Twin Cities Rocked

I was really interested to see how this race would play out. I was unsure of how the fast swim and hilly course would effect everyone. Given the start roster I figured that Ryan Giuliano would win, Patrick would take second and I even had Matt edging out Devon. I was pleasantly surprised to see Patrick take it rather easily. Devon ended up edging out Matt but that could have been a different story if not for Matt's timing chip falling off three times. Although you never now how it will play out if everything goes perfect. Then Ryan coming in 4th. Given his talent I'm guessing he trained through the race or flat out exhausted himself on the swim.

I was leaning towards coming in 6th figuring Josh Blankenheim would catch me on the run again. Although David Holden and Brett Lovaas were wild cards. In fact I had no idea how 5th through 8th would turn out. I also hated how bad last weekend hurt and did not want a repeat performance of exploding on the run.

In order to beat Josh I knew two things needed to happen. One, I needed a huge lead out of the water. Two, I needed to be fresh on the run and put together a solid run split. In order to do that I wanted to not push quite as hard on the bike hoping to save the legs some.

One issue that came up last minute was the Sheriff's department wouldn't let us do a Elite Wave start so we had to do time trail style. This gave Josh an advantage since he could jump in the time trial start right behind me. Josh is not quite as good of a swimmer but could jump in behind me a use me as a draft. The bonus for me was the water was too warm for wetsuits to be worn.

The swim started great. Since we couldn't warm up I did a few push ups prior to jumping in to get the blood flowing to the upper body a little. I knew Josh was right behind me but I didn't want to push too hard too soon since we hadn't warmed up. The strategy worked perfect. I found my form for the first few hundred yards when all of a sudden it felt like, yeah, there it is, repeat. I started hitting it hard but never felt like I was even pushing hard. For the most part it felt effortless. The good news was I dropped Josh and then some as I came out of the water with over an minute and a half lead on him. On top of that I came out right behind Patrick, Matt and Brendon O'flannigan. Patrick and I are even but Matt and Brendon usual blow me up pretty good.

For T1 I left my shoes in since there was a little bit of an incline to start and then a short flat until Ohio Hill. I knew I needed to build speed as much as possible prior to the hill. I took Ohio very cautiously so I didn't blow up right away and stayed in my seat. I then kept a rather fast casual pace. I never overly did it but also kept pedaling hard. I felt like it was more of a Half Ironman Pace than Olympic pace when it was all said and done. I came into transition with Ryan Giuliano and knew he was going to outrun me. As soon as I started running I knew it was going to be more comfortable than last weekend. My legs felt pretty fresh and my stride was long. I kept it conservative up the Wabasha bridge and down the back side on to Shepard Rd. Once on the relatively flat Shepard I started pushing a little harder. Just after the Turn around Josh was almost exactly a quarter mile behind me. I figured I had about 1:25ish on him. Although I thought he would catch me I didn't panic but picked up the pace a touch and then started to increase it as I felt more and more comfortable. I took the hill back up to the Wabasha bridge a little harder but never blew up. On the way down I had to find a clean stride and push hard to the end. As I made a left turn loop I looked to see if Josh was behind me. I was shocked to see he was not within short sight of me. At this point I had a ton left in the tank, felt fantastic and was able hold a fast pace for the final stretch to the finish.

This race had to go down as one of my best races. I put together a great three leg race and felt like I could have kept going. At the end I was thinking that I could hold close to this pace for a Half Ironman. I still need to work on my run but I felt like my form was good through the hole 10k. Now I just need to increase the speed. Now I have a few weeks off to work on the run before Turtleman Duathlon.

Twin Cities Preview

This was a race I was really looking forward to. After last weekends fun sapping heat race I've lost my fondness for racing for a little bit. I didn't melt down completely on the run but it was close. I did screw myself up bad enough that my training has been much less this week. This was going to be the intent to taper but now it's more for recovery purposes. My heart still doesn't feel like it's clicking in the right rhythm and my legs just don't seem to have the normal pep at this point in the week.

When I signed up for this one it seemed to be a three deep field. The pro Devon Palmer, Patrick Parish and myself. Since I have little to no hope of beating either of them I was looking forward to pushing hard for a respectable third place finish. Since then the field has grown. Matt Payne has thrown his hat in and wil bump me off the podium. Although Brett Lovass and David Holden will push me hard and make me work for fourth. Brett is not at his best this year but never count him out. David is super fast and has beaten me at least once before. I will admit I do like having a deeper field to push the pace. It will make for a much more exciting race.

