Apple Duathlon has been a favorite local race for a lot of people which is why I choose it this year. I'm not sure it will be as competitive as in years past which will play to my favor being that there are typically a few pros and lots of faster guys. Like last week I'm looking to have more fun than anything but this is more than a tune up race, which last week was more of.
After grobbling about what to do about my loss of bike power I decided to play around with my seat position a little. This is a strategy that has never played out well for me but I feel like it needs to be done. I also feel like I know more about where my seat position should be and feel comfortable (at least on the trainer) with the new position.
As of now th weather looks decent and I should get a better gauge of my splits this week. Hopefully I can at least keep the damage to a minimum with a better bike split.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Gear West Duathlon
This was a race that I have never done. In fact I have only done one other duathlon... ever. I wasn't expecting much more than a good gauge on where I'm at in the running and biking department. What I got was a great race and tons of fun.
I was somewhat horrified to find out that most of the running would be done on extremely wet trails. At some spots the course resembled more of a mud pit/obstacle course. A number of people lost shoes in the mud while others simply did face plants. It was a blood bath.
I started that race easier than normal so I didn't wear myself out to much for the bike. I was probably at about 40th after the first 100 yards but worked my way up towards the front after the first half mile. I was following another runner when he lead me off course a little. Too be honest I would have done the same thing. It cost me 10-15 seconds but I shook it off and ended up with a very respectable 11th overall run split.
My transition was sloppy but that was expected as I hadn't had any time to practice my transitions yet this year. My friend Ross Weinzierl was also racing. We'd done some trainer rides this winter so I know why Ross has improved so much. He's put in the work. I was a little surprised to see him so early on the bike course. Ross's water bottle had gone rogue and he was going to have to go the course without it. About the same time Devon Palmer blew by me. I was wondering who it was as I typically hold my own with anyone on the bike.
The bike felt ok but I was not gaining on anyone. Typically I would have made up some time on the runners but today it was not to be. I came off the bike in 8th and had another sloppy transition. I heard Ross getting off his bike and I saw him heading out of T2 right behind me. I knew this was going to be exciting.
I knew Ross was in great shape and his run times were not in my favor so I started to strategize. I knew he wanted to beat me and would work as hard as he could to pass me. So I took the first quarter mile easy and baited him into pushing a little out his comfort zone. I then let him pass me just before we headed into the wind. I then took a seat in his back pocket and took a little break. I then felt pretty good and decided to test him by making a pass. He responded with another good push and even surprised me by putting 10-20 yards on me. Ross was breathing hard though and I knew he couldn't keep the pace. I just held my ground and didn't let him get to far ahead. We then went down into the lower parts where it was really muddy and nasty. We were coming up on the worst of the course when Ross got caught in the mud and took a digger into the mud. He recovered well though and I made sure to be careful where he biffed it.
As I came up to the spot I had two choices. Go left where it look like thick mud soup or stay right (where Ross went). The right side looked better with a drier spot then a puddle. I decided to be careful but stay right. I soon discovered what Ross hit. The puddle wasn't a puddle at all. While the puddle was only a foot or so wide it was 18-24" deep. I almost biffed it too but managed to catch myself and recover. It did slow me down though and I didn't gain much on Ross.
We then moved up to the gravel road when Ross made a similar mistake that I did on the first loop. Ross took an early right and went off course. As I came up to him I told him I didn't think that was the way. I followed my instincts for once and kept going. I expected Ross to only be a few steps behind but the wrong turn seemed to take a toll on him. I then put on a little pressure and picked up the pace a bit to make sure Ross didn't feel like he could close the gap.
After a short but steep hill you had to do one loop around a soft gravel track. I had a good 10-15 seconds on Ross and he wasn't gaining. On top of that I found a great stride and felt fantastic. I turned about 150 yrds from the finish to see Ross making on last push but it was a little too late and I picked up the pace just to make sure and beat my friend by 4 seconds.
