I believe in four years I've only blogged in the off season once. That time it was to brag about my beautiful daughter being born. So you know when I blog this time of year it's going to be big. Unfortunately this time it's not on the good news side of things.
In September I was ramping up my mileage in preparation for the Mankato Marathon. I was feeling fantastic and running better than I've run all year. Then on a lunch run I felt a tweak in my inner ankle. I gingered it back to work and figured I would rest it for a few days. However I had long run with my buddy Ross Weinzierl two days later. On Friday night I was on the bubble but didn't want to let Ross down and I've run through things like this in the past. Unfortunately I'm not 28 anymore and running was a bad idea.
Ross and I ran two 8 mile loops with a ten minute breather in between. It was painful but not unbearable. The last couple of miles were especially bad but I was still able to run even though I was wincing with every step. At the end I thought "thank god I made it through that without making it worse." The ankle felt ok and was fully mobile. Later that night I woke up to go to the bathroom and nearly fell down with my first step being that my ankle was so stiff. I knew then I was in trouble.
I went to Tria a few days later to see if I could salvage it before the marathon. The PA told me it was post tibial tendonitis and I would be out for four to six weeks. I asked if there was anything I could to speed up the recovery. The PA gave me a boot and told me to see the Physical Therapist once a week. I did both but I was not getting much better. So I asked my wife for some help.
I am blessed to be an athlete with a doctor for a wife. She is in residency and doesn't specialize in sports injuries but she does know who does and who's the best at it. She asked her old professor Dr. Knop what it could be and he immediately feared the worst and that I had torn post tibial tendon (at least I think that's what it is). The doc recommended me to Dr. Cotzee who is supposedly one of the worlds best at this injury. In fact that is his direct specialty. The best part is He's at Twin Cities Ortho, no kidding, two miles from my house.
When I called they told me he was booked till March. Keep in mind I called in October. I told them who I was and my sad sob story. I also named dropped my wife and Dr. Knop and that got me in a month later. After examining me for a minute Dr. Cotzee shot me straight and said I had a 5% chance of not having surgery. I kept thinking, "so you're telling me their's a chance." I had an MRI last week and yesterday, my birthday, the doc called me and essentially said it's not bad it's really bad.
So apparently I have a two inch lateral tear in my posterior tibial tendon. Or that's the medical jargon I heard so don't quote me. Bottom line is I'm in a cast for two weeks after the surgery. Then I can swim. I can bike at a month or so, elliptical at 6-8 weeks, yoga in 8 and running in 12 weeks. Or at least that is what I'm shooting for.
For my rant of the week I have to say how disappointed I am with Tria and how thrilled I am with Twin Cities Ortho. When you tell someone your a competetive athlete they should treat you as such. When my ankle is swelled up like a bastard I want you to MRI it and not send me on my way. If I had been satisfied with Tria I may have damaged this thing to the point of never running again thinking it was just tendonitis. Or at least just have been out for three months before realizing it was something more. Luckily Dr. Cotzee immediately wanted to MRI it due to my lifestyle. Fortunately I only lost a month to the incompetence of the PA at Tria vs. three extra months.
The good news is that it's the off season and with my hopeful timeline I think I can get back into pretty good shape for June and the beginning of the season. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Didn't See That Coming
Wow!! What an Awesome race. I've come to grips with the fact that I'm not it the shape I was in 2009 so I was hoping to just not suffer too bad and finish sub 4:20. I knew Dan Arlandson would be their along with my buddy Ross Wienzierl. I figured Dan then me then Ross for the podium. I then hear Bennett Isabella was also there. I have only raced against him once at Turtleman where I flatted out. I knew he was a stupid fast runner but I was able to make up the difference in the first few miles of the bike before I flatted out. I had no idea what his swim was like. I knew he could be a contender but figured if he caught me on the run it would be around mile 9-10ish. What unfolded was probably my favorite race of the year and a totally unexpected result.
The morning was nearly perfect. Very light wind and about 60ish to start. Ross and I chatted at the start and went over our plans. As the gun went off I took it a little easy as planned but found a good stroke right off the bat. Ross was actually ahead of me and I drafted him to the first bouy. I then got ahead of him for about 100 yards till the next bouy. I then tried to put a little into it to drop him from my draft and thought I did. I then saw someone ahead of me a worked a little hard to see if I could close the gap and catch a draft. It worked perfect and later found out that for the third time in the three years I've done this race I was on Thomas Krenz's feet. Then about halfway I notice Ross was still on me. I figured he was working harder than he probably should since he is not known for his swimming. We ended up coming out of the water together and Ross and I were in 3rd and 4th to start the bike.
