Looking at my actual bike splits from last weekend, I’m happy, but looking at my raw power file for the race, I can’t help but be disappointed by my performance. I was shooting for 90% of my FTP number but I could only manage 80% according to the data. Wow, that was a pretty weak performance. Once again it looks like I failed to push it like I wanted to on race day. I’m happy with my 1:10 bike split, but I wonder how I could have done if I had been able to push 90% like I wanted to. I also wonder how much my race wheels (and aero helmet) played into it. If I could go that fast at such a relatively not-hard pace then imagine what I could do with a full race setup on a standalone 40k TT. I think I’m going to have put one of those on my race calendar soon…
Standings wise, I finished in the top 18% of my age group, whereas last year I was only in the top 48%, so that’s a solid jump up. That’s approaching the front of the pack where I want to be. Compared to the whole field, my swim rank and bike rank went up. Last year, I was in the bottom 20% for swim times, this year I’m only in the bottom 50%. Ha! I’ll take it I guess. On the bike, last year I was in the top 32% (not bad), this year I was in the top 15%! Sweet, that’s a big improvement on the bike compared to the overall field.
The run was a different matter. Last year I was in the top 18% on the run, this year I’m only in the top 24%. However, this discretion could be attributed to the fact that I was running at a much later time than most of the field (I was in one of the last waves) when the sun hit its highest point. Looking just at my age group (we all started at about the same time), I see that only the top 8 guys or so were able to run faster than 9 minute miles that day. Wow, that’s pretty crazy, looking at years past this age group has traditionally run a lot faster. In fact, overall, this was a slow year for this age group (reflective of the high heats during race time). This year only 8 guys managed to go under 2 hours 30 minutes; last year 58 guys went under that same time. So I guess it wasn't just me that melted on the run.
Alright, enough excuses on the run :)
Here’s something inexcusable… 3:52 in T1 and 3:10 in T2… jeez, was I taking a nap in there? Chicago does have a big transition area, but comparing that to other people in my age group I see that I’m spending an extra minute or so more in transition than my peers. That’s free time I’m just giving away there. I think I have to take a refresher course on transitioning this upcoming off-season.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Chicago Triathlon race report
Another Chicago Triathlon race is in the books, and boy was it a hot one this year. The temperature reached 93 degrees and it was easily one of the hottest days of the years (some said it was the hottest). I had the misfortune of starting in one of the last waves of the day at 9:24 AM so I was out on the course when the sun was at its hottest. I started out strong and PRed the swim and the bike but I faded hard on the run due to the heat and saw my race PR slip away from me. Still, I was pretty happy with my performance overall and chalked up my late meltdown to the heat which was out of my control. Here’s my race report for the whole weekend.
I woke up early on Saturday and headed up to the McDonald’s Kid’s Triathlon to volunteer. Checked in at around 5:45 AM and tried to make myself useful in the transition area along with the other 20 or so CTC volunteers. The day started off well but around mid morning I started feeling pretty achy and tired. I still wasn't feeling 100% recovered from my cold or whatever I had during the week so I decided to head home a little early. I rested for a couple of hours but then I had to head out to a family barbecue that afternoon. I left the barbecue early too because I wanted to be in bed by 8pm so I could get as much sleep as possible before my race on Sunday.
I actually slept pretty well that night. Adjusting my sleeping pattern the week before the race really helped my body get used to going to bed that early. I woke up the next morning at 4:30 AM and got ready to head out to the race site. I had all my bags packed up and ready to go and all I had to do was prepare my water bottles. I didn't have my breakfast yet because my start time wasn't until 9:24 AM so I knew I had a ways to go before I was going to start. The transition area closes at 5:45 AM regardless of your start time so I knew I had a 4 hour wait time ahead of me after I set up all my gear. Given my late start time this year (again), I decided to head back home after I set up in transition this year.
Setting up in transition went smoothly; I got a pretty sweet spot at the end of my wave’s rack. The transition area for this race is huge so it’s critical to have a good feel for your position inside of transition otherwise you will waste a lot of time searching for your bike during the actual race. I wasn't feeling great at this point but I wasn't sure if it was because I hadn't really woken up yet or what. I felt a little achy but still felt a lot better than I did the day before. I headed home after that and decided to try and nap/rest on my couch until about 8:15 AM.
I was able to take a short nap at home and woke up feeling a bit better. I had some breakfast at home and then headed back out to the race. Crazy race day logistics, huh? I met up with some VQ folks by the swim start area and set about getting ready to start my race. By then it was already pretty hot and I was already sweating pretty hard just putting on my wetsuit. I knew it was going to get hotter as the day went on. Pretty soon I was lining up in the swim corral area with my wave and trying to stay relaxed before the start. My family found me right before I started so that was awesome to see them there and have them cheer me on as I prepared to enter the water.
My swim strategy was simple. I was going to line up at the front on the outside. Last year I lined up near the back of the wave and spent most of the swim crawling over slower swimmers, which cost me a lot of time. This year I figured I could stay near the front/middle and avoid the really slow swimmers. I wanted to stay on the outside a bit so I could avoid the traffic. I’m still not super comfortable with swimming in a big crowd so I figured I would try to avoid as much of it as possible.
