Without a hitch, I start reading about about people complaining about Ironman and the World Triathlon Corporation.  People bitch about the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and all their corporate greed by raising prices on the entry fees. And never would they want to get an Ironman “M Dot” tattoo because it’s a corporate logo and no different than putting a McDonald’s or Shell Oil logo on. Really? Reallllllly?

The anti business hippies out there might hate it, but WTC has been absolutely great for the sport. It’s the freemarket working as it should. Because of “Ironman”, our sport has exploded. Everyone wants to be an “Ironman” now. Ironman has tried hard to control the brand and experience, and because of their success, they’ve raised prices. This has pushed the ceiling up and allowed other race directors to raise their rates and yet still be considered a bargain. REV3 has Ironman to thank for its success. Ironman brought in the participants, and created a gap in the market for a well run race at a more reasonable cost. If I were REV3 I would be sending WTC a bottle of Dom Perignon every Christmas.Those raised prices allow more directors to make money and more races to show up on the calendar. Thanks to WTC’s explosion in participation those smaller races get filled.

With more athletes and more races, there are more products for us to choose from. Look at any product category 6 years ago and the selection is very thin. Now, you can choose from 10 disc wheel makers and dozens of trispecific bikes. In fact, this year Specialized decided to give the UCI the middle finger and develop a tribike that’s not UCI legal. I expect to see more of that, as we as a sport can now support a move like that where before we couldn’t. Some mentioned that the little guys get pushed out, but everything I’ve seen is just the opposite. This year they put Ironman Texas  in my backyard and I can’t even count the number of events, camps, coaches, etc, that have popped up around here. And all this stuff is pretty much selling out.

Some don’t like like the whole corporate logo thing and I understand the sentiment that “Ironman” is the public’s term, not some corporation. The same can be said of the Olympics. Created in a public forum a very long time ago, and now a tightly regulated corporate brand in the modern era. The reality though, is that people desire to be an Olympian even more now than ever. One good event there and you are potentially set for life. Bruce Jenner anyone? (And I wonder if these same people are poo-pooing someone getting an Olympic tattoo because it’s some corporate logo?) Same could be said of Ironman on a smaller scale. Look at the insane demand to get into Kona. The demand and growth were created because it was tightly guarded, not because a bunch of drunk military buddies came up with the idea in a bar back in ’77.

Am I personally going to race IM branded races exclusively? Heck no. But Ironman made the race pool bigger, so now I have more races to choose from when I want a great race at a decent price.

And no…I don’t have a tattoo. Been on the fence now since ’97 when I did my first, and I think now I’m just a chicken.

I know that not everyone agrees with me and that’s fine. I appreciate you reading. Now you can head back to protesting corporate greed while you talk on your  iPhone and drink your Starbucks.

In terms of the race itself,  I equate my trip here to that of a Serbian swimmer or a Cuban marathon runner in the Olympics. It’s awesome to be on the world’s greatest stage, but I have absolutely no hope of really competing for a podium, so this is more of a participation day of sorts. This is a race full of studs, so when you swim once a week and bike once or twice a week, it’s not realistic to think you’re going to show up and kick butt.  Anyway, onto race day…

got up at 4:30 am after being awake since 2am, choked down two hard boiled eggs and packed up my special needs bags. Rip, Steve and I walked down to body marking, etc. I noticed that it was the first time since we had been there that we could see the top of the mountain.  Cool to see, but not a good sign. I thought right then that the cool, cloud covered days we’ve had were not happening today. Kona was gonna deliver some conditions it’s famous for.

I laid low and stretched while the pros got in and started. Once the pros took off they let us in the water and I got in rather quickly. I I wanted to get a good warm up and a good position. I looked it up the day before and saw that the tide was to be coming out during the start, so I lined up further away from the pier than I have in previous years. As the start came closer and closer the crowds grew and the fighting for position became more intense. My experience has been that Kona is the worst for this kind of stuff. With no first timers, you get all the aggressive types in one body of water. With a few minutes to go I’m stiff arming one person while my back is pressed firmly up against another and my leg is kicking/bumping a third to keep from getting squeezed out. This year I even had people yelling at each other  (One especially pleasant fellow told me that I was “really fu*king annoying” ). Unpleasant is an understatement. Violent would be more appropriate. I know that most of these people aren’t going to be my problem when the gun goes off, but it’s hard to convince them of that. It can be a high stress situation. The gun finally goes off and I hit the gas. I took about 6 strokes to get clear of the fighting, and then another 50 yards or so to have some open space.

