American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon

Wow, well almost a month after the race I finally have time to sit down and write this race report.  With a project drawing to a close at work and traveling for friends' weddings, I just haven't been able to get a good amount of time to relax and think about the race.  So here we go...

American Zofingen Duathlon is a unique multisport event that offers three different distances of races.  All running is done on one 5mi trail loop in the Mohonk Preserve in the Catskill Mountains and all the biking happens on one 28mi loop on roads that some cars may have difficulty driving due to the hills.  There is the Short Course Duathlon (5mi Run / 28mi Bike / 5mi Run), the Middle Course (5mi Run / 28mi Bike / 5mi Run / 28mi Bike / 5mi Run), the Long Course (5mi Run / 84mi Bike / 15mi Run), and the Individual Time Trial (112mi Bike (4 loops of 28mi).  The race atmosphere and organization is superb; it is relaxed and jovial, similar to a group of friends getting together to train and then drink copious amounts of alcohol.  Actually, that's exactly what it is.

Last year I did the Long Course duathlon in a total time of 08:12:36 and it was a miserable experience.  It was hot, I was paced the whole race very poorly, and I did not take in nearly enough fluids or calories throughout the day.  This year I was determined to do much better.

Pre-Race:

Living close to the race certainly has it's advantages since I can sleep in my own bed the night before the race!  I woke up at 4am to pack the car, eat my race breakfast (oatmeal with peanut butter, nuts, and raisins) and drive the hour down to the race by myself, a lonely drive to make before the sun rises.  Weather conditions were looking favorable for the few days leading up to race day.  Unfortunately, some sadists did a rain dance and it ended up being in the low 50's F and raining when we started at 7am.  Needless to say, I was not too excited for the next 8hrs of racing in the rain.

Here is an image from the race photographer of one of the racers at the top of the Mohonk Climb.  What you don't see in this picture is that ahead of this rider is a wicked fast descent with a descending radius turn...on wet roads!

Not fun riding conditions

Run #1: 5mi, 1 Lap

Knowing that I was in for a long day of suffering up and down mountains, I started conservatively.  No point in going anaerobic early in the race and wasintg energy that I will need later in the day.  With about 1000ft of gain per 5mi loop, this is easily the hardest run loop I have ever done.  It is more suitable for a billy goat or mountain runners.  There were some seriously strong athletes in this race so I forced myself to hold back on the first run and not stay with the lead pack on the first climb.  Unfortunately (a stroke of luck for me though) they took a wrong turn and ended up running an extra half mile.  So, I ended up being one of the first runners back to transition with a sub 40:00 run (fast on this loop!).  I spent the last few miles of the run with a first timer, explaining what she was in for on the upcoming bike and I strongly urged her to exercise caution on the descents due to the conditions.  Aggressive descents will gain you about 1-2 minutes per 28 mile loop, so maybe 5 min total for the long course athletes.  Definitely not worth the risk in my opinion.

Totals for the run were – 39:50, 8:08/mi, 170bpm, 1096ft elevation gain.

Transition #1:

Arriving in transition already soaked to the bone and severely underdressed (I was wearing only tri shorts, tri top, calf sleeves, socks, and gloves), I was dreading the cold descents in the rain.  I stuffed my pockets with gel packs and Honey Stinger Waffles (my favorite race nutrition, because it so closely resembles and tastes like real food!). Here is what transition looks like:

Transition is stupid wet.
Unfortunately what you don't see are the gorgeous mountains in the background

Bike: 84mi, 3 Laps of 38mi

The very beginning of the ride is absolutely terrible.  A dirt road about 1/2mi long leads out of transition and includes some serious potholes and even a little bit of climbing.  I had a bottle of water that fell out of the cage and had to stop climbing and pick it up due to the Race Director’s stern warnings about littering on the course.  Unfortunately, when I got back to the bottle it was already empty.  At the time, I didn’t think it was a big deal because there would be 3 aid stations along the 28mi loop.  Once you get to the main road, you continue climbing for another mile or so before hitting the storied Mohonk Descent.  Quickly I realized how underdressed I was because I started shivering uncontrollably.  Everything on me was cold.  I passed the locations where there were supposed to be aid stations and no one was there.  So now I was absolutely miserable.  No fluids, shivering madly while trying to stay upright, and severely contemplating quitting.  I was desperately looking forward to seeing my girlfriend at the end of the first lap because she was supposed to have a bike jersey for me.  Unfortunately, I didn’t communicate my timing properly and I didn’t see her at the end of the first lap and I almost cried because of how cold I was.  My whole body was cold and if I did not have a good pair of gloves on, I would have stopped racing. 

I continued on to the second lap of the bike and it finally started to warm up a little and the rain reduced to a drizzle, so conditions were not much better, but at least I stopped shivering.  I finally got a bottle of water and HEED and quickly downed a good amount of fluids and nutrition.  I stayed in control on the climbs and worked the descents as hard as I could while still staying safe.  I saw some people I knew from the year before and chatted with them about how miserable the conditions were and we worked together for a little while before I backed off to ride more conservatively (or they were just much faster than me.)  I really started to feel good towards the end of the second loop and I started pushing hard and caught several people that had passed me on the first loop.  Everything was firing on all cylinders and I was cruising.