Ross and I rode together for the first few hilly miles of the bike and again I thought Ross might be a little ambitious for his first Half IM, which is a common mistake no matter how experienced you are. I then started putting distance between us at about mile 20 I looked back and couldn't see him so figured he had dropped back pretty far.
As I started the second loop I heard my mom yell that I was in good shape and was only a couple of minutes back. I knew Dan would destroy me in the water so I knew the only hope I had was to match his bike split and hope I somehow could out run him. A tall order, I know but it was all I could hope for.
I had made a gutsy decision for my bike nutrition plan. Since it was cooler at the start but would be getting warm I decided to not take a water bottle on my stem and only use my 1 liter Aero bottle with 16 oz of Heed in the extra cell. There was a water bottle drop at halfway and I would refill my main cell then use the Heed for the last 30 mins of the ride. I would also have four GU's taped to my top tube and I would have one every 30 mins. The strategy worked perfect as I took all the fluids I wanted and was literally sucking the Heed dry in the last mile of the bike.
As I came into transition I heard times from 30 secs to 2 min behind Dan. I knew I was close but also knew the next few miles would be where the race was decided. Rather than blasting out of T2 like I did against Rhett Bonner in 2009 I took a nice easy steady pace and just chugged along. Not worrying about Dan I knew I just had to concentrate on keeping my breathing slow and steady and not overheating.
My legs were fatigued but I was able to keep a decent pace. When I say decent it was probably 8:30 miles as the first half is almost all up hill with some rather steep inclines. I did notice that my hamstrings were almost cramping so I wasn't able to open up very much in order to keep from pulling one. The best way to put it was I was carefully running. I knew I needed to let my stomach absorb everything I had in it to keep the cramps at bay.
As I chugged along I noticed Dan wasn't putting much time on me. In fact at about Mile 4-5 I thought I might actually be gaining on him. Then I heard some seriously fast footsteps behind me. I honestly thought it was a recreational runner who was doing some speed work. No way was a competitor running that fast at this point in the race. As he went by I noticed it was Bennett. No way was I going to be able to run with him and he asked me if that was Dan ahead of me. I sad yes and that he was going to catch him.
As Bennett glided past me I was still focused on catching Dan. Then Bennett caught Dan. At that point I thought I saw Dan walking. Sure enough he was. Then he tried running again only to go back to a walk again. As I passed him he jumped in behind me for a bit then tried to pass but only made about a 10 yard gap before he started walking again. My strategy had payed off but yet I was still going to be 2nd. Or so I thought.
At the turn around I was impressed to see my buddy Ross. I was also a little shocked as he was only about 1:30-2:00 back. I thought this was a decent gap but I had to go or he would catch me. At the same time I thought there is no way Ross can keep this pace with it getting hotter. On the way back my legs were feeling a little better but I still felt the hamstrings tighten up ever now and again. Especially if I pushed it too hard for too long. With about 3 miles left I noted Ross was only about 45 seconds back and looking good. I did the best I could to push the pace. My legs were responding and I my heart rate wasn't spiking and breathing was under control. Problem was Ross was still putting time on me.
With about 1 mile and a half left Ross made the pass. I figured I would still try to keep a tough pace and hope he faded on the last hill. Unfortunately Ross just wasn't going to slow up. In fact he may have been able to keep that pace a while longer by the looks of it. I still haven't seen the results but Ross put down a serious run to grab second overall. It had to be Ross's best race yet and it was awesome to see a good friend have such an amazing race. Even if it meant finishing behind him.
After the race I got in the water for a bit and knew I needed electrolytes. Then I started to cramp up and bad. I had to drag myself to shore just as my mom brought me my recovery drink. Someone else brought me some Gatorade and I was able to get function back in my legs.
I have to admit that even thought this the outcome I was hoping for I was ecstatic with the result. I felt like I had put as good a race together as I could of, didn't suffer too bad and got to see a good friend take it to the next level. I also got to talk with Dan after the race. I could tell he was disappointed but as he put it, "some days you have it, some days you don't." Very true.
Bennett was a monster and I'm really curious to see his run split. It had to be serious along with Ross's. Congratulations to both of them. I think all three of us put together the best races we could have. It was a fantastic finish to a good season and left me with a feeling of anticipation for next season.
Next up Mankato Marathon followed by a pub crawl.
The morning was nearly perfect. Very light wind and about 60ish to start. Ross and I chatted at the start and went over our plans. As the gun went off I took it a little easy as planned but found a good stroke right off the bat. Ross was actually ahead of me and I drafted him to the first bouy. I then got ahead of him for about 100 yards till the next bouy. I then tried to put a little into it to drop him from my draft and thought I did. I then saw someone ahead of me a worked a little hard to see if I could close the gap and catch a draft. It worked perfect and later found out that for the third time in the three years I've done this race I was on Thomas Krenz's feet. Then about halfway I notice Ross was still on me. I figured he was working harder than he probably should since he is not known for his swimming. We ended up coming out of the water together and Ross and I were in 3rd and 4th to start the bike.
