Long Course Worlds 8/31/2008
This is a long one, so just skip down to the swim start if you just want to hear about the race.
The past few weeks have been a bit crazy for me. I got a new job in
It was great to see all the old college buddies and play some polo. But, after three games and a birthday party I decided I still had enough energy to go out and party a bit. We won our first two game very easy and our last game of the day was against Dynamo. The team I have played with a couple times a year since college. We had a much better team, but the clock kept running and we could not get any breaks. We made a few mistakes and missed some breaks and lost in sudden death overtime. After the game I went to get some diner and then to visit the newest member to our family, my cousin Kim, had a baby boy 30 minutes before my birthday. Then we headed downtown to hang out with the guys and check out the highlands, not much had changed since college. After a few beers, a couple shots and a Jager boom I headed home. Our first game was at 8, but I still had to pack the bike up, so I did not get much sleep. We won the first game, but it was ugly. After the game I headed to my mom’s for birthday brunch with the grandparents and the rest of the family After a great meal and a slice of cake I headed back to the pool for the 3rd place game. I played the last game very well, I was finally shooting well and get some calls. My other grandparents came to watch that game so it was nice for them to see a good one. After the last game I headed back over to finish packing and head to the airport. It was a red eye flight, it was to longs day and shortest night every. I had been going hard for 72 hours straight and could not sleep well on the plane. Got off the plane in
The next couple days we slept in a lot and then went to
The race did not start until 8:30, we got up at 5 and eat a good breakfast then got on the early shuttle to the race, 6:00am. I got to the race site and got everything all set for the race and was ready by 7:30. USAT had a team doctor there and they fixed me up with a nice bandage for my ankle, then I headed to the swim start. I did not get in and warm up before the start, because I knew they would make us get out and it would just make me colder. At 8:15 we were all in the corral and were standing on the start line, just waiting for the start. Finally, it was time to start. I was not called up so I was on the second row. It was a beech start and the shore was to the right, so I got on the right side so I could run as far out as I could. I watched as the other guys dove in and started swimming and I just ran out past most of them on the right. I found a good spot and start the swim. It was a bit rough on the way out, lots of hitting and fighting for position on someone’s feet. We made the first turn and the wind was pushing the waves right into us. It was not going to be an easy swim. I made my way though the second turn on the inside and continued to move up with easy. Once we came back out of the water for the second loop, I saw that I was in fourth position, which is right were I need to be. I tried to relax and stretch out my stroke, but with the waves hitting me in my face every breath and the constant battle with the other swimmers it was not an easy swim, about 3K into the swim my legs started to cramp up, so I tried to keep my head down to save my legs. Finally, we entered the harbor and it was smooth water. I could see that there was not to many guys in front of me and I tried to move up, so I would have plenty of room in T1. I climbed the stairs out of the water and my feet came under me well. I rolled thought T1 and one guy pulled his bike out right in front of me, I got out of T1 and on my bike smoothly and was in second place. My heart rate monitor did not work for the first few miles on the bike, I just there was to much water in my suit. I let a couple guys go by me and tried to settle down. I did not want to let them go, because there was several guys from
Now the pain/run begins, I settled into a good pace, but my stomach quickly turned. I needed water and there was only 6 add station and they only had little cups of water. By the time I grabbed a couple sponges and a cup of water I was passed the add station. I should have walked the first couple, so I could get the water I needed. I was hoping to get a bottle at the coaches station, but they did not have any. It was hot and the wind was at our backs, which just made it hotter. I got through the first 10K and my stomach was getting better and the side stitches stopped. I was felling pretty good, but two guys got by me already. I finally caught one of the guys that was up the road. I had been chasing for the whole run and he was only a couple hundred yards up. The other guys in that group had pulled away and no longer in site. I knew the last lap was going to hurt, I was way down on water and it was not going to get any better. I got to the out and back section and I could see that Paul had closed the gap a bit but was not looking good. I decided to give it all I had in the next 5K and then the last 5k would be into the wind and I would just have to dig really deep. There was one age grouper that caught me how was on his first lap, we had some words, which really helped. He was wondering pace, by I had not clocked any split because only K’s were marked and that was of no use to me. I stuck with him through the hot section and then walked the add station as it was the last one I really needed. The last 8K was along the water and I could see the finish the whole way. I just kept it moving and tried to hold form. I finally made it to the finish, 5:58, which was a lot faster then I was hoping for. It was good for 8th overall. That French guy that flew by me at 2K won the race. He put 15 minutes on me in the run, man that is fast.
I posted some pictures from the race.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kevinalisska/LongCourseWorldSAmsterdam#
Long Course Worlds 8/31/2008
Here is the website, if you would like to see the results, before I get back.
http://www.triathlon-almere-2008.org/
Lake Logan Triathlon 8/2/2008
This was a fun local race I did last year and had a great time. It is a nice mountain lake swim with a pretty flat bike for the area and then a out and back run along the river. I have had some back luck in the last couple races and I need to have a good race without any problems before Long Course World on August 31st. It is right in the middle of a big block of training for me and I knew I would be a bit tired going into the race. But, I have had a very busy week. Starting a new job and get my house ready to sell, so my training has been a bit slack the past few days. I can into this race pretty fresh and very relaxed.
The swim was wetsuit legal, but there was a long run from the swim finsh to T1 and I did not want to have to carry my wetsuit or run that far in it. So, I wore my new Blue Seventy swim skin. I was a bit late to the start and did not have a chance to really warm up much, but with the ride to the transition from the car and the run from transition to the start I was ready. I started in the second wave, so I would have some people to chase down, which makes it easier to push the first part of the race. There was a $100 prime for the fast split on the swim, bike and run. So, I wanted to see if I could win all of them. I figured the fastest swim would be in my wave, so I just need to be the first out of the water in my wave. I was suprised to see a couple guys out to a very fast start. But, before the first turn they went a bit off course and I took the tanget line to pass them before the first bouy. Then i just settled into a nice pace and took the best line I could see. Most of the first wave was way inside of the line I took. I came out of the water and there were only a few guys from the first wave out ahead of me. I took the time to put on socks and slipped on my cocks to fun the half mile to T1, carring my swim skin. I found out later they let everyone leave there wetsuits at the swim finish, so I lost a little time in T1 from that and from putting on my bike shoes.
My Heart rate was back down before I even left T1, which would make for a fast bike. There was a little hill in the first few miles and I caught a few more guys from the first wave and then the course got pretty flat and I just kept the hammer down. I past the leader, Marty Gaal, at around 10 miles and I knew he had a pretty good swim time. He looked like was struggle a bit on the bike, I don't think he is racing as much this year. I hammered it through town and cought the lead motorcycle a couple times. He did a great job of leading me out, stayed way up the road and warned the marshalls that we were coming. But, was a bit slow on the turns. There was a pretty good head wind heading back and a bit of an up hill on the way back. I was all alone and just tried to stay focused. I passed some riders coming out, as I came back in and they were all very great. They all were giving me encouragement. I came into T2 and took my time, got some water and a gel, tied my shoes up and took off on the run. I went out a little fast and the road along the river is mostly up hill on the way out. I tried to keep pushing it and knew it would be much easier on the way back. after the turn around I took off agian. I was fling and feeling great on the way back. I should have warn a watch becouse I am pretty sure I set a new PR on the run back. I came into the finsh and still felt great. It is so nice to be in great shape, I can go out and kill it and it just feels like I did a hard workout.
We ran a bit of a cool down and then sat in the river for a bit. Then went over to the awards. I won all the splits, Swim 19:45, Bike 58:54 and run 35:05. Great day and it was a blast. After the race we rode up 215, an 11 mile climb up to the parkway and then back on the parkway to 151, were it was a great down hill into Enka, now it is time for a nap. I have another long ride tomorrow.
Ring of Fire 7/30/2008
I decided that I should start getting some points as a Cat 3, plus it is a great workout. I headed down to the track about 5:30 and the race started at 7. I had a great time peddling around talking with the other riders and watching the other races. There was a couple really fast guys out tongiht. Teddy King a local Pro that rides for Bessial was out and he would surely make the race fast tonight. The group looked a little temided to start and was just going to wait and see what Teddy was going to do. So, I decided to jump and see what happens. I got a good gap and settled into a steady pace, then the bell rang and I knew they would be coming. they came around be in turn 3 and I was quickly struggling to stay on. I fought back and settled in for a couple laps. I tried to get in a few other breaks that went, but nothing was sticking. then Teddy jumped as 2 I9 guys attacked. They were quickly out of reach and I worked trying to bring them back. But, the strongest team had two strong riders up the rode, so it was not happening. We were finally lapped and the race start over. I was hurting pretty bad from another strong attack, but that was a good time to go, with two laps before the bell. I took off and got a good gap. I was able ot hold on for three on the sprint. Then I was working with a group off the front and we stayed out for a while, before it came back together. With only a few laps to go, i figured I would give it one more shot and I jumped. But, they were not letting me go now. I sat up and rolled in for the finish. It was a great race, lots of attacks and lots of hard work, one day I will be able to make it stick.
French Broad Cycling Classic 7/18-7/20
This is a local omnium that I have done the past couple years. Friday was the time trail, out on the river in Marshall. I signed up early so I would have a late start time, because I am always late getting out of work and it would give me more time to make it out there. I decided that I need to put in some miles and I did not want to waste a lot of time driving out to the start. So, I rode from downtown to the start, which is about 20 miles. I left about 5 and I go only a couple miles before I got a flat. Yes, another flat… It was the same wheel that I got a flat on last weekend and I had just replaced the tube. So, it my have been a pinch in the tube, where it was not seated in the tire. I went to fix it and I had forgotten my CO2. I was stranded and I only had an hour before my start. Cara stopped to help she was on her way to watch the race. But, I had to catch a ride with Linden, because I would not have enough time to still make it. Finally got to the start and quickly put my number on and headed to the start. I was warm, but not the best pre race routine I could have done. I hammered it right out of the gate, just to see how long I could hold it about my FTP. The power slowly came down, but I felt strong the whole way out. Then on the way back in I continued to push and my legs did not give out. I just kept picking it up. I finished and felt like it was a solid effort. I was right around 27min for the 20K, which was 30 seconds faster then last year, and that was without a disc or areo front wheel. After the race I rode out to Hot springs and camped at Laurel Creek with Linden.
Day 2 was a crit in Brevard. I need to put in some time on the bike, so I rode from my house to Brevard. This was a good 30 mile warm-up. I had not rode my road bike in some time and I noticed my crank was loose. I put a wrench on it once I got to the race and it was good to go. I did a couple laps to familiarize myself with the turns and noted any bumps or bad places in the road. It was a short course with some fast turns, so I thought the best way to stay up right and keep it steady was to get off the front. I had a hard time getting into my peddles, because I was wearing my tri shoes and pedals. I slowly moved up for the first couple laps. But, the pace was pretty fast and there was not way I was going to get away. Then on a prem lap I went for the $10 and I had a little gap. I rode it out for a couple laps, I was killing it and only picking up a couple seconds each lap. I thought as long as I am getting some time it was worth making the field work. I quickly started lapping some of the field. There was a chase group of about 12 riders that were working hard to keep me close. Then after about 20 laps, they finally sat up and I was able to get some time up. Then I came up on the main field and we had about 10 laps left. I rode through the field and started pulling them back up to the group that was chasing me. I was able to get some help from the lapped riders. But, it was not enough to bridge up to the chase group. I won and almost lapped the whole field. After the race I cooled down a bit and then rode out to the fish hatchery and went for a swim with Linden. It was a nice easy 30 miles, giving me close to the 5 hours I need on Saturday.
Sunday was the Asheville Crit. – I slept in and went for a run around noon. Then I headed to the race, I wanted to see some of the Pro ½ and 3’s race. I rode about 20 miles over to the race and then got some lunch as I watched the races. It was a great atmosphere, with lots of people out watching. I went out for a good warm-up to make sure my lunch was settled. I got to the start and everyone was already lined up. I got off to a good start and stayed in the field for a couple laps, there was a prem and I let someone else attack. A couple laps later they gave away a jersey and no one seemed to want it, so I attacked hard and took it. The filed was right on me, but there was a gap that was opening. I hammered it for a couple more laps to see if we could get away. It worked, there was a group of 6 of us that got a little break and a couple of the other guys helped to make it stick. We attacked the break a couple times trying to lose as many as we could. There was a couple guys that were stronger and I worked with them to make it hard on the others. Attacked and counter attacked. The laps just ticked off and we eventually caught the many pack. I rode through them as best I could and sat in the last couple laps. Then the bell lap come before I was completely recovered. But, I attacked hard at the top of the hill. I wanted to be the first to the last turn and not take any chances of getting boxed in. I killed it up the hill and won my a half a wheel. It was great to feel so strong at the end of two long days.
Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon – International 7/13/2008
This is one I missed last year because of a wedding. It looked like a great race and I have a good shot at the money. It is a river swim (1500) point to point, the transition is on a nice grass lawn in downtown. The bike is an out and back on a highway, long rolling hills with just a few turns. The run is a bit weird as it goes down a riverfront parkway and jumps up some stairs and onto a path.
It was a Sunday race so we headed out Saturday morning and took our time getting to Chattanooga, it was a nice and easy drive. Got there and a storm rolled through, which brought back the nightmare in Morgantown a couple weeks ago. Had a good ride and easy run to loosen the legs and had an early dinner. We got to the hotel around 8 and we were relaxing in bed by 9, ready for the race. The start was a time trial start, which I don’t like because you can’t really tell were everyone is. Plus the age groupers were able to collect money, so they have a good change a coming from behind. Starting an hour back, they have the advantage of others on the course to slip stream off and block the cross wind on the bike. But, they are fighting the crowds a bit, so it’s a wash really.
Race morning we got up early 5:15, it gave us time to eat and prepare before we left for the race. Got to the race and did not really warm-up, except for the walk to the start. It was a nice walk along the run course to a big field were they staged everyone. They made a big hip about the pro’s and they made us get over to the start with 30 minutes to sit around. It was nice to hang out a bit with the local pro’s and it was pretty laid back start. I was fourth to start and thought I could catch up to the leader and hang on his feet. But, after hammering the first 500 I was not making up any time on him. I settled in and made the best of it. I felt strong the whole swim despite the large effort at the beginning. I had a clean transition and was off on the bike as it started to pour. I keep the leader in site on the long rolling hills. Lovato caught me around mile 8 and I stayed with him for a bit. Then I got a flat, it was the front wheel. I had some struggles changing the tube, the extender was taped on and would not come off. The pouring rain just made it worse. I got it changed and was back on the road before the women came by. I still thought I could have a decent race, knowing that I would be out of the money because the age groupers would not be far behind in a international distance race. Then about mile 18 I got another flat. I rode it out for a couple miles, until it when completely flat. I hang out on the side of the road for 10 or 15 minutes before a sag car came by and I switched wheels with another athlete; thanks number 720. I finished up the bike and took my time in T2. I took a couple gels and headed out on the run. I ran a stead tempo and was flying by people. I made my way all the way up to the fastest of the age groupers and felt great the whole time.
I got home and took a big thrown out of my tire, at least I figured out what was the cause of the flats this time. It was a long drive for a workout, but it was a good race and I would do it again.
Race report Spirit of Morgantown WV
I jumped in this race a few weeks out, because of were it fit in my schedule and it has some money, which I had a shot at at least recovering my expenses for travel. The shot at making any real money went way down when a couple really fast guys signed up; Dave Thompson, Richie Cunningham and Bryan Rhodes, plus a bunch of others that are closer to my level. I got my new Ceepo frame and was working on putting it together all week, it is a bit smaller then my Cervelo P2C. I had to go with a longer stem with a bit more rise, so the bars I got with the bike will have to go back. I picked it up on Friday and did not get a chance to ride it before I left on Saturday morning. I was planning on riding the course, but it took a bit longer to get there. It was not a easy drive and took 7 hours. I was going to pre-ride the course, but when we got there a big storm rolled in and it poured right when we got out. I went and signed in and went to the pro meeting, then hoped to get a ride in. But, it was still raining and I did not have enough time to ride the course. So, the only ride I got in was a around the parking deck, then check my bike in and went to dinner.
I roomed with Daniel and we got up a 4:45, got some breakfast and headed to the start at 5:30. Got a good per ride warm-up in and everything was in order. I took off the areo drink, because the road was so bad it splashed out even with the new cover. I put on a cage and rode it that way. I headed to the swim start and got a chance to warp-up in the river a bit. They changed the start to a dock dive start, from an in water start. I took off and jumped on someone’s feet right away. This guys was really working and I thought for sure he would slow up. We rounded the turn buoy and I was right on his feet, then he started swimming all over the place, I lost his feet about half way through the swim. I was still working really hard and took a quick look back and the rest of the field was a good ways back. I kept pushing. There was all kinds of crap in the water from the storm and the swim seem to be a bit long. It did not help that I was all over the course not really knowing were to swim with the current. I came out of the water in great shape, 45 seconds down on the leader and a minute up on the field.
I made it off on the bike quickly and was hammering away, my hamstringers were a bit tight and I could not tell if it was the hard swim or the bike fit I did in the parking lot last night. I finally felt good when I got to the first u turn on the course. As I came around the turn my wheels slipped a bit, from the wet roads and race slicks. I did not go down, but Dave and Daniel caught me at that point. I stayed with Dave for the next few miles. The USAT rules have us staggered, which means that you stay back the 10 meters and you ride on the opposite side of the lane from the rider in front of you. This was the first time I had rode with this rule and I love it. There is no way to even get a draft at the 10 meters back, so it prevents the pack from helping each other and there for less packs will form and less drafting to worry about.
Here was the end of my race, at mile 6 on the bike, Dave and I missed a turn. We rode all the way back to the waterfront and no one said anything about us going the wrong way. Dave sat up and the called it a day. I rode back out. But, I got a flat. I fixed it and then headed on. I found the turn I missed and rode well passing all the age groupers along the way. I was 6 miles from the turn for the second loop when I got my second flat. I did not have another tube and so I started walking. I ran a couple miles before a truck stopped and gave me a lift back to town. I put up my bike and talked a bit about how the race was going with Richard’s parents and wife, then I decided to head out on the run. I figured I mine as well get a good workout in.
I ran great and felt very strong. I held a good pace and stopped to help others along the way, it was nice to not be so deep into the race. I was able to enjoy the run course a lot. I ran about a 1:25. Turned out the guy that was out front, crashed on the bike and Dave dropped out. So, this left it up for grabs to all the guys I was racing with. Daniel had a great race and ended up winner, with a solid run.
Enka/Biltmore Lake –
Well this was a great local race I just could not miss. Everyone around town was talking about it and several cyclists were dabbling in the triathlon seen for the first time. My dad came up to visit and Scott and his family came up to. The Triathlon club has been growing and this was a big race to get everyone together and gave us something to talk about for the next few weeks.
I had no trouble sleeping, I was still a bit off from my trip to SF last weekend. We got up and were out the door with plenty of time. Scott and I arrived got everything set up and took as spin on the bike. The swim was an in water start, but the water was really warm. I did get a chance to swim a bit before the start. We lined up and there was plenty of guys looking to hang on my feet. The gun went off and I just took a 100 yards or so before I looked up. I was a bit off course and the rest of the field did not follow me. So, I was all alone. I turned the buoy and already had a good lead. I set a good pace and tried my best to stay on course, but there was quit a bad glare from the sun and I did have some trouble seeing the finish. I came out of the water with a good minute lead. The was nice to have the time to stay relaxed and I was off on the bike in no time.
The bike course was great, it had a few steep hills and a few sharp turns, about it was mostly rolling country roads with little to no traffic. I took a quick peek on the big hill about 8 miles in and they was a couple guys a bit back. I dropped the hammer on the way back and tried to maintain a good rhythm on the broken up course. I came into T2 and was still alone. I took off for the run and stayed relaxed. I settled into a good pace, not blazing but a good tempo. I was almost to the bridge before I heard the crowed cheer for the next group coming in. I kept a strong pace the rest of the race and just cruised in.
It was really great to see everyone out at the race and watch so many people from our community give Triathlon a try. I think the table was out of applications in the first 15 minutes.
Florida 70.3 Orlando, FL 5/18/08
This has been on my schedule for some time and I really wanted to have a break through race here. I trained through Cali 70.3 and did not do anything but a couple local races to keep my legs fresh leading up to the race. I did put in a lot of hours over the winter (30+ hours at my peak base weeks). Then I picked up the intensity about 6 weeks out from Cali. I could really feel my legs getting stronger and I was killing all the bike workouts. I backed off the run and cut it down to just the necessities (long run, tempo and some speed play). This is the first year I have swum; I mean actually go to the pool with a workout 2 or 3 times a week. In the past, I have been able to rely on my swimming background and swimming on rainy days or as a recovery day.
I cut back on the volume 2 weeks out, but I kept up the intensity for the first week. I did Clemson sprint to make sure everything was working and I could get one last real push in. Then the week before, I did something really dumb. I rode my track bike down to the track for a race (20 miles each way). On the way, I crashed, because I did not have any brakes on my track bike and I was running a 91.8 inch gear. I raced very well that night and it was by far the best racing yet for the Mellowdrome cup this year. We really took it to the Industry nine guys. After the race I rode home in the dark. I was on my bike from the time I left work 5:15 to 9:15, pushing that big gear all over town.
The next day I could feel my legs, it was like I had done weights the day before. I took it very easy the rest of the week, only doing a couple short runs with strides, a spin on the bike and a short swim. We left for Florida on Friday morning. It was a 9 hour drive. Got to Orlando, went to Janet’s Birthday party and then headed to the hotel for some sleep. Kyle, Renee, Kurt and Adam got in around 10:30 and joined us in the hotel room. The next morning, we got up and went to breakfast and then headed to the race site. It was much hotter then I was expecting. I had to hang around all day waiting on the Pro meeting, before heading to dinner. After diner we headed back to the hotel and got everything ready. We got up at 4:30 and I ate some oatmeal, a bagel, a banana and a couple bottles of Powerbar endurance. We took the shuttle over and made it to the race site. I got to my bike and put some air in the tire and set up my transition, then headed to the start. Luckily there were plenty of bathrooms around and was able to take one last visit while they were doing the pre race prayers and introductions. I got over to the start about 3 minutes before the start and got suited up. I found a place on the line, waited for the gun, but no gun just a count down and then we took off.
I was able to run quite a ways out before the depth dropped; this helped me get out in front of the crowd. I quickly found my way over to the feet of the leader and I just sat in. I was surprised how slow the pace was. Usually it is pretty quick for the first few hundred yards. I rounded the first buoy and was still in good shape. Then the second turn buoy I did not turn sharp enough because I was on the outside and was headed toward a red kayak instead of a red buoy. I found my way back to the pack and I was in the mix with lots of contact. So, I surged up to the front and found my way on to some feet that were a bit off the front. I settled in, but the pace started to pick up. At first I thought I was just not recovered from the surge, but the pace was picking up. I held on to Bryan Rhodes’ feet for the rest of the swim, came out right in the front with TJ and Crowie right on my heels.
I made my way through the long transition and Crowie ran by, but I gabbed my helmet and bike and was the first one out of T1. Rhodes tried to ride the sand and had to stop and get off, I rode by and was out on the bike; all I had to do was hold everyone off and I would win (yeah right). I settled in and the pack came by one by one, I just sat back and relaxed as they lined up in front of me. I just stuck to the back for the first 20 miles. Then I could see there were gaps opening and I knew soon it would break. I surged up to the front and fell in behind Spencer. I spent the next 20 miles with them and we got a little lead on the rest of the guys. Crowie was not looking good all day. I think he was expecting TJ or Chris to pull us through the bike and he was stuck at the front setting pace most of the day. Crowie was sitting in on Spencer when Amey and Santiago attacked on a "hill" they quickly gapped us and then Crowie went to the front only to lead us through the sidewalk detour at a snail’s pace. I guess he did not want anyone to get away and he wanted to make sure he did not go down. They put 2 mins on us from mile 40 to T2. There were 5 of us that came in T2 together. I took my time to put on socks, because I always get blisters when it is hot out. I passed one guy within the first mile, then Marcus around mile 2. Spencer was just a few seconds up, then I lost him when he went after Crowie. They were both about a minute up on me until Spencer passed Crowie, then Crowie started coming back. I finally passed him around mile 11, and he seemed to slow even more as I passed him. At mile 12 Courtney came by me and I was so over heated I could not match his pace. Luckily a rain storm rolled up just after that and I was able to finish up strong, but was not able to close the gap on Courtney. I did not wear a watch, so when I turned the corner for the finish and saw 3:59:45, it was even better then seeing the finish line in Louisville last year.
Congratulations to everyone who finished! That was one of the hardest runs I have ever done and it was even hotter for those that started in the later waves.
Mellowdrome Cup – Bunch night 5-13-08
Here it is the middle of my taper week and I get talked into coming out and help out at the track. It is also, strive not to drive week. So, I was trying to do my part and cut back on my carbon footprint. On Monday night I tried to put a brake on the track bike, but I did not have the right parts to do it. I decided to ride into work anyway. I quickly remembered that I changed out my gears last week and I am running a I 91.8inch gear (Huge for around town)
I head out of work and start down 191 (narrow 2 lane road) I am trying to keep speed as traffic is moving pretty fast. Then I am on the biggest down hill and a car is taking a left up the road. The cars are stopping quickly and I am all back on the pedals trying to slow down. Then I rip the cleat out of the pedal, breaking it off. Now I have only one leg and all the cars are stopped a 100 yards up the road. I am able to dive off the road in the grass and start to turn it up hill, my wheels come out from under me. Lucky, I was able to shave off a good bit of speed and land in a nice grass field. But, that could have been ugly. I jump back on the bike and pass all the cars that are still stopped and staring at me. (thinking what in the world is that guy doing, “Way don’t you have brakes”) I head to the bike shop and get a set of cleats, change them out and head on my way to the track. I still make it in time to register and make some minor adjustments to the cleats and seat height. I lowered it a bit, so I can spin a bit faster without bouncing out of my saddle.
The first race is a stretch race, 10 laps first to cross the line. I lay low, as the field is pretty strong this week with a couple Industry 9 guys in the mix. My teammate Gen and Sperry (Team CTM) got away early. Thinking the Industry 9 guys would fun them down, we just sit in and wait. Then Darin gets a little inpatient and asked us to bring them back. Josh and I go to the front and work with Emory to pull them back. But, it was to late, they had a half lap and were running strong. Darin was going to try and jump up, but winning the field sprint to take 3rd works fine.
Next up was the unknown distance, this race is always fun. It can be anywhere between 8 and 99 laps. Josh and I attacked a couple times, along with Emory and Spruce, but nothing stuck and it was just a game playing until the bell. It rang at 13 laps and Jason was on the front, Darin and Gen were 3 and 6. Gen made an early move and Darin jumped not knowing it was Gen. Gen was able to jump on Darin wheel and they took 1st and 2nd.
After the Madison was the points race. 24 laps, sprints every 4 laps. It started off very fast and I just hung on for the first couple laps. The speed slowed a bit, so I attacked hard and got away. I held on for the first sprint win, then rejoined the group. Jason and Ryan attacked several times, but they could not get away. I contested a couple sprints, but could not get much going so I just helped bring back attacked and kept everyone on edge. The final sprint was strung out by Jason and Darin was sitting on the back. I was 5 back, so I jumped early and pulled Darin to the front. He and Gen flew on by at 150 to go and went on to win. Overall it was a great night, 1st, 2nd and I ended up 5th.
Then it was time for the ride home. 20 miles in the dark on that huge gear. I was feeling the sprints and it was much longer then I should be going 5 days before the A race. It was a great leg workout at such a slow cadence up those hills. I finally made it home at 9:15 after a stop at the Bank and to get diner. I was nice to ride and get some things done with out burning gas. But, I will do it on the road bike in the future.
http://picasaweb.google.com/retro402/Mellowdrome51308
Clemson Triathlon 5/10/08
I jumped in this race at the last minute. I had it on my schedule awhile back, but never signed up. I just felt like racing and it worked out well in my schedule. I was heading to Atlanta and Clemson was on the way. I got up early and drove down the morning of the race. I got to the race with plenty of time, but after waiting in line and catching up with everyone, I only had time to ride about 5 miles and run a couple. I headed down to the water and swam a bit as the first wave started and then headed over to the start.
I hammered the swim right out of the gate, I wanted to put some time in early and recover the last half of the swim. I drifted off to the left several times. I guess I need to start breathing to the left more. I rounded the first turn and seemed to be pretty clear of the group. I rounded the second turn and headed back for the beach. I slowed up and was stretching my stroke out and Steven Lucky came up beside me. He must have been on my feet for awhile. We swam in together and he ran strong up the hill. I took my wetsuit down and caught my breath. I took my time in T1, hung my wetsuit over the rake, put on my helmet and I was off. The road was a bit bumpy on the way out, so I waited until I was on the main road to put on my shoes. I felt strong, just a little winded on the first couple miles of the bike. It is a pretty hilly course and the wind was not much of an issue. I passed by one junior on the bike and kept the hammer down all the way into T2. I took my time putting on socks and shoes for the run. I tried out Brooks Burns. They are a light weight trainer, which I think I will wear next weekend for the half. I felt great on the run, I kept it nice and smooth, rolling over the hills.
It was a great workout and good pace to hold for the half. I will have to go a bit easier in the swim and I should be able to hold that on the bike. Hopefully, it will be a bit faster with fewer hills and no huge potholes for the first and last miles. I figured I was swimming about 1:05 pace, the long run up is included in the time. My bike avg was 24 at 302w. I think that kind of wattage I should be able to hold 26 in Florida and my run was solid at 17:20, 5:34 pace. Now, I just need to hold that for 4 times as long. Next weekend should be fun. J
http://www.upstatetoday.com/news/2008/may/11/winners-warm-clemson-triathlon/
Ring of Fire #1
http://trackracer.blogspot.com/
Yes, Gen was working for me and I could not hold his wheel, They guys are to close and going way to fast for me. Lucky thing I got off the front.
http://ashevillebike.proboards3.com/index.cgi?board=Race2&action=display&thread=316
Mellowdrome Cup Race Group night #2
I got up early this morning and headed down to the track for my workout today. It was time to see if I am making any headway on the bike. I did an functional threshold power test or FTP. The protocol is a good warm-up with some pick ups and a 5 min effort, then a recovery and endurance pace for 10 minutes. Then it is 20 minutes all out. I did improve a bit and I am up to 342w, I still have some work to do. I would like to be up to 375 by Ironman Florida.
After a long day at the office, I headed back to the track. It was a typical bunch night at the Mellowdrome. First up as always the scratch race, 12 laps winner is who ever crosses the line first. We bet up on the other guys last week, and only Chris Emory from Bio Wheels showed up to play. I jump started the group at the whistle and they quickly were on. Josh countered my attack then Ryan Emory Attacked. Being out all alone this was a gutsy move. He could not catch Josh and we work together to keep them in touch the whole race. With 7 laps to go, we caught them and tried to blow by them, but Chris was able to get back on. We sat up for a lap and I was given them some room, to get some momentum to pass on the bell lap and they jumped just before I caught them. I could not make up the gap and Chris held on for 3rd.
Next up was the tempo race. 1st gets 2 pts and 2nd gets 1 pt every lap. They moved a couple of the B guys up that need to be with us anyway, Jason Sprouse and Chris Otahal, who are plenty strong enough to hang. I went after the first couple and tried to stay on. But, a gap opened and I was unable to close it. I spent the whole race 10ft off the wheel in front of me, not good…
Last was the points race, I was doing pretty good for a while then I got caught making a big effort and then Chris attacked and I was off the back for a sprint lap. I was not to far off the back and Chris and Jason were with me, and Jason was just sitting in waited for everyone to be winded. He made his move after the 3 sprint lap 13. I had just pulled him back and I new everyone would not be able to jump on after that sprint. I tried to jump and did not quit get on his wheel, I had jumped a second to late and it cost me 2 bike lengths. I held that 2 bike lengths for 2 laps, then he pulled away, the rest of the group had sat up and let us go. I held on for the 4th sprint then when back to the field and limped home.
DeathCamp Weekend 4/26/2008
http://picasaweb.google.com/kevinalisska/VACreeperAndDeathCampApril08
Mellowdrome cup series race #1
I needed a break from the TT bike today, I went down to the track and did the Mellowdrome Cup race. Josh called me and asked if I could make it. I warmed up well and did a few jumps. My legs were very sore from the workout yesterday. The first race was a scratch race. I took the lead on the neutral lap and hammer it. After a couple laps I let the field come by and Josh attacked. I countered and then he went again. I let him go and they had a break. Superer came to the front and rode me off. I was spent. The field came back together and I was able to get back on, only to get blow off the back again at the sprint. Next was miss and out. I was to block and protect Gene and Thad, I did my job and we had 4 in the final 6, Thad won. Finally the points race, we did 24 laps sprints every 4. Josh and I attacked, I got away around lap 14 and stayed away for a couple laps, Thad bridged up to me and we took another sprint. then I was done and lumped in for the last sprint.
The long Weekend on the bike!
I had planned on going to Boone this weekend or at least Linville to do some camping, but the weather turned bad and the temperatures were dropping on Saturday night. Scott and Murph both had birthdays on Friday, so they were throwing a party for each other. So, I changed my plan to ride to Charlotte instead of Boone. They are both about a 2 hour drive away from my house. I had a hard week of training this week, but have been feeling very strong. So, I figured I would cover the 80-90 miles in about 4 hours.
Friday night I went out for some beers with some friends at ABC and then called it an early night. I got up early on Saturday and made it to swim practice at 7am. I felt great in the water and did a couple of strong sets, then went out to eat breakfast with Kyle and Renee. I had a couple things to take care of around the house, to finish up the basement, which is about all done; just needed to move stuff in and touch up some paint and trim. I spent some time cleaning and checking my bike over, and put on the Hydro tail. It had broken off several times so I took some bolts and bolted to the seat. I was going to drill some holes in the seat post, but I thought this would hold it for now. I will do that next time I have a chance as it still was loose and moving around once I put a couple water bottles in it. By 1:00pm I was ready to get on the road. I had to run by Kyle's house and drop off Buster. He could not make the trip this time. I finally got on my bike around 2:30 in Lake Lure. I figured I would not want to climb out of Hickory Nut Gorge Sunday afternoon. I left my maps at the office so I was going a little blind on this one. I knew the way to Rutherfordton and then figured I would just head east. It was great and I was riding fast for the first 2 hours. Then I found myself on Hwy 221, the key number 1, which means a road that goes North/South, because of its odd number. I road all the way to Gaffney in SC before I found another road with a even number. I road another hour to find myself back in Shelby, 15 miles east of Rutherfordton. I had gone about 30 miles out of the way. I knew it was going to be a long day. I got back on track heading east until I found myself on Hwy 74, which is a 4 lane highway and not a safe road to ride on. So, I turned back down south and ended up back in SC, but I know this area a little better from the Over the Mountain Triathlon I have done in the past few years. I made my way back to Kings Mountain, where I knew I could just take Hwy 74 east all the way to Charlotte. There is one section, where it merges with 85 and it like a highway, but there is a large shoulder and I was out of options. By this time it was 6:30pm and I was still almost 40 miles away. I made it to Gastonia before I called for help. Murph was happy to come out and pick me up. I stopped and picked up some dinner and waited for him to take me to his Party. Turns out Charley did make it down and she was on her way to Scott’s when Murph was on his way to pick me up. I wish I would have called her, I would have liked to spend a little more time alone with her this weekend. I finally made it to the party at 9:30 after a stop on the way. Everyone was already there and I showed up in my spandex and jersey, lucky thing most of the partiers were also triathletes. I grabbed a shower and headed to the keg for a beer. Charley and I played a couple games of beer pong. I kept it under control, because I knew I had a long ride back the next day. The party was a lot of fun. I got to see a bunch of guys I had not talked to in a while. Everyone left pretty early and everyone else went out. We stayed in and everyone headed to bed around 1am, which is late for us.
Here are some pictures from the party.
http://picasaweb.google.com/julie.conway
Sunday morning we slept in as much as we could. Everyone was a bit hung over. We made it out to breakfast and got some great bagels from Owen’s, then headed out on the ride. Charley, Julie and Murph lead out to Belmont, about were Murph had picked me up the night before. My Power Tap was not workings so I stopped at a drug store and got a new battery for it and some Powerade. I rode straight out Hwy 74, which was better than going in the wrong direction. The wind was right in my face the whole day, which just made the long ride even longer. I made it to Kings Mountain on Hwy 74 and then headed up towards Moss Lake and took the Northern route home. I met up with 74 B in Shelby and it took me straight through town. It joined back up with Hwy 74 and by this time it was more like a highway, but there was a large shoulder and the speed limit was 55, so I stuck it out for a couple miles. It was 5:00pm on Sunday night, 60 miles from my house. I headed down the highway on my bike, straight into the wind and I look up only to see a rain storm right in front of me. I continued to look up and see this storm for the next hour until the wind picked up and it started to rain. I was able to get off the highway and onto 74B just a mile up the road after it started raining. It was just plan miserable for the next 30 minutes. My hands were frozen, so I stopped at the Dollar General to see if they had some gloves. It was nice and warm in there. I picked up some gloves and snacked on some cookies for a while as I warmed up. The rain was not going anywhere so I headed back out in it. My hands were much better and it started to clear. The sun was out up the road. I road on through Forest City, Ellenton, Shelby and then Rutherfordton, all of which were the nicest little towns. I found where I missed my turn the day before. I went straight across on 74 and missed 74 B. I climbed up to Lake Lure, which was not much climbing, but still was into the wind. After more then 12 hours of riding I returned to my car. I did not get an accurate distance, but it was close to 220 miles. I was amazed how good I felt. I put on my running shoes and went for a 30 minute run around the Lake Lure Park, then called it a day and headed home.
70.3 Ironman World Championships – Clearwater, Fl
At the beginning of my season, I set several goals including:
- Beat all the women and age groupers at St. Croix.
- Win the South Carolina Series
- Win the North Carolina Series
- Finish Ironman Louisville, with a smile.
I qualified for Clearwater at St. Croix and thought it would be a great opportunity to race against the best in the world, so I took it. I had achieved all my goals, with the exception of the smile at the finish line in Louisville. I certainly had a smile that lasted the weeks following Ironman, but I was not smiling the last 6 miles of the run. It was the hardest thing I have ever done and it was right up there with the time I bonked at mile 95 of the Assault on Mt Mitchell and rode the last 18 miles in a daze.
After Ironman, I struggled to get back on a consistent training program and struggled on all my runs for the next month. I was racing every weekend and did not have time or energy to put in big miles on the bike. I decided to go with lower volume and more intensity in my workouts to keep up my fitness. I finally started to come around with a few weeks left before Clearwater but the days got shorter and I was unmotivated to go kill myself in the dark on my TT bike. I did a little of everything and still did not put in the needed volume. However, the week before the race I felt like I was still fit and ready to have a good race.
Traveling to Clearwater in the RV was very nice and made the trip easy. We got down there and had everything set to go with plenty of time to relax. The night before the race, Kurt had to go pick Ashley up from the airport and my Dad was running late, so I had to walk to find dinner and it was quite a hike. I got up race morning and took down a smoothie, banana and a Powerbar. I headed to the start and got all my stuff ready, but was not allowed to put my visor in my T2 bag, so I would have to do without it on the run. I hit the pot-o-let one last time and headed to the start. The Pro women went off and we were stuck standing in the cold sand for 10 minutes just waiting. I could not get to the line, so I was one row back. The gun went off and I made my way into the water and was in the middle of the pack. This is not somewhere I am used to being and I did not like it a bit. Guys were swimming over me and I was forced to swim hard and fight for position. I made my way out of the pack and headed straight for the buoys. The pack was drifting inside and so I just swam along beside them. At the first turn I was still in good position and sitting top 20. Then we made the second turn and headed straight into the sun. I must have gotten off course because once I spotted the group they had 50 yards on me I was in no man's land for the rest of the swim and just swam nice and easy, really stretching it out. I came out of the water and saw 34 on the clock, with the women’s ten minute head start. That was good, but knew I had missed the first group by about a minute.
I grabbed my T1 bag and headed to the tent. I got my stuff on and then had to go back in the bag for my belt. I hate the “clean” transitions. I grabbed my bike and was off. I hammered it past a few guys in the first couple miles, then a couple guys came by me. I was steadily passing a few women for the whole bike and could see that the leaders had a good gap on me at the turn around point. The second half of the bike was fast, the wind was at our back and I felt great. As we came back through town, the two guys that were in the penalty tent came by me. Then a mile later I passed one of them lying in the road. He had been hit by a car and the police were running over to him. I grabbed bottle at the next add station and took down a couple gels. It was too late, I turned that corner and headed back into the wind and I started to feel pretty bad. My hamstrings were tight and I had to sit up a lot. I still managed to pass a few more women and felt better the last 5 miles. Then I came into T2 and grabbed my bag, and headed into the tent. I put on my shoes and was off. My legs were still tight and it took a few miles to get them loosened up. I settled into a good pace, but I knew I was not going to make the goal pace of 1:17. I got passed by one guy that was breathing very hard, and thought I could run that fast and would not be struggling that much. But, I could not keep up and he left me in his dust. Then I made the turn and headed back over the bridge. I started feeling very bad and I knew I was in for a rough time on the second lap. I made the turn for my second lap and saw I was off pace to break 4 hours and with the way I was feeling I was not going to have my usual negative split run. The next 6 miles were a struggle every step, age groupers were flying by me and this killed me even more.
I made it to the finish and was very happy to be finished, finished with the race and finished with the season. I was very dehydrated and just plan exhausted. I came into the race with high hopes and thought I could continue the wave. I did not put in the training and I did not drink enough on the bike. The conditions were not all that hot, but with the intensity I was pushing, I used more energy and water than in previous races this year. I might not have done all that much better, but I would have felt a little better without having to stop and drink at every aid station on the run.
Overall my season was great. I am ending the season on a bad race which only motivates me to train harder over the winter and race smarter in the future. I have already addressed a major issue with my hamstrings going early on the bike. I went to a bike fit class, POWERFIT, and not only got fit by 15 of the best fitters around, but also learned a great deal about why and how to correct other problems that I or training partners might face down the road.
It’s snowing outside and it is not even Thanksgiving yet. I am going to go home and work on my basement. It will soon be a nice retreat from the cold for winter training, bike maintenance and fitting. Who knows...I might make a living doing this sooner than I thought.
Setup Events Championship Invitational - Raleigh, NC 10/20/2007
The end of the season is finally here, seems just about everyone is ready for it to be over. This weekend was the setup events invitational where the top qualifiers from the NCTS as well as the South Carolina Triathlon Series, the Virginia Triathlon Series, and the Endurance Triathlon Series are invited. The part that makes this race interesting is that the girls get a 14 minute head start and the winner takes all, male or female. There are some very fast girls in the NCTS, (first and second at worlds), but it had been a long season for them and they decided to focus on world and not take their shot this year. There is plenty of other talent in the women’s field from the SCTS and VATS, and I was not sure how we would stack up. The men’s field was also tired and slim conceding the talent in the region. There were only a handful of the best that came to the race, but again I was not sure how I would stack up against the guys from Virginia.
It was a late start and I was staying with Matt who lives in Raleigh, so I got to sleep in a bit and still got to the race with time to warm-up and get everything settled before the start. I had felt great this week training and my only fear was that I did too much this week. But, I have been sleeping well and eating right, so I should be recovering quickly as I have keep the workouts short but intense. I headed down to the start to watch the girls go off. Then did a little swim to make sure the wetsuit was on just right. The girls were about done with the swim by the time we got started. I wanted to just sit in behind Matt on the swim and relax as much as possiable. This did not happen. I got off to a bad start, trying to stay behind Matt. I was stuck in the middle of the pack for the first few hundred yards before it settled down. I stuck on Matt’s feet and felt like we were going at a very easy pace most of the way and before I knew it we were out of the water. I quickly got my wetsuit down and made the long run up to T1. I was out of my wetsuit and on my bike with a quick and smooth transition.
Once on my bike I had a bit of trouble getting into my shoes, but I was rolling pretty well in no time. I quickly passed the first swimmer that was about 20 seconds in front out of the water of Matt and me. I was picking off girls very quickly for the first 10 miles. I was able to take down most of my Powerbar endurance in the first half of the bike and it was starting to get a bit hot, so I grabbed a water bottle at the handoff. I was able to take down two PowerGels with the water on the second half of the bike. I was feeling relaxed and strong, maybe a bit too relaxed, as my mind started to wonder about mile 20. I regained focus as I saw a couple more ladies up the road. I reeled them in and was the first one back in the park. At this point I was feeling very good, as I knew I could out run anyone who was close to me at this point. I came into T2, calm and carefully took my time putting on my shoes and grabbed my number and I was off. As I was leaving T2 I could hear another guy coming in off the bike.
The plan was simple for the run; keep it under control and out of reach. I set a good pace and my legs were feeling good off the bike. The course was a two loop out and back, which makes for a good race if it is close. Everyone can see where everyone else is and how they are looking. After the first turn it was a good 30 seconds before I saw Bryan the second place runner. I smiled and waved, knowing the better I looked, the less likely he would feel like he could run me down. It was nice to pass all the other runners out on the course, everyone is very supportive of each other and this makes for a more enjoyable run. I made the half way turn and started to lap runners on their first lap, they all were very encouraging. I could see that Paul was not going to catch Bryan and Matt was coming up strong on Paul. Bryan would hold his place and only lose a little ground to Matt, and Paul fell back to fourth. I finished up strong, trying to work on my pace. It is going to be tough to run that pace for 13.2 miles in Clearwater in a few weeks. But, that is the only way I am going to make a big cut in my time and have a chance to really move up.
I really enjoy these setup races and I hope I will be able to fit them in my schedule next year. I like all the people and the support that everyone gives one another; it is why I got into racing. The swim was very short again this year. 14:43 (58 / 100m). The bike was rolling with plenty of climbs, but I still need to work on my bike a bit. 1:04:45 (23.7 mph). My run was solid and I felt very strong. 34:45:00.00 (5:35:16 / mi). It might have been a bit short as well, bit still a solid time.
Hickory Knob 10/13/2007
The last race of the South Carolina Series was Hickory Knob. They had an international and sprint distance at the same time. It was also a collegiate event, so there were a lot of young guys and gals. I headed down on Friday night after work and arrived in McCormick, SC around 8pm. Met my mom at an Italian restaurant in town and it took forever to get dinner. Then, we headed to the motel to get some sleep, but the motel had given away our room and they had nothing left. So, we got back on the road and headed to Lincolnton, where we stayed in a very bad roach motel, the only one in town.
We did get to sleep in a bit, because the race start was not until 9am. We got to the race site at 7:30 and went through the drill of getting ready. It took 30 minutes to pick up my packet, so I did not have a chance to get in a warm-up ride. We headed down to the start, which was down a big hill and started off a dock. The sun was high by the time we got underway, so the buoys were easy to see. But, I still manage to get off course. I just need to take a few more looks at where I am heading after each turn. Radek showed up and decided to do the international distance on race morning. During the swim there were two guys who were holding my pace and I could not figure out who they were. One was Radek. After a few extra yards, we came back together at the finish and all three of us came out of the water together. Then, we headed up the steep ramp on the dock and then up the steep sidewalk with lots of stairs, one of which I tripped over and stubbed my toe, before making it to transition. I had a very smooth T1 and was out on my bike quickly.
There were some pretty good hills leaving the park and I was trying to put on my arm warmers. Once I got settled in, I was feeling very good, rolling over the hills and hammering the flats. I took down one bottle of PowerBar Endurance and two PowerGels on the bike. I did not want to have my energy zapped like at Pinehurst last week. I had lost the two guys that came out of the water with me and I was all alone for the whole bike, which was a good thing. The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful and I just enjoyed the ride. I hit some traffic as I came back into the park since some of the sprint guys were still finishing up their bike leg. I came back into transition and lost a shoe off my bike. I went back for it and then racked it up. I took the time to put on socks and lace up my shoes.
I headed out of transition and Bill Scott was there to poke fun of my run split from last week. I told him I would surely beat that split today. The run was nice, lots of others out on the course to cheer on and run with, until I passed the 5K turn around. Then it was a hilly 1.5 miles until the 10K turn around. I made the turn around and passed Radek about 30 sec later, then Peter another 30 sec after that. I ran strong the rest of the way in, trying to get at least a good solid run split and a bit of a workout in. I finished in 1:54:53, a solid time for that distance. It was a bit shorter bike leg then a standard 40K in an international distance triathlon.
Thanks to everyone in the South Carolina series, all the words of encouragement throughout the season really were great. I have many new friends and enjoyed every race in the series. I hope to see everyone back out racing next year.
Pinehurst 10/6/2007
The last race in the North Carolina Series and it is going to be quite a race. The field was stacked with all the fast guys in the series showing up to take their last shot at breaking into or holding on to their spot in the series standing. I only could fit 5 races in the series this year, so all of them had to be solid to have a chance to win the series. I have had some great races and a good shot. All I had to do is have a solid race, and win or finish close to the winner and not let more than two guys beat me. After looking at the other international distance races I have done this year, that should not be a problem, but I had just won the South Carolina Half 6 days before and was not completely recovered. I was not able to get in a solid workout all week. Travel plans did not come together until the night before, but I headed through Charlotte and picked up Murph. Kyle and Renee had left earlier that afternoon and were fast asleep when we arrived. Kyle and Renee set the alarm for 4:45, for an 8am race (not my style at all). I got up, had breakfast and still was one of the first people to the race site. (First elite to pick up my packet) I had everything all set by 7. What am I going to do for the next hour? I decide to go on a warm up ride with Murph. We end up getting lost and don't get back until 7:45. Oh, well now I am back on schedule. I got to the start with a couple minutes to spare and am set to go.
My plan was to ride Matt's wake the whole way. My thinking was I would be hard to beat if I got a few minutes ahead of the field in the swim. I found Matt at the start and stuck like glue to his feet, probably really annoyed him hitting his feet a lot in the first half of the swim. Marty was right with us keeping pace and I just sat back and tried to stay relaxed at a grueling pace. After the first turn I had to let the water out of my leaky goggles, but did not lose any ground. At the half way point I knew we were flying and I turned over to see if anyone else was still with us. Nope, we had a large gap on the second group. I thought Marty would pull in behind me, as I was not giving him any room on Matt's feet. But, he must not have wanted to let Matt out of his sight and was still getting a bit of a pull.
T2 - I came out of the water and got my wetsuit down quickly. I could really feel the effects of that hard swim. I was light headed and struggling to hold a jog up the hill. I grabbed my bike and helmet and was off, passing Matt as he put on his shoes. As I went to mount my bike my shoe hit the ground and jumped the bike up, knocking the water bottle out. I had to stop and pick it up, because it was all I had to get any calories from. I forgot to put my gels in my shorts before the start. Marty and Matt both passed me and gained about 15 seconds on me as I gathered myself and remounted my bike. .
It took me a while to settle in on the bike. I was frustrated after losing them with the mistake leaving T1. They seem to be pulling away the first couple miles. It took me 5 miles to reel Matt back in and then another couple before I was on Marty's wheel. We stuck together for the rest of the bike, pushing me to keep pace when I was feeling bad and keeping me in check when I was feeling good. I finally put a little time on him in the last couple miles as I was feeling great, knowing I was in great position.
T2 - No hang ups here, I took my time to put on my shoes and was careful to not make any mistakes. Marty made up some time because of this, but I was a stronger runner and was still feeling good.
Then the pain began. I flew out of transition and ran a strong first mile then all of the sudden I hit the wall. I was all alone and the only thing to think about was how badly I felt. I had gone too hard on the swim and then did not take in enough on the bike. Or it could be the fact that I did a half Ironman 6 days ago. I continued to struggle up the hills and try to keep a good pace, still not taking in any water from the aid stations. What was I thinking? Then as I could smell the finish only half a mile to go I hear foot steps. I hear them a lot, but this time I look back and Nick is right on my heels. I picked it up to a good pace and was holding him off, and then I started thinking. I only have to come close to winning. I don’t need to kill myself. I start sucking wind and let him come up beside me. I asked how far back the others were and he said several minutes. Great, all I have to do is stick close and we can both win. There was no way I could have beat him anyway. He was much too fresh and I was barely holding on. If I would have known he was closing in a few miles back, then maybe, but it is all over once he caught me. We crossed the finish and a minute went by. I took a big sigh of relief. Then the results are posted and some age grouper flew. He was only a few seconds behind me and the win was taken away for a moment until I did the math.
I am glad that is over, it was a fun series but it came down to the wire. The South Carolina series points were posted last week and I have a solid lead after the half Ironman last weekend. I will finally be able to do some training for Clearwater this week. Only a month left, the only thing I can do is pick up the intensity and hope that my base fitness is still there from Ironman training. It has been too long of a season; I am just going to have fun in Clearwater, no need to put any more stress on me, my body, my friends and my family.
South Carolina Half 9/30/07
I headed down to Greenwood Saturday afternoon. I got to the race site to check out the course and swim a bit with Scott, who was coming to watch. Pete and Chris were also meeting me at the race site. I got there a bit before them and decided to take a quick spin to loosen up the legs and make sure everything was in good working order on my bike. I had just put on a new chain and wanted to try out the disc wheel Brad lent me for the race. I did not have the pipe to pump up the disc, so I rode my Cane Creek Areo 58’s. I just had replaced the tire after Kyle rode them at Ironman and got a flat. I cruised around the run course and I got a flat about 2 miles from my car. It was going to be a quick spin, so I did not have anything to change the tire. I walked/ran back to my car barefoot and changed the tire just before Chris and Pete showed up. Scott and I went for a swim and I did not feel all that great. The water was warm and I thought there was no way wetsuits would be allowed on race morning. Then, we headed to packet pickup and then to the hotel to watch some football. We went to dinner at an Italian place just down the road. My stomach was not feeling well when I went to bed.
I woke up at 5:15 to pee and could not go back to sleep, so I went down and got a English muffin, coffee, fruit and some juice. I got to the race site at 6:30, which is early for me. I got everything in order and was all set up by 7. I headed to the pot-a-jon for one last stop, then down to the lake. I walked down to the start at 7:27 and there were still people in the water, so I knew it was not going to start on time. I was glad, because it was still pretty chilly out and the bike was going to be cold until the sun was up.