One last wave to my family and I was in the water lining up at the front. The horn went off and off we went! Wow, there was a lot of traffic up front and I got caught up in it with some of the guys coming around me. I tried to push out a little hard at the start before I settled into a rhythm but that’s when I realized I forgot to do my usual pre-swim warm-up routine (there’s a lot of arm waving involved). My muscles felt really tight, I was a bit short of breath, and there was a lot of flailing around me. I panicked for a bit and had to stop, pull aside and catch my breath. Alright, just a minor hiccup, nothing serious. I started up again and quickly hit the turnaround point which was pretty crowded. I swung a little wide to avoid the traffic and made the turn pretty smoothly. After another quick stop to make sure my sighting targets were on track everything started flowing a lot better. I found my stroke and hit a good rhythm all the way to the swim exit. Along the way I passed up slower swimmers in the wave ahead of me but more importantly I was only passed by a few faster swimmers in the wave behind me. In years past I've had a lot of swimmers in the wave behind me catch me and have even had people two waves back pass me! Not this year though (or none that I saw). I came out of the water and checked my watch... 33 minutes! A new Olympic tri swim PR for me! Alright, so far so good! I ran the quarter mile to transition and set about switching into bike mode.
Coming out of T1 I felt pretty good and ready to ride. My bike looked so mean with the race wheels and I was ready to ride it hard down Lake Shore Drive. My plan was to take few minutes to warm up at the start before I started pushing the pace. I divided the bike leg into four parts and really wanted to try and push it during the middle two sections before settling back into an easier pace on the final section. I started off on the bike and quickly started passing people. Wow, I was going ~25 mph on the way north and it didn't feel that hard (we had a tail wind). These race wheels were awesome! I got caught behind a pack of bikers who looked like they were drafting off each other but I was quickly able to work my way around them. Coming back south we hit a head wind so I slowed down a bit but I was still passing a lot of people. I spent a lot of the race saying “on your right!” (you pass on the right at Chicago). I eased up on the last section and worked on getting my legs ready for the run (higher cadence spinning on the last mile or so). I had been checking my watch throughout the ride and I knew I was on track for hitting my goal bike time. As I approached the final ramp to transition I checked my watch and confirmed it: 1 hour 10 minutes! A new Olympic tri bike PR! Right around the 22 mph pace I wanted to hit. Overall I felt great out there and my bike felt like it was slicing through the wind. Thank you race wheels!
Coming out of T2 I was really happy. So far I had PRed my swim and my bike and I knew I was on track for a big overall PR. I knew I wasn't going to hit my reach goal of 2:30 (I was already 5 minutes behind) but I was OK with that. I knew I had to play it smart on the run because the heat had picked up throughout the day and I didn't want to blow up before the end. I just had to run a decent 10k and I would finish with a great time. I started off on the run and took a quick status check of my legs. They felt pretty good, not too heavy, and didn't feel like they were in danger of cramping (I've had issues in past races with cramping off the bike). I started off on an easy pace and tried to focus on keeping a high turnover going and staying relaxed. Wow it was hot! A couple minutes in I tried to pick up the pace but I wasn't able to. Alright, it’s going to take me a little longer to turn it up I guess. Wow it was hot! A lot of people were already walking by this point. Wow, did I mention it was hot!
And that’s when the wheels started coming off the wagon. I just couldn't pick up the speed. My legs didn't really feel tired, I just didn't have anything in me. I didn't feel tired, I just didn't feel like I could give it anything more, almost like my engine had stalled out. More likely it was that my engine overheated and I just couldn't cool it down. I tried taking in water at the aid stations and pouring it over my head but I just couldn't cool down. People were on the ground around me and it looked like a disaster area at certain points (the paramedics were out in full force attending to the racers by this point). I was barely able to muster 9-10 minute miles and I could just see my race PR slip away from me. I was a little irked at first, but I realized I couldn't do anything at this point but try and finish strong. I finally found some ice at an aid station and put it in my hat to cool me down (my patented Ice Hat!) which helped a bit. Right around the turnaround point I was finally able to pick it up and slowly saw my mile splits drop. With just a couple miles left I pushed it even more but I really felt like I was redlining. I gave it my all on the home stretch and sprinted into the finish line.
At this point I was so completely exhausted and disoriented that I hit the ground in a near collapse. I stumbled over to the medical tent for assistance, which was a first for me. I asked for an IV or something but I think they were saving those for people worse off than me so they only gave me a seat and a couple of ice packs to cool down. I was still feeling really overheated and tried to cool down as best I could with ice packs and cold drinks but nothing was doing the trick. I finally just settled down at the CTC tent in the post-race area and sat there for an hour or so until my body felt back to normal.