The one draw back is that the swim is 1.2 miles long. It may be with the current of the Mississippi but I still think the course will be long giving the advantage to the swimmers. The bike course on the other hand has a huge hill to start it off. This will hopefully be my advantage. I love hills and as long as I don't wear out my legs I should see a big advantage on the bike. It should all come down to the run. If I can find my legs like I did at Graniteman I will be good. But that is the only time this season that I felt like my run was strong all year. Bottom line I may need to take a tinge off my bike to help save my legs a little for the run. Hopefully I don't get carried away on the bike course like usual.

This Is Going to Hurt

The obvious buzz leading up to the race was how hot it was going to be. Temps could be near 90 on the run with the heat index near 105. I will admit I didn't pay that much attention to this as there is not much I can do about it and everyone has to deal with it. This both helped me and hurt me in the end.

My dad decided to make the trip up for this race and next weeks Twin Cities Tri. Because of this we decided to get a hotel room in Annandale to make the trip short in the morning. We enjoyed the drive up listening to the Twins and discussing politics and the world debt crisis. I somehow managed to fit in some tri talk as well. As we pulled into the hotel I noticed a familiar face in the parking lot. It was Rhett Bonner. I then noticed another familiar face with him by the name of Brian Bich. Rhett and I share a special bond after our little dual in the sun at Square Lake a few years ago. Brian and I have only been able to chat once last year after Waconia. You will be hard pressed to meet two nicer guys. It was awesome to be able to introduce them to my dad and shoot the breeze for a while. We then got settled in and I managed to get a good nights sleep minus a passing train a few times.

As soon as I stepped outside I know it was going to be interesting. It was 80 degrees and the dew point was through the roof. As I started setting up I started noticing the usual suspects as they came in. I went for a quick bike and run to warm up and found myself drenched in sweat. Never the less I had a hydration plan and figured I would be set for the race. I went with my Aero Bottle with Heed in it and a regular water bottle on the frame. I hoped this would be enough.

The water was a different story. Because of all the recent rain the water temp couldn't have been over 78 degrees. This felt even cooler due to the air temp and I found myself using this as a way to cool down prior to the race.

I lined up around Kevin O'Conner, Brian Bich, Rhett Bonner and fe other fast swimmers. Because it was crowded I figured I would just stick to their feet as long as I could instead of going to the middle to fight it out with the dash and crashers. The strategy worked pretty well as I hung on longer than I thought I would. In fact the only reason I fell off was because they went a little to the left to get around everyone else. I found myself in no mans land and had to fight to get back near the regular pack to draft. I then made a steady increase in intensity and new I was in good position around the second corner. Somehow I knew Patrick Parish was on my feet and I even managed to drop him by a few seconds towards the end. Patrick then blew by me on our way to the bikes.

T1 did not go as well as I would hope but wasn't a disaster either. I put my shoes on in transition so I could get right to pedaling and started to hit it. I again changed my seat position slightly this week and immediately felt the power. The heat was bearable on the bike but it was still uncomfortable. I started picking people off and found myself gaining on Patrick fairly quickly. When I got to him I was moving pretty good. I made the pass and gave him a the usual nice work. Patrick gave me a look like. What are you doing here? I haven't been biking at his level yet this year. He managed to pass me back after a minute or so but I quickly returned the favor and left him behind.

I then noticed a pack of three riders up ahead. They almost looked like a draft pack but as I got closer realized they were legal distance from each other but it looked like no one wanted to push the pace. As I started passing them I noticed it was Kevin O'Conner, Brian Bich and Rhett Bonner. I was hoping they wouldn't be able to match my pace so I could gain some ground on them. Unfortunately I looked back a few miles down the road and saw that I was leading the pack and they weren't going to let me go. with a couple of miles left Rhett made a pass followed by Kevin and Brian and I was content to follow them into T2. I knew I had put up a monster bike split since I knew i put 30 seconds or more on Patrick. When I went to rack my bike I realized I was at the wrong rack. I found my rack only to have trouble racking my bike. On top of that I had to put some body gluide on my heals to keep from blistering. It was not a pretty T2. As I left I realized I didn't know where the exit was. When I turned around Patrick had already gained back what I he had lost to me and was running out of T2. What sucked was the exit was where the bike entrance was. This meant I lost time due to my transition being positioned farther inside the area than most of the other top guys. That's a dig on me as I need to know that prior to the race.

The run started good. I felt good and my legs were working pretty well. It didn't even look like the four guys in front of me were gaining much. Then I made a nutritional mistake. My stomach was a little sloshy so I opted against any fluids. As I got to mile two I knew this was going to hurt. I knew Josh Blankenheim, Brooks Gossinger and possibly Chad Millner were going to be coming from behind. I was running scared at that point which can be very dangerous. I just had to keep going though and hope I could hold them off. I started noticing Josh at about 2 miles in although I had almost a half mile on him. I knew that this may not be enough though.