15 seconds after the canon

Then I wind it down a notch about every 5 strokes until I’m in my pace. My burst got me the lead. As we swam, on my right, or from me to the pier-side of the course, there were some fast swimmers about a body-length back. on my left side, there were 2 guys that had come around and passed me. I hit the gas again to get on their feet. The pace was really brisk for a while. After a number of minutes I saw the group that had formed from their move and decided to settle into a more comfortable pace on some feet next to me. In a matter of a few more minutes, the pace of the group slowed considerably. I guessed the guys on the front had either gotten away or settled down. From this point, it was a steady, mostly comfortable swim with the exception of the waves. Seemed a bit rough. Additionally, there were a bunch of boats out in the area, and when a boat would decide to move to another location, they would hit the gas and create some huge waves for us. Throws you off balance because you get into a rhythm with the ocean and then get clobbered by a bunch of rogue boat waves. I sat towards the back of our group and noticed that we had a nice gap on the next group. Coming into the pier I looked ahead and could see that our group stayed together and didn’t spread out. So I would be within 30 seconds or so of the lead of the race  (give or take ).  (In looking in the results later I believe 1 person gapped a few seconds on us and got out solo ). Got to the stairs and felt great. 12th out of the water  (the results that show 48th include the pros and the dnf’s) with a time that confirmed to me that it was a little tougher than normal.

The ride from the pier up to the hot corner is fantastic. Just enormous crowds. Then there’s the little 5 mile circuit through Kona that is mostly uphill. It’s sort of unsettling because it makes it hard to get into a pace and lower your heart rate. At the turnaround at the top of the climb just south of town you can see all the way down to the ocean and the swim course. I could see people rounding the turn out there  (man, that swim looks realllllly long from up there ). Got out onto the Queen K in 22nd place overall and headed north with a very slight tailwind. It was here that I could settle in on a pace. This is also the part of my day that starts to wear on my mind if I let it. See, as a good swimmer and a mediocre biker  (that’s what you get when you ride 1 or 2 times a week ) in Kona, I get it absolutely handed to me out here. It’s a constant stream of bikes blowing by. By local Texas standards I’m pretty good at riding, but today there were 200 age groupers under 5 hours on the bike. So here in Kona, I feel like the fat kid riding slow. As the ride progresses the packs begin to come by. It’s pretty easy to pick out those who are trying to ride clean and those that don’t give a damn. The race marshals were doing the best they could nabbing people, but some of the packs are huge. the Queen K has almost no flat spots, but the hills are all of the big ring variety, so there’s nothing overly challenging to climb. I took the left off of the Queen to 270, and after a very brisk downhill, you begin the climb to Hawi. I had been feeling ok up until this point but not great. Once the climb started though, I really started feeling my cycling legs. I was still getting passed, but not nearly as much, and actually started passing some of the bigger cyclists who started suffering on the climb and those who went out too hard. While the entire course would be considered windy, this section is where the legendary winds show up.  (A few days earlier I was registering next to an athlete who was racing here for the first time. She told me how she drove out to this section to ride and the wind almost blew her off the road. She immediately got off the bike and told her family she wasn’t racing. They convinced her to try it again, and it wasn’t until she relaxed a bit in this wind that she thought she could even do the bike. )I felt great during the climb. got to the turn and passed on my special needs. I still had plenty of calories on me so it wasn’t worth the stop. This is where the descent begins, and with the crosswinds the way they were, there were some hairy sections. Once I got over 40 mph I really focused of the athletes in front of me. I could see when and athlete got blown sideways and had to stabilize so as not to crash, and that would tell me where the crosswind gusts where hitting. With the exception of a few sketchy moments, the descent was uneventful. Well almost. Towards the bottom of the descent I got passed by a rider like I had a few hundred times before. We were going just over 30 mph into a turn/bank to the left that immediately becomes a nasty little climb to get back onto the Queen K. Those who’ve raced here know exactly where I’m talking about as it’s probably the second steepest hill next to Palani. Anyway, this guy passes me right as we turn left and he then sits up and coasts. I was trying to get a drink and didn’t pay real close attention to him, but then realized I am closing in on this guy and am not yet clear of the draft zone, so I sit up and coast. Wasn’t doing any good though as we slow to about 9mph, and I heard a motorcyle pull up behind me. The only way I could get clear in enough time was to hit brakes and come to a stop, so I just figured the marshall would see the situation and understand the circumstances. I was wrong. So the marshall pulls up next to me and and nabs me for drafting at 9mph. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! At first I was furious, then I calmed down a bit and accepted my fate. I know they are there for good reason, and, by the letter of the law it did take me too long to get clear. Whatever. Not going to let it ruin my day, and I know that I race clean. So I got to the penalty tent a few miles down the road and served my time. I remember seeing Paula Newby-Fraser and other pros serve time in the penalty tent and mentioning that it was a plus because it gave you a little time to focus on hydration and fueling. So the second I got there, I got off the bike, started stretching, eating and drinking. I had really hoped that I would feel like a new man after that, but it ended up not helping at all.