I finally saw my girlfriend and her parents a few miles into the third loop and it was such a relief as I had expected to see them a few times by now and I was starting to get worried.  It was fantastic to see them and they really improved my attitude at that point in the race.  I spent some time riding with a guy doing the Individual Time Trial who was happy to chat since he had been riding alone for most of the day.  Once we got over the climb he eased up and I continued on at my own pace.  The rest of the 3^rd lap was uneventful - frequent nutrition and fluids, just trying to get back to transition.

Total elevation gain over the 84mi is roughly 9000ft, so there is a ton of climbing!  Totals for the ride were - 4:47:45, 17.4mph avg, 256W NP, 148bpm avg, 49.4mph max, 55deg F, 8500ft climbing.

Transition #2:

Coming back into transition I had no idea where I was in relation to the rest of the field.  I knew there were a few guys ahead of me and I heard that one had dropped out due to mechanical issues on the bike, so I was still in a good position.  I put my soaking wet running shoes back on and stumbled out of transition to start a 15mi run with 3000+ft of climbing!

Run #2: 15mi, 3 Laps

The beginning of the 1^st lap felt decent.  I was surprisingly comfortable and I think it was mostly because I was just happy to be off the bike and away from the bone chilling effects of convective cooling of the air flowing over my wet skin.  My strategy was to monitor my heart rate to keep it in control on the ascents by walking the steepest parts of the climbs and letting gravity take over as I cruised down the descents.  At the top of the first climb my quads started to cramp.  I started to stretch it when my hamstring cramped too.  Oh shit, I thought, 1mi into the 15mi run and my left quad and hamstring cramped.  Fortunately, with some positive thinking, deep breathing, and some quick massaging I got the cramps under control.  I ran the remainder of the 4mi in fear of this happening again.  I took no nutrition on the first lap as I was still a little full from taking in a lot of nutrition and fluids at the end of the bike.

The run is a lot of fun because each lap you pass through the finish line in the pavilion where everybody who did the shorter races is partying and drinking while you’re still suffering.  People like to joke that they do shots of Jameson through the pavilion, but I have never seen this happen in the Long Course race.  I had a bottle of flat coke at the aid station in the pavilion so I took a big gulp of that and continued on to the second lap.

Feeling good at this point.  Happy to be running strong

 Coke is rocket fuel during long course racing.  The combination of quick sugars and caffeine and calories is absolutely perfect.  I powered through the second lap with a small pause in the woods for a “nature break.”  Some more coke at the aid station and an Apple Cinnamon gel really helped me run strongly.  The run/walk method on the hills kept my HR and effort level under control.  Although, at this point I was walking more than the first lap, but there wasn’t much I could do about that.   

Running on the flat grass is just as hard because it's swampy and muddy.

One more pass through the pavilion, more coke, and a good amount of cheering from the crowd pushed me out onto the third lap with a positive attitude.  I had a minor goal of being under 8:00:00 as I missed it last year due to poor pacing and nutrition practices.  This year I only had to run under a 55:00 last lap to make it.  Unless catastrophe struck on the final 5mi, I would be able to make it with time to spare since I had not run over 48:00 for a lap yet.  The same run/walk method on the third lap got me to the aid station where I learned they had run out of coke.  Fortunately, they had the next best thing: RedBull!  I had never been “Given Wings” during a race, so I was a little hesitant.  But as soon as it hit my lips I knew it was a good choice.  Another quick boost of caffeine and sugar as well as another delicious Apple Cinnamon Hammer Gel (holy shit they were so good!) put me in such a good mood that I couldn’t help but have fun the last few miles.  I chatted with fellow racers, made jokes with Anna and her parents as I passed them and was truly content with everything that was happening in those few miles.

Blurry photo, but gorgeous setting.  The trail run is beautiful if you can
 find the energy to enjoy your surroundings.

Coming through the finish was fantastic.  I was in good spirits and I didn’t completely destroy myself to get to there.  Once the timing chip came off all I wanted to do was eat a cheeseburger, and so I did, and it was amazing.  An interesting comparison between this race and last year’s race is that my final three run laps last year took just over 3hours to complete.  This year, I did all four run laps in the same time!

Totals for the run (Lap 1,2,3) were – 44:00,47:27,49:46; 8:40/mi,9:30/mi,9:55/mi; 160bpm/158bpm/155bpm; ~1100ft climbing per loop = 4500ft total (including Run #1). 

Overall I placed 5^th in the Long Course and 1^st in my Age Group (because there were no other Long Course racers under 30!)  It was a solid day in all disciplines and a huge confidence builder for the coming training months because if I can suffer through 5 hours in those conditions, I can do it in anything.

I have to say thank you to my coach, JP Severin, for his words of wisdom and to my girlfriend, Anna, and her parents, Tim&Jan, for standing in the cold rain all day and only seeing me for a few seconds – your support really helped me throughout the long day.

Everything in this race hurts, even when you're 3 steps from the finish.

