I made it through my second race of the season yesterday and I had no stomach issues. That was a big step up considering the big mess up last week.
Yesterday morning, I showed up in Guntersville around 6:15 to make sure everything was ready for the race. I racked my bike and got my transition area set up for a fast transition and then stood around and talked to some friends for a while while I waited for the race to start.
At about 10 minutes until 8 AM, we all headed out on the dock towards the swim start and jumped in. We went out in waves of 50, so it wasn't overly crowded and easy for me to get open water to swim in without bumping into other swimmers. I went out swimming smooth and made sure I kept moving forward. I didn't want to push too hard because I knew I had a long day ahead, but I wanted to put up a good swim split. I had a little issue with water in my right goggle, so I did the swim with my right eye closed the whole time. It was annoying, but I didn't let it keep me from having a good swim. I did stop a few times to try to adjust the goggles, but as soon as I put my head back in the water, it filled right back up. It also made it hard to see the buoys so I had to stop to take my goggles off to see where I was going. Because there were not very many swimmers in my wave and there were only about 10 ahead of me, it was hard to just follow someone else.
The swim seemed like it was taking longer than it should have. I planned to swim the entire course in about 25 minutes and I looked at my watch as I passed one of the buoys and it said I had been swimming 27 minutes, and I still had a good ways to go. I thought that I was doing something wrong because I didn't feel bad and my time is not where I wanted it to be. I finally got out of the water in 32 minutes. I was so disappointed at the time because in Knoxville my time was 35 minutes and I was sick the whole time. This was the same distance and I felt good. It wasn't until after the race that I found out that one of the buoys had drifted and caused the course to be 500-600 meters longer than it was supposed to be. The 1500 meter swim course was over 2000 meters and my time was the 27th fastest swim of the day out of around 200 extremely fit athletes. The course wound up being longer than a half Ironman swim course.
When I got out of the water, Eric Doehrman yelled at me to sit down. I thought I was in trouble because all I knew at the time was that it took me 32 minutes to do the course, but he just wanted to help me get my wet suit off. He pulled it off, I headed to my bike put on my helmet and was off on the bike course.
The bike course was uneventful. Eric and I had agreed that I should keep my power between 170-180 Watts to save my legs for the run course. I was passed by several folks, but I didn't care, I just stuck to my game plan. I wound up averaging 177 Watts, which was only about 17.6 mph, but the course was pretty hilly too. I could have done it better, but I stuck to the plan and was happy with myself. I did have a little mishap at the end when I tried to get off the bike and I didn't quite get my leg over, which caused me to drop the bike. I was able to stay on my feet, but I left a little bruise on my thigh.
I had a pretty good transition to the run, putting on my socks, shoes and hat and taking off. I felt much better this week on the run than I did in Knoxville. I took off and watched my GPS, waiting to get a little water in at the first aid station. I kept pushing to keep running through the rolling hills until I made it the 1 mile to the aid station. I made it to the 1 mile mark and there was no aid station in sight and a mental disappointment hit me, so I walked for a few seconds. I started back up running until the aid station, but something had hit me that I need to work on in preparation for Ironman because I walked way more on the run course than I should have.
The run course was tough. It was hot and very hilly. About 2 miles was on a gravel road that was up and down pretty steep hills where it was difficult to get my footing. I wasn't the only person walking, especially up and down those hills. To add insult to injury, on the way back, we passed by the same aid stations that were there when we went out and they were out of water. They only had power aid, which isn't very good for pouring on your head when you are hot. I was hoping to run this 10K at an average pace of 9 min/mile, but the walking caused me to have a page of 10:54 min/mile. There were allot of run times that were slower than mine, but I see that I really need to work on running off the bike.
Overall, I came in 87th place, which is the first time that I have finished a race in the top half. I have never thought of myself as fast, just someone who goes out to do triathlons, but I am starting to see speed coming every day. I still have 6 months until Ironman Florida and I have some great lessons learned from this race that I will carry over. My goal was to do this in under 3 hours, but I did it in 3:07:51. If it weren't for the extra 8 minutes I spent on the swim, I would have barely made it.
I don't have any races planned for the next few months, just hard training until late July. I am going to run the 10K at the Cotton Row next weekend and then I am going to do the 1 mile kids run with Hannah.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Major Milestone
This week marks a major milestone for me. One year ago, I stepped on my scale and it said 240 lbs. I had let life take over me and somehow gained enormous amounts of weight without even realizing what had happened. I knew that something had to change and I said that this is the starting point.
I worked with a few guys (Buford Shipley and Joe Robertson) that were in pretty decent shape and we started running and lifting weights every morning at 6:30 at the office. After a few months, I had a wild idea that I would buy P90X and we would do it together. By that time, I was dedicated and we all agreed that we would do it.
