2015 TriRock Philadelphia Triathlon Race Report

As I have stated previously, the TriRock Philladelphia Triathlon is one of my all-time favorite races. I like the venue - the roads in and around Fairmont Park and the Schuylkill River - I like the challenge of the bike course, and the organization has always been top notch. The only complaint one could ever have about this race is the possibility the swim could be cancelled due to poor river conditions.

My goal going into the race (as stated here) was very straight forward - set a PR. I felt that my training had been going well, I know this course well (this would be my 8th time racing here), and with no Ironman or half Iornman races on the schedule I could focus on racing this distance for the first time ever. But in order to race a PR I would need to have a full Olympic distance course to race. And that is where my problems began ...

On the ride down Saturday afternoon in a downpour I contemplated the real possibility of a cancelled swim. The Schuylkill River can get muddy and filled with debris due to heavy rains making it impossible for the race promoters to allow anyone in the water. And, really, who would want to try to swim in those conditions?

Pre-Race with the Belgian Beast

My thoughts were confirmed when I got to packet pickup. The swim had been cancelled, but much to my surprise, the race would go off in a time trial start. This took me by surprise as in the past a cancelled swim meant a run-bike run format. Granted, TriRock wasn't the race promoter the last time this happened, but TriRock was the promoter in Asbury Park last year where they cancelled the swim due to a rip tide, and a run replaced the swim.

Bottom line: no PR attempt and a race format I didn't like.

The good news is I met up with Philippe (the Belgian Beast), who was racing with the Johnson & Johnson team and raised more than $8,000 for childhood cancer, and spent a nice but uneventful night in the city. Our hotel room in the University City section was only a few miles from the race site. We didn't venture too far because of the rain, but didn't really have to. Directly across the street from our hotel was a pizza place with everything we needed for a pre-race meal.

Race Morning

Early races mean early wake up times. In this case the alarm went off around 4:45 am mixed with the sound of rain hitting the hotel windows. After a quick stretch, a small meal and a couple of trips to the bathroom we headed over to the race site. The Belgian Beast rode his bike over and I decided to drive the four miles as I planned on heading home straight from the race site. The drive was easy as was parking.

Once down around transition the weather was causing some chaos. I have to give TriRock a lot of credit for their flexibility as they just went with the situation. The rain had not let up and transition was a total mess. There was a long line for body marking as the markers weren't working on wet skin. The race director made the decision to let it slide.

The pro race started at 6:30 am with a big gap of time before the first age groupers would head out to the start line. Seems crazy unless you know the course. With two bike loops that are both hilly and technical it made sense to let the pros have the bike course to themselves. Not the best thing for me, but understandable.

What the gap in time did allow for was a chance to catch the pro field coming through T2. You know they are fast, but it becomes much more real as they fly through transition so fast and efficiently.

Race Winner Cameron Dye exiting T2

The Bike: 23.6 miles 1:03:18 

Strava File

The time trial start at a triathlon is not my friend. Even a hard swim gives the body a chance to get warmed up to the point where I'm comfortable from the start of the bike. After standing around for 2 1/2 hours I was nothing close to loose. I had the same issue at Ironman Florida this past November when the swim there didn't happen due to a rip tide. I'm old and tighten up when I stand around in transition. It is even more of a challenge here as the first climb of the day comes about one mile into the ride, giving you very little time to settled into a rhythm.

Somewhere around 8:35 am I finally was released to start my race.

Going into the ride my concern was that the time trial start would cause more crowding than normal. As one of the last people to start racing I assumed there would be a big jam up. My experience, fortunately, was just the opposite. Which worked out great.

If you thought that I might take it easy you would be wrong. While I did sorta ease into the first mile, once I hit the base of the first hill it was game on. With the wet roads my game plan was to work the uphills, ride conservatively on the technical downhills and open it up on the flat stretches working through the field the best I could. And that is exactly how it played out. For the first 7 or 8 miles I had another AG45-49 guy around me, but I dropped him for good the first time up Lemon Hill.

From there I just continued to move forward as fast as I could with no drama.

T2: 1:31

Not my fastest time. Ended up having some trouble with the mud.