So in the end it was a bit of a disappointing finish to a promising day. I was on track for a big PR and if the weather had cooperated I think I could have finished right around 2:35. Instead I spent an hour on the run and ended up with a 2:53 finish time. I just couldn't get it going on the run and just had to deal with the heat as best I could. Still, as I was trudging my way through the run (and calculating in my head how much time I was losing), I remember hitting a point where I stopped worrying about my overall time (and the heat, which was out of my control) and reflected back on what I had already accomplished that day. I had a good swim and a great bike, and that’s really what I had been searching for all summer. I knew my run was there, that was never in doubt, but I had been trying so hard all summer to get my swim and my bike up to the same level as my run. I was really happy with my first two legs of the race and I wasn't going to let the heat and a bad run take that away from me. Although I didn't have a great overall race I know I've made great overall improvements over the past year and that I am now a stronger and faster triathlete than I've ever been.
I woke up early on Saturday and headed up to the McDonald’s Kid’s Triathlon to volunteer. Checked in at around 5:45 AM and tried to make myself useful in the transition area along with the other 20 or so CTC volunteers. The day started off well but around mid morning I started feeling pretty achy and tired. I still wasn't feeling 100% recovered from my cold or whatever I had during the week so I decided to head home a little early. I rested for a couple of hours but then I had to head out to a family barbecue that afternoon. I left the barbecue early too because I wanted to be in bed by 8pm so I could get as much sleep as possible before my race on Sunday.
I actually slept pretty well that night. Adjusting my sleeping pattern the week before the race really helped my body get used to going to bed that early. I woke up the next morning at 4:30 AM and got ready to head out to the race site. I had all my bags packed up and ready to go and all I had to do was prepare my water bottles. I didn't have my breakfast yet because my start time wasn't until 9:24 AM so I knew I had a ways to go before I was going to start. The transition area closes at 5:45 AM regardless of your start time so I knew I had a 4 hour wait time ahead of me after I set up all my gear. Given my late start time this year (again), I decided to head back home after I set up in transition this year.
Setting up in transition went smoothly; I got a pretty sweet spot at the end of my wave’s rack. The transition area for this race is huge so it’s critical to have a good feel for your position inside of transition otherwise you will waste a lot of time searching for your bike during the actual race. I wasn't feeling great at this point but I wasn't sure if it was because I hadn't really woken up yet or what. I felt a little achy but still felt a lot better than I did the day before. I headed home after that and decided to try and nap/rest on my couch until about 8:15 AM.
I was able to take a short nap at home and woke up feeling a bit better. I had some breakfast at home and then headed back out to the race. Crazy race day logistics, huh? I met up with some VQ folks by the swim start area and set about getting ready to start my race. By then it was already pretty hot and I was already sweating pretty hard just putting on my wetsuit. I knew it was going to get hotter as the day went on. Pretty soon I was lining up in the swim corral area with my wave and trying to stay relaxed before the start. My family found me right before I started so that was awesome to see them there and have them cheer me on as I prepared to enter the water.
My swim strategy was simple. I was going to line up at the front on the outside. Last year I lined up near the back of the wave and spent most of the swim crawling over slower swimmers, which cost me a lot of time. This year I figured I could stay near the front/middle and avoid the really slow swimmers. I wanted to stay on the outside a bit so I could avoid the traffic. I’m still not super comfortable with swimming in a big crowd so I figured I would try to avoid as much of it as possible.
One last wave to my family and I was in the water lining up at the front. The horn went off and off we went! Wow, there was a lot of traffic up front and I got caught up in it with some of the guys coming around me. I tried to push out a little hard at the start before I settled into a rhythm but that’s when I realized I forgot to do my usual pre-swim warm-up routine (there’s a lot of arm waving involved). My muscles felt really tight, I was a bit short of breath, and there was a lot of flailing around me. I panicked for a bit and had to stop, pull aside and catch my breath. Alright, just a minor hiccup, nothing serious. I started up again and quickly hit the turnaround point which was pretty crowded. I swung a little wide to avoid the traffic and made the turn pretty smoothly. After another quick stop to make sure my sighting targets were on track everything started flowing a lot better. I found my stroke and hit a good rhythm all the way to the swim exit. Along the way I passed up slower swimmers in the wave ahead of me but more importantly I was only passed by a few faster swimmers in the wave behind me. In years past I've had a lot of swimmers in the wave behind me catch me and have even had people two waves back pass me! Not this year though (or none that I saw). I came out of the water and checked my watch... 33 minutes! A new Olympic tri swim PR for me! Alright, so far so good! I ran the quarter mile to transition and set about switching into bike mode.
Coming out of T1 I felt pretty good and ready to ride. My bike looked so mean with the race wheels and I was ready to ride it hard down Lake Shore Drive. My plan was to take few minutes to warm up at the start before I started pushing the pace. I divided the bike leg into four parts and really wanted to try and push it during the middle two sections before settling back into an easier pace on the final section. I started off on the bike and quickly started passing people. Wow, I was going ~25 mph on the way north and it didn't feel that hard (we had a tail wind). These race wheels were awesome! I got caught behind a pack of bikers who looked like they were drafting off each other but I was quickly able to work my way around them. Coming back south we hit a head wind so I slowed down a bit but I was still passing a lot of people. I spent a lot of the race saying “on your right!” (you pass on the right at Chicago). I eased up on the last section and worked on getting my legs ready for the run (higher cadence spinning on the last mile or so). I had been checking my watch throughout the ride and I knew I was on track for hitting my goal bike time. As I approached the final ramp to transition I checked my watch and confirmed it: 1 hour 10 minutes! A new Olympic tri bike PR! Right around the 22 mph pace I wanted to hit. Overall I felt great out there and my bike felt like it was slicing through the wind. Thank you race wheels!