Ross and I rode together for the first few hilly miles of the bike and again I thought Ross might be a little ambitious for his first Half IM, which is a common mistake no matter how experienced you are. I then started putting distance between us at about mile 20 I looked back and couldn't see him so figured he had dropped back pretty far.
As I started the second loop I heard my mom yell that I was in good shape and was only a couple of minutes back. I knew Dan would destroy me in the water so I knew the only hope I had was to match his bike split and hope I somehow could out run him. A tall order, I know but it was all I could hope for.
I had made a gutsy decision for my bike nutrition plan. Since it was cooler at the start but would be getting warm I decided to not take a water bottle on my stem and only use my 1 liter Aero bottle with 16 oz of Heed in the extra cell. There was a water bottle drop at halfway and I would refill my main cell then use the Heed for the last 30 mins of the ride. I would also have four GU's taped to my top tube and I would have one every 30 mins. The strategy worked perfect as I took all the fluids I wanted and was literally sucking the Heed dry in the last mile of the bike.
As I came into transition I heard times from 30 secs to 2 min behind Dan. I knew I was close but also knew the next few miles would be where the race was decided. Rather than blasting out of T2 like I did against Rhett Bonner in 2009 I took a nice easy steady pace and just chugged along. Not worrying about Dan I knew I just had to concentrate on keeping my breathing slow and steady and not overheating.
My legs were fatigued but I was able to keep a decent pace. When I say decent it was probably 8:30 miles as the first half is almost all up hill with some rather steep inclines. I did notice that my hamstrings were almost cramping so I wasn't able to open up very much in order to keep from pulling one. The best way to put it was I was carefully running. I knew I needed to let my stomach absorb everything I had in it to keep the cramps at bay.
As I chugged along I noticed Dan wasn't putting much time on me. In fact at about Mile 4-5 I thought I might actually be gaining on him. Then I heard some seriously fast footsteps behind me. I honestly thought it was a recreational runner who was doing some speed work. No way was a competitor running that fast at this point in the race. As he went by I noticed it was Bennett. No way was I going to be able to run with him and he asked me if that was Dan ahead of me. I sad yes and that he was going to catch him.
As Bennett glided past me I was still focused on catching Dan. Then Bennett caught Dan. At that point I thought I saw Dan walking. Sure enough he was. Then he tried running again only to go back to a walk again. As I passed him he jumped in behind me for a bit then tried to pass but only made about a 10 yard gap before he started walking again. My strategy had payed off but yet I was still going to be 2nd. Or so I thought.
At the turn around I was impressed to see my buddy Ross. I was also a little shocked as he was only about 1:30-2:00 back. I thought this was a decent gap but I had to go or he would catch me. At the same time I thought there is no way Ross can keep this pace with it getting hotter. On the way back my legs were feeling a little better but I still felt the hamstrings tighten up ever now and again. Especially if I pushed it too hard for too long. With about 3 miles left I noted Ross was only about 45 seconds back and looking good. I did the best I could to push the pace. My legs were responding and I my heart rate wasn't spiking and breathing was under control. Problem was Ross was still putting time on me.
With about 1 mile and a half left Ross made the pass. I figured I would still try to keep a tough pace and hope he faded on the last hill. Unfortunately Ross just wasn't going to slow up. In fact he may have been able to keep that pace a while longer by the looks of it. I still haven't seen the results but Ross put down a serious run to grab second overall. It had to be Ross's best race yet and it was awesome to see a good friend have such an amazing race. Even if it meant finishing behind him.
After the race I got in the water for a bit and knew I needed electrolytes. Then I started to cramp up and bad. I had to drag myself to shore just as my mom brought me my recovery drink. Someone else brought me some Gatorade and I was able to get function back in my legs.
I have to admit that even thought this the outcome I was hoping for I was ecstatic with the result. I felt like I had put as good a race together as I could of, didn't suffer too bad and got to see a good friend take it to the next level. I also got to talk with Dan after the race. I could tell he was disappointed but as he put it, "some days you have it, some days you don't." Very true.
Bennett was a monster and I'm really curious to see his run split. It had to be serious along with Ross's. Congratulations to both of them. I think all three of us put together the best races we could have. It was a fantastic finish to a good season and left me with a feeling of anticipation for next season.
