First Triathlon in almost 2 years!

Well, I'm still nursing some injuries including a pinched nerve in my neck and some type of turf toe but I had enough, it was time.  After bowing out of a duathlon and triathlon due to weather and costs I thought this is a make or break time for me.  If I didn't do this event it would be a downhill slide and I would keep making excuses to not do one.  I have only been in a lake about 3 times over the last two years so I new my swim was going to be weak.  I recently sold my tri-bike so this event was going to be done on my roady, the bike I built from the ground up with a Nashbar frame and 105.  I also bought some stability running shoes and a foot plate to help with the turf toe.  Going into this race I had no aspirations to win, I just wanted to embrace it, compete, and shake off some demons.  I wanted to keep the swim to around 10 to 12 min (I know, turtle speed) and not panic in the water.  For the bike I wanted to have a 15 MPH average and the run I wanted to keep a 10ish min mile.

I didn't have any nerves for the race like I have in the past, I don't now why.  Maybe with the pressure off to place it didn't cause anxiety?  Ann and I got to the event with a decent amount of time to get transition set up.  I registered, got marked and then found the place I wanted to be in transition.

The Olympic division started first so I had to wait a good 30 to 40 minutes for the sprint to start.  It was HOT!  I stayed in the shade until the last minute then put the wetsuit on and went into the lake to warm up.

It was our turn.  I didn't want to get hit and bumped too much so I lined up to the outside and went towards the back of our group.  The gun went off and I was off!  I got into a good groove early on.  By a few hundred feet in I started to overtake a few weaker swimmers but I was pulling to my right and getting in the "mix".  After getting kicked and hit some I readjusted and things cleared out a little.  I rounded the first buoy then the second and I was in the final stretches heading in.  As I came out I was quite winded, more than I used to be.  Ann yelled my time, "10 SOMETHING!!!" is all I heard.  I had to walk a little up the hill and to transition.

I dried off and got on the bike.  It took a few minutes for me to catch my breath.  I felt really good on the bike.  It was a 10 mile ride and the roads had a few small hills but nothing too bad.  I did drop the chain on one hill and lost about 20 or 30 seconds getting it back on.  When I got to about a mile from T2 I started to spin more and stretch my calves and hammies.  I knew they were tight.  Did I push too hard on the bike?  In the end, I wound up averaging 17 MPH on the bike, MUCH better than I anticipated.  I dismounted and everything locked up in the back of my legs.

After walking through T2 I started out on my 3.1 mile run.  The first half mile is usually a little rough for me and this was no exception.  I was tight and having issues.  I had to stop and rub my hamstrings and calves.  As I kept going I did something I never have done before.....I walked.  For whatever reason I hit a wall.  I wound up running a few hundred yards then walking a few hundred yards.  By the time of the turnaround my quads were cramping.  This was NOT the run I was hoping for, even with turf toe!  I resigned myself to "embracing the suck" and simply chalking it up to lack of training and prep.  I tried to simply enjoy it realizing this was something I hadn't done in quite some time. As I came in to the finish line I was hurting, out a energy and bonking, BUT I DID IT!

  

Overall, I did Ok.  I felt really good about my swim and bike!  As expected, I didn't win anything and came in 6th out of 8 in my age group.  Now that the dust has settled, my only thought is "when's the next race?"  LOL!

Rehabbing herniated disc-Update

Well, I'm about 11 weeks post herniated disc, L5/S1. Didn't have much relief until I received an epidural 5 weeks ago. Shooting pain down the leg and calf almost gone but my back and hip still get sore. Since the shot and initial improvement following it I have seen a little improvement but nothing earth shattering. Slightly concerned that I'm approaching the 3 month mark and don't feel anywhere near healed. Haven't been able to do much other than light walking on the treadmill and some swimming with a swim buoy between the legs. Hoping this doesn't drag out 4, 5, 6 months and they say "let's operate". It would end my season. As it is I wanted to do a 70.3 and thinking that may be a long shot at this moment since I would need to start training around mid Feb or by the first of March. Trying to keep perspective of things saying to myself it's ok if I have to stick to sprints or maybe a late season Oly vs. not doing anything this year. Also doing some hanging on the inversion table to see if that helps!

Thoughts on the 2013 Race Season......

This year has been one of ups and downs. I certainly did not achieve all of my goals, but that gives me something to shoot for next year.

First the downs. I found training very difficult this year. Between the winter that refused to leave, an extremely intense work schedule and injuries, it has been a mental as well as a physical challenge to keep going. Ending the year with a stress fracture of my foot would certainly bring anyone down and there were days that I have questioned if I want to keep doing this after I heal.