The Run - 6.2 miles 48:28 

Strava File

After a good run at Jerseyman in May I really had some high expectations for my run. I will never be the fastest guy out there, but I a 6:40-6:45 would have been respectable, and well within my current fitness. Or so I thought.

Source: Craig Sheckler

Heading out onto the run course my legs were still not loosened up. I assumed that they would come around somewhere in the first mile.

Never make assumptions ...

About 3/4 of a mile in the guy I passed on the bike on Lemon Hill came by me. He got a gap and then he slowed back down to my pace. Sounds good, except "my pace" was somewhere around a 7:10 mile, not a 6:40. Just after mile two I was passed by two more AG45-49 men who I should have been able to hang with.

But not today. On this day it just wasn't happening. Just after mile 3 I got a little light headed and took a brief walk break, taking in some Gatorade, hoping to turn things around. A few minutes later I rethought the situation. With no chance for a PR, my legs not responding, and being out of the top three in my age group, I could think of no reason to push myself. So as the Strava file shows, I didn't rush things.

Overall -1:53:16 86th out of 896; AG45-49 6/77

Not what I wanted for sure. The goal coming in was a PR at the Olympic Distance. No swim = no PR, which came as a big mental letdown.

How Could I Have Raced Better

I could have kept my head in the game. Once the race got changed I mentally checked out, which is never a good way to race and something I need to work on for the future.

I could have also taken better care of myself during the extended wait to begin racing. A better protocol than stand around and talk. I ended up peeing like 8 times while standing around and took in a few calories and some liquids, but surely not enough. In the future I need to be better prepared for the unexpected.

Overall Impression of the Race

This is one of my favorite races every season and I highly recommend it to everyone. "Flat and fast" is fine every now and then, but most of the time I enjoy the challenge of a technical bike course. The venue is nice while TriRock has done a great job of keeping this race great.

Full race results can be found here.

Up next: On July 4th The Queen and I ran the Firecracker 4 Miler in Palmer Township. On July 19th I'll be racing the N.J. State State Triathlon (Olympic Distance) in West Windsor, NJ. 

Thanks for reading.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Book Review - Unbreakable Runner by TJ Murphy & Brian Mackenzie

I have been a very fortunate runner. Prior to 1995 I never ran any further than down into the kitchen to grab a late night snack. Back then I was consumed with strength training, more specifically the three power lifts - squats, deadlifts and the bench press. Get big! Get strong! That's the ticket ... or at least it was at the time. One day I began to realize that while lifting really large amounts of weight could be fun, it didn't really get me to where I wanted to be. By the time I was in my mid-20s I hurt like a much older man.

Around 1995 my focus began to change. I continued to strength train, but started to run a little. Then I ran a little more. Then I lost some weight, began to have less pain, and ran a little more. By 1998 I was running half marathons, with my first marathon the following year.

Strength training became less important, but still remained. The more crazy the endurance racing got - marathons, triathlons, eventually Ironman triathlons - the less I hit the weights. But unlike many, I continued to strength train. Not like I did in a past life, of course, but still enough to keep the body strong. And honestly, I never gave it much thought. I enjoyed lifting weights so I continued to do it.

Which leads us to Unbreakable Runner: Unleash the Power of Strength & Conditioning for a Lifetime of Strong Running. As an endurance athlete there are two things that eventually come to the forefront of your mind - the desire to get faster and the reality that injuries occur. Not surprisingly, injuries are more likely the harder you push in training in the quest for a PR. Problem is, if you get injured it is hard to run fast as training becomes compromised.

TJ Murphy knows all about this. For many years Murphy's training protocol looked like the traditional high-mileage schedule. Over time it played havoc on his body, leading to injury and lots of downtime. Murphy came upon Mackenzie as a result of a story he would write on Mackenzie. His injury history and frequent downtime him to give Mackenzie's approach a try.

And who is Brian Mackenzie? The founder of   CrossFit Endurance (CFE), a much different approach to endurance training. How different? As Murphy puts it in the writer's note, CFE is "either the best training innovation since the interval workout or a fatal virus out to destroy all that was pure and good in running." Clearly, Mackenzie is a polarizing figure.

