Mistletoe by the numbers

Not too surprising the numbers on paper don't look much better. The interesting thing to note is that had I pushed hard through the run and finished in a more respectable time then it would have only improved my age group standings by about one. Instead, I ended up about where I typically am in these races.

	Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run	Overall
Overall (349)	69	41	24	124	114	49
Age Group (21)	6	5	3	12	11	7
Fastest	0:09:48	0:00:28	0:28:52	0:00:23	0:18:47	1:00:55
Top 10	0:10:40	0:00:49	0:30:55	0:00:35	0:21:03	1:04:02
Andrew	0:12:56	0:00:52	0:32:26	0:00:53	0:26:01	1:13:01

Where has Ironman gone?

I am left wondering if the novelty of doing an Ironman has run its course in the triathlon community. Has it become such a bucket list item that only those who are competing, their family and closest friends actually care?

Sure that is an elitist attitude but hear me out. Over the past few years there has been a significant decline in following participants from the online communities. This year IMCDA and IMLP passed without much fanfare.

Where has the love gone? In the past it seemed that there were dozens of people signed up for these races. The online community rallied around its participants. People spent all day watching the races and commenting on people's performance. There were comments flying left and right. The support for the well known participants was equally rivaled by all the first timers.

It just seems to me that the love has slipped. Maybe it is because I am out of the loop. Maybe I am just disconnected this year. Or maybe, it has become a bucket list thing that everyone is doing so it isn't receiving any fanfare from the masses. What do you think?

(this isn't to discourage all the people training for their first, second, third, etc. Clearly I love the IM distance and have traveled many miles to watch them. If you want me to follow you, drop me a line. I promise to show you support.)

Mistletoe Sprint

My third race in the Tri the Parks Series came and went this past weekend without much fanfare. It was definitely a less than stellar performance for that distance. It began with a logistical screw up. I never really knew where the race was held. I thought it was a bit closer than it actually was. To my surprise it was nearly in Augusta...2 hours away.

So Jess and I were up and out the door extra early Saturday morning for a 75 minute race. I arrived with just enough time to get checked in and racked. I didn't have the opportunity to get in a solid warmup and the two hour drive sucked the energy right out of the body. I was trying to be optimistic and just have a solid race.

I made it down to the water and had about five minutes to loosen up. I knew the swim would be troublesome that day. I really haven't swim this month. I had a shoulder/neck issue that lingered for about two weeks so I have been uber-conservative in the pool. Or I just haven't gone. I still wanted to go hard.

Swim: 12:56

I lined up right behind the big boys and right on the buoy line. I hit the water hard and immediately got sandwiched between two bigger guys. The race to the first buoy was solid but I was loosing my positioning. I moved over one of the guys and rounded the buoy on this feet. This lasted until about the half way mark where we swam up on the wave before us. I have focused really hard on keeping my head in the water this year and reducing the amount of sighting. This backfired.

I didn't quite see the group split around the slower swimmers. Instead, I just latched onto the next group of feet. This lasted about a minute before I realized we were going way too slow. I popped out of the water and saw my pack of swimmers about 20 meters ahead. I knew I couldn't catch up. I just focused on long, smooth strokes. With about 100m left the leaders from the next wave came around so I grabbed feet and glided in. I came out of the water at about 11:50. Once again there was a long run up a hill to transition that seemed to take forever.

T1 0:51

My rack was the first one when you entered transition so I jumped into my shoes and was off running to the other end of transition in decent time

Bike 32:26

I was a fumbling idiot when I reached the mount line. For some reason I couldn't clip in. I missed it three times. Oh well, finally I was off. My plan was to ride hard and pick up the pace on the way back into the return. As I exited the park, I could tell my HR was still a bit jacked up. I tried to hammer each downhill and make up time there.

I could see the pack of swimmers that dropped me. They were about a half mile ahead at that point. At each of the turnarounds I could tell I was making progress, just not enough to catch them on such a short course.