Ross and I have talked since the race about what happened. Ross was saying how he needs to work on his mental toughness. He didn't think he could beat me. This in turn caused him to panic and loose focus. The fall really took it's toll and the wrong turn was the nail in the coffin. Ross was saying he had nothing left and made his move too late. In the end it just wasn't Ross's day. It's alright, it happens. I've had those days. Ross will learn more from this race than by winning 4 races. It's apart of getting to the next level, which I have no doubt he will get to. Saturday may have been my day but Ross will have his soon enough.
I was somewhat horrified to find out that most of the running would be done on extremely wet trails. At some spots the course resembled more of a mud pit/obstacle course. A number of people lost shoes in the mud while others simply did face plants. It was a blood bath.
I started that race easier than normal so I didn't wear myself out to much for the bike. I was probably at about 40th after the first 100 yards but worked my way up towards the front after the first half mile. I was following another runner when he lead me off course a little. Too be honest I would have done the same thing. It cost me 10-15 seconds but I shook it off and ended up with a very respectable 11th overall run split.
My transition was sloppy but that was expected as I hadn't had any time to practice my transitions yet this year. My friend Ross Weinzierl was also racing. We'd done some trainer rides this winter so I know why Ross has improved so much. He's put in the work. I was a little surprised to see him so early on the bike course. Ross's water bottle had gone rogue and he was going to have to go the course without it. About the same time Devon Palmer blew by me. I was wondering who it was as I typically hold my own with anyone on the bike.
The bike felt ok but I was not gaining on anyone. Typically I would have made up some time on the runners but today it was not to be. I came off the bike in 8th and had another sloppy transition. I heard Ross getting off his bike and I saw him heading out of T2 right behind me. I knew this was going to be exciting.
I knew Ross was in great shape and his run times were not in my favor so I started to strategize. I knew he wanted to beat me and would work as hard as he could to pass me. So I took the first quarter mile easy and baited him into pushing a little out his comfort zone. I then let him pass me just before we headed into the wind. I then took a seat in his back pocket and took a little break. I then felt pretty good and decided to test him by making a pass. He responded with another good push and even surprised me by putting 10-20 yards on me. Ross was breathing hard though and I knew he couldn't keep the pace. I just held my ground and didn't let him get to far ahead. We then went down into the lower parts where it was really muddy and nasty. We were coming up on the worst of the course when Ross got caught in the mud and took a digger into the mud. He recovered well though and I made sure to be careful where he biffed it.
As I came up to the spot I had two choices. Go left where it look like thick mud soup or stay right (where Ross went). The right side looked better with a drier spot then a puddle. I decided to be careful but stay right. I soon discovered what Ross hit. The puddle wasn't a puddle at all. While the puddle was only a foot or so wide it was 18-24" deep. I almost biffed it too but managed to catch myself and recover. It did slow me down though and I didn't gain much on Ross.
We then moved up to the gravel road when Ross made a similar mistake that I did on the first loop. Ross took an early right and went off course. As I came up to him I told him I didn't think that was the way. I followed my instincts for once and kept going. I expected Ross to only be a few steps behind but the wrong turn seemed to take a toll on him. I then put on a little pressure and picked up the pace a bit to make sure Ross didn't feel like he could close the gap.
After a short but steep hill you had to do one loop around a soft gravel track. I had a good 10-15 seconds on Ross and he wasn't gaining. On top of that I found a great stride and felt fantastic. I turned about 150 yrds from the finish to see Ross making on last push but it was a little too late and I picked up the pace just to make sure and beat my friend by 4 seconds.