So now that we know the approach here is polarizing, we need to know what is so different. To start, the approach here is about health and sustainability.  Unlike CrossFit, which is about developing all around athleticism, CrossFit Endurance is about sports-specific performance. When it comes to running, the CFE athlete will work on developing running skills, balance, flexibility and mobility. Nutrition is also a focus.

And CrossFit Endurance is exactly what the book is about. Over the course of the first five chapters you will learn the what and the how of Mackenzie's method. The final chapter is devoted to sample programs for all distances from the 5k through ultra distance. Appendix A is devoted to building your own home gym and Appendix B gives sample individualized programs for CFE.

Who Should Read "Unbreakable Runner"?

While the title of the book is attractive to any serious runner, the contents are not. I know enough endurance athletes to know that there are many who would be closed-minded to such a different approach. I can hear the arguments already: "I'm not a lifter," "this will never work," "I would miss my road time with my peeps," ... I'm sure you could add one or two of your own.

What attracted me to this book was a knowledge of Mackenzie as well as TJ Murphy's story from broken runner to reborn endurance athlete. What kept me reading was my understanding of what the authors were saying. And honestly, not all of this is new to a traditional running program, just repackaged around less mileage and CrossFit training.

Personally I got a lot from this book. While I am not making such a radical change in what I do, I have been a lower mileage runner for a few years now. I have started making subtle changes to my workload while introducing or modifying some of the non-running parts of the plan.

Bottom line: I recommend this book to anyone who is open-minded enough to at least consider a different approach to endurance training.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Thoughts on the Upcoming TriRock Philly Triathlon

"The best pace is a suicide pace and today seems like a good day to die" - Steve Prefontaine

On Sunday June 28 I will be among 2000 or so people who are looking to complete the TriRock Philadelphia Olympic distance triathlon. Everyone is there for a reason. My reason for racing is simple - I want a big PR.

Since 1998 my big goal races have been long distance affairs. They have been either a marathon or a race with the word Ironman in the race's name (both the 70.3 or full distance). Most years there were multiple races of these distance on my schedule.

This race season is a very different one for me. In 2015 the longest events I will participate in are Olympic Distance Triathlons and half marathons. This change in focus has given me the chance to do some different things, making my experiment of N = 1 a totally new, interesting experience.

In year's past I have raced shorter distances, but never as the focus of what I was trying to accomplish as a racer. Most all of these would be considered "B" or "C" training races. I cannot remember doing anything close to a taper that lasted more than three days. All things considered, I haven't done all that bad on the short stuff.

Philly Tri with the Mighty Belgian in 2013

In 2009 at the ripe old age of 40 I set my Olympic distance triathlon PR of 2:12:54 at the Philadelphia Triathlon. I remember swimming well, riding as expected before hanging on for the last few miles of the run. Two weeks prior I had raced Eagleman 70.3.

Last year at Steelman I came close to a new PR, missing the old mark by just 4 seconds. This was during my build for Ironman Florida, so no taper. And then there was that whole knee surgery thing I was still recovering from. Needless to say (but I will anyway), the fast time came as a surprise.

It also got me thinking: What if I actually trained for the OLY distance? How fast could I conceivably go?

So here I am, less than two weeks out from the Philly Tri looking to score a big PR. How big? Weeellll ... I think I can go 2:10:xx.

No. seriously, I think I can go 2:10:xx. And not only do I think I can do it, I'm going to go for it on June 28. There are no secondary goals or "if this happens" kind of scenarios. None of that for Jon. Come race day I'm racing for a 2:10 or better. Period.

I've never been the  keep one foot in the door, race safe kind of guy. In my mind, unless I'm racing "for fun" I am out there to see what I have on that given day. Race safe and you get mediocre results. Which is fine, I guess. To each his or her own. But racing safe means never fully investing yourself in what you are doing. Yes, you won't likely be disappointed. OK. But does racing safe really produce success?

In order to produce personal greatness one needs to take the risk of racing on the edge. When you race on the edge you risk blowing up and having what looks like pretty crappy results. Could this be considered "failure?" More to the point, if I go, say, 2:22:xx would I consider my race a failure? It depends.