Overall:

Segment              Segment Time                   Total Time

Run 1                     39:50.00                           39:50.00

T1                            1:02.60                           40:52.60

Bike 1                  4:47:46.55                        5:28:39.15

T2                            1:08.98                        5:29:48.13

Run 2                     44:00.18                        6:13:48.31

Run 2 Lap 2            47:27.22                        7:01:15.53

Run 2 Lap 3            49:46.04                        7:51:01.57

Race Report: Delmar Duathlon 2013

Is winning two years in a row too soon to call something a winning streak?  Or would it simply be back-to-back wins?  I remember how everybody started calling Craig Alexander a legend after he won the Ironman World Championship two years in a row.  They were positing that he could have another streak like Mark Allen did in the late 80's-early 90's.  Is it too early to call?  Maybe.  It was for Craig, unfortunately.  Is it too egotistical, brash, and hyperbolic to compare my "streak" to Craig's?  Most definitely.  Is this even a reasonable comparison?  Certainly not.

Not.  Even.  Close.

Let's try this again.  Remember in elementary school when your team happened to win the daily game of soccer/kickball/basketball during recess for a few days in a row?  Maybe Alex was out with the chicken pox and Sammy was on vacation, so the other class had to play without their best players.  But that didn't matter, because you still won bragging rights.  You were on top of the world until they came back and put a hurting on your team, right?  Well, your brief stint as victor of the playground was about as significant as my current "streak" at the Delmar Duathlon.  It certainly is fun to win a race, but I only won a local race at a small town park, two years in a row.  Cool?  To me, Yes.  Fun?  Most certainly.  Bragging rights?  Probably not.

Here is how it all went down, this turned out a bit more lengthy and in depth than I intended.  It might take you longer to read this than it too me to to do the race...that is, if you read as slow as I do.

Pre Race:

An 8am start required a 6am wake-up to finalize my gear for the day and get some food and caffeine in my system before heading to the race site.  Fortunately, it was only 15min away so the drive was easy.  I went to get my chip and race bag, only to realize that I forgot my race belt.  An annoyance, yes, but there were safety pins so it was not a show-stopper.  The woman at packet pick-up recognized me from last year and complimented my win, to which I jovially thanked her and commented about hoping to repeat my performance again this year.  Unbeknownst to me, another racer was listening and chimed in, "I wouldn't be so sure about your chances, so-and-so is here today." Oh, ok!?  I didn't quite know how to respond to this stranger, so I smiled and walked back to transition to get my spot ready.  A short warm-up jog reminded me that my legs were feeling dead after a long training day last weekend where I sought out some of the biggest hills in the area.  Moreover, I spent the day prior at "Man Night" with some friends eating bacon burgers, bacon hot dogs, and drinking beer...all topped off with a creation called the meat turtle:

Ground beef on the inside with a shell made of bacon.
Legs and head are hot dogs though they are hard to see since they are partially
submerged in the sea of chili and surrounded by cheese waves and hot dog buoys.

My stomach was not too pleased on race morning.  Nevertheless, I was determined to have fun so I donned my old dingy MSU Spartan Race Top/Tank and headed off to the start.

A wildly unflattering picture.

Run # 1 (2mi):

The run course was a double lollipop style: run from the start/finish to the trail, loop on the left, loop on the right, run to transition.  The loops were both on a nature trail that had a few hills, some rocks, and some tricky tree roots around turns.  They started us in waves with the Kids' Wave (18-29) starting first, then subsequent age groups every 2 minutes after.  I lined up next to a few people I recognized from last year and we relished in the drastic improvement in weather as compared to the year before.

The race went off, right at 8:00:00 AM, a standard in Albany Running Exchange Events that is rarely experienced elsewhere.  Since I knew my biggest competitors would be in my wave and the wave after, I sprinted from the start knowing that a clear and empty trail is a fast trail.  The faster athletes in the later waves would have to compete for space with the slower athletes that started ahead of them.

And we're off...

Half a mile in, at the beginning of the first loop, I still had another racer on my heels.  I pushed hard up a hill and gained some distance then crested and continued to drive to gain more space.  By the end of the first loop I had a 10s lead and kept gaining time all the way to transition.  I ran 12:22 for a 6:11/mi pace, a good start.  Good enough in the end to be tied for the fastest Run #1 split.

T1 and Bike (10mi):

The transition area at this race is not the greatest, it is only two long racks of bikes on the left and right as you come into transition.  So it is hard to remember how far down the row your bike is, as opposed to standard transitions that have numbered racks and you can simply count racks or remember your rack number.  Anyway, I found my bike quickly stepped out of my shoes and kicked them out of the way.  Only to realize that I needed them again for Run #2, so I had to stop and grab them at the cost of a few seconds so they would be organized for T2.

I grabbed my bike and ran out of T1.  A good mount and a quick click of the Garmin to start the time and I was off.

Excellent race tank status

The bike course is flast - a word I just made up that is obviously a combination of flat and fast.  The roads are in fantastic condition out here and the volunteers and police officers did a fantastic job controlling traffic at the few intersections that were on the course.  I knew I was well ahead of 2nd place in my wave but I was still racing against others from previous waves.  I would have to race this against the clock since no one was close to me.  I settled in to a steady effort and just started turning the cranks.  I drank some water at 5min intervals to make sure I didn't start the second run low on fluids.  I put out some great wattage for the ride and only got out of the saddle once to stretch my legs.  I was astounded that I was producing that much power at what felt like such a low effort level, but it felt comfortable and I was confident that I could run another fast 2mi off the bike.  

In good spirits on the bike.  Also, I downloaded a new Photo Collage App.

