Why Ironman?

On July 23, 2006 I was in Lake Placid, NY racing Ironman Lake Placid. When we jumped into Mirror Lake that morning it was about 50 degrees with a light rain. By the time I started the marathon the sun came out and the temperature climbed into the 80s. From a fitness perspective I was ready to race. My big mistake that day had to do with nutritional intake, or more to the point what I didn't take in. The back half of the marathon took me close to three hours to complete. After crossing the bridge after the River Road out and back I thought about laying down on the big rock right next to it. Which would sound completely rational except for one thing - there is no big rock. Yeah, I screwed up my nutrition so bad I literally saw things that weren't there.

After the race The Queen took one look at me and said, I quote, "this isn't over, is it?"

I smiled that smile that says this is only the beginning. I was hooked.

In thirty days I will be in Panama City Beach, Florida for my fifth go at the Ironman distance. I am older and, hopefully, wiser. This year hasn't panned out as I originally planned, but that doesn't really matter. My fitness is solid and I have some big goals for November 1. In 30 days we go and get 'er done.

But why? Why Ironman?

When asked, I tend to blow it off with an "I don't know, it's just something I do." Really. I don't think anyone buys it, but that's my usual response.

Truth be told, everyone who toes the line at a full Ironman-distance race has a reason for being there.

For some people they do an Ironman for a cause. Others do it to reach a life-long goal. The professionals do it for the paycheck. There are as many reasons as there are Ironman finishers.

For me it's more complex. It's been said that the Ironman is the worlds hardest one-day endurance event. I don't know if racing 140.6 miles of swim/bike/run is the hardest one-day event, but it certainly ranks right up there. I like that.

The Ironman is not something you can just wake up one morning and say, "I think I'll go do an Ironman today" and then go out swim/bike/run 140.6 miles. You could try, I guess, but even the fittest among us would have a tough go of it. To go 140.6 it takes time, persistence, discipline.

Just getting to the start line of an Ironman is something I find impressive. It takes work ... lots of work, over an extended period of time to get ready to complete the distance. I like that too.

My training for Lake Placid in 2006 started on January 2 of that year. For almost four months I trained almost every day just to get my body ready to specifically train for the race. Then, for the next three months I swam, biked and ran more than I did the previous four months. Waiting on the small beach area of Mirror Lake I felt confident I would end up in the speed skating oval slapping spectators hands as I headed to the finish line.

But unlike single sport athletes, the work you do is not so straight forward. If you are a runner, you go outside and run; If you are a cyclist, you hit the road and ride; If you're a swimmer, you spend your time looking at the black line as you go back and forth. To excel, or just improve, at any of the three sports, you put in the time, you do the interval work, you work on the technique. As a triathlete you need to do this for all three sports, all at the same time. This takes work and discipline.

Just to complete a full Ironman distance race you need to have at least a base level of competence at three separate sports. You may be able to get away without swimming and doing a sprint or Olympic distance tri, good luck with swimming 2.4 miles without putting in the pool time. Or for that matter, biking 112 miles or running a marathon without a certain level of fitness specific to those sports, let alone on a whim.

Once race day comes you need to have patience, discipline and focus for the 9 - 17 hours it takes to complete the event. I admit is a challenge for me. The swim is about getting through without getting kicked in the face or punched in the nose while burning as little energy as possible. Biking 112 miles requires one to stay well within your means while properly fueling for the run. The run is about pacing, then survival. Sounds easy in theory. It works in practice. But damn is it hard to execute (at least for me) on race day. But that's what makes it appealing - having the ability to stay within myself so that my fitness can be reflected in my final results. Haven't done it yet ... but I will.

So while I would like you all to believe I don't really know why I do it, I know exactly why I'm out there: It is the pursuit of the patience to build fitness, the focus to do the work, and the discipline to keep from doing something stupid that will ruin my day so my fitness level reflects my performance. Over the years I have been able to figure out how to get to the starting line rested, injury-free and fit. As for race day, that continued to be a work in progress. The plan on November 1st is to make the 5th time the charm.

For you, my friend, if you are doing an Ironman in the future, or are thinking about doing an Ironman at some point, you really need to know why you are out there. When training gets hard you need to remind yourself of why you are doing it; When the racing gets hard (and it will, I promise) you need to remind yourself of why you are out there.

Do you have an Ironman on your schedule or do you want to do one in the future? What's YOUR motivation?

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Why We Race

In late 1994 I woke up early on a Sunday morning, drove over to the Lehigh Valley Mall area with my buddy Matt, and ran the Chili Pepper 5k. I have no idea haw fast (or slow) I ran that morning, but I clearly remember eating Chili and drinking free beer at 9 am. For my efforts I received a thick cotton t-shirt that could keep you warmer than any Goretex jacket that hangs in your closet. I still own that shirt.

I had been doing some running along with the heavy squats and deadlifts that were a more typical part of my normal fitness routine in those days. I'm sure I had something to prove to myself, but 20 years later the free beer is what I remember as the compelling factor. You can bet it wasn't the free t-shirt.

Over the last 20 years my reasons for racing have changed. Free beer is nice, don't get me wrong, but that is no longer my driving force. No, today things are much different.

There was a time where my sole focus was simple - go longer, get faster. It started with short running races - 5k, 10k  - which soon led to half marathons and marathons. During the late 1990s if I toed the line and didn't return home with a PR I wondered what I had done wrong ... and I did a lot wrong. Truth be told, I really didn't know what I was doing. I have a lot of stories from those days, most ending with me blowing up or doing something stupid. The longer the race the funnier the story.

IMCDA: June, 2008

Over time I talked to people who knew more that I, read some books on running, and learned a thing or two. I got fitter and I raced faster. As I applied what I was learning to my training the race became something different. Yes, I wanted to be faster. Yes, I wanted to "kick ass," whatever that meant to me at the time. Yes, I wanted to place as high as possible. Yet with more knowledge racing became more about the process leading up to the race. If the process built more fitness and the results were not what I expected, I could deal with it. Figure out what happened, modify the system and move on.