If I go out, race smart but on the edge, pushing my personal limits and leaving it all out on the race course then yes, a 2:22 would be a success. After years of racing making a stupid mistake with my pacing or nutrition would be a failure. Not pushing the limit and putting up a good time would be failure as well. Blowing up while shooting for that stretch goal? I'm so good with that.

There will be no "I could have gone 2:10 if I really wanted" come June 28. I want to know what I'm capable of. And without a legit effort it is impossible to know my personal limits. Whatever happens, when I enter the finishers shoot I will know exactly what I had on that day. I'll give it my all, risking failure in the process.

I have more than enough experience to be confident that when I jump in the Schuylkill River I won't screw things up. What I do fear is that my two week taper period could cause me to not perform my best. This is a new experience for me and, quite frankly, what I'm doing to be prepared is a best guess kinda thing. I know what I have done for longer races, and I know what the standard protocols are for short course racing are, but I do not know how this all relates to me specifically. Hopefully it works out as I expect.

Thanks for reading.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Training Review: May 2015

Finally some descent training weather. After months of horrible to unsuitable/not-so-fun training weather it was nice to finally get a full month with uninterrupted outdoor bike/run training. In fact, the weather has been so attractive it became hard to get in the pool.

OK, that's a bit of a stretch. If you have been round these parts before you know I've been struggling to get in the pool since the start of the year. Still, the combination of warm weather and sunny skies sure didn't help.

This season is about focusing on shorter events than I have in the past. This comes with a big challenge for me, mainly finding the proper balance between volume and intensity. Getting older makes this more of a challenge as I just don't recover like I did 10 or 15 years ago. Forty-five isn't necessarily old - not even half way to the end - but it is in athletic terms.

It is different now. I struggle to find that proper balance. I can drill myself into the ground, just like I could years ago. The difference is, today I would need three days to recover from a workout that would take 24 hours in the past. Guess the experiment of N=1 will just have to continue.

The game plan for May was to up the bike intensity while maintaining a relatively high volume, hit the track on the run, while getting consistent in the pool with two races to test fitness. Nothing fancy, just some good 'ole training.

Swim: Consistency prevailed in May. I got in the pool 3x each week with the exception of the last week of the month, which had more to do with a scheduling conflict than lack of desire. Once at the pool my workouts general were solid, staying around 2500-3000 yards per session. With no Ironman or even a 70.3 on the agenda in 2015 I find no reason to push through long main sets or worry about hitting a large total volume. I get to the pool, get in, put my head under water and go. Forty-five to 50 minutes later I'm out of there.

My favorite go to set has become 18-20 x 100 on a 1:40 sendoff time. I find that I can work hard yet concentrate on holding my form.

Bike: I have fallen into a nice rhythm on the bike where I get some solid interval work in during the week that is complimented by a long ride on Sunday that always includes plenty of vertical. Throw in a Monday night group ride and an easy, recovery ride or two and that's my week. My interval work over the month moved from shorter to longer intervals. With my "A" race getting closer I have been more race specific with the work sets. I feel strong, but wish I had more time to do some hill repeats.

My favorite set during this cycle is 3 x (10 min @ OLY power + 2-5 min recovery)

Taking a break at Mueller's General Store on rt. 611

Run: Things have progressed here but I have not put in as many track sessions as I had hoped for. Earlier in the month I was dealing with a slight abductor strain that limited my running. This is a thing I have dealt with enough over the years to understand what I can and cannot do. I can run but cannot over do the speed work. Oh well, stuff happens.

I am happy to say the issue has resolved itself and I feel I am back on track (and back on the track as well).

Racing: May was a good month for racing. On the 16th I worked out the triathlon kinks at the Jerseyman Triathlon in Clinton, NJ, placing 18th overall and 3rd in AG45-49 with an overall time of 1:49:05. More important to me than my overall time is that coming off a lousy winter for training, I rode faster than I did in 2014 (where I did the AquaVelo) followed by a very solid run of 27:14. The other race I did was the Tortoise & Hare 5k in Wind Gap, PA on Memorial Day. Running a 19:39 placed me 13th overall and second in AG45-49.