Next up Mankato Marathon followed by a pub crawl.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Square Lake Preview
I can't believe it's almost over. This will be my last multisport of the year and I feel strangely unfulfilled. Most year by the end of the season I am ready to throw in the the towel and get down to yard work. For some reason this year I want the season to last another month. I think it's partially because a somewhat disappointing August with a flat tire at Turtleman, good but not great performance at St. Paul followed by a frustrating race at Maple Grove. It could also be that I had higher expectations for this year. My '09 season I seemed to have everything go my way and had a huge August. I think I was hoping for a similar season. I did have a few ups, but also more downs than I am used to. In '09 it was almost all ups.
Another reason I want the season to be longer is that I feel like I am still improving or at least finally working out the kinks. I have my run where I want it and my swim feels like it comes around more often than not. However my bike power seems to be dropping. Funny how that is. Just when I feel like everything is pulling together, the season ends.
As for Square Lake, Dan Arlandson is on the register list so it looks like I will have to settle for at least second. My good buddy Ross Weinzierl will also be there to see how he fares at this distance. Ross tried to do Chisago Half last year but flatted out. For me I'm just hoping to come in somewhere between 4:15-4:20. In '09 I came in at 4:15ish on a warm day in a battle with Rhett Bonner. I believe my swim may be better than then but my bike is not. However my run could be faster. We'll have to wait and see.
Another reason I want the season to be longer is that I feel like I am still improving or at least finally working out the kinks. I have my run where I want it and my swim feels like it comes around more often than not. However my bike power seems to be dropping. Funny how that is. Just when I feel like everything is pulling together, the season ends.
As for Square Lake, Dan Arlandson is on the register list so it looks like I will have to settle for at least second. My good buddy Ross Weinzierl will also be there to see how he fares at this distance. Ross tried to do Chisago Half last year but flatted out. For me I'm just hoping to come in somewhere between 4:15-4:20. In '09 I came in at 4:15ish on a warm day in a battle with Rhett Bonner. I believe my swim may be better than then but my bike is not. However my run could be faster. We'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Janickied
I was really looking forward to this race. There was a big buzz from last year and now there was the 111 race with Macca and some other pros. When I got to transition I was blown away. It was very well put together, a huge transition area and all the amenities of a pro level race.
I got my packet and headed into transition. They had a racking system that went by age but the Elite rack was not marked very well on the layout they had. The layout map was marked by wave except for the Elite wave. It took three volunteers to finally tell me they had no idea and to rack in the overflow. When I did I saw my friend Kim Gorman who is an official. She helped me out and showed me where the Olympic Elite was on the map. Now it made sense. It cost me a good 10-15 mins just to find my rack. When I found it though I got right to warming up.
I just got finished when they started kicking us out of transition so no loss with the racking. When we got to the water there seemed to be some more confusion as to the Olympic course swim and which direction to go. It eventually got settled and the swim went off without a hitch.
The Elite wave only had five guys in it and no one I recognized. I had a decent swim and came out of the water in first for the guys. I thought at this point that I had the race in hand but still wanted to push to see if I could go sub 2:05:00. The bike just never seemed to click. I'm guessing the intestinal bug I had earlier in the week hurt my power but I just kept pushing.
T2 was a little sloppy but not horrible. In an Olympic I'm not worried about it as much anyway. My legs felt sore in a different way than normal. They hurt but I had no problem with turn over. My first loop I felt fantastic and then it happened.
As I came down a hill near the park there was a sign saying sharp turn. There was a hard turn at nearly 180 degrees going down hill. I didn't feel right but I saw a volunteer about 20 yards after the turn and figured I would just make the turn and ask. When I got to him I said I was Olympic and needed to do a second lap. Where am I going? He told me that I was on track and to keep going. "I couldn't miss it." A few hundred yards later I noticed there was no where to start the second lap and I was in the finish shoot just before the finish. I've missed turns before but never on a run course. I stopped and thought "oh crap." The announcers Jerry Mcneil and Chris Swarthout shouted at me to keep going and I was having an amazing race. I told them I still needed to make a second lap. Jerry asked over the PA for help from a volunteer. I realized I needed to run back out the same way and just keep going where I was before the turn. At that point I made another mistake, I panicked a little. I ran back to where I made the wrong turn a little too hard to make up for lost time. Luckily I realized it before I blew up too bad and backed off.
The second loop I felt strong but knew I was starting to slow down. Unfortunately being the first one threw a course means the volunteers are not prepared for you. There was a water point that was only on the second loop so I was the first one through. I needed Powerade but they weren't ready for me so I had to grab a water. I was even more frustrated at this point as I knew I was going to have to go the rest of the way without and extra energy or electrolytes.
