More than 75 minutes of IMUSA information!

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.

Ironman Lake Placid: Bike & Run Review (1 of 5): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8z4nEF6iCE

Ironman Lake Placid: Bike & Run Review (2 of 5): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPDkRJlA2BE

Ironman Lake Placid: Bike & Run Review (3 of 5): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iknRl2Dg64g

Ironman Lake Placid: Bike & Run Review (4 of 5): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUW8lqDFWag

Ironman Lake Placid: Bike & Run Review (5 of 5): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKwBHdsS6sU

 

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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!

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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!

Coach Patrick

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Executive Summary for Team EN at Ironman USA:

• 36 Team members competed. View the complete Team results here.
• 4 podium finishes: Maryka Sennema, 10:41, 1st W25-29, Kona; Jeffery Capobianco, 9:48, 3rd M35-39, Kona; Steve Chavez, 10:34, 3rd M50-54, Kona; Staci Studer, 11:11, 4th W35-39, Kona.
• 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.

Listen to the coaches recap on Triathlon Execution Radio

The Details:
Pictures here,

View this video online 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.

View this video online here.

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.

View this video online here.

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.

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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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Lake Placid –home of the 1980 Winter Olympics and for the last 10 years our July stop in the North American IM Tour . Well, OK not exactly a ‘TOUR’ but it’s July and we’re all thinking ‘TOUR’ so I had to work it into the blog post. I have a racing roster of 37 members from Endurance Nation racing IM-USA this coming Sunday and a growing number coming out to be a spectator, volunteer, or signup for next year. While we don’t have the insider on all 37, here is a snap shot of our members who will be EXECUTING EN-style on Sunday:

TEAM BOYLE

After a highly successful 2008 season, Team Boyle is excited to stay local and return to LP this year. The 2009 edition will be Leigh’s 4th IM and Dave’s 2nd. This years’ preparation has been anything but smooth sailing, but both are confident with the fitness they will be bringing to the table. Unlike IMFL, there will be no yard-work wager this year (“the jungle” cannot be tamed by one person thanks to the monsoon season in NH this summer). However, the losing party will in fact be inheriting some long overdue house work. This years’ wager will be based on who will have the best negative split run-times.

This will be number 2 in LP and third IM for Dominic. Last year racing with EN he had a 1:26 PR in Florida. He returns to LP the site of his first IM in hopes of maintaining that sub 12 hour time. His focus for the day: “ executing the best race possible under the given conditions will be my focus and let the time work itself out. I am really fortunate to have my family’s support – cheering on race day from home will be my wife Tracie, daughters Sophia, Grace and Eva, and my son Peter. As always, my family is my “one thing” and I will think of them throughout the day, knowing that they are watching, and hopefully finishing before the kids go to bed at 7pm EST. After 2 full seasons in the “haus”, this has been my most consistent and fun season of training yet and I’m already looking forward an even better year under the EN banner for IMCDA 2010!”

A veteran IMer with 6 under his belt, will take a first crack at the LP course. His expectations: “ to execute a smart race. I have goals in mind, but I am not going to allow the success of my day to be defined by time or competitor measurements. Rather, given my fitness and the conditions of the day, did I execute my race plan to the best of my abilities? Hopefully the answer will be yes.” His one thing: “My one thing is pretty basic, I am just thankful that I have the ability to swim, bike and run (no matter how slow). The support of my family and friends allows me to demonstrate my thanks by challenging myself in an ironman.”

This will be Marianne’s first time in LP and her 4th IM. She has been with EN since 2007 and a formidable voice in the forum. Her day will center on a celebration of “my health, God, my friends and family that got me to race day and not hold back anything!! I will race smart, encourage others, and gut it out to the finish! My one thing? Stay Strong!”

This will be Mike’s third IM and second in LP. His expectations for the day will be to “celebrate my fitness, and the long journey to arrive at this goal. Have fun-that’s why we do this: don’t obsess/worry too much about the race: just do it, and enjoy the event; the results will be what they will be”. Other thoughts on race week: “ Enjoy the company of my friends, family, and meet some of the cool EN peeps.” Mike’s One Thing: “ I want to RUN the entire marathon, and I plan to do everything I can re: intelligent execution to give myself the best chance of doing that!”

Greg’s first IM was last year in LP. He returns to: “Have a great race, PR it, stay in the box and execute according to my plan. Knowing that “pain is temporary and Ironman is forever” with my family cheering me on is my ‘one thing’.”