I went through the same process in the early 2000s with triathlon - race for performance only while training without a clue, do my homework, then focus on process. With the help of a coach (thanks Bill), on July 23, 2006 I did my first Ironman in Lake Placid with one goal - finish. The process worked great and I met my main goal of hearing Mike Riley call me an Ironman.

No matter what my focus there were two things that always remained at the core. Racing has always been about stretching my boundaries, seeing what I am capable of at any given time. Most of those blowups come from pushing my personal limits, not stupid in-race decisions (although I have my fair share of those as well). I would much rather have 10 races in a row not go as planned in order to get that one great performance in race number eleven.

Racing safe is hard for me to do and I can count the number of races where I played it safe. I don't honestly understand it. Racing safe gives you the best chance of being successful, assuming your definition of success is completing the race in a reasonable (for you) time. Sure you keep from that big blowup, that big failure, but you never get the chance to truly test the limits of your ability.

Since that first Ironman there have been many different goals and many more stories of blowing up. Some of them for really stupid reasons. One year at the Philadelphia Triathlon I killed it on the bike before the crash around mile 3 on the run. Why did I ride so stupidly fast? There was this guy in my age group who passed me and I didn't like his attitude.

Seriously. That actually happened.

Totally blown up at IMCDA, June, 2008

The other thing that remains is I always have, and always will, race for myself. I ran on that cold day in 1994 without a care of what anyone else thought. I did the event and earned my chili and beer. In 2006 my family and friends were in Lake Placid cheering me on, but it was all about me. The drive came from within. If you had a problem with it, so be it. I race the races that make me happy, and I race when I want to race. You don't like it, too bad.

Point is, goals of training and racing change over time, but the fundamental reasons we race should remain. As an almost 45 year old triathlete I am much different than the 30 year old marathon runner I used to be. Beyond defining the type of athlete I am (triathlete vs. runner), I have a different perspective on racing. I suspect in 10 years time my perspective will be different than it is today.

In the end it comes down to doing what is best for you and what you enjoy doing. If that's jogging a local 5k great. If it's qualifying for the Ironman World Championships ... well that's great too. No matter what you race just make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.


Thanks for reading.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Race Report- Rev3 Pocono Mountain

Rev3 Pocono Mountain is a new addition to our local race scene in Eastern Pennsylvania. Just 40 minutes north of Bethlehem, this race is new, but not so new. In 2010 and 2011 there was a race on a course very similar to the one we raced on Sunday, but it was put on by WTC as an Ironman branded race. I didn't race either of these events for one reason - the race was in the Pocono Mountains on the first week of October. While I am not a fan of crazy hot conditions, there was a legitimate chance of race day temperatures in the high 30s or low 40s which I just didn't want to deal with.

After a year with no race, Rev3 decided to put the race back on the schedule, offering up two race distances - Olympic and 70.3. I raced the 70.3.

Pre-Race

Packet pickup was on Saturday afternoon. The Queen and I jumped in the Prius and headed north a little after 11 am. The trip was easy, mostly on major roads. We arrived shortly before noon to a steady rain. The expo was small and packet pickup was simple and fast. The staff were helpful in eliminating my confusion about the race course. Unlike most races, Rev3 Pocono Mountain features two transition areas between a point-to-point bike. But we'll get to that latter.

We hung around waiting for the pre-race meeting, talking with friends and goofing around. See, Rev3 is a bit different than other race production company. Before races they have an iPad set up for pre-race pictures. Some people take it serious, and other people do this:

Didn't even stick aroundfor the meeting.

Instead, me and The Queen headed over to the lake to race my bike in T1. Other than some rain, everything went smooth.

Pre-race on a cold morning. Source: Rev3 Pocono

On Sunday morning I woke at 4:20 am, loosened up, had my normal pre-race meal, and cleaned the pipes before hitting the road around 5 am. I arrived around 5:40 am and easily parked close to T2. After chatting with Danielle, I quickly set up my T2 and headed for the bus over to the lake. Philippe ended up on my bus, which worked out well for both of us. It gave me someone to talk, while my chattiness appeared to help clam his nerves.

I arrived at the lake about 30 minutes before my 7:05 swim start. Being the almost too laid back pre-race guy that I am, I still had my pants on 10 minutes before I entered the water. After Philippe zipped up my wetsuit we headed down to the shoreline where Danielle, Cassie and just about everyone else were waiting for their turn in the water.

Swim - 1.2 miles 32:16

Men 40+ and Aquavelo were in the second wave, scheduled to go off at 7:05 am. The 1st wave (men 39 and under) started a few minutes late, so we did as well. From the chatter in transition I got the impression the water was 70 degrees. Getting into the water told a different reality and a water temp probably closer to 67. With the air temperature around 44, not bad. Personally I prefer cold to hot so no big deal.

When the gun went off I worked to stay on a pair of feet. Unfortunately for me, the feet I tried to draft were faster than I expected. There were a few guys who just hit the gas pedal and there was nothing I could do about it. Spent the rest of my swim in a place I find myself a lot at smaller races - swimming alone. I'm not fast enough to hang with the speedsters, but too fast for everyone else. Oh well.

After the first turn it became hard to see as we were swimming directly into the sun. Fortunately I had started to swim through the first wave, giving me people to sight off of. I swam steady while purposely staying a bit to the outside to avoid contact. Such a strategy gave me a drama-free swim and a slowish time of 32:16.

Source: Rev3 Pocono

The only complaint I would have of the swim is that it had to be long. Unfortunately, I don't have very good Garmin data. For the first half of the swim I kept feeling the watch buzz, meaning it was losing connection and reconnecting with the satellite. Then, I didn't hit the button until after I ran into transition and was at my bike. I know it wasn't the 1.97 miles my watch said it was, but swim times were generally slow on the day, as the best swimmers on the day were in the 29:xx range.