Came out of T2 and started running up Palani. After a few hundred yards and you turn right off Palani, I could feel the running legs showing up. I was able to settle into my pace pretty quick with the help of my heart rate monitor. Ran past my hotel and all my friends just before mile 1 and got a huge burst of energy. Boy Oh boy does support help. As I ran down Alii I could see the women’s race unfold. Was surprised that Chrissie was not leading. At the top of the hill around mile 1 I saw Dibens laying on the road looking like death warmed over. Seeing the ambulance screaming her way told me my assessment was right. Clicked the first mile off at 7:34 and felt pretty comfortable, though the heat was wearing on me in a hurry. I began my own little heat management process immediately. Ice in the crotch, ice down the shirt, hold ice in both hands and swallow as much ice as I could muster. Everything stayed steady through Alii and mile 10 when I saw my friends again, and then headed out to the famous lava fields. At Palani hill, I knew I was going to walk, because that thing is flat out steep. It cost me an extra 4 minutes, but I didn’t care. That hill is a dream killer.
Out on the Queen K I again felt pretty good. And this literally  put a smile on my face because this is where the wheels have come off before. Was I actually going to have a good day here? Nahhh. Something is bound to go wrong. This section is typically where the head can be the worst, but I’m telling you right now that I think God was looking out for me, because some clouds moved in for the next 6 miles to the energy lab. This is also a great section to be a fan, because you can see the pro’s race playing out. Chrissie ran by with Rinny not far behind at all. Also got to see some of the pro men who didn’t have a banner day like Lieto. Took the left into the energy lab and still felt surprising solid. Was even passing chunks of people. In previous trips, the energy lab has been a spot where problems have cropped up, but this time not so much. The only issue I was starting to have was a little light-headedness if my heart rate climbed too high. This meant that I had to walk-run the hill out of the energy lab so as not to lose it. This persisted all the way back to town. Plenty of energy in the legs, well hydrated, yet light-headed on the uphill. Something I need to figure out and work on. Saw my good friend Kim Hager around mile 24  (she was on her way out ) and then saw an old high school friend  (Tiffany Hirtle Lindsey )shortly after. Seeing Tiffany was a big energy boost as I realized that this race was in the books and I was still having a good day. Made the turn down Palani Hill and then the left onto Kuakini.5 Five years ago it was this spot where I stopped and essentially dropped down to my knees, thinking I wasn’t going to be able to make another step. I stared at that spot as I ran by. Boy, what a difference this year was from year’s past. Made the turn towards Alii and saw my friends Rip and Steven again. Finally, FINALLY I was going to get to see what everyone talks about with this finish. It struck me as odd at first with so many people (sounds crazy I know), then it got a bit emotional. I soaked up the finish like it was my last Kona finish ever. You never know, it might just be…

Got a volunteer to walk with me to the food and massage.I was very dizzy. Had some chicken broth and some pizza. Got a massage, photos and picked up my gear. Went home, cleaned up and went out to eat a big fat burger and a beer at the Kona Canoe Club that sits on the water over looking the bay and the finish line. Then went back to see the last finishers at midnight. It was a great day that I’ll not soon forget. And finally, a good day to visit the Queen.                                                                                                                                                                                            

Jump forward to 1994.  I was swimming at Clemson University but decided to race the Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon in Lubbock over the summer. My preparation time was short because of swim obligations but very dedicated once those ended(I mean come on, I’m IN COLLEGE. Not like free time was scarce.) That race turned out to be one of the hottest race days on record (108 degrees). I was able to race a 4:29 and picked up a slot to Kona. Only problem was, I was on scholarship and they would have none of it. Hawaii would just have to wait.

In 1997, I was in my second season as a pro, and I actually qualified for Kona twice that season. FINALLY! It was time to meet the queen, who I’d been obsessing over for a decade now. And I would be ready. Afterall, I had no ‘real’ job. I trained all day. Unfortunately though, that turned out to be one of the problems. I was training like a fool at altitude and by late August, I was borderline anemic. Throw in a couple trips to the other side of the world to my diet and I was pooped. Nonetheless, with the help of Phil Maffetone, George Dallam (the US National Triathlon Team Coach at the time) and UT’s Eddie Reese, arguably the best swim coach that has ever stepped on the planet, I prepared for Kona they way a 23 year old should. LIKE CRAZY.