Jeremiah is a newbie to Ironman but like many new comers brings a perspective vision for us all: “Race day expectations are pretty basic…I just want to finish my first IM. I want to execute the race wisely and put to use the hours of training, reading and listening about IRONMAN. My ‘one thing’ is to challenge the ‘spoiler’. That little (or big!) voice that tells me ‘I can’t’ or that ‘I am not good enough’. Training puts me in direct contact with the ‘spoiler’ as I need to confront it each moment to continue. I came to IRONMAN to hopefully, bury the spoiler or at least, do some serious damage. Truthfully, this process has given me skills to deal with the spoiler that I hope to carry to other aspects of life. As a guitar teacher, the process has helped me pass on some skills to students as they deal with their own spoilers. In short, my one thing is to become the ‘Spoiler Dominator’.”

Bob is also making his first IM journey in Lake Placid. His newbie thoughts: “I have never done anything in my life ‘just to finish’. I have been training and studying for the past year so as to have a great experience and finish with the best time that I can. I do not know if I will ever do another IM, so I want to make this one memorable and I’ve been preparing so that I will have no regrets. This has truly been quite the commitment and has taken a lot of my focus. My family, especially my wife Ellen has been tremendously supportive. My ‘One Thing’ is to make them proud of me !!”

For number of IM’s David says this is his “ First one ever!” His expectations for the day: “ I want to finish. I want to run well off the bike (walk/slow down as little as possible). I would like to go sub-13 hours.” Sounds good David, I say just change the “want” and “would like” to “will” and you are good to go. His one thing: “ I have two: my 9-year-old son will be there and I want him to see me do well, but mostly I am doing it for the young boy who watched the Hawaii IM on ABC sports (1980-ish) and said that one day he would do it.”

Third IM/third in LP. His thoughts: “I’m hoping to have a fun, fast, and great race up in LP. My one goal is to get to the finish line healthy and standing, and hopefully not make a trip to the medical tent. If I can race faster than in years past with a well balanced bike and then a strong run using the EN race plan I’ll be happy. Oh, and the icing on the cake will be if the weather is better than last year!”

This will be number one for Joe who has also been in the EN “haus” for awhile learning and practicing what he has learned with a few HIM’s. Joe’s one thing for the day: “ to execute the bike so the run is a non issue! Also, to remember I am doing this for fun and enjoy every second….whether I am in pain or joy!”

Erik’s third IM and first in LP. He has put some time in his swim and has a swim time goal of sub 1:10. Other expectations for the day: “‘One thing’ for me is a sub-11 finish and/or a 3:45 run split with a steady run pace.”

IM #12 for Carrie and her 6th time in LP. Her thoughts for race day: “ I feel prepared to race and will see if I can better the previous races I had there. I will be happy with whatever the day brings me. This is all a gift and I just love this lifestyle and being able to race with my husband Steve!!” Steve is also on the roster racing this Sunday. Carrie’s ‘one thing’: “My one thing will always be my faith! “Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord”. This goes exactly with EN’s philosophy of holding back in the race and waiting until mile 18 of the run. Being patient and trusting in your training. Not going crazy in the beginning and just waiting for the glory of the last 8 miles. As the reward for your patience is being able to continue running!!! I pray all day on the race course and sing songs in my head that remind me of this. Believe me it gets tough out there and we all enter those dark places of doubt. It is at those times that we need to be prepared with a plan. Just like in life when people or circumstances try to rob you of your joy. You need to fight back with positive thoughts and actions!!! I will be thinking of my online team on race day and using you for strength. You have all been so supportive this year. Thank you very much!!”

This will be Mark’s 5th Ironman and 4th in LP. His expectations for the day: “ I have improved on every race by 30 minutes or more and am looking to set a PR of under 11:00 hours ( last Placid was 11:34). I want that photo to have a 10 in it so lets shoot for 10:59. EN has helped to make it a reality as long as my Plantar Fasciitis stays calm.”

Chris raced Canada last year under the EN banner and will add IM number 5 with a first crack at LP this year. He comes to race day with no expectations. His thoughts: “ I have been taking international flights for work most weeks in 2009 so the training has taken a back seat. I just need to acknowledge that I am not as fit as I should be and so must execute an intelligent race. My aim is to enjoy the day, support the EN team and finish with a smile.”

GRANT STAUFFER

This would have been IM number 2 for Grant but has been put ‘on hold’ for now due to a cycle accident during the Florida Half in May this year. Grant’s thoughts for the race day and his fellow team EN: “I want to be there to support all the athletes that have worked so hard to get their day and to be part of the high energy all around. My ‘one thing’ will be to try and keep my emotions in check having to stand on the sidelines.”

