and chill instead of training more.

Belgium anyone?

So this morning, I was sifting through my personal emails when one in particular caught my attention. Among all the promotions and junk mail, I noticed an email from USAT (triathlon) corporate office. I thought it was their monthly newsletter or some computer generated response to my recent race. For some reason, I felt a bit compelled to open it.

Due to my performance at Powerman Alabama, I am invited to join Team USA and represent the country in the World Long Course Duathlon Championships in Belgium. Suh-weet!!!! This is essentially the Olympics of the duathlon world. And how cool would it be to have a Team USA jacket to wear to events. I would *look* intimidating.

Ok, I will back it up and explain how this happened. Powerman is a qualifier race for Worlds. Each age group is alloted a certain number of slots. For instance, often the top three of each age group qualify. However, if someone declines the invitation, it goes to the next person until it hits a certain rank that usually corresponds with a ratio compared to the winner's time (e.g. 10% of winners time). So in that race, I was 5th in my division and there are 4 slots available. BOO-YAH! Got one.

The race sounds absolutely brutal...12.4 mile run...50 mile bike...6.2 mile run. Ouch. And I don't even want to look at the terrain. If I perform at my absolute best...I *might* be able to break 5 hours. I also don't want to think about the international competition and racing against cycling studs named Normann or Laurens.

But how cool would it be to represent Team USA. They take this thing really serious. There is a parade of countries to kick off the event and a whole host of event all weekend. It is a festival of sorts. And to compete in an area of Europe that is rich in cycling history.

The race actually fits into my calendar pretty well. It is August 9-10. It falls in the middle of Ironman training. In fact, the distances are perfect for Ironman. If I could race those distances in August, Ironman would be much easier.

The only thing holding me back is the cost. This isn't exactly an ideal time to visit Europe. I don't imagine that I can get out of there for under three grand. I probably could do it on a budget and be conservative but I am not sure that is the best bet if I am traveling with a bike. I told myself this year, I was racing on a budget in an effort to save money. The left side of my brain tells me this is not an option right now.

The right side of my brain tells me that is would be soooooper cool to represent my country in an event. Also, this might be my only opportunity at a shot like this. Next year, I enter a new and MUCH more competitive age group. If I competed in the same race, I would have to shave nearly 20 minutes off my current resuts...that is quite the feat. How many people can say they raced against the best of the best and for Team USA?

I have two weeks to decide. I am currently reviewing panhandling tactics, extortion and prostitution. Maybe a rich reader wants to sponsor me. Otherwise I am headed to Buckhead to find a cougar.

Apr 27-May 4

Well it ended up being my longest training week of the year but fell well short of what I wanted it to be. This weather is absolutely killing me. It rains every fucking weekend. Due to a busy schedule I put my long ride on Saturday. I needed a minimum of four hours in the saddle. I got two before the bottom fell out of the sky. Then of course Sunday turns out to be gorgeous. I swear I can't win.

Monday--4000y swim, 21 mile bike, 1 mile run
Tuesday--30' weights, 60' run
Wednesday--50 mile bike, 1.2 mile run
Thursday--40' run
Friday--3 mile run, 3500y swim
Saturday--40 mile bike
Sunday--12 mile bike

Totals: 12 hours of training
Swim--7500y
Bike--120 miles
Run--17.4 miles

April Training Totals

Solid month for training. 30 days ago, I said my goal was to get on the bike as much as possible. And that I did. In fact, that is the most I have bike in a month...ever. I was quite surprised that my run volume was so high. I never focused on long runs. In fact, I only had one long run of 10 miles. My suspicion was correct that I am nailing a bunch of 5-8 mile runs. Those used to wear me down but an hour run is now fairly routine...I just go.

I only have two complaints. First, I need to get in the weight room. Injury prevention! Second, I still haven't started Master's classes. Merry Christmas in June? The reason? Well, I am so type "A" that I want to start them on a Monday and Monday is typically a swim day for me. Well the past few weeks I have been completely beat on Mondays. So I am going to postpone them until June. I plan on shaking up my training schedule a bit before starting my Ironman Florida training. This would be an ideal time to focus on my swim.

Alas, it was a good month. I will be pushed to repeat similar numbers:

April's totals:
Bike:	27h 46m 42s - 510 Mi
Run:	11h 03m 43s - 80.7 Mi
Swim:	7h 16m 04s - 22500 Yd
Strength:	30m
Yoga:	1h 20m