Fortunately I pushed through it and came down the finishing shoot as the first Olympic finisher. The wrong turn had meant nothing and like Minnetonka I was able to overcome it. I enjoyed talking with Claire Bootsma and Becky Youngberg in the lake to cool down and then we went up to see the finish of the 111 race. When I did my mom informed me that I was second on the finish list. I thought it was just someone who missed a lap and didn't think anything of it. I went about my business hanging out with my close friend Scott Swenson and figured I would go over and check the results. I was floored to see Doug Thiessen did in fact beat me by two minutes. Doug is from Thunder Bay, raced in the 30-34 AG and slipped under the radar. At this point I was frustrated that the wrong turn may have in fact made the difference. But it would have been close and there is no way to tell.
Since I was second overall I stayed for awards to see what I got. I was wondering how they would do it since Doug was the overall winner. Would they put me in an AG or just do Elite awards. They went all the way through the awards and announced me as the Elite winner. When I looked at the award it said Sprint Overall Champion. I went back to switch they gave me the Olympic Male Overall award. Doug was right there so I said give it to him. He deserves this since he won. I then asked if there was anything for me. They told me to wait and they would straighten it all out.
Then after they announced all the sprint I talked to one of the race directors. She explained they thought the overall winner would be an Elite and they didn't do a 2nd or 3rd place overall. In other words I waited 3 hours for awards. Then another 30 mins for awards to end to find out that I get nothing. I really don't care that I got nothing. I just care that I waited nearly 4 hours that I could have spent with my wife and baby daughter to find out that I got nothing. To be honest I feel bad for the 2nd and 3rd place Elites that stuck their neck out to jump in the first wave to get nothing. They should have just stayed in their divisions and gotten a nice AG award.
I guess you can see where this post was going. The event was very well organized. Great food, awesome venue, but they forgot the basics. Most importantly marking the course and properly briefing volunteers and having them in the right spots. I could care less about the awesome post race buffet if people get lost on the course. I also don't want to hear that it's the racers responsibility to know the course. That's just a cop out that race directors say so that they don't have to take responsibility for not properly marking the course or having volunteers that don't know what they are doing. I will say this. I thought the bike course was marked pretty well. Not awesome but close. The run course was very well marked and had great volunteers until what I would consider to be a point that obviously could be a trouble spot. When I came around for the second loop there were 5 volunteers directing you where to go so they must have figured out there was an issue after my wrong turn. I know my buddy Scottie made the same turn. Luckily the volunteer that sent me the wrong way learned from his mistake and sent him the right way. I also know at least on Elite female also made the turn only to be sent back by the same volunteer.
For any race directors out there who read this I offer advise and extend a challenge. Racers are not focused or thinking about the map you gave in the packet. While racing we are thinking about the 20 feet in front of us. We don't take the map out of our pocket and check to see if we are going the right way. My opinion is to not even give a map and dedicate that time to marking the course correctly and properly briefing volunteers. Then if anyone who makes a wrong turn on your course and it makes a difference in the results should receive a free entry for next year.
Congratulations to Doug Thiessen! He had a monster race and this post was not meant to say I would have beat him but... but more to vent about how important it is to make sure that the racers know where they are at all times. I met Doug at the awards and he is an ultra cool guy. Doug is coached by another cool Canuck by the name of Jon Balabuck. Maybe you've heard of him. I look forward to racing with Doug again. Hopefully he realizes how fast he is and jumps into the Elite wave next time so we can go head to head. I think it would make for a very exciting race.
Next up is Square Half. I'm actually finally feeling strong in the run and water. Hopefully the bike comes around and I can put it all together like I did at Twin Cities.
I got my packet and headed into transition. They had a racking system that went by age but the Elite rack was not marked very well on the layout they had. The layout map was marked by wave except for the Elite wave. It took three volunteers to finally tell me they had no idea and to rack in the overflow. When I did I saw my friend Kim Gorman who is an official. She helped me out and showed me where the Olympic Elite was on the map. Now it made sense. It cost me a good 10-15 mins just to find my rack. When I found it though I got right to warming up.
I just got finished when they started kicking us out of transition so no loss with the racking. When we got to the water there seemed to be some more confusion as to the Olympic course swim and which direction to go. It eventually got settled and the swim went off without a hitch.
The Elite wave only had five guys in it and no one I recognized. I had a decent swim and came out of the water in first for the guys. I thought at this point that I had the race in hand but still wanted to push to see if I could go sub 2:05:00. The bike just never seemed to click. I'm guessing the intestinal bug I had earlier in the week hurt my power but I just kept pushing.
T2 was a little sloppy but not horrible. In an Olympic I'm not worried about it as much anyway. My legs felt sore in a different way than normal. They hurt but I had no problem with turn over. My first loop I felt fantastic and then it happened.