While in the middle of the P90X training, Buford completed Ironman Cour'd Alene and memories of how much I loved triathlon started putting a bug in my head that I could do an Ironman race myself. I started adding runs and swims in the evenings and off days from P90X, and when we finished, I was in full fledge swim, bike and run training. I was so excited with my progress that I decided that I wanted to see what Ironman was about, so I went down to Panama City in November and volunteered for Ironman Florida. I wasn't sure if I was going to register, but it was something that I thought would be a great thing to do. After watching those competitors cross the finish line, some with extravagent stories, I decided that now is my time.
The next day, I waited in a long line and registered for the race that this blog is talking about. My training has continued to ramp up and I know I am going to be successful in my very first Ironman race. I have met some great people that I never would have without this goal and I have gained a fitness that I never thought would be achievable.
When I graduated high school, I weighed 195 lbs. Today, I stepped on the scale and it said 194. I now weigh less than my high school weight and continue to move in the right direction. I still will lose more weight before my Ironman race, but in 1 year, I have lost 46 lbs. I have done it with hard work, dedication and keeping an eye on my nutrition.
This journey has not been easy and there are many temptations out there that prevent you from being successful in a journey like this. It is easier to drink beer and eat pizza while watching the big game, which I still do from time to time, but you can't let that take control of your everyday life. Everyone can accomplish what I have done thus far and the best reward from this is that I have set an example for my children that I hope will stay with them forever.
I have yet to finish my first Ironman Race, but I have decided that I am not going to make it my last. Anyone can do something like this, it just takes the right motivation. Don't blame it on the job, because I have a pretty time consuming job. Don't blame it on the family because I have 2 small children and a wife that I still find time for. I could go on and on, but the only person you can blame it on is you. You need to just go out and do it and not let the small stuff get in your way.
Next weekend I am racing the Innagural Lake Guntersville Olympic Distance Triathlon. I look forward to a better race than I had last week and I will post my results.
I worked with a few guys (Buford Shipley and Joe Robertson) that were in pretty decent shape and we started running and lifting weights every morning at 6:30 at the office. After a few months, I had a wild idea that I would buy P90X and we would do it together. By that time, I was dedicated and we all agreed that we would do it.
While in the middle of the P90X training, Buford completed Ironman Cour'd Alene and memories of how much I loved triathlon started putting a bug in my head that I could do an Ironman race myself. I started adding runs and swims in the evenings and off days from P90X, and when we finished, I was in full fledge swim, bike and run training. I was so excited with my progress that I decided that I wanted to see what Ironman was about, so I went down to Panama City in November and volunteered for Ironman Florida. I wasn't sure if I was going to register, but it was something that I thought would be a great thing to do. After watching those competitors cross the finish line, some with extravagent stories, I decided that now is my time.
The next day, I waited in a long line and registered for the race that this blog is talking about. My training has continued to ramp up and I know I am going to be successful in my very first Ironman race. I have met some great people that I never would have without this goal and I have gained a fitness that I never thought would be achievable.
When I graduated high school, I weighed 195 lbs. Today, I stepped on the scale and it said 194. I now weigh less than my high school weight and continue to move in the right direction. I still will lose more weight before my Ironman race, but in 1 year, I have lost 46 lbs. I have done it with hard work, dedication and keeping an eye on my nutrition.
This journey has not been easy and there are many temptations out there that prevent you from being successful in a journey like this. It is easier to drink beer and eat pizza while watching the big game, which I still do from time to time, but you can't let that take control of your everyday life. Everyone can accomplish what I have done thus far and the best reward from this is that I have set an example for my children that I hope will stay with them forever.
I have yet to finish my first Ironman Race, but I have decided that I am not going to make it my last. Anyone can do something like this, it just takes the right motivation. Don't blame it on the job, because I have a pretty time consuming job. Don't blame it on the family because I have 2 small children and a wife that I still find time for. I could go on and on, but the only person you can blame it on is you. You need to just go out and do it and not let the small stuff get in your way.
Next weekend I am racing the Innagural Lake Guntersville Olympic Distance Triathlon. I look forward to a better race than I had last week and I will post my results.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
First Race Done, Only Up From Here
I completed the Rev3 Knoxville race this week, but to summarize, I was very dissapointed in my performance. I ate a bad bar-b-q sandwich the day before at the expo and was not feeling good when I woke up. I thought it was just nerves and would pass over, but it never did.