Jerseyman Finish

Overall: Things are starting to fall into place. My swim appears to be adequate - I'll never be a front pack swimmer - and the bike is feeling strong. Surely disappointed with the minor running setback, but what are you going to do? Still, my speed, which was so lacking in 2014, is starting to come back around.

What's happening in June? This month is 100% about getting ready for the Philadelphia Triathlon on June 28. The first part of the month will be dedicated to race prep with the back half all about getting ready to race.

Thanks for reading.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Racing Ironman? Respect the Distance

A few years ago The Queen and I ran into an acquaintance while picking up our race packets for the St. Luke's Half Marathon. Let's call him Mike because, well, that's his name. Mike was "getting ready" to race Ironman St. George, and was just 6 weeks out from his race. He went on and on about how ready he was because, you know, he had "done" all three distances before. And by done them, he meant he has swam a 1.5 mile swim, rode his bike 80 miles one day, and has completed many a marathon. I reminded him that the Ironman swim was 2.4 miles and the 112 mile bike was a bit more than the 80 he said he had previously completed. To be fair, Mike had completed a good number of standalone marathons.

Now Mike is not the leanest person you would ever meet. And in case you know nothing about the Ironman St. George race course, all you need to know is the race is now an Ironman 70.3 because the long course was just too much of a challenge (becuase Ironman should be easy?). To say the course was hilly is an understatement. Put these two facts together and race day would be a challenge for Mike.

I wished Mike luck and went on my way ...

OK, that last sentence is bullshit.

Truth be told, I don't remember the exact wording, but I basically told Mike there was no way he would be hearing Mike Riley at the finish line calling him an Ironman. No, he would be finishing his race by handing his timing chip to a volunteer, not crossing the finish line after a 26.2 mile run. Not a matter of if he would fail, but a matter of how far he would make it before calling it a day.

Mike made it to mile 30-ish on the bike. I am sure he heard my voice in his head when he handed over the timing chip and sat down in the support van. That must have really sucked.

As hard as it may be to believe, I'm pretty sure Mike doesn't like me anymore.

Now I know what some of you are thinking right now - Jon's a real f'in a$$hole for saying such a thing. You need to support people in their efforts; Everyone can't be fast; He paid his money and can do what he wants; And on, and on, and on ...

I admit, I could have handled the situation differently. I COULD have wished him luck, told him he would be fine, make sure you properly fuel your body, etc. Yes, I could have said any and all of those things without upsetting my acquaintance. I would have come off as the supportive friend. It's what people do, right?

No. Not in my world anyway.

I said what I said for one very important reason (at least to me) - respect for the distance. See, I have no problem with someone racing a long distance endurance event and either completing the distance in a "slow" time or having something happen and not completing the course. Not only am I fine with it, but in my little side training business I have worked with people who's goal was to simply complete the Ironman distance in the 17 hour allotted time. And when they do it, it is pure awesomeness. Everyone has their own goals, their own desires. Whatever it is YOU want to do, I'm cool with it.

What I am NOT cool with at all is thinking you can just half-ass your training and muddle through the day. One hundred and forty point six miles is a long day. Heck, just running 26.2 miles or riding a century is a long day. And don't get me started on long swims. I did the 3 mile distance at Steelman OWS one year and wanted to quit somewhere between miles 2 and 3. Problem was I happened to be in the middle of the lake so walking off the course wasn't an option at the time. Never doing that again.

Preparing for an Ironman is no joke. My first full Ironman was at Lake Placid in July 2005. I started training for the race on January 2 of that year. I remember sitting down with Bill and getting that first week of training and thinking he was crazy. The amount of work he had me doing is what I expected to see during peak weeks, not the first week of January. Funny thing is, everything I did those first three months were more about getting fit enough to train for the training I would need to do for the main event. Come race day I was ready (Thanks again Bill!!!).

You just can't wake up one morning and decide you will go out and go 140.6 miles on Saturday. It takes time and dedication. It takes focus and determination. It takes patience and persistence.