Which leads me to the positives. Throughout all of the frustrations, I DID keep training. I ran, I biked faster than I ever had before and I swam further and longer than I ever had before. I did the last tri of the year in the fastest time that I ever had....with a broken foot! How cool is that! Will I do this again next year when my foot is healed? DAMN RIGHT I WILL!!!  It is by overcoming the obstacles that are in our path that we prove to ourselves who we really are, and by simply getting up off the couch and moving, I am already a winner, even if I finish dead last.

Races:

2 5K's
1 Duathlon
2 Sprint Tris

Ann


As Ann said, it's been a year of ups and downs.  After recovering all last winter from rotator cuff surgery and a winter that would never end, I was anxious to get outside and start training.  The spring stayed cold and wet but I did my best to get out and train.

My first race of the year was a 5K.  My time was horrible which early season races always are for me but for whatever reason I podiumed!  My second 5K in early May was a little better time wise and for the second time I podiumed!  Ann and I did a Duathlon towards the end of May and it was a decent start to tri season with a good first run and decent bike.  Second run was a little rough.

The first tri of the year was a sprint race in the rain.  For whatever reason I panicked on the swim which never happened before.  I managed to pull it together and have a good bike and decent run.  The second sprint race I had some redemption having a great swim, and a good overall time.  Third sprint race was a small event.  My head wasn't in it and once again, I had a bad swim and struggled. I was frustrated.  Wanting to up the challenge, I did my first olympic distance tri in September.  Had a good overall race and was thrilled to end the season on a high note!  Currently I am dealing with a back/hip problem since the oly tri that's prevented me from running or biking and frankly it frustrating  I have however been able to get back in the gym and do some lifting.

Goals for the winter and into 2014 is to burn some fat off and lose about 10 pounds.  I feel better racing at a lower weight.  I need to do more "dreadmill" work over the winter and I plan on hiring a swim coach.  My swimming needs more work.  If all goes well and I can stay injury free, I plan on doing my first half ironman next summer, maybe Racine?  

Races:

Two 5Ks
1 Duathlon
3 Sprint Tris
1 Oly Tri

Chris

Springstead Triathlon

This race report is coming late but better late than never!  This sprint tri took place on Aug 11th up in Springstead, WI located between Mercer and Park Falls.  It's a small but well run event.  I had Rev3 in the Dells penciled in but between cost and doing some rehab on my In-Laws house the couple days before we felttoo beat up to go to the Dells.  The race consisted of a 1/4 mile swim, 16 mile bike and a 5K.  We were there in plenty of time but for whatever reason got rushed at the last second and didn't get a chance to warm up.  We quickly got our wetsuits on and went to the lake.  The horn went off and we were off!  I had some good pacing to start off and quickly saw the 1/4 mark buoy.  I was feeling good! I rounded the end boat to head back and then for whatever reason I stated to get winded as I did in my first tri of the year.  the rst of the way back I struggled.  UGGGG, not his again!  I exited the water and got on the bike.  The roads were ok to start out with and I had a good tail wind.  I was averaging about 22MPH on the bike.  As I got to about mile 5 or so I had to turn onto a side road that was anything but good surface.  Aseries of blacktop heaves caused me to be careful and spent too much time out of aero.  On the way back I had a good head wing hitting me and was seing 18 to 19 MPH on the speedo.  Ended the bike averaging 20.3 MPH so I'll take t.  Got off the bike and started the run.  Was feeling good!  Garmin was showing about a 8:30 pace.  Bugs were starting to get me on the way back and I got a little distracted with that and the heat.  I started to feel a "bonk" at around 2.5 miles and plugged ahead never stopping.  Craossed the finish lin in 1:30:31, not my best time. Timing was a start and end only so I don't really know what my swim or T1/T2 was.  Looking at the results it appears I came in about 4th overall.  Not my best race of the year but did it to keep the practice up.

Chris

Tri-ing for Children's Triathlon - Sprint Course

Second sprint triathlon of the year and I needed some redemption from the last tri where I didn't do too well.  I thought about doing the olympic distance but training wasn't the best and had those demons in my head so Ann convinced me to do the sprint and do it well.  

Woke up about 4AM, had some coffee and got ready.  Ate oatmeal in the car on the way to the event.

Had a lot of time after setup to watch the oly waves go out, roughly about 30 minutes.  Gave me time to settle in and warm up.  

Swim 1/4 mile
One of my best swims ever! Breathing was good was able to draft a little and before I knew it I was rounding buoys! As I rounded the last one I got caught up in the wave ahead of mine and got a little turned around. I figure I wasted maybe 15 seconds getting my bearings straight. When I exited the water my wife Ann told me I was 7:45 on time which was over a minute faster than normal. The mat to clock time was up a ways on shore so that's how I got the 8:18 time. 

