Finishing up the summer tri season

Well,

I was able to fit in three more tri's into the season. I did the Graniteman triathlon in Wolfeborough, NH. This race is on the same day as the one on the other side of the lake (now owned by Ironman...) It is a budget race, but is an awesome venue, and has great support. It starts out with a non-wetsuit swim, with a hilly bike, and a run with a big hill to start. There were two big names which i wanted to see how I would stack up against. In the swim, I had one fellow who ended up winning the race pass me like he was a torpedo. Turns out he took over two minutes out of me on the swim. The bike went well, and the eventual second place finisher passed me much later than I was expecting; and I was able to keep him mostly in sight, which I was very happy with. The run was slow, and mostly uneventful. I pulled out an OK run for third overall; which I was very pleased with given the competition.

This was more of a warm-up for the Best of the US race qualifier in Maine. I thought that I had a good chance, as I thought that all people faster than me in the state who were at the race were pro's and therefore ineligible for the BOUS spot. The swim went OK (I really have to do some swim training...doing less than a dozen swims per year is just not enough...) and then I got on the bike. It was going really well I thought until I made a wrong turn to follow the old course (my own fault). I lost a couple hundred yards, and untold momentum. I finished the bike and tried to cruise the run. In the end I came out with a personal best for an olympic triathlon of 1:59. I was for the very first time able to break 2 hours! My bike speed was very good for me looking back at the results, and the run was a little lackluster, but still not terrible. Probably the most memorable part was the intersection where I was headed back into the transition area, and coming in pretty hot. I saw that the off icier had things stopped for me, but then a SUV decided to just 'go for it'. I locked up my brakes and was able to steer around the front of the SUV in a 's-turn' while skidding at full speed until the driver finally saw me when I was in front of the car and stopped. Despite what seemed like a no-win situation; I was able to visualize what I had to do, and was able to precisely shift the weight around to make it happen. In the end I did not get the BOUS spot. It went to a fellow Mainer who was a little bit faster (mostly in the swim). I heard later that he was formerly a pro, and had taken the summer off to train (he is a science teacher), but saying that would kinda sound like excuses...so I digress ;^)

So my last race of the season provided a chance to end on a high note. I won the race last year, and if I had been a NH resident, I would have had the BOUS spot (as it is the NH qualifier). It is another very nice triathlon which is a little cheaper, and is put on by the Nashua YMCA. It is very well run, and a blast, as they also have a kids race which my kids have done the past couple of years (and always with big smiles!). When I got there I found out that the winner from the Graniteman Tri (who beat me about a month earlier) was going to be there...so I did not have much hope of a repeat win; but I still tried to pull out what I could. I started in the second wave, swam like a drunken sailor. I kept on pulling too far to the right, and put on much more distance than I should have...again I just need to do some more swimming. Once out of the water I had a good transition (it is a very long transition from the water). I immediately took off on the bike and tried to hammer, but I just could not get a rhythm going...it could be due to the hard effort in the triathlon the previous weekend (the Maine BOUS qualifier). I did what I could, and then tried to cruise on the run; again not able to get a really fast feeling run under me. Well, I guess it was fast enough, as I was able to pull out the win by 20 seconds! I was really pleased with this, as the second place finisher had beaten me by over 2 minutes the previous month!

So that is how the season went. There were a couple of trends which I hope to build on for next year. The first is that I LOVE my new Titanflex. It is an awesome bike. Second, and I have some theories on why this is...is that I am not going to do a lot of miles on Powercranks. I should note that I have an old pair that the clutch slips to some degree, and therefore I have trouble trusting it at stops and standing, and ...well you get the point. Overall, I think Ill still start the season with them, but swap them out after a month or so. I also think that I need to do some more swimming; well, at least if I want to keep with the faster folks. The race can not be won in the swim, but you can loose it on the swim. Finally, I need to work on my run speed over the winter with some more snowshoeing. I think that I have gotten a little soft on my run, as a handful of track workouts showed me. Next year I would like to go sub 34 for a 10k and sub 17 for a 5k. That should get me pointed in the right direction.

Well, that is all for now. I might be squeezing in a race or two before the winter triathlon season starts, but Ill have to see...Im still recovering from our trip to Disney where I got a cold, sinus infection, double ear infections, and pneumonia to top it off....I guess it must have been a killer trip!