Stats for the bike are as follows - 10mi in 23:03, 290W, 26mph, 93rpm, 164bpm, fastest bike split by 1:20 over the entire field, including some seriously fast riders with whom I train.

T2 and Run #2:

Off the bike and into T2 with the same problem I had last time.  How far down on this rack was my spot?  My nondescript black shoes didn't help them stand out either.  

My bike shoe hit the ground so my bike was not cooperating on the transition run.
Also,  I couldn't find my spot, I was an absolute mess.

I found my spot, racked my bike, off with the helmet, on with the shoes, and out of transition I sprinted.  T2 in 41sec.

The second run was identical to the first: run from transition to the trail, loop on the left, loop on the right, run back to the start/finish.  I knew I had a big lead on the field, but I had no idea where I was compared to the later waves.  So, I was all alone for 2mi without another racer in sight, racing against the clock.  The one motivation I had was that when I ran out of T2 bike I saw 36:XX on the race clock and knew that sub 50:00 was possible, for a 2min improvement over last year, and a probable win.  

I didn't see anyone behind me on the trail until I finished the first loop - over a mile into the run, with at least half a mile lead on 2nd place in my wave.  I kept reminding myself to stay relaxed but to pump my arms, drive my knees, and engage my hip flexors to stay in good form and keep my cadence up.  I was still in good spirits as I crossed over into the second loop, high-fiving the niños that were volunteering.  I looked down at my watch and saw 44:30 and 1.2mi, only 5:30 left to run 0.8mi.  It might be close!

I went into the second loop and took it easy up the first hill knowing I had another one to climb right before the last quarter mile of the run.  I bombed down the hill on the back-side of the loop and drove hard to get back to the end of the loop and to ascend the final hill.  I crested the final hill at 48:19 with 0.22mi to go.  

Top of the final hill, time to push hard for the finish.

The last quarter mile is all paved so you can really kick it into high gear and finish strong without worrying about footing.  I again focused on driving the arms and keeping my cadence high.  I looked up with about 50m to the finish and knew I would finish well below 50:00.  I crossed the line at 49:28 for a second run split of 12:45 at 6:22/mi and then began waiting for the next finisher to see if I had actually won.   

Time to wait for the next finisher

Anna had started a timer as soon as I finished to see if anyone finished within their delayed start time.  I was most worried about Waves 2 and 3 so I would have to wait 2 and 4min respectively to see if anyone from those waves had bested my time.  I waited at the finish and 2 minutes passed by quickly with nobody coming out from the trail.  Good, I beat the Wave 2, the 30-39'ers.  2:30 after I finished and still no one in sight.  3:00 - nobody.  3:30 - nobody. 3:45 -  I see another guy from my wave sprinting fast with someone form Wave 3, the 40-49'ers.  Although, with 250m left and only :15 to finish, I knew I had it locked on Wave 3.  Unless there is a wildly fast 50-59'er, I had won the race.

REJOICE!

Overall a stellar benchmark for my fitness compared to last year.  As it turns out I ran the exact same time for the first run this year as I did last year.  I biked 2min faster and then ran my second run 7sec faster than last year.  I am thrilled to see those numbers and thinking about how fit I thought I was last year.  Although the run times were not that different compared to last year, I still ran a few seconds per mile faster this year after a much faster bike leg.  Oh, and the racer I was warned about before the race, this so-and-so, he came in 2nd place, and is as decent a runner as I.  We ran an identical first split and he ran a few seconds faster than me for the second run split.  I out biked him by quite a bit though, which led to my 1:30 margin of victory. 

It seems my fitness is sky high right now, the next test will be American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon on May 19.  5mi run / 84mi bike / 15mi run.  All up and down a mountain.  I better start preparing to suffer now, it's going to be brutal.

Indoor Time Trial and Rabbit Ramble

After a few months of steady training I started to get that itch to race.  That need to test my fitness to see if what I have been doing for the past weeks has been helping.  I wanted to see if this LSD (Long Slow Distance) training that I covered previously was really working.

The first test was a 13.4mi Indoor Time Trial at a local multisport shop in Clifton Park, NY called Revolutionary Velowatts.  It was the first time I had visited the shop even though I had heard fantastic things about it multiple times from various competitive athletes in the region.  I was not disappointed with the quality of the shop, this place is a triathlete's indoor training paradise!  They have several treadmills, an endless pool, 8 CompuTrainer units, and anything an endurance athlete would need for strength training.

Ok, back to the time trial.  The course was 13.4mi with some rolling hills, here is a screen shot of the profile.

With no y-axis scale it is somewhat meaningless, but there were some decent 5-7% hills in there.

Since aerodynamics mean nothing in CompuTrainer world this ride was all about Power to Weight ratio (Watts/kg).  After the shop set up each athlete's bike we were allowed a short warm-up prior to beginning the race.  The 8 of us were situated on a platform facing a big screen TV that displayed each or our names and ride details (power, speed, distance, cadence, % grade, distance ahead, and distance behind), imagine watching a 2D simulated horse race and you will understand what we were all looking at.

I wanted to use this ride as a test to see what, if anything, had changed in the past several months of consistent training.  Unfortunately, there really is not a whole lot of exciting things to say about the race itself since there were no tactics or any semblance of actual racing, just a group of guys suffering in silence on a Saturday morning.  A few small fans offered poor convective cooling, so after a few minutes of TT effort I quickly became drenched in sweat with puddles forming all around.  Once I started suffering I started to close my eyes and entered the pain cave.  With nothing to look at but the clock, this race was nearly as challenging mentally as it was physically.