Face swelling during the run. Not my best look

I finally met her in October of ’97, and I’ll be honest, she was in a pissy mood. The 1997 Ironman has gone down as one of the toughest Kona races in history. From Ironman.com:

“Thomas Hellriegel leads a trifecta of Germans first across the finish line in race conditions that longtime Ironman competitor

Scott Tinley calls the toughest ever. Strong and steady headwinds averaging 30 mph slow the bike and cloudless skies with temperatures in the low 90s combine to produce the slowest finish times in a decade. The conditions set the stage for the biggest surprise victory in the history of the women’s race as Heather Fuhr of Canada, renowned for her ability to handle the heat, runs nearly 15 minutes faster than any of the top five women to claim her first Ironman title in 9:31:43.”

(http://ironman.com/mediacenter/history/ironman-triathlon-world-championship#axzz1ShcxRdim)

If memory serves there were only 11 men to break 5 hours on the bike, and the conditions caused names like Natasha Badmann, Paula Newby Fraser, Tony Deboom, Holly Nybo, etc. to drop out. This was also the year of Chris Legh collapsing 50 feet from the finish (ever see that Gatorade commercial?). You also had on the women’s side, the crawl for 5th place between Sian Welch and Wendy Ingram (Here).

Fun in the med tent

I finished that day. Barely. The cramping began around mile 25 for me on the bike. first in the the glutes and then in the feet.  I cried on the bike. Literally cried. The run started much better, but trouble began again around mile 13. Where was mile 13 in 1997 you ask? Well it was essentially the entry point to the Queen K. Yes, the Queen. I’ve discussed various aspects of that race here before, but to give you the quickie version, my body was shutting down. I finished that day in 10:23, but I don’t remember the last 3 miles very well. After crossing the line, I began losing my vision and started going into shock. After a few hours with the medical staff, I went home, tail firmly between my legs.

Fast forward to 2006. I had since left my pro career behind me and signed up for Ironman Arizona more to lose weight and get fit than anything. The race went well and I qualified again. It was time to see her again and make things right. This time was different though. My goal wasn’t to kick ass and take names, rather to enjoy the experience of Kona  and have a finish down Alii Drive that I could remember.

Day started well enough. I had an easy but relatively slow swim, and the first part of the bike was going great. I was enjoying my day. This was also the year of the Hawaiian earthquake 1 week before the race. No major damage in town but small sections of the bike course were closed because of damage. It also left tiny shards of lava rock on the course. Unfortunately for me, I was able to pick up a few in my tire, causing the first flat in my race history. Not a huge problem as time wasn’t the goal. Got fixed up and finished the bike in good spirits.

Then came the run. I still don’t really know what went wrong that day. Sometimes I think sun poisoning, sometimes overheating. Just not sure. But in the few miles running on the Queen K, I went from good to bad and bad to horrible. By mile 18 I could no longer run. Not a step. Not because I was tired, but because I felt so sick I thought I might pass out if I tried. Walking a straight line was a challenge at times. I did a lot of praying that day, and somehow I made it back into Kona. As I made the final turn to Alii Drive the skies opened up and it started to absolutely pour. Every spectator ran for shelter. I got to the last 100 yards and was greeted by the town bum. Yes, you read that right. The town drunk/vagrant/bum/hobo/homeless guy, whatever you want to call him, was there insisting he help me to the finish. So I finished the 2006 Hawaiian Ironman in a downpour, no one around, with a bum. Magical ain’t it?

I’m not real sure why it is, but I still can’t wait to see her. And THIS time, its going to be a great experience. 3rd times a charm right? I just hope the Queen is in a good mood.

Aloha.

First Ironman? Never started swimming with 2500 people all at once? Scared out of your mind? Let me help. I will be there putting on a swim clinic to help you get through the most intimidating part of the Ironman. We will go over all sorts of things, from the mass start to navigating tips, pacing, conditions, and strategies to get you to Town Green Park and off on your bike.

Swim Shops will also be on hand with the WTC legal #1 selling TYR Torque, goggles tri gear, and anything else you might need.

Try not to miss it because THIS IS YOUR ONLY CHANCE TO SWIM IN LAKE WOODLANDS BEFORE RACE DAY. Lake Woodlands is a private lake that doesn’t allow swimming. If you try to swim the lake on your own you will be arrested. Trust me on this one. I’ve lived here for 30 years, and they are serious when they say “No Trespassing”.