Coming out of T2 I was really happy. So far I had PRed my swim and my bike and I knew I was on track for a big overall PR. I knew I wasn't going to hit my reach goal of 2:30 (I was already 5 minutes behind) but I was OK with that. I knew I had to play it smart on the run because the heat had picked up throughout the day and I didn't want to blow up before the end. I just had to run a decent 10k and I would finish with a great time. I started off on the run and took a quick status check of my legs. They felt pretty good, not too heavy, and didn't feel like they were in danger of cramping (I've had issues in past races with cramping off the bike). I started off on an easy pace and tried to focus on keeping a high turnover going and staying relaxed. Wow it was hot! A couple minutes in I tried to pick up the pace but I wasn't able to. Alright, it’s going to take me a little longer to turn it up I guess. Wow it was hot! A lot of people were already walking by this point. Wow, did I mention it was hot!
And that’s when the wheels started coming off the wagon. I just couldn't pick up the speed. My legs didn't really feel tired, I just didn't have anything in me. I didn't feel tired, I just didn't feel like I could give it anything more, almost like my engine had stalled out. More likely it was that my engine overheated and I just couldn't cool it down. I tried taking in water at the aid stations and pouring it over my head but I just couldn't cool down. People were on the ground around me and it looked like a disaster area at certain points (the paramedics were out in full force attending to the racers by this point). I was barely able to muster 9-10 minute miles and I could just see my race PR slip away from me. I was a little irked at first, but I realized I couldn't do anything at this point but try and finish strong. I finally found some ice at an aid station and put it in my hat to cool me down (my patented Ice Hat!) which helped a bit. Right around the turnaround point I was finally able to pick it up and slowly saw my mile splits drop. With just a couple miles left I pushed it even more but I really felt like I was redlining. I gave it my all on the home stretch and sprinted into the finish line.
At this point I was so completely exhausted and disoriented that I hit the ground in a near collapse. I stumbled over to the medical tent for assistance, which was a first for me. I asked for an IV or something but I think they were saving those for people worse off than me so they only gave me a seat and a couple of ice packs to cool down. I was still feeling really overheated and tried to cool down as best I could with ice packs and cold drinks but nothing was doing the trick. I finally just settled down at the CTC tent in the post-race area and sat there for an hour or so until my body felt back to normal.
So in the end it was a bit of a disappointing finish to a promising day. I was on track for a big PR and if the weather had cooperated I think I could have finished right around 2:35. Instead I spent an hour on the run and ended up with a 2:53 finish time. I just couldn't get it going on the run and just had to deal with the heat as best I could. Still, as I was trudging my way through the run (and calculating in my head how much time I was losing), I remember hitting a point where I stopped worrying about my overall time (and the heat, which was out of my control) and reflected back on what I had already accomplished that day. I had a good swim and a great bike, and that’s really what I had been searching for all summer. I knew my run was there, that was never in doubt, but I had been trying so hard all summer to get my swim and my bike up to the same level as my run. I was really happy with my first two legs of the race and I wasn't going to let the heat and a bad run take that away from me. Although I didn't have a great overall race I know I've made great overall improvements over the past year and that I am now a stronger and faster triathlete than I've ever been.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Race wheels
So at the very last minute, I decided to rent a pair of race wheels for my race this weekend. Given my time goals this weekend a 1-2 minute gain on the bike might be just what I need to hit them. I know I’m fast enough to gain a real edge with race wheels but it still feels odd using them. I guess in my mind only top end athletes use them and I would hardly put myself in those ranks. Still, the Chicago Triathlon is my A-race this year so I’ll take whatever edge I can get. I’m excited to see what times I can produce with the race wheels in place. I've never raced with deep dish wheels so I hope I don’t have any handling issues out on the course.
I rented the wheels through VQ and the Highland Park Trek store. A friend mentioned to me this week that they still had a pair of race wheels for this weekend so I gave them a call and got set up today. They only cost me $75 for the weekend and I have until Tuesday to return them. I got a Hed Tri Spoke on the front and a Hed Jet 90 with a wireless PowerTap hub on the rear. Man, they make my bike look mean! I snapped some pictures and I’ll try to post them later. I rode a little bit with the wheels today and they felt really smooth and fluid. Hopefully I can put out a performance worthy of these sweet wheels this weekend!