T1 - 4:03

Slower than one would hope for two reasons. First, with this being a two transition race, all participants were required to pack up everything into a bag before exiting for the bike. The bag would be brought up to T2 and placed at your station there. Second, I wanted to make sure to stay warm on the bike, so I took some time to dry myself off and put on a long sleeve shirt.

Bike -56 miles 2:27:57

A very interesting bike course with the most fun I have ever had during the first four miles of a bike section of triathlon. After a short jaunt away from the lake we started a 4+ mile descent down to route 209. Because of the previous day's rain a bit of caution would be necessary on the descent. But just a bit. Honestly, it is just too fun balling down a winding road with, in some spots, as much as a 9% decline, to ride with too much caution. So I went fast, but not stupid. I passed a half dozen people and was passed by one.

At the bottom of the hill we made a right hand turn and rode a short ways to the first turnaround on route 209. After the turn it was a 20 mile out-and-back before the final 10 miles to T2, located at Shawnee Resort. The final 10 miles were mostly on Community Drive.

The 40 miles on rt. 209 were rolling and, for me, a bit lonely. After the first turnaround I had only a few people around me, all of whom I passed except for one relay cyclist. When he passed me around mile 8. I thought about going with him, but opted to race my own race (I have a bad, recurring habit on the bike of racing whomever comes by me that I have been working on). Really glad I did as the rollers were a touch more of an energy drain than I had originally anticipated.

After the turn around I did see people coming at me but still no sight of those in front of me. Until ... around mile 38 I see a cyclist who appears to be struggling. Turns out relay guy went out too fast and was now paying the price. A few more miles up the road  I passed another rubber legged cyclist.

At this point I had two things going on. First, my legs were feeling less than ideal. Not cooked, but not what I wanted. Second, I had to pee. This is not a usual feeling for me, and one I embraced. Having to pee = proper hydration. So here I am happy to be hydrated, yet a little concerned because the legs are feeling heavy.

Bike Profile

Community Road changed all that. After making the turn onto this section you almost instantly hit the biggest climb of the day. Into the small chain ring, out of the saddle, I made my way to the top in as efficient a manner as possible. Totally forgetting about the need for a toilet, as I hit the modest descent my legs started to feel much better again. Apparently a nice little climb equals happy legs!!!

Back to the rolling terrain ... and the worst roads of the day. There were potholes everywhere. Not the fault of Rev3 by any means, but a problem none the less for two reasons. First, there was tree cover and, with the sun out, it because difficult to see exactly what the road looked like at times. Second, there is a section where the runners and cyclists shared the road, making it feel even tighter, especially with other cyclists around. Again, not Rev3s fault, but I would hope the local authorities would at least patch the road.

T2 - 1:33

Shoes and helmet off, shoes and race belt on. Other than nearly falling over while putting on running shoes, no drama here.

Run 13.1 miles 1:49:51

If you recall, I had to pee while on the bike but opted to keep running. With no port-o-johns in the transition area I had to take a stop just after entering the bike course. That stop took 2 minutes. I raced in a one piece tri-suit which I normally only do at shorter races for just this reason. My inner klutz took over. Long story short, I really had to go and I really had technical difficulty. Rookie mistake.

Once on the course I was feeling OK. My nutrition to this point had been good so no stomach issues while my legs were hanging in there. The biggest concern I had is the lack of run miles my legs had on them. The longest run this year had been just 10 miles. That 10 miles had been run on the flat towpath, not rolling or hilly terrain.

For the most part I hung in there until mile 9 when my lack of run legs showed up. By mile 10 it became a struggle. By 13.1 I was glad to be done running ... or should I say "running."

Run Course and Profile

Overall - 4:55:42 36th overall 5th in AG45-49

When I put this race on my schedule it was for the sole purpose of testing out my fitness in prep for Ironman Florida. Judging from my results I feel I am on pace, but with some concern when it comes to my run legs. With limited run mileage I need to step it up a notch over the next four week to make sure I give myself the best chance for the day I think I can race on 11/1.

As for Rev3 Pocono Mountains, it is a race I would recommend and plan on doing again. The swim venue is interesting, the bike is a nice challenge, and the run course can eat you up if you've overdone it on the bike. The venue is an easy trip with adequate parking. The two transition areas - something I had concerns about - turned out to be no big deal. In fact, it is a nice change of pace to ride point-to-point.

Just as important, the bike and run were accurately measured as well as well marked. I really can't stand an in accurate race (see here for an example). When you hit mile 10 on the bike, there was the 10 mile marker.

The run course we ran was not the original course, which turned out to be a good thing. What we ran was a nice combination of road and trails. If there were one thing I would change it would be to add a additional water station between miles 4 and 7. My hope is they stick with what worked this year.

You may notice there are no pictures of me racing. Appears I was a ghost as there was not a single picture taken of me by the on course photogs. Even for the free finishers photo, they got 10 of the guy in front of me and 10 of the guy behind me but not a single picture of yours truly.

One more thing worth mentioning: If you take a look at the picture below you can see what looks like a black dot just up the road on the side opposite the cyclist. I heard some rumblings about a bear out on the course but didn't know if I should believe it or not. That black dot ... yeah, that's the bear. I guess he was friendly enough.

black dot = black bear

 Thanks for reading.

Up next: it's all focus on Ironman Florida on November 11 with (maybe) the Runners World 10k as a fast workout on October 18.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Race Report - TriRock Asbury Park Triathlon

TriRock Asbury Park is a relatively new race to the Mid-Atlantic triathlon race schedule with Sunday's race being just the second running of the race. Last year I considered racing here, but raced the Great Six Flags Triathlon the weekend after instead for three reasons. First, the timing for this race didn't work out for me. Second, Asbury Park was only a sprint distance last year and I wanted to race the Olympic distance. Third, I got to race in and around Six Flags Great Adventure, which is one of the few places in the world you can be running on a dirt path with a roller coaster above you and a gang of monkeys behind a fence to your side.

With the addition of the international distance this year I took that as a sign to head to the shore for a race.