I ended up winning my heat with a time of 37:15, with an average of 318 Watts, with a 20min Max Average of 323W.  For reference, my previous FTP test was 20 minutes at 326W.  So, intuitively, these numbers tell me that I can produce slightly less power for 37 minutes than I can for 20 minutes, but only 2% less for 85% more time.  I'd say that's an acceptable sacrifice in power for the added duration.

Again, I have to commend Revolutionary VeloWatts for being such a superb shop.  The quality of everything inside was top notch and Ric (the owner) is running a fantastic operation.  I wish I lived closer as I would be in that Endless ool all the time (There's no P in the ool and they want to keep it that way).  

Rabbit Ramble 4mi - Saturday, March 30

The following week I entered a local road race in Guilderland, NY.  Given the low-key advertising for this event, I figured there would be a small field and maybe I could cherry-pick a win.  It was a 4mi Out & Back race and turned out to be the first beautiful spring day in upstate NY.  The weather was absolutely perfect, 50deg F and sunny with no wind.

I woke up feeling great after a couple of easy days of training.  Again, like before the Indoor TT, I was a little unsure about my training having not done any speed work in the past few months, so this race would be a test to see if LSD training had helped. I left a little late and arrived at the race site only 30 minutes prior to the 10AM start.  A longer wait at the registration table and a long line for the bathroom only allowed for a 5 minute warm-up before we had to line up for the start.  I guess that's what I get for thinking I can sleep in because it is going to be a small race!  It turned out there were almost 200 people there, including some seriously fast runners.

After a short warm-up I got to the start and lined up next to a guy I see out running on the roads with some frequency.  We ran by each other the day prior and both gave the cursory the 'hello-fellow-runner' nod that really meant we were trying to figure out which of us is faster...I guess this was the day to find out.  My plan was to run my own race with a goal of sub 25:00 (6:15/mi).

In the middle in blue between white shirt and left-most orange tank.
Aforementioned fellow runner in orange tank on right

The race started off fast with the two guys in orange tanks surging off the front.  Without knowing the course profile, I decided to hang back and run the race according to plan, not wanting to blow up later in the race in case there were hills.  After half a mile a group formed to work together to pull back two leaders in orange who had about 50m on us, but the gap kept growing.  We went through the first mile at 5:50.  Uh oh, I thought!  At 25sec faster than my goal this early, this was either going to go very well for me or I was going to fall apart soon.

Once the chase group broke apart, a new runner emerged from behind and ran away from me as if I was standing still.  Two of us remained in 4th and 5th place for the next mile, pacing off each other for a 6:02 mile split, falling 12s off pace due to a half-mile hill.  As we hit the turn-around I was red-lining.  Still unsure if I would be able to push this pace for another 2 miles, I concentrated on my form: drive the knees, pump the arms, look like Alistair Brownlee but run at his recovery pace.

Two runners became three as another guy came from behind.  Did I start too fast, am I slowing down that much? Am I gassed?  These thoughts raced through my mind until I looked ahead 200m to see the aforementioned runner in orange doubled over, above a pile of puke.  Maybe the three of us could be competing for 3rd if he can't get back up to speed.  He started running slowly but quickly returned to race pace and promptly ran away from our group.  Frat boys have nothing on this level of "Puke and Rally."  

The three of us went through at 5:58 for mile 3.  One mile left in a pack of three, competing for 4th place, despite seeing the guy ahead of us puking half a mile back.  I was feeling confident, my HR was about 180bpm but I was under control.  Stay cool for another half mile and then see who has the best finish.  

The latest addition to the duo pulled away with half a mile left.  I thought he was going too early so I held back for a minute. He'll slow in the last quarter when I'll be putting it all on the line, I'll edge him out in the last 50-100m.  He gained about 5 seconds on me in that minute.  Damn, maybe this guy's kick is for real!  Time to drop the hammer.  I pulled away from the guy I had run with most of the race and chased after the man ahead.  Apparently he had more in the tank because I narrowed the gap to a few seconds but was unable to get any closer.  I was flying with 200m left, still feeling strong and delighted that I was well under my 25:00 goal.  I crossed the line at 23:44 in 5th place with a closing 4th mile of 5:52, making the average pace 5:56/mi.

The closing 10m of the race.  5th place overall.

          
I was very pleased with how the race went for how little speed work I had done in training.  It seems that week after week of aerobic consistency pays dividends on race day, regardless of how many interval repeats you do on the track.

The engine is firing on all cylinders right now.  After a recovery week and some unexpected weekend traveling I'm back into focused training.  Energy levels are high and workouts are feeling great.  Aerobic consistency is king in IM Training.  Race day is a mere 16 weeks away!    

Grooving with LSD

…no, not the hallucinogenic drug, LSD is the mundane activity called Long Slow Distance (LSD) endurance training.  In my last post I reviewed my irregular 2012 season and previewed the 2013 season where I spoke of having to dedicate myself to building a solid aerobic base from which I will graduate into dedicated Ironman training come summertime.   LSD training is how a strong aerobic foundation is developed and it is often overlooked, undervalued, and despised among endurance athletes in my age group - becuase why would we train slowly if the point of racing is to go fast?