To sign up for the clinic or the swim, go to:http://activenet11.active.com/wcscparksandrec/ and search “triathlon”

Open water swim 2011 flyer

Being one the first people to get into the water I had a few minutes to swim around. nothing fancy, just tried to loosen up best I could. As more people started getting in I swam over to the starting line to get a good position. While we waited I was able to notice the strength of the current. While it moved us backwards while we waited, it was clear that it wasn’t as strong as previous days, and seemed not nearly as strong as last year either. The swim splits eventually proved this. Good news for me!

Being a strong swimmer, I have a pretty simple strategy. I hit the gas for about 50 yards and then settle into a strong pace for another 150, or in his case, the first bouy, then I turn it off and settle in. The inital blast gets me away from any of the fighting and brings the group around me to about a 2 dozen. The next 150 shrinks the group down to a dozen or less. This is the group that I start paying attention to. Now typically this group dwindles considerably too, as some of these folks are swimming way too hard for this distance. Anyway, my first effort after the gun got me clear of the fighting in about 10 strokes. I kept the solid effort to the first buoy and was pleasantly surprised to be the first one there. I backed off a little as this point and started to settle into my pace. at the first turn buoy there was 1 guy on my feet, a small gap, and then a group of swimmers. I make the next turn a few meters later and settled in for the long stretch swimming with the current. about a third the way through this section the guy on my feet went to pass. Happy to take some time drafting, I let him go by. it gave me some time to get the lay of the land. behind us, the pack of swimmers were around 5 meters behind. Good enough for now but I didn’t want them to latch back on, so I kept an eye on them. I pretty much turned the engine off at this point. Sitting on this guy’s feet my effort level was considerably lower than what I normally warm up with in a workout. Drafting is great. After about 400 meters I looked back again an the pack was at the same point, meaning we had slowed down a little. In hindsight this was probably a mistake. I should have maintained my normal pace. So I decided to take over again and swam at a nice comfortable pace. The swim caps they gave us were pretty large and somewhere along this stretch my cap came off. I lead down to the turn buoy at the submarine and then a relatively quick turn again to head for home. On the second turn I looked behind and that group was nowhere to be seen. So now it was just me and him. Now I enjoy winning like the next guy, but I don’t kill myself to get out of the water first just ’cause. The race is way to long for that. As expected the other guy made a move. Not a big problem as it wasn’t a very strong move. The problem though, was that he didn’t see the final turn buoy to the stairs (we kept buoys to our left the whole way until the final right turn to the stairs)and so he begins to cut the course. I kept pace with him quite comfortably, waiting for him to realize his mistake. Sure enough, he did and started swimming back my way, but he saw that he wasn’t going to beat me to the turn and therefore the finish, so he CUT THE COURSE! Are you kidding me! People would throw a hissy fit if I just cut the course on the run, so why aren’t there penalties for this sort of thing?? OK so remember that thing I just said about not working to hard just to win the swim. Nevermind. That pissed me off. problem was I only had about 25 meters or so to get it done. He touched the stairs just a half stroke in front of me and then we ran up to the timing mats, at which time I beat him to the finish. We finished with the same time, but I don’t know why the results gave him the nod for place, as you can see by the photo how this actually turned out. Swim time: 48:59

What would I have done different? Nothing. Well…. maybe used some less than civil behavior in the last 25 meters, but I’m sure officials would have had a problem with that. Cutting the course is just fine though apparently.

I ran down the long pier while taking the torque off to the bags and off to the tent. Threw on my stuff and jogged out to the bike. Transition time: 2:37