Now let's say you signed up for an event that you had all good intention of completing. Because of the popularity of the Ironman you need to sign up for most events in North America a year in advance. Sometimes you can do it online, but for other events you are better off going to the event and volunteering the year prior to make sure you get a spot for the following year. I've done that twice myself.

The problem is, a lot can happen in a year's time. You can suffer a major injury for example. I have experience with this as I had to back out of Ironman Coure D'Alene last year due to injury. Didn't take much for me to realize that I just had to skip the race and move on.

The other thing that can happen is you simply lose your motivation to properly prepare. I totally get it. The IDEA of becoming and Ironman is much different than the day-to-day reality of doing the necessary work to complete the Ironman. 

There are times you are going to give up social activities to ride your bike. There will be times you just don't want to swim, let alone do a 3 x 1k main set. And I don't know anyone who craves a 2 hour run off the bike. The body will hurt and you will get tired. Real tired. All of this is part of the Ironman experience. This is what is necessary to do it right.

Do it the right was and there is a very high probability you will successfully complete the distance. At the end you will either be a one and done, checking the Ironman box, or you will fall in love with long course racing.

When I crossed the finish line in Lake Placid at the end of Ironman #1 my family and friends were there to meet me. The Queen, knowing me as she does, looked at me and said "this isn't done, is it?" I looked at my feet and squirmed like a child caught with his had in a cookie jar. Nine years later the flame is still lit.

I know I am not the fastest, but I have a respect for the distance. I enjoy the process, I crave the work. I love the feeling of being Ironfit.  If the drive to go long - the drive to put in the necessary work to race long - leaves me I'll call it a day. I have too much respect for the sport, for the distance, to have it any other way.

Getting back to Mike, my problem wasn't with his desire to race the race. My problem was with the lax attitude he had towards proper prep for the race. Back to what I said earlier, the idea of being able to call yourself an Ironman is much different than the reality of the work needed to cross the finish line. I find it rather arrogant to think that you can just half-ass it and expect to muddle your way through. I have much more respect for someone who says they can't do it and gracefully backs out than shows up thinking they can fake it enough to succeed.

My point is a simple one - if you decide you want to do an Ironman, respect the distance and put in the proper training to complete the Ironman. If you can't or won't do the work, don't do the race.

Thanks for reading.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Race Report - Jerseyman Triathlon

Saturday May 16th was the annual Jerseyman Traithlon, a race that has come to be the beginning of my triathlon season. Living on the East Coast racing earlier in the year would involve traveling a great distance just to find a race, let alone moderate weather conditions. This year especially, after a winter of mostly indoor training, the bike legs needed some time to get back up to par. With my last race being Ironman Florida more than six months ago, I was more than ready to get back to a little swim-bike-run.

As this has become my traditional first triathlon of the season, it is not a priority race. Instead I think of it as a shakeout event, trying to test my equipment and get those little race mistakes that can crop up when you are away from it. It also means I train through with very little taper. Race week was normal training Monday through Wednesday, two easier days before the Saturday race, then a normal longer bike on Sunday.

Before I get into my race I just want to shamelessly plug this race. I highly recommend you race here if you have the opportunity. The course is fair, it is very well organized, and there is always a good group of athletes who show up. Because it is in mid-May the weather is usually not an issue. Getting to the race is easy as it is just off of Route 78. I love, love love racing in NJ to begin with, and living in Bethlehem, PA this gives me the chance to do it with just a 25 minute ride to Clinton, NJ.

With that out of the way, how'd it all work out for me this year?

Pre-Race
One of the many things I like about this race is the easy, low-stress race morning. The drive over was uneventful, although I was quite lucky. Just past the exit I was getting off there was an overturned tractor trailer that eventually caused a major backup. At the race site - Spruce Run Park - I quickly parked, took care of race day packet pickup (which is how every race should be IMHO), got my gear together and set up my transition area. Shorter races are nice in that transition is fairly simple.

After meeting up with Cassie I headed down to the water for a quick warm up swim. With the cooler weather we have been experiencing I had expected the water to be no warmer than 62 degrees. Much to my surprise the official reading was 65 degrees, but it felt warmer. No matter, in a wetsuit it was comfortable.

After the pre-race meeting and national anthem, we were ready to race.