Ross and I have talked since the race about what happened. Ross was saying how he needs to work on his mental toughness. He didn't think he could beat me. This in turn caused him to panic and loose focus. The fall really took it's toll and the wrong turn was the nail in the coffin. Ross was saying he had nothing left and made his move too late. In the end it just wasn't Ross's day. It's alright, it happens. I've had those days. Ross will learn more from this race than by winning 4 races. It's apart of getting to the next level, which I have no doubt he will get to. Saturday may have been my day but Ross will have his soon enough.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
To Be or Not to Be
This weekend will be my first multisport of the year and my second ever duathlon. My first was in 2009 possibly near the peak of career so far where I set a course record at Cannon Wells. This is a record that may never be broken considering the race may never be run again. Kinda cool to hold a record that will never be broken. Regardless this weekend will be under very different circumstances.
This is a race that could put me back to where I was in 2009 or just be another race where I have to realize the reality that it will be difficult to reach the next level now that I am married with a beautiful wife and daughter. I sacrifice that I am willing to make but I want to have both.
Looking at the field it is not going to be easy to get noticed this weekend either. This field is almost as deep as Waconia last year and it does not play to my strengths. All be it I'm hoping to crack the top ten as a realistic goal. If lady luck is on my side looking at the participants list I could, big could, crack the top five. For this to happen I'm going to have to have a Baxter type race where my legs just seem to turn over with ease and never feel fatigued.
The good news is that my running is progressing nicely. I ran 6 one mile repeats the other day on one minute rest and they were all between 5:47 and 5:52. The catch is the weather was perfect and I'm not 100% sure of the exact mileage on it. The bad news is I've only been on the road three times so far this year. Tomorrow being number four. The power still seems good but I haven't been out enough to gauge where I'm at. Plus the computer on my bike skips in and out so my avg speed and mileage are way off. Otherwise I am really slow.
I do have motivation to do well though. My daughter is being baptized this weekend. This is not normally a big reason to go fast. However, the duathlon starts at 8am and her baptism starts at 10:45. Being that I will finish up around 9:17 if all goes well I then have to pack up my crap, drive home, get showered, dressed and drive to the church. If everything goes as planned I should make it but I have no time to dilli dalli.
This is a race that could put me back to where I was in 2009 or just be another race where I have to realize the reality that it will be difficult to reach the next level now that I am married with a beautiful wife and daughter. I sacrifice that I am willing to make but I want to have both.
Looking at the field it is not going to be easy to get noticed this weekend either. This field is almost as deep as Waconia last year and it does not play to my strengths. All be it I'm hoping to crack the top ten as a realistic goal. If lady luck is on my side looking at the participants list I could, big could, crack the top five. For this to happen I'm going to have to have a Baxter type race where my legs just seem to turn over with ease and never feel fatigued.
The good news is that my running is progressing nicely. I ran 6 one mile repeats the other day on one minute rest and they were all between 5:47 and 5:52. The catch is the weather was perfect and I'm not 100% sure of the exact mileage on it. The bad news is I've only been on the road three times so far this year. Tomorrow being number four. The power still seems good but I haven't been out enough to gauge where I'm at. Plus the computer on my bike skips in and out so my avg speed and mileage are way off. Otherwise I am really slow.
I do have motivation to do well though. My daughter is being baptized this weekend. This is not normally a big reason to go fast. However, the duathlon starts at 8am and her baptism starts at 10:45. Being that I will finish up around 9:17 if all goes well I then have to pack up my crap, drive home, get showered, dressed and drive to the church. If everything goes as planned I should make it but I have no time to dilli dalli.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Minnetonka Half Marathon
Last fall one of my friends got a group of us to register for the Minnetonka Half Marathon. At the time I was coming off my knee/hip reoccurring injury and was expecting a baby. I believed at the time that a half marathon that early in the season may be a bit to chew if I wanted to be competitive but thought I would have fun with my friends if nothing else.
I started getting serious about training in February this year which is about a month later than usual. On top of that my fall base training was almost non existent. The only thing I had going for me was I'd done a better job this year of getting in the weight room from time to time for some lifting. Problem was I was stronger but my legs felt like bricks and I was heavier than I would like.