Thanks to Grant for reminding all of us that first and foremost: “Be Safe”.

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Drop in, meet the coaches, and they’ll answer any last-minute Ironman execution questions you have. They’ll buy you an add shot, or you first beer, and you can even join the Team on the spot, currently closed thru Oct 2009 with a 120+ person waiting list.

Opportunities to “Get Your Mind Right” with Endurance Nation @ IMUSA

• Four Keys of Ironman Execution Pre-Race Talk, Friday 10am @ the swim start
• Friday and Saturday, 3-5pm at Starbucks, then 8pm till at Lake Placid Brewery

After the Team’s incredible performance at IM Coeur d’Alene (26 finishers, 70+ Team dinner, 80+ pre-race talk), Endurance Nation keeps it rolling at Ironman USA. 31 TeamEN athletes will toe the line. The Endurance Nation homepage will feature Twitter updates from the coaches, team and friends as well as TeamEN athlete tracking via our very own live spreadsheet!

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Another year, another 5-days in Lake Placid for our annual east coast epic training junket. This year’s flavor was a bit dialed down due to the economy, etc., but we had a great squad. All in we trained Wednesday through Sunday in some amazing conditions and new places. Read on to learn more and hear a bit about what we have in store for you in 2010!

Tuesday: Arrival + Pizza.
Lots of logistics and organizational stuff. Included 90+ minute talk on racing Ironman and racing in Lake Placid.

Wednesday: Race Simulation 112-mile ride + 6-mile run.
We started about 9am to give folks the chance to recover from the drive up. Heading out together we split on the descent to go our own ways. About 50% of the campers did the full 112, with the remainder doing about 98-miles by skipping the out/back on lap two. A great refresher for pacing the course, as an evening power file review showed that pretty much everyone went too hard at the outset and suffered through lap two.

Thursday: Long Ride + Swim Day
Coming off the epic mileage of Wednesday, the campers split up a bit to find their own space. Some rode 112 again, some did a shorter ride with a longer run, some swam/biked/run, and a few intrepid souls did 112 including an 8-mile TT up Whiteface. Ouch. With the fatigue from Wednesday acting as a governor, the evening power file review showed that most folks did a much better job of pacing today.

Friday: Shorter Ride Day + Options
A few campers left on Friday to return home for the weekend, so everyone was really on their own. Some folks got in one more lap of the course, others ran the full run course, the coaches put in about 65 miles exploring new roads in an attempt to get off the IMUSA course/stay sane.

Saturday: Epic Ride Day
Meant to be about 120-miles, this loop takes us out of Placid down to Keeseville, over to Keene and back on the course. We modified it just before leaving, based on our off-the-beaten path experience from Friday. We found some new roads and really got to explore the area all the way down to Lake Champlain. The route is here (via mapmyride), and pictures are here. You can see that this ride did not suck. We cut the loop short by opting to ride back up into Placid via 73/the descent. A tough climb with a stiff headwind, but nothing compared to Whiteface.

Sunday: Long Run Day
We hold the long run off until the end so that it doesn’t interfere with our overall epic training goals. Today folks got in anywhere from 8 to 13 miles of running both on and off the course. Another great weather day with some early morning crowds provided optimal conditions. It was then back to the condo to quickly clean up and hit the road!

Total Wrap: Everyone’s stats varied, but I (Patrick) logged about 390 miles on the bike and 8 miles of running in 4 days. Considering I went from 6 hours a week of ride time to about 22 hours, I am pretty happy with the results — and pretty fried. The condo was awesome, the locals were great, and Kevin our Dr/uber-camper was an incredible tour guide for the whole weekend. All in the camp was a success and we’ve already hatched a plan for 2010!

The Next Edition: This is tentative at best, but worthwhile putting out to the Team. Next year we see the camp running Thursday PM to Sunday AM. We’ll do a PM ride on Thursday for the early arrivals, a race sim on the course on Friday and a great long ride on Saturday. Sunday will close with a long run. We’ll reconfigure the cost and organizational structure to make the camp accessible to the entire time in an effort to make it much more of a North East US training weekend than a “I am racing LP camp.” We see this as meaning more athletes, more training, more miles…and more fun. Stay tuned in the forums over the next few weeks as we set this up!

Patrick (and Rich)

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Uber-admin Kris, heading out to ride! Go Kris!!!

The boys in blue, looking pretty serious!

Day One pics from the brave swimmers (low 50s!). Looks like greg is trying to find some warmer water “over there”.