As I came down a hill near the park there was a sign saying sharp turn. There was a hard turn at nearly 180 degrees going down hill. I didn't feel right but I saw a volunteer about 20 yards after the turn and figured I would just make the turn and ask. When I got to him I said I was Olympic and needed to do a second lap. Where am I going? He told me that I was on track and to keep going. "I couldn't miss it." A few hundred yards later I noticed there was no where to start the second lap and I was in the finish shoot just before the finish. I've missed turns before but never on a run course. I stopped and thought "oh crap." The announcers Jerry Mcneil and Chris Swarthout shouted at me to keep going and I was having an amazing race. I told them I still needed to make a second lap. Jerry asked over the PA for help from a volunteer. I realized I needed to run back out the same way and just keep going where I was before the turn. At that point I made another mistake, I panicked a little. I ran back to where I made the wrong turn a little too hard to make up for lost time. Luckily I realized it before I blew up too bad and backed off.
The second loop I felt strong but knew I was starting to slow down. Unfortunately being the first one threw a course means the volunteers are not prepared for you. There was a water point that was only on the second loop so I was the first one through. I needed Powerade but they weren't ready for me so I had to grab a water. I was even more frustrated at this point as I knew I was going to have to go the rest of the way without and extra energy or electrolytes.
Fortunately I pushed through it and came down the finishing shoot as the first Olympic finisher. The wrong turn had meant nothing and like Minnetonka I was able to overcome it. I enjoyed talking with Claire Bootsma and Becky Youngberg in the lake to cool down and then we went up to see the finish of the 111 race. When I did my mom informed me that I was second on the finish list. I thought it was just someone who missed a lap and didn't think anything of it. I went about my business hanging out with my close friend Scott Swenson and figured I would go over and check the results. I was floored to see Doug Thiessen did in fact beat me by two minutes. Doug is from Thunder Bay, raced in the 30-34 AG and slipped under the radar. At this point I was frustrated that the wrong turn may have in fact made the difference. But it would have been close and there is no way to tell.
Since I was second overall I stayed for awards to see what I got. I was wondering how they would do it since Doug was the overall winner. Would they put me in an AG or just do Elite awards. They went all the way through the awards and announced me as the Elite winner. When I looked at the award it said Sprint Overall Champion. I went back to switch they gave me the Olympic Male Overall award. Doug was right there so I said give it to him. He deserves this since he won. I then asked if there was anything for me. They told me to wait and they would straighten it all out.
Then after they announced all the sprint I talked to one of the race directors. She explained they thought the overall winner would be an Elite and they didn't do a 2nd or 3rd place overall. In other words I waited 3 hours for awards. Then another 30 mins for awards to end to find out that I get nothing. I really don't care that I got nothing. I just care that I waited nearly 4 hours that I could have spent with my wife and baby daughter to find out that I got nothing. To be honest I feel bad for the 2nd and 3rd place Elites that stuck their neck out to jump in the first wave to get nothing. They should have just stayed in their divisions and gotten a nice AG award.
I guess you can see where this post was going. The event was very well organized. Great food, awesome venue, but they forgot the basics. Most importantly marking the course and properly briefing volunteers and having them in the right spots. I could care less about the awesome post race buffet if people get lost on the course. I also don't want to hear that it's the racers responsibility to know the course. That's just a cop out that race directors say so that they don't have to take responsibility for not properly marking the course or having volunteers that don't know what they are doing. I will say this. I thought the bike course was marked pretty well. Not awesome but close. The run course was very well marked and had great volunteers until what I would consider to be a point that obviously could be a trouble spot. When I came around for the second loop there were 5 volunteers directing you where to go so they must have figured out there was an issue after my wrong turn. I know my buddy Scottie made the same turn. Luckily the volunteer that sent me the wrong way learned from his mistake and sent him the right way. I also know at least on Elite female also made the turn only to be sent back by the same volunteer.
For any race directors out there who read this I offer advise and extend a challenge. Racers are not focused or thinking about the map you gave in the packet. While racing we are thinking about the 20 feet in front of us. We don't take the map out of our pocket and check to see if we are going the right way. My opinion is to not even give a map and dedicate that time to marking the course correctly and properly briefing volunteers. Then if anyone who makes a wrong turn on your course and it makes a difference in the results should receive a free entry for next year.
Congratulations to Doug Thiessen! He had a monster race and this post was not meant to say I would have beat him but... but more to vent about how important it is to make sure that the racers know where they are at all times. I met Doug at the awards and he is an ultra cool guy. Doug is coached by another cool Canuck by the name of Jon Balabuck. Maybe you've heard of him. I look forward to racing with Doug again. Hopefully he realizes how fast he is and jumps into the Elite wave next time so we can go head to head. I think it would make for a very exciting race.
Next up is Square Half. I'm actually finally feeling strong in the run and water. Hopefully the bike comes around and I can put it all together like I did at Twin Cities.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Maple Grove
When I decided to do this race I was hoping to do the Tri Star 111 race. Unfortunately the 111 was almost a $100 more expensive, which was too rich for my blood. So instead I opted for the Olympic course. I was also hoping that this would be my premier A race of the year next to Square Lake but that has taken a turn for the worse as well.