I knew I was riding hard but I definitely didn't have any extra oomph in my legs. I tried to pick it up a few times but there was nothing there. I just maintained a steady pace and cruised back to transition.

T2: 0:53

I had a very nice dismount and then ran well back to transition (30s run). Then I made a rookie mistake. I made it to the end of transition and couldn't find my rack. I have never done that in 4 years of racing. Evidently, I came down the wrong row so I moved over and threw down the bike and was off.

Run: 26:01

Blah. I knew I wouldn't have run legs if I felt that dead on the bike. And I really didn't care either way at that point. The first part of the run was on a trail that had once of the steepest hills I have ever encountered. I actually walked half of it and wasn't losing ground to the guy in front of me. The it popped out on the road for about a mile before diving back into the woods.

The funniest part was when Chuck caught me about 1.75 miles into the run. We were running downhill chatting, not paying attention. Next thing we know we stopped dead in our tracks because the trail ended with a wooden lookout point. We scratched our heads before we saw the cones indicating which direction to go. Oops.

So I just cruised along without much care in the world until I hit the finish line.

Overall: 1:13:09

I took a few minutes to cool down and then hit the road. I knew it wasn't a good race and just wanted to get back to town.

Xterra Lock 4 Blast

Yes...I am alive. I just took a hiatus to get some stuff in order. I wanted to blog but just didn't have the motivation and energy. Alas, I am back.

Two weekends ago, Jessica and I went to volunteer at the Xterra Lock 4 Blast. Her friend helps put it on and they were well short on the volunteers. I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back to the sport. I had an 80 minute run on the calendar so the plan was to help with body marking and the swim then I would head out on my run. No worries.

We arrived well ahead of the race start. We did our volunteer thing for a while and were enjoying our nice morning. The race director came over the loud speaker and announced that a relay team was short a runner. I looked at Jess and shrugged my shoulders. I gave it some time in case others wanted to take the slot before I stepped up. About 20 minutes later, the team was less than thrilled with their prospects. I introduced myself, told them that I was in shape and could run 4.5 miles. They accepted me.

I didn't really know what to expect. I ran on those trails the other day so I knew what the terrain would be like. But that was an easy training run. This was a race. My teammate was a 15 year old female as the swimmer and an 18 year old cyclist. I felt confident that I wouldn't let them down. Then I learned they were racing a relay again friends. I met the other runner. I despise 18 year old cross country kids who are fast as lightening. I thought I might be in trouble if I had to duel it out with him.

The race started and I was taking transition splits. Our swimmer came out of the water about a third of the way back. Once the swim was over I began loosening up. The bike and run were two loops. Our cyclists comes through....in FOURTH place. Gulp. I thought...he went out too hard. I nervously wait in transiition for the exchange. A short time later he comes flying back...in THIRD place. No pressure.

So here I am am in my first off road race and I am starting the run in THIRD place overall. F-me!. To make matters worse, I have NO clue where the course even goes. My plan was to just follow the people in front of me. The leaders were minutes ahead...there was NO one around.

I just take off sprinting...there is podium on the line. I hit my first mile around 7:30 and wonder if I am going to just die. The single track course is pretty technical in nature. There are two steep drops and climbs and one section that you have to stop completely to jump down. At one point I am running so hard that I lose track of what is going on. I wasn't paying attention and wondered if I was even on the right path anymore.

I popped out of the woods and headed back to transition for the the second lap. The worst part was running on the grass. The put the course on the side of a hill so the cambered surface was brutal. I start the second lap still in third place but I can see another runner about 30s down.

As I re-enter the woods I can hear his footsteps in the not so far distance. I know I am toast. I am beginning to hurt at this point. Suddenly he is on my shoulder. I notify him that the trail is his when he wants to pass. He just sticks to my shoulder. I am pushing and pushing but the body is hurting. He makes his move and I try to go with him. I look behind me as we dart out of the woods toward the finish line. I have no one pursuing me so I back off the throttle a bit.