Picture from Swim Course / T1 walkthrough by Coach P. Note: Audio available in PRO members forum.

A great shot of the swim start…without 2000 athletes!!!

Making dinner (thank you ladies!!!!!)

Now THAT is a plate of food!!!!

Time to prep for Day Three, a nice long 100 mile ride off-course (see map here) that is just beautiful! Hope the weather holds up!

Coach P

+++++++++++ 13.5mi Out/Back TT Results+++++++++++

Note: This TT was done on lap #2 of the day! 

1.  Bobby G – 37.02
2. Dave H – 37.39
3. Matt G – 37.50
4. Rex I – 39.27
5. Greg C – 39.54
6. Dan K – 40.12
7. StewartM – 40.45
8. Ryan G – 42.28
9. Staci S – 42.53

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IMUSA 2007 Race Report

Yep, got a slot. It was a good day…a little tougher than last year, as the wind picked up on the second loop (headwind from top of descent all the way to the out and back, even though that doesn’t seem geographically possible). Run was hot…got into low 80s and I got pretty badly burnt. I swam steady, biked smart, and then ran hard…just tried to run as hard as I could. Am guessing my effort this year – in last year’s conditions – would have put me sub 10, but what can you do? I was 30th instead of last year’s 48th, so I think that shows it was a bit tougher.  Anyway, I am psyched to be in the mix for Kona considering it hasn’t been a killer year of training. Read on for the full details…

Overview

This last year, since Kona of 2006, has been a pretty bumpy ride from a training / racing perspective. With the addition of Megan into our lives and the passing of my dad, we have had some of the highest highs and lowest lows. I was able to get in some good training, but truth be told, it was a far cry from what I have done in the past. In short, I had to swallow some of my own “Train Less / Go Faster” cool-aid that I run around talking about. I doubted myself for a while, but I guess the results speak for themselves!

Anyway, I headed into race week with some serious doubts about my ability to lay down another great race. As background, I went 10:01 in 2006 for 48th OA and 9th AG.  It was a PR and my best effort ever, and I assumed that it was out of reach. I knew from the data I had from my powermeter, and splits from my swim and run workouts that I was technically fitter, but the message somehow wasn’t making it’s way into my brain.

As I stated on race morning to Rich, I didn’t really feel as if I had my “A” game with me. I knew what I needed to do to be in contention, but I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for when the sh*t hit the fan…but I guess there’s only one way to find out…

Swim: 1:01:40, 205th place

Very uneventful. IM tried a little “seeding” system (as you would find in a marathon), and the result was that most folks were either up front or way in the back. The overhead visual must have looked like a massive donut. [if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id=”_x0000_t75″ coordsize=”21600,21600″ o:spt=”75″ o:preferrelative=”t” path=”m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe” filled=”f” stroked=”f”> <v:stroke joinstyle=”miter”/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn=”if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0″/> <v:f eqn=”sum @0 1 0″/> <v:f eqn=”sum 0 0 @1″/> <v:f eqn=”prod @2 1 2″/> <v:f eqn=”prod @3 21600 pixelWidth”/> <v:f eqn=”prod @3 21600 pixelHeight”/> <v:f eqn=”sum @0 0 1″/> <v:f eqn=”prod @6 1 2″/> <v:f eqn=”prod @7 21600 pixelWidth”/> <v:f eqn=”sum @8 21600 0″/> <v:f eqn=”prod @7 21600 pixelHeight”/> <v:f eqn=”sum @10 21600 0″/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok=”f” gradientshapeok=”t” o:connecttype=”rect”/> <o:lock v:ext=”edit” aspectratio=”t”/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id=”_x0000_i1025″ type=”#_x0000_t75″ alt=”:)” style=’width:11.25pt; height:11.25pt’> <v:imagedata src=”file:///C:\DOCUME~1\GETFRI~1.AFR\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif” o:href=”http://www.performancetrainingsystems.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif”/> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]

Promising myself I wouldn’t overthink the swim last year, where I ended up criscrossing the buoy line 3-4 times, I just found a group and swam. After about 3 mins, we hit the buoy line anyway…guess everyone else was having the same thoughts.  First loop was uneventful…some of the quietest IM swimming I have ever had. Great to feel strong in the water. I ran through the first loop without even looking at the clock as I tried to make the next group. Second loop was uneventful until the last leg in, where some guys decided to get antsy and hit me a few times.  After some underwater jujitsu, I was off swimming with one less goggle (filled with water), but a good focus on the finish.

T1: 4:30ish

Not much to talk about here. I tried to be faster by minimizing the moving pieces – I just had my helmet and shoes in a bag…but the long run and a stuck helmet took their toll. Apparently I ran right past the table with sunscreen on it.  Oops.

Bike: 5:30-ish, 58th place

The start was busy…who taught all these people to swim??? It was exactly what I expected, as I stuck to my watts and got passed by countless people on the climb out of town.  The final stats only show how things finished, but it would sure be interesting to see how many folks passed me before I passed them back. The first descent was fast…I hit 45+ mph on the way down. Had another rider cut over and hit my thigh with his aerobars…not sure if he went down as I couldn’t really stop. Flat section was nice and smooth and I got my feed plan started in earnest. Was really sure to nail my food and eat it well in advance of hills/turns. The climb to Wilmington was crowded, but I really like putting some good work in so I was fine. The out and back was fast and we were on the climb into town before I knew it. I felt kind of flat the whole first loop, but I just keep eating and staying on target.

First Lap Stats:
Duration           :    2:41:34
TSS                 :    141
IF                     :    0.724
Norm Power    :    232
VI                    :    1.09
Distance           :    56.677 mi
AvgPower        :    213     watts
AvgHeart rate   :    131     bpm
Speed              :    21.0    mph

In Lap Two, the wind picked up a bit just as we headed out of town. This go-round, I only hit 39 on the descent. And the headwind seemed to stick with us for the next 25 miles. I was really cooking in this section, riding past tons of peeps with no one able to sit on my wheel. I was in the zone. This culminated in a quality last hour of the ride where I hit my max 60′ effort. I couldn’t have paced the ride better.  Unfortunately, with the additional wind, my stronger second half really only mitigated the damage that wind had done…if only things had stayed calmer…

Second Lap Stats:
Duration           :    2:48:48
TSS                 :    152.1
IF                     :    0.735
Norm Power    :    235
VI                    :    1.08
Distance           :    56.412 mi
AvgPower        :    218     watts
AvgHeart rate   :    134     bpm
Speed              :    20.1    mph

All in all, a good ride. Not as fast as last year, but I got of the bike feeling great. Can’t ask for much more than that!

T2: 2:20-ish

Nice and quiet this time. Right in, changed the shorts and right out. Realized I forgot to put the lace locks on my shoes…had to really tie them; probably cost me that 20 seconds. I think I didn’t do such a good job…and ended up w/ a few blisters. Once again I managed to head right past the sunscreen table. Ouch!

Run: 3:27, 7:54 pace, 30th place

I started the run with my usual bottle of recovery drink and was running smoothly. Laying down 7:25 min miles, but I was holding back as much as possible and my HR was super low…so I just rolled with it. Was 50-ish coming off of the bike, so there weren’t that many people out there to key off of. It was nice to roll up on some of the pro women who had fallen off the pace. I was resisting the temptation to look at calves on the first loop…instead I decided to look at the folks who were right behind me at the turn around by mile 5.5.  I hit a bad stretch from mile 6 to mile 10, but I just kept moving and eating. Nothing terrible, I just wasn’t actually going anywhere.

I was rejuvenated by the loop through town…and by seeing that some of my chasers had fallen off the pace. I think they were affected by the heat…which means that I was being affected as well. Time for me to assume aid station mean guy personality and start demanding ice, water, etc. The only gels out on the course were chocolate…and they were hot. I wanted to puke but knew I needed to eat. Hitting the turnaround again, I was headed back and it was time for me to start counting off all the stuff I wouldn’t have to see again (my favorite thing to do at this point): won’t have to see that turn / hill / tree / sign again…you get the idea. At this point I was just running as hard as I could…I stopped looking at my HRM and just tried to feed off the crowd’s enthusiasm. Many thanks to Rich for keeping me focused and to the folks on Teams Psycho, Tri-Fury and EnVision for cheering me on. The climb into town was so tough….but I was over it before the pain really set in and I was off running…the turn by the lake is always so far away…but I was running back into the chute before I knew it.

Final Time: 10:06, 30th Overall, 7th Age Group, Kona Slot. 

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Maura met me at the finish line to put the medal on me…and give me a big fat hug. It was awesome to see her there and spend a few quiet minutes recovering. My tummy wasn’t so great, but after a quick shower at home I was ready to get back out there and cheer the other PTS athletes on the course. We had 6 athletes out there and it was so inspirational to see them kicking butt! Now it’s time for some serious recovery and trying to figure out what will make me want to train again! Until the next race…

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