The run just kept getting hotter and harder. Small hills were starting to feel like mountains and I knew my heart rate was maxed out. With about a mile and a half left I saw Josh was definitely closing in on me. I decided to keep pushing and hope I could just out will him. At about a half mile I looked back and only had about 5-10 seconds on him and knew the pass was inevitable. I made another decision that when he passed I would not try to keep up with him unless he didn't decided to match my pace. Unfortunately he had just a touch more in the tank and made the pass with a little less than a half mile left.

At this point it was more about survival than anything else. I was expecting Brooks to catch me more than Josh but I expected both of them to catch me. In fact I was stoked I held Josh off as long as I did. I looked behind but no one was in sight. My legs felt like bricks as I crossed the line in sixth place and I could hardly stand. I grabbed a bottle of water and headed to the beach. The water was possibly the greatest refreshing feeling I have ever felt. I noticed that Kevin and Dan Hedgecock also had the same idea and we talked about how brutal the heat was.

In the end I am extremely happy with how I did. With as much trouble as I was in on the run I outran several guys that typically dust me to include both Brooks and Chad. I talked with Brooks about it after the race and he said he was completely toasted off the bike. All he could do was worry about finishing and was not worrying about passing anyone or being passed. Tony Schiller even had troubles with the heat and he is as seasoned as anyone you will ever meet.

Thanks to my mom and dad for braving the heat to watch me race. Minus the heat it was a ton of fun and I loved the race and enjoyed talking with tons of people I don't get to see very often. Next up is the Twin Cities Tri. I pray the heat wave is over by then.

Heart of Lakes Preview

This is a race that I have passed up for a number of years. Not that I have never wanted to do it but that it just never fell quite right in my schedule. This year it fell perfectly though and I have planned on it being one of my A races. However, things change and I've added a few races which threw my training schedule into a tizzy. Which basically means all my races have essentially become A races. Although I'm a little more focused on next weeks Twin Cities. On top of that I'm fighting off my 2nd cold in three weeks. Like before it hasn't held back my training and I should be 100% on Sunday. To be honest other than being slightly more tired than normal and have a runny nose and scratchy throat I haven't been affected.

The fun thing about this race is I have little to know idea how I could place. I know Patrick and Dan will blow my doors off but after that there could be hope. When I say hope I mean I need people to have bad days and I need to have a good day but anything is possible. Especially because last Sunday after Granitman I had a monster bike ride on my training bike where I found my bike position. I avg 22.6 mph over 48.6 miles which included stopping for stop signs and stop lights. Keep in mind that this was also done at about 80 degrees with high humidity and on my training bike and training wheels. This was one of the fastest rides I've ever had on my P2 at any distance much less my long ride. So I am super stoked. Now I just had to simulate this on my P3. I tried and think I'm close but may not be their entirely yet. But I did feel like once again I'm fresher off the bike. I think I'm close to if not feeling as good as I did at the end of my epic '09 season when I finished with three 1st place and two 2nd place finishes. But more importantly was putting up stupid fast times.

Here's how I see the race. The only hope is that Kevin again is not at his best and I have improved since Waconia. Brian Bich is an icon and an awesome guy but has not raced much this year and is not as fast as he was. Even so if he is at his best I still have little chance. The big wild card is Brooks Gossinger. Brooks was only 9 or so seconds behind me at Waconia and closing fast. He will have an extra mile to catch me on Sunday so I will have to have improved my run and bike to stay ahead of him. That could be a tall order as Brooks is stupid fast and been quietly improving over the last few years. I hate to say it but I give an edge to Brooks on this one.

The bottom line is I need to have improved since Waconia to show that I can bark with the big dogs. Will my extra work and new bike fit make the difference. We'll wait and see.

Graniteman Recap

I was really looking forward to this race. The point to point swim intrigued me and the distance suites me very well this year. I stayed at my coworkers place in Monticello again to save some drive time/sleep. It worked well and I got one of my better nights sleep before a race. As I got into my car I noticed some ominous looking clouds on the horizon. I prayed that the weather would either hold off or just let go before the race. Luckily it let go on my drive to the race making for a wet but manageable course.

As I set up I noticed a rather interesting transition. You biked in and out from the same place. I thought this could pose a problem. The run out was also hidden a little on the side which made transition fare for nearly everyone depending on where you racked your bike. Luckily I asked the race director how transition worked prior to the race and new how everything worked.

The swim was a straight point to point and was with the wind. This made for an awesome swim and I rocked it in 9:48 and came out in around fifth place among the Elites. I had a good T1 and started hitting the pedals. It was windy and I never seemed to get any rhythm. I found myself in 2nd around mile two and just a half to quater mile back from the leader. I was hitting it pretty hard and was making up time but not as fast as usual. This had my a bit worried as I don't usually have to much competition on the bike unless it's a higher profile race. At about mile 6 I started closing the gap much quicker and took the lead at mile 9ish. It was a long straight stretch back to transition with a nasty cross/head wind but I managed to muscle through it pretty well.