Swim: 0.6 Mile 14:28 (0.5 mile 13:09 Garmin)
About 2 minutes before my wave (wave #2) set off it started to rain. Not very hard, but things didn't look so good in the direction of the bike course. No matter, have to get out of the lake before worrying about the bike. Five minutes after the elite wave we ran off the beach and into the water.

Like many smaller races I ran into a familiar problem. I am a good swimmer but not "a swimmer." My game plan of go out hard and sit on a set of fast feet that pass me early on didn't work. The problem is, you need a set of fast feet to come by. As I have become accustom to, there were 4 or 5 guys who were much faster than I am, and a bunch of guys slower than I am, but nobody who I could draft. About 200 meters in I realized this would be how it would be and just swam along.

After the turn home I noticed I was catching one of the guys from my wave and did manage to sit in his draft for a short period. I passed him and hit the beach after a half mile of swimming in 13:09 according to my Garmin. Not great but OK. The difference in times noted above reflects the .1 mile run to transition that is included in the official results.

T1: 2:07 

Ugggg. Wetsuit swims are great because you get the extra speed of the wetsuit. The problem (for me at least) is getting the dang wetsuit off. You would think that I would have it down after all these years, but I clearly do not. Trouble getting it off over the huge timing chip, losing time in the process.

Bike: 24 Miles 1:05:09
This is where the fun usually begins for me. The bike is my strength and I enjoy riding fast. After racing here the past few years I have come to appreciate the bike course with its fast descents, steady climbs and a few more technical sections. The course is lolly pop shaped, so what you ride out you ride back in.

I took the opportunity to take notice of any road issues on the out section, hoping to avoid any problems on the way back. The roads were wet and this past winter have left the area with some serious pot holes. Fortunately road conditions were fine with only a few sections that were less than ideal.

After settling in over the first few miles I worked the uphills and road a little cautious on the downhills. No reason to risk injury. From the beginning I was passing a steady stream of people racing the duathlon and by mile nine I began passing some of the men and women racing elite.

Then a weird thing happened. The loop section is a rural area with normally quiet roads. Apparently there is a business located in the area that gets deliveries from tractor trailers. I know this because I was forced to slow down for a short stretch behind this 18-wheeler. Wasn't his fault. Wasn't the race director's fault. Just was what it was. Lost a little time, but nothing that made a difference.

Anyway, other than one slick area of road the rest of the ride was uneventful.

T2: 0:52

Mid-season form. Quickly off my bike, then quickly in and out of transition.

Run: 4 miles 27:14
Heading out of T2 I decided to avoid the data on my Garmin and just race. My heart rate monitor was on the fritz anyway. Goal here was simple - run hard, run by feel, but don't blow up. I would check my mile splits.

The run course is a simple out-and-back that remains inside the park. The roads are rolling. About a 1/2 mile in, much to my surprise, I passed one of the elites on a small incline. That felt good. Moving forward I remained in control but started to hear footsteps. This continued past the 2 mile mark when I hear a fellow competitor tell me he was going to run with me.

Dude sped up and asked me what I was running ... "Last mile was 6:37" I said, before picking up the pace.

No way dude was going to pass me.

Dude backed off a bit and I picked it up. The only person who passed me before the finish line was the elite I passed early on. I cooled down with him and found out he is a fast runner who had some hamstring cramps coming off the bike.

Overall: 1:49:05 18/283 Overall 3rd AG 45-49
This race has always been a tri-season starter, giving me the chance to work off the rust of 6+ months of not racing triathlon. Mistakes will be made and while I always race with effort, it is not an "A" race. This year is no exception.

Overall I am happy with my performance. Could I have gone faster on the day? Probably. But given the conditions, the lack of a taper, etc. ... no regrets.

My swim was slower than last year, but my overall placing for the swim (24th) was right about what I would expect. This, even as I have been slacking off in the pool this year. On the bike I bested my time from last year even as wet roads got me to ride more conservatively than normal and a faster average pace than the year prior when the bike was only 20 miles. This makes me more confident going into Philly Tri next month. On the run I was more than satisfied with how I performed, racing smart and strong.