I came down with a minor cold a few days before St. Paul tri last week but it was just a runny nose and a scratchy throat. Nothing that I haven't had before or that would effect my race. Then on Monday evening I was not hungry after my evening swim. This is not common. Usually I can't stop eating from June to September so not wanting to eat anything was a bit peculiar. Then by the time I went to bed I felt like my intestines were going to explode and had no energy. It was a case of an intestinal bug of some type. I actually called in sick to work for the first time I can recall since I had mono in high school. Luckily by later on Tuesday I was able to do some light training but my stomach was still feeling a little raw and I didn't get my appetite back until later on Wednesday.
Needless to say training this week has not gone well and tapering has become more of recovery from illness. I have no idea how this will effect my performance on Sunday and I don't like to make excuses but I don't plan on this being my best race of the year.
Looking at the start list I saw Devon Palmer's name. Luckily he dropped into the 111 race and I don't recognize any other names on the start list. So hopefully I can pick up a win even with having to spend the week recovering from a stomach bug.
I have been looking forward to this race though and am very curious to see what the talk is all about. Maybe this will take over Graniteman as my favorite race of the year. Regardless I'm really hoping to put together a better swim than last week. Ever since masters took a break my stroke and power just don't seem to be as sharp. I really want to get things tuned up prior to Square Lake Half.
I came down with a minor cold a few days before St. Paul tri last week but it was just a runny nose and a scratchy throat. Nothing that I haven't had before or that would effect my race. Then on Monday evening I was not hungry after my evening swim. This is not common. Usually I can't stop eating from June to September so not wanting to eat anything was a bit peculiar. Then by the time I went to bed I felt like my intestines were going to explode and had no energy. It was a case of an intestinal bug of some type. I actually called in sick to work for the first time I can recall since I had mono in high school. Luckily by later on Tuesday I was able to do some light training but my stomach was still feeling a little raw and I didn't get my appetite back until later on Wednesday.
Needless to say training this week has not gone well and tapering has become more of recovery from illness. I have no idea how this will effect my performance on Sunday and I don't like to make excuses but I don't plan on this being my best race of the year.
Looking at the start list I saw Devon Palmer's name. Luckily he dropped into the 111 race and I don't recognize any other names on the start list. So hopefully I can pick up a win even with having to spend the week recovering from a stomach bug.
I have been looking forward to this race though and am very curious to see what the talk is all about. Maybe this will take over Graniteman as my favorite race of the year. Regardless I'm really hoping to put together a better swim than last week. Ever since masters took a break my stroke and power just don't seem to be as sharp. I really want to get things tuned up prior to Square Lake Half.
St. Paul Tri Recap
Going into Sunday I knew Brett Lovaas would be my toughest competition. I would give me the upper hand but not by much. When Brett is on he is tough to beat. I knew that I would have to bring my A game or Brett would take it to me.
Race prep went as normal but I somehow was running later than usual. Because of this I didn't get in a very good swim warm up. I really didn't think this would matter because my best swim this year came with no warm up. I also decided to go with my sleeveless wet suit for the swim since the water temp was probably in the low 80s. This suit worked well for me at Graniteman and I like having no sleeves to keep a little cooler. Unfortunately I seem to have lost some body mass since July because I noticed it was a little looser than I would like when I put it on.
As the swim started I immediately did not feel as comfortable as I would have liked. Then for some reason I kept drifting to the left. I would try to compensate but just couldn't straighten it out. I also did't feel as fluid as I had in the past this year. After the person just ahead of me tried to exit after one lap and had to go back I was in second but was pretty far behind Brett.
I exited the water knowing I didn't have a strong swim but figured I was only about three minutes back. A gap I thought was overcome-able but wold not be easy. I hit the bike a little conservatively in the first loop and just didn't quite get into a groove until the second loop. Unfortunately the second lop we got mixed in with the sprinters. Combined with the rough rode the sprinters made for a very dangerous second loop. No one seemed to be staying to the right and the bumpy road made people very unpredictable. In all I thought it was a strong bike but after a slower transition was still a minute and a half back from Brett to start the run.
With how I my running seems to be improving and from past races with Brett I figured I may be able to close the gap but it was going to be close and possibly even a sprint finish. The first loop I felt very strong and held back a touch at the beginning of the second loop for a mile or so to save a little for the finish. With about two miles left I started to really hit it hard but with about a mile left my buddy Ross Wienzeirl (who won the sprint) told me I was about 45 seconds back. At this point I knew I was beat but kept pressing as my HR seemed to be within tolerance and I wanted to see how hard I could push.