I hopped on the bike and immediately started taking tabs on the heart rate. (This is where RPE is completely useless) All the fun and excitement of cheers, transition and starting the ride bring the heart rate up, so I wanted to get it down as quick as I could. The bike is very flat and the wind doesn’t kick up until the east side of the island so I had some time to do some easy pedaling. As things got into check I started to settle into my pace. My main goal was to get off the bike. Yes, I know. Not very ambitious, but I didn’t have a great deal of time to ride leading up to this race, so I knew I wasn’t going to set the world on fire. I planned on a nice steady pace and would be satisfied if I came in around 5:20 or so.Nothing to set the world of fire, but fast enough to set up the run. I got to the coast and the wind was mild relative to the nightmares I had about this section. I still got tossed around a bit but I was expecting Kona type wind and that just wasn’t the case. I focused on my hydration and salt stick schedule. I’ve learned with heat that I just don’t eat as much, so kept a looser schedule for the food. As we approached the turn away from the coast, the crosswind turns to a nice tailwind. It was about this point that I started feeling some cramping. the pain started where the hamstring connects around the buttbones, and slowly radiated out. The hips slowly started to cramp as did the gluteus muscles. At first I just thought that if I stood on pedals for a few seconds the problem would disappear. But it didn’t. So while we had the tailwind I sat up and soft pedaled, trying various things to get the cramping to stop. Nothing I did helped and it got excruciatingly painful. I could barely sit ont he seat. What the hell? I’ve never had this problem in training. I always tell people that when you do an Ironman you will plan for A, B, and C. Then D will happen. I guess this was my unplanned problem. I was running out of ideas though. After about an hour of this, I decided that maybe getting off the bike altogether might help. If I take a moment to really stretch, maybe I can fix this. So a little ways into lap 2 I pulled over and just got off. Again I tried everything and nothing worked. I climbed back on the bike and rolled on. I had no more ideas. All I could do was pedal and try and find the least painful way to do so. Slowly the pain reduced from almost unbearable to a duller, more tolerable pain. I also kept trying to think of what would cause it. It wasn’t until much later in the ride that I noticed my stem looked different (stem is covered with a gel flask by the way, so it’s kinda hidden). I couldn’t remember right off hand but it looked like, based on the number of spacers, that my stem was lower. I had the mechanic at the resort help me put the bike together since he had the space and the tools, but I don’t take the stem off in transit, so why would he have moved it? And would it make enough difference to cause this kind of cramping? Apparently so as this is the only thing I could find. Anyway, I kept rolling along, and kept up the gatorade intake with perpetuem for calories. I also had 2 flasks of gel but ended up not using either. The stomach was full enough. The final loop felt the best of the 3 but I was ready to get the heck off the bike and get on with the run. Other than gatorade, perpetuem, and stalt stick, I had a half a powerbar for the entire ride. Meager in comparison to what I had on paper for nutrition, but my energy levels were high so I wasn’t worried. Bike Time: 5:34.58

First steps off the bike were very painful. Did a bit of a shuffle to try and get the hips to loosen up. Got into the changing tent and couldn’t sit down at first as the hips/butt/hamstrings hurt so bad. Eased into the chair and got to work. While I did that a volunteer put sunblock all over me. Slowly stood up and headed out. Transition Time: 2:11

As I started running the pain from my hips started to diminish. I kept a close eye on my heart rate as I wanted to start the marathon conservative. I changed my stride some as well to compensate for the hips. Ran through the first mile in 7:11. Heart rate was right on, RPE was fine, but I still felt this was a tad hot considering the conditions. It was freakin hot. So I eased off a bit. Next few miles were in the 7:30′s and more in line with where I thought they should be. As a side note: One of the pro men passed me in the first loop, and as he got  ahead by about 60 yards, he ran off the road to a grassy spot next to the sidewalk, dropped his drawers and took a monster dump right there for the world to watch. pulled up his shorts and took off. all in the span of about 5 seconds! haha!). On my way back I noticed a couple of things. 1st: keeping cool was going to be a major challenge as it was 94 degrees now, and 2nd: my legs were falling apart quicker than they should be thanks to the bike problems. I also noticed a sunburn setting in. So every aid station I dumped ice and water all over myself. My stomach was not cooperating as I could feel it was full of fluid, so I skipped drinking for a few aid stations (they had them every kilometer afterall). coming through town, which was great as the crowds were large and loud!, and onto lap 2 I started feeling better and could feel my stomach issues disappear for the time being. Didn’t think I was ready for gatorade and solid food wasn’t going to happen, so I opted for Coke. Glorious Coke. Quite possibly the greatest invention for Ironman racing ever. This became my method for the rest of the run. water on body, ice in the clothes, a little coke and drink some water (along with a salt tab at every turnaround) No gels for the entire race. So for those keeping track I had no gels for an entire Ironman, and only Coke for a the marathon. Go figure. My pace had slowed a bit as I hit the halfway point at 1:44. I knew I was going to miss any goal times for the run, but I was still content with what I was doing considering the circumstances. I went through the highs and lows with both my legs and my stomach like everyone and needed to walk through a few of the later aid stations to keep it together. The last 4 miles the legs were really not cooperating anymore and it took more and more effort to keep a steady stride. I was pretty adamit though that I didn’t want a glow stick (aka night finish) and knew the sunset was at 5:06 pm (or a 10:06 finish time). The last few miles I could see the sun slipping into the ocean. At this point though I was back in town with the huge crowds (They actually parted as you ran like the Tour De France!! It was second to none!) and knew that even though I was going to miss beating the sunset, it was only by a few minutes, so I was going to finish while it was still light out. As I came up to the jumbotron I could see Andy Potts standing on the podium while they played the National Anthem. Nice! I made that final left turn to the finish line and soaked it up. One thing was missing though, the announcer! I guess because they were doing the awards ceremony for the pros, they stopped calling out the finishers. Small bummer (Let’s face it. I’ve had MUCH worse finishes, let’s not relive the damn bum in Kona), but I was not going to think twice about it. As I finished I needed some medical help walking as the change in stride made my legs wobbly. A few minutes sitting down in the med tent and I was able to steady my legs. Run Time: 3:44.10