Before I get into my day, I want to state up front that I enjoyed this race and, assuming it works with my race schedule, plan on racing it again next year. The venue is great (who doesn't enjoy being at the Jersey Shore), the race course enjoyable, and generally well organized. There were some issues I had with the race, but they are easily correctable.

Really, the only problem I had with this race was the disparity between the posted international distances and the actual distance of the course. On many race courses there is a small disparity between the actual distance raced and the traditional distance. The reason for this is the course design. For example, at the NJ State Triathlon the bike course for the Olympic distance event is 25.5 miles long, not 24.8 miles (40k) because of bike course loop. There is nothing the organizers can do - it is what it is - except make you aware that the bike course is long. The race is still fair as everyone is racing on the same streets, but with that information you know what you are racing. You don't suddenly get to mile 24.8 and think WTF is going on here.

So what I will do is give a breakdown of what the official results were as well as the unofficial Garmin results. And, before you think it, yes, I know that Garmin is not an exact science. But as you will see, there was something off about this course.

Pre-Race

Normally for races 1-3 hours away from home I will either wake up early on race day and drive down or travel down the day before and spend one night in the area. Because this race was close to my parents house, I was down at the shore early. More specifically, I drove down Thursday evening and spent Friday in North Jersey with my folks watching the PGA Tour at The Barclays. We were fortunate to get a good weather day (overcast and relatively cool) and some good golf to watch.

On Saturday I headed over to the race site to pick up my race packet in Asbury Park, NJ. The race expo and transition area were at the famous Asbury Park Carousel Building. After a quick packet pickup, I walked the boards for a while checking out the sites while waiting for the athletes meeting. Normally I won't bother with the meeting, but after seeing the red flags out on the beach, it seemed smart to stick around and see how they would handle the rough seas. As it turns out, the race director was straight up about the situation and prepared us for a duathlon, not a triathlon.

The Asbury Park Carousel 

I arrived at the race site at 6 am on Sunday morning, scoring a parking space not far from transition. Body marking was a breeze. As I was setting up my transition area the official announcement was made - no swim. I put my running shoes on, hit the port-o-john, and eased into a short warmup on the boardwalk.

Swim Run: 1.3 miles 9:22 (Garmin - 1.45 miles)

Even as people complained, there was no way we should have been in the ocean. I'm a fairly strong swimmer and the thought of getting caught in a riptide crossed my mind. Cancelling the swim was the correct decision. That said, the run course wasn't even close to the distance they said.

The start of the race was a time trial start with four people going off ever 15 seconds or so. Being in the third wave, I didn't get started until 7:09 or so (7 am start). The course was a combination of tight sidewalks and open boardwalk. The only issue I had was passing at times was tight, but given the situation, no complaints. My run was controlled yet surprisingly fast. Overall I was happy with the effort.

T1: 0:57

Nothing to note here. Without a wetsuit to deal with it is a simple process of changing shoes and heading out to the bike course.

Bike: 20 miles 48:22 (Garmin - 19.17 miles)

I had been looking forward to this ride all week. Looking at the course profile I knew it would be a fast track with the "rolling terrain" being bumps in the road. Not as fast as I expected, the course is two loops with a 3 mile + straightaway on Ocean Ave. you ride four times. Apparently when I looked at the course I concentrated more on the fast straightaways and much less on the technical turnarounds. Still, not a slow track.

The plan was to get settled in over the first few miles, then push the pace the best I could, building the intensity on loop two. Which is basically what happened. After settling in I hit the straightaway at mile 2, taking note of the slight headwind heading north. The turnaround was at So. Lake Drive. From there it was back to Ocean Ave. for another three miles of straight before bobbing and weaving back to the transition area for loop number two.

Shortly after passing transition for the second loop I had a fast sprint guy pass me in the first turn. This was good as I had been riding alone up to this point. Over the next 9 miles or so we were around each other. I took his presence as an opportunity to sit legally behind him as we traveled north on Ocean Ave. Mentally it was nice to be able to just follow someone, knowing that even at 12 meters back I was able to catch a little draft action.

Back at transition I had a small problem getting off the bike. The final turn is not very far from the dismount line. Totally my fault, I got caught with one shoe off and one shoe on, awkwardly trying to get off the bike and onto the run.

T2: 0:48

Once off the bike nothing to talk about here.

Run: 6 Miles 44:36 (Garmin - 6.31 miles)

Coming out of T2 I knew that I had some ground to make up if I was to win my age group. Two weeks ago at Steelman I managed to meet my goal of a sub-44 run on sheer guts and stupidity. There, the goal was to run well and let the placing be whatever it is. Here, I decided to go for it the best I could, knowing I have had problems with the duathlon format in the past, and that injury has kept me from running to my ability.

I started out fast (for me at the present time) but in control. There was a water station at the one mile marker and the kid handing me water missed my hand. I figured no big deal, there will be another aide station in the next two miles. I continued to push the pace. My first three mile splits were 6:58, 6:49, 6:58.

I hit the first turnaround just after mile three and headed north into the wind. It felt good as the temperature had started to increase. My legs were starting to tire a bit and I still hadn't seen an aide station. Apparently that assumption about the water stations was wrong. There was no water until the four mile marker, which was actually more like mile 4.5.

After a 7:04 split I was clearly slowing I made the decision to walk through the water station to make sure I had some fluids in me. The result is I felt a bit better but mile five was my slowest mile of the day, clocking a 7:26. We headed north through the convention center, hit the turnaround and back south to the finish line. I finished off with a 7:20 mile 6 and a 6:45/mile pace for the final 0.31 miles recorded by my Garmin.

Overall: 1:44:07  10th Overall 2nd in AG45-49 

Believe it or not I signed up for this race and just assumed it was an Olympic distance course (because sometimes I don't necessarily read all the details, like, the actual distances). The goal was a PR at that distance. Once I realized my mistake, the goal became ride fast, run well and give it a good effort. On this level I would call it a success.