TTFN

Nashua YMCA tri

It was a hot one. It was hot and steamy. Did I mention that it was hot? The swim started at a fairly pedestrian pace, and I wound up taking the lead...this should not have been the case, as this was my second swim since last Sept...or maybe it was Aug. I cant remember for sure. Well, anyway, I have not made swimming my priority. My I came out of the water and decided to try taking off my wetsuit in the water rather than in the transition since there was a fairly lengthly run to the transition. Not sure if it saved me any time, but I definately have to work on my stripping...wetsuit stripping that is. The bike was a flattish two looper, which was pretty uneventful until the end of the second lap. I was pretty sure that we were supposed to go straight on the second lap, and the officer was directing me to the right (to repeat the loop). I had to slow down and scrub some of my time to clarify that I was going in the correct direction; but it turned out fine. The run was hot. It was very hot, and my legs were toasted. Im not sure if they had not recovered from the previous week, or they were dehydrated, or I was just tired, but I was SLOW! I think that I saw a couple of turtles meander past me (OK, Iwas not quite that slow, but it sure felt that way). It turns out that I was able to hold it together for a first overall; although a woman from Maine who races professionally on the ITU circut came in less than 25 seconds behind. Overall it was a really good race, especially for a first year event. They had some great things for the kids, including a bouncy house, and blow-up obstacle course, and a bunch of games. The only thing that they could have had was some cheaper choices of food available....but I really should not complain much about that. We were able to go swimming on the other side of the lake, and the kids seemed to have a good time. It was a pretty good father's day; and I could not have had it so good without the help of my wife (she is great!).

King Pine Tri

I did my first tri of the season on a bicycle that I finished putting together two nights before. I was sick for a week, and it was my first swim from the previous September (No more YMCA for me). Result: 5th OA with less than 30 sec out of third place. Not too shabby. I did what I wanted to, and had as good a race as I could. I felt very good on the bike, and kinda slow on the run...I wont even mention the swim. My new Titanflex was awesome! I love that bike. It feels sooooooo good to ride. I also have a new saddle that it was my first time riding with the exception of a couple minutes to get the derailleurs adjusted. It was also very nice to have the family there. It is too bad that they did not have some more activities for the kids though. I think that if the kids are going to come along, I have to find races that have stuff for them to do at the race...no point in having them be bored. Not sure if Ill race next weekend on father's day...it kind of depends on how I feel and how the week goes. There is a small race in Nashua NH which is a first year race. They are advertizing stuff for the kids to do, as well as a lake to swim in; so that would be better if the whole family decides to take the trek.

Below is the bike out. I have not even gotten my feet into my shoes yet.

King Pine tri.

Mass. Winter Triathlon (Weston) ... boy it stinks to be sick!

Being sick is one thing, but trying to race when you are sick...well, that is just something else. I have had that upper respiratory thing now for over a month. I had it during the race at Gunstock; it started to get a little better, then it slammed me again, and I did not get out to train for the entire week before the winter tri in Mass. I knew it was going to feel not very good, and I was so right! The run started out fine; for the first two steps, then I realized that I was going to have a bad day. I fell behind the leaders. Far behind. Normally I am right up there and trying to stay in front to make some time on the folks that can actually bike and ski. Not today. My lungs were protesting, my legs were protesting, and my whole body ached. The only bright spot was that my family came out to cheer me on. Just hearing that ‘go daddy’ perks you up just a little, and adds a bit of sunshine in a gloomy day. Well, the little spots of sunshine aside, the run went bad, and then on the bike it was bad. There was very little snow, so it was about 70% grass/dirt. I pulled out my old cheap bike for this one, but I wish that I had not gotten there late. I would have changed shoes to running flats, and left more air in the tires. The only bright spot in the race (beside the kids) was that I was able to ski down three racers. This is the first race that I was able to pass anyone in the ski. I guess it helps to start the ski back farther; leaving more people to pass. In the end, I was able to pull off a 9th place. Not exactly stellar, and about 4-5 places back from where I thought I might be able to place; but I guess we don’t get to choose when we get sick. I am now a little over a week out from the race, and finally starting to feel a little better. I will not be in top form for this coming weekend, but it should be fun nonetheless. We are doing a family team triathlon on Sat. We will field two teams…the boys vs. the girls. I am hoping that everyone will have fun and not get too competitive. I think bringing some ‘awards’ for good sportsmanship will help…like some Mc D’s coupons or similar. On Sunday, the last of the winter triathlons in the series is at King Pine. They are finally expecting some snow, so I am crossing my fingers that we will have enough to justify bringing the big tire bike. In any case, it will be a good one. Have fun out there and think snowy thoughts.