The good news was that with all that happened in the off season my body responded pretty well. I'm not where I was at this time last year but I feel good about where I'm at. I also started taking my asthma inhaler again last month and it's helped significantly. I now know why people stop taking medication only to laps back into where they were when they needed it. I thought I was fine until I started hitting the inhalers again. My lungs started coughing up phlegm, yummy, and I was able to breath much easier.
The other problem this year has been the weather. I have yet to ride my bike outside and have only been running outside for a few weeks. Last year I hit it too hard when I got outside and injured myself and never seemed to get back on track the rest of the year. This year I was careful about hitting it too hard but that meant a decrease in mileage. So far it has paid off both in avoiding injury and being able to spend more time with my family.
As race day drew closer I was not as excited as I usually am. I set my goal at somewhere between 1:25 and 1:30. The race is a relatively flat course with a bigger hill to start with rolling hills after that. The plan was to start strong but not go out too hard and hope to find a good rhythm.
Before the race I ran into Erik Hendrickson and local legend Tony Schiller. Both great guys and we got in a few words before the race to see what everyone was up to in the off season. Erik has his second baby on the way and is working on grad school. I hate to say I'm glad because he is a serious triathlete and it means one less guy to worry about. At the same time I know it sucks for him to give up his passion. Hats off to him though and I hope to see him around the races as a spectator or volunteer.
The gun went off and I got caught behind some people who pulled the old 100 meter dash then crash. I had to do some evasive maneuvers to get in a good position and then just let my legs get into it. It was ridiculously windy and since this was a point to point race it meant I knew I had an unrelenting head wind for the next 8-9 miles of the race. I got in a small draft pack that disintegrated fast leaving me in no mans land. A couple of guys passed me who looked like they were serious runners who were almost taking it easy. I decided to let them go and the decision paid off as they were soon out of sight.
Two guys then caught me from behind so I made a tactical decision and picked it up a little to get a draft. It worked for a bit but then one of them took off leaving it to me and another guy. I let him take the lead for a couple of miles and then took over on a hill and gave him a break. Then he took it back and started putting a gap between us leaving me in no mans land again. This time it was for good.
As the race went on I was feeling good but a little cold yet warm. I wore leggings and arm warmers. My face was taking the brunt of the cold though. At mile 8.5 I was in 14th and feeling good. Unfortunately I started hearing foot steps behind me. One guy passed me, then another. I started thinking I was bonking or something was going wrong. Did I start too fast? Was I in trouble? I kept checking my rear from time to time to see if my friend Scott was coming up on me. Luckily I did not see him.
With about two miles left we made a turn and got the benefit of the wind at our backs. I started to turn it on as best I could but two guys turned it on just a little faster. With about a half mile left I knew I had one guy behind me. I again turned it up a notch and was able to put a little gap between us.
As I crossed I saw 1:25 something. I was ecstatic as I thought that a 1:27 was more of a realistic goal given 34 degrees and 20-30 mph head winds for most of the race. Scottie then came in right behind me at 1:29 and change. Scottie also turned in a fantastic race. We then went up to see our other three friends cross the line. Our friend Tim came in at about 1:40 and Brent and Wu at about 1:58. Problem was I was not prepared for the cold wind and standing around after the race.
I started getting hypothermia waiting but thought I was ok. After that we went to Park Tavern to celebrate. Unfortunately my freind forgot his wallet at his house and needed his ID so I had to drive all the way to his place then back to Park Tav. I thought I was fine until I took off my Under Armor in the parking lot and put on a dry t shirt. It was like I jumped in 33 degree water. I instantly started shivering like hooker in church. I then spent the better part of an hour walking in circles around our table, drinking tea and holding a warm glass of water to warm up. A poor showing to say the least but my body just didn't know what was going on. I'll remember not to sit for so long after a race next time and bring better clothes for the finish line. That is if I ever do another race in crappy conditions like that again.
I started getting serious about training in February this year which is about a month later than usual. On top of that my fall base training was almost non existent. The only thing I had going for me was I'd done a better job this year of getting in the weight room from time to time for some lifting. Problem was I was stronger but my legs felt like bricks and I was heavier than I would like.