So we ended up 4th overall and naturally the 1st relay team by a large margin. Needless to day, I didn't plan a 4.5 mile LT test through the woods. But all is good. It was a fun race. I am glad I was able to step up for a couple teenagers and the team. Volunteering, racing and hardware. Not a bad day.

Trail Running

Traveling always throws a small wrinkle into my training plans but sometimes it affords me the opportunity to return to the basics and find pure enjoyment in the sport.

I abandoned my run workouts for the week and instead headed to the trails for some training. I previously ran the trails at Brasstown during my last visit. This time I tried to do better but the unmarked trails sent me the wrong way. Fortunately between the hiking trails, equestrian trail and golf cart path I was able to wind through the woods and log some mileage.

On Sunday, Jess and I went to a state park that has a few mountain biking trails. My plan was to do about 75 minutes but trail running just beats you down. 5 miles later I was whipped.

I admit that I miss trail running a lot. It reminds me of my youth...spending hours running cross country. Our home course was a beautiful and challenging run through the woods. 10 years later, I am starting to remember exactly how hard it was. And why I don't recall any of my times.

In trail running, you really never get into a rhythm. Up, down, hop, jump. Repeat. The course yesterday was awesome. It had rocks, roots and jumps throughout it. You literally had to stop a few times to maneuver. You also have to let go of time goals when you trail run. I am lucky to hold a 10:00 mile pace. That felt like pushing it.

Most importantly, I know I need to do more of this. It is great cross training. My joints were jolted in a number of directions. I was using muscle groups that I didn't know existed. One of my off-season goals was to focus on non-vertical axis moves. Since swimming, cycling and running generally occur on the same vertical axis, it seems that most of the injuries we receive are due to failure in muscles that support our movement laterally. Trail running combines a number of these elements. Hopefully, I am able to get out more in the offseason and attack this weakness

Dancing along at 47 rpm

Time to resume training and some of the focus is to have fun. This week marked our annual meeting in north Georgia at Brasstown Valley Resort. Last year I was injured when I came to stay so I wanted to capitalize on the great riding opportunity this time. I left work early on Wednesday and prepared to ride the back three gaps--Jacks, Unicoi and Hogpen.

I was like a little kid on the ride up here. I was giddy. I haven't ridden up here in over a year and I missed it. The gaps are hands down one of the best places to ride in the entire nation. 40 miles will work you over like no other. The reward for climbing to the top is the fast and swift descent down the other side of the mountain.

I parked at the intersection of 19 & 180 and I started east toward Brasstown Bald. In the past, I have always ridden my road bike up here because of the easier gears. I was too stubborn to bring it this time so I opted for the tri bike...and non climbing gears. All I had was a 53/39 and a 12-25. Hmm...guess it will have to work for me.

Jacks is just a long warm up. It was 5-6 miles out to Brasstown Bald. The climb is steady and rises about 5-600 feet over the course of the trip. There is only one brief spot where it spikes. As I am getting warmed up, I am finding myself out of the saddle and in my 39-25 a bit more that I want to be. This could make Hogpen challenging. Brasstown comes and goes and I tuck into aero position for the nice long descent for about 4 miles.

Unicoi provides a slightly different challenge. It is more short and steep as you climb through a number of switch backs. The climb is about 6-700 feet over the course of 3 miles. None of the climbs are too challenging...just enough to make you burn and hurt as you power your way through them. The best part of Unicoi is the LONG descent....over 1500' spread among 7 miles.

The downside to take the tri bike up there is that I couldn't fully enjoy the descents. The bike just doesn't handle like a road bike in the turns. Of course, all I can think about is all the crashes from the previous days Tour where pro riders lost control of their TT bikes. The bikes just are responsive like that. So I ride the brakes most of the time trying to keep the speed around 35.