About 2 minutes into the swim, I cramped up severely and wound up side stroking the majority of the way. I couldn't put my head in the water because I felt sick every time I did. I had a goal of finishing the swim in 25 minutes, but wound up doing it in 34. It wasn't a horrible time considering that I side stroked almost an entire mile, but I had other expectations and the swim is my strength. There were times I felt like quitting, but I kept telling myself that it will get better when I get out of the water and on the bike, which turned out to be a lie.
I never started feeling better on the bike. I did take in some water, carbs and electrolytes on the bike, but they didn't seem to help. This bike course is not a good one to not feel well on and have little energy. Knoxville is built in the mountains and they found some pretty big climbs to put on the bike course. I averaged 16.1 mph, which is faster than I would have done last year, but it was nowhere the 22 mph that I pulled on a flat course of similar distance last week.
When I got off the bike, I was completely spent and my stomach was still killing me. All I had left was a 10K run and I said tough it up and get through it. I wound up walking about half, which gave me an average pace of 12 min/mile, which is not even close to the 9 min/mile that I would have expected on this short run.
If you can't tell, I am a little dissapointed in this race. My goal was to do this in less than 2:45, but wound up taking 3:24. That is almost 40 minutes off my goal. Overall, I came in 332 out of 412 finishers, so I still beat 80 people, but I should have been in the top half.
There are 2 good things about this day:
1. I learned alot about myself and pre-race nutrition
2. I get a second chance in 2 weeks at the Guntersville Olympic Distance Race.
About 2 minutes into the swim, I cramped up severely and wound up side stroking the majority of the way. I couldn't put my head in the water because I felt sick every time I did. I had a goal of finishing the swim in 25 minutes, but wound up doing it in 34. It wasn't a horrible time considering that I side stroked almost an entire mile, but I had other expectations and the swim is my strength. There were times I felt like quitting, but I kept telling myself that it will get better when I get out of the water and on the bike, which turned out to be a lie.
I never started feeling better on the bike. I did take in some water, carbs and electrolytes on the bike, but they didn't seem to help. This bike course is not a good one to not feel well on and have little energy. Knoxville is built in the mountains and they found some pretty big climbs to put on the bike course. I averaged 16.1 mph, which is faster than I would have done last year, but it was nowhere the 22 mph that I pulled on a flat course of similar distance last week.
When I got off the bike, I was completely spent and my stomach was still killing me. All I had left was a 10K run and I said tough it up and get through it. I wound up walking about half, which gave me an average pace of 12 min/mile, which is not even close to the 9 min/mile that I would have expected on this short run.
If you can't tell, I am a little dissapointed in this race. My goal was to do this in less than 2:45, but wound up taking 3:24. That is almost 40 minutes off my goal. Overall, I came in 332 out of 412 finishers, so I still beat 80 people, but I should have been in the top half.
There are 2 good things about this day:
1. I learned alot about myself and pre-race nutrition
2. I get a second chance in 2 weeks at the Guntersville Olympic Distance Race.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Tri Camp
Last weekend was probably the best training weekend that I have ever had. I attended the E3 Tri X camp at Oak Mountain State Park. I had the opportunity to swim bike and run with one of the top female professional Ironman triathletes, Jessica Jacobs, who happened to win the race that I have my sights set on. I also learned from one of the top nutritionalists in athletics, Bob Seebohar. I thought I was in pretty good shape, but I left the camp extremely sore.
We went through every aspect of competing in a triathlon. In addition to the normal swim, bike and run, we also learned about nutrition, transitions, strength training, balancing training and family life, yoga, technique, and mental aspects of triathlon. I feel like I left there armed with the knowledge that I will need to have a successful race season. I received great coaching from Eric and Karen Doehrman and John Hannah. Amy Hannah also did an excellent job directing the camp and ensuring that we were able to get everything done in a 3 day weekend.
Tomorrow, I get to ride with Dennis Muilenburg as he comes to town to celebrate Boeing's 50th aniversary in Huntsville. I also will be competing in the Rev3 Knoxville Olympic Distance triathlon this weekend. I hope to have pictures from the Tri Camp and from the race to post next week.
We went through every aspect of competing in a triathlon. In addition to the normal swim, bike and run, we also learned about nutrition, transitions, strength training, balancing training and family life, yoga, technique, and mental aspects of triathlon. I feel like I left there armed with the knowledge that I will need to have a successful race season. I received great coaching from Eric and Karen Doehrman and John Hannah. Amy Hannah also did an excellent job directing the camp and ensuring that we were able to get everything done in a 3 day weekend.
Tomorrow, I get to ride with Dennis Muilenburg as he comes to town to celebrate Boeing's 50th aniversary in Huntsville. I also will be competing in the Rev3 Knoxville Olympic Distance triathlon this weekend. I hope to have pictures from the Tri Camp and from the race to post next week.
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