This type of training is not exciting by typical standards.  There are no numbers to brag about, no monster workouts, and for the first time in my racing career, I am not actively trying to get faster. Nevertheless, I am truly enjoying it because LSD training is making me a more introspective athlete.  For example, I can head out for a run where I focus on the minute details of my form because I am not concerned with pace.  I can enjoy my surroundings during trail runs because my breathing is not drowning out the noise of nature.  I am meeting new people and having great conversations during group rides and runs because every workout is not the most important thing in my life.  This really is the most fun and exciting time I have had in my training.  Although, despite the jovial attitude I have during training sessions, the training plan is still regimented.

When I began endurance training I thought the off-season was for unstructured training; time where I could drink beer and eat ice cream so much that it was easiest to measure quantities of both by the gallon.  However, when it comes to long-course racing, I need to be prepared for an aerobic effort that is longer than a normal person’s workday.  To do this, I need to train consistently for month after month, staying motivated yet restraining from fueling my previous Type-A, HTFU mentality about training.  By following this low-intensity, high-volume training method for the past seven weeks, I am training as much as I was for IMWI ’11 with lower effort, greater consistency, better balance, and improved efficiency (less recovery time, fewer injuries, better form, etc.)  I have not looked at my training logs to compare to my current speed/effort levels with those from 2011, but I certainly don't remember it being this exhilarating.

At this point in training, it is all about consistency.  After a period of adjustment, where coach JP and I figured out what fit in best with my work/home schedules, we have settled on a basic, skeleton week that will be repeatable for the next few months.  Currently the schedule has two workouts a day on Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, and Sat, a Legs Off (i.e., swim only) day on Friday, and then a long run on Sunday; the goal is to hit 4 swim sessions, 3 bike sessions, and 5 run sessions each week.  Each workout has a specific purpose and an effort/HR limit under which I work.  Meaning, each workout is measured and controlled so I can recover fully day-to-day and, more importantly, so I can repeat this schedule for several months without becoming too fatigued or overtrained.

Inevitably, something will happen in the future that will make this training not so much fun anymore.  But, for now, with everything feeling perfect and fresh I'm going to keep banking solid blocks of training at let a young Vince Vaughn remind me to stay positive during my training.

2012 Recap and 2013 Preview

It is a new year and I have a ton of things to look forward to in 2013.  First, let me do a quick recap of 2012.  As an engineer, I'm as analytically inclined as they come - I like numbers and analyzing data.  So here is a breakdown of my 2012 training data:

The above table is rather simple - you can see totals for both time and distance for each discipline as well as some additional time I spent walking or hiking.  Dividing these values by 12 for monthly totals yields

Dividing the yearly totals by 52 for weekly totals reveals an "average" week for 2012.

Now, it is not exactly fair to average the annual totals by month or week because there were multiple periods in 2012 that training volume was drastically reduced.  Because I log all my workouts on the Slowtwitch Training Log, I can generate fantastic reports that present monthly or annual totals for all the activities I performed during a specified period.  A report for the whole year of 2012 includes the following graph, a telling reason for the paltry averages produced above.

This graph displays three important reasons for the above "averages".  First, I did not swim once until July.  Moreover, no part of my body was even submerged in water at any point (e.g., hot tub, dunk tank, trial by drowning, etc.) until mid-year.  Second, a drastic reduction in volume occurred in June when I determined, along with the help of a medical professional, that I was suffering from a tibial stress reaction.  The obvious culprit being run volume from January-April; dangerous are those 200mi months.  As soon as I finished my race at the end of May, it was no more running for me in June.  Third, I hardly rode a bike in January or September for no real reason, I think I was just tired of working out.

Overall, 2012 was eye-opening and pleasantly capricious.  After relocating from MI to NY at the beginning of the year I was forced to meet new training partners, find new routes, develop a new routine, and focus on multisport races in which I had never competed like duathlon and aquathlon.  I did not compete in a triathlon and I had my first serious training related injury (I use "serious" here rather loosely).  I took an overall win, received prize money, lost a race by seconds, DNF'd, relayed from Saratoga to Lake Placid, and placed "100something"-th among some of the best runners in the Northeast.  I began my first job as an engineer after graduation, promptly quit after 6 months, then started my current job.  I moved in with my girlfriend and we have been successfully cohabitating for over a year.  In essence, 2012 was wonderfully unlike any other year in my life and I'm excited for what is to come in 2013.  Here are a few pictures that can try to sum up 2012:

New Bike! Thanks tax refund.
2010 Felt DA, Zipp 808s, Quarq CinQo Power Meter

Another new bike, the training beast -
1980's Centurion LeMans RS w/ PowerCranks

Stereotypical shot after climbing the escarpment to Thacher Park

I was in a magazine with hardly any clothes on. In fact, I think
I had more material below my knees than anywhere else.

There is some beautiful riding out here.
Erie Canalway Bike Path

Christmas morning run with Chad (human) and Charlie (dog).
Ft. Custer, Augusta, MI

Running up the White Mountains.  The camera is not angled.
Franconia, NH

 The new year brings new changes for my training style and schedule. My "A" race will be Ironman Mont Tremblant in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada on August 18.  The Patriot Half on June 15 and the DoubleMussel 88.7 on July 13-14 will be my two "B" races to prepare for IMMT.  I will be defending my title in the Delmar Duathlon and going for a podium spot at the American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon. 