T1 - 2:15  
For whatever reason I completely spaced out once I got my suit off. My transition area was in dirt and sand and I was trying to figure out how to get the sand off and get bike shoes on.   

Bike - 15 miles, 44:28 min,  20.12 MPH
Took a while to get going fast. Felt like I was in a headwind the first half of the bike. I only averaged around 19MPH on this stretch. Second half I was flying (at least for me) doing 21 to 22 MPH. 

T2 - 1:20
Better and hamstrings didn't lock up up last time.

Run 5K - 25:56 min, 8:12 pace
Felt pretty good. Didn't cramp coming off the bike and after settling in I was able to maintain a nice pace.

Finished strong and wasn't as exhausted as I was last time.  MUCH better race than my last one!  

Chris

Swim Training day!

Well, the weather is finally cooperating a little and it turned out to be a nice day for a swim.  Time still isn't coming down much but we have been working on form.

South Wood County Triathlon Race Report

Well, I FINALLY was able to get the first tri of the year in. This is a very nice small event with around 150 entries.  I haven't done a tri in the rain before and I really didn't want to do this one in the rain.  Forecast didn't look good.  That morning I decided to drive down and do it regardless.  The drive was about 2.5 hours but we got here in plenty of time.  I registered, set up my transition area and was feeling really good about things.  It started to rain more but I was now committed.

With about 30 min before race start I got my wetsuit on and did some warmups in the water.  My wave was 4th so I was able to gauge things and see how people were doing.  I remember thinking "that doesn't look like a1/4 mile swim....".  My wave's turn came up.  The horn sounded and I was off.   I was in a really good groove, swimming with the pack about in the middle. At a certain point I thought "this is easy!"  At that point I looked up and realized a only went about 1/4 to 1/3rd the way!  At that point, I looked down the lake to where the turnaround was and it felt like Mt. Everst to me.  I struggled, couldn't get my form right, couldn't breate right and even had to stop and take breaks.  It was a complete mental breakdown!  i finally put enough of an effort in to make it back to shore.  I wasn't the last in my wave but close.  It felt like 15 minutes went by.  I came out of the lake, ran up the hill to T1.

By now it apparently was raining pretty good but I honestly don't remember it raining at all.  Was I in a zone or just exhausted and mad at myself over the swim.  Who knows. I mounted my bike and took off.  I knew I had time to make up so I pushed it.  The course was flat so I knew I didn't need to worry about hills.  I was passing people like they were standing still.  My goal....don't get passed and pass everyone!  It seemed like I did.  I was even pasing guys on very expensive bikes with disc wheels.  It's a great feeling blowing by someone that has spent 3 or 4 times what you have on their equipement!  By about halfway through the bike the rain ended.  So in the end I think I passed roughly 0 people and was never passed once!  As I came into T2, I went to dismont and my entire right hamstring and calf locked up!  I haven't had this happen in a while.  Poor bike fit or did I push it too much?  Hobbled over to the rack and got shoes on.

As I headed out of T2 I had to take it easy since I was on the verge of cramping.  After about a 1/4 mile things got easier and I was able to run halfway decently.  I had a couple guys go by me that I knew were in my division.  The run was pretty good, good heart rate, not cramping but my time wasn't as fast as I wanted.  I paced a guy almost the entire run and about 2/10ths of a mile left he started to slow down. As I came up on him he saw me and put the turbos on.  I wan't going to beat him today.  I came in and felt pretty good until I had to stop to give them my chip, then the leg cramps came back.  Walked around a bit, ate and congratulated another guy in my division who came in ahead of me.  I wound up 11th out of 16 in my division, 63rd out of 147 overall.  The one good thing out of it was I ranked 30th overall in the bike.

It was a well run event and I will do it again!  I have 3 weeks now to get watever mind games happened on the swim behind me.  More water time should solve that.

Setting up transition

Swim start

T1

Leaving T1

Coming into T2 and cramping

Coming in!

results

Swim Training

Had an opportunity to get to the pool to start training on my swim.  It's only been the second time I've been in a pool since September 1st so I felt the workout went pretty well considering.  I'm trying to get better form and become more streamline so if I have to do an event without a wetsuit I don't freak out.  After the holidays I will be hiring a swim coach to try and help me even more.  My goal is to get in the pool at least every other week if not every week.  The pool is about 30 min away which makes it difficult sometimes to get to.As you can see, my feet tend to go wide when I rotate and my arms are too wide through the stroke.

Ann