And while I really, really would like to believe that I rode the officially reported 24.8 mph, I think the Garmin data and 24.1 mph average is more in line with reality. Overall my bike split was 5th fastest on the day, about one minute slower than the fastest rider, so that's satisfying. But, there is room for improvement. I came to the realization on the second bike loop that I need to work on my technical skills on my tri bike. I'm racing on a new bike this year (Quintana Roo Illicito) and still am a bit jittery at times. Never gave this much thought until the second bike loop where I watched the Sprint guy pull away from me in almost every turn.

My run it is still a work in progress. My feel for pace is better than it was two weeks ago, but not quite back yet. Same for run specific fitness.

As for the race, I would recommend it to anyone who is new to racing or anyone looking to race fast. Racing at the beach is a nice change of pace. Even at the height of beach season access to the race venue and parking were not an issue.

TriRock does a good job with their races. The metal was impressive, the beer mug for placing was nice, and the post-race food was great. And, just down the road, all finishers had access to free beer!!!! Can't beat that!!!

I only have two complaints, both of which are easily fixable. As mentioned earlier, just tell me what the actual distance is I'm racing. If the run is longer and the bike is shorter than a standard International Distance, that's fine. Just tell me. Related to this is the really, really poor mile markings on the run. The first mile marker was long, the second mile short, number three either didn't exist or was so discreet I missed it, while mile number four was somewhere around the 4.5 mile mark. I didn't see a 5 or a 6 mile marker.  

Thanks for reading.

Up next: Two weeks of Ironman focused training then Rev3 Pocono 70.3 on September 14.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Race Report - 10th Annual Steelman Triathlon

This past Sunday was the 10th running of the Steelman Triathlon held at Lake Nockamixon in Quakertown, PA. While I haven't raced this every year, I have raced it eight times, only missing the two years I raced Ironman Lake Placid. For those of us in Eastern Pennsylvania it is a chance to get out and race against some of the best triathletes in the area.

Normally a great mid-season race, due to early season injuries this was my first triathlon of the year. And without much running at all this year the challenge would be holding it together for the 10k run. A nice challenge for Jon.

Race week was a bit different for me this year. With a late season Ironman on my schedule I would be training through this race, taking a three day taper to freshen up the legs. Those three days was coming off a higher volume 10-day training training block which included 300+ miles on the bike, some hard interval work on the run, and the heaviest volume swim work for the year. And just to spice things up, I changed around my training in the "taper" to experiment with a few things.

So how'd it go?

Pre-Race

Every year it's the same thing. About ten days out the barrage of emails from the race director (Dale) with two main points - read the athletes note and make sure you get to the park at 4 am to secure parking. I didn't get there at 4 am, electing to "sleep in." Due to my laziness I arrived to the park at 5:30 am and was forced to park 3/4 of a mile from the start line. Where the people who entered the park after me parked, I have no idea.

Note to Dale: while it is great that you are on the ball about just about everything is great, you really need to quit stirring the pot on parking. And yes, I am glad to see such great participation, you really need to cap the race at a smaller number of athletes. There is just not enough parking.

Moving beyond the parking situation, we had quite the day to race. Temperatures were in the 60s, there was no wind and the swim was wetsuit legal.

The race day packet pickup was quick, transition setup was smooth, and I found my crew in short order. The only problem was the relatively small amount of pot-o-pots available. The line was crazy long from the moment I got there until the start of the race.

Note to Dale: If you have more competitors you will have more fully hydrated people who need to use the facilities. Take some of the extra money and use it to rent a few more toilets.

Swim: 1500M 20:56

If there is such a thing as the perfect swim, this was pretty darn close. Starting in wave three with the 40-49 year old men and the aquavelo competitors, I lined up at the front and not far from the inside. Unlike past races I stayed in control for the first 100M and, surprise, surprise, I found a pair of feet to draft off. After a few strokes in the draft I looked ahead, we were swimming straight, and I was sitting in the third position. For the next 1400M I stayed on those feet and enjoyed the ride. The final result was a PR swim.

T1: 2:07

Uneventful with one exception - getting my wetsuit off. Never my strong suit, the problem was compounded by the oversized timing chip provided to us. Damn thing got caught on my wetsuit and I struggled a bit.

Note to Lin-Mark: I think I speak for many when I say that I would be more than happy to pay an additional $1 for each race I do next year if you promise to take the additional revenue and upgrade your technology. There are better options out there ... please.

Bike: 40K 1:04:58

This is a fun, but not the fastest, course to race. Normally you want to take the start of the bike to settle in and let your heart rate settle down before starting to push the pedals. Here, that is not an option, as you have a nice climb out of the marina out to the two loops on route 563. Key is to have your bike in a small gear coming out of transition and not overdoing it on this first climb. From there you can settle in, get your $hit together on the slightly rolling park roads ... which was exactly what I did.

Once out onto the main race loop I dropped it into a big gear and got to work.  Last year I burned too much on the first loop and couldn't push in from the final turnaround as hard as I would have liked. My plan this year was to push the first loop hard, then kick it up a notch for loop number two. Much to my surprise I held to plan, with a slight negative split. I rode fast but within myself, knowing that the true unknown was ahead of me - the run.

Note: Technically this is an easy course to navigate. The roads are closed to car traffic and the visibility is excellent. Best of all, Dale has a street sweeper come out and get the gravel off the road. Thank you Dale!!! However, there is little flat terrain. Thus, you are almost either climbing or descending so be prepared. It is very easy to over do it and not know it until you start to run.

T2: 1:16

Smooth and without issue.

Run: 10k 43:43

Photo Credit: Kevin T

Out onto the run and the real mystery of the day would unfold - how would I hold up on my first "real" run off the bike since last October. Still nursing my knee, with little running at all this year, I did manage to get two very short runs off the bike in, just to make sure it wouldn't be a total disaster.

This run course is a bit pesky. For some reason I always remember it as being flat. I don't know if this is because it is by a lake, or on trails, or my old age, but I just always do. That would be fine, if it was actually a flat course. After taking the quick left out of transition and completing the short out-and-back the trail turns from flat into just enough of a rolling terrain to make it a bit uncomfortable ... especially off the bike.