I rented the wheels through VQ and the Highland Park Trek store. A friend mentioned to me this week that they still had a pair of race wheels for this weekend so I gave them a call and got set up today. They only cost me $75 for the weekend and I have until Tuesday to return them. I got a Hed Tri Spoke on the front and a Hed Jet 90 with a wireless PowerTap hub on the rear. Man, they make my bike look mean! I snapped some pictures and I’ll try to post them later. I rode a little bit with the wheels today and they felt really smooth and fluid. Hopefully I can put out a performance worthy of these sweet wheels this weekend!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Fatigue, sickness and sleep
Bah, I've been feeling pretty under the weather this week and I have no one to blame but myself. Sure, I can try to blame it on my co-worker who insists on showing up to work when he’s practically on his death bed, but really I can only blame myself for trying to ‘cram’ in some last minute training before the Chicago Tri. That’s what happens when you put stuff off until right before the big day. I've been feeling pretty fatigued and achy all over. Anyways, I’m hoping it gets better before this weekend. If it gets worse I might not even race (the last time I raced sick I ended up having the worst race of my life).
Related to that is the issue of sleep. I've mentioned before that I’m a very finicky sleeper and I tend to have issues sleeping the night before my races. I have a hard time shutting off my mind and going to sleep early the night before, and that combined with an early morning start leaves me feeling drained before the race even starts. Well, for my Bangs Lake race a couple weeks ago I tried altering my sleep schedule a bit the week before the race to get my body used to sleeping early and getting up early. I gradually move up my normal bed time over the course of the week so that my body wasn't surprised by the change the night before race day. It actually worked out really well and I got a great night of sleep the night before Bangs Lake. So I’m doing the same thing this week, slowly moving up my bed time and getting up earlier. Volunteering at the kid’s triathlon on Saturday actually fits really well into this plan, since I’ll be up really early that morning and be ready to go to bed at an early time that night. Hopefully this sleep pattern (combined with a quick recovery from my sickness) results in a speedy performance Sunday morning!
Related to that is the issue of sleep. I've mentioned before that I’m a very finicky sleeper and I tend to have issues sleeping the night before my races. I have a hard time shutting off my mind and going to sleep early the night before, and that combined with an early morning start leaves me feeling drained before the race even starts. Well, for my Bangs Lake race a couple weeks ago I tried altering my sleep schedule a bit the week before the race to get my body used to sleeping early and getting up early. I gradually move up my normal bed time over the course of the week so that my body wasn't surprised by the change the night before race day. It actually worked out really well and I got a great night of sleep the night before Bangs Lake. So I’m doing the same thing this week, slowly moving up my bed time and getting up earlier. Volunteering at the kid’s triathlon on Saturday actually fits really well into this plan, since I’ll be up really early that morning and be ready to go to bed at an early time that night. Hopefully this sleep pattern (combined with a quick recovery from my sickness) results in a speedy performance Sunday morning!
McDonald's Kid's Triathlon volunteering
Along with the Sprint and Olympic races this weekend at the Chicago Triathlon there's also a Super Sprint triathlon and and Kid's triathlon on Saturday. I signed up to be the volunteer coordinator for the Chicago Tri Club this summer so I’m helping out at the races on Saturday much like I did last month at the South Shore Kid’s Triathlon. Except this time around I won’t be coming off of my own birthday party so I should be less exhausted on race day morning. I had a good time volunteering at the South Shore Kid’s Tri so I’m expecting the same for this Saturday morning. It’s an early morning start (5:45 am) but that should help me settle into an early wake-up routine before my own race on Sunday.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Chicago Triathlon race plan
Next week is the 2010 Chicago Triathlon (formerly known as the Accenture Chicago Triathlon). I would classify this race as my A-race of the year and I’m really hoping to PR on the fast course this year. So what are my goals? Well, I don’t really like to announce my goal times, because then I’m held to them :), but this year I’m setting my ‘reach’ goal at sub 2 hours 30 minutes. My previous best times are in the 2:50’s, but I would hardly say I was happy with any one of those performances. Traditionally I don’t race too well and something always seems to go wrong in all my past races. I know I’m faster than my times suggest and I certainly train at faster speeds but I can’t seem to bring it all together come race day.
So sub 2:30 is the reach goal this year, and here’s how I’m breaking it down. Based on my open water swims this summer, I think I can come out of the water in 32-33 minutes (Olympic distance swim length is 1500 meters, ~.9 mile), and add on top of that the 1/4 mile run to transition should put me in T1 in around 35 minutes. On the bike, I’m shooting for a 1 hour 10 minute time for the 25 mile course. This time is the most variable given the weather conditions on race day so I’m buffering this out to 1:15 to play it safe. Then I’m estimating my 10k time to be around 42 minutes, giving me a total time of around 2:27 to 2:32. Factor in around 2 minutes for each transition and I’m at 2:31 to 2:36. So yeah, sub 2:30 is a reach, but if everything goes well I should be very close to that. Anything in that range will be a huge PR for me so I’m hoping things go pretty well next weekend.