As I came into T2 there were people still coming out of T1 making for an interesting mix. The volunteers were all over it though and made sure everyone stayed to the right. I cruised in and made a safe dismount. My transition was good and I saw the guy in second coming into T2 as I was leaving. At this point I though it was Nate Hoffman who was picked by Tri MN News to be in 2nd overall. If this was the case I was in trouble as Nate is a serious runner and I figured I only had about 30-45 seconds on him. The good news was I had moved my seat position up a little after Waconia in an attempt to feel better on the run. It worked as I immediately felt my legs and they were fresh. I ran hard but held back a little in case I needed some gas at the end. I figured if it was Nate he would catch me at the turn around and there would be nothing I could do. If not I would have a little to sprint at the end.

The run had a couple of pretty good hills on it and a stretch of soft sand/gravel that made for a slightly slower run. At the turn I saw 2nd coming behind me but it didn't look like he was gaining much. I asked my buddy Ross how far back he was when I passed him and he told me about 35-40 seconds. I thought man, he may not be gaining but I haven't put any distance on him either. I started to push a little harder and new I had it in the bag with about a half mile left. I must admit it is always an exhilarating feeling to come across the line first.

The guy behind me came across about a minute later. We congratulated each other and I introduced myself and asked who he was. I was a little surprised to hear it was Marcus Stromberg. A name I have seen but am not too familiar with. Marcus then asked where I came from on the bike. I guess at first I thought, from behind. He told me he didn't see me at the out and back. My reaction was, "what out and back?" I don't know if Marcus realized that an out and back means you go out on the same road you came in on making for a turn around point with a hair pin turn. This course did not have that. I then sensed that Marcus thought I had cut the course somehow. I told him that I had gone everywhere the volunteers had told me to go and had marked him since mile 2. I'm not sure if Marcus fully believed me but I can assure you I missed no turns and actually felt like my bike was a little weak. I know the feeling though, when you think, "how did that guy do that." I was puzzled when a then no name Sam Janicki blew my doors off at Chain of Lakes last year. I'm sure we all now know who Sam is now.

For awards Bill (the race director) handed out sweet pieces of Granite for trophies. I have to admit the granite plaque is right up there with Minnetonka's stupid huge trophies in coolness. I was also super impressed with the overall race. Bill did an awesome job and the volunteers seemed to be very well briefed in how t o avoid any incidents with any of the issues I saw that could pose a problem. I was also impressed with how well the course was marked. I never once questioned if I was off course, which I usually do and sometimes am.

Shot out to my ever supportive mom and my buddy Ross who raced with me. Ross did not have a stellar race due to dropping his chain and some difficulties locating the run out in T2 but he handled it like a veteran. Some races just don't go your way. When they don't you just have to remember, there will be more.

The Great Debate

For the first time since I started doing triathlons I will not be attending Lifetime Fitness. It was a deep debate that got even deeper as my training didn't suffer from the increased time needed with my 6 month old. As much as I want to through my name in the hat I have no chance of beating Dan or Patrick and the only chance to beat Sam would be if he doesn't race at 100% to save himself for Racine the following weekend. I think he's going to race fast though so I'm out for top 3 for sure. I also always seem to have a poor race at LTF and don't see that changing this year.

Since Lifetime was out I opted for Granitman. It is not as competitive since all the talent gets sucked up by Lifetime and Timberman but I know the race director and will admit am interested to see what all the hype is about. I love smaller races with more of a small town feel. Not only that I love the feeling of having the opportunity to win. I felt fantastic after Minnetonka and hope I can repeat the feeling.

My stiffest competition that I know of will be from my friend and off season training partner Ross Weinzierl. Ross started strong this year but has not been able to put it together in a few races. On the other hand I seem to be getting faster with every race. I'm hoping that I can finally get my run to come around so I can start competing at the level I was in 2009 and the beginning of 2010.

This morning I did make one last adjustment to my seat position. After Minnetonka and Waconia I have not been able to run like I believe I can and think my seat was a touch low and forward wearing out my hip flexors for the run. I rode on it this morning and feel like it may be better dialed in. What may hurt me is I put in a serious brick workout on Saturday that consisted of a 48 mile bike ride with a 9 mile run. Both at near race pace intensity. I really hope this was not too much as I felt it Sunday and still felt a little fatigued yesterday. To compensate I took it easy on the bike this morning and will also take it easy on the runs today and tomorrow.