Kissed my family at the finish, got some pizza and a massage. Then headed for the hotel. Total Time: 10:12.55

So what most effected my performance? The cramping in my hips/butt/hamstrings were an absolute gamechanger, not only for the bike, but for the run. I did a 3:12 marathon as a training run one morning building up to this, so the 3:44 was way off target thanks to the bike.

All in all, I’ll take it. Ironman racing always seems to throw a few curve balls. For those thinking about doing this race I would highly recommend it. The best Ironman swim in the world, scenic ride and great crowds on the run. Just bring some sunblock. The forecast was for low 80′s. 94 was not part of my thinking. I have a feeling I will be back to do that one though anyway.

On a side note: I prepared this 1 week after the race and my hamstrings/hips are still sore. Hopefully I didn’t screw something up!

The problem is that if you want to compete in endurance sports, then quantity (or volume) IS quality.  Let’s face it, the basis of our racing is quantity. Heck our sport is used as a punchline when referring to extreme endurance. So let’s split the triathlon up and look at the best in the three individual sports to see how much they train. Then we’ll circle back around to the triathlon sport as a whole.

Swimming – Outside of open water swimming, most of the events in competitive swimming are relatively short compared to the other two sports in triathlons.  Swimming also has an enormous emphasis on technique; something the other two sports don’t really have to worry about. Having said that, because the low impact/ low stress nature of swimming, you will see the highest training volume to racing distance ratios. Just look at Olympians Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps, and even sprinter Alain Bernard.

Lochte has mention that regular training for him is around 100,000 meters per week. Phelps was training 90,000 meters per week as early as age 11 and well above that now. And Bernard? the 100 meter sprint champion? You got it. 100,000 meters per week for a race that lasts less than 50 seconds.

Cycling – While an incredible amount of volume is done to compete in the sport of cycling, there are usually great distances covered in the races as well. The average pro cyclist spends about 450 to 500 miles per week on the bike. Of course if your name is Lance Armstrong then you would be riding almost that much by the age of 13. Want to make the podium of a major tour? Then find a comfy saddle because you’ll be sitting on it for about 700 miles per week.

Running – fits inbetween swimming and cycling when it comes to the training volume to race distance ratio. The tricky thing with running, moreso than the other two sports, is that training durability is much more of an issue. To put it another way, because of the high impact/ high stress nature of running, large amounts of volume need to be built up very gradually so that you don’t get hurt. Having said all of that though, You would be hard pressed to find a middle distance or distance runner in the elite ranks running less than 100 miles per week. Sort of a training minimum in the world of the elite. Take Deana Kastor, marathon Olympic medalist and American record holder. When asked about her training volume in Track & Field Magazine, she responded, “We haven’t really focused as much on mileage this time around as we have on quality workouts. I was typically getting up to 140 miles per week and keeping it up there for a few weeks in a row in the past. This time, I’ve gone to about a 120 miles and feel great doing it.” Hmmmm….decreasing to a meager 120 miles per week.

Triathlon – While training for 3 sports instead of one can be a complicated task, one thing is consistant with the single event sports. Volume. Triathletes don’t do near the volume that single athletes do in their respective sports, but if you look at the training as a whole, you’ll see that top triathletes put in some very long days in their quest to be the best. Numbers you typically see are 300-400 miles on the bike, 45-60 miles running, and about 20,000+ meters in the pool.

So what is my point? Afterall, you’re not a pro and don’t have the time to spend all day training. While you may not be able to put up the huge numbers the pro’s do, the strategy should be the same. Volume first, intensity second. If you are looking to get better in triathlons, or would like to do well in an Ironman, then volume needs to be far and away your first focus. Are you going to be able to fit in 45 miles of running every week? Maybe not. But if you take a look at your training logs and you find yourself focusing your week around the track workout at the expense of the long run, or trying to fit in weights instead of swimming or cycling, then you’d be wise to reevaluate. Speed workouts are great, just make sure they don’t negatively effect the total volume. If you’re racking up 15 miles of running per week in your preparation for an Ironman, look for ways to get a little more quantity in each week, not for ways to add another speed workout in that 15 miles. No one ever gets to mile 23 of an Ironman run and wish they had done more windsprints.