Gunstock Winter triathlon 2010

Well, last weekend was the first winter triathlon of my triathlon season…it was a REALLY good time. I was debating as to whether to go or just skip it, as I was feeling kind of crappy for several days leading up to the race, but I figured that I would tough it out since I already paid for it. The weather cooperated much better than last year, with temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s at race time. This contrasts to the much colder temps last year; so overall it was really nice. There were a couple course changes from last year, which included reducing the number of laps on the bike, and separating the bike and run to more different courses.
The race of course starts out with a run on snow. I wore a pair of spikes which I got off of Ebay for $0.99 plus shipping; and I put the biggest/longest spikes I could find in them. They worked just fine, as I was wearing some waterproof socks over a pair of double layer socks. I was nice and toasty once we got moving. I had a little company for the first lap, but we seemed to spread out a little bit more on the second lap of the run. By the end of the run, it was myself and one other fellow who were out in front. From there we jumped on the bike…well if I had a decent transition, I would have jumped on the bike. I seemed to be all thumbs. Oh well, such is the way it goes some times. I was using the new snowbike; which was an upgrade from my $0.89 ebay special I rode the past three years. The wide tires were totally awesome on this snow. They really provided a great amount of float, and I was able to ride where others were pushing. After the first lap, there was only one person in front of me…this was a place that I was not expecting to be; and I was not for much longer. I had a mechanical on my new bike…this being the third time I had ridden it. Somehow the chain tensioner bolt had worked itself out. I am totally unfamiliar with this, and thus did not know to look for this in my equipment prep. So there I was, wondering how I was going to make this work, as I had no tools, and no way of making it ‘go’ despite numerous attempts. The thought did cross my mind that maybe I was going to call it quits, being as how I was feeling that day, but I figured that I would push, and try to find someone with a tool. After a bit, I finally found a kind soul that allowed me to borrow their allen wrench tool. After about twenty more seconds, I was off once more. Total time lost…somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 min. What a bummer.
I finished the rest of the bike without much further incident (with the exception of three ‘diggers’ I took trying to say too close to the soft edge of the trail), and was glad once again that I had such wide tires. One more botched transition, and I was off to the ski portion. I soon realized that there were a bunch of fellows in this race that actually knew how to ski! I was passed by three guys, and was almost able to catch up to one guy in front of me, but I just did not have it in my legs that day. There are three little uphill sections which require you to work, and my legs just were not interested in the ‘w’ word. I ended the race in 9th place, which is not too bad in, based on the way I was feeling today. Without the mechanical, I think that I might have been in the top 5, but more likely than not, I would not have cracked the top 3. If success is measured in fun, I won by and far. It was a great fun race. I just hope that someone got a picture of that one ‘over the handlebar’ crash that I had right near the transition area. I am thinking that I must have had a big smile on my face.

Next up: Weston Ski Track in Mass. Will there be snow? The answer seems like ‘yes’, but it will probably not be the real stuff. Stay tuned.

Winter triathlon season is upon us

Well, the first winter duathlon has already taken place in Weston Mass. I did not make it out to that one. I have, however, been able to get a little bit of a start to sking and snowbiking. The bike is not too bad. I think that it will take a few miles to roll a little bit better, and an adjustment to the front hub (I think that it is a little tight in the bearings...those factory assemblers...). It is hard to tell whether this is a significant improvement over the $0.89 mountain bike that I currently use with 2.3 inch tires...as this has the massive 29" x 4" tires. They have a funky feel, and were still poking through the snow in some spots when I went out last; although, the snow was only groomed with a snowmobile and sled. I am definately going to switch out the front gear, as I did not have enough low gear, and high gear is not really an issue in snow biking (unless you are doing that downhill snow bike thing). I guess Ill have to actually put in a couple more miles to determine if it is a beauty or a dog. One thing it is though, is an eye catcher. It gets some really interesting stares...

Getting ready for winter racing

The winter is upon us. I have finally made the transition from my former employer to my new one. It is unfortunate and difficult to be laid off, but (at least in my case) this was a definate plus. Change is difficult, and my mantra lately has been that it takes both a carrot and a stick to achieve a change...and in this case I really believe that it is a change for the better. I am finally getting back to doing some real research, and work that will actually contribute to the big picture, rather than being lost in the noise. My mind boggles at the number of really smart people who must have contributed increadible advancements to humanity, but just never were able to gain the traction to allow it to come to fruition. Oh well...





Anyway, I have been getting in some training now pretty regularly. I even got a sweet deal on a 'pugsley' winter bike (at less than a quarter the price):



Im going to have to change out a few small things, like the seat and seatpost. Im considering changing out the cranks and putting on a front derailleur to get a triple up there, but I am still unsure about that. It is set up as an 8speed internal rear hub (sachs) with tires that are built around the Endomorph casings (so they are the big fat tires that are the same size as a 29er). I hopefully will be able to handle the side to side squirm that they say comes with these tires. It should be a fun ride if nothing else. Im not sure about the weight, but I am guessing somewhere around 30lbs which is a little chunky, but I think that the wide tires will make up for the weight. I even have a golf course located less than a half mile from my new work which is groomed! This will make for some good xc training and snowshoe training as well. I still miss the hills of Saranac Lake, NY; but Maine does have its own charm.
Well, the first race of the season is coming up on Jan 24th in NH. It is the same Gunstock race which I did last year. It was an outstanding course, with lots of elevation change. It was a lot of fun. All I have to do is just keep healthy, which right now is a challenge (some sort of sinus thing going on). I wish you all the best of new years, and hope to see you out on the course.