Finally, I make the turn onto 75. I am nearing the base of Hogpen. And I know what goes down...has to go back up. The Hogpen climb is legendary...not just locally but nationally. It is part of the Tour de Georgia course and has been known to break the best of riders. People come from all around the nation to give it their best...if they can. The total climb is 2000' over about 10 miles. The main section is 7 miles of climbing of about 1500'. Relentless.

This was only the fourth time I have ever attempted it. I typically stick to the front three gaps...just enough climbing to make you really work without destroying you. I still recall the first time I tried it. I remember pull off on the side of the road twice because I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I remember wondering if I could catch a ride to the top. Last year I had a much better climb. I was a stronger cyclist and determined not to let it break me. I still remember getting to the top and pulling over for a few minutes to catch my breath.

I started at the base determined. The first few miles were enough to make me question my sanity. You climb a few hundred feet and then go back down. Then you climb about 600' and go back down. It just teases you like this. Each time you return to the base of the hill. And then it begins.

I started my clock to time how long it would take me to reach Hogpen's peak. 7.3 miles in about 48 minutes. That translates to about 9 mph...which actually shocks me. I am finding a rythem of standing and climbing for 15 seconds and then back into the saddle for about 5 seconds. My cadence is hovering about 60 rpm. About every 10 minutes it will flatten out for about 100 feet. When my cadence hit 70 it felt like I was taking off. I used every opportunity to catch my breath.

The hardest part of ride occurs on a two mile stretch near the top. The two miles takes me 19 minutes. My cadence is in the low 40s. Let me just say that when you reach a point where you can only hold 40 rpm...it feels like you are about to roll backwards.

The worst part of Hogpen is how it teases your near the top. There are 3-4 places where you can pull off and look into the valley created by the mountains. This typically signifies the peak. Not on Hogpen. You reach a turnoff only to see the road continue to climb until you see the sign for the Appalachian Trail. Finally. It is over.

The descent is breathtaking. A few years back, I hit 54 mph going down the other side. Today, I only peaked at 42. That was fast enough with carbon fiber shaking under me. It was fun to tuck into aero on the long stretch and get some real speed.

I made it back to my car covering 39.9 miles in 2h 37m averaging 15.2 mph. I was more than pleased with that ride. I got off the bike and my legs were complete jello. Now I just need to hope I didn't trash the body along the way.

Peachtree 10k

Nothing like running 6.2...err...6.3 miles with 55,000 of your favorite Atlanta friends. The Peachtree is an Atlanta tradition just like the Varsity, Clairmont Lounge or traffic standing still at the oddest of times. In recent years, the Peachtree has earned the distinction as the world's largest 10k. And it lives up to the billing as 55,000 people gather and run, jog, skip, walk, stroll down the city's main artery all in the name of receiving the coveted t-shirt. Alas, I fell victim to joining the masses again.

Luckily, they offer runners the opportunity to get sub-seeded. That is...ahead of everyone else. By submitting previous accomplishments they gladly place you ahead of the 45,000 people who are first timers or walkers. I learned my lesson the first time. ALWAYS submitted a time and get sub-seeded. I makes your race and day much better.

This Fourth of July was a pleasant surprise as Atlanta was greeted with cooler weather throughout the week. The mornings were quite comfortable. The cooler temps provided a great atmosphere for the race.

Living close to the start of the race, it made sense for me to just jog to the start. For some reason, I changed my mind. I didn't really want to jog the mile home from marta. So I planned on driving to marta, parking and jogging to the start line and then benefit from having my car for post race. As I parked, I realized I forgot my HRM strap so it was back to the house. At this point I was officially running behind.

I decided to park a few blocks away from marta to cut down on my warmup jog to the start line. I stepped out of the car at 7:10. Race began at 7:30. I was a mile away and had to navigate through 55,000+ people to locate my corral. So my warmup was a little more than that. I wasn't afforded a nice easy jog as my 8:30 pace got me there in time for the National Anthem. I quickly made my way through the crowd and entered my corral with about 3 minutes to spare. A few quick stretches and I was ready to go.

Coaches instructions were simple. Warmup for the first mile, push the next 4, gut it out if you can but feel free to cool down after that point. He just wanted a solid 30 minute effort. Sounded good to me. Personally, I have never wanted to 'race' the Peachtree. Too many people fighting for space. You would really think 6 lanes on a road would be enough but it never is.

The gun went off and so did my corral of 5,000 people...all pushing and shoving trying make room. I settled into a nice, comfortable pace. I figured I would run the first mile in about 8:00 and then push it down to sub 7:30 and go into cool down.

About half a mile into the race, the crowd thinned out and you could move. I was able to push the comfortable pace a bit more. First mile, 7:47. Feeling good. The next 1.5+ miles are downhill and so I opened up a bit more. It still amazes me how many people never take the time to learn to run downhill properly. Mile 2: 7:15. Much of the same for the next mile until you hit the base of Peachtree Battle and start working Heartbreak Hill. Mile 3: 7:04

At mile 3 the race really begins....nearly 2 miles of nice hills. Per instructions, I attacked the hills. Despite the lack of hill training I wasn't going to let them break me. Mile 4: 7:45. The next mile flattens out a bit more and it ends up being false flats with gentle inclines. Mile 5: 7:45.

I am feeling pretty good at this point. I can tell that I just pushed it up the hills but I am far from exasperated. I tell myself to just hang tough for the next half mile and then I will re-evaluate. At this point, I realize that I am pretty close to setting a PR. That certainly wasn't the plan for the day. I also recall the final half mile is more or less down hill so I decide to keep holding my pace. I debate picking it up but as always I refuse to go into that hurting zone when I know my pace is solid. Mile 6: 7:04. On 10th street, I just cruised. I enjoyed picking up the pace on the down hill and seeing the finish line in front of me.

Chip time: 46:23 (7:22 pace)
10k time: 45:52

Boh are PRs at this distance which caught me by surprise. I grabbed my t-shirt, something to drink and headed to marta. My IT band was killing me after the race so I just wanted to get home.

Another Peachtree in the bank. That makes it 4 in a row for me. And despite complaining about it, I know I will be back next year. Now I just need to figure out how to run and learn to hurt

Indian Springs by the numbers...

Well the data confirms what I already knew. Within my age group, I came back into T2 in 3rd place then I got run down. It really is defeating to look at how out of line my OA ranks are. Guess it is time to attack that weakness and change that.

	Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run	Overall
Fastest	8:39	0:30	0:35:45	0:20	0:16:55	1:06:22
Benchmark	10:33	0:45	0:37:34	0:41	0:19:40	1:09:11
Andrew	11:59	0:59	0:39:53	0:55	0:24:18	1:18:06
AG Rank (32)	7	5	4	6	13	6
OA Rank (424)	63	52	28	79	90	38

June Training Totals

June was a big month for training. It should have been bigger but I had a few minor set backs.

June's totals:
Bike: 21h 50m 06s - 420.4 Mi
Run: 7h 31m 54s - 52.5 Mi
Swim: 6h 54m 01s - 22512 Yd
Strength: 35m
Yoga: 1h 40m

The focus this month was clearly the bike. I found myself on it more often than I do laundry...which creates a problem when you need clean shorts. The volume really only represents three solid weeks of training. Last week was little to nothing. I also raced two sprints in June that prevent a bit more training.

For the year, it looks like this:

Bike: 89h 46m 08s - 1681.94 Mi 56% of goal
Run: 57h 18m 09s - 397.35 Mi 53% of goal
Swim: 33h 12m 20s - 101978 Yd 51% of goal

It looks like I am on par with where I thought I would be for the year. Of course, the goals were a bit random. I actually think I will be hard pressed to reach the bike and definitely the swim. I think the run goal will be achieve easily.