Best part of the day, however, was racing with the two bad-ass women in the picture below. Lauren dropped a 1:53 and was the fastest woman on the day, while Cassie won the 25-29 AG with a 5 minute PR time of 1:58. They keep me on my game because I fear at some point in the near future they start to beat me. Yeah, they are THAT good.

Full Race Results can be found here.

Up next: Focus is on the TriRock Philadelphia Triathlon on June 28th. Between now and then I will be racing the Tortoise & Hare 5k as well as the Wilson Partners in Education 5k that helps support the school district The Queen teaches in. 

Thanks for reading.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Training Review: April 2015

Considering that today is May 19th, this is a bit of a late update. Been busy lately with work, life, and of course a nice dose of swim/bike/run. Yes, April finally gave us some good weather (and early morning light) in the Lehigh Valley, getting me back outside on an everyday basis. So, so nice. And not having time for the blog because I'm training ... I don't see that as much of a problem.

April is the month where I start to get more serious about what I am doing. The plan was to get more volume while continuing the strength and muscular endurance work, especially on the bike. Consistency would be the key in the pool. The run would continue to be about getting my old, slow legs faster.

County Road 519 near P'burg, NJ

Swim: Last month I discussed how I needed to get more consistent with the swim. I am not a swimmer, but have made myself into an OK triathlon swimmer. This means I have developed enough of a stroke to stay competitive but not enough to be competitive in a pool. For the past 6 years I actively focused on my swim with big (for a non-swimmer) volume. The lack of focus here has shown in the pool time so far in 2015. April was a bit better, but not what it probably should have been. I tried .... kinda ... to make that happen. And to an extent it did.

Bike: Consistency and interval work. Early in the month I was forced inside a few times due to weather issues. This worked fine as it gave me a controlled environment for some specific interval work. By mid-month I had rid myself of the trainer and have been out on the roads full time. Monday evenings have become group ride night for me and Cassie, joining the Lehigh Wheelmen Monday Night "A" Ride three times. What a great group to ride with!!! A few Sunday mornings I have been joining Char's Kick Ass Milford Ride for some long miles and hills. Again, a super group of people to spend a few hours with on two wheels. And the muffins at the Milford Station Bakery are second to none.

Overall I had a good month of riding. Nice long rides combined with targeted interval sessions have helped my FTP improve. I look forward to racing.

Run: Consistency and intensity have been the keys for my run so far in 2015. April continued this trend with 3-4 runs each week. Long runs have been moderate in distance, a big departure from how I trained prior to 2014. Huge volume isn't in the cards for me any more which I am completely fine with. My short race times have been coming down again and I am starting to feel fast for me. Will I ever be the fastest runner out there? Hell no. Do I care? Not as long as I feel I am doing my best.

The one setback I did have was a small issue with my left calf a week out from the St. Luke's Half Marathon. It is a problem I have had before and I followed my standard protocol. I immediately shut the run down for five days and got into Joe's office for massage therapy. By Saturday I was able to run. That Sunday I raced as planned.

Racing: After a 5k in March I had two of the older Lehigh Valley races on the schedule for April - Emmaus 4 Miler and the St. Luke's Half Marathon. Emmaus is a very hilly course and much to my delight I had a good day, running an unexpected PR time of 25:36, winning my age group and placing 16th overall on April 12th. Two weeks later I ran a 1:34:59 at the 1/2 marathon. Not my best time, but a solid effort. Definetly an effort I hope to improve on at my next standalone half later this year. You can find my race report here.


Overall: April was a good month. I was consistent with everything but the swim, including strength training twice a week, which I really haven't mentioned for whatever reason. The two running races went well, and I entered May ready to race some triathlon.

What's happening in May? Now that we are into nice weather the bike volume/intensity will continue to increase. On the run the focus will be track workouts - yes, track workouts - with a moderate long run duration. There will be no 20 mile runs for Jon!!! With no long triathlons or marathons on the schedule there is no reason to put the stress on my body of crazy long runs. In the pool I am simply looking for consistency.

I will be racing Jerseyman Triathlon mid-month along with the Tortoise & Hare 5k on Memorial Day as a run fitness test.


Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon