A huge part of the Tri Rally experience isn’t the epic training, even though we will do over 200 miles on the bike in two days! It isn’t the people, even though we average 100 athletes at every training camp. So what’s left, you ask?
The Coaching!!!
That’s right; whether you have Rich or Patrick at your rally, you are guaranteed to get several hours of coaching guidance and support for your $25 registration fee. We talk training, we talk racing, we talk execution, we answer your questions….the list goes on. (Find a rally that fits your schedule here.)
As an example, here are the links to Coach Patrick’s review of the Ironman Lake Placid Bike and Run courses from our 2011 Triathlon Rally. This talk is divided into five separate sections, so fire up your Internet connection, grab a nice beverage, and get ready to get your learning on.
TeamEN had 30 athletes on the course last weekend. Many of them are eager to tell their stories and we present them here to you in a consolidated blog post. Be sure to check back frequently as this will be updated over the coming weeks!
David Halligan: Coach Patrick interviews Dave about his race experience at Ironman USA 2010. Learn how Dave really upped his game from 2008 and how his day played out across the bike (only a 3 minute positive split) and where he entered a “world of hurt” on the run course!
Dana Sharp: Coach Patrick interviews the inimitable Dana Sharp, returning to her first Ironman after having a baby. Learn how she used the EN plans to manage her training time, and our Four Keys guidance to manage her race day! Very informative and inspirational.
Eric Voboril: Coach Patrick from Endurance Nation interview Eric about his race day experience. Eric set a big new PR and had a really solid day across the board for a self-described “average” athlete. Tune in to hear how he got it done!
Cary Blanco: Coach Patrick digs into Cary’s race story to learn more about how he leveraged the Four Keys to make his first time IM experience so powerful and rewarding!
Suzanne Kinsky: Coach Patrick finds out how Suzanne recovers from a broken elbow only seven weeks out from race day (!!!) to lay down a great first-ever (marathon) and Ironman!
Other Lake Placid Resources
In addition to the growing list of athlete resources above, there were a few other EN moments captured on audio for your listening (and learning) pleasure!
Team EN IMUSA Dinner Overview: Coach Patrick records his welcome message and quick overview of the Ironman USA course as presented to the Team during our annual dinner. More than 80 athletes, family members and friends descended on Nicola’s to connect with one another and prepare for a great weekend. We hope you enjoy this podcast and take it as an example of how commited Endurance Nation is to supporting the Age Group triathlete – from our renown training plans to fun, family-oriented race weekend experiences!
Four Keys of Ironman Execution, Ironman USA Version: Coach Patrick delivers the Ironman USA version of our Four Keys of Ironman Execution Talk, live at Ironman Lake Placid in July 2010. Patrick discusses the Four Keys, the guidance used by thousands of successful Ironman finishers, and then describes their application, in detail, to the IMUSA course.
Like what you hear? Think you could benefit from the resources, community and support of Endurance Nation? Interested in joining our team of 400+ Ironman and Half Ironman athletes? Go here!
Derek Sumida smiled all day long during his first IM, finishing in 11:19!
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The following is a quick recap from IMUSA by Coach Patrick. A full report will come later this week, as well as podcast interviews and more photos. For now you can see our pictures online via SmugMug and learn more about the weekend by cruising our Facebook page. If you like the vibe and want to be a part of Team EN, please sign up for our Waitlist — next opening in mid-August!
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The 2010 edition of Ironman Lake Placid went off pretty much without a hitch. Weather reports all week suggested that it would be wet and pretty ugly. But the day actually turned out to be a pretty good day for racing. Still cool in the mornings with a couple quick showers, but the race kicked off under overcast skies with all reports pointing to a rough and pretty fast swim. People said it was brutal in the water. While the additional 800 people didn’t appear to show up so much in the photographs, they were definitely felt by the athletes in the water.
Out on the bike, it definitely was a tale of two races, Lake Placid being cool with some wind and moisture, while down lower in Keene, Wilmington and Jay it was warm to hot. And, I think that combination of cool and hot really wreaked havoc with a lot of folks. Not to mention the variable pacing issues that many middle of the pack cyclists faced as the course was quite full of athletes. All in all, the strong bikers still went fast…including a 5:07 from the eventual female winner. I was able to ride the course backwards and see many of the EN folks, some twice. Very cool.
Entering the run, it was still somewhat overcast. When the sun did come through it was hot, but for the most part it was cool. The wind did pick up continuously throughout the day, and as a result, some of the runners did face some pretty significant headwinds. Again, the temperatures did fluctuate and if you were unlucky enough to mess up your bike nutrition, you definitely suffered on the run. But, overall, for the team, it was a great race. I alternated hanging out with the Team at the EN tent and spending time at Mile 18 before I rolled into the finish line to start catching athletes.
We had people all across the board setting anything from an hour and a half personal bests to not setting a personal best but still having a great race. One of the great things about Ironman is that each day is unique and while you don’t always get what you wanted, sometimes you get something that’s even more rewarding. I think it’s safe to say our athletes experienced that across the board.
Here are a few post-race video interviews from our YouTube Channel:
Another giant thank you to all the EN athletes and families who made race week and race day so special. A shout out to the athletes who stopped to tell me that our Four Keys of Ironman execution really worked for them. All of you have earned some time off…so take it! We’ll still be here when you get back; take the time to write up your race report and process what did / didn’t work for you so you can be better next time!
Until then, be safe out there and see you on the roads!
We are in the process of gathering PR info from the Team, but standouts include Carrie Chavez, IMUSA Team Captain, posted a 22′ PR to earn 6th in her 40-44 age group with 11:30, and Mike Cook’s 10:43, a 50′ PR.
Many first-timers reported great races. Without exception they credited the Team’s race execution focus with teaching them the skills that helped them avoid the pacing and other mistakes that hundreds of other athletes continue to make year after year.
Team dinner at Nicola’s attended by over 70 athletes, family and friends.
Nearly 100 athletes attended our Four Keys talk on Friday. Many, many thank-yous on the course and at the finish line by talk attendees.
Team race reports and stories from the weekends are beginning to trickle in. You can view them here.
The Swim: Water temps were a bi chillier than usual, but only by a few degrees. The water, as you can see, was calm and perfect for a great swim. Preliminary reports suggest it was a very aggressive & physical swim start. Almost everyone was close to their predicted time.
The Bike: Cloudy and humid conditions ensured that everyone was pretty cool for the first one to two hours on the day. The roads were slick from the rain, but it wasn’t actually raining when the athletes were on the bike. A few folks geared up for the ride, probably scared from 2008, but it wasn’t really necessary.
Lap one was, as always, pretty fast. Most folks hit the timing mat at mile 36 (end of the out/back) with ridiculous time splits…the climb back to town settled most people down, but for many the damage had already been done. Lap two saw the adrenaline that carried most of the competitors through the first 56 miles fading fast. Hills were longer, the wind picked up and the return to town, all 20 miles from the end of the out/back (or 12 from the bottom of the “climbing section”) were very tough. Athletes who followed the Four Keys Ironman Execution protocol to pace properly were definitely in a good place…and in the minority.
We estimate that, on average, athletes rode to their potential on race day, if not a few minutes slower. Conditions were tough but not crazy.
The Run: Athletes ran in the same overcast and muggy conditions that pervaded the bike leg, with the only real “break” coming in the form of about 90 solid minutes of hot, hot sun starting around 3:30pm. As a result, almost everyone had to deal with this on the run as some point, and for many it was the last straw.
As usual, the solitary portion of the run along River Road was tough for many…this year the officials really enforced the no-bikes rule back there making it hard for anyone to get in to cheer. Rich and Patrick rode down Papa Bear to River Road and then walked in to station themselves at about mile 7/19, critical pacing markers for out Team. From there they encouraged or cracked the whip as needed, Twittering updates to the rest of the team eagerly following the race online.
In all, most Team EN athletes had a solid day despite the weather and terrain. The combined humidity and heat zapped many goals, but few reported being disappointed. It was truly a day that demanded 110% mental focus, execution, and physical strength. Coming up short in any of those areas meant you paid the price.
From the Pointy End: On the pro / Kona qualification side, the folks were still fast. While the overall qualification times really didn’t change from past years, the conditions meant it was harder to earn that same time. The top athletes were once again the best runners on the day, able to run fast times despite the high temperatures. The men’s and women’s overall winners both built dominating leads on the bike and then cruised the run.
Congratulations to all the finishers. You have earned some well-deserved downtime…and lots of fluids! Happy recovery and see you at the races.
With Ironman USA around the corner, and customary race execution focus in full effect, it’s time to dig back into the EN archives for more info on tapering. We have two posts and one podcast for your reading / listening pleasure…so back away from the ledge, put down that triple espresso and tune into what’s going on right now with our training, body, and mind!
If you need to understand the taper, and understand the demons that are tearing at you right now, in the last few weeks before your race, then you’ll want to read the Ironman Tweak. This is a complete mental and physical overview of the what, when, why and how of tapering for an Ironman.
For a specific version of what to do during an Ironman Taper — if you don’t have specific guidance already — read this previous post.
For the full technicolor (and latest) version on this topic, please download and listen to our Ironman Taper Podcast Episode. Join Rich and Patrick for this hour long show that covers the elusive Ironman taper. In addition to outlining how you can set up your own taper, Rich and Patrick conduct an interview with Dave Halligan about his experience at the Mooseman Half. Your fearless leaders finally have time to discuss a few of the nuances of the IM Coeur d’Alene swim and transition areas. A great hour!
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2011 EN Triathlon Rallies
Every year Endurance Nation hosts FREE training camps across the US. Last year more than 150 triathletes joined us!! In 2011 we'll be holding events in:
