Thursday - September 26, 2013
BAM Racing AM Group Ride
I met the Blue Ash Multisport guys this morning for the usual 5am bike ride. There were 6 of us, and we ended up going 32.4 miles in 1:47:56 (moving time), with an average moving speed of 18.0 mph.
Here is the Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/381505132
Here is the Strava data:
Does anyone else see a penis in the above map? Anyway, that 85 mile bike ride Sunday kicked my butt. I'm still feeling it today. The ride was great. Several BAM riders (one of which is a frequent Kona qualifier) showed up, and we rode out 52 to a ferry to cross the river to Augusta, Kentucky, then we rode Route 8 home. I was by far the weakest rider, so I drafted near the back most of the time. I did one pull, but for the most part I just hung on for the ride. That's why my average speed for the ride was 19.2 mph. The first half average speed was 21.2 mph! We were flying out 52, which was recently repaved and is a real pleasure to ride.
Since that 85er, my wrists have been hurting. It was a 4.5 hour ride, and I was aero a lot of it. But after a while in the aero position, my neck and upper back/shoulders would get very sore as I'm not used to long rides in this position. So, I would then ride on my hands, switching back and forth. My previous longest ride was 60 miles in 4 hours, so I wasn't used to the distance or time in the saddle. The ride was awesome though. To see the Kona guy "live" was a real treat. He, and actually 2 other guys, were total animals. I get excited to think that could be me after a few years of training.
The geometry of my bike made it so that after the 85 mile ride, I could have run without issue. The full carbon frameset/seat post absorbed road vibrations and saved my lower back. Normally, my back is very sore after 30 miles. This 85er didn't bother me at all. Between the geometry and carbon dampening, I felt fantastic after the ride! Anyone interested in a carbon triathlon bike to save their legs/back, the difference is huge.
I haven't run in 8 or 9 days. Frowny face :(. I hope to go for a run tomorrow morning (Friday). Maybe 7 miles. Saturday morning I'm doing the BioWheels/Fleet Feet BRIC. This is a bike then run bric with the two head guys at BioWheels along for the ride to give you biking feedback. How cool? I want to become a better biker, so having these guys there to make suggestions will be awesome. Should be an easy pace, 16-18 mph for 25-30 miles. Then, there is a short 5K run with them to review the running form too. Very cool that they are doing this, and it's free. Open to all. I'd like to hear them say, "Brandon, your biking form is the best we've ever seen!" But I'm sure they'll have lots to say.
The LMT is right around the corner. I'll take off Sunday, then bike again Tuesday and be done until the race. I'll squeeze in runs as I can. I'm very happy with my bike and my run should be around what it was at the spring LMT. I hope we can finish the LMT canoe in 60 minutes. This could be a challenge, as the river is slow in the fall usually. Then, I'm hoping for a 1.25 minute T1 - which is basically me jogging from the canoe to the road. This is what I did last time. I was surprised the distance from the river to the run start was so long that it took 1:15 to get there while jogging. My LMT partner may pace me for the run. This would be awesome and help push me to run 9:30 to 9:45mm, versus the usual 10:00mm or more. But, he's a faster runner and I'd hate to hold him back from getting a good time. So, 9:30mm for 5 miles is 47.5 minutes. Then comes killer hill, the worst part of the race. I've gone up it in the mid-4 minute range once or twice, but I'm able to comfortably climb it in about 5 minutes by jogging up to the stairs at the start, and then walking up it as fast as I can. Like speed hiking. Running up this might save me a minute, but it would completely kill my energy reserves and my bike would suck.
I'm building a PVC bike rack to hold 4 bikes: My partner Lars' bike, Andy and Shannon's bikes, and mine. This idea started with me not wanting to lay my bike down in T2. I don't want people stepping over it or whatever. Though, I'm sure it'd be fine, I just don't want to lay it down. So, a Cincy Express guy (thanks Mike!) made a PVC bike rack for next to nothing, and it works great. I would feel selfish making a single bike rack, when I can easily make it bigger to hold 4. I'll spray paint it flat black and attach a flag to see from a distance. My T2 times have been anywhere from 2 minutes up to 6 or 7 minutes (that was a huge mistake). I'm planning on 3.5 minutes here, as I might need to use the restroom. If not, 2-2.5 minutes is good.
Then, the last leg of the LMT is the bike. Do you hear the angels singing? Me neither, but I'm hoping to drop some serious time here. The bike leg is only 18 miles! I biked nearly double that today with two very challenging hills and averaged 18 mph. The LMT course is built for speed, like most triathlon bike courses. 19.2 mph for 85 miles. I'm expecting to be jacked up with adrenaline for the first 4 or 5 miles. I should be able to stay aero for 18 miles, which will help with speed and wind hiding. The wind can be wicked on parts of the LMT, so hopefully I can hide from it. This could be completely ridiculous, but I'm going to shoot for 20 mph average for the whole thing. If I creep over this, great. But I do not want to go below 19, and I'll shoot for 20. This would be 54 minutes. My PR for the bike course is 1:02, so I'll be happy with this or less. I could get a flat, or have cramps or something. But this will be the end of the last race of my season, and I want to leave it all on the road here.
So, 60 + 1.25 + 47.5 + 5 + 3.5 + 54 = 171.25, or 2:51:15. Boom! That's a PR by roughly 11 minutes AND it's under the 2:54 my youngest brother had spring 2012, giving him the Bistor Family LMT Best Overall Time. We flip the canoe or zigzag or the river is really slow, and that 60 is gone. I think 9:30 for 5 miles is very possible, but we'll see. Killer Hill is pretty predictable: it's going to suck for 5 minutes. The bike could get a flat, or I could crash again, chain could break, etc. But I'm pumped!
I got the PVC pipes and connectors the other day, and I borrowed a power compound miter saw from a buddy. Once that's done, I'll post photos.
I've been eating pretty clean. I'm giving up diet pop and just drinking water and black coffee at work. I saw Hungry for Change and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Both great documentaries on diet. I borrowed a juicer from a co-worker, and (inspired by the documentaries) this fall I will try a juice cleanse for a few days. Just trying to clean up the diet.
That's all for now.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
More Training - Sep 10 -24, 2013
Training Activities from September 10th to the 24th
Here is a photo of me from the summer of 2009, about 2 years before I started working out. Check out those chins!
I'm loving the new bike. It's a game changer, in my opinion. My normal morning rides (23 to 27 miles with a hill or two) used to average around 15.0 to 15.5 mph. With the new bike, I'm at 18 mph. I even had one ride of 32 miles with BAM Racing, and my average speed was 18.2 mph. Great results! They all say it's not the bike, it's the motor (rider). But this same "motor" is suddenly riding a lot better, so you be the judge of what made the difference.
I also travelled to San Francisco for a Buckeye game with my dad and his buddies. We stayed in Berkeley, and I got in two morning runs. I did gain 6 pounds while there for 4 days, and I've already lost most of it. We basically ate everything in sight and drank even more. It was a blast, and the Buckeyes had a nice win against the Golden Bears.
My next race is Morgan's Little Miami Triathlon, October 6th. I'm cranking on the bike, gambling on the fact that I can set a PR by improving the bike more. I've run for over 2 years, and my paces are roughly 9:00 to 10:00mm depending on distance, temperature, terrain, etc. My 13.1 and over paces are even slower. But, I've been seriously cycling since March 2013 and my speeds are much more respectable. The wear and tear on my body from biking is also much less than running.
Also, I started swimming in November 2012, and it was the best of the three disciplines at my first half Ironman (compared to all finishers). At 6'2" and 215 pounds, I'm finding bigger/faster gains in the water and on the bike, versus my run. I want to say I'm too big to run well, but I know there are probably thousands of runners out there who are my size or larger and running better. I hope as my weight drops and my overall fitness improves, my running will become easier. I could run more, of course, but I'm having way too much fun on the bike.
I also found a photo of myself from 2009, which I added above. Check out that fat face!! I've come a long way. Here is a photo from a run last week in Berkeley, California:
Here is a photo of me from the summer of 2009, about 2 years before I started working out. Check out those chins!
I'm loving the new bike. It's a game changer, in my opinion. My normal morning rides (23 to 27 miles with a hill or two) used to average around 15.0 to 15.5 mph. With the new bike, I'm at 18 mph. I even had one ride of 32 miles with BAM Racing, and my average speed was 18.2 mph. Great results! They all say it's not the bike, it's the motor (rider). But this same "motor" is suddenly riding a lot better, so you be the judge of what made the difference.
I also travelled to San Francisco for a Buckeye game with my dad and his buddies. We stayed in Berkeley, and I got in two morning runs. I did gain 6 pounds while there for 4 days, and I've already lost most of it. We basically ate everything in sight and drank even more. It was a blast, and the Buckeyes had a nice win against the Golden Bears.
My next race is Morgan's Little Miami Triathlon, October 6th. I'm cranking on the bike, gambling on the fact that I can set a PR by improving the bike more. I've run for over 2 years, and my paces are roughly 9:00 to 10:00mm depending on distance, temperature, terrain, etc. My 13.1 and over paces are even slower. But, I've been seriously cycling since March 2013 and my speeds are much more respectable. The wear and tear on my body from biking is also much less than running.
Also, I started swimming in November 2012, and it was the best of the three disciplines at my first half Ironman (compared to all finishers). At 6'2" and 215 pounds, I'm finding bigger/faster gains in the water and on the bike, versus my run. I want to say I'm too big to run well, but I know there are probably thousands of runners out there who are my size or larger and running better. I hope as my weight drops and my overall fitness improves, my running will become easier. I could run more, of course, but I'm having way too much fun on the bike.
I also found a photo of myself from 2009, which I added above. Check out that fat face!! I've come a long way. Here is a photo from a run last week in Berkeley, California:
Since June 2011: (September 2013 to date only)
1,280.3 miles biked (268.9)
1,193.6 miles run (38.1)
2,167.5 laps swam (84.5)
My last 7 rides on new bike:
6.08 miles/18.1 mph avg
20.57 m/18.4
21.32 m/17.0
23.58 m/17.5
32.10 m/18.2
85.63 m/19.2
23.64 m/17.5
The Garmin site is down now for maintenance, but here's the Strava data since the 10th:
Monday, September 9, 2013
New Bike and a Few Workouts
Monday, September 9, 2013
New Bike
After the Great Buckeye Challenge, I took four days off. I wasn't very sore, luckily. My lower back was a little tight, and my quads were sore, but otherwise I got off easy.
I put a post on Facebook about finding a used triathlon bike or frameset a week or so ago. I've been saving up my "allowance" - yes, I'm a grown adult with a full time job and yes I'm on an allowance. So, after months of saving and researching, I put the note out and was on eBay and Craigslist several times a day.
I have visited several bike shops and was deciding to buy a used bike online and gamble on the sizing, or buying a lower end bike new at a shop to get the proper fit. Bikes, like many other things, depreciate in value rapidly. For example, a 2013 Cervelo P2 Ultegra at Montgomery Cyclery was going for $2800 all year long. Now that they are trying to make room for the 2014's, it's on sale for $2200. But, if you look online, you can find a 2012/2011 P2 for roughly $1500 to $1700. But, if you spend $1700 that you worked hard to save, and the damn thing is too big/small, imagine the disappointment! I was actually leaning toward saving until Jan/Feb, then heading to BioWheels or Go Fast Multisport (both are great bike shops) to get a fit and buy one of their lower end triathlon bikes.
But, I actually got three great responses to my Facebook add. Of the three, one was a 2008 Cervelo P2C 58cm with full Dura Ace. Other brands have started to become more popular, but for years (I've read) the Cervelo P-Series (P2, P3, P4, & P5) has dominated the transition area of triathlons everywhere. They look amazing and ride great (I read).
After the Buckeye Challenge, I met with the guy about the P2C. I went in unsure, prepared to just wait and get something later, but the bike was in great shape. He took good care of it, and the sizing was right. We agreed on a price and boom, I had a new triathlon bike. And, not just any bike. This thing is full carbon fiber (everything but the stem & handlebars), with a carbon FSA crankset and full Dura Ace gears. Also, the thing is very light and rides very smooth. I told someone it's like riding a giant stick of butter.
Here is a photo of it on my bike trainer in the living room.
Friday, September 6
Needless to say, I was up until 11:30pm playing with the new bike. I swapped out the stock seat for my ISM Adamo Century. I also added a hand pump to the bottle cage. I will eventually get an X-Lab hydration system to hold two water bottles and CO2 cartridges behind the seat. I also added my new pedals.
Since I was up so late, I struggled to get out of bed early enough to get in a decent ride. But I did manage to ride a quick 6 miles on the bike. The last time I biked this 6 mile route was WAY back in August of 2011 (see, it's nice keeping a training log with lots of information!). Back then, I could barely ride a road bike and my 6 mile average speed was 13.5 mph!!! That's crazy slow.
But some things I like about the bike after this initial ride. The training wheels it came with are great, true, and the tires are 23c slicks. They roll great. The handlebars are angled in a way that if you're not in the aero bars you're still leaning pretty far forward - good to avoid the wind some. The bike comes with one water bottle mount, and the previous owner added an aero bar bottle cage.
I was able to average 18 mph for 6 miles today (moving average). Nice little ride on my new stick of butter! That thing is wicked smooth! "Wicked awesome!"
Here is the Garmin Connect data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/371339284
Here is the same data in Strava:
Saturday, September 7
My wife went out for a 6 mile run, so I hopped on the treadmill for an easy 3 miler. Friday at lunch, I went to the Rec Center and did some heavy leg weight training. Very heavy. I am still sore Monday night as I type this. So, I was glad to get the easy 3 miler in to help keep my legs loose. We were busy with my daughter's soccer and other stuff all day, so this was the only thing I was able to get in.
Sunday, September 8
After lunch, my wife put the kids down for a nap and I took the new bike to the Loveland bike trail for a bike/run brick. I was especially sore this day, as I'm always the most sore 48 hours after lifting. My legs were like Jello. I planned to ride 10 miles out and 10 miles back, learning the bike more and trying to stay in the aero bars as much as possible.
The bike fit like a glove. I have the seat in the 78 degree seatpost hole to get a little more of an aggressive position. The seatpost has (I believe) a 75 degree setting and the 78. The bike just begs to go fast. My old bike was harder to get to and hold 20 mph. In the aero position, I was going 20-22 mph with moderate effort. I pushed it and got up to 25-26 mph, and could casually stroll along at 16-17. It was great.
The bike rolls super smooth and is very quiet. So, I would be passing people at 20-22 mph and I think I scared a lot of them. I was there, out of nowhere, cruising by. They couldn't hear me coming. I don't say, "On your left" like you're supposed to when passing people, when the left lane is wide open. I probably should have, but I would be saying that all day. I passed at least 100 people.
The ride was great. It was a little hot, around 91 degrees out. But with the breeze from riding, it was nice. I wound up riding 20.5 miles with an average moving speed of 18.5 mph. I saw a lot of slow traffic that kept me from averaging more. And, I had to get out of the aero bars about 5% of the time to stretch my legs. They were very sore. I went a little too heavy Friday at lunch!
Here is the Garmin Connect data for the ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/373112140
Here is the same data in Strava:
After the ride, I changed into my shoes and went for a 3 mile run. The heat was more of a factor here, but the run felt great. I didn't notice any "bike fatigue" at the start of the run. Normally, my legs are like Jello for the first 5-10 minutes of a post-bike run. I wonder how much of this had to do with the triathlon frame geometry, which is designed to save your legs for the run. Well, it worked! My run felt nice and easy, granted the pace was slow.
Here is the run data in Garmin Connect: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/373112158
Here is the same data in Strava:
Monday, September 9
My wife went for a run this morning, so I just slept in. At lunch, I went for a short run. It was pretty hot, and the run was a struggle. Not to beat a dead horse, but my legs still felt dead. But, I ran my usual 3.2 mile route with an average pace of about 9:30mm.
Here is the run data in Garmin Connect: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/373112174
Here is the same data in Strava:
Other items
My weight is down to 212 pounds, and the scale says I'm at 18.4% body fat. The few days after the Buckeye Challenge, I ate absolute garbage. By garbage, I mean I would have Chipotle for lunch, and have 6 or 7 Bud Lights after dinner with half a box of Busken smiley face cookies. The next night I would eat the rest of the cookies and finish the 12 pack. A third night I had half a gallon of ice cream and the first half of another 12 pack. Night 4, I finished off the ice cream and beer. So, for 4 days I "partied". I loved it. This was more or less my routine before I started working out two years ago. No wonder I blew up!
Diet is 80% of the weight loss formula. So, no matter how much exercise I do, I try to remember that it's only 20% of the equation. I have to watch my diet or I will gain body fat. It's very simple. If I hit a weight plateau, I'm taking in too many calories. Simple. If you're having trouble losing weight, you're eating too much. If you think you're "dieting" and not seeing any results, you're not "dieting" enough.
I am completely in love with my new bike. I kept it next to my bed for several nights until I rearranged my garage to safely store it. Putting it up on the garage ceiling, it is so light it's easy to lift up. I love it. I haven't weighed it yet, but it's super light. I need more time in the saddle to learn the gearing sweet spots. I also need to get used to being aero all day. I want to get to the point where I can ride in the aero bars for 3-4 hours at a time, as I'd like to do more half Ironman races.
I'm back on my "diet". Oatmeal breakfast, light lunch, and then whatever my wife makes for dinner. If it's unhealthy, I just eat less. I'm at 212 now, and I'm looking to get below 200 pounds by spring.
New Bike
After the Great Buckeye Challenge, I took four days off. I wasn't very sore, luckily. My lower back was a little tight, and my quads were sore, but otherwise I got off easy.
I put a post on Facebook about finding a used triathlon bike or frameset a week or so ago. I've been saving up my "allowance" - yes, I'm a grown adult with a full time job and yes I'm on an allowance. So, after months of saving and researching, I put the note out and was on eBay and Craigslist several times a day.
I have visited several bike shops and was deciding to buy a used bike online and gamble on the sizing, or buying a lower end bike new at a shop to get the proper fit. Bikes, like many other things, depreciate in value rapidly. For example, a 2013 Cervelo P2 Ultegra at Montgomery Cyclery was going for $2800 all year long. Now that they are trying to make room for the 2014's, it's on sale for $2200. But, if you look online, you can find a 2012/2011 P2 for roughly $1500 to $1700. But, if you spend $1700 that you worked hard to save, and the damn thing is too big/small, imagine the disappointment! I was actually leaning toward saving until Jan/Feb, then heading to BioWheels or Go Fast Multisport (both are great bike shops) to get a fit and buy one of their lower end triathlon bikes.
But, I actually got three great responses to my Facebook add. Of the three, one was a 2008 Cervelo P2C 58cm with full Dura Ace. Other brands have started to become more popular, but for years (I've read) the Cervelo P-Series (P2, P3, P4, & P5) has dominated the transition area of triathlons everywhere. They look amazing and ride great (I read).
After the Buckeye Challenge, I met with the guy about the P2C. I went in unsure, prepared to just wait and get something later, but the bike was in great shape. He took good care of it, and the sizing was right. We agreed on a price and boom, I had a new triathlon bike. And, not just any bike. This thing is full carbon fiber (everything but the stem & handlebars), with a carbon FSA crankset and full Dura Ace gears. Also, the thing is very light and rides very smooth. I told someone it's like riding a giant stick of butter.
Here is a photo of it on my bike trainer in the living room.
Friday, September 6
Needless to say, I was up until 11:30pm playing with the new bike. I swapped out the stock seat for my ISM Adamo Century. I also added a hand pump to the bottle cage. I will eventually get an X-Lab hydration system to hold two water bottles and CO2 cartridges behind the seat. I also added my new pedals.
Since I was up so late, I struggled to get out of bed early enough to get in a decent ride. But I did manage to ride a quick 6 miles on the bike. The last time I biked this 6 mile route was WAY back in August of 2011 (see, it's nice keeping a training log with lots of information!). Back then, I could barely ride a road bike and my 6 mile average speed was 13.5 mph!!! That's crazy slow.
But some things I like about the bike after this initial ride. The training wheels it came with are great, true, and the tires are 23c slicks. They roll great. The handlebars are angled in a way that if you're not in the aero bars you're still leaning pretty far forward - good to avoid the wind some. The bike comes with one water bottle mount, and the previous owner added an aero bar bottle cage.
I was able to average 18 mph for 6 miles today (moving average). Nice little ride on my new stick of butter! That thing is wicked smooth! "Wicked awesome!"
Here is the Garmin Connect data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/371339284
Here is the same data in Strava:
Saturday, September 7
My wife went out for a 6 mile run, so I hopped on the treadmill for an easy 3 miler. Friday at lunch, I went to the Rec Center and did some heavy leg weight training. Very heavy. I am still sore Monday night as I type this. So, I was glad to get the easy 3 miler in to help keep my legs loose. We were busy with my daughter's soccer and other stuff all day, so this was the only thing I was able to get in.
Sunday, September 8
After lunch, my wife put the kids down for a nap and I took the new bike to the Loveland bike trail for a bike/run brick. I was especially sore this day, as I'm always the most sore 48 hours after lifting. My legs were like Jello. I planned to ride 10 miles out and 10 miles back, learning the bike more and trying to stay in the aero bars as much as possible.
The bike fit like a glove. I have the seat in the 78 degree seatpost hole to get a little more of an aggressive position. The seatpost has (I believe) a 75 degree setting and the 78. The bike just begs to go fast. My old bike was harder to get to and hold 20 mph. In the aero position, I was going 20-22 mph with moderate effort. I pushed it and got up to 25-26 mph, and could casually stroll along at 16-17. It was great.
The bike rolls super smooth and is very quiet. So, I would be passing people at 20-22 mph and I think I scared a lot of them. I was there, out of nowhere, cruising by. They couldn't hear me coming. I don't say, "On your left" like you're supposed to when passing people, when the left lane is wide open. I probably should have, but I would be saying that all day. I passed at least 100 people.
The ride was great. It was a little hot, around 91 degrees out. But with the breeze from riding, it was nice. I wound up riding 20.5 miles with an average moving speed of 18.5 mph. I saw a lot of slow traffic that kept me from averaging more. And, I had to get out of the aero bars about 5% of the time to stretch my legs. They were very sore. I went a little too heavy Friday at lunch!
Here is the Garmin Connect data for the ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/373112140
Here is the same data in Strava:
After the ride, I changed into my shoes and went for a 3 mile run. The heat was more of a factor here, but the run felt great. I didn't notice any "bike fatigue" at the start of the run. Normally, my legs are like Jello for the first 5-10 minutes of a post-bike run. I wonder how much of this had to do with the triathlon frame geometry, which is designed to save your legs for the run. Well, it worked! My run felt nice and easy, granted the pace was slow.
Here is the run data in Garmin Connect: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/373112158
Here is the same data in Strava:
Monday, September 9
My wife went for a run this morning, so I just slept in. At lunch, I went for a short run. It was pretty hot, and the run was a struggle. Not to beat a dead horse, but my legs still felt dead. But, I ran my usual 3.2 mile route with an average pace of about 9:30mm.
Here is the run data in Garmin Connect: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/373112174
Here is the same data in Strava:
Other items
My weight is down to 212 pounds, and the scale says I'm at 18.4% body fat. The few days after the Buckeye Challenge, I ate absolute garbage. By garbage, I mean I would have Chipotle for lunch, and have 6 or 7 Bud Lights after dinner with half a box of Busken smiley face cookies. The next night I would eat the rest of the cookies and finish the 12 pack. A third night I had half a gallon of ice cream and the first half of another 12 pack. Night 4, I finished off the ice cream and beer. So, for 4 days I "partied". I loved it. This was more or less my routine before I started working out two years ago. No wonder I blew up!
Diet is 80% of the weight loss formula. So, no matter how much exercise I do, I try to remember that it's only 20% of the equation. I have to watch my diet or I will gain body fat. It's very simple. If I hit a weight plateau, I'm taking in too many calories. Simple. If you're having trouble losing weight, you're eating too much. If you think you're "dieting" and not seeing any results, you're not "dieting" enough.
I am completely in love with my new bike. I kept it next to my bed for several nights until I rearranged my garage to safely store it. Putting it up on the garage ceiling, it is so light it's easy to lift up. I love it. I haven't weighed it yet, but it's super light. I need more time in the saddle to learn the gearing sweet spots. I also need to get used to being aero all day. I want to get to the point where I can ride in the aero bars for 3-4 hours at a time, as I'd like to do more half Ironman races.
I'm back on my "diet". Oatmeal breakfast, light lunch, and then whatever my wife makes for dinner. If it's unhealthy, I just eat less. I'm at 212 now, and I'm looking to get below 200 pounds by spring.
Monday, September 2, 2013
2013 Great Buckeye Challenge Half 70.3
Sunday, September 1, 2013
The setting: Buck Creek State Park in Springfield, Ohio.
The race: The 2013 Great Buckeye Challenge half Ironman race.
The contender: This guy!
This was it!! My first half Ironman race. I've been thinking about doing this race for over two years. Well, actually, I guess I've been dreaming of doing a full Ironman (140.6 miles, twice the distance of today) for two years, but this was the next step on my journey. I went from being unable to jog one block (no joke), to running a 5K (3.1 miles), then a half marathon (13.1 miles), then an Olympic-canoe-instead-of-swim distance triathlon, then a full marathon (26.2 miles), then a sprint triathlon, and now the half Ironman.
Background: sprints triathlons are the shortest, usually a 500-800 meter swim, 20K (12.4 mile) bike, then 5K (3.1 miles) run. Olympics are next, at 1500 meters of swimming, 40K (24.8 mile) bike, and a 10K (6.2 mile) run. The full Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then full marathon of 26.2 miles. Yes, it's nuts/badass. All done back to back, in one day. The half Ironman is just half of the full: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.
I could have done an Olympic triathlon before the half Iron, but the swim (my main concern) is not much different between the two. The Olympic swim is 1500 meters and the half Iron swim is 1.2 miles (1800 meters). I've run one full marathon and 5 half marathons, and I've biked a lot lately. Plus, the LMT that I always talk about is almost an Olympic distance race, and I've done that 4 times. So, I figured I could go for the half instead of doing an Olympic first. I'm glad I did though. What you're about to read has a happy ending.
Springfield, Ohio, is about 30 minutes from Dayton, and about 1:30:00 from Cincinnati. My brother lives in Huber Heights, suburb of Dayton, so I crashed at his place Saturday night. We watched Pain & Gain and had some laughs before bed. This saved me some time, and I woke up at 5am instead of 4am, if I had stayed in Cincinnati. I got up, put on Body Glide all over and then an extra layer of petroleum jelly. I added some Band-Aids to cover my nipples, and put on my Pearl Izumi bib shorts and Cincy Express triathlon top. I like the shorts because they have a big bike pad, which I don't mind running in. My Cincy Express bib shorts are good to bike in, but the leg seam cuts my leg when running. Too bad, because they look sharp with the tri top. Bib shorts are bike shorts with shoulder straps to hold them up and in place. Now that I've used regular shorts and bib shorts, I will only wear the bibs going forward. Otherwise, my shorts fall down and need adjusted constantly. The tri top is basically a tight bike jersey without sleeves, with two pockets in the back.
It took about 25 minutes to drive to the State Park. I forgot to pack sunscreen, and grabbed some at the gas station near the park entrance. When I was leaving the gas station, I saw a line of cars with triathlon bikes on the roof or back making their way into the park. I jumped on the back of the line. It was nice to see so I knew I was in the right place. I parked around 5:30am, and was one of the first people to arrive. My starting time was 8:17am, so this gave me plenty of time to get ready. Rushing would only add to the anxiety of doing my first half. I had a peanut butter sandwich and some Gatorade, and started taking stuff to the transition area. At 5:30am, it was pitch black out and the park had no lights on. Most of the other people getting ready had cave diving headlamps so they could see. I'll remember that for next time.
I ran into three Cincy Express people (Mike, John, & Kim) before the race, got into my wetsuit and joined everyone at the beach. I also talked to two BAM Racing guys (Bill and Joe) and some other non-club guys I met there. For the non-club guys, this was their first half. Mike, John, Bill, and Joe have done this before. I never saw Kim again that day, but she won 2nd in her age group. The Cincy Express girls are crazy fast. They often win their divisions. Mike was doing the Olympic today. I love being part of two triathlon clubs/teams. I have access to several people with many years of triathlon experience. For just $30 a year, I can ask people directly what to do or which races they liked, instead of trying to figure everything out on my own. Not sure which wetsuit to get or what bike setting to use? Ask the group and several people will respond with their opinions. It's great. Not to mention the group training sessions. I love it! Plus, I have people to BS with before/after a race. It's great!
They had several race distances going today: mini, sprint, Olympic, and half. The lake/reservoir was setup for an easy swim, very beginner friendly. We had to swim in a giant "L", if the L was backward and on its back. So, small lap up and down, then way far right and back to the start. The Olympic was the same route without the up and down part. So, the up and down part was only 300 meters, and at the 150m turn around buoy it was shallow enough to touch if needed. The water was 76 degrees, so it was wetsuit legal. This was a relief!
So, I started at 8:17ish with the other 30-49 males and Clydesdales (males 200+ lbs). I signed up as a 215 pound Clydesdale. Until I'm 199, I'm going with the big boys. Better chance of doing well in my division, I figure. I was in the back of the group off the beach, and I walked into the water casually and started swimming. I heard Bill and Joe cheering me on from the shore. It took about 150 meters for me to get a groove and feel comfortable. So, after the up and down buoy, I was in my groove. I pretty much zoned out on the swim after this. The water was not clear and I couldn't see a thing in it. The water temperature was great and it was mirror flat: no waves to worry about. Because I was at the end of the pack, I didn't really bump into too many people. The group behind me was the older guys, and then the ladies. They sent groups off every two minutes. A few ladies passed me and I'm sure the old guys too. But like I said I was pretty much alone, swimming off to the side by myself. I got to the furthest right buoy and zoned back in and asked a kayaker, "Is this the last one?" Sure enough, just a 750 meter swim left and I was done. Along the beach for this last lap and it was shallow enough to stand if needed, but I was fine. I've done the swim distance in the pool many times and I wasn't anxious, so was able to get out of the water without any issues.
I figured I could do the swim in 50-55 minutes, with an hour being a worst case scenario. But I wore my Timex to see my swim split, as I wasn't sure if HFP (the group organizing the race) would give split times. I was out of the water in 45 minutes! Way better than I predicted. Looking back at my race, I could probably shave a few minutes off by learning to site better. I was zigzagging like crazy. But for my first half Iron swim, I'm very happy with my casually paced 45 minute swim. With some effort and experience, I think 40 minutes is possible for me. I wore a swim cap and by the end of the swim it and my goggles were giving me a headache. The transition area was up a big hill and I half walked, gathering myself, then jogged the last half. The official swim time didn't stop until I got to the bikes, so it shows 48:03, ranking my swim 96 of 126 (76%).
It felt like I was in transition all day. Socks, bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, snacks for bike saddle bag and my shirt, and bike gloves. My time felt slow, but they clocked it at 5:42. I predicted 8-10 minutes. I'm off to a good start.
The bike course wasn't bad at first. I remembered the elevation chart showing a slow incline over 12 miles or so, but the first 20 miles felt really fast. I think there was a tail wind, and the roads were nice and smooth. I set my Garmin 310XT to show 4 numbers: distance traveled, time traveled, current speed, and average speed. I've never used the average speed setting before, but it's great to keep things simple while out there. At mile 28 I was averaging 18.5 mph! I predicted a 4 hour bike time, which is averaging 14 mph. At this point I was feeling on top of the world. I beat my swim time by 10-15 minutes, and was blowing through the bike - even passing some people. I was thinking I might only do 70.3 races going forward. This is my distance!
By about mile 36, I was changing my tune. My back was starting to hurt and I was all out of Gatorade. I blew by the first water station at mile 13 at about 25 mph on a downhill, so I missed a refill opportunity. I had eaten a few things I brought and was looking for the next water station like a dying person looking for water in a desert. Finally, I found it! I refilled my water bottles, took a banana and Coke. Hot, regular, Coca Cola never tasted so good! I ate the banana and a Clif Bar, just sort of strolling along at 14 mph. The last 20 miles of the bike were a grind. I was mostly alone and the wind was fierce most of the time. There were even three short hills that had me in my granny gear and one had me standing while in the granny gear. They were short but tough. The worst one had people walking. Not me! Hah ha, though I was struggling.
I eventually finished the bike. Like I said, I felt great at the beginning. I didn't really push hard, it was all tailwind and seemed easy for the first half. I just fell apart. Oh, and the heat and humidity was pretty bad. Before you think I'm a baby, others were complaining about the heat too. I finished the bike in 3:21:51, averaging 16.5 mph. Again, way ahead of my 4 hour estimate. I even thought 3:30:00 would be nice to hit. So, a 3:21:51 is great, especially since I fell apart on the last 20. I would have been well under 3 hours if I could have held my pace. My bike ranked 111 of 126 (88%).
Here is the Garmin Connect bike data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/369104331 (it took a few minutes for the watch to get a satellite at the beginning)
Here is that same info in Strava:
My second transition felt even slower. My armpits were chafing from rubbing on my shirt, so I put more petroleum jelly on and chugged a Gatorade. Official T2 time was 6:13. Still better than my 8-10 minute estimate.
The run was a mostly flat bike trail out and back, four times. So, basically four 5K's. The trail was almost entirely in the open sun. I got sun burn on my shoulders and neck, and the humidity was in full swing as it was around noon. Very hot. They had water stations every mile though, which really helped. Because of the 3.2 miles out, 3.2 miles back, then repeat, I got to pass people way ahead of me. I saw John from Cincy Express who ended with a personal best of 5:45. I saw Bill and Joe from BAM who were just ahead of me. I tried to close the gap and catch them, but after a couple miles I was toasted. My 13.1 goal time was 2:30 to 2:45, and I wound up walking a ton and finishing in 2:59:19 (107 of 126 or 85%).
My total race time was 7:21:10, ranking me 112 of 126 (89%). I was 4th in my Clydesdale division too, though there were only 4 of us! Hah ha My goal was to just finish, which means under 8 hours. I think they disqualify you after 8 hours. And, I had a stretch goal of 7:30. So, I'm very happy with my time. Coming from me, that says a lot. I'm usually unhappy with several things and pissed at myself. So, this is a nice change.
Here is the Garmin Connect run info: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/369104342
Here is that same info in Strava:
My wife didn't plan on going, though she surprised me with the kids at my mid-13.1 turn around. That helped push me through the last 6 miles. I couldn't imagine watching my crazy son for an hour in the hot sun! At the end, I ran the finishing chute with my kids. It was great. I finished my first half Ironman!! The run was the worst part. The heat killed me, and more bike fitness would have saved me to have a better run. But, you can always train more. But the swim went well, my transitions were okay, and my nutrition plan was fine. I just need more fluids next time.
I'm writing this the day after, and I'm not really too beat up. The full marathon I ran was much worse. Today, my lower back is sore/tight, my quads are sore in the "I had a good workout yesterday" way, and I have sun burn on my shoulders. I have a tiny chafe spot, but otherwise I got off very lucky. My spirits were high yesterday, I loved the crowd and will definitely want to do this again.
My preliminary plan now is to rest a couple days, then focus on speed work as my next race is the LMT. It's a 6 miles canoe, 5 mile run, half mile hill climb, then 18 mile bike. I will work on short distance speed work and keep biking like I have been. After the LMT, some guys from work and I are hoping to run a November 5K that's in Blue Ash and pretty flat. So, the speed work will continue after the LMT. After the next two months of speed work, we'll be in the winter. My winter plan is to bike 6 hours a week, whether in spinning classes or on the bike trainer in the basement. I also want to do 2 hours a week of leg/core strength training. I saw this on a bike speed program. I will save up for a triathlon specific bike, and hope to hit 2014 twice the biker I was yesterday. Because biking is the largest part of triathlons, it's easier to drop 30 minutes off the bike time than the run or swim. I also enjoy the bike A LOT, and hope to one day be decent at it. A triathlon specific bike will be faster with less effort and it'll save my legs for the run because of the frame geometry. I still want to drop another 15-20 pounds to get my power to weight ratio up, and the lighter weight will help my run. I'm pretty okay with the swim. It will get better with time and I'll stick to swimming once or twice a week at the YMCA.
So, I have two more races this season. I think the Buckeye Challenge was my 8th or 9th race of 2013, so I'm winding down and almost done. I hope to break 3 hours at the LMT and 25 minutes at the 5K. These aren't fast times, but good for me.
Here are some photos from yesterday:
The setting: Buck Creek State Park in Springfield, Ohio.
The race: The 2013 Great Buckeye Challenge half Ironman race.
The contender: This guy!
This was it!! My first half Ironman race. I've been thinking about doing this race for over two years. Well, actually, I guess I've been dreaming of doing a full Ironman (140.6 miles, twice the distance of today) for two years, but this was the next step on my journey. I went from being unable to jog one block (no joke), to running a 5K (3.1 miles), then a half marathon (13.1 miles), then an Olympic-canoe-instead-of-swim distance triathlon, then a full marathon (26.2 miles), then a sprint triathlon, and now the half Ironman.
Background: sprints triathlons are the shortest, usually a 500-800 meter swim, 20K (12.4 mile) bike, then 5K (3.1 miles) run. Olympics are next, at 1500 meters of swimming, 40K (24.8 mile) bike, and a 10K (6.2 mile) run. The full Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then full marathon of 26.2 miles. Yes, it's nuts/badass. All done back to back, in one day. The half Ironman is just half of the full: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.
I could have done an Olympic triathlon before the half Iron, but the swim (my main concern) is not much different between the two. The Olympic swim is 1500 meters and the half Iron swim is 1.2 miles (1800 meters). I've run one full marathon and 5 half marathons, and I've biked a lot lately. Plus, the LMT that I always talk about is almost an Olympic distance race, and I've done that 4 times. So, I figured I could go for the half instead of doing an Olympic first. I'm glad I did though. What you're about to read has a happy ending.
Springfield, Ohio, is about 30 minutes from Dayton, and about 1:30:00 from Cincinnati. My brother lives in Huber Heights, suburb of Dayton, so I crashed at his place Saturday night. We watched Pain & Gain and had some laughs before bed. This saved me some time, and I woke up at 5am instead of 4am, if I had stayed in Cincinnati. I got up, put on Body Glide all over and then an extra layer of petroleum jelly. I added some Band-Aids to cover my nipples, and put on my Pearl Izumi bib shorts and Cincy Express triathlon top. I like the shorts because they have a big bike pad, which I don't mind running in. My Cincy Express bib shorts are good to bike in, but the leg seam cuts my leg when running. Too bad, because they look sharp with the tri top. Bib shorts are bike shorts with shoulder straps to hold them up and in place. Now that I've used regular shorts and bib shorts, I will only wear the bibs going forward. Otherwise, my shorts fall down and need adjusted constantly. The tri top is basically a tight bike jersey without sleeves, with two pockets in the back.
It took about 25 minutes to drive to the State Park. I forgot to pack sunscreen, and grabbed some at the gas station near the park entrance. When I was leaving the gas station, I saw a line of cars with triathlon bikes on the roof or back making their way into the park. I jumped on the back of the line. It was nice to see so I knew I was in the right place. I parked around 5:30am, and was one of the first people to arrive. My starting time was 8:17am, so this gave me plenty of time to get ready. Rushing would only add to the anxiety of doing my first half. I had a peanut butter sandwich and some Gatorade, and started taking stuff to the transition area. At 5:30am, it was pitch black out and the park had no lights on. Most of the other people getting ready had cave diving headlamps so they could see. I'll remember that for next time.
I ran into three Cincy Express people (Mike, John, & Kim) before the race, got into my wetsuit and joined everyone at the beach. I also talked to two BAM Racing guys (Bill and Joe) and some other non-club guys I met there. For the non-club guys, this was their first half. Mike, John, Bill, and Joe have done this before. I never saw Kim again that day, but she won 2nd in her age group. The Cincy Express girls are crazy fast. They often win their divisions. Mike was doing the Olympic today. I love being part of two triathlon clubs/teams. I have access to several people with many years of triathlon experience. For just $30 a year, I can ask people directly what to do or which races they liked, instead of trying to figure everything out on my own. Not sure which wetsuit to get or what bike setting to use? Ask the group and several people will respond with their opinions. It's great. Not to mention the group training sessions. I love it! Plus, I have people to BS with before/after a race. It's great!
They had several race distances going today: mini, sprint, Olympic, and half. The lake/reservoir was setup for an easy swim, very beginner friendly. We had to swim in a giant "L", if the L was backward and on its back. So, small lap up and down, then way far right and back to the start. The Olympic was the same route without the up and down part. So, the up and down part was only 300 meters, and at the 150m turn around buoy it was shallow enough to touch if needed. The water was 76 degrees, so it was wetsuit legal. This was a relief!
So, I started at 8:17ish with the other 30-49 males and Clydesdales (males 200+ lbs). I signed up as a 215 pound Clydesdale. Until I'm 199, I'm going with the big boys. Better chance of doing well in my division, I figure. I was in the back of the group off the beach, and I walked into the water casually and started swimming. I heard Bill and Joe cheering me on from the shore. It took about 150 meters for me to get a groove and feel comfortable. So, after the up and down buoy, I was in my groove. I pretty much zoned out on the swim after this. The water was not clear and I couldn't see a thing in it. The water temperature was great and it was mirror flat: no waves to worry about. Because I was at the end of the pack, I didn't really bump into too many people. The group behind me was the older guys, and then the ladies. They sent groups off every two minutes. A few ladies passed me and I'm sure the old guys too. But like I said I was pretty much alone, swimming off to the side by myself. I got to the furthest right buoy and zoned back in and asked a kayaker, "Is this the last one?" Sure enough, just a 750 meter swim left and I was done. Along the beach for this last lap and it was shallow enough to stand if needed, but I was fine. I've done the swim distance in the pool many times and I wasn't anxious, so was able to get out of the water without any issues.
I figured I could do the swim in 50-55 minutes, with an hour being a worst case scenario. But I wore my Timex to see my swim split, as I wasn't sure if HFP (the group organizing the race) would give split times. I was out of the water in 45 minutes! Way better than I predicted. Looking back at my race, I could probably shave a few minutes off by learning to site better. I was zigzagging like crazy. But for my first half Iron swim, I'm very happy with my casually paced 45 minute swim. With some effort and experience, I think 40 minutes is possible for me. I wore a swim cap and by the end of the swim it and my goggles were giving me a headache. The transition area was up a big hill and I half walked, gathering myself, then jogged the last half. The official swim time didn't stop until I got to the bikes, so it shows 48:03, ranking my swim 96 of 126 (76%).
It felt like I was in transition all day. Socks, bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, snacks for bike saddle bag and my shirt, and bike gloves. My time felt slow, but they clocked it at 5:42. I predicted 8-10 minutes. I'm off to a good start.
The bike course wasn't bad at first. I remembered the elevation chart showing a slow incline over 12 miles or so, but the first 20 miles felt really fast. I think there was a tail wind, and the roads were nice and smooth. I set my Garmin 310XT to show 4 numbers: distance traveled, time traveled, current speed, and average speed. I've never used the average speed setting before, but it's great to keep things simple while out there. At mile 28 I was averaging 18.5 mph! I predicted a 4 hour bike time, which is averaging 14 mph. At this point I was feeling on top of the world. I beat my swim time by 10-15 minutes, and was blowing through the bike - even passing some people. I was thinking I might only do 70.3 races going forward. This is my distance!
By about mile 36, I was changing my tune. My back was starting to hurt and I was all out of Gatorade. I blew by the first water station at mile 13 at about 25 mph on a downhill, so I missed a refill opportunity. I had eaten a few things I brought and was looking for the next water station like a dying person looking for water in a desert. Finally, I found it! I refilled my water bottles, took a banana and Coke. Hot, regular, Coca Cola never tasted so good! I ate the banana and a Clif Bar, just sort of strolling along at 14 mph. The last 20 miles of the bike were a grind. I was mostly alone and the wind was fierce most of the time. There were even three short hills that had me in my granny gear and one had me standing while in the granny gear. They were short but tough. The worst one had people walking. Not me! Hah ha, though I was struggling.
I eventually finished the bike. Like I said, I felt great at the beginning. I didn't really push hard, it was all tailwind and seemed easy for the first half. I just fell apart. Oh, and the heat and humidity was pretty bad. Before you think I'm a baby, others were complaining about the heat too. I finished the bike in 3:21:51, averaging 16.5 mph. Again, way ahead of my 4 hour estimate. I even thought 3:30:00 would be nice to hit. So, a 3:21:51 is great, especially since I fell apart on the last 20. I would have been well under 3 hours if I could have held my pace. My bike ranked 111 of 126 (88%).
Here is the Garmin Connect bike data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/369104331 (it took a few minutes for the watch to get a satellite at the beginning)
Here is that same info in Strava:
My second transition felt even slower. My armpits were chafing from rubbing on my shirt, so I put more petroleum jelly on and chugged a Gatorade. Official T2 time was 6:13. Still better than my 8-10 minute estimate.
The run was a mostly flat bike trail out and back, four times. So, basically four 5K's. The trail was almost entirely in the open sun. I got sun burn on my shoulders and neck, and the humidity was in full swing as it was around noon. Very hot. They had water stations every mile though, which really helped. Because of the 3.2 miles out, 3.2 miles back, then repeat, I got to pass people way ahead of me. I saw John from Cincy Express who ended with a personal best of 5:45. I saw Bill and Joe from BAM who were just ahead of me. I tried to close the gap and catch them, but after a couple miles I was toasted. My 13.1 goal time was 2:30 to 2:45, and I wound up walking a ton and finishing in 2:59:19 (107 of 126 or 85%).
My total race time was 7:21:10, ranking me 112 of 126 (89%). I was 4th in my Clydesdale division too, though there were only 4 of us! Hah ha My goal was to just finish, which means under 8 hours. I think they disqualify you after 8 hours. And, I had a stretch goal of 7:30. So, I'm very happy with my time. Coming from me, that says a lot. I'm usually unhappy with several things and pissed at myself. So, this is a nice change.
Here is the Garmin Connect run info: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/369104342
Here is that same info in Strava:
My wife didn't plan on going, though she surprised me with the kids at my mid-13.1 turn around. That helped push me through the last 6 miles. I couldn't imagine watching my crazy son for an hour in the hot sun! At the end, I ran the finishing chute with my kids. It was great. I finished my first half Ironman!! The run was the worst part. The heat killed me, and more bike fitness would have saved me to have a better run. But, you can always train more. But the swim went well, my transitions were okay, and my nutrition plan was fine. I just need more fluids next time.
I'm writing this the day after, and I'm not really too beat up. The full marathon I ran was much worse. Today, my lower back is sore/tight, my quads are sore in the "I had a good workout yesterday" way, and I have sun burn on my shoulders. I have a tiny chafe spot, but otherwise I got off very lucky. My spirits were high yesterday, I loved the crowd and will definitely want to do this again.
My preliminary plan now is to rest a couple days, then focus on speed work as my next race is the LMT. It's a 6 miles canoe, 5 mile run, half mile hill climb, then 18 mile bike. I will work on short distance speed work and keep biking like I have been. After the LMT, some guys from work and I are hoping to run a November 5K that's in Blue Ash and pretty flat. So, the speed work will continue after the LMT. After the next two months of speed work, we'll be in the winter. My winter plan is to bike 6 hours a week, whether in spinning classes or on the bike trainer in the basement. I also want to do 2 hours a week of leg/core strength training. I saw this on a bike speed program. I will save up for a triathlon specific bike, and hope to hit 2014 twice the biker I was yesterday. Because biking is the largest part of triathlons, it's easier to drop 30 minutes off the bike time than the run or swim. I also enjoy the bike A LOT, and hope to one day be decent at it. A triathlon specific bike will be faster with less effort and it'll save my legs for the run because of the frame geometry. I still want to drop another 15-20 pounds to get my power to weight ratio up, and the lighter weight will help my run. I'm pretty okay with the swim. It will get better with time and I'll stick to swimming once or twice a week at the YMCA.
So, I have two more races this season. I think the Buckeye Challenge was my 8th or 9th race of 2013, so I'm winding down and almost done. I hope to break 3 hours at the LMT and 25 minutes at the 5K. These aren't fast times, but good for me.
Here are some photos from yesterday:
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