The good news was that with all that happened in the off season my body responded pretty well. I'm not where I was at this time last year but I feel good about where I'm at. I also started taking my asthma inhaler again last month and it's helped significantly. I now know why people stop taking medication only to laps back into where they were when they needed it. I thought I was fine until I started hitting the inhalers again. My lungs started coughing up phlegm, yummy, and I was able to breath much easier.
The other problem this year has been the weather. I have yet to ride my bike outside and have only been running outside for a few weeks. Last year I hit it too hard when I got outside and injured myself and never seemed to get back on track the rest of the year. This year I was careful about hitting it too hard but that meant a decrease in mileage. So far it has paid off both in avoiding injury and being able to spend more time with my family.
As race day drew closer I was not as excited as I usually am. I set my goal at somewhere between 1:25 and 1:30. The race is a relatively flat course with a bigger hill to start with rolling hills after that. The plan was to start strong but not go out too hard and hope to find a good rhythm.
Before the race I ran into Erik Hendrickson and local legend Tony Schiller. Both great guys and we got in a few words before the race to see what everyone was up to in the off season. Erik has his second baby on the way and is working on grad school. I hate to say I'm glad because he is a serious triathlete and it means one less guy to worry about. At the same time I know it sucks for him to give up his passion. Hats off to him though and I hope to see him around the races as a spectator or volunteer.
The gun went off and I got caught behind some people who pulled the old 100 meter dash then crash. I had to do some evasive maneuvers to get in a good position and then just let my legs get into it. It was ridiculously windy and since this was a point to point race it meant I knew I had an unrelenting head wind for the next 8-9 miles of the race. I got in a small draft pack that disintegrated fast leaving me in no mans land. A couple of guys passed me who looked like they were serious runners who were almost taking it easy. I decided to let them go and the decision paid off as they were soon out of sight.
Two guys then caught me from behind so I made a tactical decision and picked it up a little to get a draft. It worked for a bit but then one of them took off leaving it to me and another guy. I let him take the lead for a couple of miles and then took over on a hill and gave him a break. Then he took it back and started putting a gap between us leaving me in no mans land again. This time it was for good.
As the race went on I was feeling good but a little cold yet warm. I wore leggings and arm warmers. My face was taking the brunt of the cold though. At mile 8.5 I was in 14th and feeling good. Unfortunately I started hearing foot steps behind me. One guy passed me, then another. I started thinking I was bonking or something was going wrong. Did I start too fast? Was I in trouble? I kept checking my rear from time to time to see if my friend Scott was coming up on me. Luckily I did not see him.
With about two miles left we made a turn and got the benefit of the wind at our backs. I started to turn it on as best I could but two guys turned it on just a little faster. With about a half mile left I knew I had one guy behind me. I again turned it up a notch and was able to put a little gap between us.
As I crossed I saw 1:25 something. I was ecstatic as I thought that a 1:27 was more of a realistic goal given 34 degrees and 20-30 mph head winds for most of the race. Scottie then came in right behind me at 1:29 and change. Scottie also turned in a fantastic race. We then went up to see our other three friends cross the line. Our friend Tim came in at about 1:40 and Brent and Wu at about 1:58. Problem was I was not prepared for the cold wind and standing around after the race.
I started getting hypothermia waiting but thought I was ok. After that we went to Park Tavern to celebrate. Unfortunately my freind forgot his wallet at his house and needed his ID so I had to drive all the way to his place then back to Park Tav. I thought I was fine until I took off my Under Armor in the parking lot and put on a dry t shirt. It was like I jumped in 33 degree water. I instantly started shivering like hooker in church. I then spent the better part of an hour walking in circles around our table, drinking tea and holding a warm glass of water to warm up. A poor showing to say the least but my body just didn't know what was going on. I'll remember not to sit for so long after a race next time and bring better clothes for the finish line. That is if I ever do another race in crappy conditions like that again.
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