Coming out of transition the course I felt normal (legs a little heavy but coming around quick) but different (no sense of pacing). The lack of feel for pace showed when I hit the one mile mark in 6:55, a bit faster than I expected. The next two miles were a bit slower, but on target with both coming in right at a 7:02/mile pace. So far so good.

After getting some water at the aide station (big shout out to Endurance Multisport for the job they did) and some cheers from Kevin, I headed back in from the first loop, hoping to maintain my pace. With the trail now full with runners I made sure to be more aware of my surroundings.

All was well until it wasn't. Around 4.2 miles in my legs were calling for a short time out. After a short walk I picked it up again and continued on until I had another brief walk break around mile 5.5.

Normally, walking a part of the 10k would have me  upset with myself. Having to walk means I screwed up my pacing, either on the bike or out of transition. No worries for two reasons.

First, I paced the bike just fine. Coming into and out of transition my legs were where they should be, no questions. Second, the breakdown was a total muscular endurance issue. With the small amount of running I have been able to do I knew this could be an issue. Better pacing may have helped, but without having many miles in I don't yet have my feel back. But I will.

Overall: 2:12:58  10th Overall 2nd in AG45-49 

Men AG45-49 Podium

Every year my goal at this race is the same - place in the top 10 overall and have a top three bike split. Admittedly these are terrible goals as they are performance based, not process based, and you can't control who shows up to race. Still, this is our local race and these are the two things I want to accomplish every year. Competition be damned. Age be damned. From this irrational perspective success was achieved - only two guys out biked me as part of my 10th  place overall finish.

Back to the rational world of goals, I really wanted to have a good run. Prior to the race I explained to The Queen how I had no clue how my run would go. Realistically I thought I could go about 44 minutes, but would be happy with a 48. The 44 is the high end of what I have run the distance over the past few years. The 43:43 I ran certainly qualifies as a success.

More important, however, is the fact that I somehow managed to just miss an Olympic distance PR by a mere 2 seconds. I honestly did not have any expectations of going below a 2:14:xx so, while disappointed I couldn't find a few extra seconds of speed somewhere, really stoked to have such a great overall race.

The crew, post race, all blinged out. Photo Credit: Alison

Thanks for reading.

Up next: A week of solid training then TriRock Asbury Park on August 24.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Ironman Couer D'Alane was Sunday and I Wasn't There ...

This past Sunday I woke up early, grabbed some food, stretched and was on my bike at 7:16 am. After 10 miles on my own I met up with a group of friends I have been riding with on many Sunday mornings. We rode mostly on the Jersey side of the boarder, stopping in Millford for a mid-ride snack. The group ended up breaking up due to a newer rider missing a turn, but the morning was relatively uneventful. I ended up with 65 miles of riding. An enjoyable morning, for sure.

Just not the Sunday I had planned to have on this late June morning.

On Sunday I was supposed to be in Couer d'Alene, ID to race Ironman CDA for the second time. Plans fell through this winter when knee troubles led to surgery in April. Months ago The Queen made it perfectly clear that nothing good would come from attempting to run a marathon after a 7 hour warmup. I agreed and bagged the race.

Shortly after finishing IMCDA in 2008

I followed the race online as I do on occasion. The weather was pretty ideal - high was 67 degrees - and the pro race looked like a good one. Looking at the results, my age group (45-49) was crazy competitive, with the slowest Kona spot being a 10:03 finish time. Clearly there were some fast old men.

You would think that this would be a bummer for me ... and it was. But not as bad as you would think.

See, at the end of the day, IMCDA was just a race. One race.

Sometimes we can get so caught up in our own stuff that we start to think these things we do for pleasure are more important than they really are. We get caught up in the planning, the training, the racing. Everything has to be perfect. Everything has to do with this one day. We become obsessed, losing sight of the bigger picture.

Because at the end of the day it is just one race.

I would be lying if I told you I didn't give it some thought. Maybe even more than a little. Besides being out $1,000 and finding out that the new Ironman switch policies are not all that WTA would like you to believe, not towing the line on Sunday morning crossed my mind. Would I have rather of been racing on the other side of the country? Absolutely. Would it have been the right thing to do? Hell. No.

Here's the deal: there are more races. Lots of races in fact. Come November I will be in Panama City Beach, Florida with Em racing Ironman Florida. Between now and then I will race a few Olympic distance triathlons, a 70.3 and running race or two. And in the future, you can expect me to be back in CDA to give that course another go. Because there are always other races.

More important than that one race is to make sure you are healthy and focused on doing what has to get done for the long term. From my first doctor's appointment my main focus had been directed at correcting the problem. In fact, after figuring out what the problem was, I directly asked if I should bag the early season Ironman.

Over the years I have been the guy who always showed up to train. There were minor injuries, but never anything too serious. When friends would go down with a something that would put them on the shelf for some time I felt compelled to encourage them to do what they needed to do to resolve the issue quickly and permanently. I would always tell people that everyone has their day, that my day would eventually come.

In 2014, my turn came. Disappointed that I missed a big race I am happy to report that things are going good. I have recovered quickly from surgery and am slowly getting my fitness back. More important than that, I'm healthy, and I have a better understanding of my body and what I need to do to continue racing and training with my buds for many, many years. At the end of the day, health and wellness is what's really important.

Could I have toed the line this past weekend? Yes I could have. Would it have been a smart thing to do? Hell. No. If I were in CDA this past weekend I would have given it my all. In the process I would have surely had a less than optimal day (being that my longest run since coming back is less than 5 miles) and surely did some long-term damage for no good reason.

Because again, it is just one race.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Eagleman 70.3 Race Review -

Every race, every race season, has its own story. Sometimes the story has a happy ending with goals being met and new PRs being set. Other times you struggle or, worse, you crash and burn. Hard. From these extremes, however, come new knowledge about yourself. You learn what you have inside you and you learn your limits - for better or worse.

Eagleman 70.3 is a race that I have done many times in the past. On paper it looks so simple. You start with a swim in the Choptank River, hop on your bike for a almost completely flat loop around the eagle reserve, then finish it up with a half marathon on a completely flat track. Simple. Easy. Right?

Well .........

Here's the thing about Eagleman 70.3. On paper it looks like a dream. In reality, the conditions are often a huge factor. I've swam here in almost flat water and I've swam in water so choppy you couldn't see the person swimming in front of you, let alone the shoreline. The bike is flat, but there is usually a nice headwind from about mile 40 on in that will take some energy out of your legs and mess with your head. And then there's the run. One year I was here and it was mid-70s and overcast. The run course was spectacular. The other years? Hot and humid with the sun beating down on you. Did I forget to mention there is almost no shade on the run?


Clearly, race day in Cambridge, MD can be a challenge. Making it even more interesting and fun is the fact that every year a lot of great athletes (both armature and professional) show up to race. Every year I have competed here I would catch the end of the professional race during the first few miles of my run. Not only is it a cool experience to have a world champion like Marinda Carfrae or a Craig Alexander come flying past you on their way in, but it helps take your mind off the task for a few minutes.

For me, the 2014 edition of Eagleman 70.3 was going to be a different experience - a different story - than in years past. When I signed up for this race this past December the plan was to make this a good, hard workout three weeks before racing Ironman Couer d'Alene. Injury changed those plans. Seven weeks after surgery I was happy to be in Cambridge with the ability to swim and bike. With 6 total miles of running in the last 3 months, the smart thing to do was to plan on a DNF. For once in my life, I thought I'd play it smart.

Playing it smart, however, does not mean blow it off. On the contrary, just as every race has its story, every race has its lessons. So while my friends who were racing beside me were racing one of their "A" races for the season, I decided to use Eagleman as an opportunity to test out some things for my big race of the year - Ironman Florida.

So here's how things went:

Pre-race - Over many years of racing I have figured out some things that just work through trial and error. As I normally do when racing this distance, on Friday morning I swam some 1100 yards of short intervals, using the rest of the day to take in calories and take in adequate amounts of fluids. Saturday consisted of a 40 minute bike with some short pickups, just enough work to awaken the leg muscles. Normally I would have also run two miles, but not this year. I ate a big breakfast, adequate sized lunch, and a normal sized dinner. One lesson I've learned is to eat my big meal of the day 24 hours before the gun goes off, not 12 hours. By shifting your big meal ahead 12 hours you allow the body to fully digest your food before you jump in the water.

As with any good experiment I only changed one variable. For me it was an experiment with adding sea salt to my pre-race diet. I'm a heavy, salty sweater, which can cause issues while racing in warmer climates. This started about a week out. Much to my surprise I didn't feel bloated at all. In fact, I credit the added sea salt with helping my legs feel fresher, earlier in the week. By Wednesday my legs were feeling good and by Sunday morning they felt great.

Me and my "problems."

Around 4 am the alarm went off on Sunday morning. Jeff, Ant, Barb and Nick were taking the hotel shuttle over to the race site, while I drove to the middle school to take the race shuttle bus, where I met up with Emily, Allison and Cassie. The weather was about as good as it gets with no wind, highs predicted to be in the low-80s, and low humidity levels. My wave start was at 8 am, which gave me more than enough time to get prepared.

Swim - I am not a swimmer. I have developed an OK swim, but I have not been swimming since I was 4 years old. What this means is I can put up a respectable swim split, I will never be hanging at the front end of any swim I do. Over my 10 years of racing triathlons I like to believe I have developed the ability to maximize my speed and minimize my energy expenditure by racing smart. Racing smart in my world means catching a pair of feet to sit on that are fast enough, and straight enough - to get me through the swim with a respectable split (for the day and distance) feeling fresh and warmed up. For the day, this was the main objective.

Overall it worked well. I started at the front of my swim wave (Male AG45-49 M through Z) and within 250 meters I was sitting on feet. After a few minutes it felt a bit slow, but after a minute of trying to break away, I jumped back on these feet and let my guide lead the way. From that point to the final turn it worked out great. I was able to move through the back end of the previous waves with little effort as the feet I was sitting on was doing the work of finding a line. All I had to do was follow and sit in his draft.

When we hit the final turn he started to drift so I made the decision to go it alone for the final stretch. While it did keep me from doing some extra swimming, it did cost me some energy. The Choptank River current had come alive, slowing us all. As I came toward the finish things got a bit weird. Approximately 300 meters from the shore this gut stood up and started to walk in. Obviously the water was low, but more and more people started to walk and I found myself swimming through walkers. Like everyone else around me, I could no longer swim about 1 minute from shore. Total swim time: 33:59

T1 - Nothing really to note here. Without a wetsuit I was able to efficiently move through the transition area and get out onto the bike. Might have been a bit quicker if I could run and not easily jog but, whatever. Total T1 time - 1:36

Bike - Getting out onto the bike I felt good and relaxed. The course here is flat and not very technical. For IMFL, I will be racing a course that is very similar. Thus, my game plan was to work on things that will help me in November - some nutrition things, pacing, keeping the body from getting too tight from staying aero. Because I live where I do (Bethlehem, PA), even my "short and flat" rides tend to have at least 800 feet of vertical over 20-25 miles. According to my Garmin there was 92 feet of vertical in 56 miles of riding.

On the nutrition I won't bore you with the deets, but I have personally found that First Endurance EFS works very well. It gives my the calories I need along with the electrolytes my body craves. I'm a salty sweater who needs to stay on top of my intake. When I hit T2 my stomach felt great and my energy levels were high. If I could physically run, it would not have been an issue due to nutrition.

As for pacing my plan was simple. Over the first few miles I got settled in and let my heart rate settle down. From there I wanted to hold an average hart rate of between 135 and 140 for the ride. For me, this would firmly put me at an aerobic zone. At mile 47 I wanted to step it up a notch and finish the ride strong, knowing I physically could not run and would be handing in my chip.

And this is exactly what happened. After settling in I found a nice groove. Just as important, I found some new friends who were pushing a similar pace to me. So here's how it went down. Around mile 5 a guy from my wave caught up to me and, when he passed me, I followed right along. LEGALLY!!! There are rules for drafting in triathlon and it is very important to follow them. Which I did. But .. and this is a big but ... you can use the rules to your advantage.

Between mile 5 and mile 50 I ended up riding through a lot of people from the start waves before mine with between one and four other age group men. We all rode legally and respectful of each other. This helps in a number of ways. First, when you are riding through you can catch a bit of the draft zone as you are passing the slower riders from the earlier waves.  Having other riders around at a similar pace allows you to not have to waste energy on pacing or line. You simply can follow along. It may not seem like it would help, but it does. There were long stretches of time when I simply rode along, following the guy in front of me. If we had to pass some one he moved then I moved.

Here is the official rule from USAT:

"Drafting--keep at least three bike lengths of clear space between you and the cyclist in front. If you move into the zone, you must pass within 15 seconds. Position--keep to the right hand side of the lane of travel unless passing. Blocking--riding on the left side of the lane without passing anyone and interfering with other cyclists attempting to pass. Overtaken--once passed, you must immediately exit the draft zone from the rear, before attempting to pass again."
Source: USA Triathlon

Around mile 47 I consciously picked up the effort, pushing a bit harder from that point on. While I wasn't too concerned about what my time would be, I kinda really was. Doing the math I knew I would have a great time for me, even with my fitness not being where I would want it to be. In all honesty, a few minutes of that had to do with the push over the final nine miles. Most of it, however, I attribute to just having a solid aerobic base from years of racing and training. You can see from my Garmin files below that I was able to stay within my plan, keeping myself in the right zone to be successful. Total Bike time: 2:22:14

Final Thoughts - Eagleman is one of my favorite races. The swim is a challenge, the bike is fast, and the run, if you have made some mistakes, can be unforgiving. For me, the 2014 edition was a change to work on some things for later on in the year while travelling and racing with my friends. I call it a success. Physically I was able to do what I expected of myself coming off injury and less than idea training. Base fitness can do wonders!!! My pacing plan worked. I learned what I need to do to stay loose on the bike while still pacing where I feel I can. Finally, race day nutrition was spot on, giving me energy and happy legs throughout the day.

Turns out, this story turned out to be pretty good.

Train hard. Stay focused.

Jon

Rule #9: When You Train or Race, Dress Event Appropriate

I swear this has happened at every marathon I have ever done.  I show up, usually in shorts and a technical t-shirt, focused and ready to run my best. At the smaller marathons you can go about your business quickly, while at the larger races you need more time to check your bag, clean the pipes, and line up. Eventually you make it over the the staging area. You look around at other runners, taking notice of the good or the bad.

If you're The Queen, you look absolutely impeccable in your well thought out outfit. If you're me, you might kinda, sorta match. Either is cool by me unless ... you're dressed like a tri geek.

Seriously, you know who I'm talking about. There's always "That Guy" (could be a girl or, many times, they travel in packs), who decides the best option is to tri geek up with a $300 tri suit, $60 compression socks, a pair of Hoka One-Ones on his feet, and a fuel belt on to hold his race day nutrition.

I hate "That Guy."

Here's the thing. It's great that you're proud to be a triathlete. I know I am. It takes a lot of dedication and athletic skill to be able to swim AND bike AND run. Even for the slowest racer at the shortest distance!!!

But you showed up for a RUNNING RACE, not a triathlon. You are there with runners AS a runner. On this day you are not required to warm up with a swim and a bike. All you are doing is running. This being the case, dress like a runner.

And this ... this is just never acceptable.

Same thing goes for any activity you are doing with single sport athletes. Or just at the pool for a swim
workout.

A few years ago I show up at LA Fitness in Allentown to get a swim workout in. I get changed and enter the pool area ready to get some work done. I don't remember how many people were in the pool at the time. What I do remember is the guy in a $200+ trisuit telling everyone he could about the open water swim he did, what a great swimmer he was, blah, blah, blah.

The whole scene this dude made was embarrassing on so many levels. I was embarrassed for him; I was embarrassed that he was representing triathletes in this matter; I was embarrassed because none of this was necessary if he followed the simple rule of looking the part of what you are actually doing.

And just for the record, the dude could barely swim a straight line for 25 yards.

Slowly.

Very, very slowly.

Anyway, here is a fairly comprehensive breakdown on appropriate training/racing attire:

• Running a 5k, 10k, marathon, or any other running that isn't preceded by a swim and/or bike? Dress like a runner
• Doing a Giro, riding The Derby, or out for a group training ride? Dress like a roadie and ride a road bike
• Out for a training ride on your tri bike? Still dress like a roadie.
• Hitting the pool for a swim? Jammers. Speedo. If you would consider riding your bike in it, don't wear it.
• Doing a swim meet? Break out the Speedo if you're good, wear the jammers if you are me.
• Your Tri Suit is very appropriate for a triathlon ... but only a triathlon.
• Hitting the gym for some strength training or some Crossfit? Shorts and a t-shit

This, on the other hand ... 

There are some very limited exceptions to this rule. If, for example, you are transition workout (swim/bike or bike/run), it can be totally appropriate you wear your tri suit or tri shorts and a tight fitting bike jersey (depending on how long of a run you have off the bike). Another situation tri geeking out is appropriate is while training with a group of triathletes, be it at home or at a training camp.

Moral of the story: dress for the activity you are doing.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Related Posts:

Rule#1: Hard is Hard, Easy is Easy

Rule #2: Be Consistent

Rule #3: Don't Become a Slave to Sports Technology

Rule #4: The 20 Minute Rule

Rule #5: Harden the F#$k Up

Rule #6: Don't be "That Guy" ... NOBODY likes him

Rule #7: If You Are Out Training in Horrible Weather, You Are a Badass. Period.

Rule #8: Don't Think, Free the Mind and the Legs Will Follow