So sub 2:30 is the reach goal this year, and here’s how I’m breaking it down. Based on my open water swims this summer, I think I can come out of the water in 32-33 minutes (Olympic distance swim length is 1500 meters, ~.9 mile), and add on top of that the 1/4 mile run to transition should put me in T1 in around 35 minutes. On the bike, I’m shooting for a 1 hour 10 minute time for the 25 mile course. This time is the most variable given the weather conditions on race day so I’m buffering this out to 1:15 to play it safe. Then I’m estimating my 10k time to be around 42 minutes, giving me a total time of around 2:27 to 2:32. Factor in around 2 minutes for each transition and I’m at 2:31 to 2:36. So yeah, sub 2:30 is a reach, but if everything goes well I should be very close to that. Anything in that range will be a huge PR for me so I’m hoping things go pretty well next weekend.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Status check, bike focus
Alright, a quick status check of where my training is at in preparation for my next race of the season. My next race is the Chicago Triathlon at the end of the month. I’m feeling great about my run after my performance last week and recent brick workouts. I’m feeling strong on the run and feel fluid coming off the bike. I’m feeling good about my swim and know that I've made real progress this year. I just need to stay focused on my technique when I’m out in open water so my form doesn't fall apart in the middle of a swim. On the bike, well, I still feel like I need to push it a little more, and to that end I’m setting a bike heavy focus these last couple of weeks before the Chicago Triathlon. I know I’m not going to pick up any real top-end strength in time for the race, but my focus will be on holding a high intensity for longer periods so I can accustom my body to being in this zone. I still tend to back off way too soon when I’m racing for fear of running out of gas before the end of the race. I need to train my body to handle this intensity so I know that I can handle it while I’m racing. It’s kind of odd; I have a high pain threshold when I’m running but that doesn't seem to translate over to the bike. I definitely think there’s a big mental factor at play here so I’m hoping that by spending a bit more time in this high end ‘pain zone’ on the bike I won’t be so scared of it on race day.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Swim update
Despite my late swim training start I really feel like my swim form is finally coming along. Instead of slogging through mindless pointless laps in the pool I've really focused on technique this year. The private lessons with the Chicago Blue Dolphins are really paying off and my swim times are down. My open mile swim time, which last year I had clocked at a pedestrian 36 minutes is now down to a more respectable 33 minutes. Although my goal for this summer was to get my mile swim time down to 30 minutes I’m still pretty happy with the progress I've made this season. We’ll see how this all translates to an Olympic distance triathlon swim in a couple of weeks at the Chicago Triathlon. I’m hoping my new swim technique helps me come out of the water faster and less fatigued than in previous years. Here’s to not exiting the water at the tail end of my age group!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
FTP Test match
We did another round of FTP (Functional Threshold Power) testing at VQ this week, except this time the test format was a little bit different. We've done 40 minutes tests for as long as I can remember but now we’re switching to a 20 minute version of the test. In the 20 minute version, you go as hard as you can for 20 minutes and then take 95% of your average power as your FTP number.
I wasn't sure how I was going to perform on this new test but I was able to match my FTP number from my last 40 minute test. Considering I just raced this last weekend I was pretty happy with this result. To me the two tests felt a lot different, and I wonder how accurate this new format is, but I guess this is the new testing standard going forward. We’ll see how future tests go.
I wasn't sure how I was going to perform on this new test but I was able to match my FTP number from my last 40 minute test. Considering I just raced this last weekend I was pretty happy with this result. To me the two tests felt a lot different, and I wonder how accurate this new format is, but I guess this is the new testing standard going forward. We’ll see how future tests go.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Bangs Lake post-race analysis
I was shooting for average 95% of my FTP on the bike at Bangs Lake, but after checking my PowerTap file I saw I only averaged 90%. For such a short distance (20k) I should have been able to push it a lot harder. My runs went well; I started out at a moderate pace and then picked it up (negative split) for both runs.
I also dug a bit more into my race times to see how I compared with the field. I think some of the folks in the front pack on the first run went out way too hard and faded as the race went on. So I’m OK with my 13th place on the first run since I took that one pretty easy. On the second run I came in 7th place, so I’m pretty pleased with that leg, especially considering I matched my 5K PR time. But on the bike leg I came in 13th and I felt like I was pushing it pretty hard, even though my power file only indicated 90% max effort. I know I’m capable of pushing it harder than that but I still back off during a race for fear of popping and not being able to recover. I don’t know if it’s mental or physiological, but I definitely have to work on that aspect of my game.
Also, here’s a transition time kicker… I came in 16 seconds behind my friend Hayes who I would have really liked to have beaten. (He’s actually a faster runner and much stronger biker than I am, but I think he’s been plagued by some knee issues recently). I put 25 seconds into him on the first run, then he took back 2:07 on the bike (ouch!), but then I was able to gain 1:49 on the second run. So overall I should have finished 7 seconds ahead of Hayes, right? Well, when you factor in our transition times I spent 23 more seconds in transition than him (T1: 15+ seconds, T2: 8+ seconds), which swung the advantage around to 16 seconds in his favor. So close and yet so far!