In the end Brett took me by a little over a minute. Looking at the results he really put it together in all three legs and had a fantastic run to close it out. When I'm on I usually out split him by 10-15 second miles and I felt like I had a great run on Sunday. Yet I still only out split him by 5 second miles.
Congrats to Brett on a great race and as always I look forward to racing against him again. He is always tough and we have battled each other now for a few years. Next is Maple Gove Olympic.
Race prep went as normal but I somehow was running later than usual. Because of this I didn't get in a very good swim warm up. I really didn't think this would matter because my best swim this year came with no warm up. I also decided to go with my sleeveless wet suit for the swim since the water temp was probably in the low 80s. This suit worked well for me at Graniteman and I like having no sleeves to keep a little cooler. Unfortunately I seem to have lost some body mass since July because I noticed it was a little looser than I would like when I put it on.
As the swim started I immediately did not feel as comfortable as I would have liked. Then for some reason I kept drifting to the left. I would try to compensate but just couldn't straighten it out. I also did't feel as fluid as I had in the past this year. After the person just ahead of me tried to exit after one lap and had to go back I was in second but was pretty far behind Brett.
I exited the water knowing I didn't have a strong swim but figured I was only about three minutes back. A gap I thought was overcome-able but wold not be easy. I hit the bike a little conservatively in the first loop and just didn't quite get into a groove until the second loop. Unfortunately the second lop we got mixed in with the sprinters. Combined with the rough rode the sprinters made for a very dangerous second loop. No one seemed to be staying to the right and the bumpy road made people very unpredictable. In all I thought it was a strong bike but after a slower transition was still a minute and a half back from Brett to start the run.
With how I my running seems to be improving and from past races with Brett I figured I may be able to close the gap but it was going to be close and possibly even a sprint finish. The first loop I felt very strong and held back a touch at the beginning of the second loop for a mile or so to save a little for the finish. With about two miles left I started to really hit it hard but with about a mile left my buddy Ross Wienzeirl (who won the sprint) told me I was about 45 seconds back. At this point I knew I was beat but kept pressing as my HR seemed to be within tolerance and I wanted to see how hard I could push.
In the end Brett took me by a little over a minute. Looking at the results he really put it together in all three legs and had a fantastic run to close it out. When I'm on I usually out split him by 10-15 second miles and I felt like I had a great run on Sunday. Yet I still only out split him by 5 second miles.
Congrats to Brett on a great race and as always I look forward to racing against him again. He is always tough and we have battled each other now for a few years. Next is Maple Gove Olympic.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
St. Paul Tri
I did this tri in my very first season in 2005. At the time it was a PR of around 2:20. I was 12th I believe and was super stoked. A lot has happened since then and I have improved more than I could have ever imagined. I do remember liking this try but at that time it was put on by Sommer Sports and has since been bought out by Randy Fulton and Front Runner.
I'm guessing that I will be near the top of the field if not the favorite come Sunday. However there is a lot of talent out there and you never know who is going to show up. I've been humbled before and I'm sure it will happen a lot more. What I am hoping for is to put together a good race and use it as a tune up for Maple Grove. I do back to back races all the time but this is the first time I will go back to back with a Sunday to Saturday race. I'm hoping it works out.
Training is going well but I am starting to feel the fatigue of the season. My bike just doesn't seem to have the power it did a few weeks ago and the legs are starting to feel heavy. I decided to jump into Square Lake Half so I have slightly increased my training volume with a few longer rides and a big brick two weekends ago. I'm not worried about my endurance but hopefully the volume won't slow me down too much.
I'm also looking forward to seeing how well I can swim and if my run has come around yet. I ran well at Turtleman but didn't get to run the second half due to flatting out. I do think I will be able to put it all together though and with the previous results think a sub 1:55 is not out of the question.
I'm guessing that I will be near the top of the field if not the favorite come Sunday. However there is a lot of talent out there and you never know who is going to show up. I've been humbled before and I'm sure it will happen a lot more. What I am hoping for is to put together a good race and use it as a tune up for Maple Grove. I do back to back races all the time but this is the first time I will go back to back with a Sunday to Saturday race. I'm hoping it works out.
Training is going well but I am starting to feel the fatigue of the season. My bike just doesn't seem to have the power it did a few weeks ago and the legs are starting to feel heavy. I decided to jump into Square Lake Half so I have slightly increased my training volume with a few longer rides and a big brick two weekends ago. I'm not worried about my endurance but hopefully the volume won't slow me down too much.
I'm also looking forward to seeing how well I can swim and if my run has come around yet. I ran well at Turtleman but didn't get to run the second half due to flatting out. I do think I will be able to put it all together though and with the previous results think a sub 1:55 is not out of the question.
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