The swim start was the usual waiting around and then we were off. I went out pretty easy and could not see anything. I lead the elite wave pretty far off course and had to ask the kayakers where the first buoy was several times. We had to swim 100 yards back to the buoy and Radek was right on my feet the whole way. Once I knew I was not going to shake him, I pulled off to let him by, but he was not much help to follow. He could not swim straight. We came out 3-4 minutes up on the field but, could have been 5-6 had we stayed on course.
26:46 (1:20 / 100m)
I got my suit off without a problem and was a bit undecided if I needed arm warmers or not. I need to remember to always rack my bike on the right in the future. Once on the bike, I felt great. It was a bit cold until I dried off, but I felt like I was flying and Radek was right on my tail. I came to the first water station, where I needed to get a water bottle because I only had one cage on my bike. I came screaming by and dropped the bottle at the handoff. Radek pulled up by me and offered me one of his. I gladly accepted and was then able to get down a couple gels and some e-caps. I stuck behind Radek for about 10 miles and it was much easier, even though I was well behind the draft zone. It seemed he was struggling a bit, so I thought I would try and drop him without pushing it too much. I was not able to drop him. I got Gatorade at the next hand off without a problem. We were still holding a very good pace and I was feeling great. Then we took a right around mile 40 and headed down a rough road and were straight in the wind for the rest of the race. Sonni and Peter caught us at mile 45 or so. I dropped my chain as they passed. I really had to pee at that point so I hung back and took care of business. Then I quickly caught back up and was feeling great again. After the last turn at mile 50, we had a strong head wind. I could sit back and relax and save it for the run or I could bury them. I debated for about 5 seconds, and then I pulled up behind Sonni and quickly passed him. I hammered it for a mile and they were long gone.
2:25:34 (23.1 mph)
I came into T2 and no sight of them. I racked my bike and put on my socks and shoes (yes, I took the time to put on socks after the bike). I took off, and then realized I forgot my number. I grabbed it and saw them coming in as I took off for the second time. I settled in pretty quickly on the run and just kept a solid pace to see if anyone would come up and challenge me. I talked it up with the bike escort a bit, trying to keep my mind off the pain. Around the first turn I could see Peter was a bit off and he is the strongest runner of the group. What a relief! I continued to feel great through the half way point and only Radek was still holding pace with me. He was still only 30 seconds back. I picked it up a bit as I knew the third leg would be the time for him to make his move. The bike escort kept an eye out, but he never saw him. I started to hurt about mile 9, but the race was over. All I had to do was hold a good pace and they were not going to catch me. It was great to have so many friends along the way giving me encouragement. It seemed like I knew every other person out there. I rounded the last corner and headed up the steep hill to the finish, 4:16 on the clock. Not a huge improvement from last year, but at least I came out on top.
1:22:13.00 (6:16 / mi)
Rumble on the River - Final race of the Season
This was quit a year at the track for the Rumble on the River series. There seem to be more crashes then in the past, including Brad going down the first race of the season after hitting my wheel. Kevin Bray killing everyone in the sprints and his teammates running down every break I tried to make. Then my road bike broke and I was out one week, then had the wrong pedals another week. I slowly lost my chance to win the series. But, these are just excuses for many mistakes I made throughout the season. To name a few: I lead a break that lapped the field and got plenty of points for the night to win. Then I encouraged some strong riders to attack, thinking they would only get enough points to knock Kevin out for the night. But, They lapped the field again and I was left with 3rd on the night. Then a mistake I made again last night, I was too impatient and saw a strong break and tried to bridge up. Only to encourage the field to bring the break back and leave me spend with the field all together and plenty of guys with fresh legs to blow by in the final sprint. I was allowed to sit in with the A’s on the last couple nights and got a very good workout for a weeknight. Bray worked very hard this season and worked well with his team, I am glad to see him win the series. I never like to loose, but it is always easier to get beat by a guy with that much heart and passion for the racing.
Blue Ridge Relay
After a brief lapse into sleep to break a near 40 straight hour tour of being awake and experiencing the 2007 Blue Ridge Relay, I now feel a little more rested and able to relate the highs and lows of this one-of-a-kind ordeal.
The Blue Ridge Relay consisted of 36 legs running south ~211 miles from Grayson Highlands State Park in SW Virginia to Asheville in W North Carolina, so each runner gets the opportunity to run three times. Here is the official map with breakdowns of each leg. The leg distances, terrain, and time of day are all different. This was not just a straight run down the Blue Ridge Parkway, much of it was on obscure gravel roads.
Our team was organized by Jonathan Herrick, an individual from Charlotte that worked for the bank. Joining the team from the Charlotte-based Sharksbite runner universe was Chris Cummins, Brett McLane, Keith Mrochek, Lat Purser, Stan Austin, and our lone female runner Jocelyn Sikora. Others from Charlotte were Rob Dietz, from the new TrySports store in town and also Ryan Yowell, from Asheville was Kurt Wilson and I. There was also another Sharksbite runner Sarah Neumann, who came along for moral support.
We knew early on this team was stacked, and had the guns to attempt to dethrone the team from Asheville (Norm's Maggots, based out of Norm's Jus' Running store) that easily won both years. Also a concern werethe Rock Hill Striders, a masters oriented team just across the border from Charlotte. Preparing for a race like this involved LOTS and LOTS of logistics. It could have been real expensive too, with van rental, gas, lodging, etc. Our team did an excellent job of cutting our costs, which mainly included getting sponsored by TrySports. They provided their SUV in addition to racing apparel, etc. We bought our food in bulk from Costco, and Lat invited us to stay at his uncle's cabin outside of Boone on Thursday night. I borrow John Derry’s van for the second van, and the Conservancy lent all the reflective vests (that were required at night by all and on any leg that went on the Parkway).
We began to assemble late Thursday afternoon at Kurt's house in Asheville. We were packed like sardines into the green van and made our way towards Boone. Once in Boone we had dinner downtown. Evidence of ASU's big win over Michigan was still apparent! Those in the TrySports van left Charlotte later and drove directly there. Once all there and fed, we went back to the cabin, which was high up on a mountain above Highway 105. All the food was prepped and air mattresses blown up for our last chance at some real sleep.
Stan began the morning with his alarm clock before 6AM. Some of us took one last shower before cleaning up and heading into breakfast at the Sunrise Grill in Boone. Weather was looking sunny with no chance of rain. We then drove across to Virginia. Our van was nearly gunned down by one of the craziest dumptruck drivers we had ever seen. Once at Grayson Highlands (a most beautiful park - think highlands like Scotland) we climbed up to the top.
With all the teams, starts were staggered by submitted pace times. Norm's Maggots won in 2006 with a 6:34 minute/mile pace. Those with the slowest paces had started as far back at 6:45AM. We had wanted to get into the top tier of starters at 12:30, but since we were the new kids on the block we had to settle for 11:00. We started with only one other team called Mythical Frog Boil based out of Columbia, SC. So that made it rather anti-climatic. There was only one woman there starting teams.
Leg assignments were made a month or so in advance based on each our abilities and the combined difficulty rating of the three leg combinations. Distances were weighed by elevation gain/loss difficulty for a score, ranging from 49 to 128. The average difficulty was 79, and my assignment of legs 8, 20, and 32 scored a 86.
This first leg was a monumental drop. One key note to non-runners. These precipitous drops are just as hard, if worse, than climbing up a mountain. Brett is most likely our youngest runner at 25 and made quick work of his blue-haired running companion, dropping down to the gate at a 5:20 pace. Keith then took over at the second leg. His assignment was THE HARDEST at 128. This is not like a race with fans clapping along the way, it is a most solitary adventure with your van as your lifeline. We would often pass shouting words of encouragement, not only to our runners but later on as we began to crush/pass by