Which brings me back to my initial thought. When I surf around the internet in the various forums I read a lot of training advice from triathlon coaches of all kinds. The information they offer is often all over the place. Some good, some strange, some dangerous. Many of these coaches have taken a weekend seminar and are now certified experts. Others have grabbed a book or two and after flipping through them consider themselves experienced. If the one’s that you’re looking at claim that you will get more out of short, intense workouts then all that boring volume, then start asking some questions. If they say that they don’t believe in a ‘base’ period (more on the here), you might want to get a second opinion before you open your checkbook.

I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine (and college coach) this past weekend at a championship meet and we got on a very similar discussion. When she goes to swim meets where the athletes are slower/newer, the coaches at those meets have training philosophies that are all over the board. When she goes to a national event where the faster swimmers race, the coaches are extremely similar in how they think. I think you see my point here.

Something to keep in mind the next time you’re shopping for a coach or reading all those opinions on the internet.

Good luck with your training.

If you haven’t heard, The Woodlands, TX and the World Triathlon Corporation are in discussions about putting a full Ironman in Texas.  Most of the issues have been worked through and it seems that all that’s left is the vote. Click below to listen to the township discussion. The vote comes June 23rd. I will post that as well if I have the audio/video. Keep your fingers crossed.

wdlndsironman

 Happy Training.

This is the time of year in which athletes and non athletes alike take some time to endulge in all the wonderful things that the holidays have to offer. With that brings a bit of guilt, and that rolls right into New Year’s and the infamous New Year’s Resolution. Year in and year out the number one resolution in this country is to workout more or to get in shape/lose weight. For many (including myself), this means committing yourself to an event such as a marathon (or an Ironman).

Gone are the days that you could decide to enter a major endurance event such as a marathon 30 days before the race. Marathons are filling up 6 months to a year out and Ironman races can sell out in as fast as 25 minutes, a full year in advance.

The drop out rate for the very popular marathon training programs are ridiculusly high. People sign up with great intentions, hit the ground running with some big runs early on and then burn out just as fast. The success rate would be much higher if people just approached it differently. They’re trying to eat an elephant in a few bites and we all know that’s not how  it’s done.  If you want to finish a marathon, you need to do it one mile at a time.

Here in the Houston area, where I live, most of the marathon programs start in early to mid July for the Chevron Houston Marathon that takes place in mid January. For the average recreational runner, 6 months is plenty of time to ramp up for a marathon, but many of those signing up are starting from stratch in July. Not a good idea, because you have to start covering some pretty big distances in a hurry, and that can be quite overwhelming.

I would suggest that if you think you want to run a marathon, start the training now, but start in very small doses. The key to success in any endurance event is consistency in your training, not how early you can go big. So, instead of trying to kill the world right away, spend the first few months just getting into a habit. Telling you to get out 3 times a week and run 1-2 miles each time for the first 4 months sounds a lot more palatable than to tell you that in just a few weeks you must be able to run 8 miles.

Same thing goes for intensity. There is no reason in the world that you need to hit the track and do wind sprints or interval work if you are trying to finish your first marathon. No one out there walking/jogging in the final miles on race day is wishing that they had done more speed work instead of endurance work. Plus, the rate of injury goes through the roof when you add intense workouts to your training program.

The same philosophy holds true with any endurance event, not just a marathon. If you decide you want to do the MS150 or local 100 mile bike ride, an adventure race, or the Ironman, take small bites from very early on. Because if you start too big, you are going to start to hate the training and there’s a good chance you won’t even make it to the starting line. What ever ‘mountain’ you decide to to climb, remember that it’s small steady steps that get you to the top, and that, “Joy is found in not finishing an activity, but doing it”.*

Happy Training.

*Author Greg Anderson

One of the big topics of discussion around our house is whether or not to enter the 2010 Ironman Cozumel. My wife and I both know that I am due for another challenge, but with the recent purchase of Swim Shops, I want to make sure I have enough time in my day to train for it. And then there’s the bike. In 2006 I rode a 2003 aluminum Specialized in Ironman Hawaii. It was in need of a few upgrades then, so tack 4 years onto it and we both know a new bike is needed.

Of course Cozumel itself is an easy sell to my wife. Go to a resort destination that is a non stop, 2 hour flight away? No problem. If this was a discussion about Ironman Wisconsin then it would have been decided long ago.

I will be keeping an eye on the race today and see how it goes, but have about 24 hours left to make a decision. Just a week ago, Ironman Arizona sold out in 25 minutes, so waffling on my decision will leave me on the outside looking in.

What to do..what to do….