I will be coached by my good friend John Paul Severin, a wildly successful triathlete who writes a hilarious blog and had a wonderful coaching debut by coaching another friend to a 2hr PR at IMAZ in 2012.  Not to mention, we have similar body compositions, similar opinions on training styles, and we are both about as mature as baby orangutans.

Maturity levels are questionable in these two...

We will work out a demanding schedule that I am confident will deliver exciting race results this summer.  For now though, it is base training, base training, and more base training.  Aerobic base and muscular endurance are going to be key for my races this summer.  So, that means long aerobic runs and low cadence, muscle building bike rides where I monitor heart rate to keep it below a certain % of my maximum.  Once I get into a groove on this training, I will update again.

Until then, listen to this excellent tune from Ben Howard - Old Pine.

First Time in a Long Time - Stockadeathon 15k

For the first time in a long time I am happy with my run performance in a race.  The race was the 37th annual Stockadeathon 15k in Schenectady, NY on 11/11/12  The race claims it is the oldest "major" 15k road race in the country.  I believe them, but I also have no idea what "major" means or how many 15k road races there are in the country, so I'm not one to question their statements.  Although, based on the past years' results, there are some fast people showing up to this race; the course record is an astonishing 44:39 (4:47/mi)!!!!!  And a handful of these winners have gone on to race at the Olympic Marathon Trials.  Despite my previous podium finishes or AG wins this year, I had a feeling I was not going to be receiving any awards when runners of this caliber show up.

I decided to sign up for the race on a whim because I had a few friends that were also running.  Additionally, the group that I train with was timing the race, so I figured there would be a bunch of familiar faces in the crowd.  Because I spent the summer recovering from a stress fracture, I only started real run training 10 weeks ago, leaving me suspicious of my fitness prior to this race.  Regardless, it was a race, so I had to put it all on the line to test myself.  After thinking about some of the runs and workouts I did since then, I decided on a goal time between 61 and 62 minutes, an average pace between 6:30/mi and 6:37/mi.

Race Morning:

I woke up at 5:30am to eat my standard race morning breakfast - oatmeal with peanut butter, almonds, and raisins with a strong cup of coffee and a glass of water.  Race start was 9:00am so I got to the site around 8:00am with plenty of time to get my bib, warm up, and stretch.

The highlight of the morning was my VIP access to the Brooks Sponsored Port-O-Potties.  Brooks Running had purchased 4 Port-O-Potties for exclusive use to runners wearing Brooks apparel, fortunately I was wearing my fantastic MSU Triathlon Brooks Tech Tee and I was granted access to this exclusive right of passage (...get it?).

Race Start:

The race start was packed with over 1300 runners crowding their way to the start line.  They separated the men from the women so that the elite women would have just as clear a start as the elite men.  I made my way into the ranks right by my friend Tom from the Albany Running Exchange, we were about a dozen rows from the start line and I was lamenting about how skeptical I was.

I never saw these guys again.  Wicked fast!

My plan was to run the first 5k conservative and then hold that pace through 10k, then pick up the pace for the last 5k.

5k Split: 20:45 = 6:40/mi

I went through the 5k still feeling unsure about my fitness, even though the split was perfectly paced with my goal.  I matched paces well with a few kids from the Niskayuna HS Cross Country team.  I ended up running with these kids throughout the rest of the race.  It was helpful because their coach was on a bike and would check in with them every few miles to give support and encouragement.

I'm back there in the green shirt.  I'm also the only one in this picture
with facial hair and the ability to drive myself home after the race.

10k Split: 41:23 = 6:39/mi

At the 10k I was struggling a bit because miles 5-7 on the course were uphill.  The hills were not steep, but after a few miles I definitely felt my quads aching a bit.  My pace slowed  to 6:45/mi but my average was still right where I wanted it to be.  I was still with the Niskayuna HS runners and their coach was still there for support.  I knew he wasn't talking to me, but I still heeded his advice to "relax your shoulders, keep your head up, and lean into the hill."

Around mile 6 one lady from the Willow Street Athletic Club told me
 I had nice form as I passed her.  A rare but exceptional mid-race compliment.

The HS runners and I had an interesting dynamic; they would take the lead on the uphill stretches and I would pass them back on the flats.  This likely had a lot to do with me being 20lbs heavier than them.  Nevertheless, we worked well together and once we hit mile 7, it was all flat/downhill to the finish.  I knew I was going to suffer, but I was ready to push hard to the finish.

Finish: 1:01:47 = 6:38/mi

My final 5k was tough and felt longer than it should have been even though it was my fastest 5k split of the day at 20:24 = 6:33/mi.  I had my Garmin set to total time, pace, and lap time, so once I hit the 1hr mark in the run I couldn't see seconds on the total time screen.  I knew I was going to be close to 62 minutes so I surged around the last .25mi.  I forced myself to stay relaxed and focus on my form because if I thought too much about how fast I was running, I was going to lose it mentally.  I turned into the finish chute and saw the clock read 1:01:30.  Only 100yds to go and plenty of time to finish under 1:02:00.  I was absolutely ecstatic but I kept my pace and didn't sprint to the finish (a pet peeve of mine for runners/triathletes, unless you're racing the person next to you.)