I also dug a bit more into my race times to see how I compared with the field. I think some of the folks in the front pack on the first run went out way too hard and faded as the race went on. So I’m OK with my 13th place on the first run since I took that one pretty easy. On the second run I came in 7th place, so I’m pretty pleased with that leg, especially considering I matched my 5K PR time. But on the bike leg I came in 13th and I felt like I was pushing it pretty hard, even though my power file only indicated 90% max effort. I know I’m capable of pushing it harder than that but I still back off during a race for fear of popping and not being able to recover. I don’t know if it’s mental or physiological, but I definitely have to work on that aspect of my game.
Also, here’s a transition time kicker… I came in 16 seconds behind my friend Hayes who I would have really liked to have beaten. (He’s actually a faster runner and much stronger biker than I am, but I think he’s been plagued by some knee issues recently). I put 25 seconds into him on the first run, then he took back 2:07 on the bike (ouch!), but then I was able to gain 1:49 on the second run. So overall I should have finished 7 seconds ahead of Hayes, right? Well, when you factor in our transition times I spent 23 more seconds in transition than him (T1: 15+ seconds, T2: 8+ seconds), which swung the advantage around to 16 seconds in his favor. So close and yet so far!
Bangs Lake race report
Well, that was fun! I had a great race and hit the times that I wanted but unfortunately I didn't place where I wanted. A couple fast guys showed up to clean up at the race and overall the top finishing times this year were faster than last year. I finished 12th overall and 2nd in my age group (although the 1st place guy in my age group won the race overall). Overall I had a great time at Bangs Lake and I only wished I could have gone even faster that day.
I woke up race day morning feeling pretty good and ready to race. The race is only 40 minutes away from my house so I was able to stay in my own bed the night before, which meant I was actually able to get some decent sleep in. I wasn't jittery or anything because I was treating this day like a fun training day. Just another fun brick workout, no pressure. The race is also pretty small so I knew setting up in transition would be pretty stress free. Plus I wouldn't have to swim so that was one less thing to worry about. I arrived at the race and casually set up my gear and waited for my start time.
I lined up at the front of the pack along with a fellow CTCer (Hayes) and several other fast looking guys. As soon as the gun went off we all took off sprinting! I got caught up in the excitement and tried to keep up with the main pack but I soon noticed they were running sub 6:00 minute miles so I backed off and settled into my own pace. Pretty soon the lead pack put a pretty big gap on our chase pack. At the turnaround point I counted about 12 guys in the lead pack and guessed they had a 30 second lead on us at that point. I picked it up a bit on the way back to T1 and finished the first run in about 20:35. So far so good, I felt fresh and ready to bike.
On the bike it took me a little bit of time to settle into a good rhythm, but after a couple minutes I felt ready to push it. I got passed up by a couple other duathletes in the first half, but by the second half I was passing by other duathletes. I was trying to hold 95%+ effort for the short ride, but a couple times I had to back off because I felt too much lactic acid building up in my legs. Argh, I know it still takes me a while to recover if I stay too long in the red zone so I decided not to push it too far on the bike. I eased up a bit more near the end to shake my legs out and get them ready to run. I felt pretty good about my bike but I didn't know exactly where I was in the overall standings (since the race course was being used by the triathlon and the duathlon at the same time). I was in 13th place entering the bike and I thought I might have moved up a spot or two on the bike but I wasn't sure.
Starting my second run my legs felt pretty good. I felt a slight twinge in my hamstrings but that quickly went away. I started off a little slower than my target pace but kept a high cadence and short steps. Fast quick leg turnover. Pretty soon I started picking up the pace and picking off people. I picked off 3 people and then made it to the turnaround, where I counted 12 guys ahead of me (including 3 fast guys way ahead of the pack). Damn, I had lost a couple spots on the bike. Nothing I could do about that now except run fast. I picked off one more racer with about a mile left to go and then saw a group of guys ahead of me within striking distance. I pushed it really hard on that last mile and came within 15 seconds of catching up to that pack but ultimately I just ran out of real estate. The last guy in that pack was my friend Hayes, so that would have been fun to pick him off right near the end, but I couldn't catch him.
My final standings: 13th on the first run, 13th on the bike, 7th on the second run. I had an awesome run coming off the bike, with a time of 19:38, matching my standalone 5K PR! I finished 12th overall, 2nd in my AG, but the 1st guy in my AG won the whole race (he was fast!). I was within 20 seconds of the top 10. I was within 1 minute of catching up with about 7 guys and jumping to 5th. Clearly some guys went out too hard on the first run. I stayed with the lead pack on the bike (relatively) with a 22.4 mph pace, but I think I could/should have pushed it more. If I was able to match my 5K PR on the second run that means I didn't push it hard enough on the bike. Ah well, I still had a great time. It was fun doing a little race like Bangs Lake because I was able to see the whole field around me and that helped push me to go faster on the course.
I woke up race day morning feeling pretty good and ready to race. The race is only 40 minutes away from my house so I was able to stay in my own bed the night before, which meant I was actually able to get some decent sleep in. I wasn't jittery or anything because I was treating this day like a fun training day. Just another fun brick workout, no pressure. The race is also pretty small so I knew setting up in transition would be pretty stress free. Plus I wouldn't have to swim so that was one less thing to worry about. I arrived at the race and casually set up my gear and waited for my start time.