My face is starting to contort and my left elbow is hitching out...a sign I am near the end of a race.
Not from the finish though because there wasn't anybody taking finish line pictures!

Like I said at the beginning, I was thrilled with my performance in this race.  It has been a long time since I have felt this way about my running.  Below is a screenshot of my mile splits as recorded by my Garmin Forerunner 305.  I'm smiling just looking at it!

You can see where the uphill miles were based on avg pace.
But I quickly returned to goal pace and finished with a nice kick.

Overall, I could not have been more pleased with the race.  If I compare this race to the other races I did this year, I should not be nearly as happy.  I placed 136th overall and 18th in my age group, appalling numbers compared to being in the Top 4 overall for every race I did this summer, including a win at the Delmar Duathlon back in April.  However, sometimes it simply does not matter how well you place or where you finish compared to others.  This race was a test of my resolve.  I pushed the limits of what I thought I was capable and finished with a new understanding of myself and my abilities.  This will serve as motivation to get through the long winter months.

The Summer Sans Triathlon and my Return to Open Water Swimming

Well, the tri season is nearly over out here in NY and I don't suspect I will be doing another multisport race this season.  That being said, I didn't even get to do an actual triathlon this summer.  That is, I never raced all three disciplines in succession.  I did two duathlons, several 5k races, and my very first aquathlon (I don't think that is actually a word because just race morning I heard it pronounced a-kwa-ath-lon, a-kwath-lon, a-kwa-ath-a-lon, and a-kwa-thon).  Regardless, I had my first summer without triathlon in 5 years, and it was a frustrating one that began with an insanely difficult American Zofingen Duathlon that I detailed previously and has ended (I think) with the very interesting Moreau Lake State Park Aquathlon.

For those that don't know, an aquathlon consists of swimming and running, either swim/run, swim/run/swim, or run/swim/run.  The Moreau Lake Aquathlon is a 1500m swim and a 5k run.  The swim was absolutely gorgeous; set in between some serious hills and heavy forests, the water was impeccably clean and made for excellent swimming and sighting conditions. I knew absolutely nothing about the run course except that the website says it is "technical", which can mean a variety of things, but usually it means everyone has a high probability of falling or rolling an ankle on a rock or tree root.

Not feeling too confident about this...

I was a little nervous about the swim because I only recently (2 months ago) started training in the pool again and haven't swam open water since one year ago today when I did Ironman Wisconsin.  Rather unsurprisingly, I swam an abysmal 24:30 for 1500m, putting me about 45 seconds behind the first athlete out of the water in this small field of about 25 athletes.

Not many people here.  Others had done the 3k swim, 1.5k swim, or 15k trail run.  Some were even doubling up on races.

Although, if I had to find a silver lining in this experience it was that I had a good start, made it to the first and second buoys first, got caught by a few athletes but was able to hang behind them for the remainder of the swim.

Who wouldn't want to swim in this lake?

So, I was 4th out of the water and quickly made my way to transition into the run.  I use the word "quickly" here very loosely, because even though I probably had the fastest transition time (not recorded, so this is just conjecture) I think it is only because I didn't sit down to roll out my calves with a rolling stick or have a snack before heading out onto the run.

This was the most poorly designed (read: largest) timing chip ever.

I think those people behind me are getting a pretty nice view...

And I'm off to start the "technical" run.

With my speedy transition, I ended up being the first runner out onto the course.  So, I head out to the run, which I knew was going to be a "technical" trail run.  I thought, "roots, rocks, maybe even a creek", but there is no way the 5k times from 2011 were accurate.  I mean, the winner ran a 28 minute 5k last year...28 minutes!  We all probably know someone who can walk a 5k faster than that, which, as it turns out, is the majority of what I was doing for the first half of the run.  Little did I know that they would make us run the most obscured and rarely traveled trail ever, which happens to have 500ft of elevation gain in the first 1.5mi.  The descents were no fun either since the rain last night left us to run on wet pine needles, mossy rocks, and slippery tree roots, this trail was for the sure-footed only!

The lead swimmer caught me about a mile into the run and let me set the pace.  Having done this race last year, he had the edge on me in terms of experience.  I put in a hard downhill surge at the 2mi mark to try and make a break and I got about 5sec on him.  Unfortunately, there were some sharp turns ahead and I wasn't able to carry my speed for too long.  He remained a few seconds behind me until the trail opened up into a nice gradual downhill where the blew by me.  I tried to stay with him but I was mentally gone.  The run course was so unexpected that it threw me out of my comfort zone.  I tried to match his pace but 30s later he was dropping me.  With less than .5mi to go and not another athlete within sight, I decided to back off the pace a bit and cruise into the finish for 2nd place overall.

While it would have been nice to win the race and the custom made Adirondack walking stick, I am still very pleased with my performance.  My previous multisport success has always relied on my cycling abilities.  This race tested my weaker disciplines, at which I only have had a few months of minimal training due to my extended hiatus from the pool and the tibial stress fracture.  I will always believe that I am a stronger cyclist than I am a runner or swimmer, but it is still nice to know that I can put up a reasonable race without relying on my bike performance.

I hope to add a few more pictures and actual results once they are posted online.  Check back in a few days for my official times and some running shots (hopefully good ones with my nice leisurely pace at the end of the run).