I lined up at the front of the pack along with a fellow CTCer (Hayes) and several other fast looking guys. As soon as the gun went off we all took off sprinting! I got caught up in the excitement and tried to keep up with the main pack but I soon noticed they were running sub 6:00 minute miles so I backed off and settled into my own pace. Pretty soon the lead pack put a pretty big gap on our chase pack. At the turnaround point I counted about 12 guys in the lead pack and guessed they had a 30 second lead on us at that point. I picked it up a bit on the way back to T1 and finished the first run in about 20:35. So far so good, I felt fresh and ready to bike.
On the bike it took me a little bit of time to settle into a good rhythm, but after a couple minutes I felt ready to push it. I got passed up by a couple other duathletes in the first half, but by the second half I was passing by other duathletes. I was trying to hold 95%+ effort for the short ride, but a couple times I had to back off because I felt too much lactic acid building up in my legs. Argh, I know it still takes me a while to recover if I stay too long in the red zone so I decided not to push it too far on the bike. I eased up a bit more near the end to shake my legs out and get them ready to run. I felt pretty good about my bike but I didn't know exactly where I was in the overall standings (since the race course was being used by the triathlon and the duathlon at the same time). I was in 13th place entering the bike and I thought I might have moved up a spot or two on the bike but I wasn't sure.
Starting my second run my legs felt pretty good. I felt a slight twinge in my hamstrings but that quickly went away. I started off a little slower than my target pace but kept a high cadence and short steps. Fast quick leg turnover. Pretty soon I started picking up the pace and picking off people. I picked off 3 people and then made it to the turnaround, where I counted 12 guys ahead of me (including 3 fast guys way ahead of the pack). Damn, I had lost a couple spots on the bike. Nothing I could do about that now except run fast. I picked off one more racer with about a mile left to go and then saw a group of guys ahead of me within striking distance. I pushed it really hard on that last mile and came within 15 seconds of catching up to that pack but ultimately I just ran out of real estate. The last guy in that pack was my friend Hayes, so that would have been fun to pick him off right near the end, but I couldn't catch him.
My final standings: 13th on the first run, 13th on the bike, 7th on the second run. I had an awesome run coming off the bike, with a time of 19:38, matching my standalone 5K PR! I finished 12th overall, 2nd in my AG, but the 1st guy in my AG won the whole race (he was fast!). I was within 20 seconds of the top 10. I was within 1 minute of catching up with about 7 guys and jumping to 5th. Clearly some guys went out too hard on the first run. I stayed with the lead pack on the bike (relatively) with a 22.4 mph pace, but I think I could/should have pushed it more. If I was able to match my 5K PR on the second run that means I didn't push it hard enough on the bike. Ah well, I still had a great time. It was fun doing a little race like Bangs Lake because I was able to see the whole field around me and that helped push me to go faster on the course.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Bangs Lake race plan
I have my next race coming up this weekend, the Bangs Lake Duathlon. The distances are 5k run/20k bike/5k run, so it has all the makings for a short, hard all-out effort. My run and bike are feeling pretty good right now, and after checking the times from last year’s race I’m setting a pretty lofty goal for myself this weekend: top 10 overall!
I know I can do the run legs in around 20 minutes each, and the bike portion I can do in about 35 minutes, so comparing that to last year’s times it looks like I can finish in the top 10 finishers overall. Granted the race is a pretty small race but that would be an awesome result for me.
So the race plan right now is to come out steady on the first run (shooting for a 20-21 minute time), hit it pretty hard on the bike, and then give it all I have on the last run (sub 20 minute). The variables will be how I feel on the bike and how I feel on the second run. If I can hold a 24 mph pace on the bike (which I can’t), I would have a 31 minute bike split; a 22 mph pace would give me a 33:49 bike split; a 20 mph pace would give me a 37:12. I think if I can hold a 21/22 mph I should have enough left to have a good sub-20 run afterwards. Too much faster than that and I think I would blow up before the end. I've done a couple run/bike/run repeated bricks lately (at race intensity) to give my body a feel for the race effort and I think I should have enough in me to hold on at the end even after a hard bike. Should be a fun race!
I know I can do the run legs in around 20 minutes each, and the bike portion I can do in about 35 minutes, so comparing that to last year’s times it looks like I can finish in the top 10 finishers overall. Granted the race is a pretty small race but that would be an awesome result for me.
So the race plan right now is to come out steady on the first run (shooting for a 20-21 minute time), hit it pretty hard on the bike, and then give it all I have on the last run (sub 20 minute). The variables will be how I feel on the bike and how I feel on the second run. If I can hold a 24 mph pace on the bike (which I can’t), I would have a 31 minute bike split; a 22 mph pace would give me a 33:49 bike split; a 20 mph pace would give me a 37:12. I think if I can hold a 21/22 mph I should have enough left to have a good sub-20 run afterwards. Too much faster than that and I think I would blow up before the end. I've done a couple run/bike/run repeated bricks lately (at race intensity) to give my body a feel for the race effort and I think I should have enough in me to hold on at the end even after a hard bike. Should be a fun race!
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